How’s it going?
Oct 15, 2014, Updated Sep 09, 2015
October is flying by – I can hardly believe we’re already halfway through the month!
Incredibly, more than 19,600 people have joined in for October Unprocessed so far! If you found out about the challenge after October 1st, it’s not too late. (It’s never too late!) Please sign the pledge, and join us for the rest of the month (or for 30 days starting today).
I’d like to give a huge thanks to all the guest authors so far, and to the ones still to come. Please be sure to visit their websites, show your appreciation in the comments, and friend them on Facebook and Twitter. If you’ve missed any of the guest posts, I’ve set up an index page of all them so far, and it will automatically update as new posts are published.
Okay, so now it’s time for a check-in. How has your experience been so far? Easy? Hard? What’s the most exciting thing you’ve learned or discovered?
In the spirit of supporting each other, I’m hoping you will share one “actionable” morsel that you’ve learned so far this month. Leave a comment on this post and share some of your new-found unprocessed wisdom with everyone. Or maybe it’s simply a link to a recipe that you want to share. Or something else that folks may find useful or helpful. (Or, if you’re just downright frustrated, let us know that, too — and maybe we can help.)
Okay, ready? Go!
I have found this to be a real eye opener! I eat pretty well and have eliminated a lot of processed food,b ut the pervasiveness of manufactured food in our food habits is surprising. I have eliminated the small quantities of artificial sweetener I used and am adjusting to the change (especially in my am coffee!) I am much more aware when I make a food choice now, and while I have not eliminated everything processed (I will not be making my own pasta or taco shells); I am consiously making those choices I do find acceptable for my health as well as within the limits of my time,
This echoes what I was going to say almost exactly. We’ve eaten very well for the past couple of years & have been vegetarian since January. But I didn’t realize I would have to replace everything…. From condiments, to salad dressings, to sauces, to yogurt, butter, and even frozen veggies! This has been a real education for me. It’s taught me to be more vigilant about checking labels. I’ve discovered that even though I eat healthy foods, so much has been sneaked into my body, and I had no idea. I’m also thankful that it’s given me the opportunity to sample (and discover that even the kids LOVE) certain things I’ve never really bought before, like whole wheat pasta, whole wheat tortillas, and non-homogenized milk! I’ve given up the mountain of French Vanilla Coffeemate in my morning coffee & replaced it with non-homogenized milk (the cream chunks melt & make… Read more »
I learnt that I can use my home made stewed fruits as a topper for my oats in the morning. Sprouts are a great snack, plus almonds or dates and so easy. My friends are interested, so we are getting educated together:):) It was a huge step going to two Thanksgiving (Canadian) celebrations and staying unprocessed, we took all sorts of roasted veggies to their tables and avoided the packaged turkey stuffing and gravy mixes – much easier than I imagined. I am still struggling with a bread machine recipe that works well – any ideas out there PLEASE!?, and lastly, how do we not eat cheese, this is an impossibility for my family – any suggestions?…..I am loving trying so many great new recipes. This time of year is the best for soups and stews, my slow cooker is happy at the moment. THANKS all for the support here… Read more »
Preparing meals from scratch it’s a lot easier than I thought it would be. Just about being organized having the right ingredients on hand. Loving this month!
Sprouting peas,sunflower seeds,alfalfa and fenugreek has been given me a healthy snack and toppers for salads and veggies.Adding a small raw beet to my cole slaw has given it a nice color and flavor. Roasting some organic sunflower seeds and using those for toppers on salads has been great.
I’m taking advantage of this months challenge to use up all the soups and sauces I had stashed in the freezer, along with the fantastic wild Alaskan fish we get through our new seafood CSFA. I also stocked up on a lot of grains we hadn’t tried before and am having fun cooking them for breakfast, as the base for side and main dishes and ground into flour. We are learning a lot about many new foods.
Even though I normally bake and cook a lot, I’ve been especially conscious this month of both how important it is be to cook “real food,” but also how time-consuming it can be. I want to find ways to make “real food” more possible for those in my community who may have both a smaller food budget and less time to cook as they work multiple jobs. I’m thinking of getting in touch with our main local food pantry to get a sense of what ingredients someone might normally be able to get there. Then, I’d like to look at putting together a cooking class and/or a pamphlet of basic, healthy, tasty recipes that people could make with them.
I’m loving the recipes in the blog posts. I have the ingredients for the coconut horchata soaking now. I can’t wait to try it tomorrow. And the spinach pesto is a new favorite around here. Thanks for sharing!
Was it ignoring cravings or was it breaking habits those first few days? Makes you realise, even as I consider myself someone who eats healthily, how we eat lazily! we don’t bother to be invested fully in what goes into our meals and our bodies (and I was already a bit of a label reader and a CSA member). The articles have helped become a more considered eater.
It has been easier than i anticipated. I am amazed that i was eating better than i thought. I was shocked to find the veggie “meat” products i was eating are loaded with unhealthy ingredients.
I have discovered some powerful motivation to make healthy eating changes in my life. The comments, suggestions, and topics on the facebook page are enjoyable. I’m eating better, feeling better, weighing 5-6 pounds less, and I feel confident that I’ll continue once the challenge is over. Thanks.