We mothers are at the heart of the culture of life.  Yet, often times, it is hard enough to keep our families nourished physically, much less spiritually and emotionally.  What we eat is what we are on a physical level.  Good food means better energy and better health, so that we can receive the graces to fulfill the rest of our many roles.  Eating healthfully can seem out of reach and simply another way to feel guilty as a mother and wife.  As many mothers who are sacrificing their career to stay home (I’m an attorney on leave to wrangle our children, garden, and household), it’s hard to justify the cost and expense of eating out, or the health hazards of eating processed freezer or fast food.  How do we purchase and prepare healthy, budget-friendly foods?
For my little family of four, two bambinos under three, it helps that we belong both to Costco and the local food cooperative.  At Costco we purchase organic grains and meats, cheeses and Greek yogurt, and household disposals like the all-important toilet paper.  At the coop, and farmer’s market when in season, we purchase our fruits and vegetables, a few processed staples like organic tomato sauce for those nights it’s a quick pasta meal, local dairy and cheeses, organic nuts and dried beans, bacon and our favorite hand-churned butter.  I resist the temptation to impulse grocery shop as it always results in a higher bill than I expect!  Or lesser quality food than we strive for.
I’m not a purist, but if I can make it from scratch, I try to.  Bread, sauces, dips, dressings, etc.  Our summer garden helps.  If you have fresh herbs and produce from your own yard or even windowsill, you’re inclined to use it.  Sometimes it’s the herbs that lead me to finding a recipe to match them!  The internet is replete with great and helpful websites for these: Kitchen Stewardship, Smitten Kitchen, 101 Cookbooks, Wellness Mama, and much more.
Eschewing processed foods has made a large difference in our grocery budget, and our health.  If it comes in a box, I generally don’t want it.  If it has ingredients that I can’t pronounce or understand, I skip it.  Extra preservatives and chemicals?  No, thanks.  It’s a hard transition to make, but adding the extra 20-30 minutes to make something fresh, whether it be potatoes or slow-cooked (5 minute!) oatmeal, is worth it.
We try to have a meal plan for the week, and shop at the beginning of the week.  I experiment with a new dish every week, allow for breakfast for dinner one night, and take out one night.  And every Friday is homemade pizza, our least expensive and most tasty meal.  That means I have four nights to plan to cook.  I plan the meal around the grains and beans and vegetables, and then decide which meat, if any, is needed.  Cooking grains and beans has changed our lives!  It means having a fuller belly, but not too full, and has cut down our junk food & sugar cravings.  Dessert is something healthy, or something especially indulgent like dark chocolate, which is tasty and good for you.
Caring for our bodies is a worthwhile goal.  Feeding our children and spouses healthy and wholesome food is a challenging part of our vocation as mothers and wives.  So long as I give myself some wiggle room for the occasionally easy meal, I try to shake off guilt of not having it all perfect and put that energy toward tackling my weekly meal plan.  I share about food and other aspects of familyhood at my blog, Whole Parenting Family.
Nell O’Leary is a recovering lawyer turned blogger, speaker, and sewer of baby goods while tending to her husband and four kiddos in the great city of Saint Paul, Minnesota. She serves as Managing Editor for Blessed is She and can down a hot cocoa in no time flat. Find out more about her here.