the wholefood kitchen
In the past few months I’ve been taking a few steps to change the way we eat. Necessary steps for health and well being.
When Daniel and I first moved out together we lived in a tiny fibro beach shack. The kitchen was small but sweet – glass jars held lentils, nuts and rice, the fruit bowl was always full, we lit a candle in lieu of the fluorescent light above. I would spend most nights at the yoga studio so I cooked our evening meal in the afternoon – dhal, vegetarian curries, pesto pasta.
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the way we ate back then. I prepared food in a considered and calm way; because I had time. Now time is minimal and the fussiness of a five-year-old has significant affect on what I cook and how I cook it. The ‘easy’ meal has become the ‘regular’ meal and whilst we always eat well, we can eat better.
In the past few months I’ve been collecting a few books and seeking inspiration within – Super Natural Cooking, Feeding The Whole Family and Wholefood for Children. I’ve learnt a lot from these passionate authors who, in their own way, are encouraging a whole approach to shopping, cooking and eating with awareness. But my greatest inspiration has come from Heather’s online workshop The Whole Food Kitchen – a gift from the lovely Steph. Over the past eight weeks I have received an abundance of what I would call ‘gentle kitchen guidance’. There are stories, advice, a whole food checklist and a plethora of recipes that never, ever daunt me. I feel like it’s been the perfect foundation for my own whole food kitchen and I highly recommend it if you’re attempting to wander down a whole food path.
So what does our new kitchen look like? Well, there’s only wholegrains, there’s still meat and dairy (organic) and there’s a little sweetness too (moderation is such a good thing). The biggest change has been the exploration of new recipes and new ways of incorporating plants into each meal; we’re all for a plant-rich diet – good for the body, the wallet and the planet. Perhaps the most surprising revelation in regards to Che’s palette has been the power of texture – often it’s not the taste of vegies that disgust the child but the texture of them. Che will eat raw carrot  but the moment I blanch, cook or roast it he turns up his nose. Hence we always have some fresh greens and raw vegies on the table and I make fresh juice most days.
Of course, there is an ongoing food debate no matter what your diet involves. Raw is good, raw is bad, meat is good, meat is bad, sugar is poison and dairy will make you fat. Sheesh! Factor in a picky child, a baby, perhaps an intolerance or two and you have a full-time kitchen dilemma. Finding enjoyment in that scenario can be challenging. My advice? Take it slowly, be open to suggestion, buy wholegrain over white (bread, flour, rice) and remember that baked beans on rye toast is a very, very good meal (so is boiled eggs, pikelets and a “taster plate” – perhaps some cherry toms, cheese, crackers, celery, carrot sticks, raisins).
Do you have a whole food kitchen? If so, what’s your advice for those wanting to change the way they eat?
If you’re seeking wholefood inspiration I suggest you visit Nikki, Meagan and Natalie. For a poetic take on food, visit G. And if you really like the look of that wood fire oven above, consult popa, via me!
Hi Jodi,
I have just finished reading 'Wholefood for children' by Jude Blereau. This book is a fab find and has been well utilised in increasing my knowledge about wholefoods, food prep and creative wholefood recipes. Quinoa is now a regular part of our toddler diet too – infact we all love it!
Was also going to write just in case you are not already aware, in Country Style's special Christmas collector's edition, Pia Bijkerk does a feature article and mentions you as one of her favourite blogs! What an achievement … :)Hope you are having a good week. Kate x
Yes, Wholefood for Kitchen is wonderful, isn't it. As for the mention by Pia – tickled pink x
Will be checking out your book recommendations, Jodi. I agree, go slowly, slowly. Allow each change to sit and settle and become routine. I'm not going to get too worked up about any particular food direction- with three smalls it's a miracle anything is eaten some days! But a focus on more whole, more simple, more plants does underpin all my food thoughts at the moment. Can only be a good thing! :)sarah
Jude's favourite dinners are boiled eggs on wholegrain toast and baked beans on wholegrain toast! He has those two twice a week. My boy has a simple palette and can be quite the fusspot. I've just bought a juicer. Carrots are going in his body! Feels good. x
We have recently started the slow change in the way we eat. I can already feel the difference, not in our health but in the way we view our food. I have a very fussy four year old, it's seems like all he lives of is milk. He's even started to question where things come from, & to my amazement he's giving food a go.
Prue x
The whole food workshop that Heather offers was a wonderful introduction to cooking whole foods for my family. It was through finding Meagan that a whole new world opened up to me about food. The other links you've shared a great ones, I love each of those blogs. My advice would be not to be scared about change, keep trying, be open to new combinations and foods and talk about the new foods so everyone develops an understanding of it's benefits.x
Me & my family are on our way to a whole food kitchen, my budget doesn't allow me to be able to purchase all organic but I get what I can afford. We have also started growing our fruit, veg and herbs and the joy we have in the garden with our 15 month old is wonderful!
For me the best way to make the change was start slow and the best advice I was given was to have options – dinner includes some sort of salad, cooked vege's and the main component which varies from meat, fish and veg.. I've found moving to a more whole food approach has made me more adventurous with what I cook.
I grew up eating mainly rubbish (cheap meat, little veg and refined foods). I had a palette, for the longest time, that couldn't appreciated natural whole food. I then became so compelled to change and hopefully rectify the damage, that I stopped consuming meat, coffee, alcohol and smoking cigarettes, all over night. And stayed that way for 5 years. I felt so much better. And during that time I learnt about what all that rubbish had been doing to my body. How food production impacted this earth and to truly appreciate one's appetite and the provider of all this goodness. Now I eat some meat and drink one coffee a day and have a sugar addiction. This is because I was caught unawares by motherhood and am still behind the eight ball. But coming back. This year, despite putting it off until we own our own home and still renting, we are eating out of the garden. Beans and tomatoes and a plethora of herbs for us novices. So far, our yield is terrific! And today, I dusted off the old pressure cooker and had freshly cooked northern beans in minutes which I have thrown into a coconut & tomato curry. Cooking from scratch, from the garden and from simple well planned recipes (and buying in bulk when the specials are on) has been great on wallet and health. My kids are still a challenge, but I agree, it is more a texture than taste issue. My Vitamix has come to the rescue with many a veg hidden into tasty juices. No advice, just my testimony. It is worth the change and effort. Thanks Jodi for the links too. Great blogs to explore. xx Fi
Oh Jodi, I have a complete passion for this.
Thank you for sharing.
I borrowed Wholefood for Children from the library when Saskia was born and found it refreshing (after reading other 'guides' for feeding children). We all eat a vegetarian diet in our household – and having been a vegetarian for almost 15 years, I know and appreciate the importance of wholegrains & lentils – although I am STILL (!) getting my head around food combinations for the best iron absorption…We have a food co op in town that I have been meaning to visit for ages now, as I'd love to buy a lot of my cupboard staples in bulk. Maybe a mini goal for next year…Oh yes, there is something about lentils, rice, grains, all lined up in the pantry in le parfait jars that makes me ridiculously happy. Silly? x
ps. I've come to accept that hummus by the spoonful is a good enough meal!
Jodi, a lovely post and I hear you on the what to eat dilemma that changes constantly…it's good to step back and hear go slowly and start making changes where you can, after all food is meant to nourish and be a joy, not a burden! I'm also a big fan of Jude's cookbooks, they are a staple in my household for all the basics of a whole food kitchen…always referring them for soaking and preparation of whole food staples. Delighted to discover more blog goodness on heather's blog. I've started a little blog about slowing down and whole foods, take a peek sometime when you've got a cup of tea and your feet up ,I'm starting to document whole food recipes I'm trying out, plus some old fav recipes…Nat x
Wholefood for Children is such a wonderful resource. It's so lovely to hear of your journey to wholefoods. There is something so grounding about taking the time to think about the nourishment in a meal, preparing it and then enjoying it with family/ friends. Meal preparation is a challenge with young children due to lack of time and I am always trying to think how I can make it easier – meal planning helps me so much.
You know I love to cook and am so passionate about nutrition especially for young children. There are SO many, TOO many, different ideas about what are the right things to eat (gosh I have mine don't I…..). I am coming to accept everyone is on their own journey and need to discover what works for them.
I have been journeying (must be a word!) and researching for years and I think I shall be pausing where I am now, as I am feeling good 🙂
Advice….first make the change. Be kind to yourself, I am finding the 80/20 rule is wonderful……to ensure life is enjoyed and I get a night off cooking every now and then!
Thanks for the link
Natalie xx
I love this post, says everything I'm trying harder to be too. You've added motivation to my day and I think I'll just completely stop buying white flour. I've stopped buying white sugar and am using rapadura more, but its slow progress sometimes, hey? Thanks again for your thank you prize. This really is an amazing place to come to. Congratulations on this space!
oooh look at that pizza oven, looks amazing! I thought you said it was brick but it looks like cob, same as ours? Did he lime render the outside?
Well, between us and Poppa, looks like you'll be eating your share of pizza this summer 😉 Can't be a bad thing?!
xo em
it's brick with a render over the top. I think mum's going to pretty it up with some mosaics 🙂
I'll ask him about the lime render…x
We are slowly, slowly cutting out additives.
Our first step was no more processed breakfast cereals and so now we start our day with porridge, baked oatmeal, quinoa and occasionally eggs. I find if I start the day in a healthy way then I am more apt to continue to eat in a healthy manner for the rest of the day.
And as it is summer and the farmers markets are filled with perfectly ripe fruit and fresh veggies, we have been incorporating a lot of raw fruit and vegetables in our diet.
I will definitely check out those books that you recommend…thank you!
We have been slowly navigating the whole food journey for a few months now and I am finding myself much more adventurous in the kitchen than I have ever been which says a lot for someone who has always loved cooking.
There was a bit of resistance from our two oldest boys initially and many complaints about the lack of baked sweet treats but they have every so slowly adapted and I have found having a small variety of options available at meal times has helped immensely with the changes.
The most noticable change has been in the way we feel..we all have much more energy, the kids behaviour has improved and we rarely suffer from the health complaints that used to plague us. Saving money has also been a bonus as not every meal is now centred around meat.
Great post Jodi.
x
I've also been doing Heather's course for the past 2 months. We have been incorporating wholefoods for the past 2 years and now my Husband and sons happily eat beans, but lentils are another story. I have been substituting half meat half lentils in our bolognese sauce and lasagna and that seems to be working. I loved so many of the recipes in the workshop and even have been getting a great reaction from the rest of the family. And I've really liked learning how to make veges a bit more interesting, I was kind of in a routine of steamed veg with every meal. We all like that, but I was a bit over it night in night out.
I definitely need to take a look at this! It has been challenging to eat healthy now having a toddler running about. But, with a little push, I know I could make meals that are good and easy to make too : )
There IS so much advice out there, and so much of it is conflicting. Even as a food writer I find my head sometimes turning every which way trying to keep up. But I make a point to follow my own food path, in the same way I live my life without conforming to any one set of rules. Lots of organic vegetables and pulses, plenty of fish, free-range and grass-fed meats twice a week or so and organic dairy is what we tend to eat. Coconut oil and homegrown herbs are some of my favourite ingredients. But in amongst that, there's an element of raw food through green smoothies (otherwise my littlest wouldn't get anything green in him!) and occasional treats with unrefined sugar or untreated honey. I too believe in moderation and I am far happier with my children eating homemade cake than something processed containing a whole list of things that shouldn't be in food. I have days when I wish I didn't have to cook and that's when I scrub some potatoes and put them into the oven and serve them all fluffy in their jackets with tuna and cheese. Peas too, but only if I can face picking them all up off the floor afterwards!
I agree, so much of it is conflicting and it really is such a personal choice. And yes, homemade cake is one of life's little pleasures isn't eat – to bake and to eat x
My biggest parenting success has been the food I prepare to nourish my little one year old. Making the decision to give her only good stuff right from the outset has turned our kitchen wonderfully wholefood. I delight in seeing her devour brown rice banana pikelets, eat herbs from our pots, and enjoy every little morsel that passes her lips. Knowing that her little body is fuelled with such goodness, and seeing her vibrantly healthy body tear around the house – a very happy Mama.
Now that Jarvis is 11 months I am finding, slightly, more time to prepare food. All of his food so far has either been breast or organic food prepared by me. Now our garden is under way I am attempting a healthier organic approach for the whole family.
http://iliska-dreams.blogspot.com.au/
Thank you for another great post, Jodi. I'm wondering – I'm interested in Feeding the Whole Family but often avoid cookbooks/food books from other countries because I worry about seasonality, finding ingredients etc. Is this silly, do you think? Was it a problem for you with that book? And ditto the online workshop? Would love to hear what you think…
Hi Claire,
Just chiming in, we have had Feeding the Whole Family for a while now and we love it, there are a couple of recipes with ingredients that are hard to get but there are so many wonderful recipes that it doesn't really matter. It is one of our 'go to' recipe books, also has lots of simple, quick and delicious recipes, just perfect for when time is squeezed.
I wholeheartedly agree jay; it's brimming with recipe gems x
Thank you Jay and Jodi. It's on order now! Looking forward to it, and thanks for the tip.
oh wow Jodi, I'm honoured to be linked to! Thank you so much.
I agree that moderation is the key – and as for advice for someone wanting to start changing their food habits is to just take one step at a time and don't be too hard on yourself. The thing I sometimes find hard is getting home late, hungry, and having no inspiration/inclination to begin cooking. To combat that I allow myself 20 minutes to have a cup of tea and a piece of toast/a few roasted chickpeas/a bowl of homemade muesli/an apple and I find once my hunger is satisfied and I've had a little bit of peace, I feel much more motivated to cook.
thanks so much again! x
Hello Jodi!
Feeding my family well is vital to me. I always claim that when money's tight quality food remains an essentail expense.
I'm experimenting a lot with different flours; lentil, corn, chestnut (a handful added to most cakes and bread-baking). My very favourite is spelt. Spelt or wholemeal flour scones with a little dark brown sugar, butter and a generous dose of fresh or dried dates are devoured here by all three children. Dried figs work well too.
I do not get too hung up on baking sweet treats for my children and their friends though. I consider that, after the hefty days of school they survive here in France, a home-baked cake thrown into a day's healthy eating is fine.
Strangely enough my children eat most vegetables easily. Pumpkin soup is adored here during our current autumnal month and lentil and tomato is a firm favourite. Minestrone is a fabulous way to throw in a variety of veggies. I agree about your point concerning textures. Swiss chard is not a favourite with Tristan. 'You are allowed not to like something as long as you eat a couple of mouthfuls', I regularly chant.
Gosh, I could go on and on 🙂
A lovely post Jodi.
Stephanie
ps I know you are in the giddy heights of spring right now but I know you enjoy snuggling down in the evening with a good book. I am gifting an enchanted, wintery novel which has had excellent reviews on my blog. Perhaps you would like to take a look? If you have already read it I'd love to have your opinion.
Steph, I think you had better pop back here and share that date scone recipe, please x
well, you've made up my mind for me – I have all of those recipe books you've mentioned and have cooked this and that out of them, but I've not been able to make real change in our kitchen. I read Heather's blog avidly and have ummed and ahhhed over whether I should take the course – now I certainly will. Hearing how someone in Australia has found it so helpful is just the shove I needed. I have a fussy child too – and she's 15 – it hasn't become any easier and sometimes leaves unwilling to cook anything at all 🙂 Who knows – the summer holidays may just be the time to start again.
oh boy, yes it's difficult. I fluctuate between healthy tooth diet (http://www.curetoothdecay.com/) and optimum healing diet (http://www.amazon.com/Eight-Optimum-Health-Revised-Edition/dp/B0027VSZO8) :))One says, eat liver, other says mostly stay away from meat. One says don't eat soya too much, the other one praises it. These are both researchers I trust by the way.. Well now my decision is also, moderation moderation moderation. I eat and I observe how my body feels like, how my joints feeling the next day. How do I feel when I stretch. If things are good then I have been eating good. That's more difficult and too slow for forming a regular diet, but recently have been my method :)Good luck!
i did the whole food kitchen workshop last time around. it was great inspiration for getting back to the way we used to eat too and the recipes are great with some becoming favourites. the biggest thing for me that came out of the workshop was the information on traditional diets which i had never heard about before. i have since purchased the nourishing traditions book by sally fallon and this is the direction i have taken ever since. for me i think i need a bit of healthy fats, i need dairy and meat and do better on grains and legumes that have been prepared in a traditional way. i would have to say that the wholefood kitchen workshop really has changed the way we eat in our house.
nourishing traditions is such a gem of a book isn't it. It made me see dairy in a whole new light! x
Heather's course really is life changing isn't it?! At first I was a bit overwhelmed with all the information but now that I've printed it all out and can potter around in it all with a cup of tea I'm taking so much more in. We were exactly the same. We ate well but could have eaten so much better. Slowly is the way to go! I love Heather's gentle approach with no labelling, no all or nothing approach. Would definately recommend it! We're doing a "potluck" meal each week where I open up one of my wholefoods books (same as yours and Jude Blereau's Wholefood for the Family is also great!) or one of Heather's recipes and make it whether it overly appeals or not. Very surprising indeed. Who would have though that the cauliflower soup in Supernatural Everyday would be so good. You have to try it!I'm so pleased that you've enjoyed it so much too! HOpe your week is grand
Steph x
wholefood for children was gifted to me by a sweet friend just before i had my second little one. it really has been wonderful and used every other day. i must go and check out this great link x
Hello Jodi!, being a working mom it's hard sometimes, spend all day in the office it's tired, but I always took my time of cook very serious, I love to cook, that calms me. And I like be the mommy who cooks. My little one has 11, almost 12. I teach her how to eat since she was a little baby. Vegetables, Green things, so much tomatoes, and everything who is good for health. The fast food hardly once in a month, because it's not good for our bodies. And now I can tell every mom in the world, we have the power of make a healthy meal looks and taste delicious. And the little ones will learn how to eat every meal. The secret, put flavors to the food, example: thyme it's my big allied. In the same way we add some textures and flavors to the fish, in the same way the kids going to love it. xo
What an amazing gift from Steph- now I want to sign up too! Look what you've done 😉
This is truly something our family has been working on for a while, we're trying to create good habits and are always, always learning. I love how you've encourage that it can take some time and that it's always best to go slowly. I loved reading everyone's stories that chimed in too! The journey to whole-family wellness is a good one to be on, isn't it?
Glad to have so much support and inspiration through lovely blogs and families like yours! x
Hi Jodi, firstly thanks so much for the link (I wondered why there was such a sharp spike in visits to my blog yesterday!) This is a really great post you have such a knack of putting into words what many people are experiencing and then offering them some ideas to tackle it such as your cost of living post. I was chatting with a mum at school last week about her 'fussy eater', many mums ask me for suggestions about how to handle this and the main thing to remember is not to make a big deal about it, if it gets out of hand food can become a power struggle. Not fun. The best thing we can do as parents is to model how much we love eating good food and present beautiful fresh food to our children at every meal, keep presenting keep presenting and one day you will be happily surprised to see your children eating foods you thought they never would. Children will not starve themselves a mix of things you know they will eat and something new is good but pandering and cooking four different meals is definitely not the way to go in my opinion. A very simple guide we use is 'parents decide what their children eat and the children decide how much they eat'. Thanks again xx
Nikki, we have been taking a lot more time to discuss food with Che….to talk about where it comes from, what it does for our body etc. I made pumpkin soup the other night and whilst he was happy with leftover spaghetti he did ask to try some soup with bread. He ate it but admitted he didn't really like it. What pleased me most was that he was interested and wanted to try it. Baby steps x
It is so great when children are willing to try new foods. I always tell my boys it is ok if they don't like but if they don't try it they will never know. Yep baby steps. And small amounts good too. Well done Che! x
my kids have to have "try" bites that match their ages. So, my 6 year old has 6 scoops, 3 year old has 3 etc. Works quite well. Thankfully my 9 year old is a great eater!
Hi Jodi. This was a fantastic post. It's always heartening to read a post that reminds me I'm not alone in the mini-revolutions going on in my home. I know the challenge of wanting to eat better and started my blog (GestationalDiabetesRecipes.com) after I had gestational diabetes. I don't cook exclusively wholefoods but I'm getting there. One thing I find really helps me to try new recipes and feel less stressed about getting a balance of variety/ nutrition/ quick and easy, is meal planning. I like to sit down each week or so with a cup of tea and make a wish list of recipes I'd like to cook. I then choose 3 – 4 and mix these in with my tried and trues and then I rotate them for a short while (2 -3 weeks til we get sick of them). This way I end up throwing away less food as it's earmarked for use and I know at the beginning of the week that I have a fish/ a meat/ a vego/ a chicken dish in mind. Keep up the awesome work! You're on fire right now. Lisa x
Hi Jodie I have been meaning to stop by because I remembered a book that I also refer to when cooking/making whole food. The book isn't marketed as a whole food book but most of the recipes in the book contain whole food ingredients, it's called 'Feeding Fussy Kids'. It's the book I refer to most when I'm wanting to cook or make healthy whole food snacks. x
this post really speaks to me. I have been brought up vegetarian and my parents always bought local and organic. They made meals from scratch with so many different tastes and textures. A skill I wished I had tried to obtain when still living at home! My partner Tom used to work for the soil association so good wholefoods are a passion we share. Sometimes we eat badly though, due to lack of time/passion…and we feel bad for it too. Thanks for reminding me to feel passionate about it again xx
HI Jodi, I just bought Jude's book Wholefood Baking and am learning so much. Now trying to track down a copy of Wholefood for Children. Thanks for the info about the online course – that looks amazing! I've put my name down to be notified when the next round opens. x