Thursday, February 7, 2013

Why do the Six Ingredient Challenge?

Six Ingredient Challenge buttonWith the Six Ingredient Challenge hosted by Hobo Mama and Anktangle, we're on a six-week path to eat more whole foods, guided by one simple rule: Buy foods with six ingredients or fewer. And we're blogging about our journey on the way.

This week's writing prompt question: Why do you want to participate in the Six Ingredient Challenge?

You can see all the responses to this question today at this link-up post at Hobo Mama and Anktangle. If you're a blogger who's published a response, please post the URL in the linky below so we can visit to read. If you don't have a blog or haven't published a response, feel free to provide your answer in the comments on this post on either Hobo Mama or Anktangle.

Next week's writing prompt is at the end of this post along with posting instructions.

To join in the Six Ingredient Challenge anytime during the six weeks, visit the sign-up page for a list of posts and to link up!



My answer:


Sam and I really wanted to eat more whole foods — but it was sometimes a challenge for us to determine exactly what counted as "whole foods" — especially when we didn't always want to cook from scratch.

We'd seen various "real foods" and whole foods challenges that suggested limiting foods to five ingredients or fewer, but when we looked at a selection of the items we loved and that seemed wholesome (enough) to us, they had more. (Ha ha!) So we worked backwards until we found a level, along with the rules we also gradually came up with, that allowed us to eat the variety of foods we were used to and limited the amount of non-processed foods we would need to replace. Six it was!

I liked the idea of eating foods that are closer to what humans have been eating for millennia, and transitioning my children to eating more healthfully as well. The fewer the ingredients, generally the less processed and more natural the food. But I didn't want the limitations to be excruciating, or we would either not stick with it or be miserable (or both). It was nice to find a happy medium where what we wanted to buy or make had six ingredients, or we were challenged to find or make suitable substitutes. Six ingredients cuts out most processed and a lot of packaged foods, but it still allows for some condiments and treats, as well as homemade versions of what would otherwise be processed foods.



We hope you'll join us by blogging or journaling about the writing prompt each week. We'll introduce the new prompt each Thursday and host a link-up for the answers the following week.

Start formulating your answers to Writing Prompt #2:

How is the Six Ingredient Challenge going for you so far?

Writing prompt #2 guidelines:

  • You have till next week to think of a response to the prompt. Post your response on your blog anytime by next week.
  • Next week's post (2/14) will have a writing prompt linky where you can link up your response.
  • If you don't have a blog, you can leave your response in the comments on next week's post (2/14).
  • Copy and paste the header below into your post to tag it as part of the challenge.
  • Responding to the writing prompts is optional and just a fun extra way to play along! We encourage you to at least think out a response.

Header code for writing prompt #2:

Simply copy the code in the box and paste it into the html box of your blogging software to appear at the top of your response post.


Link up for Writing Prompt #1!

Last week we asked you:
Why have you decided to participate in the Six Ingredient Challenge?

Link up your published answers below, or tell us your response in the comments!





This linky list is now closed.

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