I’m so excited to have Trina guest posting for us today! Check out her brand-new book, Your Real Food Journey!
Guest post by Trina Holden
I’m done being stressed about food—aren’t you? I’d like to get to a point where food is nourishment for body and soul, and yet not another thing that stresses me out.
I’ve made a lot of progress on this journey–I’m eating better than I ever have. But some days that knowledge doesn’t help. No matter how much progress I can track I still get stressed some days. Some weeks I run out of time. Some months I run out of money. Some days it’s both. If you can relate, here’s what I tell myself to keep the stress from mounting:
1. If You Made It, It’s Real Good
People ask me all the time if I eat all organic, as if that was the gold standard of eating well. The answer is no, not even close. It’s not in the budget in this season. But I believe food can still be nourishing, even if it’s missing that little green sticker. When I cook a meal from scratch instead of choosing pre-packaged or drive-thru fare, it’s still progress because we’re avoiding filler ingredients and chemical flavor enhancers. Home cooked meals are a great choice for my family, even if not all the ingredients are organic. I rest in that.
2. Real Food Is Deeply Nourishing
Food that’s been cultured, simmered, or aged has as much nutrition—probably more–as any of those expensive, high-falutin’ supplements and pills everyone seems to be taking. I can’t afford the latest, greatest nutritional fad but that doesn’t mean I need to freak out. God has provided deeply nourishing options right in my own fridge, with cultured vegetables, simmered bone broths, and homemade dairy products. Real food is the slow, steady approach to nourishing my family. I rest in that.
3. Real Food Is Not God
Until this past year, I could often be heard making this statement when advocating for real food: “Food is the biggest way we interact with our environment, and thus the biggest factor in our health!” While the first part of that statement is true, the latter half is a bit off. The biggest stress reducer on this journey is the truth that God’s mercies, not our efforts, are the main reason we’re living and breathing. Yes, we’re called to steward our bodies, and that’s an important calling. But we don’t carry the full responsibility. Our Creator has the first and final word about our health. We can all rest in that.
We all have days when our reality doesn’t measure up to our ideals as we set about to make a meal. That’s either a recipe for stress or an opportunity to rest. I’m opting for the latter–will you join me?
How do you encourage yourself or another mom when reality doesn’t meet your ideals in the kitchen?
Trina is a wife and mother of four who is passionate about encouraging moms to embrace the journey as they attempt to feed their families well. Her latest book, Your Real Food Journey: a gentle guide to steady progress takes the stress out of eating well with simple steps and super practical encouragement. You can pick up a copy HERE.
Disclosure: I have included affiliate links in this post. Thank you for supporting this site!
Heather @ My Overflowing Cup
Thank you for the grace in this post, Trina. I couldn’t agree with your outlook more, especially #3.
Trina Holden
You’re so welcome, Heather–thanks for joining me here!
joanna n.
i love your thoughts! although we do organic because my husband’s health really benefits from the lack of chemicals, ultimately we are in God’s hands. He knows that we are human, & we can’t do everything all the time. thanks for the grace you’ve extended to your readers in this area!
Trina Holden
I do organic as much as possible, but have to preach to myself when I can’t afford the organic option. 😉 Thank God for grace.
Joanie @ Simple Living Mama
I stopped obsessing about it, and honestly stopped following a lot of real food blogs that made me feel guilty about everything I was feeding my family or doing in every day life. I can’t afford organic now, and I’m not going to nitpick every single thing my family eats. I cook from scratch as much as possible, but I’m not going to feel guilty if we have pizza or Chick-Fil-A every once in a while. I also got really tired of wasting good money on things my family just wouldn’t eat. We do the best we can!
Trina Holden
Joanie, I think we get stressed out when we think we are supposed to do more than our best! Sounds like you’re doing good where you’re at. 😉
Ellen
Thank you for posting this! You are gracious and you are right! I have been driving myself crazy with this best food problem! I am not going to be perfect and God has the ability to take care of my family’s health despite that! So, I will do my best, while trying not to stress!
Brittany at Equipping Godly Women
Great encouragement, Trina! Eating right can be SO stressful. It really shouldn’t be though. As long as we are making improvements every day until we get where we need to be, that’s what matters, right?
Nicole
Sista I am with you all the way! If you are in the kitchen making meals it is REAL food regardless if it is organic or not! Thanks for the encouragement.
Nicole
Trina Holden
Nicole, you are so welcome!
Erin Marie @ Health Happens At Home
Such great truths here! Food should not become an idol, even nutritious, real food.
Erin
Yes!