I need to start somewhere

LMJ was kind enough to lend me, motherbumper this space to do a post when I signed up for NoMeatPoWeek.  Oh and I also promised to iron their capes for a week. 

Five days ago I decided to take the NoMeatPoWeek challenge to see if I could go meat free from this past Monday to today.  A huge part of the reason I took this challenge (besides being hyper-competitive) was to see if I could make some healthier changes in the Bump family's diets.  I do the majority of cooking chez Bump so the troops usually eat what I eat.

Overall, we don't eat really bad food - our processed indulgences are made up mostly of KD and Doritos (yummy yummy nacho cheese, oh great, I'm drooling on keyboard now) which isn't completely horrible - is it? .  And I love me some sweets.  But those indulgences - well it's beginning to show.

Bumper is in every exhaust-a-toddler class available and because she is completely impossible to tire out high-spirited, SB and I get lots of exercise.  So the physical activity is there but we need to do more changes than just get more exercise.

I guess it's safe to say that our resolution this year - dare I call it a resolution since I think it's a set up for disaster when doing it in the middle of Winter? - yup, it's a resolution, well our family resolution is to change our diets and shake the dinner menu up a bit.

New recipes, new challenges (like going meat-free), more salad, more veg, more balance, less crap is what this family needs to do.  If we can go meat free, well that would be amazing, but I think eating a lot less meat (especially when out for a meal) is a better expectation.  But reducing processed food to (hopefully) nothing is more doable.  I bet there will be a noticeable difference in our food bill.  Which means more beer for me!

There will also be more label reading, paying attention to where my produce is coming from, and buy local when we can.  I'm already a faithful attendee at the the local farmer market, I just wish the one close by ran all year long.

We will see how it goes.  I will try hard(er).  NoMeatPoWeek was a great start and thanks to other bloggers and the resources brought to my attention over the week, I have a few more recipes to try out.  I like to think of this past week as a way to test the waters.  It was hard to figure out a completely meat-free week of meals but now I have more places to find ideas.  Overall, I'd say this week was a personal success.  The animals should be pleased with my efforts.  Oh and I also resolve to do less cow-tipping.  That will please them even more.

This post is part of the Healthy Living - The Perennial Resolution for the Parent Bloggers Network - sponsored by Kroger.  Kroger has launched a new website that includes recipes, food prep, and nutritional information galore.  Did I mention there are prizes to be won: Five 50$ Kroger gift cards are up for grabs (no Krogers? you can donate the card to your favourite charity).  Check out all the details at PBN.