Last year at this time, I joined the ranks of bloggers who post pictures of their kids’ lunches. I started for mostly selfish reasons. After years of cramming lunch-packing into rushed mornings (despite many resolutions not to), I wanted to go on record with my night-packing commitment and own it by posting pictures on the Spoonfed Facebook page. But I also wanted to show readers that healthy, real-food lunches can be fast and no-fuss while still looking good.
I wasn’t prepared, though, for what a response the pictures would get. People loved them. And that should make me happy, right? Well, it did, sure. But over the course of the year, I realized I was being viewed as “that blogger who posts great lunches” more than “that blogger who writes thought-provoking posts.” And that induced a little blogger identity crisis.
You see, last year, my husband, daughter and I also made a big move, after almost another year of preparing and downsizing for that move. So while I stayed active on Facebook during that time, I posted only intermittently on the blog itself. And though I never intended to substitute lunch pictures for thinky blog posts, it became too easy to feel like I was still connecting and keeping things active by virtue of the daily lunch postings. So I slacked off on the other stuff. The stuff that, frankly, matters more to me than lunch pictures.
So I’m quitting the lunch pictures and reorienting to the issues that made me start Spoonfed in the first place: namely, food literacy (we need more of it!) and food insanity (less, please). But if you want a lunchbox fix, head over to the 100 Days of Real Food Facebook page, where Lisa Leake posts great lunches using the same philosophy I follow (healthy = simple and appetizing). If you already follow Lisa, just thank me for no longer adding to the lunch-pic clutter in your newsfeed, ha! (Lisa also posts great thought-provoking stuff, too, but that girl does this blogging thing full-time!)
There’s something else.
Our move last year was life-changing in many ways, not the least in that it made me realize I have a lot to say about a lot more than food. And so, in the next few months, you’ll start seeing posts (and some blog changes) that go beyond the traditional Spoonfed scope. I’ll still write about food (and I’ve got some big related projects in the works), but I hope to bring resonance and insight to other fundamental issues, too. I realize there’s a risk with a blog refocus. I may lose readers who’d like me to stick to food. And that’s OK. But I hope you’ll hang around awhile to see where this goes. It won’t be just me and my navel. I promise.

totally think that is cool to branch out. i will read whatever you write. don’t suppose you are working on anything related to outrage over NYS Standardized Testing and the farce that it is? lol
Sam: Now you’re talking my (other) language. Progressive ed is indeed a possible topic…
So glad you are going to be posting more, Christina! I can’t wait to see what you have in store. And, I certainly understand about not blogging during the craziness of life transitions.
Looking forward to it!!
I have been a big fan of your blog for a while now and not just because of your food ideas. Although your travel posts have been a big help. I’m so glad you plan on sharing more of your thoughts, food related and otherwise.
You posted a link to my blog last year and I want to thank you because I still get traffic from your site. I want people to realize that they control what they put in their bodies and that of their children. You don’t have to do what everyone else is doing! I still post on food, but I also now post on homeschooling because we ending up going that crazy route after realizing that the small public school available to us was not meeting our children’s needs. In conclusion, keeping them on a healthy food track is much easier now.
Keep up the good work!
I’ll be here 🙂
A belated thanks to you all for the support!