Start simple until it becomes more natural. Don't overwhelm yourself with the details! Simply start 1 item at a time, replacing with a better item as you go. It took about 3 months to have a complete change over in our pantry, fridge and freezer.. It is more expensive, until you get going, it killed me the 1st few months to buy meat and cheese, but once I was in rotation and had a stock pile, the replenishing was easier and cheaper because I didn't need so much! Now I have an entire shelf full and simply buy a few a month and keep the rotation going!
This is a starting place... once this becomes more common.. I will add more details and change some of this, but this helps in the transition phase!
When I brown ground meat, I mix 1/3 chopped nuts and 1/3 cooked steel cut oats.. it makes the meat go farther and adds plant protein into the mix so your body gets multi-proteins at one time! When making hamburgers I do the same but add an egg or 2 to help bind it. Seasoning is your best friend! The meat from the store is loaded with chemicals and salt.. the farm meat is NOT! Use good salt freely and good vinegars help break down animal protein. I use organic raw apple cider vinegar, red wine, balsamic, etc. Find organic seasoning in bulk, it is much cheaper and keep in the fridge or freezer to keep it from losing it's nutrients. I am fortunate that I have a Mennonite bulk food store where I can get my spices, grains, beans, legumes and some whole grain organic pastas.
This was ground lamb with what I picked out of the garden that day.. some green beans, peppers and tomatoes chopped up and tossed in with a lil oil to sauté and a splash of water and lid to steam, then added my browned lamb (it was only 1/2 lb, I have used the other 1/2 for pizza).
It really isn't hard.. it is more a change in mind and attitude.. take back your food and take back responsibility of your own health! Retrain your brain... we created a bacon cheese burger (3x the animal products in 1 meal)... have the burger but leave the other off for another meal to cut the amount of animal products you take in!
Buy meat and dairy from a local grass fed and raw farm operation. I use http://www.jakoinc.com in Hutch who delivers to Wichita bi-weekly... but there are many others.. check this site to find in your area! http://www.localharvest.org Jako pastures beef, pork, lamb and chicken. I get my animal food there also (because the same junk is in our animal food also and it is cheaper than the good stuff at the pet store). They have raw milks, cheeses, keffir, yogurts, whey, wholesome delight, which is delightful and many other products. They have an apple orchard, so apple sauce, cider, vinegar... honey... assorted veggies in the summer and frozen in the winter! This farm is 1/3 of my regular shopping! It makes it much easier that way!
Wild caught fish and seafood. Do some research on this.. a lot is very pricey! We stick mainly to salmon, tilapia and Mahi mahi. We don't do bottom dwelling cleaners like shrimp, crab, lobster or catfish. A lot of wild caught fish is not fished in a sustainable way (meaning they put in a large net for one kind of fish, catch all in the area and kill what they don't want!) Wasting and depleting the fish! This is not a practice we will be a party to out of principle alone!
Lots of fresh raw fruits and veggies... the more local and seasonal the better, but this takes time to get to... there are phytonutrients only available in the raw form... when cooking, lightly steam as much as possible... juicing is a great way to get raw nutrition and open your pallet to new flavors! Munching on the raw while you are juicing is a great way to get more familiar! Throw out most of your old recipes that called for pre-made soups and sauces, do a google search for new healthier versions. Take your favorite family recipes and convert them to using whole raw organic ingredients... message me if you need help! I took our favorite chocolate cookie recipe and cleaned it up!
If you are not grain, bean or legume sensitive... buy organic in bulk... I know the Dillon's marketplaces around Kansas have bulk bins until you can find smaller more local stores to shop in! Black beans, pinto beans, lentils, black eyed peas, kidney beans (highest fiber content), garbanzo, etc...
soak them well, rinse and drain often to get anti-nutrients out... do a larger quantity and put in glass jars (with headroom) and freeze or can (follow instructions)... we make our own hummus as well!
Steel cut oats, rices (brown, long, short, wild, as many varieties as you can find, except stripped white), polenta (corn, if you are not sensitive), wheat berries, quinoa, millet, etc (there are lots, but check the glycemic index if you are diabetic). Simply start introducing new grains into your existing oat or rice when you make it... For example.. add 1/4 cup quinoa into 1 cup of rice blend. The taste of quinoa can be strong, so start small and build up. The red quinoa has more fiber and nutrients than the white.
I almost forgot seeds and nuts.. buy raw unsalted and lightly toast and salt yourself. Put in a bowl ad a drizzle of grapeseed oil and salt... toss, then turn out on a cookie sheet and toast for just a few minutes on 350º... the smaller the seed the less time... 5 minutes for sunflower and pumpkin seeds... the larger, up to 10 minutes. Will focus on this more later!
My basic oat blend is 3 cups of water with 1 cup of steel cut oats and 1-2T of raw butter or coconut oil cooked for 20 minutes with the lid ajar. Then I open the lid and add 1/4 cup of oat bran, 1/4 cup ground flax seed and 1/4 cup chia seeds... you can add 1/4 cup of polenta and or wheat berries earlier in the cooking. Experiment with it! If you let cool with lid on it holds more of the 'gel', if you cool with the lid off and stir occasionally it becomes drier (more like rice when heated with butter or oil added). I make this in quantity to have for the week.. we eat for breakfast, sweet or salty... for lunch with other things chopped on top and as a complex carb for dinner.
I keep organic spelt flour and stone ground corn meal (we seem to be corn sensitive, so this is going bye bye) for the small amount of baking I do. Pizza crust, cookies, cakes, cinnamon rolls, pancakes, etc. (not a huge amount.. make a batch and freeze most for later, a cookie a week to feel like you are not deprived). The hardest part is training your mind that our culture is centered around eating food that makes us feel good! Re-train your mind as you re-train your pallet! Think of food in the simplest most basic forms and build lightly from there! We have a small amount of organic whole grain pasta... I use my own organic canned sauce, organic ricotta, parmesan from the farm, load it with veggies and make organic lasagna occasionally. Rarely do I add meat because of the cheese content.
I buy Ezechiel bread, english muffins and tortillas by the case and keep in freezer... it is sprouted grains... a living grain! Changes it from a grain to a vegetable! It is the only thing we eat except the few things I make!
Celtic sea salt (might be iffy these days with radioactivity from Fukushima)... Mediterranean sea salt... Pink Himalayan is probably the best! Use liberally.. it is the source for a lot of natural minerals and if helps detoxify the body!
Organic local raw unfiltered honey, maple syrup and small amounts of turbinado (unprocessed) sugar for sweetener when needed.
Fats... olive and coconut oil for raw and up to medium heat cooking... grapeseed oil and raw organic butter for high heat cooking. Do not heat flax seed oil, only use it raw and cool! No corn, soy or canola EVER! Even organic! The omega 3/6 ratio is off and not healthy.
If you need sauces like ketchup, mustard, jellies, the extras... look for organic or make your own, the internet is a valuable resource for recipes!
