Hi, I just found this place tonight. Today, I took a look at myself and my family and I thought to myself, I can do better, much better. I have a hubby and 3 kids and I need to get us healthier. I went grocery shopping today and bought lots of food, half of it would be considered not so healthy. And, on the way out I grabbed a small box of chicken poppers and fries and gave them to my four year old. I don't know, I just kind of felt bad that I give that stuff to him, Chik -fil- A, Mcdonalds what ever is on the way to where ever I am rushing off to. I really need to do this for my family. But, how do I start. I wish I would of had this ah ha moment yesterday, before I went and spent money on all that junk. Now, what? I can't take it back to the store and get my money back or exchange for healthier items. Nor can I throw it away, we are already a little money tight. Please help with advice. Thanks!


Slow and steady wins the race. So you bought all this food you can't afford to get rid of now... Is there any reason you can't return a few of the more expensive items? I return things to stores all the time, and sometimes for reasons that confuse the customer service people (i.e. "This yeast won't proof").
Assuming that is impossible, I would try pairing up the less healthy things with more healthy things until you run out of less healthy things. This would also help to wean your family off of junk and on to good things. So instead of the chicken and fries for your son, for example, you could replace to fries with an apple, or some carrot sticks. Then when you run out of chicken, you can replace it with healthier foods. Use this time with the junk to learn WHY it's junk and what about it MAKES it junk. Make it a learning experience for your family. Learn to read the labels and try to figure out what all the 20 letter long ingredients are in your food. It'll help your family get on board with you if they also understand why you're making the decisions you're making.


I agree with rabid this will be so much easier to do once you educate yourself about food ingredients & their affects on the body.
Biggest step to improving you and your familys health is removing Hydrogenated oils. This is horrible for the body, trust me I've seen the results. Then added coloring, processed sugars, preservatives, anything that says enriched.
This will be hard to do as THESE ARE IN EVERYTHING haha unless you go to Whole Foods or similar organic stores (many mainstream grocery stores Publix for ex. do carry foods w/out these ingredients but their hard to find)
Good Luck and research and educate yourself!


It sounds like Christians have run a guilt trip on you. Enjoy your food and after this you will all be dead and never be able to buy food ever again. That is how you sound. There is next week and the week after and the week after and the week after etc.
A very famous American psychologist, Abraham Maslow (1908-1970), said "I can feel guilty about the past, apprehensive about the future, but only in the present can I act. The ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness." Kahlil Gibran, author of The Prophet, says "There is a cup of joy inside of you, but you cannot drink from it save [unless] you forget the past and renounce the future."
Right now you can learn about healthier foods. Try NEXT TIME, NEXT TIME, NEXT TIME shopping in a health food store instead of a sick and fat food store. There is also always next year (in 3 months). Here is a site with everything you need to know about a Buy a lot of something that is on sale. Potatoes and beans are really cheap foods that taste good together. Same with brown basmati rice and beans. I love the taste of these.


Ladyseals, the reasons you have for wanting to change your diet are good--let that be your motivator to educate yourself!

(do a search under "vegetarian children" )

Heres a great book:

1710711) It sounds like Christians have run a guilt trip on you. Enjoy your food and after this you will all be dead and never be able to buy food ever again. That is how you sound. There is next week and the week after and the week after and the week after etc. WHAT? :confused:


I was rather confused by ginko's first 2 paragraphs as well. I'm not offended or anything but I have no idea what your talking about man.


i third that.


Well you can use the food you have already purchased to start you , and it sounds like the rest of the family to start you on your journey to becoming vegetarian .

Just maybe start of with alternate meals between vegetarian and meat until slowly you end up eating just vegetarian . Normally to stop craving reactions the red meats are best to go first then you have chicken and fish , and at the same time building up your nutritional understanding and good a recipe base , which there are heaps here.

Please , any questions just post .