The SueGreggCookbook Stroy

The Sue Gregg Cookbook Story

Our idea of food was standard American. Scrambled eggs and bacon with white bread toast, a glass of orange juice, boxed

cereal choice of the morning for dad and the kids. A cup of coffee for mom. For dinner, real man-stuffing, kid-pleasing meat and potatoes, out-of-the-can vegetables, jello on top of crisp iceberg lettuce for salad, and ice cream. Our oldest son suffered from severe headaches. Colds and the flu ran their regular courses through the family. The toddler’s sniffles continued even after a ten day regime of antibiotics. Dad’s craving for chocolate and cola drinks induced an alarming weight gain. Job pressures brought irritability and depression that strained family relationships.

We began to research articles and books to find answers. What about sugar? A nutrient depleted thief. White flour? Lost its fiber. Processed foods? Overcooked with cosmetic colorings and flavors added. We read everything about nutrition we could find. At times contradictions confused us. Nutritionists seldom seemed to agree. Eventually we distinguished the controversial peripherals from the basics. For us it meant switching from high fat-low fiber foods to whole foods with quality fats and fiber. It meant decreasing refined products and increasing fresh whole foods. How could we introduce these changes to our family?

OUR EXPERIMENT BEGINS
    We began to read labels. Our eldest daughter scoured the cupboards for questionable packaged foods with refined flour and sugar and long lists of unpronounceable chemicals. She put the culprit packages in a corner cupboard and tied a string around the handles. We put ourselves to the test. If we could survive two weeks without them, perhaps we could do so for life. We did, and we still do.

    We don’t recommend the "cold turkey" approach now. The shock can defeat all good intentions! Empty cupboards are not exciting resources for dietary improvement.

    The fear of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other degenerative diseases isn’t a very positive motivator either. Neither are nutritionists who threaten with negatives: no salt, no eggs, no cheese, no dairy products, no cholesterol, no, no, no! What is there left to eat?

DISCOVERING THE DESIGN
    The Bible does address the subject of food. In Genesis the personal, transcendent, communicating Creator breathed life into the human body. He provided food as the first gift to the first couple. As the Original Nutritionist He structured proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, fiber, RNA, DNA, and the still undiscovered nutrients essential to life.

The problem with food became clearer. Perhaps we’ve deceived ourselves. We’ve devised a lot of products that look, taste and fill like real foods. We’ve developed "fake sugars," saccharin, cyclamates, and aspartame. Even "fake fat" is appearing on the market. Our bodies, however, have been designed for real God-given food.

RECIPES--THE KEY
Managing the earth’s resources (taking "dominion" Genesis says) is our responsibility. This command suggested a plan for change. We needed a design for incorporating whole food alternatives into our menus. Since God also created taste buds to enjoy what He created, we shouldn't have to endure dishes that taste like paper plates.

For our family the key to better eating was developing new recipes. For example, we took a favorite family muffin recipe and changed the white flour to whole grains, the sugar to honey, and omitted the hydrogenated fat altogether. Those conversions reduced the calories, the fat, and sugar, lowered the sodium and the cost, and increased the vitamins and minerals by 65% and the fiber by 150%!

As we tested new recipes, we gave each member of the family opportunity to express a response to its taste and appeal. Is it a "please let us have this one once a week winner" or does it need some improvements, perhaps in texture or spicing? A real loser? Don’t blame the cook.

Children have a natural curiosity about food preparation. Our son’s interest, captured by a grain mill and bread maker we had purchased, developed into a love for baking. Our oldest daughter’s interest in other cultures and languages introduced us to Japanese cookery and to international students as guests in our home. Our youngest daughter’s desire for neatness and order developed into management skills in menu planning and shopping. Dad even fixes a family favorite, Whole Grain Waffles, from scratch.

OUR FAMILY BENEFITS
It took time to develop new recipes and adjust to new menu patterns. Changes in how we felt, some subtle, others dramatic, encouraged us. Our oldest son found that it was sugar that induced his headaches. Some people do discover that certain foods trigger bothersome allergic reactions.

Trips to the doctor for the sniffles ceased. We sometimes get a touch of the current "bug." No longer does it run a devastating course through the entire family. Could it be that our immune systems were becoming better fortified?

Recognizing the difference between high density and low density carbohydrates was a plus. But branding all carbohydrates as negative and shifting to high protein didn't solve all the diet problems.

Throughout all the changes our focus has been on quality ingredients in recipes and balance in menus. One diet size does not fit all, but our recipes continue to be adaptable to a wide range of dietary needs and preferences.
Rich & Sue Gregg

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