IOTUT Friday -- Some tips for converting your family to real food

It's Friday, which means it's time for me to suggest an alternative to the way we tend to do things. 

Today's is short and sweet (mostly because I have to leave soon to go teach my class at Carnegie Mellon for their Osher program!):

Based on the wonderful book, 100 Days of Real Food, which I reviewed yesterday on the blog, here are a few of Lisa Leake's tactics (in my own words) for convincing a reluctant spouse or other family member to make the switch to real food:

• Don't tell them you're making the switch. Just feed them good food.
• Buy some of the same foods (i.e. peanut butter, pasta, dairy products), but opt for the better versions.
•  Slowly (did you get that... slowly) add more vegetables into the weekly menu. You want to win your family over to veggies? Skip the canned versions and get the fresh, non-GMO stuff. It's seriously much better.
• Let them have the occasional junk food... it's not going to kill them.
• Practice patience and gentle persistence.

If all else fails, use the age-old adage -- If you don't like what I'm serving, make your own dinner!

So, instead of harping and lecturing, just use the above tactics and you'll be feeding your family wholesome, healthy meals in no time!

Offering healthy alternatives,

Click here to read my review of 100 Days of Real Food by Lisa Leake.

100 Days of Real Food

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I received product and/or compensation in exchange for the possibility of a review. The opinions expressed are my own.

 

Are you ready to give up what appears to be food but really isn't? Well, I have the perfect book for you!

Wait, did I just call 100 DAYS OF REAL FOOD the perfect book? Why, yes. Yes, I did.

Lisa Leake, photo by Kelly Trimble

Lisa Leake has managed to take the cookbook from so-so to fabulous. This 360-page book is a must-have resource for every kitchen out there. Seriously. Not only does Leake present some amazing recipes, but she seasons the pages with wisdom and more information than a brain can hold in one sitting!

Here are some of the things I love about the book:

• An understandable definition of what "real food" is; specifically, "More of a product of nature than a 'product of industry.'"
• An explanation of what real food is not. So many people gravitate toward, "low-fat," "low-carb," or "low-calorie" thinking they're making healthy choices. Wrong. She even puts us in our place when we find ourselves reaching for organic products -- pointing out that highly processed foods, such as cookies, candy, and crackers, are not healthy for us, even if they're labeled as organic.
• Reasons why we should avoid highly processed foods. How about coronary heart disease, diabetes, stroke, or cancer? Did you know that a long shelf life is a high priority in the food industry? The reason? Profit, not health.
• The real-food impacts on our health.
• How to decipher food labels, including a break down of some popular foods and what their labels are actually saying.
• How to shop for real food, including a farmer's market shopping list.
• What to do when traveling and/or eating out.
• How to decide on portion size.
• What to do about reluctant spouses.
• How to explain your mission to friends.

The 14-week mini-pledges: doing 100 days, step by step.Leake doesn't throw all this info at you and expect you to change your family's eating habits overnight. No. It's a purposeful 100-day process, broken down into 14 weeks. 

Between her wisdom and her writing style, Lisa Leake presents a solid argument for eating real food. I enjoyed the book and then enjoyed trying out some of the recipes. 

The first one I tried was her Veggie Pancakes. Oh.my.goodness. So, so good. 

I did find my batter was a bit too runny after grating the vegetables, so I ran it through a strainer before cooking. I also added onion because, well... just because onion makes everything better.

Photo by Carrie Vitt

Admittedly, the picture in the book looks a whole lot better than mine. But trust me. They were delicious.






 


Then I tried her Eggs in a Basket. While they were good, I preferred my own version of this wonderful recipe a bit more. However, I think part of the problem lies with gas stove (what she uses) versus electric cooktop (which I use).

The third recipe I tried was her Potato Hash. Again, the cooking times varied, but in the end, my husband said they were the best "homefries" he'd ever eaten. 


Some other bloggers reviewed recipes from the book and I wanted to share one with you that seemed especially delicious.

Looks good, right? My mom used to make eggplant parmesan for her cousin, Kelly, every year for her birthday. I wish Mom was still around to try this recipe out for her.

All in all, I give this book a resounding 2 Green Thumbs Up! Put it on your Christmas list. Better yet, buy it for everyone on your list. They'll seriously love you for it!

If you want to find out more about Lisa Leake and her revolutionary approach to eating, follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube.

Reviewing it for you,

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I received product and/or compensation in exchange for the possibility of a review. The opinions expressed are my own.