My Quinoa & Curry Recipe

Have you heard of grains like millet, couscous, pearled barley, quinoa, and amaranthe.  These are just a few of the whole grains that I love and use often.  There are so many vitamins and minerals found in these whole grains that are hard to get in the average American diet.  Try cooking with these instead of plain rice.  I love making curry and quinoa.  Here's one of my all time favorite recipes I came up with.
Cook Quinoa in a pan.  Follow the directions for cooking.  Use 2 cups of water for 1 cup of Quinoa.

In a large fry pan ...
Add 1 T of Coconut Oil (this is perfect to handle the high heat)
Add 1 onion diced.
Saute in pan for a few minutes on high heat.

Add vegetables (start with veggies that need more cook time)
start with: Cauliflower, Carrots, Squash, Sweet Potatoes etc.. I use whatever I've got in my fridge.
saute for a few minutes
add in: green beans, sugar snap peas, broccoli, red peppers (a must), zucchini, etc

Simmer in pan for several minutes.  I add 2 or 3 T of water and close the lid.  Simmer for a few more minutes.  I don't like my veggies mushy, I enjoy them a bit crispy.

Add 1/2 cup or can of black beans.

Add herbs...I use fresh tarragon, basil, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and curry (probably 1 T). Careful it's spicy so use to taste.

Mix with Quinoa.  Add sesame seeds or sunflower seeds.

You can serve it on salad or eat it plain.  I like it with tortilla chips.  Perfect with chicken or steak if you eat meat.  You can eat it hot or cold.  Add tomatoes and avocado.  There's so many options.

BENEFITS of using Quinoa:

1. An excellent source of iron, magnesium, potassium, phosporus, and zinc.
2. Good source of B-complex vitamins.
3. High in Protein. 

I buy mine thru Azure Standard at www.azurestandard.com.  or Sunflower Market or Any health food store.

Got Milk?

I'm so grateful for all the different options for milk.  I use a variety in my kitchen.  Gotta say I'm not a big fan of goats milk.  I know it's good for me which should make me want to drink it but I had to draw the line somewhere. I just couldn't gag it down.   

My fridge has the following milks in it.  

I read somewhere that over 75% of Americans are allergic to cow's milk.  Not sure how they come up with these stats but nonetheless as I'm thinking about my own family, there's 6 of us and 5 of us, for sure, cannot tolerate cow's milk.  In my extended family the numbers are probably the same.  Signs of allergies (especially look for these in your children) are: clearing mucous from throat a lot, snorting (don't you hate the sound of kids snorting?  It drives me nuts!), lines under eyes, darkness under eyes, excema, rashes, and WARNING kind of grosse but red rings around the bum area.  If you notice any of these signs after having milk it's a good indication that there's some sensitivities to it.  Some of you might feel worried because you love milk and your kids love milk.  We used to be the same way.  But no need to worry when there's such great alternatives.  Here's how I use the different kinds of milk.

• rice milk--I make pancakes, waffles, shakes, put it on cereal, etc.  This is our main source of milk.  Did you know that there's the same amount of Calcium in rice milk as there is in Cow's milk?  And vita D.  I get the enriched organic kind from Costco.  Cheapest price!  Start here if you haven't tried different milks before.  Your kids won't be able to tell a difference.
• almond milk--I get the chocolate kind for protein shakes.  I also get the unsweetened original kind.  It's the best because it's not sweet making it taste more like cow's milk.  I especially love this with granola. It's kind of expensive.  It's cheaper to make it and really not too difficult or time consuming.  Maybe I'll blog about that soon.
• soy milk-- When I'm working out hard I use some soy because it's high in protein, however, I don't use very much. It's just not that good for you. Too much soy can trigger migraines, effects the estrogen/progesterone balance.  Use soy milk sparingly and make sure it's of an organic source.  It's absolutely disgusting how soy is processed.
• Organic Cow's milk-- I still buy a gallon of organic milk 2 times a month because Spanky likes it.  She doesn't show any adverse reactions to it. Portamus Prime and Bubbles are definitely allergic.  They sniff and snort and drive me crazy if they ever drink it. I'm also allergic to it.  I used to wake up everyday with hardened boogies in my nose and a sore throat.  No joke every morning.  Since going off milk I wake up with a clear voice and nose.    

If you're going to get milk, be sure it's organic.  

• I've done lots of research on dairy farms.  Most of them especially the large companies (meadow gold, walmart, etc) treat the cows REALLY bad.  Not only that the drugs and hormones are severly affecting Americans.  So you'll spend a couple extra dollars but it's well worth it knowing you aren't giving your children the growth hormones--another reason for the estrogen/progesterone balance to get off.

So what do you say?  Set a goal to try a different milk this week.   If you're eating whole grains and vegetables and drinking the hulk juice, trust me you're getting all the Calcium you need.  If you start using alternative milk sources with very young children, they grow up not having a clue.  Tallyoop (my 3 yr old has no clue about cow's milk. She's only had rice and almond milk.  Same with Bubbles (my 4 yr old).  Remember even if there is no sensitivities to dairy, one could easily transpire when used too much and too often.  We need to rotate the things we eat and drink.

tracking nutrients has never been easier

For the last year or so I've been tracking the nutrition and foods my kids eat through food journals.  Sounds a bit overwhelming.  But not when there are easy-to-use programs available.

Go to http://www.mypyramidtracker.gov/

It's easy to use.  First you register to use the site.  You'll have to enter you and your children separately to get accurate amounts for each child or you can estimate if your children are close together.  That's what I've done.  You enter your age and gender. 

Then you add the food that you eat all day into the DAILY FOOD INTAKE.  You can add food that you eat often to make it easier the next time you fill out your DAILY FOOD INTAKE.

Next click on Analyze your Food Intake.

The program will do the work for you by showing you how many nutrients you've consumed compared to the USDA guideline recommendations for your age and gender.  You can see what nutrients are lacking in your diet and then adjust or add foods to compensate.  Great tool to help ensure your family is getting the NUTRIENTS NEEDED.

It will also help you track your calories.  You can add your exercise into the program as well.  THIS SITE IS SO AWESOME!!!!! I didn't know about it for a long time and did everything by hand.  

fun sites for kids

http://kidshealth.org/

http://www.mypyramid.gov/

Get your kids excited about nutrition.  There's lots of fun games they can play while learning.  Here's a few sites we use.

my theory (part 4)

I spent the next 4 months really working at getting my children the daily nutrient requirements based on the Center for Nutrition. I filled out charts and tracked the vitamins and minerals and the food they ate.   If they wouldn't eat the nutrition, then they drank it.  I was disguising every vegetable possible in their drinks and other food.  I did have a more powerful blender back then because I was able to blend beets and carrots, celery and tomatoes, etc.  They had no idea what they were drinking most of the time but the thing is THEY LIKED IT.  Some smoothies were just bad but you can mask anything with frozen fruit and juice.  Anyways, I'll share my recipes in upcoming posts.   I didn't realize it but my theory about nutrition had been evolving and I was in the middle of testing it.  Slowly my extremely picky eaters, Spanky and Bubbles, began eating real food.  I didn't believe it myself when one night for dinner they started eating beets and asked for more.  UH...double take.  These were the same kids that gagged on every vegetable that came close to touching their mouths.  It's interesting when we give our bodies what it needs AND get rid of sugar (see post about sugar) our body's natural instincts are allowed to make choices based on what our bodies need.  The garbage food and sugar and deficiencies takes away this natural instinct.  For all of you with picky eaters, find a way to sneak in those daily vitamins and minerals.  This might be the only way to get rid of the picky eating habits.  More info on this theory and how to be sneaky with it in my book (coming really soon).

You DID WHAT...?

Sounds crazy to put the family's grocery shopping into the hands of a 9 year old but I did this past week.  I gave her the weekly budget and told her how much she could spend and that it had to feed the family for at least 4 days.  At first Spanky starting making lists of food that were processed and not good for us like chips, soda, etc.  (What kid wouldn't!)  I didn't say much except that she needed to have a menu for each day with what we were going to eat AND that it needed to correlate with the food guide pyramid AND if there was any extra money she could spend it how she wanted to. BUT if she didn't get enough food, we wouldn't have anything to eat.  Risky, I know.

So off to Sunflower Market we went (my favorite store).  She was so excited.  I followed her around the store as she started grabbing all her favorite foods like hotdogs, frozen pizza, frozen breakfast sausage, and chicken nuggets.  She learned really quickly about how much food costs and what she could buy with the money she had.  I gave her a calculator and told her to add everything up so she didn't go over.  I made sure I had cash and that's all she was getting.  I went and sat in the front with a magazine.  She was gone shopping for a half hour or so.  I saw her pick up things and put them in her cart and then awhile later she'd put some things back.  It was actually really cute and comical seeing her little mind at work.  Eventually I migrated over to her and saw her progress.  To my suprise all the processed foods except one item (hot dogs) had been taken out.  I asked her what happened and she said, "The food I originally wanted was too expensive so I had to make some changes."  Interesting results! EATING HEALTHY IS CHEAPER.  A 9 YEAR OLD CAN TELL YOU THAT.  Not only did this teach Spanky a valuable lesson about money, it also taught her about meal planning and creating well balanced meals. We didn't eat like kings by any means.  Our meals for the 4 days were pretty simple but she was in charge and she was excited.   I was proud of her efforts. Oh and on a side note she did go over a bit.  She hasn't learned about sales tax yet.  I guess it's never too early to start teaching these valuable lessons to our children.  It will stay with them forever.

Use what you've got!

I've had some questions about what kind of blender I use. I wish I was using one of those sweet VitaMix blenders. SOMEDAY! For a long time I used an inexpensive blender that my sister gave to me. I wore it out after 6 months of using it several times a day. It was a Cuisinart. So for Christmas I got one of these blenders and I LOVE IT!Plus it came with a food processor which I've always wanted but couldn't ever afford.  This has really made things easier for all the raw food recipes I make.  The great thing is it was at Costco for less than $60.  I've been impressed with it.  Obviously if I could have bought the Vitamix they were selling I would have but I took what I could get and have been happy as can be. Thanks honey!

The point is YOU DON'T NEED AN EXPENSIVE BLENDER.  I don't even have one. For those of you who have a Vitamix, I hope you're using the crap out of them.  Use them for all us poor people working with 1/4 of the power you've got:)  Happy Blending!

"Oh no he's turning green!!!" (part 3)

I experimented over the next few months.  It was summer so there were plenty of fresh vegetables to choose from.  I researched more and more about the essential vitamins and minerals.  We had a shake a day.  (A different one each day of course)  At first I had to use more juice and frozen fruit to mask the taste of the vegetables and greens.  Now I don't have to use as much sweet stuff.  I used this basic recipe.  It's easy to make and easy to digest and a best-seller at our house.
fill blender pitcher 1/2 full of apple juice (I use the unfiltered or homemade apple juice but use whatever juice you have)
add 3 red chard leaves, 3 kale leaves, beet greens, handful of spinach, handful of romaine lettuce, spirulina (powder 1/2 tsp) and ice and water if needed. . 
The thing is I've tried this recipe on some of the pickiest eaters. I've babysat kids and tried it out on them.  Consistently, it’s a big hit.  It's awesome. I have to coax them a bit to take the first drink by making a game out of it or using some fun straws.  We call it "Hulk Juice".  Whoever finishes all of their drink first acts like "hulk" with his superhuman powers.

We established the tradition to "hulk out" after drinking it.  We all say as each kid finishes his last sip, "OH NO HE'S TURNING GREEN! WATCH OUT!"  It's fun for the kids.  They pretend to grow and rip their clothes out.  They act like they have superhuman strength like the hulk by picking up ridiculous things like the sofa chair or refrigerator or even each other. 

All I can say is if this is what it takes to get them the much needed vitamins and minerals they need each day, I'll do it because I'm committed to providing them with the best nutrition possible.  

Curious about what vitamins are found in this drink:

Red Chard has fiber, vita K, Magnesium, Calcium, Iron, vita E, Folate.

          Kale has Vita C, Riboflavin, Vita A, Vita E, Vita K, Iron, Fluoride.

          Spinach has Potassium and Zinc, Vitamin B-6.

          Spirulina is high in Kelp, Protein, Essential Fatty Acids, Vita B12

This drink not only will cleanse the body but will also build the immune system. Try it.  I’m serious.  You’ll love the way you feel after drinking it. It's awesome!

Eat it Or Drink it (part 2)

Every night I tried to make a salad for dinner.  I love salad and wanted my kids to start eating more of them or at all I guess would be a better way of putting it.  Of course they would shove the bowl away and never eat it.  One night I was especially frustrated with them and couldn't stand the fact that they wouldn't eat all the good food I was offering them.  


I bribed them and begged them to eat their vegetables.  I felt like a broken record night after night.  An idea came to me right there in the spur of the moment and I blurted out, "if you don't eat your salads tonight... you'll have to drink it!"  They all just laughed at me.  So I took their salads threw them in the blender added some apple juice and ice and blended it right in front of them.  (DON'T MESS WITH ME!! haha). They sat there quietly as I put jars of this green drink in front of them.  I told them they couldn't get up from the table until they drank all of it.  I still remember their faces. Bubbles Pat, my 4-yr-old, was the first to drink it.  
And HE LOVED IT! What the heck!  The others started drinking theirs and liking them.  It was such an incredible night.  I felt like my prayers had been answered.  Soon I was experimenting with all kinds of stuff I could throw into these "green drinks."  

Keep reading for the results! 

What's missing? PART 1

Okay so I've been really posting a lot about keeping a food journal.  Hope you have been doing it.  I posed this questions to all of my fine readers... How do you know if you or your children are getting adequate nutrients if you aren't keeping track?  Hope this has inspired you to do this!  There are great resources online for those that need help with this.  The link below was the best I found.

Once you've got your food journal.  Now it's time to analyze it to see what's missing.  I have a table on my fridge that shows all the essential vitamins and minerals and what food sources they are found in.  This is super easy and helpful in determining what nutrients are missing.  The Food and Nutrition Information Center from the USDA's website was actually the MOST helpful in all my research. http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=4&tax_level=1

For individual vitamins and minerals click here to see what food sources  http://jn.nutrition.org/nutinfo/
Also this is great to print for your notes http://www.nal.usda.gov/wicworks/Topics/FG/AppendixC_NutrientChart.pdf?debugMode=false

Studies show that in America children are deficient in Vita A, Vita E, Vita K, all the B vitamins, Magnesium, Omega Fatty Acids, and Iron and Electrolytes.  Children (and adults) needed to eat more green leafy vegetables, red and yellow vegetables to get rid of these deficits.  After journalling the first time I realized that my children, though I didn't think it was possible (haha) were no different than the typical American.  They were, in fact, deficient in the same vitamins and minerals.  

I went to work researching what foods I needed to get into their diets.  I came across lots of literature and ideas that would help me on my quest. Again I used the USDA website a TON.

This is all outlined in detail in my book.

For example, I learned about Kale and Red Chard and Swiss Chard.  These are all green leafy vegetables that are among the highest vitamin enriched foods.  They have 9 of the essential vitamins needed daily.

Of course, how on earth were my ridiculously picky eaters going to eat more of all the foods they needed especially salads with green leafy vegetables like Kale and Chard? 

Read my next post for the answer (eat it or drink it- part 2)!

Raw Fudge (it's the bomb)

Spanky and I made fudge today.  It's so easy and sooooooooo good.  

Here's the recipe I used:

1 cup coconut oil (softer is better)

1 cup finely chopped almonds (i put them in the food processor cuz my kids are picky about nuts)

3/4 cup agave nectar (I like a bit less cuz i don't like sweet things)

2 tsp organic vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup cacoa (raw chocolate powder) get at a health food store

Blend the ingredients together.

Spread out on a pan and put in the fridge/freezer. 

OOOH so good.  I'm thinking about mint extract for next time.  Doesn't that sound freakin awesome?  (Oh and I used a knife to cut the fudge that had peanut butter on it (don't judge me it was the only knife in site).  Anyways it tasted like chocolatey-peanut butter heaven.  Try it! Even though it's not all raw.

My husband commented on how creamy and smooth the fudge tastes.  He's not one to like all my crazy treats but this one was a home run.

I'm Smiling!

Isn't eating healthy so wonderful?  I could just do it all day everyday.  I love it! It makes me happy.  I love to whip up healthy alternatives in my kitchen. A common misconception is that I miss out on foods with flavor since it's healthy.  Gotta say that I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything when the food I eat is so tasty and so full of vitamins and minerals and just delicious.  Another misconception about eating healthy is that it costs a lot.  Not true.  I don't have a large food budget to work with and through smart shopping and cutting out buying processed foods, it's easy to spend less than the average American.  I'd love for you to join me on my mission.  Come on why not?  Try some of my recipes.  A little by little and you'll love the way you feel. The thing is if everyone else would join me, I wouldn't seem like such a freak.  Is that possible at this point?  Hmmm.... 
Still the same, I'm smiling.  Guess that's all that matters.

Granola is so delicious. Gluten free.

Instead of buying cereal try making granola.  It's so much cheaper and way better.  Here's my quick recipe.  It was done in 20 minutes. No joke start to finish.

Combine the following ingredients in a bowl.

5 cups oatmeal
1 cup agave **less is always better
1/2 c coconut oil
dash of salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp maple
1 T cinnamon
2 T organic sugar optional (not necessary at all, in fact I make it without it all the time, 
               I put this in for Miles cuz he likes it a little sweeter)
1 T sesame seeds (can use other seeds, my kids won't eat it if I put too many in)

Spread out onto a tray.
Bake in oven for 15 minutes at 350.  Watch carefully and stir it often to keep it from burning.

Let cool and store your favorite jar (avoid plastic to keep fresher).  We like to eat it with raisins or Kefir.  (I'll post soon about how easy it is to make your own yogurt and kefir).  I love eating it with Almond Milk.  I'll post how easy it is to make that soon.

Snacks for those munchkins!

GREAT ALTERNATIVE to fruit snacks.  Stop buying all the processed food especially fruit snacks. Don't be fooled by the label when it says made with real fruit.  They might have a small amount of real fruit but will also have food dyes, sugar, and chemicals. Try making these instead . . .  

I don't know anyone that doesn't love fruit leather.  They are just so good.  I bought them for a long time until I realized how easy they are to make.  I use the dehydrator but you can use your oven on low heat. Perfect for your diaper bag or snack on the go.

Puree the fruit you want to use.  Our favorite leathers are plums.  I have jars of pureed  plums that are all ready to go.  They work better if there's some chunks and you don't want them too watery.

Spread out onto trays. Leave in dehydrator for around 6 hours or longer.  Check them every couple hours.  I usually lower the setting and keep it going all night.  If you use the oven bake for 3 -4 hours.


Look at my cute little 2-yr-old making them.  Told you it was easy.

My Cookie recipe, perfect for lactose & gluten free

I made up this recipe for Raw Cookies.  I've made them probably 50 times over the last year and keep some in my cookie jar.  My younger kids love eating these little treats.   I love that! So here's how you do it. 

2 T coconut oil
1/4 c oatmeal
1 c almonds, cashews, pecans, sunflower seeds, walnuts (I just mix a bunch of these together)
1/2 c almond butter
1/4 c water (sometimes more if it's really dry)
1/3 c Agave Nectar
1/4 c Cacoa Nibs
1/4 c Coconut
1/2 c  Coconut Flour
1/4 tsp Salt 
1/2 tsp Vanilla sometimes I use maple
                                                    1/2 c organic chocolate chips made with agave or organic sugar

Put all the nuts into the food processor.  If you don't have one of these then use something that will chop the ingredients into a pulp.  My kids won't eat them if there's chunks of nuts.  I love having the chunks but it's all about them.  I used a coffee grinder for the past year til I got my sweet food processor for Christmas (thanks honey).

Then in a bowl mix all the ingredients together. 
Shape into balls then smoosh them down in the dehydrator trays.  If you don't have a dehydrator then you can use the oven on the lowest setting for 1/2 hour.  I leave them in the dehydrator for 2 hours.  

This makes 2 dozens unless you eat the dough.  Sometimes we make these just for the cookie dough.  Yummy!

Best Chocolate Smoothie. IT Rocks my World!

Have you ever heard of raw chocolate? I love it.  I make cookies, smoothies, chocolate sauce, etc with it and it's even good for you. Lots of antioxidants and magnesium.

Today I made the best protein shake. I watched a video on superfoods http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1RuaqbtuHE&feature=related and raw choc powder is the absolute best thing just packed with tons of vitamins and minerals. I felt so much energy after drinking this.  So here's the recipe for the best protein shake ever (congrats to me for coming up with it).

1 cup coconut milk                                                                        
1 cup organic rice milk (try chocolate flavor--It's GOOOOOOD!)
2 cups water
handful of ice
handful frozen strawberries
2 frozen banana or fresh (doesn't matter)
1 scoop brown rice protein
1 T raw cacao (chocolate) powder http://www.sunfood.com/buy/1/5/504/Cacao--Chocolate--Powder--16-oz--Sunfood--raw--certified-organic-/1004.aspx
1/2 T maca http://www.sunfood.com/buy/1/88/518/Maca--16-oz-1lb--raw--certified-organic-/1167.aspx
1 tsp.probiotics
1 T flax seed oil (can use avocados instead)
 handful of raw almonds. I usually soak these overnight. (yummy)
6 servings

 Look at all the vitamins and minerals my girl is drinking.  I love to see that!

don't look back! just toss the junk

It's time to clear the junk out of the house.  Here's a funny story that might inspire.

I had a jar full of mini marshmallows I had for potty treats.  It was more like leftovers from a party or something so if Tallyoop went potty she'd get 1 mini marshmallow. Oohh!  It was funny.  I've been making dried fruit for the last week and love having the fruit in jars on the buffet in the kitchen for me and the kids to snack on.  I had already filled up all the jars I had but still had a dehydrator full of fruit.  I saw the jar of marshmallows and sat there with what seemed like quite the dilemma the way I was acting.  “Should I throw out the marshmallows?” “Oh I couldn’t waste them, it’s food (well kind of).” Back and forth I went for a few seconds as my husband walks in and asks me what I am doing?  I told him I was trying to decide if I should throw away the marshmallows so I could use the jar for dried fruit. I had pulled them out of the jar and shoved them back into the jar 2 times already.  He just laughed, called me a freak, and walked out.  Thanks for your help honey.  Ultimately, the marshmallows were tossed into the garbage. I had to make room for the dried fruit.  Looking back, should I have really had to think about it so hard?

 

So here's your chance...Don't even think about it.  Throw out the junk food. Make room in those cupboards for the good stuff.

I love good bread. Here's my recipe.

There's nothing better than coming home to hot bread just out of the oven.  Don't you love the smell!!  Unfortunately that never happens to me but I like to think about that as I'm making bread for my family. My mom would bake whole wheat bread several times a week while I was growing up.  The smell today still reminds me of coming home from school smelling my mom's bread and tasting it with butter and honey.  It was my favorite snack. Now as I pull a hot loaf of bread out of the oven that memory shatters when I hear my kids say, "OH, not HOMEMADE bread again, why can’t we just buy bread like everyone else?"


I try to explain to them that the bread found in the stores is full of chemicals and preservatives unless it costs like $5 a loaf.  Expensive.  That's why I started making my own bread.  I've gotta say I used to be scared to make bread.  I felt like it was going to take me ALL day so I had to plan out this HUGE block of time.  That's such a fallacy.  Once you bite the bullet and do it a few times you'll see that it's very EASY.  If I can do it, so can you.  That's the truth.  I learned to make bread from my wonderful sister and mom.  Thanks ladies!

The best thing about this recipe is it's lower calories than regular whole wheat bread.  Not only that it's a low gluten bread making it easier to digest.  This is perfect for those with wheat sensitivities. For gluten free substitutes click the link below.


Here's the recipe:
Put these ingredients in your mixing bowl
3 cups hot water
1 T salt
1/3 C Olive Oil or I use Safflower Oil
1 heaping Tablespoon of Honey
2 Cups Flour  (I use Wonder Flour) http://www.chefbrad.com/grain/articles.php?article=Wonder%20Flour&qid=5
Start mixing 
While mixing add 1 T yeast and 1 T dough enhancer or liquid lecithin (added nutrients that also make bread moister)
Add 4-6 more cups of flour til dough  pulls away from sides of the bowl.
Mix on medium speed for 15 minutes.

Shape dough and place in tins.  Let rise.

The cool thing about the dough enhancer or liquid lecithin is that it rises faster.

BAKE at 350 for 45 minutes.

Enjoy it despite what your kids might say.

My OH MY!

I saw on a commercial the other day that children now need 90 minutes of exercise a day to prevent the risk of being overweight.  Wow.  That's almost ridiculous.  My kids lose focus after about a 1/2 hour. I've got a better idea.  How about cutting out the high fatty foods and highly processed foods from their diets?  Go here to read the stats...http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/index.htm

If you've just joined me on my blog, I posted earlier about keeping a food journal.  This is an important step to making a health change.  It's a big eye opener to see how much we eat and don't realize it.  If you don't do it already start writing down what you eat and how much.  Get an idea of how many calories a day you are taking in and how many your kids do as well.  Here's a good site I use: http://pediatrics.about.com/library/bl_calorie_calc.htm    How many calories do you think a kid needs each day?  Check out the link and see.

I started being more aware of the calories I intake and my children intake.  Portamus Prime is 7 and he looks like he's 10.  He's a foot taller than everyone in his class and is big boned.  He also loves to eat.  He's got my husband's mold.  My husband is a big AND VERY HANDSOME guy.  Love you honey. (check him out on this site http://www.thefatshed.blogspot.com/  Anyways, I know if my son came home from school and there were chips or donuts or other high fatty and processed foods in the cupboard or if the dinners I made were from boxes or driving to a  fast food place that he'd be overweight.  He's just got that body structure and metabolism.  I'm giving him this gift and knowledge now so that he doesn't end up with a disease down the road from being obese. 

On average a boy between the ages 4-8 needs 1400 calories. If you eat 3 meals and 3 snacks each day then that is around 233 calories each. (Did that one in my head.  My math skills are superb!!!  Good thing since I teach math).  However, usually our meals are a bit more calories then snacks.  So I usually figure that a meal will be 350 calories and snacks will be between 100 and 150 calories.  Think about what you are feeding your kids.  

Let's say you have pizza for dinner.  A slice of pizza has around 300 calories more or less depending on the restaurant.  I've seen my kids eat 2 pieces at a sitting and try to eat more.  That's almost 1/2 of the daily calorie needs right there at one meal.

Take a Happy Meal at Wendy's.  It's close to 350 calories for the Happy Meal with apples and milk.  Double that for the pop and fries and frosty--that's around 700 calories. AHHH!

A peanut butter sandwich on white bread is close to 325 calories.  If it were on whole wheat it's closer to 250 calories.

Go here to add up the calories you eat.  It's easy all you do is type it in.http://caloriecount.about.com/

SO TIP OF THE DAY!!!! START TRACKING THOSE CALORIES.  IF YOU CHOOSE HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES THEN IT'S POSSIBLE TO STAY WITHIN THE DAILY CALORIC NEEDS.  IF YOU DON'T THEN YOU WILL MOST DEFINITELY GO OVER... WAY OVER.

A little too much education

I've been teaching my older children about the calories that food has, the purpose for calories, etc.  My kids always want to eat my high protein meal replacement bars I eat when I'm working out hard.   In which I always respond that they are for adults and that they have too many calories for children.  Today my 2 year old asked my sister for a granola bar.  Tallyoop said it's okay because they didn't have any calories and that her mommy would let her eat them.  She assured my sister that there wasn't any calories in it.  How cute is that?  My sister is beginning to think there's something wrong when a 2 year old is talking about calories.  She's also been known to tell my family that it's okay if she has candy because it doesn't have sugar in it.  I guess you never know what little ears are listening!  Am I nuts?

My Top Ten Smart Shopper Guide-

"IT'S JUST GOOD 4 U"-- SO JUST DO IT!!!!!

Next time you go shopping bring this list and follow it.  Hey you've got to start somewhere, might as well be here.  Let me know how it goes.

1. When buying bread and pasta check the list of ingredients, look for the words "Whole Grain" as the first ingredient
2. Look for meat grown without hormones or antibiotics.  Organic when possible.  (Natural just means they didn’t add anything to the meat while packaging)   Buy lean meat, fish (especially oily fish like salmon) and poultry when it is on sale and freeze it for future use. Limit deli meats, hot dogs, bacon and other processed meats due to high levels of nitrates. Avoid pork unless it’s organic.
3. Buy organic milk and dairy products produced without hormones.
4. Avoid any processed foods.  (Especially pre-packaged meals that contain high levels of sodium, fat and calories).
5. Spend over half of your food budget each week on fruits and veggies and spend the other half on whole grains, dairy and lean meat. Start in the produce department first and work your way around the outside edges of the store. Most processed and unhealthy foods are kept in the center aisle. Limit what you buy there!
6. Stop buying soda or fruit juice that is mostly sugar water! If you must buy juice, be sure it is 100%
7. Learn to read food labels. Don’t buy if you see these ingredients: partially hydrogenated oils (trans fat), bleached flour, enriched flour, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, msg, modified food starch.  Always check the ingredients on packages b4 buying.
8. Buy healthy cooking oil like Coconut or Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
9. BUY ORGANIC PRODUCE when possible:
If you can't afford all organic produce, try buying these fruits and veggies organically since they have the highest levels of pesticides left on them even after washing (according to a study by the Environmental Working Group):
FRUIT: Apples, Cherries, Grapes (imported from Chile), Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Raspberries, Strawberries
VEGETABLES: Bell Peppers, Celery, Potatoes, Spinach (and other leafy veggies)
10. Buy good eggs –organic or hormone/antibiotic free. Free range doesn’t necessarily mean its better it just means the chickens weren’t cooped up.

Disaster Strikes!

On occasions I’ve bought the children a treat and it’s interesting that I would get bothered that they were eating it. They weren’t eating it in the way I had planned. (Imagine that). For instance, I was thinking it was okay to buy this treat because they'd be spreading it out over many days at lunch or something. I realized I can’t get mad when I give them the bag of chips and 15 min later they’ve mauled the bag until every last crumb is eaten and the bag is in shreds on the ground. I had envisioned that they’d eat one chip at a time and not too many. What kid has that kind of self control (what adult does for that matter)?  Do we think they won’t over eat on the junk? Should we rethink the items we buy and bring into the house? I hear moms all the time say I wish we ate better. If that really is the desire then that is something that can be achieved by being more aware at the grocery store. The children can’t eat it if I don’t buy it. Works not only with junk food but with good foods as well. They can’t eat healthy grains and leafy vegetables if I don’t have them in the house. Just some "food" for thought. Haha. HOW-TO-SHOP WISELY (post coming soon on your favorite blog...It's Just Good 4 U.)

They EAT what I BUY!!

One thing I’ve been thinking about in regards to children’s nutrition, especially with young children, is that they eat what I buy. I'm not talking about all the time because we visit family, etc.  But a majority of time (which is what really matters) is my children eat what I buy and fix.  If I’m concerned that my children aren’t getting the right foods then wouldn’t it be my job to PURCHASE the right foods.  I'm the one at the grocery store bringing the food into the house. I mentioned this to my sister when she was complaining that all her kids want to eat is junk food.  (I probably would to if that's what was in the house.)  I asked her who brings the junk food into the house.  She answered sheepishly, "I do." Hmm... Interesting.  I've been there.  I didn't like some of the things that my kids were eating until it dawned on me that they wouldn't be able to eat it if I DIDN'T BUY IT.  Revolutionary idea, I know.  At least it was to me!!! 

My cute little picky eaters!!

I am the mother of 4 children. Let me introduce my children (obviously their nicknames).  Spanky is 9 years old, Portamus Prime is 7, Bubbles Pat is 4 and Tallyoop is 2. I have 2 extremely picky eaters out of the 4. The frustrating thing is the 2 picky ones rub off onto my good eaters. Pretty soon I have 4 kids that won’t eat anything I fix without taking drastic measures. In past years I wouldn’t have called myself an extreme healthnut by any stretch of the word. We ate like most Americans with some minor changes. I did use whole wheat flour when I baked, real butter, and fructose sugar. I tried to buy things that were lower in sugar and never really bought a lot of sugar cereals. I did pretty well with not taking my kids out to fastfood.  I wanted to give you an introduction to my family and the challenges that I've faced with feeding my children.  Their health has been my motivating factor.  The diversity with each of their eating habits and needs made it easier to test my methods.  You probably have similar eaters. 

EXTREMELY PICKY  --Spanky by far is my pickiest eater and has presented the most challenges.  She tolerates only a handful of foods all of which are only relatively good for her.  She has the most disgusting gag reflex you've ever seen.  Anything that felt wierd in her mouth ended up back on her plate. YUMMY for the rest of us! As Spanky became pickier, I became worried about her health. She became thin and sickly. She just simply refused to eat unless it was something she liked and she was the type to starve rather than just eat something. I took her to the doctor and was told to add ice cream and butter to her meals. That seemed a bit ridiculous so I decided I’d do some research and find something that might work instead.  I have found some great alternatives that have proven quite successful with Spanky.   She eventually gained some weight so the doctor was pleased with that (I didn’t tell them my secret, for all he knew I’d given her the butter and ice cream for every meal).  I was told years ago that Spanky would eventually grow out of her picky eating habits. I found comfort in that but the years went by and there had only been small improvements. I knew it was time to make a change!!   I'm happy to report that after months of using my techniques she is more open to a variety of foods.  (More exciting research and info available soon) Just a preview of what's in store.  My family will attest to how amazing this sounds.  Spanky ate beets from our garden and asked for MORE at dinner the other night.  Whoah double take! I felt so happy.  My crowning moment.  My methods were working...

FOOD SENSITIVE, NOT PICKY--Portamus Prime is my 2nd child. He’s always been a great eater. However, he is allergic to milk and some forms of wheat. He has drastic blood sugar problems when he doesn’t eat a balance diet. He’s on the larger side. He’s not fat just bigger than kids his age. He’s tall and big boned. He’s a foot taller than most of the kids in his class at school. My worry with his health is that he eats for comfort. He’s constantly eating. I’ve read numerous books to help me understand some of his behavioral problems with food. Through good nutrition I’ve been able to help him maintain his weight (without gaining), decrease blood sugar spikes, and provide substitutes for his allergies.

PICKY EATER with FOOD SENSITIVITY--Bubbles Pat is my 4 year old. Variety with this kid is hard. He’ll eat his vegetables only if you play games or bribe him and usually he’ll gag the whole time. It’s quite a sight to see. It was easier when he was younger but luckily I had established some good eating habits while he was very young. He has many allergies. I’ve had to really watch for food sensitivities. He breaks out with rashes easily. He doesn’t mind that he’s drinking rice milk or gluten free foods. I’ve been able to give him more nutrients because he hasn’t always been aware. He didn’t notice for a long time that I was sneaking things into his yogurt, applesauce, peanut butter and whatever else. I remember the day when he caught me as I was sticking my head into the fridge with his applesauce. I thought I was too sneaky but he caught me. I didn’t even try to hide it after that. He was too smart and so I explained what I was doing and the good it was having on his body. Now he reminds me to put them in if I forget.

GREAT EATER, NOT PICKY, NO FOOD SENSITIVITY--Tallyoop is my 2 year old baby. She was picky from birth but has grown into my good eater. In fact she’ll eat everything I eat. I never worry about her getting nutrients. She loves cucumbers a lot, vegetables, beans, soup and just about anything. She has so much variety in her diet. It’s so refreshing. Of course, the other kids’ attitudes are gradually wearing off on her. She’ll say she doesn’t like something just because of the other kids. Having this kind of eater was helpful while testing my methods.

As you can see I’ve had a challenge on my hands to get 4 very different children the adequate nutrition and eating habits that will help each one grow and develop. I’ll be sharing with you some of the ways I’ve been able to take on what seemed like the impossible for me only a year ago. Keep reading to find out how!!!!

Know what they eat

How will you know if you or your children are getting adequate nutrition if you don't keep track? I have notebooks and notebooks from the past year of food journals. Whenever anyone asks me how to start making changes with their eating habits, I tell them to start with a food journal. Just eat normally for a week writing everything down that you eat and an estimate of how many servings. This might be quite shocking because most of us don't realize what we are eating let alone our children. This will give you an idea of what vitamins and minerals are lacking from your family's diet. Most families eat the same thing over and over again. For children who are picky eaters this is most likely the case. I know families that have the same meal every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc. Variety is something that we don't see very often in our eating. This lack of variety attributes to deficiency. When deficiencies occur over long periods of time our bodies become weakened resulting in sickness and disease. (More details given in my book... available soon).

So tip of the day. KEEP A FOOD JOURNAL FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR CHILDREN.


Sample of how I set it up!!


DAY___________________________    


Brief Description of day (Here's where I put things like--it was a crazy day, we were out alot or we had a party or we spent the day moving...aka NOT SO GOOD with EATING TODAY)_________________________________________________________________________


Breakfast________________________________________
Snack____________________________________________
Lunch___________________________________________
Snack__________________________________________
Dinner__________________________________________
Snack__________________________________________

This is just a basic idea to get you started.  I will add more description later.  The main thing is write it down.

Their chance for a healthy future.

I'm on a mission.

This past year I made a complete 180 with my health. I started the year being out of shape, sickly, weak, and depressed. My children suffered from allergies and violent mood swings. In 2009 I decided to take control of my life and make some drastic changes for myself and my children. My mission worked, I feel incredible, I'm in shape, I can exercise again. My children are healthier with less allergies and mood swings. I did this all through good food and supplements.

I am motivated to continue this mission for my children.

I’m a busy mother of 4. I work as a Math Teacher at a local University. I know what its like to feel busy and stressed on a day to day basis. But I also, just like you, want what’s best for my children. I want them to have every chance possible for a future free of sickness and disease. I want them to love good food and have good eating habits. I want them to have the knowledge as well so they can take care of themselves someday. I’m not perfect. There are always improvements that can be made as I grow and evolve as a mother. I don’t worry as much anymore because I know that I am giving my children the nutrients they need on a daily basis so they can have a healthy future.

My hope with this blog is to help my reader know that healthy eating and living is possible. Line upon line. I will share with you my secret recipes and knowledge with the hope that you will have a desire to share this with your families. I know if you experiment with some of my methods I'll be sharing with you, you will notice a difference in you and your children's lives. We're all on a mission together. Our children's future depends on it. Let 2010 be your year to tackle your health and help your children as well. Follow my blog often, learn my secrets, and look for my book coming shortly. Til my next post!!