My husband and I were married for three years before we had children. We each had full-time jobs and put in close to 70 hours per week. Looking back, we were a pair of workaholics! It was common for us both to get home around 7 or 8 in the evening, so dinner usually involved TV dinners or takeout. When I had the time to cook, I made easy meals that came out of a box or a package. “Cooking” to me was breaking out the Hamburger Helper or a packet of Lipton Noodles! The beverages we drank along with those meals and throughout the day were just as bad--Mountain Dew, Coke, and Kool-Aid. Our trips to the grocery store never included a walk down the produce aisle. In fact, we skipped all fresh foods completely. We went straight to the frozen section where we chose 20 individual meals or so for the week. Chicken nuggets, French fries, and frozen pizza were staples in our home.

When I got pregnant with my first child, I knew I needed to eat better. This meant that I started eating more vegetables such as canned peas and carrots. I also started eating more fruit. Looking back, my diet didn’t improve much during pregnancy because I was working so much. I really continued to eat, for the most part, the Standard American Diet--a diet filled with processed foods and lacking in fresh fruits and vegetables. I experienced frequent swelling and high blood pressure during the pregnancy and even ended up being put on bed rest.

After the baby came, we continued our fast-paced lifestyle. When David started solid food, I started reading about nutrition because I wanted to give my baby the best. This research is what led me to the realization that our dietary choices were no longer acceptable. My son would be one in a few months and would be starting table food. I knew I couldn’t feed my baby frozen meals every night! He needed nutritious meals made with fresh ingredients. I couldn’t feed my young child the Standard American Diet.

I started reading labels--something I had never done before. I learned about transfats, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial dyes and flavors. My eyes were opened, soon realizing that my husband and I had been making poor food choices for many years. Not only did we need to get healthy, but we needed to model healthy eating habits for our son. As a result of my research, I totally overhauled our diet. We became lacto-ovo vegetarians which resulted in an huge increase of our consumption of fruits and vegetables. Whole grains would come later as well as organic produce, eggs, and dairy.

Our son’s transition to table food was the catalyst for our dietary changes. While hubby and I had eaten the Standard American Diet for years, I didn’t feel comfortable letting my child grow up on processed foods. It was my love for him and my concern for his health that forced me to think about nutrition for the first time in my life. We made those initial changes in 2003, and I’m still striving to improve our family‘s diet. We use whole grains most of the time, and the majority of the food in our home is organic. We no longer buy anything with transfats or high fructose corn syrup. It’s hard to believe our pantry was filled with those items just a few years ago. As for vegetarianism, we are now eating poultry on an occasional basis as well as seafood, but still don’t consume any beef or pork. Our cholesterol levels are down as well as our triglycerides. We feel great and are sick less often now that our diet has improved. It is important to note that my second pregnancy was picture perfect with absolutely no swelling or high blood pressure.

My son has eaten healthy foods from the very beginning, and therefore, has excellent eating habits. (Well, at least most of the time!) He’s four years old and will often eat foods other children refuse and enjoys snacks that are natural rather than processed. My daughter, Loralei, has gotten an even better start with sustained breastfeeding and homemade babyfood. My children are certainly not deprived and often get special cookies, cakes and other treats that are baked by Mommy and free of “yucky“ stuff.

We were at the salon recently when the barber offered David a lollipop for sitting still during his haircut. David turned around and looked up at him with his bright blue eyes and asked, “Is it organic?”

The barber gave me with a puzzled look, and I couldn’t help but chuckle!