Technology and innovation. For my second post in the GE’s Freshpedition series I was given two topics to choose from: the role technology plays in in healthy eating OR innovative ways to incorporate fresh food into our family’s diet. As I pondered which topic to choose, I realized that in our Out of the Box Food journey, those two topics have gone hand-in-hand. Without technology and innovation, Out of the Box Food would not exist and I might not have begun the journey to find new, innovative ways to feed my family. I’m going to admit something to you I would never admit in front of my kids (especially when they’re whining for video games or computer time)… I am grateful for technology.
Technology has shaped our lives whether we’ve liked it or not and literally changed the way we nourish our bodies. We went from cooking on an open fire and keeping food cool in the shade of a basement to TV dinners and aerosol cheese instead of Read Food. In the past, we were made to believe that technology brings convenience, convenience comes in a box and THAT is innovation.
But technology has redeemed itself, and I shudder to think of where what direction our health would be taking without it. After years of convenience food marketing, we as a society came to believe that those products were a substitute for proper food. But through further developments in technology, we are now afforded the luxury of blogs, websites and online publications sharing tons of recipes and tips for healthy eating.
These developments have allowed nutrition advocates, dietitians, journalists, doctors and even parents to take back Real Food. It is through these technological sources that we are now able to Google, “creative ways to get my kids to eat vegetables”, Pin “Healthy Family Recipes” on our Pinterest boards, discuss options for healthy eating with virtual friends on Twitter, create a Real Food community with like-minded folks on Facebook pages, source and join local CSA’s with a couple clicks of the mouse. We can now even look up product ingredients while shopping at the market (yes, there’s an app for that). The technology we have available to us today is providing us with the resources for a healthier tomorrow.
Technology allows us to collaborate as a Real Food community. It takes a village to raise a healthy generation and I for one am happy to be a part of this Real Food village. Want to share your innovative ways to eat healthy with others? Share your fresh food stories and how you think technology will play a role in the future in our comments section below.
Tonight I will serve my family their meal “Bar Style” instead of simply placing food on a plate. When kids create their own meals, they feel empowered to choose Real Food. We serve “Bar Style” often at our house. Family Fish Night becomes an opportunity for my kids to try new, fresh and healthy foods when everyone is empowered to build their own meal. Give this innovative Fish Taco a meal a try at your home:
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
- Citrus Grilled Tilapia
- Corn tortillas
- Rainbow Slaw
- Garlic-Lime Crema
- Garden Fresh Pico de Gallo
- “Zuc”amole (or sliced avocado)
- lime wedges
- cilantro
- sliced radish
- Grilled Scallions
To Serve:
- Grill Tortillas just until browned in spots and still soft. Keep warm.
- Lay out all ingredients “bar style” on the counter or table.
- Let kids create!
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A special thanks to GE Appliances and Glam Media’s Bliss.com for including Out of the Box Food in their Freshpedition series. Be sure to take a look at all the wonderful technology available for your kitchen from GE like ultra-filtered water from the first ever hands-free dispenser, and micro-climate controls powered by TwinChill technology, the new GE French Door Refrigerator is engineered to push the limits of fresh.
Until next time…
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Disclosure: Compensation was provided by GE via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of GE.
