So, That's Where My Kitchen Is! (Sept. 23, 2009)

Mmmmmm fast food. It's convenient, it's cheap, the kids love it, you can eat it in the car (dangerous as that may be), the commercials are constantly telling us we NEED it, and you don't have to do the dishes afterward. It's perfect for the family on the go! Right?
Kind of like cigarettes, we know fast food is bad for us. Yet, again like cigarettes, it's a multi billion dollar a year industry.
It's actually pretty sickening how many ads we are subjected to daily that tell us to eat fast food, fatty desserts, gluttonous portions, etc. When's the last time you saw a commercial for broccoli? And then society has the nerve to make us feel bad for being overweight. Anyhow...
I'm completely guilty of being a part of the flock. On an average day, I'd have Del Taco for breakfast, Carl's Jr. for lunch, Wendy's for dinner and I'd always stop at Starbuck's or Peet's for my iced venti caramel macchiato (sp?).
On one of these average days, I'd consume anywhere from 4,000 to 5,000 calories.
And worse yet... I fed my kids the same way.
I know how miserable I am, being overweight and unhealthy. And for their entire lives, I've been teaching my kids how they too can lead an unhealthy life like mine.
Now, I'm not going to beat myself up. What's done is done. The only thing I can do now is to start reversing the damage. Where to start?
My husband and I started our "new way of life" a little over a week ago. We've been grocery shopping a few times to stock up on healthy foods. I'll admit, it's not cheap to eat healthy. But my refrigerator has never looked more impressive.
We bought containers for pre-made meal portions and left overs.
And we began cooking and preparing real food in our kitchen on a daily basis for the first time in yeeeeears.
Last night, I made BBQ'ed chicken breast and asparagus stir-fry with couscous. It was fabulous! It must have taken me a total of a half hour to make it.
As I began cooking however, my teenaged daughter walked into the kitchen and threw a Lean Cuisine in the microwave. I thought she'd be happy to be eating a real meal for a change, but she didn't want to wait for dinner to be ready.
A four minute wait for food as opposed to a thirty minute wait. I didn't really think that all of our bad habits would change over night, but it made me realize how addicted we are to convenience. This will take some getting used to.