Just wanted to let you know how much you inspired me. I found your blog, I don’t know almost a year ago I guess on another account and it prompted me to since then research everything I could about healthy, nutritious, and organic food. My family has cut processed stuff by at least 75% in our house and we are all feeling much better! Thank you for the motivation!

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Thank you so much! I really do hope to change the way people eat or think about food; not do that they obsess but that they’re aware.
I’m so happy to hear that I’ve helped— it should pay off for you with a healthier family. Good luck with it all.

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Some helpful tips

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Have you ever seen my tips for getting kids to eat well?  It’s posted on my blog on a separate page, but in case you’ve never seen it I’m posting it here today.

          Eating/feeding tips:

  • Eat with them!  Make them the same dinner you make yourself.  Let them see what you eat.  Don’t just feed them what you think they’ll eat, but what they should.
  • Start them early— when they can first eat solids with foods besides cereal.  They might spit out the beans and peas a few times, but keep doing it.
  • Get them interested in foods by planting vegetables or herbs, shopping at a farm, farmer’s market or stand, and cook with them (let them help)!

  • Don’t treat vegetables like a punishment.  They’re delicious, but kids need to get accustomed to them.
  • Don’t quit.  Really, your kids will eat them.
  • Don’t beat yourself up on those times than you give them the unhealthier stuff.  Just try to limit those times.
  • Have fun!  For example: Make up games or dances; tell them their favorite super hero or cartoon character loves a particular food; cut foods into shapes or arrange on plate so it’s a smiley face.

Cooking tips:

  • If you’ve noticed my pattern with cooking vegetables- I do this for almost all the vegetables I cook (just to varying lengths of time).  Bring pan of water to boil and submerge veggies or steam, when just done (still crisp but tender and still have vivid color) remove from heat, strain and dunk into cold/ice water to stop them from cooking, keep on side until ready to serve meal.  Reheat in sauté pan with pat of butter, pinch of sea salt and some fresh ground pepper until just hot enough to eat (you don’t want them to cook further).  You can substitute butter with olive oil or olive oil and garlic if you prefer.  Just careful not to put too much olive oil to overpower the veggies.
  • If you start with a family recipe or something you know how to cook well, do it.  Don’t try to make gourmet meals if you’re not a confident cook.  Just go for healthful ingredients, fresh vegetables… real food.  Go ahead and cut corners when you’re in a rush—frozen brown rice takes 3 minutes in the microwave as opposed to 40+ minutes normally. 
  • If you need recipes that are kid friendly you can check out my archives.
  • Go with popular cookbooks like those by Jamie Oliver or Mark Bittman—quite easy to follow.

 

           Shopping Tips:

  • Trader Joe’s is such a great place!  Best organic butter— and not outrageously priced.  All their own brands are GMO-free.  Applegate Farms cold cuts are affordable there too.  The abovementioned frozen organic rice- Jasmine or brown.  Cheeses, milk and yogurts are all without growth hormones.  I get so many appetizers for gatherings there.  (One I like to make is from their frozen nan.  I put goat cheese or Boursin with chopped spinach and tomatoes or sliced shiitakes.  Cut into pieces.)
  • Read labels.  Don’t serve anything with high fructose corn syrup, trans fats, artificial colors, artificial sweeteners (even Splend!), or artificial preservatives (BHT, TBHQ).  Notice the top three ingredients as they make up the majority of the food.  Try to avoid the stuff that has sugar listed as first ingredient unless it’s a dessert or just sugar.
  • Try to get local produce, dairy and meats (join a CSA—community supported agriculture program or shop farmers’ markets).   If you can’t try to get those without pesticides and hormones. 
  • Utilize the larger stores own brands of organic foods; they’re usually cheaper. 
  • Buy the fresh stuff on the outer edges of supermarkets instead of the processed stuff that’s usually occupying the middle aisles.
  • Go without kids if you can.  You’ll be less likely to be swayed into getting something they may have seen on TV or with cartoon characters pushing junk at them.
  • If you buy juice- go with organic if possible and avoid added sugar, corn syrup or artificial ingredients.
  • Don’t buy low-fat or fat-free foods (in foods that normally have fat), but just limit the fats you eat.  Go for more vegetable than animal fats.

 

You can also contact me with any particular question or trouble you may be having.

 

Good luck!

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Crying is not the end of the world.

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I recently received a complimentary copy of a book from a publisher. It was about getting kids to eat without crying. I don’t know if they expected me to blog about it, but much of what I read in there was against my own methods/beliefs. I’m not naming the book because I don’t want to put the author down (after all, she is trying to get kids to eat well) or say that there aren’t many valid points, but I just don’t see what’s so awful about crying occasionally.

Of course, we don’t want our kids to cry. For one it grates on our nerves, but also we don’t like having our kids distressed. I just won’t give in to the cries over a dish just to make them stop. It sets a precedent—they’ll learn to cry to get out of things they don’t want to do or like, even if it’s good for them. I don’t try to make my kids cry (remember, I don’t like to hear it) but I just don’t avoid it. I want them to eat well. If they cry because they don’t like what they’re served without even trying it— well, sorry, that’s the meal and that’s what we’re eating. It’s not like I’m a hard ass all the time. I will often make them meals that they love and do try to please them. I want my kids to be happy. I just think sometimes people are so afraid of crying that they’ll do anything to avoid it— similarly giving in to the food battles just to get them to eat. If they’re really hungry they will eat. If they would just stop crying and try the food, they might find that they like it.

Now what I do do is make healthy and tasty foods. I know most of the time that they will enjoy it if given a chance to taste it. It happens most often with my middle son. I don’t know why he continues to cry when he sees a dish that is new to him and he thinks he won’t like, but he does. He will cry for a little time, realize that we’re not budging (as in making him an alternative meal) and then eat. So often to the bottom of the bowl or until his plate is clean. And when he’s eaten— he’s happy. No signs of having been upset left over from the beginning. I love it when they enjoy their meal.

So, don’t worry about an occasional tear. Do the right thing by them and teach them to eat healthfully. They’ll be better for it than if they’re given whatever they want to eat. Look at these statistics. And, they will learn to stop crying (eventually) and just try other means of getting out of things.

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Eating While Away

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The past couple of weeks seem like a blur.  We took a long overdue but short family vacation to Washington DC, where the kids were thrilled to see the Space Shuttle Discovery being flown in on top of a 747 right over our heads, enjoyed the Air & Space and Natural History Museums, had a fabulous private tour of the Capitol Building even witnessing Congress voting on a bill, but maybe even most of all that we stayed in a hotel with an indoor pool.  Ah, the little things. 

 

The boys also loved that my strict no soda policy was relaxed.  I allowed them root beer one day and ginger ale or Sprite another. Whoa!  One thing I noticed since we ate out every lunch and dinner was how shoddy kids’ menus are, especially when it comes to giving kids any vegetable.  Almost all the restaurants serve chicken nuggets or tenders and macaroni and cheese.  But there were so few that gave any vegetables with their meal— I don’t really count French fries as a vegetable.  Of course I pay extra and order  sides or my kids split an item off the regular menu. But I just don’t get that these chains can’t see that offering mac and cheese (often just Kraft’s disgusting artificially colored garbage), soda and a free ice cream is not doing these kids any favors.  (I guess I’m on another rant!) 

We need restaurants to get on board with offering kids meals that are tasty and nutritious.  Why must they give the same ol’ same ol’ hot dogs, mac & cheese, chicken nuggets and burgers?  Can’t they use some of the creativity that goes into the “adult menu” on the “children’s menu”?  Don’t they realize that many parents not only want their kids to eat, they also care about them to eat well?   How about a vegetable pasta or a hummus platter?  Maybe offering side salads (green, coleslaw, bean)? 

I think I wouldn’t have minded so much if it had been only one meal, but when one is on vacation most meals are eaten out.  And I find that lunch and dinner are when my own kids eat the most vegetables. Again, I altered what they got by ordering sides or splitting “adult” mains.  I just wish it was part of the package they already offer.

What do you do when you take your kids out to restaurants?  

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Gallery

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The Arlington (TX) Police and Fire Departments and the Texas-based nonprofit a Wish with Wings joined forces to realize the dream of a young cancer patient who wanted nothing more than to become Batman for a day. Officers and firefighters, … Continue reading →

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Rant

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Every now and then I just need to let one out— get up on my soapbox and shout about something.  The time has come for one of those rants.  I recently took my kids to Peachwave, a self-serve soft yogurt place.  Seemed like a fun idea, plus I’d used it as an incentive to get my reluctant 4th grader to get over his Mondayitis and go to school that morning (when you get home from school I’ll take you).  Peachwave is a franchise that is similar (but not the same) as other frozen yogurt places that have cropped up not only here but overseas.  They have a wall of self-serve yogurt flavors and then a buffet of toppings (fresh fruit, cookies, candies).  Then it’s all weighed and you pay by the ounce or gram.  Well, sounds innocuous enough, but then I ate some and really started looking around and paying attention. All over the place “healthy” was emblazoned.  Now, I’m all for healthy and eating healthful foods, but something seemed off.  I should have become aware when I saw the plentiful vibrantly colored candies as the most common toppings. 

First I noticed that the two cup sizes were huge and massive (the smallest was 16oz).  Then when I was really tasting the yogurt I kept getting this kvetchy sensation in the back of my throat and a strange aftertaste.  I decided to ask the staff if they had a list of ingredients.  They looked at me as though I had two heads then rolled their eyes at each other like this was the strangest thing each of them had ever been asked.  One older woman did try to help and said that there was probably a list of ingredients on the bags of mix in the back.  Bags of mix?  That didn’t sound appealing.  Then she pointed out that there was a nutritional contents list near the front of the store.  So, upon reading that I noticed that a serving size was3 oz.  Wait? 3 ounces per serving when the smallest cup to hold a “serving” in was16 ounces.  Hmm… so the smallest cup holds 5+ servings.  The amount of sugar on average was 18g. 

So, if someone filled their small cup to the top and didn’t load it with candies, strawberry syrup, chocolate fudge, whipped cream or even fruit… and they ate it all it would be over 86 grams of sugar!  That’s without the toppings.  Healthy?  How is that healthy? Average calories per serving (sampled 20 off their list alphabetically) is 92. I noticed most people there ate at least half.  So, if they ate the whole cup that would equal 491 calories.  This is how we’ve gotten to be an obese society— by increasing the portion size while pretending to be health food.

Since I’ve got an iPhone I decided to look up on their website for ingredients, etc. Four of the yogurt flavors were listed, most were not.  But, for example vanilla has sugar as its second ingredient and it’s flavored artificially.  Yet, they claim their yogurt to be “natural” on the products page.  I highly doubt most people would consider their newest brightly colored cotton candy or bubblegum flavors to be natural.

Personally I would rather go to our local creamery ice cream spot (when they’re open for the season) and get full-fat, sweet ice cream that is made on premises with their own cow’s milk.  It’s rich, delicious and you only need a tiny bit to feel satisfied (because they left the fat in there).  I’m not saying don’t go to Peachwave. What I’m trying to point out is that their “healthy” claims are not as they seem.  I really think people are trying to do the right thing and this takes advantage of that.  I believe that people should make informed decisions with food and food-like substances.

(Disclaimer- I used to eat ice cream 5 times a week when I was pregnant and nursing. Can’t do that anymore, but I really love ice cream. Now only buy hormone-free, mostly natural ingredients-especially colored.)

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Lamb/Marmite: Kids can eat this

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“I don’t like lamb!” is how my middle son reacted to the news that we were having lamb for dinner.  It was a locally-raised, grass-fed lamb that we got through our CSA.  And for me it was the best part— the leg.  We roasted it in the oven for several hours at 250ºF until it was 135ºF internally and my husband made a delicious rosemary and red wine sauce. (Reduce red wine, veal stock then add garlic and rosemary until slightly thick. Pour into pan to get drippings too.)

Think we need to rotate it during cooking for more even color.

So, I knew it would be delicious but I didn’t know why my son announced this (or I should probably more correctly describe as “whined it”!) seemingly out of the blue.  We eat lamb fairly often, at least often enough for my kids to eat it without thought/complaint.  It seemed bizarre to us that he’d have an aversion to it suddenly.  I know many meat-eating adults who don’t eat lamb, mostly because they didn’t have it when growing up and it’s got a stronger flavor than beef.

If you notice what foods you will eat as an adult often have a root in what you were given as a child.  In the U.S. there aren’t many people I know that eat Marmite or Vegemite, but in NZ, England and Australia kids are brought up on it — on toast, in sandwiches, added to gravies, etc.  Having a kiwi mum I grew up on English Marmite here in Connecticut. My mother would scour the stores for the sticky, salty, strong malt extract from England.  At 16 I went to NZ for the first time to live with Mum’s friends and go to her old school.  I quickly switched to the NZ version (less sticky, less pungent and slightly sweeter) and also enjoyed Vegemite.  I bring it back whenever I’m in NZ or ask friends to bring me a jar when they visit.  And now, due to the earthquake last year, NZ’s Marmite is running out and there is a “Marmageddon” declared.  Anyway, my kids too like Marmite on toast.  It’s what they’ve been brought up on. If you introduce something when the kids are young enough, I believe they develop tastes for things that others, who haven’t grown up with it/them might think odd. 

 

Back to my son with the lamb… he cried when it was served.  We didn’t make a stink about it, it was on his plate and we just reminded him how tasty it was; eventually he tried it.  And he said, “Oh, I do like lamb!” and proceeded to eat all of his portion and then ask for seconds. 

 Middle son putting on more sauce

So, stay calm and give them lamb… or Marmite… or those pesky vegetables. 

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Class Moms Asked for Green Juice… Don’t Think They Expect This

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My seven year old’s class is celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in school today with a potato bar.  The class moms sent out a list of things they’d like parents to volunteer making/bringing in.  One of those was “green juice”.  When I saw that I jumped all over it!

Green juice… I know from past experiences with blue punch and other frightful (to me) concoctions that that meant my most dreaded food dyes.  Yes, I’ve used them, but I try not to, so if there’s a good alternative, I will choose it.  

The other day while making the kids smoothies with kale I noticed how green it was before I added the blueberries and other dark berries.  So, I figured I would make green juice with yummy veggies and fruits.  I made one batch before the kids left for school and it was vibrant in its verdant glory and really yummy.  I gave them all a taste and they asked for more.  I didn’t tell them the full ingredient list this time around, figured it might spoil their enthusiasm.  After my eldest missed the bus by about 2 seconds and was so upset I soothed him with a glass of the juice.  My youngest, who’s been home sick all week, also gratefully received a glass of the nectar.

They loved it! Now to make some more for the 2nd grade class!

Green Juice
3 oz fresh baby spinach
1 banana
3 cups water
1 cup apple juice
2 packets Yuzu Tisane drink mix (from Trader Joe’s)

Blend it all together until spinach is completely pulverized. (I prefer using blender over juicer as all the fiber is still there.)  Serve chilled. 

Next batch was also with kale.

FYI- No disrespect to the class moms.  They’re wonderful people— it’s the over use of artificial colors that I’m against.

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