Did you eat a balanced diet growing up? Have you altered your diet as you age? Is organic better? Do you eat GMO and processed foods?

Lots of good and important questions, but maybe better off in the Discussions area?

I eat a fairly balanced diet, lower in meats than once it was; basically I can't even stand to handle raw meats anymore; partially an ethical choice, but mostly not. Diet is fairly balanced but I eat a lot less; need a lot less even though I am active. Certain things I am just no longer tolerant of, things, I unfortunately LOVE. Wine and potato chips come to mind. I just don't tolerate either anymore, so they are eliminated. I never DID tolerate any hard alcohol, so I could have some sort of almost familial allergy afoot there. My Dad told me that until him every male in the family died of alcoholism. Told me that when I asked about our longievity: "Kid, all the men drank themselves to death before me, so who knows".
I don't eat three meals a day anymore. I don't tolerate eating and bending down gardening--GERD is the result if I do. I don't drink milk or eat ice cream anymore. Still love chocolate, but practice moderation. I don't really THINK about it all that much anymore. Just eat what I want and when I want it.

Alva,

I am the same. I don’t always eat three meals a day.

I can’t eat if I am not hungry. Some of us do eat less as we age.

I remember my grandmother eating only a boiled egg for lunch when she got older.

I used to see a smart doctor who told me that it was formerly common for people to have lives of hard, physical labor and then die suddenly. And now we have more relaxed lives with less labor and drag out our dying for years due to better nutrition and far more medicines.
My habits have definitely changed over time. I eat less than I used to, feel awful when I overindulge and don’t like it, and try to be more wise in my choices. I don’t give a lot of credence to organic or other trends because I’ve seen too many reports of how those standards are not what people are led to believe is true. There are some good documentaries on how misled we are on labels like free range, no hormones, organic, etc. Growing up there were many times my parents were eating something I couldn’t stand (liver, ugh!) and after my required “try it” I made a beeline for the peanut butter. There is diabetes all over my extended family, so I’m checked regularly, exercise daily, and am on the lookout about it.
I’m also a fan of an old Nora Ephron quote that’s something like she didn’t want her last thought, right before she was run over by a bus, to be “I should have eaten the doughnut!” Life is short, and sometimes it’s okay to enjoy a treat

Daughter,

You bring up an important point about labels.

We really have to educate ourselves on how to read labels because marketing will mislead us.

I don’t buy anything if I can’t pronounce the ingredients in the product!

I actually don’t buy much that is packaged.

I try to shop the outer isles of the store most.

Fresh ingredients are best.

I agree that moderation is key.

I don’t eat liver either! Yuck 🤮!

As far as diabetes goes? Do you avoid most sugar? Eat agave, honey, maple syrup?

I don’t consume a lot of sugar. I never drink sodas. I don’t add sweeteners to my coffee or tea. I don’t add sugar to cereals.

I do like a bit of honey on a bagel now and then. I put a bit of maple syrup and almond butter in my oatmeal.

Hmmm, interesting topic.

First I have to get this pet peeve off my chest - the term 'GMO" or "genetically modified". It has become a catch-phrase and the insinuation is that it is evil. Well, my grandparents were farmers, and I was "genetically modifying" plants in their gardens when I was a little girl - but it was called "cross-pollination". It's how you can account for that wonderful yellow and white corn you get in the market, among other things. We would take the stamen from healthier plants and dust the pistils of another plant with the pollen to make the plants stronger, healthier and more bountiful. That's modifying the genetics. It's not necessarily something cooked up in some mad scientist's lab...it's how you can grow crops in areas that were never able to sustain those crops in the past.

So, rant over.

I think that, while food might have been "purer" in the past, the ability to keep it fresh for much longer is better today than in the past. I use pomegranates as an example. I love them. When I was a kid, you could only get them in the market for about 3 weeks around Halloween; now I have them in my grocery store from November-ish until late February/early March. So that's an improvement. You can get a lot of fresh produce year round that we just couldn't get as kids, because transporting and refrigeration has so improved.

I think the biggest obstacle facing us - and by us I mean the general population - is more the sedentary life that people lead now, rather than their diet. It wasn't all that long ago that we were a farming country. But family farms are becoming less and less, a lot of work that used to be done manually - both farming industries and others - is being done mechanically, and we are becoming more sedentary.

I remember my grandmother preparing the large meal of the day for the afternoon (usually during the hottest part of the day, when you would be less inclined to be outside working) and doing a lighter meal at suppertime.

Another issue is the cost to "eat fresher". Much much cheaper to buy canned/frozen than fresh. So the ability to eat healthier is definitely tied to your economic status. When I used to volunteer at our local food pantry, getting fresh meat/produce was much more difficult and more expensive than canned.

Your rant about GMO products made me chuckle notgoodenough, I not a farmer but my parents were and I share your thoughts about the hysteria around genetically modified foods. I do have some concerns but they are more about patents and oversight of giant corporate agribusiness than about consuming gmo products.

Genes vs lifestyle. Diet, exercise, smoking, alcohol, sleep, temperament and many other factors can affect healthy aging. So can genes. Can our genes predetermine our longevity despite our lifestyle? Some professionals say that certain positive lifestyle factors can override our gene's effect. At 78 I've outlived both my paternal grandfather and father. My mother, however, lived to 93 and my paternal grandmother lived to 103. I never knew my maternal grandparents. I have never changed my diet throughout my life and still eat what I want (which is about anything, even liver and onions that Daughterof1930 despises). I take no meds or supplements and have a healthy BMI. My doctor says not to change anything, so I won't. But does all that assure me of a long life? I doubt it. I don't wish to live to any particular age, I'd rather die healthy!! My g'daughter asked me how long I want to live and I replied that 79 would be nice. How can one prove that a healthy diet has extended their life?

I do think that in certain under served areas of this country, poor access to med care, fresh fruits and veggies, etc., does have an affect on longevity.

I don't need and seldom have 3 meals a day. I recently read an article about a 109 y/o gentlemen who attributes his longevity to as many as 9 cigars a day and a little whiskey. Certainly his lifestyle didn't contribute to his 109 yrs.

I think vitamin D is a good choice for people throughout the winter because of the lack of sun, especially in northern climates.

So I'll just soldier on taking one day at a time. "Que Sera, Sera”

In keeping with the "I grew up on a farm theme" the bulk of what we ate what we produced or sourced locally. Garden produce was canned, pickled and frozen. Mom raised chickens and ducks and we ate beef raised by my father. We didn't raise hogs so pork was a luxury that had to be bought. We picked fruit like cherries, plums and peaches from local orchards. A typical meal was meat, plain boiled potatoes (usually there was gravy, if not butter), some kind of salad (most often cabbage slaw in the winter), and two cooked veggies. Dessert would usually be canned peaches, cherries, plums or applesauce, but there were plenty of pies and cakes too.

Thanks, Cwillie! If you think that's funny, you should see me getting my sister-in-law, the science teacher, growling with the term "organic"..."anything with carbon is organic! It's right in the definition!"

I also growl at my family when they refer to the growing medium as "dirt" - I was taught "dirt is what you get under your fingernails. You grow stuff in soil."

I still mutter "soil" when people use the term "dirt"...

I eat a balanced diet. Both of my parents did as well. My husband and I eat no added salt. We live in an area where garden produce is readily available and we plant a large garden. We butcher our own beef, pork, and chickens; have our own eggs. We buy seafood from a vendor from coastal NC weekly. I purchase cream and butter fresh from a local dairy farm. We don’t regularly eat fast food. At least two meals a week are meatless.

We walk 2 miles everyday - sometimes more - outside any weather. Daily fresh air is the best.

We do not smoke. A glass of wine if we’re out somewhere special, but never beer or hard liquor.

Bridger,

I am impressed! Sounds great!

I loved gardening with my grandfather. Wonderful memories and fantastic produce. He also had, chickens, ducks and turkeys in his yard. I helped collect eggs from the hen house.

Totally agree about salt. I actually hate the taste of overly salted food.

I love spices.
Lemon also adds flavor without added sodium.

cwille,

I have always wanted to try canning. Is it easy to do?

Gacy,

Haha, have you always eaten liver? Some people love it! I can’t wrap my head around eating liver.

Daddy ate it and I always had to have everything that daddy had.

So, I asked for some. I thought it was steak. She tricked me into trying it. LOL, Mom didn’t tell me it was liver!

NGI,

I agree that cost prohibits everyone from eating fresh. It’s sad.

This is why we need to have more community gardens so everyone can enjoy.

Kids could help too. I loved helping my grandpa in the garden. Gardening teaches valuable lessons to kids.

Mom was leery of canning anything that wasn't acidic because legend has it when she was young a local family died from botulism poisoning. Fruit was canned. Green and yellow beans were canned with added vinegar for bean salads (a german thing), and beets and of course cucumbers were pickled. Mom made relish, chili sauce and jams too. All the other veggies were frozen - before we had our own deep freezer there was a community locker. Potatoes, onions, carrots and beets were packed away in the basement.
Our canning methods undoubtedly wouldn't meet modern standards. It's simple really, fruits were packed into jars and covered with syrup, then processed in a canner for the length of time needed depending on the fruits and size of jar (I still do peaches this way). We had a lot of older "crown" brand sealers that had a glass lid and needed a rubber ring, as well as newer jars with snap lids - with them you are more certain you have a good seal. One entire wall of our "fruit cellar" was shelves filled with jars. They were mostly all still there when we sold the farm, I figured the next owner might want them😉

cwille,

Your mom was quite resourceful! Lots of good food canned.

I love the variety and the fact that we can share products that we can with others.

Do you think people can much less than years ago?

Grandma and grandpa had a fig tree in their yard so grandma made fig preserves. They were delicious!

My mom did not do any canning. I am sure that my dad’s mom must have. They were a farm family. They died before I was born.

My husband’s grandparents grew up in farm families so they must have canned as well.

How long is the shelf life of most products?

NHWM - I love to garden, I've been gardening since I'm a little girl. As I said, my grandparents had 2 huge gardens, and we had a backyard one in Queens where I grew up.

Unfortunately, until recently I had no real way to garden at my house. I have a large yard, but it's rather steeply sloped, and where I get enough sun - at the bottom - floods after heavy rains. The top of my yard is wooded and doesn't get enough sun - not to mention if I tried to garden in the back, I might as well ring the dinner bell for all the critters who live in the woods behind my house.

However, I do have a large deck that wraps around 2 sides of my house and gets sun in the summer for almost the entire day. About 4 years ago, I started container gardening - with the containers on my deck - and I haven't looked back. I even bought some cheapie fold-up tables to put the containers on, so I don't even have to bend over to do any work!

I have grown spinach, lettuce, cucs, zucchini, yellow squash, green beans, tomatoes and potatoes with great success. Peppers, carrots, radishes and beets haven't done as well. Eggplant does really well - until the chipmunks come along and snatch them right off the vine and scamper off with them!

The only real difference is you have to be vigilant about watering, because the containers will dry out sooner than the ground will. Other than that, I have really come to love my container garden!

NGI,

Wow! You have grown a lot of good veggies.

Chipmunks? They are so cute! The last time I saw those were in Colorado many years ago.

Yeah, the animals will invade a garden.

I loved reading Peter Rabbit as a child. It’s a charming story for children to read about gardening. I was intrigued by Mr. McGregor’s garden!

You asked about shelf life and I stated laughing.
We tried to finish up one year's batch before it was time to make more but there were always some things that might be eaten in the second year, anything older than that would get pushed to the back of the shelf until somebody got around to dumping it out. The laughter comes from a story about my bachelor uncle. Uncle J lived in the home he grew up in and never bothered to clean out ANYTHING. A year or so before he died he mentioned to my mom that he had opened jars of something or another in the cellar that his mother had canned and "they were da**ed good too". I'd never recommend eating 40 year old food but it didn't seem to harm him any 🤣🤣

I now cook many meals that use less meat, like stir fry. I don’t eat between meals. I dish the food in a central dish – you take what you want onto your plate, and eat the lot. It avoids food waste, because the remainder is clean to reheat. God bless Pyrex casserole bowls! I don’t get a lot of exercise now, but I’ve never dieted or been overweight – I always use the calories that I do eat.

Yes, diet can change dramatically – like the huge shift away from breast milk for babies in the 1930s, when ‘you knew what they are getting’ with formula that listed the newly discovered magic vitamins. There’s less food fraud adulteration now, but more sugar, fat and flour. I don’t tolerate chili, so I am very good at reading ingredients lists in super-tiny print. We all do what we can!

Need, Call your Cooperative Extension Agency, They have good publications on canning. Or buy the Ball canning book. I can and freeze many things. At this time of year I’m using many canned goods.

Margaret,

I love stir fry dishes. Always yummy!

That’s a great point about breast feeding. Nutrition starts right from the beginning of life.

Allergies are inherited and my pediatrician told me to consider breast feeding to help fight allergies from occurring in my baby.

cwille,

Oh my gosh! That food could have gone into a museum!!!

Thanks Bridger. Will check that out.

I was thinking of using my instant pot that I got recently.

Maybe I will do what Elaine and NGI did. They look up Instant Pot recipes on YouTube. I looked at food blogs but I am going to view some videos too.

They most likely have a few canning videos.

Definitely NO on the liver. My mother used to make us eat it and I found it disgusting - and that was before I knew what a "liver" actually is. I can still taste it and feel the texture if I think about it. Since being out of the house, I have never purchased, nor eaten, nor prepared liver. When my parents told me "You can eat whatever you want when you're an adult" I took it literally.

That said, I do believe that you are what you eat to some extent. I might not make every meal perfectly balanced, but I'd say that it's balanced over the course of a day. Lots of protein at lunch? Well then maybe I'll have a much lighter dinner. That type of thing.

I have never done any canning. I remember having to throw out many glass jars that my grandmother had canned because she was gone and we didn't know how old the canned items were. (Actually, I think we just threw the food out and then boiled the jars and gave them to someone who could use them.) I could only imagine the amount of work that went into canning all that stuff. More recently, a former coworker used to do canning every year and I could only get out of her that canning was a long, hot day with her elderly mom!

I have also stopped viewing corn as a vegetable and started looking at it like a starch. I am somewhat more mindful of starches in general as well as foods that we used to call "empty calories." I can't burn it off as fast.

I serve dessert much less often than I used to do.

I try to end each meal while I'm still a little hungry. I try to go to bed slightly hungry as well and that seems to help me not feel so stuffed.

I used to garden as a child while living with my parents - who had a large yard. My current home has almost no yard and what I do have is shaded by a large tree and large trees at my neighbor's houses. Not to mention the deer and other critters who get hungry during the night. I wonder if the container gardening someone else mentioned might work for me. I'd like to grow some chives or basil or something like that. I remember the story of Peter Rabbit as well - I loved it.

One thing I didn't see mentioned is blanching vegetables. I did this for the first time during the summer of 2020. My neighbor (with a similar yard to mine) somehow had great success with zucchini and gave me so much I didn't know what to do with it. Blanched it and froze it. The only other time I'd even heard of the process was when one of my high school teachers (who liked to talk off topic, bless her heart) mentioned it because she was sure none of us had heard of it. She was great with telling us interesting things in addition to her assigned curriculum.

We don't go out to dinner often, but we use portion control when we do. Restaurant meals are huge nowadays, but it's presented as being a normal meal!

I raised my kids not to view certain foods as "bad" but rather certain foods should be enjoyed in moderation. Every once in a while I still buy a box of Lucky Charms cereal (something I was not permitted as a child). With portion control, it probably takes me a week of breakfasts to finish the box. It's good for the soul sometimes to just enjoy something.

I grew up eating liver, but unfortunately in the last few months it now upsets my bowel if I have too much of it, including liver pate (which I’ve cooked for years). I still eat kidneys, deviled (but without chili!). I’ve tried slices of sheep testicles when we slaughter sheep (known in the USA as Prairie Oysters). OK, but not that great to repeat. Better for dog food! The fact is, it depends on how hungry you are...

Liver smells good, looks good, but when I put it in my mouth 🤢🤮.... I can detect even tiny amounts supposedly hidden in things like sausages too, and it's why I never trusted head cheese. So no to liver, and basically any organ meat except heart, which doesn't taste like organ meat. Mom used to like tongue too, but I could never bring myself to try it.

Willie,

Yep, it smells good but when I tried it as a child I nearly threw up! The taste and texture were awful. My daddy loved it. Yuck!

Margaret,

You are way more brave and adventurous than I could ever be! LOL

MS,

I love all of your posts! I agree with not overeating. Not worth it.

I have blanched veggies for certain recipes but usually don’t take the time to do it regularly.