Food Inc.

After putting it off for 2 years, I finally sat down and watched Food Inc. After watching it, I'm equal parts thoroughly pissed off at our government and empowered to make sure that I feed my family has healthfully as possible. Please, just watch this documentary. Sure, it would've been a whole lot easier for me to use my 1 hour and 33 minutes to watch something light and fluffy, that would make me forget my problems and see the world through rose-colored glasses, but I knew that I HAD to watch this documentary--especially since I hold the health of my family in my hands.

One of the things that kept me from watching it for so long was that I knew that there would be "slaughterhouse scenes." Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm an animal lover. I don't kill insects (except for mosquitoes) and was vegetarian for a few years. Unfortunately, the thing that keeps me eating meat, these days, is convenience. This documentary wasn't the most gruesome out there and I was able to hide my eyes just a few times, in order to push forward through the movie. This movie isn't at all anti-meat--it just calls for more healthful practices. In fact, one of the farmers that's interviewed (who I found to be really insightful) was being filmed while he was slaughtering chickens. (I hid my eyes through that part)

I could write a long diatribe, basically re-stating what was covered in the documentary, but that would be boring. All I'm saying is that, after watching this film, I've come away with a greater sense of how to grocery shop for my family and how to feed us. As was stated in the documentary, you get 3 votes a day (via your meals) to dictate what type of foods you demand from the industry. I'm proud to say that my little family is already on the right path. We don't eat much processed food; (although the toddler does have some processed food favorites that we're slowly weening her off of...and oops, those chicken nuggets mentioned in the last post) the bulk of our grocery bill every week is consumed by fruit and vegetables. Soda water is a treat in our home--not what you drink when you're thirsty and we don't eat much red meat at all.

One of the things that I've recently discovered is how easy and how much healthier it is to take a few more minutes to cook something that would much more easily be made via a box, a scary packet of dried sauce and a microwave. A good friend introduced me to the following recipe for mac and cheese. I'll be the first to admit that I have a giant box of Kraft Mac 'n Cheese single-serve pouches, currently taking up half of a shelf of my pantry. To make a single serving of this stuff, you nuke the pasta in the microwave for 3 minutes then mix with the packet of dried, neon orange "cheese" stuff. After cooking it, mixing it and then letting it cool sufficiently enough for two children to eat it, probably 7 minutes or so has elapsed. This recipe that I've been making takes 7 minutes for the macaroni to boil then another few minutes to mix in the ingredients and stir. Voila! A way-healthier version--and way yummier too. I also like knowing exactly what I'm putting into my kids' mouths.

Stove Top Macaroni & Cheese

• 3 cups halved cherry tomatoes
• Cooking spray
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 ounces sourdough bread, torn into pieces
• 1 teaspoon butter, melted
• 12 ounces large elbow macaroni
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded extrasharp cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup egg substitute
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated low-fat milk

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°.

Place tomatoes in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with black pepper. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally.

While tomatoes cook, place bread in a food processor; pulse 2 times or until crumbly. Toss crumbs with melted butter. Sprinkle the crumbs on a baking sheet, and bake at 375° for 12 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently.

Cook macaroni in boiling water 7 minutes; drain. Return macaroni to pan; place over medium-low heat. Add cheese and remaining ingredients; cook 4 minutes or until cheese melts, stirring constantly. Stir in tomatoes. Sprinkle each serving with about 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs.

Now, here's how I modified it: I omitted the breadcrumbs and the tomatoes, because my kids don't care for them. Instead, after the mac and cheese was done, I mixed in steamed broccoli. I served it with a large salad and some crusty bread. It was delicious. This recipe made a huge pot of mac and cheese--which we ate on for days--and cost roughly $6 to make. The next time I make it, I will probably try whole wheat macaroni, just to up the nutritional value. Take that, cheap convenience foods!