Last Week of the Eat Local Challenge

It takes 20 days to break a habit and after 28 days of studying food sources, I think the just-buy-it-because-its-cheap and you need it habit has been broken. No more will I just throw a food product in my cart. No more will I run to the store to pick up a few things for a recipe. No more will I make a recipe that calls for "exotics" like pineapple or bananas. No more will my garden be small - the list is long for next year of things to grow (i.e., black beans, kidney beans, corn, sweet potatoes, etc.) Every meal is thought through and prepared and the main ingredient is usually something locally grown. The grocery bills have gone down, the local foods list has grown, and my eating habits have changed dramatically. I can't say its just food though. Reading the books Deep Economy and Depletion and Abundance the past month have us both focusing on energy and oil consumption too. More on that in another post. So what exactly am I eating or not eating these days? Here's the rundown of the some of the major food stuffs (I'll be updating this list as I remember things and add things):

Staples - local food:

• Organic Spelt bread or baked product from spelt - apple crisp, squash bars, etc.
• Butter (stilling weighing the saturated fat consumption vs the shipping and processing costs of Olive Oil)
• Milk (Raw, of course!) and homemade dairy products from the milk (yogurt, ricotta cheese, I want to try mozzarella too)
• Eggs (organic only)
• Meat (Rick won't eat organic - but its local and field raised!)
• All kinds of Vegetables from the garden (organic) or local Farmers market (not org) -all kinds
• Frozen fruit veges from the summer harvest (Raspberries!)
• Apples! Pears! (not organic)
• Cider (not organic)
• Local Honey
• Local walnuts and hickory nuts. (stupid me... I have hickory nuts in my yard!)

OFF the Food list - forever?

• Bananas
• Pineapple
• Citrus Fruits
• Boxed Cereal
• Packaged and processed anything (although Rick likes his Ritz Crackers)
• Fast Food!!! ARGH. (although Rick keeps threatening to stop at Burger King)
• Clif bars! (I'm gonna miss them and may treat myself on occassion when I'm dying on a bike ride or something)
• Olive Oil
• Chocolate
• Sugar (although I don't think Hubby can live without it).
• Coconut

Converting from bought to garden next year:

• Beans! All kinds
• Corn
• Peas
• Potatoes (although I can get them local fairly easily, but they aren't organic)

Unsure what to do - these things are nutritionally important or needed for baking, yet not available locally:

• Oatmeal (may be able to find in PA)
• Rice
• Pasta (I might try making my own with Spelt flour)
• Quinoa (have grown to love this, but its only grown in South America)
• Flax Seeds (may be able to find in PA)
• Baking Powder/Soda; Yeast

Exceptions:

• Coffee (free trade organic only)
• Spices

BUT - I gained 5 pounds in the past month! Rick is quick to blame the raw whole milk, I'm quick to blame the food I'm preparing and won't let it go to waste and end up eating to many calories. So I have to work on that... but I believe some bad eating habits have been broken. Thank you Eat Local Challenge!