Food Challenge: Week One

Goal: Eat a minimum of two different fruits or vegetables (preferably organic) with every breakfast, lunch, and dinner meal.

This seems like it should be an easy week!  That being said, I probably only offer our family 3-4 servings of fruits and vegetables a day so 6 is a big change!  We all like fruits and are fairly tolerant of veggies so I am looking forward to this change!

We are halfway through day 1 and have 5 servings in so far.  Anyone joining us this week?!  Will it be a big change for you?  What will be the biggest challenge, if any?

I am writing this while sipping on my Diet Dr. Pepper so while this week's challenge won't be too hard in this house, next week will be (at least for me!)

Determined!

Photo by Jen Neal

That is a good word to describe my sweet little girl!

This afternoon when we set out for our daily walk Lainey

insisted on riding her trike.

I decided to let her try, assuming she'd give up after 4-5 blocks.

Our neighborhood is safe enough that I felt comfortable leaving her trike on the

side of the road and picking it up on the way back.

Well, I was wrong.  

This little girl was determined to go the whole way on her trike. 

With a smile on her face, she pedaled the entire 1.5 miles.

I was, and still am, completely amazed!

She is quite certain she needs a pink balance bike so she can go down the hills FASTER!!

Watch out world!  

On a side note: When we got to the playground some of our neighbors were there.  Their 6 year old had ridden to the playground in a stroller.  Seriously people?!

Food Challenge Schedule

I am not sure if anyone is planning on joining us for this journey or not.  A few have expressed interest in at least part of it so I am going to post the schedule I plan on following during the next few months.  Join us for as much or little as you would like!

11/6/11  Week One (Two fruits and/or vegetables per meal)
11/13/11 Week Two ("Real" beverages only)
11/20/11 Take the Week Off for Thanksgiving! 
11/27/11 Week Three (Meat)
12/4/11 Week Four (No fast food or deep fried foods)
12/11/11 Week Five (Try Two New Whole Foods)
12/18/11 Week Six (No lite, low-fat, or non-fat foods)
12/25/11 Take the Week Off For Christmas!
1/1/12 Week Seven (100% Whole Grain)
1/8/12 Week Eight (Stop Eating When You are Full)

*I plan to have weeks one through eight be cumulative, meaning I will have them add upon each other each week. *
        
1/15/12 Week Nine (No refined Sugars) 
1/22/12 Week Ten (No refined oils)
1/29/12 Week Eleven (Eat Local Foods)
2/5/12 Week Twelve (NO sweeteners!!)
2/12/12 Week Thirteen (Nothing Artificial)
2/19/12 Week Fourteen (No More than Five Ingredients)  

For weeks 9-14 I do not plan on eliminating sugars completely beyond the weeks it is designated.  I am planning to cut out all artificial sweeteners from week 9 on.  With the exception of weeks 9 and 12 I do plan on baking at home as I think cutting out sugar completely forever is unnecessary, difficult, and a bit ridiculous.

Weeks 10, 11, and 13 are things I will try to incorporate cumulatively.   I am excited about this journey and hope a few more people will join us!