Kenny and Sarah Jane's Clean Eating Experiment

Eating healthy *consistently* has always been a struggle for Kenny and me.  We can manage a day or two, maybe a week but it's never been a lifestyle change. 

I desperately want it to be so.

I want to set a good example for our boys. I want to honor God by keeping our bodies as temples for the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)  They can't function effectively if we continue feeding them junk food and an occasional baby carrot or two.  I want to feel good because I've fed my body nutritious food. And I want to offset our chances for cancer or autoimmune diseases by what I eat. I know that God is sovereign and that I could nothing but salads and organic chicken every day for the rest of my life and still die from cancer.  But if He has given us a desire to change our eating habits, why ignore Him?

Because junk food is cheap.

Junk food lasts forever.

Junk food tastes amazing.

Junk food is easy to make.

Junk food fills me up.

I could go on and on.  

So far, it's been my experience that eating clean takes a lot of prep work, trips to multiple grocery stores, multiple times a week because fruits/vegetables go bad so quickly.  It takes an insane amount of self-control and discipline on a daily basis but especially out in public or at friends' houses. 

HOWEVER...

Junk food makes me feel like crap and clean eating gives me energy!  I despise the way my body feels and looks after eating junk food and love how I look after eating clean, even if it's only been a few days.  And knowing it's what the Lord has called us to do makes it all the more important.  

And we know we "can do ALL things through Christ who gives us strength."  

So last night I made a meal plan and grocery list and we began what I'm calling: 

Kenny and Sarah Jane's Clean Eating Experiment

My goal is to find out: 

Exactly how much prep work will this require?  

How expensive will our grocery bills be?  

How many stores will I have to shop at?

How will the food taste?

Will we get sick of eating the same things over and over again?

Can we eat everything I buy before it goes bad?

What steps do I (as wife, mom, and homemaker) need to take to make this a lifestyle change?

How can I make this more doable for Kenny while he's on the road at work?

How will the kids handle it?

How will we handle eating in public or with friends?

Will I be able to manage this with two kids and a newborn while homeschooling?

I plan to do the experiment for a week, reassess & and make necessary changes, and then do another round before making conclusions.  I also hope to post pictures of our meals and post frequently on how things are going... mainly so I have a journal of how I felt each day along the way. 

So here's the meal plan (recipes from Les Mills PUMP Get Lean Nutrition Guide).  This week I'm focusing on breakfast, lunch, and snacks.  I plan to add dinners next week. Obviously, being 35 weeks pregnant, my goal is not to "get lean" right now and I'm not doing the workouts.  I'm definitely  making a few modifications that I'll note.

This week's plan required me to shop at:

Walmart ($83.61)

Whole Foods ($38.05)

Kroger ($73.00)

Sprouts

*I bought a few household items not on meal plan at Walmart and Kroger so that's why it they're so high.

This is definitely keeping my mind off being due in a few short weeks and giving me something to do while I prop my feet up and take it easy.  I'm really hoping and praying I can find a groove that works for our family because eating clean AND working out will really help me lose all this baby weight starting in January.  And Kenny and I both want to be beach ready for our 10 year anniversary trip to Costa Rica next summer!