So tell me...What DO you eat?

The other day, when we were at a social event (I had eaten beforehand), someone noticed I wasn't eating the fried chicken finger, wings, pizza covered in cheese and meat, iceberg salad with pink tomatoes and cheese, and cookies made with sugar, butter, white flour and eggs. She asked me if she could make me a plate, and I politely declined which led into a discussion of my food choices. "So tell me...What do you eat?" was her question. I wanted to reply, "Well, sit down. How much time do you have?" It's a tough question, one that isn't easy to come a with a succinct comprehensible response. It's a little easier to explain what I don't eat than what I do eat.

Dairy - never
Fast Foods - not if I can help it
Processed Foods - not usually
Meat and Eggs - Very seldom and with certain criteria

Whenever I say the word vegan, I know many equate this to mean "hippie." Although I do some similar things to all out 'vegans,' I believe that God put animals here for our use, and that we should treat them kindly and well and use them when we need to and with prudence and thanksgiving. This is the health code I am trying to live by according to how I feel the Lord is leading me to understand it for my own life and circumstance: The Word of Wisdom 

I like to call myself a "NUTRITARIAN." I try to eat food for it's nutritional content instead of  "just because it tastes good." I eat a lot of the things most people I know eat, I just try to make them from scratch using different ingredients like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds. I make pizza, burgers, soups, chili and a whole lot of salads. I eat cereal, fruit/veggie juice. I snack on energy bites and air popped popcorn. Very occasionally, maybe twice a month I'll eat a free range, organic, well fed, well treated piece of meat or an egg of similar background that we can find at our local farmers market. I drink smoothies and shakes. Sometimes, when the situation makes it necessary, I will deviate from my normal diet, but I try to get back into the swing of it as soon as I can.

Pic from http://cosmomomwithatwistoflyme.com/2012/04/13/wheatgrass-kale-spinach-and-celery-juice/

And then there are a couple things that I do that most people don't, and that many people might even think is a bit crazy. I sprout, plant and grow wheatgrass and then I juice it and drink it. It isn't easy, but yes I drink it. (and Seth and John drink it too! :)  "Wheatgrass juice is an effective healer because it contains chlorophyll, all minerals known to man, and vitamins A, B-complex, C, E, and K. Wheatgrass is extremely rich in protein, and contains 17 amino acids, the building blocks of protein." http://www.annwigmore.org/living_foods.html

And if you'd like to know more about what I eat, just keep reading! :)