An Apple a Day
March 5th, 2008I bought a different kind of apple tonight at the grocery store because the Fuji’s (the best apple ever!) they had were all mushy and old. So I picked up a Pacific Rose, which is really a pretty rose color, and the label said, “SWEET!” Sounds good to me! Eliana and I ate one for an after dinner snack earlier, and it was pretty sweet, but still no Fuji.
I was thinking tonight about how it seems to be so much more expensive to eat healthy. But if you think about how much less you should be eating, compared to our usual bad habits of eating until you have to put on your sweat pants, then the cost should about break even. Then I thought.. if I bought candy bars for our after dinner snack, it would have cost almost a dollar per person. The Pacific Rose apples were $1.94 per pound, that’s about $1.21 for an average 10 ounce apple. Now, a candy bar is a pretty fancy treat to be buying for everyone every night, so think about popcorn. You can get a box of fifteen bags for only a couple/few dollars. A boxed cake is about a dollar, just add an egg, a little oil, and a little water, and you’ve got about the equivalence of 16 apples. Cake $2 verses Apples $20. What in the world are we supposed to do with that?
I want to instill healthy habits in my children so that they don’t face the problems that I am now. But budget and convenience keeps putting cheeseburgers and french fries in front of them. We do pretty good at home. Cereal for breakfast, a sandwhich on whole wheat bread with real meat, real cheese, and a little mustard, yogurt and grapes on the side, water to drink. Then dinner time rolls around. If I’m still working by 6, we usually go get McDonalds or have pizza delivered. You can always tell when I’ve had the money to go grocery shopping, because we eat hearty, healthy meals for at least a week. Then as the cabinets start to dwindle it’s back to to Dominos.com, becuase they can be there in 30 minutes, rather than me take the time to get dressed, go to town, walk around the store, wait in line, come home, put it all away, fix dinner, and eat.. about 2 hours all together.
It’s so frustrating. I’m trying to give the girls the best that I can, and that covers so many areas of life. From having a decent place to live, to having a healthy life to look forward to. Then there’s Bible study time and playing outside, not to mention homeschooling that is right around the corner. It’s so much to think about, I get overloaded at times. I just need to put God first, and trust His guidance.
You know, it’s almost as easy as a light switch. On the mornings that I get up and read my Bible and pray, the rest of the day falls perfectly in line. When I fail to do it the very next day, stress runs the household. My girls suffer through my failures. I am trying to get my act together before it’s too late, hopefully I haven’t already reached that point.
You are so ahead of the game than most – sacrifices are worth it and the joys that follow. Balance is important:)
Love Mom
WOW. Have you been spying on my life?! I have soooooo much in common with you. Especially that last paragraph. “My (kids) suffer through my failures” and the part about trying to get your act together before it’s too late. STORY OF MY LIFE! We have those good “blessed” days, then we have those days where I feel like I totally blow it and wonder how on earth godly kids are going to result from this house! ~sigh~ I’ll pray God will help you and me both.
He knows our hearts and our DESIRE to run our own personal lives the way He would want, and more than anything to raise good, godly kids who will live victorious lives for Him. I’m sure that it’s not too late for us. Yet. 
~Rebekah Horne~
I hope that as long as I keep my hope that maybe it’ll come to fruition.
I found what helps me, is to sit down and make a menu for 2 wks. Generally I cook two nights in a row and the thrid night we eat leftovers. Seems to work out pretty good that way. After I make the menu, go to the store and get everything you will need at once so you 1) don’t have to go to the store everyday and 2) you know you have everything you need. The menu REALLY helps. I wake up already knowing what I’m making for supper etc. and can think about other things instead of “What am I going to make for supper.” Maybe try just one week first and see how you like it then twik it to your liking.
I have done this before, and it does help tremendously. I’ve been wanting to get back to doing it, but right now money has been tight enough, that I actually bought bologna the other day for the first time in years.
I am especially wanting to get this started, and many other things, so that when school time starts this summer, I am already as organized as I can be.