Pretty Little Apron

Dana

Toddler Lunch Roundup 3

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ToddlerRoundup3(3)

 

 The Lunches


Day 17: Whole wheat apple and oat pancakes, mixed fresh fruit, carrot sticks, and scrambled eggs

Day 18 (Not Pictured): Lunch on the Go! Included my Fruity Nutty Oat Squares, organic cheese stick, and strawberries

Day 19: Maple-Dijon grilled salmon, skillet red potatoes, and “Green” Apple Pie Smoothie in Squooshi

Day 20: Homemade Tomato Soup, grilled cheese on Ezekiel bread, carrot sticks, and strawberries

Day 21: Mushroom “meatball” over whole wheat spaghetti, frozen carrot cake pop, mango, blueberries, and a red palm superfood cookie

Day 22: Raspberries, grapes, white bean taco, avocado, and kalamata olives

Day 23: Carrots, strawberries, raspberries, dye-free jelly beans, mushroom and eggplant over whole wheat penne tossed in my classic creamy Alfredo and Herb Sauce

Day 24:Red plum, raspberries, mayo-free egg salad on Ezekiel Bread, popcorn, and cheddar roosters

Day 25: Dippy egg, homemade shoestring fries, Ezekiel Bread, eggplant and mushrooms, and strawberries

Day 26: shredded whole chicken, potato and zucchini cake, carrot sticks, steamed asparagus, and homemade ranch

The Best Natural Baby Products

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BabyProducts

There is nothing more infuriating then reading the label on a baby product, only to find out it is loaded with chemicals, artificial stuff, and preservatives. There are harmful chemicals lurking everywhere in the baby market, even in products used by hospitals and pushed by pediatricians. I will never forget the day the pediatrician convinced me my baby would never survive without Vitamin D drops so I went to Target and purchased the only brand there. When I got home I realized it contained artificial dyes and polysorbate 80, a controversial preservative. I was furious Enfamil would be using these harmful ingredients in Vitamin D drops of all things!


I’ve compiled a list of some of the best natural products I have found for my kids, from trusted brands choosing not to use harmful ingredients. I’m covering everything from wash, to feeding products, to sunscreen, to Vitamin D drops so keep on reading!

 

The Best Natural Baby Products

1. Shea Moisture Baby

I can’t say enough about their products. The smell alone is enough for me to keep me coming back for more! Every time I smell their baby wash I think of how small Christian once was. To be honest I’ve been using their baby lotion for about 2 years now, and it has even helped lighten some of the stretch marks I had from being pregnant. All 3 of my boys currently wash with this daily and that is what puts it at the top of the list.

2. California Baby

I also found California Baby to be a great brand, using a really gentle formula for their washes. They have a huge line of products and have products that are unscented for even the most sensitive skin. I liked their calendula version the best out of their line, and we also used their conditioner for my son with thicker hair. I have to say, this wash will not lather hardly at all, but because it is so gentle I understand why. It still left my kids smelling distinctive and clean. They have everything from powder to sunscreen and also have a trial pack to see what you like. The price tag is big for this one, but it lasts forever! I think I only went through 1 and a half bottles in the first year of my son’s life.

 3. Lavanila Baby

 

I use the Lavanila line myself and LOVE their deodorant! I have routinely used their perfume and lotions for a few years now, and their baby lotion is just as amazing. I can’t even put into words how good their products smell, and the best part, they are 100% natural! This lotion is super hydrating yet gentle. This would make a great shower gift because it is not a brand people are that familiar with. The price point is spot on, and the product is wonderful!

4. Seventh Generation

When it comes to a chlorine free diaper, Seventh Generation is a great option. We used their diapers for quite some time and they are just like all the other disposables, without all the chemicals and chlorine. The best part, Seventh Generation runs coupons frequently so check around for those! They aren’t overpriced and I thought they compared to Huggies. Overall, I was always very happy with their diapers and wipes!

4. Child Life Essentials Vitamin D Drops

If you are breastfeeding and choose to go the Vitamin D route as suggested, Child Life Essentials has drops without the artificial dyes and questionable preservatives. Here are the ingredients in their drops compared to Enfamil’s:

Child Life Essentials:

Vitamin D3, Organic Virgin Olive Oil, Natural Mixed Berry Flavor

Enfamil:

Glycerin, Water, Polysorbate 80, Citric acid, Vitamin D3, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hydroxide, Artificial Flavor, Artificial Caramel Color

The ingredients in Enfamil are just ridiculous, shame on them for using their already popular name to push a Vitamin D drop loaded with chemicals and artificial stuff!

6. Burt’s Bees

When it come to sunscreen there are many options out there for a more natural approach. I LOVE this sunscreen stick that contains no fragrances or parabens. The active ingredients are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, which are common among sunscreens. Burt’s Bees also has a whole line of baby washes, and while I can’t say I’ve tried them, they are worth checking out. Also, when this stick says “No Mess” they really do mean NO MESS! I have not found a sunscreen that is easier to apply then this one. When it comes to putting sunscreen on a baby’s face the last thing you need is a messy product paired with a squirmy baby. With this nifty stick you will never have to go through that experience again!

7. Honest Company

I haven’t tried their diapers, but I have heard great things about them! Honest Company is awesome if you are looking for stuff for the whole family plus your home. They have everything from cleaning supplies to teethers! I love their mission and am totally on board with their silicon teethers, that are free of harmful chemicals that no baby should be chewing on. When your in the market for something your baby will be regularly putting in their mouth, of course you want to go the natural way!

8. Evenflo Glass Bottles

There is something I just don’t trust about plastics. Mounting research is showing even BPA free plastics leach chemicals into liquids so I don’t want to take that chance. Although my youngest wouldn’t take a bottle we were prepared to use glass because it is a safer alternative to plastic, especially given the fact that most people heat formula for babies before they drink it. These bottles are priced really reasonably and are a lot safer then plastic! There are also a lot of other brands selling glass now including Dr. Browns and Avent, likely because they know plastics are harmful and consumers are becoming more conscious of that.

9. Innobaby

Again, I don’t trust plastics. If you follow me on Instagram you might have seen this absolutely adorable bus plate by Innobaby. When I was on the search for a stainless steel baby plate for my youngest, I saw this and had to have it! It comes with a lid that makes it even better because it is easy to store food in the plate. Less containers equal less mess so I’m on board there! Innobaby also makes stainless steel sippy cups and a few other food related products. Check them out if you are on the market for stainless steel feeding items!

I would love to hear from other mom’s using natural products! If you love something tell me about it in the comments so we can share the natural goodness!

 

 

 

Toddler Lunch: Day 27 (Persimmon)

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Toddlerlunch27

The Lunch

Today for lunch Theodore had persimmon, black bean, chicken, and avocado taco on a Non-GMO blue corn taco shell (Garden of Eatin), a dried fig and oat ball, and sweet potato fries. My kids LOVE beans so the taco was simply my White Bean Taco recipe using black beans instead of white and adding chicken. I ate the taco topped with some of my Homemade Ranch Dressing, and let’s just say I probably would have funneled that into my mouth if I could have!

The Persimmon


Persimmon is a fruit that looks similar to a tomato. It is orange in color and could very well be mistaken for a tomato if it wasn’t cut. When you cut it open, it isn’t seedy and has the texture of a dry cantaloupe. It is mildly sweet, and very tasty! I eat it as is, and so do my kids. The only thing with a persimmon is that you have to be sure it is ripe before you try to eat it, unless you want to taste something extremely bitter! I always leave them out on the counter for a day or two just to be sure. When it is ripe it should be bright orange. Persimmons are rich in dietary fiber, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, manganese, vitamin c, and beta carotene. If you have never tried them it is time to get on the persimmon train! Theodore was unsure of persimmons the first time he had them but has since started liking them! We don’t get them often because they can be expensive but since we like to get different fruits at the grocery store every week they do end up in our cart from time to time.

Toddler Lunch: Day 26 (Homemade Ranch!)

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toddlerlunch26

The Lunch

Today Theodore had steamed asparagus, carrots, homemade ranch to dip, watermelon, grapes, shredded chicken from our dry rubbed whole chicken last night, and a potato/zucchini “muffin”. For some reason he is still unsure if he likes watermelon, so I cut it differently to see if he would try it. I think it is the seeds he is not too fond of, but I tried anyways. If cutting it a different way doesn’t work, I’m going to make some pops out of it and then I KNOW he will like it! Once he gets a taste for the flavor then maybe he will eat it as is. Christian (the baby) LOVES watermelon, and so do I so I’m sure Theodore will come around soon.

The Ranch


I have talked about the ingredients in Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing before, and if you didn’t see the post here it is. Overall the ingredients are a mix of highly refined unhealthy oils, MSG in a few forms, and abbreviated preservatives. Definitely not a product I would feel comfortable feeding my family! I make a few different dips for veggies, but my Homemade Ranch is the best one! The spice mix I use can be used in a number of ways, so making it up ahead of time never hurts. I also just used this mix on my Dry Rubbed Whole Chicken, and I’ve also used it on potatoes. I haven’t tried this spice mix on anything that it didn’t taste great on!

One other notable thing is I do not use mayo as a base for dressing as it is GMO and contains soybean oil and preservatives. I’ve found organic sour cream to be a great alternative!

 

Homemade Ranch Dressing

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ranchmix

This recipe is simple and easy! Mix the spices together, then mix it with sour cream and milk to make homemade ranch dressing. It can also be used as a dry rub, or seasoning for potatoes or veggies. A versatile and delicious mix of spices!


Here is what to mix for the dressing:

  • 1/2 tsp ranch dressing spice mix
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/8 cup milk
  • addition cracked black pepper and salt to taste

Dry Rubbed Whole Chicken

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wholechicken

Whole chickens are severely under-rated! I can’t tell you the last time I have cooked with boneless, skinless chicken breasts because not only are boneless, skinless chicken breasts super expensive (3 or 4 organic are about $12), they are also dry if you don’t cook them right, and tend to lack flavor.


I choose to bake whole chickens because I’m not a huge fan of the Crock Pot movement that has swept America (cake in a Crock Pot, really?!?!). There are a few different ways I season whole chickens, but this dry rub is one of my favorites! This is the same seasoning blend I use for my homemade ranch dressing, but it takes on a whole new flavor rubbed on chicken skin! It is loaded with flavor, and everything blends together nicely. It is really a classic, savory, and slightly salty end result. This chicken can be served with anything from roasted potatoes, to rice, or a nice salad. This recipe makes a bit more then I needed for 1 chicken but I use this mix in other cooking so extra doesn’t bother me. If you don’t want extra cut the recipe in half.

ranchmix

 

Toddler Lunch: Day 25 (How To Get A Perfect Dippy Egg)

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Toddlerlunch25(2)

The Lunch

Today Theodore had a dippy egg “flower”, Ezekiel bread for dipping, homemade shoe string fries, mushroom and eggplant, and strawberries. I can’t tell you the last time I made dippy eggs. For some reason my husband got us an over-abundance of eggs at the grocery store so it has been an “eggy” week. I’ve been on Instagram a lot lately and have been seeing a lot of #nomnompaleo posts featuring beautiful dippy eggs! Although this one isn’t quite as beautiful as hers, it was perfect in real life. Even though I haven’t made dippy eggs in a long time, I still have a few tricks up my sleeve!

The Perfect Egg


When I was younger the only part of the dippy egg I would eat was the middle. I always thought I didn’t like the taste of the whites that way, but the reason I didn’t like them was because they weren’t seasoned!! You MUST season your eggs! I love a lot of cracked black pepper on mine as well as a pinch of kosher salt. I season the kid’s eggs a pinch too because let’s face it… egg whites are bland!

The second step to the perfect dippy egg is cooking it low and slow. Do not be afraid to let your pan heat up for a few minutes on low before you even start, and do not be afraid of butter! If you don’t use butter I would recommend olive oil as that gives a nice taste as well. I highly recommend taking your time on the heat up. Keep your burner on low, crack your egg into your pan, and let it do its thing. When I see it starting to get white around the edges I take my spatula and push it together a bit, as I don’t like it to be all over the place. When it is entirely white on the bottom take your time, flip it, and turn your burner down. This is when I put my burner on warm (I have electric) because the pan is already hot. I give it just a minute or two on the other side and it is done! After I took it out of the pan I placed the cutter around the center and got my lovely flower. Of course I scarfed down the edges of the whites! 🙂

The shoestring fries were left overs from yesterday but they were still delicious today. I sent them in my 1st grader’s lunchbox, and Theodore got the rest. All I did for these was peel 6-7 potatoes (I used red because that is what we had), drizzled them with olive oil, and tossed them with 1/4 tsp onion salt, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, threw in a pinch of kosher salt, and cracked a generous amount of black pepper on top. I baked them at 350 degrees until I saw them getting golden around the edges. I’m telling you, these tasted JUST LIKE the seasoning on the frozen fries you get at the grocery store, but without the GMO oils and other additives they like to throw in those products.

On a side note we are taking a trip this weekend so sticking with our unprocessed routine might be a challenge. I’ll be sure to update that on Monday! TGIF!!

The Ultimate Guide To Avoiding Genetically Modified Foods

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notogmo


As a consumer I am very conscious of purchasing foods that are NOT genetically modified. There are many factors that contribute to my family’s decision to not consume these foods and here is a link to The Non-GMO Project explaining what GMO foods are, facts and myths about them, and a ton of other great information. I could go over all of it, but I’d like this post to focus on how to avoid them, not why I avoid them.  Here are the steps my family took in removing GMO’s from our household:

1. Know the Source

To cut GMO’s from your household first you have to know which foods are genetically modified. Here is a list of the biggest GMO crops in The United States:

  • Corn

  • Soy

  • Cottonseed

  • Alfalfa

  • Papaya

  • Canola

  • Sugar Beets

  • Zucchini and Yellow Summer Squash

  • Dairy treated with rBst

The list looks small, but if you go through your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer and read ingredient lists you will start to realize these 8 crops are in almost ALL packaged foods. Even foods that appear to be “healthy” still can contain GMO ingredients. If you are serious about avoiding GMO’s it is very important to cook from scratch or find verified products (will discuss that later).

2. Know Hidden Sources

It is easy to read the words “soybean oil” and know a product contains GMO ingredients. However, there are other food ingredients and additives that are labeled using different names that can be hidden sources of GMO’s. The best thing to do is look over this list, make a mental note, and start reading packages. Thanks to the Non-GMO Shopping Guide, here is a list of ingredients to look out for:
Aspartame (also called AminoSweet®,    NutraSweet®, Equal Spoonful®, Canderel®,  BeneVia®, E951)
baking powder
canola oil (rapeseed oil)
caramel color
cellulose
citric acid
cobalamin (Vitamin B12)
colorose
condensed milk
confectioners sugar
corn flour
corn masa
corn meal
corn oil
corn sugar
corn syrup
cornstarch
cottonseed oil
cyclodextrin
cystein
dextrin
dextrose
diacetyl
diglyceride
erythritol
Equal
food starch
fructose (any form)
glucose
glutamate
glutamic acid
glycerides
glycerin
glycerol
glycerol monooleate
glycine
hemicellulose
high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
hydrogenated starch
hydrolyzed vegetable protein
inositol
inverse syrup
inversol
invert sugar
isoflavones
lactic acid
lecithin
leucine		 lysine
malitol
malt
malt syrup
malt extract
maltodextrin
maltose
mannitol
methylcellulose
milk powder
milo starch
modified food starch
modified starch
mono and diglycerides
monosodium glutamate (MSG)
Nutrasweet
oleic acid
Phenylalanine
phytic acid
protein isolate
shoyu
sorbitol
soy flour
soy isolates
soy lecithin
soy milk
soy oil
soy protein
soy protein isolate
soy sauce
starch
stearic acid
sugar (unless specified as cane sugar)
tamari
tempeh
teriyaki marinades
textured vegetable protein
threonine
tocopherols (vitamin E)
tofu
trehalose
triglyceride
vegetable fat
vegetable oil
vitamin B12
vitamin E
whey
whey powder
xanthan gum

 

3. Buy Organic (Especially Meats and Dairy)

When you buy organic, you have the piece of mind of knowing there are no GMO ingredients in your food. This one really goes beyond packaged foods because if you haven’t realized yet, you are what you eat! If you are consuming animal products derived from animals consuming GMO’s, then you essentially are eating GMO’s. I know there are a ton of people who proclaim “Organic foods are the same as Non-Organic” and “It is all just a trick” and so on, but one thing they can’t argue against is scientific research. The fact is organic grass fed butter is higher in “healthy fats”, contains Vitamin k12, and contains more Omega-3 Fatty Acids then its counterpart. Don’t believe me? Check this out! Also, when you buy organic dairy you know the cows weren’t given any Monsanto engineered growth hormones.

Speaking of Growth Hormones…

I stay away from non-organic milk especially because I don’t agree with the way the animals are treated. As a mother who has nursed a baby (I know cows and humans are different but still) I can say it is NOT comfortable to have boobs full of milk. Most of these cows are given hormones to over-produce and then given anti-biotic to fight off the mastitis that comes with over-producing. Call me crazy but I’ve been there, and it is a terrible thing to suffer through. If that was all my life consisted of, it would be a painful, sad existence.

4. Look for Non-GMO Verified Products

nongmoverified

If you go through my pantry you will see this label on rice, cereals, lentils, beans, and many other products. I love this label, and even seek it more then the USDA Organic label. Thanks to the Non-GMO project companies who are not using GMO’s can verify their products. This is super important since the government refuses to make it mandatory for companies to label GMO ingredients. If you’d like to check out the verification process here is a link to how companies get verified.

5. Know the Companies Fighting to Keep Us in The Dark

This one is huge for me. Did you know that the companies who own most of the grocery store shelves (there are only a handful of them!) also spend millions of dollars a year to keep us in the dark? If they are a big name brand, they are probably on the list. I don’t support any of these companies essentially because when I buy their products I am putting my own money toward something I don’t agree with. If we stop giving these companies our money, they won’t have the funds to keep us in the dark. Believe me, we are a long way away from that ever happening simply because they have been confusing people about GMO foods from the start. If you can’t convince them, confuse them! And that’s exactly what they try to do! Here is the list of the companies who have previously fought GMO labeling (From Inspiration Green):

  • Monsanto

  • Dupont

  • PepsiCo Inc.

  • Coca-Cola

  • Nestle USA

  • General Mills

  • Bayer CropScience

  • Dow AgroSciences

  • BASF Plant Science

  • ConAgra Foods

  • Campbell’s Soup Co.

  • Hershey Company

  • Kellogg Co.

  • Land O’ Lakes

  • Cargill & Co.

  • Bimbo Bakeries (Sara Lee, BallPark)

  • Del Monte

  • Ocean Spray Cranberries

  • Hormel Foods

  • Kraft Foods

  • Heintz

  • Godiva

  • Mars

  • Sunny Delight

  • BumbleBee

  • Morton Salt

  • McCain

  • Rich’s

  • Wrigley

  • Smithfield

  • Goya

  • Welch’s

  • Abbott Nutrition (Similac Formula)

  • J.M. Smucker Co.

  • Unilever

  • And Many More!

There are also several other companies owned by these big names that you should check out on Inspiration Green (organic and natural food companies specifically).

6. Get The GMO Checker Apps

There are several apps available now that scan barcodes and can identify if the food has GMO’s in it. The one I have doesn’t always know, but they will e-mail you the results once they investigate it. I love this because it means all of these companies fighting against GMO labeling are eating all of their money now because people who really want to know can! When you begin investigating GMO ingredients you probably won’t even need the app but just incase I am unsure, or want to double check it is a great tool.

 

If you liked this information, Please SHARE IT! Nothing will ever change about our food supply until we as consumers take control!

Vanilla-Almond Freezer Pancakes

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vanillaalmondpancakes

If your mornings are super busy making breakfast ahead, freezing it, and getting it out as needed is a great idea. These pancakes are loaded with nutrients and oats, which will give you lasting energy. I love knowing when I send my school aged son off to school that he won’t be super hungry before lunch time! If you don’t want to freeze this recipe I recommend cutting it in half.


Another reason to make your own pancakes to freeze instead of buying the store bought version are the ingredients. Here are the ingredients from Kellog’s Eggo Buttermilk Pancakes:

eggo

The Red Flags

  • Soybean oil: Highly refined, unhealthy fats, GMO, never a good option!
  • High Fructose Corn Syrup: Highly refined, GMO, will likely give a spike of energy, and a crash!
  • Enrichment: The fact that they are enriching these means they are not using a whole flour that still has natural nutrients in tact. If you are consuming whole, unrefined grains there is no need for enrichment. Our bodies are also more efficient at processing naturally occuring nutrients so that is always the best way to go.

Overall, the ingredient list is just in my opinion inferior. They use the worst ingredients in each category, then go back and enrich it. I know I don’t want to start my day with unhealthy fats, gmo’s, and HFCS!  Also, if you are thinking of going the boxed mix route, some of those are even worse! Check out this post for the reasons why.

*To freeze simply place in ziplock bags and store in freezer.

 

Why Morningstar Burgers Are A Health Hazard

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What’s the Deal With Morningstar?

morningstar When I started reading ingredient labels I began thinking about the Morningstar Black Bean Burgers everyone hailed as the “healthier” alternative to beef. I had a sneaky suspicion they probably had some pretty bad ingredients in them, specifically GMO soy. Well, I was right! Here is a review of the ingredients:


WATER, COOKED BLACK BEANS (BLACK BEANS, WATER), COOKED BROWN RICE (WATER, BROWN RICE), ONION, WHOLE KERNEL CORN, CORN OIL, SOY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, WHEAT GLUTEN, EGG WHITES, DICED TOMATOES, BULGUR WHEAT, GREEN CHILES, CALCIUM CASEINATE, CORNSTARCH, CONTAINS TWO PERCENT OR LESS OF ONION POWDER, SPICES, TOMATO JUICE, YEAST EXTRACT, TOMATO POWDER, DEXTROSE, SALT, GARLIC POWDER, HYDROLYZED VEGETABLE PROTEIN (CORN GLUTEN, WHEAT GLUTEN, SOY PROTEIN), SOY SAUCE (SOYBEANS, WHEAT, SALT), NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, PAPRIKA, JALAPENO PEPPER, CITRIC ACID, XANTHAN GUM, DISODIUM INOSINATE, THIAMIN HYDROCHLORIDE, CARAMEL COLOR, LACTIC ACID.

What these Ingredients Mean

  • Whole kernel corn- GMO
  • Brown Rice- Possible GMO
  • Corn Oil- Highly refined GMO oil
  • Soy protein concentrate- GMO
  • Cornstarch- GMO
  • Yeast Extract- Another form of Monosodium Glutamate of MSG (the Chinese food additive)
  • Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein- Another form of MSG
  • Natural and Artificial Flavors- Unknown ingredients
  • Disodium Inosinate- Another form of MSG
  • Caramel color- Potential carcinogen

Well looks like Morningstar loves their GMO’s and MSG’s. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a product with 3 forms of MSG in it! Yes, rice and beans are bland but 3 forms of MSG? That’s what I call over-kill. If you thought these were a healthier alternative to beef, it is time to think again. These things are a GMO bomb, with a ton of MSG and potential carcinogens. There is NOTHING healthy about these. I don’t care if you are saving fat grams, I will take the fat over the GMO’s and everything else any day. We stay far, far away from GMO soy because I refuse to allow my family to be used as lab rats. GMO soy in particular has been repeatedly linked to sterility, infant mortality, and birth defects. If any of the experiments they have done so far are true, things are looking very scary for our future. I will NOT support companies using GMO ingredients, and Morningstar is no exception. If you’d like to know more about GMO’s here is a really helpful article from NationofChange.org.

If you like these and want to make your own instead, try my Spicy Black Eyed Pea Burgers.

Toddler Lunch: Day 24 (Mayo-Free Egg Salad)

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toddlerlunch24

The Lunch

Today Theodore had red plum slices, raspberries, mayo-free egg salad on Ezeikel bread, popcorn (organic non-gmo), and cheddar cheese roosters. He LOVED the egg salad sandwich which surprised me because sometimes he is weird about eggs.

The Mayo Issue


Let me simply start by saying MAYO IS NASTY. Growing up my mom hated mayo, so it was not something I ate until I was well over 20 years old. Thank You Mom!!! My mom always said she hated it because there are eggs in it? Not sure what that was about but she probably should have hated it because it is highly processed, and it uses genetically modified soy. It also commonly contains “natural flavors” which we have no idea what those are, and contains preservatives that are abbreviated (EDTA). Not to mention, homemade mayo IS NOT WHITE! It is yellow. Therefore, we know there is something Hellman’s isn’t telling us about this product.I can say I’m never consciously touching store bought mayo again, no matter how many fancy slogans Hellman’s uses on their packaging!

I don’t feel the need to make homemade mayo because we don’t use mayo that much and I have found sour cream to be a really easy alternative. Here is the recipe I used for the egg salad. Mix all the ingredients together and you have a great mayo-free egg salad.

  • 2 hard boiled eggs
  • 1 Tbsp sour cream (yes, I use organic)
  • pinch of kosher salt
  • fresh cracked black pepper
  • kalamata olives (optional)

 

 

 

Toddler Lunch: Day 23 (Raw foods and Supporting Candy Companies Not Using Artificial Dyes)

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Toddlerlunch23

The Lunch

Today Theodore had carrot sticks, strawberries, raspberries, dye free organic jelly beans, and mushrooms/eggplant over whole wheat penne with my classic alfredo and herb sauce.


I was just reading a write up from the John Hopkin’s about cancer prevention and one thing they mentioned was consuming  more raw foods. When we cook foods they loose nutrients, therefore the more raw foods we eat the better. I’m making an effort with my whole family to keep this in mind when preparing meals. While this is not anywhere near a raw foods blog, I think it is important to mention things like this for everyone to keep in mind. Not only are there health benefits to raw foods, they take less time to prepare and are “fast food” in my opinion. It is a win-win all around!

The Jelly Beans

My husband came home from our version of “Whole Foods”, The Healthy Grocer. He had allowed the kids to pick out a special treat… organic dye-free jelly beans! It was a special occasion, we were going camping for the Memorial Day weekend. I think it is important to seek out companies not using dangerous ingredients in candy and support what they are doing. After all, nothing will never change about our food supply until we change the companies we purchase from. Here is a link to the jelly beans he got. They were really good and I will definitely purchase from them again for other special occasions!

 

Classic Alfredo and Herb Sauce

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alfredosauce

I don’t know anybody who doesn’t love a good pasta dish. This recipe is simple to make, takes only a few minutes, and can’t be beat by ANY jarred version. My toddler loves this served with whole wheat penne pasta and topped with sautéed mushrooms and eggplant (I’m eggplant obsessed). I love it topped with spicy chicken or even fish. All around, it goes great with any vegetables or protein, which makes it one of my go-to recipes.


Toddler Lunch: Day 22

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Toddlerlunch22

Today we have a simple lunch of leftovers and fresh fruits. Theodore had raspberries, grapes, avocado, white bean taco leftovers on a blue corn tortilla, and kalamata olives to try. He has never had any type of olive before because we usually don’t have them on hand. I got them specifically to make hummus so I thought it was a good opportunity for him to try something new. Olives are super salty so I wouldn’t allow him to eat a lot of them but I knew they were a flavor that was completely new to him. I was afraid he was going to think they were a grape and get upset but luckily he didn’t!


I got the super cute food picks on Amazon and I thought they were a good idea until Theodore was so occupied with talking about them that he didn’t want to eat his food! All he wanted to do was carry around his “monkey pick”. I still love them though! 🙂

Here is a link to the picks

White Bean Tacos (With Avacado Cilantro-Lime Sauce)

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I love mixing things up with meatless Monday meals! We were on our way home from a trip with the in-laws for Memorial Day weekend and we spent a good part of the day traveling. I can’t even explain how tired I was when we arrived home. The latte I had on the way home just wasn’t cutting it! Needless to say we arrived home with nothing to eat and take-out was calling my name. The problem with take-out though is NOTHING fits our lifestyle. We have not found any places in our area that don’t serve refined food bombs, so take-out for us is almost non-existent. We do bend the rules once in a while but  I’m always left feeling really drained after eating highly refined foods. My body quickly reminds me how much it doesn’t like bad food choices, and I always experience pretty bad “crashes”. This is reason enough for me to stick with the good stuff because with 3 kids I need energy, and I was already drained from traveling.


I pinned the Avocado Cilantro-Lime Sauce from The Garden Grazer on the way home from our trip, which she paired with another bean taco recipe (thanks for the inspiration!). I switched a few things up with the bean filling and it was amazing. My kids didn’t even question the fact that the tacos weren’t beef and after I ate 2 tacos the only words I could utter were “I really needed that.” The best part was, it took about 5 minutes to make the filling and another 5 for the sauce. 10 minutes to an amazing and healthy meal is where it is at!

I should also mention that we are really choosey when it comes to taco shells. We purchase certified Non-GMO shells from Garden of Eatin because they are Non-GMO and do not contain soybean oil. They are a dollar or two more then the big name brands but the extra money is worth it when you are getting a quality product from a good company. We also love their blue corn tortilla chips!

*Here is a link to the strained tomatoes I use, that are jarred instead of canned. This product is about as good as fresh as it gets, and contains no added salt! LOVE IT!

Strawberry-Mango Oats and Yogurt

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Making yogurt for your baby is fun and easy! All you need is a blender or food processor. I suggest staying away from the products marketed specifically for making baby food because they have a very limited use and are expensive. They do the same thing as a food processor, but are cheaply made and don’t work as well.


Oats are iron rich and a perfect addition to any baby food. I use regular rolled oats (not quick cooking or baby style) and organic whole milk plain yogurt for this recipe. I also use organic strawberries, as strawberries are part of the dirty dozen list.

This recipe is also great for older kids. I put it inside our reusable Squooshi pouches, and even freeze it for an on-the-go snack to pull out of the freezer. Be creative and mix in any fruit that you’d like!

Toddler Lunch: Day 21 (Unrefined Superfoods)

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ToddlerLunch21

Today Theodore had mushroom “meatballs” on whole wheat spaghetti (i’m working on that recipe now), a frozen “carrot cake” pop, mango, blueberries, and one of my Red Palm Superfood Cookies. I have to say this is a lunch packed with nutrients and lasting energy for a growing toddler who is on the go.

The Cookie Struggle


Of course he went for the cookie first, which I feel fine about, I would too! There was a bit of a struggle after that because he wanted another cookie. I calmly told him no, and took the rest of the cookies out of his sight. He cried a bit more and walked away from his lunch. I don’t make a big deal about food issues like this because I know later in the day when the cookie struggle passes he will get hungry and come back to his food, which is exactly what happened. Right now he is sitting at the table eating the rest of his food.

On a side not we are going away for the Memorial Day Weekend and I am looking for some real food marshmallows. Anyone know of a good brand?

Red Palm Superfood Cookies

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Yes, you read the title right… Superfood cookies! If you’ve been following along you know I have 3 boys. I like to make treats for them every once in a while because I don’t want them to feel like we are “weird” or “different” then other kids we know, and who doesn’t love cookies? My husband had been making these oat, walnut, and maple cookies and I decided to take them to the next level by using red palm oil. If you haven’t heard of this stuff yet it is incredible!

Health Benefits


Organic virgin red palm oil is the king of all oils. It is better then olive oil, coconut oil, and all the other oils that have great health effects on us. My husband actually just picked it up at the store one day, not even knowing what it was, so I Googled it and found this article from Dr. Oz describing how amazing it is! Here is an overview of the health benefits:

  • Rich in tocotrienol which is cancer fighting
  • Fights heart disease and high cholesterol by aiding in the removal of plaque buildup in arteries
  • Helps maintain proper blood pressure
  • Antioxidant rich- aids in preventing osteoporosis, asthma, cataracts, macular degeneration, arthritis, and liver disease
  • Slows down premature again by protecting the skin from UV rays from the sun
  • Protects against Alzheimer’s by improving blood flow to brain cells and stopping the damage of brain cells from occuring

I don’t know about you, but sign me up for the Red Palm Oil train right now!

The Cookies

Not only will you get all the health benefits from the Red Palm Oil, the rest of the ingredients are whole, natural, and also packed with nutrition! These cookies contain oat flour and rolled oats as well as all natural sugar so your body will not experience the “crash” that comes with refined flours and sugars. The best part, they taste AMAZING! I think sometimes people think of health food as cardboard-like but its 2014 and things have drastically changed!

The Oil

The most important thing is to choose the right oil. Do not get any type of refined version, as refining processes ruin the health benefits of oils. I’d highly recommend Nutivia brand Organic Red Palm Oil. It is relatively inexpensive and can be found in the “organic” section of grocery stores. If you are looking among the highly refined oils and can’t find it, look in another section. Here is a link to the oil on Amazon if you can’t find it locally.

Kid Friendly Frozen Carrot Cake Pops

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There are 12 days of school left…. 12! There will soon be mad chaos in my household 24/7. We will be spending a ton of time outside and at the pool so I’m trying to come up with fun snack ideas for the kids that are quick. I’m also on a Ninja Masterprep kick because it is new so frozen pops seemed like an obvious option when I was thinking of ideas.


To be fair, this idea wasn’t all of my own. I did see a Pin floating around a while ago but noticed it contained some refined ingredients and moved on. After my “Apple Pie” Squooshi yesterday I realized cinnamon in smoothies tastes really good. I saw the carrots in the refrigerator and thought I’d give the carrot cake smoothie idea a whirl. When I tried it I was kind of amazed that I just made a carrot taste so good! The real test though, was having a tiny tester try it. There is a bit of “grit” from the carrot so I was concerned he would be turned off by that. To my surprise he ate all of his and asked for his brother’s!

Here is a link to the molds if you are interested, we use ours regularly and have been very happy with them.

 

Toddler Lunch: Day 20 (And How To Choose The Best Store Bought Bread)

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It is raining today here in Pennsylvania so I looked through my pantry and decided it was a perfect day for tomato soup and grilled cheese. Although this meal is simple, the quality ingredients used to put it together are really what set it apart from a meal containing canned soup and traditional store bought bread. Did you know Campbell’s uses high fructose corn syrup as the second ingredient in their tomato soup? This is one reason I never purchase store bought soups, they contain the cheapest, most refined ingredients and are very likely GMO (containing either soy or hfcs).

The Soup


I can put this soup together in about 10-15 minutes from start to finish. The best thing to remember about making your own tomato soup is that tomatoes are acidic so you will need a bit of something sweet to balance out the acidity. I use pure maple syrup to do this instead of refined sugars. You will also need some seasoning and salt (unless you are using  a salted tomato product). You will also need to know how to make a roux, which is just butter and flour. It is that easy! I’m going to be posting my recipe later today and will link it to this post

The Bread

Most store bought breads are a health nightmare. If you haven’t read my post “Are Trans Fats Hiding In Your Bread” I would recommend reading through it. What I hate about store bought bread is the tricky marketing they use. Just because it says 100% whole wheat, 12 grain, or whole grain doesn’t mean it is a quality product that isn’t hiding a ton of GMO and highly refined ingredients. They are also loaded with preservatives because if you haven’t noticed they don’t go bad!  Almost every single big name brand is doing this, so if you are regularly purchasing loaves of bread off of an unrefrigerated shelf in the grocery store you may want to rethink that purchase. There are some great alternatives out there but you have to search for them and read ingredient labels (look in the freezer section of the “organic” section of your grocery store). Here is what to look for when choosing a good store bought bread:

  • No preservatives
  • No GMO ingredients (soy, corn, hfcs)
  • No refined grains (bleach and enriched flours)
  • Something that will go bad if not frozen or refrigerated!

The Cheese

In short, no we don’t use Velveeta, American cheese slices, or any other “cheese-like” products. It is also best to buy cheese in blocks as the shredded kind contain additives, specifically cellulose to prevent caking. If it doesn’t have to be there, then I don’t want to eat it.

 

Spicy Black Eyed Pea Burgers (Morningstar Alternative)

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Buying good food to feed a family of 5 can be expensive! One thing we try to do to save money, try new things, and be healthier overall is take the focus off of meat in our meals. There are so many unknowns about the meat industry in America, and quite frankly I just don’t trust any of the big name brands. We do buy organic meats, but they are super expensive! I do use a few tricks to stretch the meat we buy, but I also love throwing in one or two meatless meals every week. I like experimenting with new ingredients and creating new recipes that do not contain meat and so far my family has really loved all of veggie friendly meals I’ve served. My kids do love beans and I’ve been serving lentils to my toddler since before he could even talk. Both of these are awesome alternatives to meat and contain tons of protein and fiber.


Toddler Lunch: Day 19 (Toddler Power Lunch!)

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I like to call this a Toddler Power lunch because it is packed full of nutrients and awesome foods! Theodore had my Maple-Dijon Grilled Salmon, skillet red potatoes with garlic, and a Squooshi filled with a green “Apple Pie” smoothie. Here are the ingredients in the smoothie that I blended with my Masterprep Ninja. It is perfect for blending apples and spinach for kids because it gets the smoothie pretty smooth considering the ingredients.

Green “Apple Pie” Smoothie

  • 1/2 red apple
  • 1/2 cup spinach
  • 1/4 cup plain yogurt
  • 1 Tbsp almond/peanut butter
  • dash of cinnamon

This recipe is great for smoothies or freezing for pops and is really tasty! If your putting this in a pouch for a younger child I will warn that it isn’t that thick so they might need one of those Choo Me spouts if you don’t want a mess! They come in the Squooshi Starter Kit or are sold separately on Amazon. Here is a link to those items.

Maple Dijon Grilled Salmon

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I like to keep things simple with Salmon because it is so good on it’s own. I use a cast iron stove-top grill for this recipe and it is perfect because the best part of this salmon are the flavorful drippings underneath the salmon! When I remove the salmon I scrape the goodness from the grill and put it right on-top of the fish. It makes this recipe that much better!


If you have never cooked with a cast iron griddle/grill before it does take some trial and error with temperatures. I’ve found the best thing to do is start very low, allow your grill to heat and if you need more heat turn it up little by little. Salmon is very delicate and the last thing you want to do is burn your fish to your grill in the first 2 minutes! Take it easy and you will have perfect result !

If you are on the market for cast iron cookware I highly recommend the brand Lodge. They have some really nice pieces that will last a life-time if you take care of them. Before doing anything with cast iron read up on how to take care of it. I’ve learned the hard way what to do/not to do with cast iron and replacing pieces is such a waste! Here is a link to the grill I use (I love it).

Toddler Lunch: Day 18 (At The Park)

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I am posting this for yesterday because I never found time to finish it yesterday. We went to the park with our friends Kelly and Kaden and I threw these things into Theodore’s LunchBots container so he could eat his lunch there. There were a lot of other babies/toddlers there playing so he was too busy to actually sit down and eat, but he did grab a few bites while playing.


Often times I hear from parents how they are just so busy they don’t have time to feed their kids good food. I think part of it is being in denial about what is actually in our food, and the other part is not realizing what the ingredients actually are. With summer fast approaching I know I will need to have “on the go” food for all 3 kids ready to go.  We have a few weekend trips coming up and we will be going to the park or pool all summer so there will be a lot of meals eaten outside of our home. I like to keep things simple and resort to fresh produce and high energy snacks for situations like this.

I know if I don’t bring something the choices there will be highly processed junk. If I have something already prepared for them the temptation to give in and allow them to have those things won’t be there. “Fast Food” to us is nothing more then fruits, vegetables, and maybe a cheese stick or a homemade fruit and nut or granola bar. If I have the bars made ahead of time (they only take 5 minutes to make anyway) I can have something ready to go in a minute or two. In Theodore’s lunch above you see my Fruity Nutty Oat Squares, which are raisins, dates, almonds, and oats. These are perfect for on the go and the kids love them!

 

 

Fruity Nutty Oat Squares

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The Ninja

Not to brag but I have a pretty awesome husband who is completely on board with eating unprocessed foods and supports everything I do. He knew I wanted a food processor because the small one I had a while back broke and I never replaced it. We went to Target for sponges last week and came home with a Ninja Masterprep Professional blender, chopper, and ice crusher.! My husband picked it out and brought it to the counter so it was a spur of the moment purchase but I’m very happy with it. The machine is a processor, chopper, and bullet all in one and it is AWESOME!!!! It  was relatively inexpensive for everything it does and it could crush just about anything. If you are in the market for a cool kitchen gadget here is a link to this machine:

The Squares


I had been looking a recipes for date and nut bars (LaraBars) and realized a lot of them looked super sticky. We always have rolled oats on hand so I decided to try my own version with some oats to help with the stickiness of the dates. These came together like a charm and with no trial and error I had created exactly what I was thinking of. These squares are versatile and could easily be modified using different types of dried fruit and nuts. My toddler was curious to try them right away and approved! These would be a great breakfast, snack, or lunchbox treat! With no added sugars, whole oats, and raw almonds these squares are something I feel good about feeding my children.

Hidden Ingredients Lurking in “Healthy” Foods For Kids

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Making food choices for our children can be a daunting task. There are a few foods that come to mind when I think about foods commonly over looked by parents because they seem kind of harmless, and also the “norm” among kids. I know we can all think of dozens of “junky” foods but there are hidden ingredients in practically ALL packaged foods and these examples are just scratching the surface.

1. Yogurt and Yogurt Based Smoothies  Danimals

 Let’s be honest here, if there is a cartoon character on the package, put it down! We all know these knockoff yogurt-like products are no good because they contain tons of sugar but that is just the beginning. Companies like Dannon, the makers of Danimals, love to promote the health benefits of their products and advertise they are no longer using high fructose corn syrup or artificial colorings. However, there are still a few ingredients lurking behind all of the tricky advertising that parents should be aware of, even if these products are considered “treats”. The ingredients in all of the Danimal varieties look similar.  All of them contain modified food starch (a GMO ingredient), natural flavorings (an unknown ingredient), and potassium sorbate (a preservative). Also, as I mentioned before one of the main ingredients in these yogurt-like products is added refined sugars.

2. Yogurt Covered Raisins Sunmaid

They love to do it again and again, take something simple and ruin it. Sun maid is no exception with their yogurt covered raisins that contain a healthy dose of trans fats (partially hydrogenated palm kernel oil) and GMO ingredients (soy lecithin, corn syrup, maltodextrin).

3. Animal Crackers stauffers

I’m going to be brutally honest here, I HATE THESE! They are known as a snack for little ones and look innocent. But they are actually a concoction of harmful and toxic ingredients that no little body should ingest.  My husband’s grandmother was even told by a doctor to give these to her husband as a snack because they had iron in them. Geez Louise! Here are the ingredients in the classic Stauffer’s Original Animal Crackers:

Ingredients: Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate [Vitamin B1], Riboflavin [Vitamin B2], Folic Acid), Sugar, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Salt, Sodium Bicarbonate (Leaving), Soy Lecithin (An Emulsifier), Natural Flavor, Spices (Nutmeg And Mace). Made In A Bakery That Uses Peanuts And Tree Nuts.

Sadly they contain refined flour, partially hydrogenated soybean oil (TRANS FAT), high fructose corn syrup, soy lecithin (GMO ingredient), and natural flavor (unknown ingredient).

4. Goldfish Crackers goldfish

Say it ain’t so! Yes, even these little smiling fish have a secret to hide! While they don’t contain bleached flour they do contain canola or soybean oil which are likely GMO. The other really disturbing ingredient they contain is autolyzed yeast, another way to say MSG. Yes, Pepperidge Farms is willing to stoop so low they are using a form of MSG in a food for toddlers and kids.

5. Fruit and Nut Trail Mixes    Emerald

Fruit and Nuts, such a healthy combination! That is, until you add all the trans fats, highly refined oils, GMO ingredients, natural and artificial flavors (unknown ingredients), and fake sugars (mannitol). Here are the ingredients in Emerald’s Breakfast On The Go! Berry Nut Blend.  The ingredients speak for themselves!

Roasted Peanuts (Peanuts, Peanut Oil And/Or Cottonseed Oil, Salt, Natural Flavoring), Granola Clusters (Rolled Oats, Brown Sugar, Rolled Wheat, Oat Flour, Canola Oil, Whey [Milk], Corn Syrup, Natural & Artificial Flavors, Rice Flour, Guar Gum, Sugar, Salt, Malted Barley Flour, Wheat Flour, Dextrose), Roasted Peanuts (Peanuts, Peanut Oil And/Or Cottonseed Oil, Salt, Natural Flavoring), Vanilla Yogurt Raisins (Confection Coating [Sugar, Partially Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil, Calcium Carbonate, Yogurt Powder (Cultured Whey Protein Concentrate, Cultured Skim Milk, Yogurt Culture), Titanium Dioxide (Artificial Color), Soya Lecithin (An Emulsifier), Vanilla], Raisins, Sunflower Oil, Corn Syrup, Tapioca Dextrin, Coconut Oil, Citric Acid, Sorbic Acid, Confectioner’s Glaze), Glazed Walnuts (Walnuts, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Sesame Seeds, Salt, Canola Oil, Soy Lecithin [An Emulsifier], Natural Flavors, Citric Acid), Dried Sweetened Blueberries (Blueberries, Sugar, Sunflower Oil), Dusted With: Maltodextrin, Mannitol, Methylcellulose.

6. Quaker Granola Bars quaker

I can sum this up  a few words: partially hydrogenated oils (TRANS FAT), cottonseed oil, TBHQ, soy lecithin (GMO ingredient), high fructose corn syrup, sorbitol (fake sugar), MORE TRANS FATS, MORE GMO’s, natural and artificial flavorings (unknown ingredients), and BHT (preservative known to damage DNA!). So if you really want to pack every ingredient to avoid into one product you’ve got it here. And to think these people are giving advice about “healthy living” on their website! LOL

7. Welch’s “Real Fruit” Snacks Welch's

Before I start with the ingredients I have to say, putting the words “fat free” or “only 80 calories per pouch” on the front of your packaging is sending the wrong message to children! Shame on Welch’s for even going that route!

I don’t care if Welch’s is using real fruit juice because they are also adding corn syrup (GMO ingredient), artificial colors, as well as natural and artificial flavorings (unknown ingredients). Don’t be fooled by Welch’s, just because they aren’t using High Fructose Corn Syrup doesn’t mean they have a quality product that isn’t filled with empty calories and sugar!

8. Ritz Crackers ritz

These crackers seem simple enough. They have light buttery taste but you’d never guess they are hiding a ton of dangerous ingredients including partially hydrogenated oil (TRANS FAT), soybean oil and soy lecithin (GMO ingredients), High Fructose Corn Syrup, and natural flavor (unknown ingredient). If you are seeing a trend with the crackers mentioned, I am too!

9. Honey Maid Graham Crackers honeymaid

Next time you are thinking about s’mores you might want to rethink your graham crackers! These also include partially hydrogenated oils (TRANS FATS), High Fructose Corn Syrup, artificial flavors (unknown ingredients), and a few GMO ingredients. Not the type of S’mores I had in mind!

10. Saltines saltines

Yep, those crackers you ate when you had the stomach flu and couldn’t keep anything else down.. they include 2 forms of trans fats, high fructose corn syrup (they aren’t even sweet!), refined flours, and GMO ingredients.

 11. Quaker Fruit and Cream Instant Oatmeal strawberries

 Stawberries & Cream: Whole Grain Rolled Oats (With Oat Bran), Sugar, Creaming Agent (Maltodextrin, Partially Hydrogenated, Soybean Oil**, Whey, Sodium Caseinate), Flavored Fruit Pieces (Dehydrated Apples [Treated With Sodium Sulfite To Promote Color Retention], Artificial Strawberry Flavor, Citric Acid, Red 40), Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Guar Gum, Oat Flour, Artificial Flavors, Citric Acid, Niacinamide*, Vitamin A Palmitate, Reduced Iron, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride*, Riboflavin*, Thiamin Mononitrate*, Folic Acid*. Contains Milk Ingredients

This oatmeal is hiding a lot more then artificial flavors! One packet of this and you’re getting a dose of partially hydrogenated oil (TRANS FAT), soybean oil (highly refined GMO ingredient), and apples that are treated with sulfites and dyed to look like strawberries. Not to mention a whopping 12 grams of refined sugar per packet! Definitely not a good way to start any day.

12. PediaSure pediasure

For one reason or another if you think your child needs extra nutrients I would not recommend going the PediaSure route. This ingredient list looks more like that chemistry test I failed a few years ago then any drink for toddlers! Here are the ingredients:

Water, Sugar, Milk Protein Concentrate, Soy Oil, Cocoa Powder (Processed With Alkali), Short-Chain Fructooligosaccharides, Soy Protein Isolate; Less Than 0.5% of: Cellulose Gel, Whey Protein Concentrate, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Phosphate, Natural And Artificial Flavor, Potassium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Citrate, Cellulose Gum, Salt, Choline Chloride, Ascorbic Acid, Carrageenan, Soy Lecithin, Monoglycerides, Potassium Hydroxide, M-Inositol, Taurine, Ferrous Sulfate, Sucralose, Dl-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate, L-Carnitine, Zinc Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Niacinamide, Manganese Sulfate, Thiamine Chloride Hydrochloride, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, FD&C Red #3, Riboflavin, Cupric Sulfate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Folic Acid, Chromium Chloride, Biotin, Potassium Iodide, Sodium Selenate, Sodium Molybdate, Phyolloquinone, Vitamin D3, And Cyanocobalamin. Contains Milk And Soy Ingredients.

Along with the nutrients you are also giving your child tons of refined sugar, highly refined and GMO soybean oil, natural and artificial flavors (unknown ingredients), carrageenan (potentially cancer causing), monoglycerides (hidden trans fats), artificial colorings, and sucralose (fake sugars). NOTHING about these drinks add up to me!!

 

 

 

 

Toddler Lunch: Day 17 (Breakfast for Lunch and Why Betty is Busted!)

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Theodore had some eggs left over from breakfast, and I was working on my pancake recipe, so it seemed pretty natural that he would have a “breakfast for lunch” type of meal. I usually make mini pancakes for him when I make pancakes and I always have to put them away quickly or he will keep coming back and grabbing more out of the kitchen!


His mini pancakes are my Whole Wheat, Apple, and Oat recipe that I just posted today. If you want to make pancakes that you can feel good about feeding your kids these are it! He also had a fruit mix of mandarin oranges, blueberries, pineapple, and blackberries along with some carrots.

The Food Nightmare that is Bisquick

You know I really hate when food companies market things as “real” or “good” when they know they are using a concoction of refined grains and trans fats. Betty Crocker’s Bisquick Original is NO exception. If you’ve been using this mix to make pancakes or any other meals for your family, you need to see these ingredients!

Enriched Flour Bleached (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Partially Hydrogenated Soybean And/Or Cottonseed Oil, Leavening (Baking Soda, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Monocalcium Phosphate), Dextrose, Salt. Contains Wheat Ingredients.

So let me get this straight…. because Americans have become so lazy we can’t put flour and leavening agents together, Betty Crocker has to do it for us. We all know when Betty gets her hands on things she adds refined grains, partially hydrogenated oils (TRANS FATS!!!!), and GMO ingredients (soy, cottonseed oil). To make matters worse Betty is a big fat liar so she has to use clever marketing to keep us coming back for more “real” stuff. Betty is officially BUSTED because now we know the truth. Sorry Betty, you better go back to writing cook books, or better yet, don’t because we don’t support companies who use crappy ingredients and lie about it.

RANT OVER! 🙂

On another note, if your considering switching to one of the other Bisquick varieties or another brand don’t waste your time. I looked over the ingredients in most of them and they are all refined and GMO. It is way to easy to make your own to even justify buying products like this. Until we stop buying these products from companies using harmful ingredients, like trans fats in pancake mix, nothing will ever change about our food supply!

Happy Friday Everyone!

Whole Wheat Apple and Oat Pancakes

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Apple and Oat Pancakes

I mentioned before I had been trying to perfect my pancake recipe. When I’m creating recipes to use for my kids it does take a bit of trail and error with ingredients to get things just right. I’ve been making pancakes from scratch for quite some time now, so I’m familiar with what makes a good pancake! I also have 3 tiny taste testers to let me know what they like as well.

Nutrients


Of course, being a health conscious mom I  also want to pack as many nutrients as I can into my kid’s breakfast. When my 7 year old son goes off to school in the morning I want to be sure he will have energy to last him until lunch time. The problem with sugary kids cereals and some frozen pancakes is that they are loaded with sugar and refined grains that give kids energy spikes, then crashes. Kids tend to loose focus easily and eating highly refined foods won’t help with that!

Oats provide long lasting energy and are iron rich, so I feel good about feeding them to my toddler and baby as well. Its awesome being able to make a breakfast like this and feed all 3 boys the same thing! The stone ground whole wheat flour in these is also naturally rich in iron, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and folate so your getting nutrients from grains without the bleaching and enriching refined grains go through. I’ll never understand the concept of stripping grains of their natural nutrients, then adding them back in. Getting back to basics and using stone ground whole wheat flour, rolled oats, and real apples make these pancakes a delicious way to start the day. They are great for snacks and lunchboxes as well!

*Here is a link to the flour I use:

Toddler Lunch Roundup

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Just a recap of what we’ve been doing here at 3BoysUnprocessed. I’d like to give a big thank you to everyone who is coming to see what we are eating everyday! I’ve received positive support from all over the world and it is amazing to have people interested in feeding their children unprocessed and healthy foods! If you know someone who could benefit from this information share it with them!


 

Toddler Lunch: Day 16 (How to Choose the Best Store Bought Hummus)

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Toddlerlunch16 Is it seriously Thursday already? This week is flying by! For lunch today Theodore had baked pita strips with hummus, Hasselback potatoes from dinner last night, broccoli, watermelon 123’s, and pineapple chunks.

The Broccoli Struggle

I’ve mentioned before Theodore doesn’t like broccoli. I was feeding the baby broccoli so I put some in Theodore’s lunch as well because if I don’t attempt to serve it, he will never try it. He didn’t eat it, however he didn’t cry, scream, or refuse to eat the other foods in his lunch so that’s a win! I will continue to try to get him to try broccoli and I’m sure it will be served again soon.

The Hummus


I think store bought hummus is one of those foods that can go either way. Most brands do use highly refined and likely GMO canola or soybean oil so I would recommend staying away from hummus that contains these ingredients. Although hummus is a healthy dip, when you add canola or soybean oil it becomes a genetically modified, highly processed, unhealthy dip. We recently found the brand Cedars, that is Non-GMO certified and uses sunflower oil and olive oil. This is a company using quality ingredients that we will definitely support by purchasing their hummus! I would also use caution when choosing a store bought hummus because I have seen labels claiming to be using olive oil when in fact there is more canola oil then olive oil in the product. Another reason to read all ingredient labels!

The Pita

I’ve seen a lot of Pita recipes floating around on Pinterest, so they are on my “to try” list! I’ve also heard they are super easy to make so I will be updating on that soon. For now we use Food for Life Ezekiel pitas which are loaded with naturally occurring vitamins and minerals and even include lentils and carrots. They contain no preservatives or additives of any kind and all of the ingredients are recognizable. I’ve said it before and I will say it again, I  LOVE their products! On the flip side I have seen brands, like Sahara, turning a simple Pita into a food nightmare by using preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, soybean oil, and refined flours.