I, too, have really made an effort to find the most nutritious food that does not affect my body in negative ways. I avoid white foods like flour, sugar, rice, potatoes, because I realized that they aggravated inflammation and raised my blood sugar. I try to eat lower carb foods, but I do eat a fair amount of fruit, finding that the fiber and water it contains helps to balance it out. I don't juice friut, but eat it whole. I do eat protein, but it's a food group that I struggle with. I find it hard to balance out all that I read about as far as health and nutrition. For example, charring food adds in carcinogens, so when frying up a hamburger, for example, I try to cook it low and slow. If cooking chicken breast, I'll slice it lengthwise, sometimes into fourths. Toward the end, I'll add in water, to both help it clean the pan, but also steam the poultry so that it's cooked through and it makes a nice seasoned broth. I love vegetables and will eat almost anything, but usually stick to traditional choices here. I grow only things that pay or that grow well here. Lots of string beans, cukes, zucchini, kale and winter squash. I even grow basil like a crop and process it through the season, which is lovely come February and I'm still reaping the benefits! I don't grow broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, onions...too fiddly or unsuccessful, although I will buy them in the grocery store, along with grains and dried beans.
Because I need to be cautious with high glycemic foods, I avoid corn, peas, lima beans and the like, but I do have things like lentils, black beans, etc. When I do have the legumes, I add lots of vegetables, broth, and things to stretch the recipe. I love leftovers. Simplicity wins out over boredom every time. I've actually gotten more experimental with adding more herbs and spices after really learning about their medicinal qualities. (Turmeric, cinnamon, garlic, etc.) I do a fair amount of foraging for medicinal plants, and allow most to grow here on the property: plantain, chickweed, chamomile, mint, dandelion and so on.) I have also planted many plants for their medicinal benefits: mushrooms, elderberry, hawthorn to name a few. I harvest Turkey Tail off of stumps out back and make tinctures with it, and I grow wine cap mushrooms which I freeze dry or freeze after sauteing out most of the water as a space-saving measure.
I grow lots of fruit. Maybe 50 kinds? I have 40 blueberries (just one of the 50), for example, and the research coming out about them and many of the fruit I grow is very positive. I'd planted a medlar because its size and fruiting time and easy care seemed like a good idea. Come to find out, it is really being explored as something to treat diseases like cancer and diabetes. I have a huge row of asparagus (@150') and it has inulin which is excellent for health. I've branched out into canning, fermenting and dehydrating to extend the harvest. I practice organic gardening, and keep the leaves and all debris on the property to build up the soil, which I think adds to the nutrient value and quality of the soil. I have a great variety of foods growing here that will span from May through December for fresh eating. When canning, I look for recipes that have little or no added sugar. If there is some sugar, I won't drink the juice and I'll use the least amount possible to retain the fruit flavor. I canned about 30 quarts of peaches and used the ultra light sugar amount. I made peach salsa with no sugar and peach mustard which called for a small amount of maple syrup and I bottle of ale.
I've also learned to make wine, which does have a lot of sugar, but the yeast eats it, so I'm thinking it's not too bad, especially if had in moderation. Right now, I have some blueberry and some peach wine fermenting. I have dandelion, rhubarb and strawberry wine bottled and waiting! I might have one glass once in a week or two, so I think that's okay. Mostly, my food choices are around health benefit. I no longer buy ultra-processed food or deli meats. I check the ingredient labels for those things that require a label, but more and more I'm trying to live off of what I grow here on my one acre. My next leap will be to get grass-fed meat vs. the cheapest thing at the grocery store...although, in these times, it just doesn't seem feasible.
Cost is definitely a factor in what I eat as well. I eat a lot of chicken! I go to Costco and buy milk and then make my own yogurt which saves a fair amount. There is a chicken farm down the road where I get my eggs quite inexpensively. At one point, I thought about raising chickens, but I'm 65, and don't really want to invest hundreds into getting a coop; nor do I want to be hauling buckets of water in the winter time, etc. Cost needs to factor in labor, and I'm stretched pretty thin with all that I already have going on. Some down time is invaluable, too! That's when I can do my other hobbies!
