28-day real-food challenge article: a response

I am sure everyone read the CNN article about the 28-day Real-Food Challenge created by one of the best real-food bloggers out there: Jenny at Nourished Kitchen. I was excited to see this it, and though I had some issues with the article itself, what I really couldn't believe was the vast spread of negative comments. Now, opinions are fine, but that doesn't mean that people should just say anything that pops into their mind without thought. (Take note: the degrading comments about how the challenge was only feasible for the hopelessly out-of-touch high upper-class housewives.) I am so disgusted by the comments that instead of contributing to keeping the post high in search traffic by adding my input, I decided to state it here. Whine-filled comments:

1. This real-food challenge is just too hard. Well, I'm sorry: what does the word 'challenge' mean to you? Did Jenny call it the Real-Food Fun Experiment? I didn't think so.
2. Only well-to-do (read: rich) people can afford this. Try this: look up real-food blogs that focus on frugality. Find: well over half of the blogs are written with a focus on eating traditional food on a budget. Dried beans are cheaper than canned, fresh pasta cheaper than boxed, etc. Homemade is alomost always cheaper than 'convenience' and the savings mean we can 'splurge' on good meat and dairy products. Not that I consider avoiding huge medical bills a 'splurge.' 
3. The phrase 'real-food' doesn't mean anything because all food is real. A sure sign of a losing argument: hair-splitting over word meanings. If you'd prefer us to use something like 'food, that is unprocessed towards loss of nutrients or addition of chemical preservatives/GMOs, and prepared according to traditional methods' we could- but would it fit on a twitter hashtag? 
4. Normal people don't have time to (insert food preperation here). Really? You don't have time to grind grain? Well, read Jenny's blog- you don't have to- but I have two kids I watch full-time, go to school part-time, write for two blogs part-time and work part-time for my mom's real estate office. (Yes, I'm in RE too- for all you who insulted Jenny's apparent like of qualifications.) Yet, I have time to grind grain, and make yougurt, butter and pasta. Have you heard of a blender? How about a food processor? I can make homemade pasta in less active time than it takes to open a box of macaroni and throw it in boiling water.

This challenge was all about priorities. Do you care more about having time to watch TV and money to spend on Oreos? Then real food isn't for you. Bashing an intelligent, determined woman who wants the best for her family won't do anything except make you look foolish. (Kind of like the 'expert' quoted in the article who said you can find healthy food in a package- like lowfat milk and canned vegetables.) As Nina Planck was quoted, "Real food costs more, because it's worth more. You need to think about where and how you want to spend your money... I don't need another sweater, but I have to feed my kids every day."

I am happy to share this at Fight Back Fridays.