Written By Sallon Fallon, Nourishing Traditions. Pages 621-623
No one in modern America deserves more sympathy than the working parent on a limited budget. Finding the time, energy and means to prepare nutritious meals for oneself and one’s children poses a real challenge, especially as the temptation to opt for convenience foods is very great. The first step to meeting that challenge is the realization that fast foods are a terrible trap that, in the long run, leads to diminished vitality and, hence, even greater restrictions on one’s time, energy and budget-not to mention the tragedy of serious disease.
While it not necessary to spend long hours in the kitchen in order to eat properly, it is necessary to spend some time in the kitchen. Simple, wholesome menus require careful planning rather than long hours of preparation. Much can be accomplished in the way of advanced preparation by dedicating just one block of hour to five hours per week to food, which might include shopping, starting a large pot of stock to last the week, putting up a jar of fermented vegetables, making a batch of cookies for school lunches and preparing a large casserole of soup or stew that can last for several meals. Simple, nutritious meals can be prepared very quickly when one lays the groundwork ahead of time. If your present schedule allows no time at all for food preparation , you would be wise to re-examine your priorities. *** Health is #1***
- Don’t buy boxed cold breakfast cereals, even those made of “whole grains.” They are very expensive, poor nutrients and difficult to digest. A serving of the best quality organic oatmeal costs half the amount of the average boxed breakfast cereal and is infinitely more nutritious. For optimum nourishment, you need to think ahead and soak your oatmeal overnight. (See article on soaking).
- Make your own salad dressing. You can make your own dressing using the finest ingredients for about the same cost as the average bottled dressings, most of which contain rancid vegetable oils, trans fatty acids and numerous additives. With practice, it takes no more than a minute to produce a delicious dressing for your salad. (See article on dressings).
- Always buy butter. Margarine and shortening may cost less but it is a false economy, one that leads to numerous impoverishing diseases. If the cost of butter is prohibitive, use lard. * Costco on Maui has Organic Butter at a great price *
- Make stock at least once a week. Meat stocks have formed the basis of nourishing peasants diets for millennia. They cost very little to make (often a good fish merchant will give you fish carcasses for free), are very nourishing and have a protein-sparing effect. That means you can get by with very little meat in the diet when you use properly made stock for soups and stews. Use congealed fat from stocks for cooking and leftover meat for soups, meat salads and other dishes.
- Most benefit from a daily teaspoonful of cod liver oil, coconut oil, flax seed oil, evening primrose oil, and more. *Have Skye test your body to determine the best oil for your body* Also its very important to take trace minerals daily, such as Zeta Max, to keep your body alkaline. Lacto-fermented beet kvass contains a large array of nutrients in easily assimilated form and is simple and inexpensive to make.
- Good quality dairy products are worth the price. If you live in the country, look into an arrangement for keeping a Jersey cow or goats.
- The less expensive vegetables include some of the most nourishing- carrots, zucchini, onions, broccoli, chard, beets and kale- and they are easy to prepare. (See article on how to make crispy kale chips)
