Welcome back for Part 2 of our discussion on balancing nutrition and priorities. Read Part 1 here.
This past week I was preparing burritos for dinner. I was frustrated and fretting about the need to prepare my own homemade tortillas. I wanted to…but energy was seriously lacking. So I went to the store. I bought white tortillas. And you know what? I felt free! I felt truly free to eat and enjoy this food without fear. Our burritos were delicious filled with home cooked beans, meat, cheese, guacamole, fresh salsa and sour cream! And we all loved it!
There is freedom in Christ, my friends (Galatians 5:1). There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, and that includes your food choices (Romans 8:1-2). Fear is slavery. God designed food for our enjoyment. He gave Peter permission to kill and eat. God had made all these food items clean through the blood of Christ (Acts 10:13-15).
This means that when done in a spirit of thanksgiving, we can enjoy the glorious flavors of God’s creation with joy. We love going out to eat and rejoicing in the flavors of Thai and Mexican food. This is part of delighting in the beauty and diversity of God’s creation.
“Whatever you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Cor. 10:31).
Is God being glorified through your fear and striving? Than food and health is distracting us from this higher calling.
So I often buy canned tomato soup, boxed cereal, small yogurts, and minimal packaged foods here and there. Why? Because it makes my homemaking a bit more simple, makes my husband happy, increasing the joy in our marriage, and I do have more time to enjoy my kiddos. I no longer fret about it. It works for me in this season. My husband and my children are happy. There is peace. I want to keep my eyes on the Kingdom. Investing in the souls of my children, serving and loving on my husband (even if that means white hamburger buns and small yogurts for work that he loves!), and giving first to the Kingdom.
I wanted to include this helpful list of guiding questions that Natalie at Guarded for the Gospel shared. These are invaluable. They should be asked consistently when we feel our heart striving, feeling anxious, or overwhelmed.
These practical guidelines will help guard against health/nutrition becoming wrongly prioritized, over and above loving God, family and friends:
1. How does my husband feel about our family’s health and our current diet? What is his opinion about investing extra time/money in this area?
Listen, and really value his thoughts! Unity is so key.
2. What is our current budget? Am I submitting to it?
Do NOT overspend for the sake of healthy food and in doing so, dishonor your husband! You may have nourished his body by putting a super-nutritious meal on the table, but you might be kinda like a Big Mac to the financial “arteries” of your marriage. (You are clogging it up, slowing it down, and working against him if you are overspending your budget!)
3. Does my hubby have food preferences? Am I being thoughtful toward them?
If your budget + your health agenda = lots of beans…
…but your husband does not like beans, then CHUCK the beans!
If he likes meat, figure out how to work meat in your meals! This may be A LOT OF WORK. But if he knows you want to make meals that are enjoyable for him and healthy, he will be more on board with you.
You won’t be gaining any support if you disregard his preferences for a meat-and-potatoes dinner, and serve him tofu served on mixed greens, with flaxseed dressing and pine nuts.
A true story from our house: My husband recently told me, “Spinach is a leaf. It does not belong in my drink. Put it in my salad!”
Yup. Green smoothies are a cool idea to me. Next time I’ll make them during the day!
4. Do my eating habits prevent me from spending time with other people, when I will be forced to eat foods that fall outside of my own ideas of health?
Jesus hung out with lepers. He did not think his own health so important as to avoid contact with people who could possibly jeopardize it.
5. Does my family’s spiritual/emotional health ALWAYS come first?
Baking bread and making homemade butter is NO excuse for not teaching scripture to your children, praying with them, playing on the floor with them, or having time to relax and talk/listen to your husband.
6. Am I keeping LOVE as my first priority? Am I always thinking through how to best order my time according to LOVE, not merely our diet?
These are truly convicting and yet so freeing at the same time. I pray the Lord would bless and keep you and allow you to keep this balance through His grace. Pursue health and wholeness first and foremost through Jesus Christ! I encourage you to make healthy food and lifestyle choices, use whole grains, natural sweeteners, and food as close to the original source as possible, but don’t become enslaved to it.
Try not to go to the opposite extreme of abandoning all and making yourself sick, but rather do not worry about non-organic produce, parabens in your body products, or feeling guilty if you didn’t soak your grains, or fretting that every stomach ache or dry skin issue must be linked to a food allergy. Do your best with the resources God has entrusted to you, guard your heart against fear, and enjoy the freedom you have in Christ!
I will end with this sweet quote by Sheri from the comments on Part 1. She put it so well with this illustration:
I just heard Elisa Morgan from MOPS international speak and her key phrase was, “She did what she could,” from the story of Mary anointing Jesus with perfume. To sum up her talk, God only expects us to do what we are capable of doing, not what someone else can do, or doing or giving to the point of wearing yourself to the ground making you useless. Its a good thing to remember in all aspects of life.
I don’t know anything about you other than these two posts. I found you from google and I haven’t even taken the time to look around, but before I do I wanted to say, “Thank you!” Thank you for releasing me from this terrible burden that trying to be healthier has placed on me! It is so hard to know where to draw the line at times, but thank you for reminding us all that it’s okay not to be sold out to this. I will definitely try to keep making small changes for the better, but in the mean time the things I don’t get to immeadiately won’t kill us. And, thank you also for the wonderful example of doing this while still submitting to our husband’s preferences. My husband can be very picky and just doesn’t like homemade bread or brown rice. I still make them for me and the children, but it’s so relieving to just be reminded to not allow this to disrupt the unity of our marriage. Thank you, thank you.
You just won a new subscriber.
I absolutely LOVE these two posts, part 1 & 2, as well as your post on is real food an idol. Thank you so much for writing these with such a biblically-centered, Christ-centered heart of love. I have shared part one on my FB page and hope that many will benefit by being reminded that our hope is in Christ alone!
Love and blessings to you, sweet sister in Christ, Kelly
http://www.facebook.com/TheNourishingHome
While I do agree with some of your post, I think that some healthy ideas are very important and can easily be in place in my everyday life without being an “idol”. I do make my own bread and homemade butter among other things, but my child is along side me, helping me and bonding with me right in our kitchen! He loves to cook and is always happy to help. He is also learning important skills at the same time.I have fibromyalgia, and if I gave in to a processed food diet, I would be quite sick and unable to care for my family. Healthy food is a must if my family wants me to function to play and spend time with them! I also am at a high risk for breast cancer, and avoiding parabins is a must. If I want to be able to serve God’s kingdom, I must take care of the body He gave me so I can do his work. I am not obsessed about it, I have made healthy eating part of our everyday lives. If you are well organized and plan meals, it takes no longer than whipping up sonething processed, and I never bust the budget to do it. We garden and can, and shop sales and use coupons. We are honoring the Lord as we care for the bodies he gave us, so we can do His work to the fullest!!!
4. Do my eating habits prevent me from spending time with other people, when I will be forced to eat foods that fall outside of my own ideas of health?
I LOVE this question. Am I becoming difficult to socialise with? Am I building barriers between my children and their grandparents by making it too hard? Am I making it impossible for friends to bless my family by watching my girls for a few hours?
We have very difficult allergies (soy is in everything!), so I try and supply food as much as possible to alleviate the difficulty, but these relationships are very important and I don’t want to sabotage them.
Thank you for reminding me to keep this in perspective. And I love your story about the spinach in the smoothie! No harm in trying it once, but if they really don’t like it, probably better to keep the peace, especially when they’ll eat in in a salad!
Love it as always!!! Your other post you did about not sacrificing family and life in the pursuit of perfection (especially for food) was one of my favorites! It can be so hard to focus on so many different aspects of our life at once… it’s most important to not allow food to become a God to replace our true Lord and Savior.
Well written, Lindsay. He loves your sincere pursuit of Him, sweet one!
A key thing for me is to be honest with myself about where my time is going. When I’m not in the kitchen, am I rolling around on the floor with my children or teaching them scriptures? Or do I spend some of that time on the computer/hobbies/other selfish ambitions. Knowing what an impact diet can have on my family, it’s really not that huge of a committment, especially if I have my children work alongside me as much as they are able/I can handle or at the very least in the room with me doing something at the table. If you work at it, that time does not have to be a waste in regards to having quality time with your children. I think our perspective is so skewed. In pioneer days much more time was spent on food preparation and it was just part of life. I don’t think any children felt slighted – they were included and it was just what they did and it worked.
I also wonder why the default diet in our country is total garbage. Here factory garbage is the norm, and if we eat natural, local, or organic, we’re seen as idolizing that lifestyle and being food snobs. That is so ridiculous. It’s all in perspective. Acknowledging that that food really isn’t food at all and wanting to actually *nourish* my family (rather than send their systems into defense) on a daily basis with the type of food that God intended for us to consume, I’m not being over-the-top at all. Why should we let the masses decide for us what the standard should be? That’s not right – it’s God’s Word that is to be our standard, otherwise we’ll be blowing with the wind in whatever culture we happen to be immersed in at the moment.
For families that have immediate health concerns regarding diet (I say “immediate” simply because I believe poor health choices will surface eventually), this is definitely a stressful topic. Which leads me to beg the question: why is “fellowship” synonymous with “sharing a meal”? Why don’t people fellowship with others through a game night, going rockclimbing, going to the theater, etc.? It takes a lot more creativity, but it really allows you to get to know people better anyhow when you’re involved in something with them.
I’m striving to teach my children that being healthy is the norm so they don’t have to re-teach themselves one day and struggle through the mess of not knowing what I very seamlessly could have taught them from a very young age.
Thank you SO much for this encouraging post. The Truth is so precious– thank you for helping us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and on all of the things that matter— not just food, fear, health. This post was timely!
Your comment about the spinach in the smoothie made me laugh! My husband says the same thing.
Baking bread and making homemade butter is NO excuse for not teaching scripture to your children, praying with them, playing on the floor with them, or having time to relax and talk/listen to your husband.
^ I really agree with this. Good insights, thanks so much for sharing! You are full of good ideas
Maybe but as a mom who has energy issues and health problems too much time and focus on meeting the “healthy” criteria can reall drain the enjoyment out of meals and preparing them. Food will not save anyone from growing old or provide a sure buffer against cancer. God once provided food for us in a time of need that would make a “health nut” cringe. White and sugar stuff. I let the craze get to me for awhile and was unthankful. God gave us that to eat so it was good enough. Nobody dropped dead or got sick.
I learned that life is more than food. If you have the resources to be all whole grain and organic- Awesome!. If not don’t miss out on the blessings either.
Really great post. Thanks for this. I love your blog!
Thank you so much for posting this. It was refreshing to read as I feel as though I’ve easily put health on an altar and become so afraid of all of the bad stuff and this easily steals my joy in serving the One. It is liberating to know that we have freedom in Christ…that it’s okay if I feed my toddler something that’s not organic because that’s all we have, or that my lotion might have a paraben in it. Yes we should strive for healthy living in our families, but I think especially today—the organic ‘trend’ sometimes creates a fear-based following where we feel as though we can somehow control our children, our spouses, our marriages, etc. Your posts were a great reminder to remember Who we are serving and TRUSTING in. Not trusting in safe lotions, cosmetics, whole grains, the organic labels, essential oils and herbs, etc. But trusting in our Creator. And finding joy and ultimately experiencing a PEACE that none of those other things can provide.
I am so, so glad that you posted on this topic! We desperately need to be reminded of the importance of the freedom that Christ has won for us in this area. I feel like too often we can make healthy eating a black/white “moral” issue, which leave ourselves feeling either self-righteous or completely condemned. Yuck. I’ve definitely struggled with this myself. God has been very gracious to remind me of my priorities, as I have recently started back to work full-time. There simply aren’t enough hours in the day to be the home-steading-wife that I have idealized in my mind…that is, and be able spend time with the Lord, spend time with my husband, serve the church, and love my neighbors. Ironically, by letting go of our food a little, I’m a healthier and happier woman…
God has given you the gift of writing and encouragement! Thank you for using it to bless us all way out here on the other end of the internet.
Merry Christmas!
I love how you always put God first. You are such an encouragement.
What a timely post! It seems God is trying to get something through my thick head. Thank you for letting Him shine through you.
this series is such a blessing for me to read!! THANK YOU. i can relate to all that you’ve written; ironically, i prepared dinner w/flour tortillas tonight, too! funny.
my husband and i were just discussing this; the idolatry, really, that can take place when our focus and lens becomes dominated by this healthy/whole food passion. it is a GOOD practice and it does feel good, as a wife and mama, to learn and implement ways to support the health of my family. but, not to the point of overwhelm, anxiety and discouragement!
thank you so much.
i will be linking to these on my blog! =)
This was JUST what I needed to read today. I have been struggling with out budget and trying to plan healthy meals for our family. I stressed when I had to buy bread instead of making home made bread for our family this week. But with a 2 year old and a 4 month old, sometimes I just need to buy bread and then go play with my family.
Also, for Christmas my husband’s family will be visiting. His mother will be doing much of the cooking and baking (she LOVES to cook/bake and feels loved, and expresses love by doing so). But she makes FAR from healthy foods when we all get together and I am realizing while I don’t need to pig out just because all the unhealthy food is around, BUT I do need to relax, and not worry so much about what we will be eating when they are here in our home. I can make some healthy dishes to go along with what she makes and then just enjoy the holidays.
I really enjoyed this series and I’ve been thinking about this a lot. Josh and I don’t believe that we can cheat death or it’s timing but we eat healthy for a better quality of life. I feel better when I eat right and exercise. Knowing that life is uncertain, it’s easier to remember what’s really important on a day to day basis. It was funny as I read about trying to be more understanding of the husband’s likes…it’s opposite at our house! I have to remind him to ease up every now and then. =) Thanks for posting!
Excellent series Lindsay! Thank you so much!
I’m so encouraged you wrote this. As I read, I thought of an article my husband wrote – that might be interesting to you or your readers:
How to Get Your Man to Eat Like a Girl.
http://realfoodlittlerock.blogspot.com/2010/10/how-to-get-your-man-to-eat-like-girl.html
Thank you for taking away my guilt about not always buying/making the “perfect” foods. It’s difficult when my friends try to buy everything organic, but I can’t afford to. At least I’ve been slowly progressing toward a healthier lifestyle.
A friend sent me this today … and it was an incredible gift. Wow. I have been mulling over these very things and really wrestling in my heart about it. The Lord spoke through you today to me.
Thank you,
Sara
I have found this same struggle come to head the last couple of months. How ironic you write this post as I sit down to re-evaluate our food budget for the New Year. I’ve decided to make eating fruits and veggies, less processed more of a priority over organic. Yes, I’ll buy organic where I can. I even just bought a lotion from a box store – who would’ve thought? Lol. Thank for you for this wonderful little 2 part series…perfect timing for me!
Thanks for this great post! I’ve often said that, for us, it is more important to actually eat fruits and veggies (non-organic) than to not eat them at all because it is not in the budget for our family of 8 to eat all organic. Some things are do-able, and I buy organic when it is cost effective. Yes, I make most things from scratch and take baby steps toward more healthy choices (i.e. soaking, etc.). Everything in balance, and the incremental changes I make that actually stick are better than too many, too fast that cannot be maintained.
Thanks for writing this!
Thank you SOO much for these two posts! They have been an answer to prayer!! I am a fairly new wife and mother (we have a ten month old daughter) and I am a vegan married to a self proclaimed carnivore, lol. It has been very hard at times coming to agreements on what our daughter should eat, and I have been praying for a long time that God would give both of us the wisdom to decide what to feed her (and ourselves) without argument and with both of us having her best interests at heart. I have at times allowed fear to rule what I give her (to eat AND to play with-ie is there bpa in that plastic toy from a friend, growth hormones in the non-organic yogurt that Nana bought her?? etc) and these posts have reminded me that health is not our salvation, God is, and that while we need to do the best that we can with the knowledge and resources that we have, that striving to be 100% healthy all of the time is definitely not worth the possible strife with family and/or friends and the guilt that I have felt occasionally giving her regular (non-organic) food or a plastic toy, etc. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart for these posts, and for your Titus 2 spirit!
Lindsay, I really like this post. I feel it verbalizes what I have been feeling in my heart for some time now. I strive to live as naturally as possible, but there are more important things that are deserving of my time as a wife and mother. I’ll admit that a few months ago- food became an idol for me. But now I am doing the best that I can while finding the balance. So what if I buy store bought bread or hamburger helper once in a while – if it means I can have more time with my little one, I’ll gladly make the trade. And my hubby loves his hamburger helper.
But most importantly, I really admire and respect that you put Christ first, and telling your readers the truth, that food WON’T save you, that Christ should be first and that He is our only Savior.
Thank you!
I love these posts. This is an issue that has been an internal battle for me for several years. I often feel like I’m in bondage to food. I had serious chronic health issues several years ago and learned that I had gut dysbiosis, gluten and casien and soy intolerance. Changing my diet helped dramatically. My two girls also developed the same food intolerances with severe Candida. Thankfully my youngest, a boy is free from these things! But I so often feel guilty that I appear so high maintenance
when it comes to food and it is isolating and keeps us from loving people. That is the hardest part. We are doing the GAPS diet right now and
have seen HUGE improvements since starting. Digestive issues and behavioral, nightwaking type issues have disappeared in the kids. We are so thankful. And we prayed for a while about doing this diet. I kept telling my husband
that I didn’t want food to be an idol and I was afraid to do all the work this diet takes (including going through a few weeks of lots of crying at meals from kids who don’t want to eat soups and veggies because they are coming from a diet where they literally refused to eat anything but bread). I spend way more time in the kitchen than I like. However when we have tried to get through the stages faster than our
bodies want it has resulted
in a non-functioning mom and kids who feel physically terrible. So I have an interesting dilemma with this post — I LOVE the truth you’ve shared about making food not an idol and not being in the kitchen all day. I would also love to be free to eat more affordably, to eat whatever others make, to not have to bring our own food everywhere we go. I WANT these things, but for our family I just simply don’t know how to do it! You have given me things to think about — eating anything is not an option for us — but you’ve encouraged me to get on my knees and
beg God for wisdom and for grace to balance
our diet and health issues with our priorities of loving Him and others.
Thanks for this comment to the article. We, too, have nearly life-threatening food allergies to wheat and refined sugar. We have prayed and God has led us to whole foods and naturally living. It is NOT idolatry, and I do not think Lindsay is saying it is. It can be…but for us it is literally survival. Praise God not everyone has had to face what we have and everyone’s journey will look different. Thankfully Christ’s grace covers us along the way!
Janelle…I appreciate your post as we too are seeking balance while on the GAPS diet. I really appreciate everyone’s thoughts as it’s given me a lot to think and pray about. Thanks for starting the conversation Lindsay! Praying that God will give us all guidance and peace along the journey!
I believe that Lindsay’s thoughts are nice for families that are choosing a healthy diet just because they know it’s better for them. However, for families that choose a diet for healing purposes or serious health reasons, there is no wiggle-room.
We have a 5yo son on the autism spectrum, a 4yo daughter with a serious allergy to cashews, and a 2yo son that breaks out in eczema when he’s exposed to artificial additives. We’re trying the GAPS diet to help our son recover from autism and, of course, we avoid all nuts for our daughter’s sake. I guess we could let our strict diets slide from time to time, but that would inhibit our son’s healing, possibly kill our daughter, and make the youngest’s life miserable with itching. By relaxing from time to time, I would be shirking the responsibility God gave me to care for the children I’ve been blessed with. It would be irresponsible of me, in my situation, to slack from time to time.
So, for our family, we will continue to be rigidly strict in our diets. Perhaps one day after our son’s gut is fully healed and he can tolerate more foods, we will be in a position to “treat” ourselves on occasion. However, for our daughter, nuts will never be part of her diet.
So, while I do agree with Lindsay on many levels, I do think it’s important to note that there are exceptions.
Mariah, you are not alone in your thinking! I’m right there with you. As mentioned in my previous comment on Part 1 of this post, I absolutely agree that natural living shouldn’t become an idol and there does have to be balance and some give and take, particularly with things you can’t control so well, such as eating dinner at a friend’s house. When invited to dinner by friends, we gratefully partake of what is offered, although it may not be the healthiest kind of food. The graciousness of the hospitality outweighs nutrition concerns in times like these.
However, what you eat at home CAN be controlled, most of the time. Obviously there are the odd times when mom is sick or too exhausted and then one might resort to store-bought roasted chicken or other prepared food. But even in these times, one can usually buy organic or natural roasted chicken (Whole Foods or other natural grocer), or things like organic brown rice pasta with organic pasta sauce, which is a great deal better than non-organic wheat pasta and Ragu! Or better yet, chop up some fresh tomatoes and garlic (costs very little) and make a quick yet nourishing sauce of your own!
Yes, God made food for us to eat and enjoy, but the first priority of food is to nourish our bodies. If what we put into our bodies is not nourishing us, then there really isn’t a great deal of point in eating. If what we have eaten then becomes a toxic mess in our systems because it isn’t digesting properly and also because of the chemicals it is laden with, then we have not only not done ourselves a favour by ingesting this “food” but we have actually caused harm. The Bible speaks of our bodies being the temple of the Holy Spirit, and as such, we are to choose carefully what we put in it! Most of us wouldn’t smoke a cigarette and wash it down with liquor just because it is there for the enjoyment, because we know these things are bad for us, and they don’t nourish us in any way. White factory bread and other artificial foods from the store are really in the same category, when you get right down to it. I’m sorry to say, God did not make these kinds of “foods”; rather, man did. And they aren’t anything we should be eating, if we have a choice about it (obviously, some do not have a choice).
From a nutritional point of view, is it OK to buy some packaged food? Absolutely! As Mariah made a point of saying above, don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater! Just because it is impossible to do EVERY single thing in the most optimal way, doesn’t mean one should just abandon all hope and start eating anything and everything. Just because we have seen loved ones suffer with debilitating and fatal illnesses because of this toxic world we live in, doesn’t mean we should throw caution to the wind and quit believing that living and eating naturally WILL make a difference in our health. Nowadays, there are many organic and natural packaged foods that can make our lives easier, and that can also nourish our bodies, to a certain extent. If you need to buy boxed cereal from time to time, buy organic! It may not be as healthful as other kinds of foods since it is usually extruded, but it is certainly better than the genetically-modified conventional boxed cereals such as Cheerios, Shredded Wheat, and Raisin Bran.
I believe GM foods are one of the greatest threats to all our health today. Remember, when we choose to buy conventional packaged foods, we are usually choosing to buy genetically-modified foods, most of which are made with either corn or soy (sometimes both!). We aren’t helping to support the small farmer this way (who desperately needs our support) , but rather huge corporations like Monsanto. Is this really what we want to be doing, as Christians and as people with a conscience?
Lindsay mentioned picking up white flour tortillas one evening. This doesn’t have to be terrible! As long as nothing is genetically-modified, and they are made with lard or another nourishing fat, then even white flour tortillas can be OK, from time to time. Another great choice is organic corn tortillas. They are typically inexpensive, and a bit more nourishing. There are always choices that are better than the average factory-produced grocery item.
Buying individual yogurts can be OK too, as there are several organic brands to choose from, but keep in mind, these are usually full of sugar. Sugar, even unrefined, organic sugar, puts added stress on the body and can contribute to a poorly-functioning immune system. It takes just minutes of work to make homemade yogurt (at least my method does), and the end product is far more satisfying and nourishing than anything you could ever buy at the store, organic or not. This homemade yogurt can even be portioned out into small glass containers and kept in the fridge, ready to grab whenever anyone fancies a yogurt.
To me, the danger of talking about buying non-nourishing foods and feeling free and joyous about it is the impact this can have on readers who are just starting their journey down the nourishing foods path. This may be a very controversial thing to say, but everyone, if we’re being honest, is looking for an endorsement of the unhealthy food that lines the shelves of most grocery stores. Many of us are just searching for a reason/excuse to eat that Twinkie (just as an example) with a clear conscience. We desperately WANT the food in the store to be OK to buy, but friends, the sad truth is, in today’s world, most of it is just junk that will not nourish our bodies in any way. It isn’t even the same food we grew up with! As a little girl, I can recall eating conventional boxed cereal from time to time, and I’m fairly sure it wasn’t that terrible in those days (I’m in my late thirties now), although certainly not ideal. Those same brands today have changed the ingredients they use, and you would be hard put to find a major conventional brand today that isn’t tainted with the genetically-modified brush. Nearly all of these food corporations have sold their souls to the demons of the genetically-modified/engineered universe. Why? It’s really very simple. It’s all about profit, and using these cheap, chemically-based ingredients brings them BIG PROFIT.
This post will likely irritate at least a few readers, but everything I’ve said here can be backed up scientifically/empirically. I think the bottom line is, if we’re truly interested in good health and in living according to God’s will for our lives, we will readily recognize the dangers of industrial food and steer clear of it as much as we possibly can. We will strive to make organic and natural choices for ourselves and our families as much as humanly possible. We will also strive to support the small organic farmer as much as is in our power to do so. These people are on the frontlines of fighting for all our health and survival. The huge food corporations are doing their best to shut down as many small farmers as possible. We must not let this happen, because if we do, there will be little we can buy that will nourish our bodies. Do the words “soylent green” mean anything to you? I am quite sure none of us wants to ingest anything even remotely like soylent green, but this is what it is coming down to friends.
We must not allow our discouragement to dictate our food choices, but rather, we must strive to make the best food choices we can, in good conscience, and put our trust in our Creator to help us be as nourished and healthy as possible.
I SO agreed w EVERYTHING you said and was thinking ALL the same things when I read this post. Not only should we be trying to eat God made foods and no man made foods for the most part – but yes I think these articles are just giving people an okay to eat foods God never intended our bodies to handle. Yes it is okay if someone has us over to their house or such, but we should try to stick to real God made foods and it is POSSIBLE to do w out a lot of time, stress, fear, & so on – we also just need to watch where our time is spent in other areas so we are using all our time wisely and then if we need to be in the kitchen 10 min longer than normal it is not a big deal b/c we spent the rest of our day using our time wisely, spending the time w the kids and so on – not wasting too much time on the computer or what not.
I have seen our childrens health totally get better w switching to real foods and it is b/c it is the foods God intended their bodies to have.
Great comment – I so agree w you
Thanks Jessica!
I honestly think that it sounds like your disagreements with Lindsay center around differing theological beliefs. Lindsay is saying that no matter what, we cannot add days to our lives, but we need to be with our families and love them while we are here.
And the truth is, not everyone can afford to buy a natural roasted chicken from Whole Foods. Not everyone can afford to support local farmers. Not everyone can afford to buy organic. The health of these people should not be condemned because they are buying what they can afford to do the best for their family. It is just a really difficult conversation, and I know you don’t fully agree with Lindsay. But I just wanted to speak out on behalf of people who want to live a nourishing life, but don’t have the time or energy or cash flow to be able to eat all organic foods all the time.
Alaina,
I don’t think it’s about differing theological beliefs at all, and I did say that I agree with Lindsay that it’s about balance. I also realize that not everyone can afford to buy the best organic food all the time, and I said as much in my comment. I know we all have to make the best choices we can with what we have and with what we’re able to afford. No one is condemning people (and certainly not their health) for making the best choices that they can. What I was saying was that it is dangerous to give people a false sense of security in factory-produced food.
Ahhhh! Perfect timing. You know what? I AM going to let my son eat the yo-plus yogurt my husband kindly bought for him, but I said no to last night. It does feel good.
I love these 2 posts. I think they are so wise. It doesn’t matter what else we are doing as long as we are doing God’s will. I belive His will is to nurish our children and husbands but we can’t loose focus of other things He is asking of us. Sometimes our focus can become too narrow and we loose sight of the big picture. Great job!
This is great! Thanks for sharing your lessons learned.
A few years ago I went to Thailand after the tsunami that killed hundreds of thousands. As my team and I were going from shanty to shanty in the refugee camp I was offered a glass of water by one of the hospitable Thai people…was the water safe to drink? was it washed in water that was safe to drink? I didn’t know, but thanked the host and drank the water anyway. Did I say a prayer of “God please keep me safe” as I drank it, absolutely yes. Would I allow my fears to interfere with being an encouragement to this sweet, hospitable couple, I could not. Praise God I didnt’ get sick but even if I had, it would have been worth it and it would have been the Lord’s kindness to me.
As a newly married I refuse to allow what we eat to become a way for Satan to tempt me into striving for control in my marriage. Do I want us to eat healthy- YES. Do I need to stress myself out over it- NO. As my sweet husband says, “we’ll control what we can control and trust God with the rest.”
I think your perspective on food and eating is so moderate in a world of extremes: extremely healthy, extremely unhealthy, or extreme guilt for not being healthy enough. Thank you for sharing your opinions.
Thank you again… wonderfully challenging. I laughed at your hubby’s green smoothie comment – the exact same thing has resonated in my own ears from the man I love!
Keeping his wishes and honoring him must be first and foremost – he knows I care about nutrition and making the best choices for what we are eating so he is gracious and willing to make changes, but like you said… there are those areas where a compromise is the best thing for the sake of harmony in our marriage. Thank you for the wonderful reminders and encouragement to do what I can and not stress the rest.
Living in a country right now where the pollution is terrible, the streets are filthy, and food is loaded with oil and MSG (among other things) has caused so much stress and fear in my heart in the past year and a half that we’ve been here… but I have to believe that God is still the One who holds our bodies together and He has placed us here… and it doesn’t matter how dirty or unhealthy it is. If He can hold the universe together, He can care for us. Now…He also gives wisdom and direction in making wise choices no doubt about that!!!!!! But it still comes down to doing what you can and resting in Him.
Thank you, Lindsay, for writing these two blog entries. I gained a lot from your words of wisdom. And, I agree with the pitfalls of making natural living (or anything, for that matter) into an idol. I also completely agree with respecting your husbands’ preferences and opinions. I have found over my 10 year pursuit (so far) of this healthy and natural living, my husband has come a long way in eating things now that he would not have touched 10 years ago. It was because we went slowly, adding one thing at a time. Respectfully talking with him about the why behind what I was doing, helping him to learn right along with me.
Now, it is funny because our four boys – yes, they are normal little boys who will eat candy, etc if offered – however, they are very aware of our healthy food focus. So, they will ask if this or that has partially hydrogenated oils, or HFCS, etc in it? And, my husband just shakes his head, laughingly, that they already, at these young ages, would rather get home to eat than go to the golden arches. I am very thankful that they are so much more aware of healthy eating than I was until my late twenties, but I have to check myself, because I can easily let preparing these foods steal away the time that I should have been spending with them – playing on the floor, reading to them, doing school, etc. There certainly is a healthy balance in there somewhere, and it is different for everyone depending on your stage of life with kids, energy level, budget, schedule, etc. I have often been found comparing myself to others who seem to have it all together in ways that I don’t. It is difficult to let it go, but I have to. We are different people, different kids’ ages, our husbands have different preferences, budgets are different. How is that comparing apples to apples? It’s not. I have to be satisfied and content with where the Lord has me and the progress we have made so far.
I just love reading your blog, Lindsay. Please keep up the great work!
PS I have a book that I just love! It is called “What the Bible says about Healthy Living” by Rex Russell. I just found it this year, and yet it is a great summary of how I have been striving to live/eat for the past 10 years. I bought a bunch of these for Christmas gifts this year. I am hoping this book will help some others in my family to better understand why we do what we do. It is a very informative book, and it is also so gentle and full of grace. I love the way he presents his message. One of the major points is that we cannot let any food become an idol to us. I highly recommend this book!
I know this question probably cannot be answered, but…. what do I do if I am the one trying to stick to a budget and my husband doesn’t seem to care and spends money like it grows on trees. Especially when he goes to the grocery store (of his own accord, not my request). He never looks at prices or labels and comes home with steaks, cookies and spaghetti-o’s. I am the first one to say, indulge in your cravings a little bit and respect what your spouse likes to eat, but my husband sometimes spends $50-60 or more a week on junky food. Not to mention the fact that he will not eat the lunches I make him and he buys lunch daily. I think this is a bigger issue regarding our marriage.
I would strongly suggest taking a Dave Ramsey financial class together (together being the key). We didn’t have the same issue that you have in our marriage, but the class helped us both change.
I’m not sure if there are other classes out there you can take, but that class helped us both get on the same page!!!
Best of luck to you.
I could not agree more with this post! I do invest a good deal of time, energy, planning, and (yes) money into our healthy nourishing foods. However, when my sweet and wonderful husband requests (again) the flavored coffee creamer (you know… the kind with partially hydrogenated oil in the top 3 ingredients) I need to access a little bit of inner grace. I love Reese’s peanut butter cups. He loves fake french vanilla. We have a happy marriage anyway.
I want to say thank you, for following the guidance of the Lord. This post has really been a blessing to me. I am struggling with wanting to go all natural, homemade, from scratch, whole foods, but not having the time or energy. I have taken a friends advice and am just slowly adding one thing at a time. Eventually I will reach my goal. I’ve got a few things done homemade already! And in showing my kids the desire to go all natural, they will benefit from it and know how to eat healthy even if we don’t always manage to do it. (they already do and ask for healthier things, talk about convicting
So thank you again!
Well, I can see I am the only who is posting something that isn’t glowing praise here but I just have to say it.
I think that putting your families nutrition near the top of the priority list is essential. As a culture we Americans have gotten very very far away from truly understanding nutrition and it shows, the rise in childhood obesity is staggering, the obesity & diabetes rates among adults are on the rise as well. We only have to look at our health statistics to see that nutrition is of vast importance.
That said, in all things I believe in balance, of course you don’t want to wreck your marriage or make your family miserable over such things but I also believe that children take their cue from us mothers as to what is healthy, what whole foods are, what chemicals & preservatives are and what they do the human body over a life time. And it isn’t out of the question to suggest that it is possible our husbands were not raised with the best nutritional habits and many of them could use more guidance as well. Of course they are able to offer input but if it involves cutting out an entire food group or vegetable then they are welcome to abstain but the choice should still be offered to the kids- they may love it! Growing up I refused to eat peas, my parents respected that, my dad wouldn’t eat beans- no biggie, my brother opted out of corn- it wasn’t anarchy just individuals making personal choices but those foods were kept in the rotation and I’m thankful for it, I love beans!!
Additionally I feel it must be said that I was raised by a mother who didn’t enjoy cooking and often went the easy route with our meals and while she did spend that extra time with our family ( I love her to pieces, we are very close) she did not instill a very healthy idea of nutrition and correct food choices. As a result I have many health issues today that doctors have informed me are greatly exacerbated by growing up with poor nutrition. This includes eating foods high in preservatives & hormones which since I have cut out for two years now while having gone nearly completely organic I have gotten rid of my life-long issues with chronic headaches and migraines. Please don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater and just throw up your hands in surrender when it comes to making your families nutrition a priority.
As an adult I have done quite a bit of studying in the field of nutrition so that I can better guide my family toward healthy food preparation, grocery shopping and meal choices, I won’t deny that there is a ton of info out there and much of it is conflicting. I’ve dealt with the tantrums that come in the grocery store because I won’t buy the chemical laden foods that are specifically marketed to kids.
As I was voicing my frustrations to an older Amish woman who is also a nutritionist I met a couple of years ago she told me that she lives by two simple rules and they have rewarded her with a lifetime of good health, she told me “if God didn’t make it, don’t take it and if you can’t pronounce all of the ingredients don’t buy it.” I readily admit that I do not prepare from scratch every single item that comes out of my kitchen but when buying foods that I don’t make (such as cereal & bread for example) I always buy the whole grains preservative free foods. It matters. It is important.
There is no separation between our nutritional health and that of our bodies. And believe me, I know from experience, when your body is sick it most certainly takes a toll on your quality time spent with loved ones.
I so agree w you on this – I have a lot of health issues that we are working on now b/c of how we ate growing up – it matters so much what foods we eat! We ate the white bread, box foods, bad sugar, bad oils and now my health is paying for it – very sad. So we are working hard on it w real foods, supplements, lots of prayer trying to get my health how God intended it to be. He did not make that junk food nor made our bodies to handle it and as you I am a result of what happens to the body. I don’t want my kids to suffer like that. I think that these ladies will see the truth to it all after eating enough of it and their health starts to go down or their kids – then they will see just how important it is. It can be done w out being an idol or being too stressed. You can make healthy meals w out too much time, energy or stress -
Great posts! I have them both bookmarked. It is so important to remember to keep priorities straight. By the way, thanks for quoting me, I’m flattered
You
So well said! Thank you!
Lindsay,
Thank you so much for this post. It is so needed! I seriously has been wondering how realistic you were in “real life” balancing health with marriage a, children and putting the Lord first. I am so happy to see that your priorities are right on. Way to go!
Lindsay,
I have so appreciated these two posts about balance . . .I’m trying to “convert” our family to a family of healthy eaters, but I am often overwhelmed and find that I compare myself to other women who seem able to “do it all”. Eating healthy is important, but I’ve realized that it’s taken too much of a front seat if it causes me to fret, takes all my time, and causes tension in my marriage. Thank you for sticking your neck out – bravo!!!
Lindsay, the part where you talked about making sure time in the kitchen preparing “healthy food” doesn’t take away from time with the husband and family really resonates with me. That has been my primary reason for not jumping headlong into the whole foods trend. I started asking myself what good it would do us if we had a perfect diet, but a neglected marriage and unhappy children – which is exactly what we would have, if I didn’t make some compromises. Note: I’m not judging those who have made this lifestyle work. If you can do it and maintain peace and harmony in your family – go for it! I think that’s great. I just know that for my family, I simply can’t do things like baking my own bread and making my own yogurt and creating three meals a day entirely from scratch. I regularly buy things like sausages, frozen meals from Trader Joes, boxed cereals, occasional frozen pizzas, etc. Sometimes I agonize and feel guilty, but I remind myself that my emotional health and that of my family comes first. I do my best to make sure that the convenience foods I buy are the absolute healthiest that I can afford and then I move on. Honestly, a few basic changes can make a huge difference – one of the easiest things we’ve done is to generally avoid HFCS … it still sneaks in occassionally, but it’s really not that hard to stay away from the stuff and maintain your sanity (and your budget). Small changes add up to better health! Also, enjoyment of our food is so important! An occasional indulgence (peanut butter cups! ice cream! take out!) is not the end of the world. All things in moderation!
Thank you so much for sharing this! Your honesty and realness makes me feel ok about buying the occasional pre-packaged convenience food. I completely agree with everything you’ve said, and I think as much as our families benefit from nutritious, whole foods, they benefit from loving, joyful parents even more.
My mom used a lot of processed, convenience foods growing up, but our family always ate dinner together, and it was always a very pleasant experience because she wasn’t stressed out and tired from cooking all day. That is the kind of dinnertime experience I want to give my kids!
For me this turns into a pride issue.
I’m proud of how low I have gotten our food budget. It was a HUGE deal to get our food budget as low as $260 eating a carb/starch/bread based diet. The past year I’ve realized the value of shopping locally and eating a lot more fat and protein. When I realized I needed to increaes the budget to $400 a month my husband was very supportive.
Recently, my son wanted to get school lunch more often and bring “normal food” (ie. sandwiches). This is an easy going kid who is not picky.
I made a comment about how much extra it was going to cost and his response was “put it in the budget.” But I don’t want to put it in “my” budget!
Pride – WAY WAY WAY too much pride. Clearly I need to work on a few heart issues!!!
Thanks so much for this post – too often I worry about what people think, but I only need to focus on God and what HE puts on my husband’s heart. Which of course means I need to ask him what he is thinking!
Question though: I’m still confused about why it’s important to use natural sweeteners. It seems like I should put more money toward fats, veggies and protein. If I make a treat occasionally with very few ingredients that I would consider healthy, it seems like I shouldn’t waste our money buying the best natural sweetener. I do buy raw honey for things like yogurt. Maybe it’s on your blog already, but I haven’t run across it yet.
what good advice you have given. thank you from the bottom of my heart.
What good good good advice you are giving. Yes, it is so good to ask our husbands they see if from a different point of view. It just make our whole life balanced when we ask for thier imput.
I am with you on not fretting about the meal. Try your best. If you can do it, but if what you are making is causing stress, ignoring the family and such then look for alternate means. Some of the packaged foods out their are very healthy!
I really needed to hear this today. I’ve been stressing myself out worrying over finding time to cook every single thing from scratch and finding money in our budget to afford all organic, local foods. My husband had to remind me last week to slow down and enjoy my wonderful life instead of spending so much time being anxious/
Thanks for these post. These things need to be said. I have read several blogs that women who have the best intentions to care for their family are doing a great job loving people in the process. So thanks for being a voice that encourages priorities to be set in the pursuit of healthy living.
Wonderful past two posts! There are times when I’ve felt almost guilty about not buying certain products because I knew it would be too much of a strain on our food budget, and I have had to remind myself to do the best with what we’ve got, and trust the Lord to take care of the rest. Fabulous additions to the Passionate Homemaking blog! Keep it up!
I really enjoyed the articles and love love love your site. I think you should do a part 3…the best nutritional *bang* for your time/relationships. Things kids love to make, high nutrition, things husbands like…but I guess that is what a lot of your site has. We love smoothies, soups, and pancakes (all are things my son loves to help make and eat). Right now I am watching him devour an entire package of edamame!
Wonderful posts!
What a great and true perspective! Thank you so much for this! I will definitely be forwarding my readers to this article…it’s a very important thing to remember! Especially for me, having other health things to consider, sometimes it just isn’t doable for me to “make it” all.
Love this post; beautifully put. Finding balance in our lives to stay happy, healthy, and on the path God has for us is what it’s all about.
My husband said the same thing about spinach. He prefers to eat his veggies “like a man” and not have it camoflauged like a little kid.
. I happen to LIKE spinach in my smoothies. Anyways…
Thanks for a very good, encouraging post.
I resonated most with #5, making sure my kids spiritual and emotional needs are met first, and also peaceful, relaxing time with my husband! I’m doing my best with eating as healthy as I can while I make those other things a priority!! If I ever feel like I’m doing well with the first then I’ll move on to making tortillas! But my little ones are very little. I also hope that they’ll do it with me soon!!
Thanks so much. Many of the real food posts I’ve read make me feel guilty about the way I’m feeding my family. You’ve reminded me of what is truly important–submitting to my husband as to the Lord.
Wow, love this!
The direction your heart is taking is so God-given. The fruits of the Spirit spill so much more liberally from a heart that is at peace with freedom in Christ.
In the last year, I lost my baby son to a chromosomal disorder. We don’t know what caused it. I realized that I am completely out of control, and came to a peace that God had ordained every moment of my son’s brief life. I saw the sands of my foundation wash away to reveal the Rock upon which my house should be built. Among the sands went my resolve to control my health, my fear and grasping for control through external means (like food!), and I am happy to see those sands wash away. This is such a better way to live.
Blessings as you further delve into this freedom God is revealing to you.
All I can say is THANK YOU!!
Food and nutrition has been a huge stumbling block for me, and I feel judged by friends and family often. I am doing my best to take on a more traditional food diet, and at times it has become all consuming. But when I back off, I fear that I am damaging my family and I am sad and embarrassed about what they are eating. You have just opened my eyes to the thought that I have made nutrition an idol. I had never considered it before. I have some serious heart searching to do. Thank you so much!
Thanks for sharing this! So often I get frustrated when I can’t find whole-foods ingredients in our town, I get irritated when my husband doesn’t like what I’ve prepared, or I feel guilty for purchasing convenience foods. I needed this reminder of our freedom in Christ and the priorities of my home. Blessings!
Thank you so much for posting this!! I’ve been so down and discouraged this week because I feel like I’m not consistent with making the best choices, but I’m trying. Thank you for putting things into perspective for me.
Thanks so much. My husband has no problem with eating “real food” and prioritizing health, and that is a huge blessing to me. But I still can have a bad attitude on the rare occasion when he brings home ice cream (corn syrup!) or potato chips (soybean oil!) or peanut butter cups (ahh!!!). I needed your reminder to be gracious… too often I make smart remarks instead.
love this series!
Lindsay, part 2 is definitely my favorite. You are wise to focus on the preferences of our husbands. Mine really appreciates that I desire to cook healthy foods (he’s a visioneer). But, in the end, he wants his food to taste GOOD! I was laughing when I read the comment about spinach belonging in salad. Yes, God did create man and woman to be different : ) When my husband brings home white bread from the store (but hey, he got it from the “natural grocery store”!), I serve it with gratitude at the table. Regardless of our small disagreements in theology, your posts have really been making me think about how to prioritize my day with wisdom. Thank you for being bold enough to put these things in perspective.
Such a beautiful post Lindsay! Thank you for your honesty and humble spirit.
I have to echo these comments… what a blessing and an encouragement! Thank you!!
Wow, thanks for your encouragement. It’s amazing how a good thing can become a stumbling block in our lives.
This is a wonderful encouraging post. Thanks!
Much thanks for this post! I have been reading your blog for over a year and have been trying prepare more healthy food for my family. Over the year or so that I have been trying to eat more naturally I have had many ups and downs. It has been tough for me to make all the changes, due to our budget and time constraints. I also have had to re-evaluate and do what I can for this season in our family’s life and yes it is very freeing! Thank you for the post and being “real” with us. Lots of time in bloggy land people create a sense of who the “think” they should be and thank you for letting us all know that you too are human and that it is ok and you won’t fall over for eating white tortillas and packaged yogurt now and again! Thanks for being real
Great article! I started a simple living challenge recently, and this is the approach I’m going to take. Our faith shapes our food choices, and we have to be sure we know what our priorities are instead of feeling like we “should” do something, and not know exactly why.
My husband had a similar reaction when I tried to serve him a green smoothie. He said it’s “just not my style”.
This and your last post have really spoken to my heart. Thank you again for helping so many of us remember our priorities.
This was so encouraging to me! Thank you! Our budget is very small right now and I’ve been feeling so upset about how to balance the nutrition and cost factor. My husband says to just do the best I can, so I’ve been trying. This post has given me lots of freedom!
To that I give a big hearty AMEN!!!!!! (Micah is cheering too in the background!!!)