Saturday, April 1, 2017

Foodie Resolutions - 1st Quarter Check In

Back in January I posted here about the changes I wanted to make in my diet, the way I buy groceries, and the way I want to cook.  Since the first quarter of 2017 is now behind us I thought I'd check in with my progress and talk about where I want to go from here.

1.  Reevaluate how I shop - pick quality over quantity.  
Progress - So far so good.  I've switched to buying about 90% of my groceries at a local store that specializes in organic and as locally sourced as possible groceries.  I've been surprised that my grocery bill hasn't really gone up that much.  It's a little higher but not a huge amount and the ingredients I'm buying look so much better and frequently taste so much better.

2.  Know my limitations - know what I will and won't make from scratch 
Progress - I'm definitely buying less pre-made stuff though I do need to find a good brownie recipe that tastes as good as the Ghiradelli mix.  The one thing I want to do more of is bread baking.  I really enjoy it but I haven't been great about making it happen.  While I definitely know my limitations I do want to push them a little bit more than I'm doing.

3.  Learn more about what I'm buying - Figure out what's really better and what's really worth buying
Progress - Eh not sure here.  I have switched to buying mostly organic and dairy products from local farms or at the very least companies that swear their cows are on small farms and are grass fed and given dancing lessons every Tuesday or whatever.  This is hard to do because it seems like everyone has a different opinion and everyone is convinced their opinion is 100% right.  Then you get into the sources that don't think you should eat animal products at all or should only buy from local farms and not use grocery stores at all and after awhile my head is spinning.

4.  Plan out what I'm having for lunch and snacks - Actually put some thought into what I'm eating instead of just grabbing what's available - 
Progress - Hahahaha!  I've done nothing on this one except develop an addiction to White Cheddar Pirate's Booty.  Definitely need to work on this one!

5.  Take some online cooking classes - Learn how to do things right not just what works 
Progress - So I haven't actually done this but I've found a few places I want to try and I've got another experiment going that's in the spirit of this that I'm looking forward to figuring out.

Going forward - For the most part I feel like I'm doing what I set out to do.  I do want to work more on eating seasonally and I'm planning on switching to buying most of my produce at the local farmer's markets when they open in a few weeks as well as hopefully getting some veggies out of my own garden.  The main thing I'd like to change is to work harder on putting some thought into my own meals and snacks. Need to work on using my "Snacks for Me" Pinterest board!

Did you make foodie resolutions this year?  How are you doing with sticking to them?

I'm linking up with Weekend Cooking hosted by Beth Fish Reads


  1. You have made good progress on these!! Food is so expensive. We try to eat organic and local when possible but can be a lot. Hope you make more progress on these!

  2. You are doing well with your resolutions! We decided to try incorporating more meatless meals and it's worked well. We have both lost weight and feel better. Walking more too.

  3. You seem so organized!

    best... mae at

  4. You have made some great changes so far. Every small change helps I think--along with the bigger ones that you have made. My biggest food goal this year is to try to eliminate or drastically reduce my food waste--which involves being more planful with my food and ingredients. So far I am doing better and find I am wasting less than before, but I still have a ways to go.

    Love the image of the cows dancing on Tuesdays! Hah! ;-)

  5. Good resolutions, and you seem to be making real progress on them! I'd like some specialty cooking classes too, but none are available here. So, Youtube!

  6. I am trying to eat better as well. I'm not much of a cook, but I'm working on it so I will eat more home cooked meals and less processed foods. Good luck with your goals.

  7. You made some great progress so far. It really takes time to adjust to eating and cooking changes. Hey, that Pirates Booty stuff is good so I understand you addiction :)

  8. Yay for some progress. Organic here looks horrible and is WAY more expensive. Every once in a while something will look good but mostly it's not worth it. Local from our area is insanely pricey on top of the organic expense. It's crazy.

    Meal planning can be so hard! That was one of my goals this year. It's getting a spot easier on this front. What I found was a note pad on Amazon that's called something like Eat This. And it has a break down of evening, breakfast and lunch plus a snack area. So you just fill it in then go. It helped me a TON. With using left overs as well and turning them into lunches with just a few changes.

  9. I've just made a late resolution to chew my food more. Apparently important for digestion - and not drink water while eating. Cheers

  10. I think you're doing great ... small steps add up to big ones. I have dinners nailed so this year was to work on better lunches. I've had mixed results. Some weeks I do great (make a big salad or soup ahead for the week, that kind of thing) and other weeks it's all good intentions and I end up eating cheese and crackers or just snacking. Sigh.

  11. Excellent resolutions. I've been eating more mindfully this year (have lost 20 lbs too!).

  12. Good goals. It really helps to plan out the menu for 1-2 weeks.