September 01st, 2014

For the past 5 columns, we’ve taken a look at some of the harmful substances that most people consider to be food - and the health risks involved in eating these things. However, many people have a hard time knowing where to start to change their diet for the better. Perhaps knowing how someone else manages without any sugar, white flour, or soda will be of some help. So here’s a bit about my family, and how we feed 16 people with good, wholesome food on a limited budget. 
         First up is our bread. We make it by hand, using whole wheat berries that we grind into flour at home, using a WhisperMill® electric grain mill. We order the grain in bulk (50 lb bags!) from a company called Country Life Natural Foods. The recipe for this bread was created and fine-tuned by my dad, who is a wonderful cook! Country Life is also where we buy our oats, lentils, dates, and many other unprocessed whole foods including unfiltered raw honey. We use honey as our main sweetener for dessert items like cakes, pies, cookies, etc. At times, naturally sweet fruits such as bananas, apples, and dates are used. 
        Each and every one of our meals is chock-full of fruits and veggies that we find at bargain prices, whether at a farmer’s market, a pick-it-yourself farm, or a grocery store running a great sale. Of course, the best tasting food comes from our small rooftop garden where we currently have a nice crop of tomatoes, green peppers, herbs, and even some raspberries. And when we’re thirsty, there’s nothing better than a glass of cold water straight from our faucet! My dad installed an under-sink water filtering system so we don't have to waste money on bottled water. 
Now, here's an example of the kind of food we might eat in a day. For breakfast, we enjoy whole grain cereals like shredded wheat, homemade granola or muesli, and puffed wheat, corn, brown rice, or millet covered with freshly cut bananas, peaches, or maybe some hand-picked berries. For lunch we have our big meal of the day, possibly consisting of baked chicken and a whole array of veggies, such as carrots, broccoli, potatoes, corn-on-the-cob, and more. Our supper might be a meal of tuna sandwiches using our freshly-baked bread, filled with tomatoes & lettuce, with cucumbers, celery, and carrots on the side. These are just a few examples of what we choose to eat; there are so many possibilities, including my favorite: 100% whole wheat spaghetti, smothered in a sauce filled with zucchini, eggplant, and mushrooms!
     (Go to mybigfam.com to follow along with the Schultz’s diet for a week!) 

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