11.17.2008

using whole foods

As stated in the Word of Wisdom (Doctrine and Covenants 89), an ideal diet is one filled with fruits, vegetables, and grains. I'm going to refer to these foods as "whole" foods.

My longer-term supply is full of grains and beans, both of which are whole and versatile. Choosing whole items for our three-month supply has been more difficult. I want to plan for meals that store well, but I also have to consider my two year-old that hardly eats anything. So, in several cases, I've opted to store some foods that are less whole (i.e. canned ravioli/chili, cold cereal, commercially canned meats, etc.). These are foods that we eat less regularly now, though we eat often enough to give us some rotation and familiarity. I also wanted to have some meal options that were VERY easy to prepare. For some of my menu items, we could eat them cold and right out of the can/box. I've tried to balance these less-than-whole food selections with some that are more wholesome. Ideally my garden would be full of fruits and vegetables (or my pantry full of these bottled items) to supplement my three-month supply when needed.

How have you balanced the need for whole foods with concerns about convenience, storage life, rotation, and picky eaters?

4 comments:

ejemory said...

I have the privilege of helping to raise two of my granddaughters, ages 8 and 5. I've found that they'll eat almost anything, provided they helped me prepare it. So, I try to find jobs for them to do to help me get whatever it is I am cooking or baking ready. They are learning how to measure ingredients (think math skills); they are learning cooking techniques (do we have the next Rachel Ray?); they are expanding their diets (makes me have to think about what I'm fixing); and hopefully, they are building good memories of cooking with their Jerri D. Grandma!

Grandma Honey said...

I am mainly concerned now about storing vegetables and fruits as these are what we mostly like. Do you know of any online places that are good to order from?

Wendy said...

ejemory, so glad you are involving your grandchildren and helping them to gain all the great skills that come from cooking. Thanks for sharing that.

jill, a lot of the standard suppliers like Walton Feed and Emergency Essentials (and even Amazon.com sometimes) sell dried or freeze-dried fruits and veggies. They tend to be pretty expensive. The church home storage centers have dehydrated apples that are wonderful -- and not so expensive. They also have carrots availabe there. Canned/bottled fruits and veggies are also widely available in your grocery stores(or you can do them yourself), though they have a shorter shelf life.

Unknown said...

I work for Shelf Reliance and I would love to send you a sample of our Thrive line of food to try!! I think you will love the quality and taste! Email me at rebeccasusannepickett@gmail.com and I will get it right out to you.