Eat Right: Of course it ends with a list

I used to be harcore about organics and being healthy.It was a lifestyle. Everything I ate had a purpose and was from the purest source available to me. Well, except beer and diet coke, those were my splurges. I used to love thinking about living healthy, cleaning healthy, eating healthy...everything healthy, healthy, healthy. And my body showed it.

Now, psh, not even close. When I first became a single mom, that was one of the many things I had to lose. I couldn't afford to feed myself and three children on my income. I qualified for WIC and it saved my non existant budget but WIC doesn't allow for things that don't have high fructose corn syrup or enriched flour. Oh no, only the best sugary, fattening, nutrient void products for the children of mothers who can't afford to buy food.

It's been several years since I've been off WIC, but my budget is still super tight. Shopping at the health food stores is out of the question so I've tried to make do with the choices Wal-Mart has. Wal-Mart is starting to carry some organic stuff but after buying for a family of six and a husband that eats like a lumberjack, even the 40 cent increase per item is not something I can afford. So mostly I forget about organic and just try to stay away from High Fructose.

Well, the time has come to step it up and care more about what we are eating. I feel overwhelmed with where to start. So, to my default organizational tool: The List

Step:
1. Be a pragmatic organic eater. Accept that pretty much any food I purchase is going to have something in it that some author of a granola eating magazine is going to say will kill me or give my son a third nipple. I chose to accept that 20% of my food is not going to be so hot, but the other 80% is going to be really good for me.
2. Stock the pantry and fridge with good food. This is the part that is the scariest. I know what to get, but I have no idea how my grocery budget can afford it. Last time I tried this, my entire month grocery budget was spent for one week of groceries. AND I GOT GOOD DEALS. This is going to take research.
3.Avoid the Big Three: High fructose corn syrup, Antibiotics, Trans Fat or Partially or Wholly Hydrogenated Oils
4.Watch what we drink. Juice is junk food! Soda is bad. Body needs water.
5. Control Portions. Enough is Enough. Get a grip on portion sizes. Meat should be no bigger than the size of a deck of cards. For pasta and rice ½ cup is a serving. Load up on the veggies; make them organic if at all possible to avoid cancer causing pesticides.
6. Cut out processed sugars and enriched/bleached grains.