Last Updated on June 20, 2024 by Michelle
We all need encouragement when it’s hard to make real food. Making real food takes time. And effort. But there are a lot of short cuts and simple ways to make real food more convenient.
That’s why I devoted an entire season of my podcast to this very topic, actually. If you love a good podcast, go listen in to all of Season 4 of the Simple Doesn’t Mean Easy podcast.
Meanwhile, what’s the biggest lie they sell us about real food? That’s what this article is all about. It’s the lie that leads to a lot of frustration and dissatisfaction. It’s a lie that makes real food seem more difficult…
You can listen in to the related podcast episode here:
Or watch here:
Or just keep reading, for all the encouragement.
Encouragement when it’s hard to make real food
First, the best way to combat the “hard” parts of anything is to find the positive side, right?
Did ladies hate time spent in the kitchen 50 years ago?
Maybe they didn’t love it, but I’m pretty sure my grandmother didn’t gripe about it the way I do sometimes. She lived on a backroad, country farm during the Depression and I know she felt blessed that she could feed her family of 12, even if the food wasn’t always “easy” to prepare and she didn’t have all the ingredients handy.
Marketers have gotten great at convincing us over the last 70 years that convenience is the most important thing.
That that’s the thing… Convenience is not the most improtant thing.
But after hearing this for our entire lives from all the folks selling us convenience, we need to intentionally break free from this convenience-driven mindset.
Why have we been convinced that real food is too hard?
Marketers are selling us a product.
Hundreds of products.
And we’ve gotten pretty addicted to them. But we need to start breaking free from the products that promise to ease our efforts and save us some precious minutes if these same products are impacting our health and robbing our joy.
Who said the best life is an easy one?
Who said the best afternoon is a convenient one?
When it’s hard to make real food, what truths should we be focusing on?
High quality doesn’t usually come easy. But we can trust that there is abundant satisfaction on the other end of “hard.”
Abundant gratitude on the other end of “inconvenient.”
Just a better life in general on the other end of the road less traveled.
If you decide to try cooking homemade pasta and melting fresh cheese over top instead of pouring the mac and cheese out of a thin cardboard box that’s sat on the story shelf for a few years? You’ve just rebelled against the mainstream. You’ve just told the system you might not need them for this. You’ve taken the road less traveled.
And, as Robert Frost would say, you will be all the better for it. Trust me.
More encouragement when it’s hard to make real food
A weird thing happens when you, little by little, turn to more real food and less packaged, boxed, junk food.
You start to enjoy “less”… I have less options, less choices at my fingertips, but I’ve come to love the rhythm of the food, that less means more, and that junk really isn’t appealing.
You Start to Notice the Rhythm of Food
In fall and winter, I have lots of healthy hot choc with adaptogens and lots of sourdough bread. And rye cookies, made with freshly milled rye flour. They’re my current obsession.
In spring, I love sprouts in everything… sandwiches, salad, even in smoothies (which I start to transition into more and less hot chocolate, so I add adaptogens to smoothies) And I start to focus more on easier meals, transitioning to ham and pork chops on the grill instead of in the oven, more air-fried potatoes and less mashed and potato cakes.
In summer, food becomes so simple, whatever fruit or veggies are growing, either on our farm or locally. Lots of BLTS and instead of preparing a few cups of hot chicory tea that tastes like coffee, I start loving that same blend, but cold, in ice coffee.
I freeze my smoothies as ice pops and feel like a kid again (minus the ice cream truck turning down the street, playing its music).
I make use fresh flour more for pasta that can be quickly boiled instead of a lot of breads or cookies that require the oven for long stints.
That isn’t a lot of variety. And some of the things are only available to me for a season, but it gets me excited and makes me feel satisfied. That last point was never something I got from a meal of boxed, prepared food.
You Learn that Less is More
You know what else I’ve realized? “Less” is “more.” I don’t need 20 options in front of me that I can pull out of boxes or rip out of plastic or mylar packaging. I’m happier slicing a piece of sourdough bread and scooping out homemade peanut butter (even though it might be a little lumpy, not like smooth Jiff, but the real stuff makes me so much happier.)
You Realize Junk isn’t Appealing
The other thing I’ve realized? The junk is suddenly not appealing. I’m NOT a purist. I DO eat junk. When I really want some. But usually I don’t want it.
Can we be happy on a night that it’s hard to make real food?
None of us would deny that making real food can be hard. So how do we find enjoyment in the midst of something that’s a little harder than we’re used to?
It helps me to remember two things:
Happiness comes from the common
Happiness lies in our ability to extract joy from common things. Not fancy. Not insane variety of options. Common. IN season. Regular old “food”
Happiness is an an attitude & we’re in charge of it
In the end none of this will work if you aren’t exuding the right attitude yourself.
ATTITUDE is key! I explained my efforts to have a 4:8 attitude in this article.
Final encouragement when it’s hard to make real food?
I’m no where near being self-sufficient or off-grid.
Don’t believe anyone can truly be… we were meant for community
But every day, in just some small way, I try to make some of our food real and some of our efforts sustainable. On the days that I succeed in one step of the process (even just using all-natural maple or honey instead of refined sugar), I don’t have more time, and I don’t get a break from hard work, but I do feel a sense of “satisfied” that I don’t get in any other way. This kind of “simplifying” doesn’t make things easier, but it sure makes them better.
Simple joys require hard work. But they’re worth it.
Just think of one little thing, and get started working towards that simple joy. It’s a decision you will never regret.
Go to my free resources on instagram. Or dive in to one from the list below.
My free resources are pretty extensive, but please don’t subscribe to all of them at once. Instead, choose one.
When you get to the end of your first ecourse, I will send you a note with these links included for you to consider all over again and choose a next step then.
Keep it simple, because, trust me, Simple Doesn’t Mean Easy… especially if you get yourself overwhelmed.
Podcast Feedback
Did you enjoy listening to (or watching) this episode? Please leave a review to let us know. Your review makes a world of difference… it will help others learn about this podcast and I truly appreciate your feedback!
Free Resources to help when it’s hard to make real food & do other things
I offer free ecourses (sent via one email a day, feel free to work through them totally at your own pace):
Sprouting–growing your own food year-round
Cooking pasture-raised pork–with a week’s worth of recipes
Dehydrating.. how & why it’s the best way to take charge of your food supply
Parenting an entrepreneurial mindset (not just for homeschoolers)
Succeed at Online Content Creation
In this life, one of our greatest gifts is time and health/strength/ability. If you are healthy, you have been given a gift, how will you use it?
A Few Other Things I Mentioned in This Podcast Episode
Grab my complete, printable pantry checklist: soulyrested.com/pantry
Learn how to make your own sugar: soulyrested.com/syrup
Start making DIY Kombucha: soulyrested.com/kombucha
Other Articles & Resources You’ll Love:
Perfect kombucha flavors for your family
The Tools I Love the Most in my Farmhouse Kitchen
Everything Tea–recipes, tips & secrets
Aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands. I Thessalonians 4:11
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Encouraging! We don’t eat much processed for – some food sensitivities which seem to be clearing up. Tried looking at the dehydrating and it comes up with the pantry checklist; any suggestions?
whoops! The link s/b fixed now