I’m Not Starting a Food Cult, I Swear
Quick heads-up: I occasionally use affiliate links in my blog posts to share actual stuff I’ve tried, liked, and bought with my own money (or gift cards, let’s be real). If you click through and buy something, I might earn a small commission. No pressure or extra cost to you. Just full transparency.
I didn’t throw out all the cereal or have a dramatic pantry cleanse.
I didn’t shame my husband for marinating meat in canola oil.
And yes, the kids still drink a soda a day.
But over the past few months, I’ve been quietly swapping out a few things in our kitchen, and so far, no one’s complaining. In fact, they’re all asking for more air-popped popcorn.
Disclaimer: This isn’t a food blog or a lifestyle transformation.
This is just me trying to eat food that doesn’t make me feel like garbage and maybe is a little closer to its natural origin. Just better stuff, fewer chemicals, and zero cult vibes.
It All Started With Water
Okay, well technically it started with diet soda. I was drinking way too much of it and barely any water. It wasn’t just bad for me, it was freaking expensive. So I made one small challenge to myself: cut down to one a day and started drinking water with berries, cucumber, mint... whatever felt most spa-like in the fridge.
Eventually, I didn’t need the flair (and I got really tired of getting cucumber seeds in my teeth despite the so-called “fine mesh strainer”).
I just wanted actual water.
Then, a day came when I decided to see how many hours I could go without it before I wanted one. (again, gamifying works for me).
That hour never came.
One small change. That’s all it took to flip the switch.
Not “Eating Clean,” Just Paying Attention
Next I started focusing on ingredients. I wasn’t on a diet or “going clean.”
God I hate that term. “Clean eating” has morphed into this toxic wellness hierarchy that implies anything else is dirty or, worse, shameful.
Like if you’re not grinding your own almond flour or foraging organic moss, you’re failing your body.
No thanks.
I just wanted to see what would happen if I ate food with fewer ingredients and chemicals in it. That’s it. Nothing extreme. I’m not trying to be an almond mom over here.
So, I made changes that felt right for me. That’s all.
The Snack That Changed Everything (Kind Of)
I loooove popcorn. My husband and I used to stock up on microwave bags like bread and milk during a Kentucky snowstorm (if you know, you know).
One day, I started wondering if I could replace it with something less…lined-in-chemicals. I remembered how excited I used to get as a kid when my mom busted out the air popper. I’d pour in the kernels and watch them spin around the little tube until they exploded... It was magic.
Yes, I was very easily entertained as a child.
So, in a fit of nostalgia and curiosity, I bought an air popper that makes movie night feel like an event. It stirs itself, looks like a spaceship, and somehow makes popcorn taste better than the bagged stuff. Here’s the one I use. (Affiliate link, zero pressure.)
And I watch the process intensely because, as it turns out, I am still very easily entertained.
My husband, who good-naturedly shook his head at my “extra-ness,” now specifically requests it on movie night. I pop it in coconut oil, drown it in real butter, and finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt—the kind that makes you feel like you actually know what you’re doing.
The house smells amazing, the vibe is peak cozy, and honestly? It’s just really good popcorn.
Butter Over BS: The French (and My Gut) Know Best
This one’s been a slow burn. My husband still thought vegetable oil was “heart-healthy.” To be fair, so did most of us, thanks to 1990s marketing.
But he was up for the experiment. So, I started replacing things as we ran out. Nothing forced. Nothing wasted.
Now, we’ve got Chosen Foods Avocado Oil, beef tallow, and coconut oil in our rotation. I’m even considering making homemade mayo.
Maybe.
We also don’t shy away from real butter, cholesterol be damned. My husband trained in classical French cooking, and if there’s one thing I appreciate most from that kitchen style, it’s that fat isn’t the enemy. Flavor matters.
Watching how the French eat – real food, slow meals, no fear of butter – completely changed how I think about “healthy”. They don’t obsess over restrictions. They just eat like grownups who respect their food and their bodies. I’m trying to do the same.
If that’s clean eating, cool. But honestly, I just think of it as eating like a person again.
Balance, Not a Breakdown
There is Cinnamon Toast Crunch in our pantry.
There are sodas in the fridge.
And guess what? I still eat some crap too. I love Peeps, and with Easter around the corner, I’m gonna put a hurtin’ on a few boxes, and I refuse to feel guilty about it.
Because the second I turn this into a wellness regime, I lose all credibility.
This isn’t about chasing perfection. It’s about feeling better without feeling deprived.
I’m not here to preach health, but if you’re even a little curious about making a few low-effort swaps that don’t taste like misery, I’m all in for those conversations.
It took me years to realize this doesn’t have to be all or nothing.
Real food and real fun can coexist.
It’s called balance. And around here, it actually works.
I’m not about to start churning my own butter, but maybe I’ll ditch bottled salad dressings or make my own sauces when I have the time (read: rare).
Or maybe I just keep doing what I’ve been doing, one discreet swap at a time.
You don’t have to overhaul your kitchen or start milking your own almonds. Start small. See how it feels.
Accidental Environmentalist
I didn’t start this for sustainability. I just wanted to stop feeling awful.
But hey, less processed packaging, fewer industrial seed oils, and more whole food apparently also help the planet.
I’m not saving the Earth, but I’ve downgraded my environmental sins from felonies to misdemeanors. (ba dum tish)
This isn’t a revolution.
It’s not a lifestyle brand.
It’s not a sermon or a detox plan.
It’s just a better way to eat, one discreet swap at a time.
What’s one thing you’ve swapped in your kitchen that didn’t cause a mutiny?
Coming Thursday: The Weight I Still Carry.
Because losing it doesn’t mean you’re done carrying it.