The Way We Eat

I've always loved food. Baking and cooking. Especially eating.

I've worked a lot in the food industry.
A grocery/deli/butcher shop in high school
Student chef at a food hall in college
In a bakery in college
As a chef apprentice and culinary school student after college
And some short jobs in a salad restaurant and bakery when I moved to Illinois

I consider myself very educated when it comes to food: where it comes from, how it's made, how it's cooked, eaten, and its effects on the body.

I watched Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution last night, and his 1st season last year. I've seen Food Inc. and many other food documentaries. Watching shows like this tend to make me very mad. I'm mad that my child is growing up in a time and country where it's easier and cheaper to buy/eat processed foods rather than REAL food.

Throughout my pregnancy I've tried my best to nourish the baby with healthy food. We buy organic milk, butter, and eggs and fresh fruit juice. I hardly ever eat fast food. I'll be the 1st to admit that it's not always easy. For the 1st trimester I was so sick that I couldn't stand to cook or be around much food. I did eat a lot of convenience foods because it was all I could keep down. The 2nd trimester was easier. I cooked more and ate healthier. This last trimester is harder again. I'm so hungry all the time that it's hard to keep fresh food in the house. I eat everything. I buy fresh fruit but eat the day I bring it home. When I look for food and find nothing fresh, I tend to go for what's available right now (spaghetti o's, cookies, ice cream) instead of going back to the store to buy ingredients to prepare something fresh.

When I think about how I will raise my child, it's important for me to teach her healthy habits. I'm looking forward to making her baby food and packing her school lunch (especially after seeing what is served at schools). I want to cook with her and teach her about what goes into her body. I want to teach her to garden and frequent farmer's markets with her. I remember going grocery shopping with my mom and her teaching me how to pick out the best produce. I can't wait to do all this with her.

Me in the garden last year

It's so neat to know that she will be born with a blank slate. I will teach her a lot of what she'll learn in her life. I want the best for her and this, knowledge about food, is one of the things to help me achieve that.