What We Do Eat - Michi's ladder!

My goal is to feed my family as much healthy and nutrient filled food as possible.  

That being said, I will confess that there are times that I don't or can't.  Those times would be: when my children are in others homes or care, when the food budget does not allow and some times when it's just not the battle I want to engage in with my family.  I do not want my need to watch my foods becoming a stumbling block to my children.  In time, they will have to make their own choices.  But for now, I can model, teach and love them...even if someone just offered them a mocha frappicino and they drank the whole thing!  There has to be grace in this process...  (OK off the soapbox!) 

Oh wait... I have to post this: 

I know, I know... I used to love them...

Carmel Frapp with whip

500 Calories

16 Fat

10 Saturated

80 Carbs

68 Sugars

NOW, tell me how this is good to eat every day?

Sooo:  below is a list of the "best" foods we can choose!  I copied this original list here from Team Beachbody.  My goal is not to "lose weight" but to eat healthy nutrient filled foods.  I will leave the list complete so that you can choose for yourself what you will decide to eat and feed your family.  Personally, I have one for myself with my diet modifications, and I have one for the family as they can eat tomatoes and whole grains etc. etc. 

Don't be overwhelmed.  
The concept of the "Ladder" is that we need to be eating from the top "Tiers" as much as possible.  The higher on the ladder...the better the food is for our body.  For example: we do occasionally eat lean hamburger listed on Tier 3.  However, we recognize that it is not the best choice and try to substitute chicken or a protein found in Tier 1 or 2 if possible.  This "ladder" also helps me see the truth of how healthy Brad's baked chips or my refried beans really are. :)   

Climb Michi's Ladder

Apples, with skin  C Artichokes (no sauce) PC Amaranth PC Arugula C Asparagus C Barley C Beans PCF Beets C Blueberries C Bok choy C Boysenberries C Bran C Broccoli PC Broccoli sprouts PC Brussels sprouts PC Cabbage C Carrots C Cauliflower C Celery C Chard PC Chickpeas PC Cherries C Citrus fruits C Collard greens PC Cottage cheese (nonfat) P Cucumbers C Egg whites P Endive C Fish (broiled, steamed, grilled) PF Flaxseed F Garlic (fresh) C Grapefruit C Grapes C Hempseed F Herbs Kale PFC Ketchup (homemade, no sugar) C Kiwifruit C Lentils PFC Lettuce (romaine, green or red leaf) C Melon honeydew C Milk (nonfat) PC Mushrooms C Mustard C Natto PFC Nectarines C Onions C Papayas C Peaches C Pears C Peas PC Peppers C Pineapple C Plums C Prunes C Quinoa PC Radishes C Raspberries C Refried beans (nonfat) PC Rice (whole-grain) C Salsa (natural, no sugar or oil) C Spelt PC Shakeology CP Spinach PC Squash C Strawberries C String beans PC Sweet potatoes C Tea (green or black, no sugar) Tomato sauce (no sugar) C Tomatoes C Vinegar Water Yams C Yogurt (nonfat, no sugar) PC Zucchini C Back to Top Apples, skinless C Applesauce (raw) C Avocados F Bagels (whole-grain) C Bananas C Bread (whole-grain) FC Broths (veggie, chicken, etc., low sodium) FC Buffalo, super lean (under 10% fat) PF Cereal (whole-grain) PFC Cheese (nonfat) P Coffee (black or cappuccino w/ nonfat milk) C Coconut F Corn FC Couscous PFC Cottage cheese (low-fat) PF Cream cheese (nonfat) P Dates C Eggs, whole PF Eggplant C Feta cheese (low-fat) PF Fowl (skinless, white meat only) PF Figs C Granola (raw, no sugar) PFC Hummus PFC Juice (fresh-squeezed w/ pulp, no sugar) C Mangoes C Meat, wild game PF Milk (1%) PFC Muesli (raw, no sugar) PFC Nuts (raw) PF Nut butters (raw, no additives) PF Oatmeal PC Olive oil F Olives F Pork tenderloin PF Plantains C Raisins C Ricotta cheese (nonfat) P Rye Crisp C Seitan PFC Squid PF Stevia Sunflower seeds PF Tahini PF Tempeh PFC Tofu PFC Vegetable juice C Veggie burger PFC Yacon syrup C Yogurt (low-fat, no sugar) PFC Back to Top Applesauce (big brand) C Agave nectar C Almond milk PFC Beef, ground, super lean (under 10% fat) PF Beef (lean cuts) PF Broths (veggie, chicken, etc.) C Butter (unsalted) F Canola oil F Cheese (hard) Cheese (low-fat) PF Chicken taco (baked) PFC Chili (no lard or sugar added) PF Crackers (whole-grain) FC Cream cheese (low-fat) PF Fowl (skinless, dark meat only) PF Fowl, ground, super lean (under 10% fat) PF French fries (baked) FC Fruit (dried) C Granola (no sugar added) C Honey C Jam or marmalade (no sugar added) C Ketchup (store bought, no sugar added) C Lamb (lean) PF Lettuce (iceberg) C Maple syrup (natural, no sugar added) C Milk (2%) PFC Muesli (big brand) PC Molasses C Oatmeal (flavored) PC Pancakes (buckwheat) C Pasta (whole-grain) C Pickles C Popcorn (plain) FC Potatoes (baked or boiled) C Refried beans (low-fat) PFC Rice cakes C Rice milk C Rice (white) C Sauerkraut C Shellfish P Shrimp P Soy milk PFC Soy nuts PFC Sugar alcohols (Truvia, & anything ending in –tol) C Sushi PFC Tortillas (whole wheat) FC Veal PF Wine (red) C Wine (white) C Back to Top Artificial sweeteners (sucralose, aspartame, saccharine, etc.) Bagels (refined flour) C Beef, ground, lean (under 20% fat) PF Beer C Bread (refined flour) C Butter (salted) F Caesar salad (w/ chicken) PFC Canadian bacon PF Cheese, soft (including blue and goat) F Chips (low-fat, baked) C Cobb salad PFC Coffee (iced mocha latte w/ nonfat milk) PC Coffee (latte w/ whole milk) PFC Coffee cake FC Crackers FC Cream cheese F Fish (fried) PF Fowl (with skin) PF Fowl, ground, lean (under 20% fat) PF Graham crackers C Ham PF Hot dogs (turkey) PF Ice cream (sugar-free or fat-free) FC Jell-O C Jerky (turkey) P Juice (from concentrate) C Lamb chops PF Lasagna PFC Macaroni and cheese FC Mayonnaise F Meat loaf PF Milk (whole) PFC Muffins FC Nuts (salted or roasted) F Nut butters (processed) FC Pancakes FC Peanut butter (not raw) FC Pizza (thin crust veggie) PFC Popcorn (w/ salt and butter) FC Pork chop PF Potato salad or macaroni salad FC Pretzels C Pudding (w/ low-fat milk) FC Reuben sandwich PFC Sauce (steak, etc.) C Sherbet C Sloppy Joe (lean beef or turkey) PFC Soup (canned creamy) PFC Soy sauce Spaghetti (w/ meatballs) PFC Sub sandwich PFC Sweet-and-sour sauce FC Tortilla (refined flour or corn) FC Tuna salad or chicken salad PF Yogurt (frozen) C Back to Top Alcohol (hard liquor) Bacon PF Baked beans PFC Beef, ground, regular, (over 20% fat) PF Beef taco (fried) PFC "Breaded" foods FC Breakfast sandwich (fast-food) PFC Cake FC Candy PFC Cereal (sugared) PFC Chicken à la King PFC Chicken (buffalo wings, nuggets, tenders) PFC Chicken or fish sandwich, fried PFC Chips (potato or corn) FC Chocolate PFC Chicken fried steak PFC Cinnamon bun FC Coffee (mocha, macchiato, ice blended, frappé, triple caramel vanilla buzz bomb, etc.) FC Cookies (Oreo®, etc.) FC Creamed veggies FC Creamer (nondairy) FC Doughnuts FC Energy drinks C Fowl, ground, regular (over 20% fat) PF French fries FC Gravy PF Grilled cheese sandwich PFC Hamburger (fast-food) PFC High fructose corn syrup C Hot dogs PFC "Hydrogenated" foods F Ice cream FC Jerky (beef, pork, venison) PFC Juice (sugar added) C Lobster Newburg PFC Margarine F Milk (cream or half-and-half) PFC Nachos FC Onion rings FC Pastries FC Pies FC Pizza (delivered) PFC Potato skins (fried) FC Refried beans (w/ lard) PFC Salad dressing (creamy) FC Sausage PF Soft drinks, diet (read the studies) Soft drinks, sugared C Sports drinks & foods (unless you're playing sports) Syrup C Sugar (refined) C Tater tots FC Toaster pastries FC Vegetable oil (cheap big brand) F

My next post will be specifics of what we are currently eating, but I first wanted you to have the big picture of good food choices.