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Toddler Lunch: Day 19 (Toddler Power Lunch!)

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Toddlerlunch19

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.

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 Roundup

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Toddlerlunchroundup2

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!


 

Passion Fruit and Lime Tea

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passiontea

If you have ever been to Starbucks you know they have a really popular Passion Fruit Tea drink. It is also really expensive, and if you get it sweetened it contains refined sugars and preservatives from the syrup. I found these Iced Passion tea bags by Tazo at Target one day, and they are awesome! The tea bags are huge, and when you brew them you end up with 64 oz. of tea to put in your refrigerator. When my husband brought home limes one day a light bulb went off above my head and this recipe was created.


If you are trying to cut sugary drinks, especially for children, this is a great way to get them to try something with natural flavors that isn’t sweetened to death. It is refreshing on a hot summer day, and would be great to freeze in ice pop molds for a treat at the pool. I recommend allowing it to sit overnight to get the full flavor of the lime zest!

Toddler Lunch: Day 14 (And why to avoid HFCS in popular ketchup brands)

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Toddlerlunch14

For lunch today my toddler got to try something new… Mozzarella Sticks! He said “What is that?” when I put them on the table but soon enough he realized how delicious they were! I used my Whole Grain Mozzarella Stick recipe that I just posted today and they are awesome. I highly recommend trying them! I also served a “baby orange” aka mandarin orange, whole grain pasta with a tad of butter and freshly grated parmesan cheese, sautéed mushrooms, and ketchup for dipping the mozzarella sticks.


The most note-able thing about this meal is the ketchup. I think ketchup is something we are so familiar with that we have never actually stopped to check the ingredient list. Almost ALL ketchup contains High Fructose Corn Syrup, a highly refined and likely genetically modified sweetener that is cheap and abundant. We do stay away from any products that contain HFCS, so standard ketchup is not something we purchase. Our bodies are not capable of processing HFCS the way we do regular sugar and it has been linked to obesity, depression, heart disease, diabetes and many other health issues. Dr. Mark Hyman has been leading the crusade against the use of HFCS in processed foods, and here is a link to his website further explaining the dangers of HFCS. I have linked this before and cannot stress enough how important it is to avoid this ingredient! We do limit ketchup consumption as it is still a processed item, but we buy an organic brand that does not contain HFCS. I hate to use this word because people are sick of hearing it, but it is all about moderation with the ketchup!

The Reasons Why Your Non-Dairy Creamer is Killing You

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XtraSweetCreamy

One of the first highly refined products I removed from my household was non-dairy creamer. I’m not sure why people love this crap so much. I mean, the name says it all.. non-dairy. So, let me get this straight.. it looks like cream, and we put it in coffee, but it is non-dairy? That should be a huge red flag, but for some reason millions of people are using this stuff everyday. I don’t think I could think up a product worse then this! It rivals Uncrustables, but even Smucker’s isn’t using cottonseed oil and trying to pass it off as a dairy product. Not to mention if you’ve ever had this stuff, IT NEVER GOES BAD! They even put it into little plastic capsules and who knows how long those sit around before anyone consumes them. Even bacteria and mold hate non-dairy creamer.  Let’s look at the ingredients in a flavored Coffee-Mate non-dairy creamer:

 Ingredients: Water, Sugar, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and/or Cottonseed Oil, and Less than 2% of Sodium Caseinate (a Milk Derivative) (Not a Source of Lactose), Natural and Artificial Flavors, Mono- and Diglycerides, Dipotassium Phosphate, Cellulose Gel, Color Added, Cellulose Gum, Carrageenan. Gluten free.

Here is the breakdown of these ingredients:

  • Partially Hydrogenated Soybean/Cottonseed Oil: TRANS FAT alert!! Not only are they using Soybean oil, they are also using Cottonseed oil, one of the most highly refined and worst oils for human consumption. Cottonseed crops are known for the use of high levels of pesticides and this cheap oil has no business in our food supply. If you see any product that labels cottonseed oil as an ingredient put it down and do not purchase from that brand again!! I cannot stress this point enough. In my opinion this is one of the worst ingredients seen in products on grocery shelves today.
  • Natural and Artificial Flavors: This is a huge unknown as they are not required to state what these ingredients actually are. I want to know exactly what I am consuming so I stay far away from both natural and artificial flavorings.
  • Mono- and Diglycerides: An emulsifier and hidden form of trans fat.
  • Color Added: Well yeah I guess when you are trying to make oil look like cream you would add color!
  • Carageenan: Potential carcinogen and very controversial ingredient because it is natural. There are a ton of natural things that are not suitable for consumption, so we do stay away from products that contain this ingredient.

If you are used to drinking coffee and looking for an alternative, you have a few choices. I would strongly recommend not even finishing the bottle in your refrigerator. Your health is more important then the money you spent on the creamer. Just pour it down the drain and give the bottle to your kids to play with in the bathtub. Yes, it is that bad people! Here are your options:

  1. Make your own: Yes, you can make your own creamer and it only takes 5 minutes! I’ve made my own using  half and half.  I will put the recipe at the bottom for my Chocolate/Coconut Creamer. I would suggest using Organic half and half because some regular brands contain mono and diglycerides and carrageenan. diycreamer
  2. Use a natural sweetener like honey or maple syrup with Organic half and half.
  3. Switch to lattes. This is the route I went. I got a Nespresso machine because I already knew I loved Espresso and it saved me the $3-4 I would spend at Starbucks. The machine pays for itself after a few months of use if you are a Starbucks regular!

 

Why I hate uncrustables (must have a sense of humor to proceed)

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uncrustable

Someone, somewhere is laughing all the way to the bank at the thought of consumers actually purchasing pre-made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. SERIOUSLY people… is it that hard to take two pieces of bread and spread something on them? If you don’t like the crust then hey, here’s a novel idea, cut it off! This is one of those products that make me think Smucker’s must really be trying to kill off the stupid people or something because the ingredients in these things are horrendous. The worst part is they are marketed to kids and unsuspecting parents might think they are a fun idea. THINK AGAIN!


When I went to Smucker’s website to get the ingredient list I was furious. These people must be employing Satan himself because it takes a pretty unethical person to know what are in these things, yet post pictures of kids running in the wind, flying kites, and exploring the world. They even threw in some catchy slogans like “Nothing can stop you when you’ve got this sandwich in your hand” and “Perfect for your unstoppable lifestyle”. Let’s not forget they now have a “Whole Wheat” version too! Good one Smucker’s, good one!

Here are the ingredients in the whole wheat peanut butter and honey variety:

 WHEAT BREAD: UNBLEACHED WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, WATER, WHEAT GLUTEN, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP,  SOYBEAN OIL, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: SALT, DOUGH CONDITIONERS (DISTILLED MONOGLYCERIDES, SODIUM STEAROYL LACTYLATE, DATEM, ENZYMES [WITH AMYLASE, LIPASE, ASCORBIC ACID,  CALCIUM PEROXIDE, AZODICARBONAMIDE, WHEAT STARCH]), YEAST. PEANUT BUTTER: PEANUTS, DEXTROSE, SUGAR, MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES (PALM AND/OR SOYBEAN OIL), CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: FULLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS (SOYBEAN AND/OR COTTONSEED AND/OR RAPESEED), SALT, MOLASSES. HONEY SPREAD: CORN SYRUP, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, WATER, HONEY, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: PECTIN, NATURAL FLAVOR, CITRIC ACID, POTASSIUM SORBATE (PRESERVATIVE), CARAMEL COLOR, CALCIUM CHLORIDE.

I highlighted all of the red flags I see in this ingredient list. Here is a run down of the disaster that is an Uncrustable:

  • High fructose corn syrup: Highly processed and refined. HFCS is NOT cane sugar and our bodies do NOT process it the same way. Dr. Mark Hyman explains it the best “When used in moderation it is a major cause of heart disease, obesity, cancer, dementia, liver failure, tooth decay, and more.” No amount of advertising from the Corn Industry will convince me that HFCS is ok for us to consume!
  • Soybean oil: Highly processed and refined “bad fats”
  • Monoglycerides/Mono and diglycerides: Hidden form of partially hydrogenated oils (aka TRANS FATS!) not required to be labeled on the ingredient list or in the nutritional facts panel. I know for sure this is true because they disclose their source is soybean oil
  • DATEM: an emulsifier and another hidden form of TRANS FATS!
  • Azodicarbonamide: Remember the yoga mat material in Subway Breads? Yeah well this is the same ingredient. We asked Subway to remove it, and Smucker’s was probably peeing themselves a little and hoping that would pass before anyone noticed they are using it in products marketed to kids!
  • Fully hydrogenated vegetable oils: TRANS FATS!
  • Corn syrup: Another highly refined ingredient from the corn industry, also likely GMO
  • HFCS listed AGAIN
  • Natural flavor: We have no idea what this is. It could literally be anything
  • Potassium Sorbate (preservative): Can someone please explain why you need a preservative in a frozen product?
  • Caramel color: Potential carcinogen

Did I just count 3 uses of trans fats and 2 uses of HFCS in one product? Sadly, these are the ingredients and I think they speak for themselves. The only thing I can really leave you with is this: If you or someone you know is still using Uncrustables please share this article with them!

 

Are Trans Fats Hiding in Your Bread?

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bread I have to admit, before reading ingredient labels my husband and I thought we were choosing a good bread for our family. Of course, we were choosing a whole wheat product. We also knew enough to get one with no high fructose corn syrup. We thought we were getting the most natural bread we could because it was called “Nature’s Own”. However, something in the back of my mind told me that having 26 ingredients in my bread didn’t make sense. I knew this could NOT be a healthy option and when I started recognizing what some of these ingredients were I realized the bread was far from healthy and even contained hidden trans fats! Here are the ingredients in the Nature’s Own 100% Whole Wheat bread:

Ingredients


Stone Ground Whole Wheat Flour, Water, Yeast, Brown Sugar, Wheat Gluten, Contains 2% or Less of Each of the Following: Salt, Dough Conditioners (Contains One or More of the Following: Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Calcium Stearoyl Lactylate, Monoglycerides, Mono- and Diglycerides, Distilled Monoglycerides, Calcium Peroxide, Calcium Iodate, DATEM, Ethoxylated Mono- and Diglycerides, Enzymes, Ascorbic Acid), Soybean Oil, Vinegar, Cultured Wheat Flour, Monocalcium Phosphate, Ammonium Sulfate, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Soy Lecithin, Natamycin (to Retard Spoilage).

A lot of consumers would skim over these ingredients and become so confused they don’t even know where to begin. Here are the red flags I see when looking over these ingredients:

  • Added sugars are the 4th ingredient
  • The bread contains soybean oil
  • DATEM and Mono- and- Diglycerides… Hidden forms of partially hydrogenated oils (aka trans fats) that do not require labeling!

So what does Mono- and Diglycerides mean? Well this is an emulsifier which means it will bond two ingredients together that wouldn’t normally mix well. Think oil combining with water. The big issue here is the mono- and diglycerides are NOT required to be labeled in the nutritional information of the product. This is perfect for companies who know people are now aware that trans fats kill people but still want to put them in their products. The commercial source of this emulsifier is synthetically produced partially hydrogenated soybean or canola oil. Hydrogenated oils ARE trans fats! We avoid ANY product or company who uses partially hydrogenated oils because they are aware of the dangers of these synthetically produced fats but continue to use them. That means I would not trust them to be concerned with the health of my family. We also avoid any companies who choose to use loopholes to still include trans fats in their products without having to label them… just like Nature’s Own does. If you would like to know more about trans fats click here. This is a great article that talks about how our bodies are not able to break these fats down and what makes them so dangerous.

I searched and searched for a bread that didn’t contain mono- and diglycerides or some form of them. What I found was that there were NO big name brands that weren’t using these hidden trans fats. Apparently they can’t make their “bread like products” without the use of these emulsifiers simply because its not natural.

If you have read any of my other posts you know that I am a huge fan of Food for Life products. They are making bread the right way… truly all natural with no loopholes or hidden ingredients. I can identify every single ingredient in their products and there is no questioning this is the way grains were meant to be consumed. Here are the ingredients in their 7-Grain bread (my personal favorite), and  here is a link to their website. Just to clarify, I’m not affiliated with them in any way, shape, or form. I just love that they are making products with concern for consumers health, not just financial benefit.

Ingredients: Organic Sprouted Wheat, Filtered Water, Organic Malted Barley, Organic Sprouted Rye, Organic Sprouted Barley, Organic Sprouted Oats, Organic Sprouted Millet, Organic Sprouted Corn, Organic Sprouted Brown Rice, Fresh Yeast, Organic Wheat Gluten, Sea Salt.

 

 

What is our “diet” crazed nation teaching our children?

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Dietcollage “Diet” products and their marketing have literally taken over. I can’t turn on my television, my radio, my computer, or walk through any store without seeing them. Nutrisystem, Hydroxycut, Green Tea Extract, Slim Fast, a cleanse, a detox, a fat burner… I mean really I could keep going but we all know who I’m talking about. I have to say, I’m really over it now. Why? Simply because they are pushing their  inferior and unhealthy “diet” products, and brainwashing a new generation  instead of telling the truth. The truth is if we just ate simple, natural, unprocessed foods along with small portions of quality meats and whole grains then most people wouldn’t need to turn to any of the dangerous junk these companies are trying to sell. Let’s cut the bleached flours, the GMO sugars, the fake sugars, the processed meats, the unhealthy fats,  and the packaged foods and see how many of those “diet” products we need then.

Why are we so brainwashed?


As an adult looking back I can remember seeing all of these products growing up. The big one then was Slim Fast. When someone I knew was dieting I’d see them carrying around their cans of Slim Fast. As a kid I was always so intrigued by the deceptive chocolate shakes. I wanted to try them! I wanted their dessert too! What I didn’t know is all of those cans, the adds, the marketing, the meal systems, were putting the idea in my head that if someone wanted to diet then this is what they would turn to…… fake food!

Where was the real food? Why didn’t anyone talk about that? Why did dieting come out of a can or a bottle? As a parent I have realized the effects of marketing  on kids. I can remember around Valentine’s Day this year my 7 year old said to me “Does every kiss begin with Kay?” I laughed about it then and was wondering what I was supposed to say. However, thinking back now it isn’t funny. Children remember these things and their opinions about life are persuaded by advertising. Not only are these companies selling products that are bad for your health, they are selling ideas to children that are even more unhealthy.

As parents it is time to educate our children about real foods. I’ve heard the phrase “because I said so” come out of the mouth of more parents then I ever really wanted to. While everyone has their own parenting style (and that’s a whole other topic!) this phrase is just not going to cut it when it comes to food and “diet” products. One of the most important things to teach children if your cutting processed foods is why. If you’ve been serving a lot of processed stuff its time to fess up and tell the truth about why these products don’t do anything good for your body. Yes, there might be resistance but that provides the opportunity to talk about what nourishes their bodies and what doesn’t.

I have also heard mothers talk about why they don’t call themselves “fat” in front of their children (daughters specifically). What we really need to pay attention to is the fact that it goes beyond the home. Our children are influenced by more then just what comes out of their parent’s mouth. Our children see skinny people being idolized, and a society that sets standards about body image and weight. Our children see the Nutrisystem adds, the pill bottles at the grocery stores, and celebrities touting yo-yo “diets.” This is why we need to help a generation being brainwashed by a “diet” crazed nation. We as parents need to lead by example. Here a few things you can start doing to address these issues:

  •  Take your children to the grocery store. If they see everything that is there they will begin to notice the isles you shop and the isles you stay away from.
  •  Show them ingredients. Compare products, read ingredient lists, talk about what makes one thing better then another.
  •  Discuss why we avoid certain ingredients and what those ingredients do to our bodies.
  • Teach them how to cook! This is super important. It will help your children in 5, 10, 15, 20 years and beyond. Your children will become more interested in ingredients and understand food can be fun, enjoyable, and a time spent together as family.
  •  Eat a variety of unprocessed foods yourself. This is huge. Your children will probably never have to think about “dieting” later in life if we just teach them what food was meant to do for us to begin with.
  • Address the issue directly. Talk to your children about why these products do more harm then good in people’s lives. After all, if any of these products actually worked there wouldn’t be such a huge market for this stuff.

Just to highlight one thing in the list… your children will probably never have to think about dieting later in life if we just teach them what food was meant to do for us to begin with. This is the best piece of information to take away from this. Give your children a good, healthy relationship with food and the chances they will ever need to turn to any of this dangerous junk are reduced!

 

 

 

What’s In Your Coffee?

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coffeeblue

If there is one thing I’m NEVER giving up it is coffee. Right now I have my perfect little Nespresso U sitting on my countertop waiting for me to brew my next shot of Espresso and make a delicious latte. When I started reading ingredient labels I also started wondering about the coffee drinks I had, at one time or another, ordered from various restaurants/food chains. Since I wasn’t making them myself I had no idea what I was consuming. There was a time that I went to Starbucks at least two to three times a week. With the sweetness of most of Starbucks specialty drinks (unless you are getting them plain) it is pretty obvious they aren’t “healthy”. What I found however was not the sugar in the drinks that concerned me, it was the other chemicals.


In the picture above I listed the ingredients you would consume if you purchased a caramel iced coffee at McDonald’s, Dunkin Donuts, and Starbucks. While I can’t say one is better then the others it is obvious McDonald’s is the worst in terms of hidden ingredients. Although their marketing has been trying to compete in the coffee world and set them apart from their cheap, low quality food they are failing to live up to the image they are trying to portray. Why? Its simple…. there is nothing quality about their coffee. If they were sensible at all they would just add real cream or half and half and call it a day. Even if they dropped the “light cream” they would still have caramel coloring (coffee IS brown!!!) and preservatives but at least consumers wouldn’t be running to find the nearest toilet after downing their coffee. Oh yeah.. that’s right I forgot to tell you.. tetra sodium pyrophosphate and sodium citrate both have diarrhea listed as possible adverse reactions. If something about that “one time after you drank that coffee” just clicked all I can say is never trust McDonald’s!

 As for the rest of the unpronounceable ingredients if you’d like to be nauseous, have irritated skin, or consume a chemical listed with “use caution in patients with cardiac failure, hypertension, impaired renal function, peripheral and pulmonary edema, and toxemia of pregnancy” then just go ahead and grab that iced coffee from McDonald’s to go (just incase you have to shit, puke, or have a heart attack).

Look I’ll just cut to the chase here. It’s time to rethink these purchases. All three coffees contain caramel coloring (again coffee IS brown!!), and chemical preservatives. It’s also note worthy that McDonald’s and Starbucks use artificial flavorings (which could be anything, we have no idea what that includes),and Dunkin Donuts uses High Fructose Corn Syrup. All three of these iced coffees have more then one ingredient that has no business being in our coffee.

The first step to cutting these highly processed iced coffees from our lives is finding an alternative that doesn’t contain any of these questionable ingredients. If you want coffee but you do not like it black then I would suggest trying it with real cream and adding a natural sweetener yourself (honey, maple syrup). I know it seems kind of weird to put maple syrup in your coffee but I promise it is actually good! As I mentioned before I have a Nespresso machine that I make lattes with everyday. I find lattes with just espresso and milk to be really tasty and I also have a milk frother that came with the machine that makes an amazing cappuccino. Since purchasing my Nespresso I have been using my own spice cabinet to create drinks myself that have all turned out really delicious. If you are buying coffee drinks from places like Starbuck’s or Dunkin Donuts it is best to keep things simple. I just get a plain latte from Starbuck’s now if I go there and I know exactly what is in it… milk and espresso! If you want to check out my Nespresso Machine here is the link.