Lately, I have felt such an urge to focus more intentionally on our families health- especially as a young mom raising two littles. The more I have learned about all the harmful and unnecessary ingredients hidden in our food, the more swaps I have made.

It is overwhelming and frustrating to read boxes that say “organic” or “protein filled” when this does not exactly mean healthy. Instead, disguised by the wording, these items contain high levels of fructose corn syrup, seed oils, preservatives and toxic dyes. Since understanding all the ingredients to stay away from is like a foreign language, I downloaded the YUKA app. Scanning everything I pick up might take me a little longer in the food store, but I can actually read the labels and understand which packaged foods have the least chemicals.

We started shifting towards whole foods, ingredients as close to their natural state as possible. Fruits, vegetables, grains, clean protein is the foundation of our meals at home.

Some examples of simple swaps our family has made:

• Crackers: Get rid of the goldfish, and grab whole grain versions with simple ingredients
• Yogurt: Switched to Stonyfield Organic Plain Yogurt, my toddler loves to add honey, chia seeds and berries to create her own parfait!
• Meat: 100% Grassfed beef – rich in antioxidants and lean protein factors
• Snacks: No more fruit snacks, granola bars or my toddlers favorite “yogurt raisins.” Instead I make snack plates including vegetables and fruit, such as cucumbers, carrots and strawberries.
• Bread: Switching to whole grain, Dave’s Killers bread – helps with digestion and keeps my littles fuller between meals

I did not expect to see a difference right away, but changes in our moods, energy and sleep became visible after a few weeks. The deeper we looked into how our food choices were impacting how we felt mentally and physically, the more obvious it became. All the over processed snacks and sugars were playing a huge part in our stress level and moods.

My toddler eventually stopped asking for “snacks” since the moment she opened her eyes. Now she enjoys a mid-day charcuterie board cut up with colorful fruits and vegetables. Her sleep has drastically improved and she has fewer complaints of her “belly hurting.”

Our home feels calmer and our bodies feel lighter when we are not surviving on preservatives and toxins. We are not perfect, we slip up at times. We do not count calories or limit our bodies to food. You will still find soda cans in our garage or ice cream in our fridge. But now, we are more aware of the effect food has on our bodies and want nothing less than our children to feel whole, healthy-strong.

If you are just beginning this journey, start small. Do not overwhelm your house with all organic swaps. Start in the pantry and make one better choice at a time.

“Nourish gently, and the whole home blooms”