Put the package down!

At the risk of being preachy...
I am amazed at how much processed and packaged foods we eat. Good, real food is not hard to prepare, but we seem to think that a packaged meal is so much more convenient. It may be convenient, but is it good or good for you?
I don't normally read the NY Times, but a friend of mine led me to this short article about American's eating habits. Click the LINK.

"Americans eat 31 percent more packaged food than fresh food, and they consume more packaged food per person than their counterparts in nearly all other countries. A sizable part of the American diet is ready-to-eat meals, like frozen pizzas and microwave dinners, and sweet or salty snack foods."

I would love to start a real food challenge. Try to eat nothing from a package or a fast food restaurant for a week. See how good you feel afterward. Making simple food from scratch is cheaper and can be simple. I find a lot of good recipes from Everyday Food. www.everydayfoodmag.com Their recipes (despite being from the Martha Stewart test kitchen) are usually easy, fast and don't require crazy ingredients.

Try one of these chicken recipes: LINK to CHICKEN

Or this vegetarian chili: LINK to VEGGIE CHILI

Bon Appétit!