Healthy food isn’t always what you’ve been led to believe.

Greetings everyone. Hope all is well in your part of the world. I appreciate everyone who has taken the time to listen and subscribe to our podcast. It has been a blessing to be able to reach all across the country, and even to the corners of the globe. This weeks episode with Irish dairy farmers Peter and Paula Hynes allowed me to connect with lots of folks in Ireland and the UK. It has truly been a cool experience.

This past week has been incredibly busy. On Saturday alone, we went deer hunting (my son killed a button buck), weaned calves, and had a birthday party. We followed that up on Sunday by going hunting again and Levi taking an 8 pointer this time. in the week that followed, we celebrated the twins birthday at home, more deer hunting, and had an FFA chapter degree banquet. Someone said that once football was over, our lives wouldnt be as busy. I think that person was wrong. 🙂

This weekend, Keri and I are going to St. Louis to run in the Hot Chocolate 15k in Forest Park. This is going to be the furthest I’ve ran since completing a half marathon in April, so I’m a little bit nervous. Wish us luck!

With all of these things going on in our lives, it has been imperative that we eat a clean healthy diet. I know that this saying is kind of cliche and pounded into our heads, but it is truly a must to live our fullest life. However, I’ve found mostly that folks are completely unaware of what actually consists of a healthy diet. I was kind of driven to a boiling point this week when I saw a graphic that illustrated what was thought to be a “healthy diet.”

I try my hardest to not be negative, but this kind of thing drives me mad. Sure, fruits and vegetables are essential for a balanced, nutrient dense diet. But to show tofu and not any animal protein?!?!? Are you kidding me. This kind of graphic shows how misinformed our nation has become about their diet.

Now I don’t disparage anyone for eating tofu or plant based proteins. That is completely up to the individual. However, I cannot stand for not including animal protein in the same discussion about a healthy diet. Beef, pork, lamb, and chicken all provide superior levels of B12, Zinc, Iron, and vitamin D when compared to a similar serving of plant based proteins.

Eating a balanced diet is really not that complicated. A good rule of thumb is that you should limit your intake of anything that comes in a package. Another good rule is that you should eat sparingly anything that wasnt raised in a field or grown in a garden.

Eating whole foods is an essential part to living a healthy life. Over the past few years since I’ve paid closer attention to the quality of the foods I’ve eaten I have seen my mood elevate and my energy levels skyrocket. The biggest thing I have cut out is the overprocessed carbs found in packaged snacks. I try to stay away from eating cereal and packaged granola bars because of their overconcentration of sugar.

In addition, I’ve put more emphasis on making sure I get adequate protein. We are very fortunate to always have a freezer full of pasture raised red meat to fill our protein requirement. Our favorite meats are, in this order, beef, lamb, deer, pork, chicken. I would add elk in there between beef and lamb, but it is so hard to come by in the Midwest.

I’m not a nutrition expert. I would refer you to a registered dietician for in depth analysis of the food you eat. One person who is not a RD that I think has some very valuable information on food is my wife, Keri. Keri spends a great deal of her time researching food and how it affects our family. She does all of the grocery shopping in our house and cooks 90 percent of the meals. She is very passionate about healthy eating and strives for all of her boys to feel the same way. So, if there is anyone who is a normal everyday person that you should consult about food choices, it is my beautiful wife. She will be the first to tell you that diet is not a destination, it is a journey. Food is what fuels our lives.

Do you have any thoughts on how we eat? What changes have you made to your diet that have made a positive impact on your life? Do you disagree with my assessment of animal protein being a staple of a healthy diet? Lets talk. Leave comments below, send me an email or a DM. I love to talk about food!!

Thanks for reading my latest blog. I’m going to do my best to get one blog out per week going forward. So please subscribe if you dont want to miss a blog. Also, if you want to check out our podcast, head over to iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or Spotify. Go to this previous post to get all the links to the podcast. While you are there, be sure to leave us a review. Thanks again and we will see you the next time!

Jason