What's on your plate?

Slow Food USA turned me on to a documentary/project I hadn't heard about - What's on Your Plate? It's about "kids and food politics." A subject very important to me.

I was thrilled to find it available for streaming via Netflix. After spending 30 seconds adding it to our instant queue - okay, maybe a minute, the hubby and I watched it. It follows two young girls over the course of a year "as they explore their place in the food chain." They talk about where the food they eat comes from and why, including school lunches. They visit local farms and talk with the farmers, they visit farmers' markets, participate in a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and talk to city leaders. Also, one of the girls has high cholesterol, due to genetics not diet, and you get to follow her on a few doctor visits to monitor her condition. I thoroughly enjoyed this film. It wasn't as heavy as Food, Inc. or Food Matters (although everyone should watch these films) but What's on Your Plate? covers some of the same issues and left me thinking just as much as the others did.

I get so emotional about this subject, especially after watching a film or reading an article about it. I feel equally inspired as I do frustrated. I picked the image for this post because it helps illustrate my frustration. No matter how much info is out there on food companies, factory meat, genetically modified food, imported produce (that are also grown and available locally), processed food and the like, most people continue to eat poorly and/or stay uneducated about real food. I'm not saying everyone is consciously deciding to ignore the subject (although some definitely are) but there is a huge disconnect that baffles me. I know people that simply never give what they eat a second thought. I know people that do think about it but give in to convenience anyway. I know people who don't buy at farmers' markets because it can be more expensive (very well in fact, that used to be me!) And I know a bunch more people with a whole lot of excuses.

Believe me my friends, I feel you. Again, that is why I started Medium Food Mama. But there is a happy medium out there. I'm on the journey and it's my cause. As hard as food politics and big industry make it on us and the small producers, we need to get educated, make food a priority, care what we put in our bodies and do our part to reduce the food industry's outrageous carbon footprint. This is serious stuff everyone. Our bodies suffer and our environment suffer. Two essential things to live. And on that note, do me a favor, take a moment today to think about what small step you can do today to improve what you eat, what you buy and/or where you buy.

Slow food

I recently read a brief spot from Dr. Weil in regard to the Slow Food Movement. As you know, I'm a slow food advocate. My goal is always to pick slow over fast and if not slow, "medium." What I liked about the article was its three suggestions on how to practice the Slow Food Movement and thought it worthy of sharing here. The suggestions are simple and easy for anyone to adopt.

1. Shop for fresh, organically grown local produce and baked goods at farmers' markets.
2. Patronize restaurants that specialize in local or regional foods.
3. Keep family traditions alive. Think about the foods your grandparents prepared for holidays or family gatherings, and try to replicate what you can.

Three fantastic steps to eating slower. Number one can challenge the budget but with practice, you can learn to prioritize and likely make it work. Especially by brushing up on what you can skip buying organic if you need to. Depending on where you live, number two can offer lots of options or not a lot of options. We've found only one restaurant in our area that serves local food. But I'm certain I could find a few more if I take the time. As for number three, who doesn't want to keep family traditions alive? It's so much fun and a wonderful thing to pass down. It's still a work in progress but making my mom's enchiladas has been a project of mine for a very long time. Making them with grass-fed beef from a local ranch and using local and organic onions only adds to the pleasure of eating them.

I feel strongly about making the effort to eat slower and showing my children the importance of the Slow Food principles. It takes discipline. The stress of the day can make us vulnerable to giving in to a fast food meal but just like anything else, planning ahead is key. And if you didn't plan ahead, as I often don't, knowing what and where you can go to get something decent in a pinch will keep you and the family on track.

Why Medium Food?

I originally called my blog Slow Food Small Budget but as I was creating content, I kept finding myself unable to be as "slow" as I had intended and unable to eliminate all processed foods. I have two young children, a three year old and a nine month old, which makes it particularly challenging.

The other part of my challenge was/is budget. It's just a fact, real food costs more. Over the past few years, my husband and I have learned to prioritize how we purchase our food. And even more so since I've been out of work. As we eliminated packaged foods, convenience meals, started buying only local meat and produce and only eating "treats" we made ourselves, our grocery budget was busted.

The budget restrictions coupled with the feeling of failure to eat perfectly slow was frustrating and a feeling of defeat was creeping in. After some sulking, I became determined to find a happy medium. I would do my best to buy only locally produced, high quality food, reduce processed foods and make the majority of our meals from scratch. And that's when "medium food" was termed.

Here's a couple of definitions for you.

Slow Food (from slowfoodusa.org): Slow Food is an idea, a way of living and a way of eating. It is a global, grassroots movement with thousands of members around the world that links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment.

Fast Food (from m-w.com): of, relating to, or specializing in food that can be prepared and served quickly; designed for ready availability, use, or consumption and with little consideration given to quality or significance.

"...and with little consideration given to quality or significance." Love that, pretty sobering way to put it. Anyhow, slow food is a movement I respect and do my best to contribute to. Fast food is a thing of the past. I've recovered from the denial that it was decent food and perfectly acceptable in a pinch.

As my journey continues, I will keep updating. This subject has become a passion of mine and my desire to build a healthy foundation for my boys is certainly going to keep me determined to find solutions to the challenges I'll inevitably face.

Welcome to my blog

After several months of trying to eat all things "slow" (on a small budget), I've created a new category: Medium Food. A way of eating somewhere between Slow and Fast.

As I blog about my journey to the "happy medium" I'll be able to better define what I mean by Medium Food. I hope blogging about the subject will not only help me and my family but help other families learn more about the importance of food, where it comes from, and the impact it has on our bodies and the environment. I will focus on clean, local and organic foods with an emphasis on nutrition, practicality and budget.

My goal is to consistently feed myself and my family good, clean and fair food within our budget and among the chaos, while teaching my children the importance of good food. I also hope to inspire others to adopt a slower way of eating by sharing my experiences, challenges, tips and recipes.

I don't claim to be an expert on the subject, just the opposite actually. I'm learning and will share what I learn here. And that is my disclaimer to my readers. I'm not a health professional in any way, just a mom determined to feed her family good food.