This sounds fantastic...I can't wait to try it with the squash in my garden!
Butternut Squash Lasagna
1 T olive oil
1 (1 1/2 -2 pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1" cubes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup unbleached, all purpose flour
4 cups whole milk (preferably raw)
pinch of nutmeg
12 no-boil lasagna noodles (I'd probably use organic, Jerusalem artichoke)
2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Heat oil in a heavy, large skillet over medium heat. Add the cubed squash and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the water into the skillet, cover and simmer over medium heat until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer the squash to a mixing bowl or food processor and mash. Season the squash puree' to taste with more salt and pepper.
Melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk for 1 min. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a low boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 5 min. Add the nutmeg. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter a 13x9x2 inch glass baking dish. Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce over the prepared baking dish. Cover the bottom of pan with one layer of lasagna noodles. Spread half of the squash puree' over the noodles. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Drizzle 1/2 cup sauce over the cheese. Repeat layering once more, finishing with a layer of noodles covered only by white sauce.
Tightly cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove cover, sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over the lasagna and coninue baking until the sauce bubbles and the top is golden, about 15 min. longer. Let the lasagna stand for 15 min. before serving. Serves 8.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
When the breast is not working for you...
Homemade Baby Formula Testimonials
Health Topics - Children's Health
Written by Weston A. Price Foundation
Thursday, 19 March 2009 17:19
Parents are grateful for our Recipes for Homemade Baby Formula when breastfeeding is not an option or must be supplemented. See also our FAQ on Homemade Baby Formula, Diet for Pregnant and Nursing Mothers, and FAQ on Diet for Pregnancy.
Once Scrawny, Now RippedMy son was born at 6 pounds, 4 ounces. By the time I got him home and weighed again, he was down to 5 pounds, 12 ounces. Scrawny! The first week of his life I attempted to nurse, but my milk never came in sufficiently enough to satisfy him. He was starving and got lighter before I got smarter. First I tried a store-bought organic powdered baby formula. It was thin and I felt terrible giving it to him. I tried adding oils, but felt terrible not knowing what was the best thing to add to help him grow. I had known about the baby formula recipe, but in rural Alaska could not get all the ingredients. Then I learned I could get them from Radiant Life.
At week three of Brody's life he got his first shot of real, healthy, food. We noticed an immediate difference. He stopped fussing. He slept better. His color improved. His hair started coming in. He acted happy. He gained weight, not the doughy, rolly, fatty weight but a perfectly proportioned body with extra girth at the joints. When he was 3 1/2 months old we began giving Brody organic, 3-minute egg yolks.
Brody is a healthy, happy, smart, inquisitive little guy. He is cute and funny and has a natural charisma that draws people's attention to him. Everyone always comments on how tall he is and how handsome. Most people think he is at least 2 years old when he is barely a year. He has defined biceps and triceps. His calf muscles are firm and long. Once when strolling him through the Anchorage airport a young man walked up to me and said to Brody "Hey, little man!" Then he turned to his 20-something buddies and said, "Dudes! Check him out. He's one ripped up little dude." They then all fussed over him and told him how buff he was. I can only attribute it to his wonderful nutrition.
Lynn Harris, Fairbanks, Alaska
Healthy After a Rough StartThe Weston A. Price Foundation teachings, my pregnancy and the birth of our son Seth are infinitely tied together. I had first learned about the principles from a chiropractor just weeks before I found out I was pregnant. I had been having abnormal paps that just wouldn't clear up. I'm sure now the reason was due to the raw vegan-fruitarian diet I was eating at the time. After 4-5 months on a nourishing traditional diet my paps finally tested normal. However, being malnourished and pregnant before that time affected our unborn son; he was born with hypospadias. I later learned that the penis is formed around the 8th week of pregnancy and I was still eating a fruitarian diet at the point.
Seth was born via cesarean section after a failed water-birth at home. My C-section resulted in a punctured bladder and heavy blood loss requiring 6 units of blood and ending up in the ICU. I was in the hospital for almost a week before returning home. Needless to say, nursing didn't get off to a good start and bottles were given. I continued to try breast feeding Seth, but between the pain from the cesarean, dealing with my bladder and the catheter I was sent home with, etc., I couldn't handle nursing Seth on demand. He was a big boy, 9 pounds, 10 ounces at birth, and his weight bothered my tummy and aggravated my myofascial pain in my neck and shoulder region from an earlier accident.
In order for my family to help with the feedings we adopted the milk-based formula. Nursing fell off completely after 3 months, as Seth preferred the formula to me and the formula became his main-stay.
Seth is now 2 1/2 years old and has been extremely healthy. He was sick for the very first and only time this past winter with an ear infection. He never had so much as a sniffle when he was on the formula. I didn't have to worry about him being well enough for his hypospadias surgery at 10 months old, because he was so strong and robust. We couldn't be happier with the results that good nutrition has had on him, even though we had a rough start of it.
Robin Leuenberger, Michigan
Making Homemade Baby FormulaMy adopted son Tate started on the homemade raw milk formula when he was three days old-and has thrived on it. Since I knew I would be making formula for my baby, I was able to prepare ahead of time. I love to cook, but like most people, I took one look at the raw milk formula in Nourishing Traditions and was a little apprehensive with the long list of ingredients. Actually, I added one other ingredient-1-2 tablespoons cow colostrum to each batch.
I knew that sleep deprivation was in my future! Nevertheless, I forged ahead with optimism, and to my great delight, after the first few times of making the formula, it became easy as baby-pie! It only takes 20 minutes to make from start to finish, including clean up!
Here are some of my tricks. First, before Tate arrived, I made ice-cube portions of the whey, cream and colostrum. A typical cube section in a tray equals two tablespoons. This is the perfect amount for the formula; four tablespoons or two cubes for the whey and two tablespoons or one cube for the cream and colostrum.
Here's my early morning routine. First I rinse off everything with hot water to make sure there is nothing foreign on my utensils. I fill an 8-cup glass measuring bowl with a pour spout with 2 cups of filtered water, then scoop out 2 tablespoons to make 1 7/8 cups. I pour this into a stainless steel pot and add the gelatin. I turn the stove on between low and medium to just warm the ingredients, not boil. Then I add 2 frozen cubes of whey, and 1 each of cream and colostrum. I also add the coconut oil to the pot so that it melts sufficiently. In the same measuring bowl I used for the water, I add the milk and the rest of the oils and dry ingredients (which are available at most health food stores and/or www.radiantlifecatalog.com, (888) 593-8333). By the time I am done with that, the frozen ingredients are melted and I add them together in the big glass measuring bowl. At this point I blend the formula in the blender. I found when left unblended the oils in the formula do not combine well enough. Be sure not to blend for too long, as the cream may curdle.
Then I pour the formula back into the measuring bowl, divide it into glass baby bottles, add the nipples and tops, and that's it! Even with sleep deprivation, I find this process to be easy and doable. For the actual feedings, I use a bottle warmer that heats with steam instead of going to the stove to boil water each time. When you have a hungry baby, as many of you know, warming a bottle is something you want to happen sooner rather than later.
Once you do it a few times, it's easy. . . and our baby has thrived on the formula!
For those adoptive parents out there, please feel free to contact me for extra support and encouragement: jen (at) nourishingconnections.org.
Jen Allbritton, CN, Evergreen, Colorado
Brainwashed
"Breast milk is best." "Cow's milk is for baby cows." "Breast milk boosts your baby's immune system." "Formula can cause your baby to have allergies to food."
I was brainwashed (in a good way, mostly) by multiple sources, including my Lamaze teacher/lactation consultant, health articles, etc. I was so adamant that I would not use formula-until little Zachary at two months old was not thriving and almost admitted to the hospital because I did not have enough milk to feed him. When I realized this I went to the store and bought formula to save my baby's life. At the same time, a friend ordered the ingredients for homemade formula for me from Radiant Life. Zachary took commercial formula while I got educated and brave enough to trust raw milk for my baby. I started slowly, gradually increasing the ratio of the homemade formula and eliminating the commercial one.
It took about two months to have Zachary exclusively on the homemade formula. He loved it then and he loves it now! Just on the formula and an occasional raw egg yolk he reached 23 pounds at one year! I am so grateful to have witnessed this miracle. My baby was starving and now I can know that he not only made it to his year birthday, but he got such a wholesome formula that even when my other children got sick, he did not. If he did it was almost not noticeable.
So maybe breast milk is best, but when it is not possible cow's milk can be for babies if you apply it to the homemade formula using raw milk. This formula did boost my baby's immune system and so far he has no allergies to any food we have given Zachary. I recommend this formula to anyone and for any baby. It is amazing!
Bernadette Gewondjan, Livermore, California
Meat-Based Formula
Having been a personal fitness trainer for a number of years I started on a Paleolithic diet in 1999. I couldn't find any conventional baby formula for my first child (a son) who is now six years old. We had to go with a lacto-free brand and did not get to start him on a totally paleo diet until he turned one year old. With my second son (who will be three in August) I made sure I was prepared. I used the meat-based baby formula in Nourishing Traditions. This was very easy to make and soon my wife and I had a great system worked out to stay stocked up.
My first son Jimmy has a fairly strong immune system, but my second Tyr has an even stronger immune system. Tyr used to love his meat-based formula, finishing a bottle in less than a minute sometimes. Tyr is a very healthy, energetic, and loving little guy.
I just love the fact that there are alternatives to the unhealthy (and unnatural) products out there.
Jim Smith, Yorktown, Virginia
Feels Good To Make My Own Decisions
I needed to supplement my breastfed baby at about four months. My nutritionist showed me the homemade formulas in Nourishing Traditions. There was a concern in making my own baby formula for a variety of reasons including sterile conditions, proper measuring and vast uncertainty. I thought about it for a long time. In the end, I knew this was my decision to make. I realized that I have a hard time letting anyone take care of my child because I don't think anyone will care for him like I do. It just took me a little bit longer to carry that thinking over to feeding my baby.
My son is now 131/2 months old. At his 12-month check-up, the doctor said he was advanced to that of an 18-month-old. He already has about 15 different words that he says. Strangers tell me he's a smart baby just by looking at him, as he's alert and attentive to his surroundings. Everyone tells me what a good boy he is no matter where we go. After all that worry and uncertainty, making my own baby formula seems so natural, so normal. I can't begin to tell you how good it feels to make my own decisions for my baby.
Allison, Annapolis, Maryland
Spectacular Results
With our first child we had every intention of breast-feeding our daughter but through a series of bad nurses, the difficulty of nursing, fatigue of my wife and the stubbornness of my daughter to not breast feed we had to find an alternative. Lucky for us we had a good source of raw milk and the recipe for an alternative formula.
Rachel will be three in June 2005 and for the first 18 months only had the milk formula. The results were spectacular, bordering on unbelievable. She was never sick, slept through the night starting at about eight weeks, ate well and had a happy disposition. We were warned about typical childhood problems; these problems never materialized. For example, we bought things to help with teething before she had teeth but we never used it because her teeth came in with no pain or disruption to her sleep patterns. We were excited about the results and shared it with the staff at the hospital and the pediatrician: our reward was a stern warning about the dangers of raw milk and we can no longer see either unless we stop feeding Rachel raw milk. What we have observed in the medical system in Canada is that no one wants to see a healthy little girl who drinks raw milk.
Patrick and Michelle, Toronto, Canada
Adopted Child
When my husband and I adopted our daughter Claire as a newborn, we were looking for a healthy alternative to nursing, as I was unable to do so. I felt very discouraged with what I was reading and hearing about in regards to commercial infant formula and was looking for something that would come as close to breast milk as possible. I was already familiar with the Weston A. Price Foundation and regarded it as a trusted resource.
We started Claire on the milk-based formula as soon as we brought her home from the hospital and have never looked back. She is now one year old, and a strong, healthy toddler. We had her on the formula for one full year, and she never had one ear infection, flu, fever, allergic reaction or colic. She had three minor colds the whole year, less than most babies from my observations. She has been in the 95th percentile for length and weight and has rosy cheeks and sparkly eyes. Her pediatrician has commented on how strong and healthy she is. She has a pleasant, calm disposition and is rarely fussy. One of the most amazing things has been that she has slept soundly through the night, consistently, since her third week. We have never experienced sleep deprivation.
We are planning to adopt another baby soon, and will be making the NT formula again, since our experience and Claire's health outcome has been so positive. We are so grateful this information was made available to us.
The Ellingtons, Wilson, North Carolina
Feeding Twins
Five years after my son was born I gave birth to boy-girl twins, via Cesarean section. Even though my twins were seven weeks premature, they each weighed over five pounds and were sent home from the hospital after one week. The hospital gave them soy formula a few minutes after they were born, which they quite understandably threw up. This caused the staff to believe the twins needed to be immediately attached to feeding tubes.
I was very upset that they had been given soy and arranged to have them given a milk-based hypoallergenic formula instead, which I purchased outside the hospital and delivered to the NICU. This hospital was very unfavorable to breastfeeding. (Perhaps they believed it was impossible with twins.) When the babies came home after one week, it became evident to me that I would not be able to breastfeed them exclusively. However, I took measures to increase my supply and was eventually able to provide about half of their needs with breast milk, and the rest with hypoallergenic formula.
When the babies were six months old, I took them off commercial formula and switched to the raw milk formula provided in Nourishing Traditions. They are now three years, nine months old and still drinking a modified version of the formula, along with plain raw milk and a variety of whole foods. My boy twin self-weaned from the breast at 10 and a half months, but my girl twin still nurses a couple of times a day.
The twins took to the raw milk formula immediately and had no digestive distress. They seem to have no allergies of any kind. My girl twin is the healthiest of the three and very rarely gets a cold. My boy twin is not quite as healthy. In his early months, he breastfed quite a bit less than his sister did, and received more commercial formula. However, he is very strong and well built, with exceptionally beautiful white teeth.
There are severe problems with all other formulas, in my view. Standard dairy-based formulas are too difficult for children to digest and can cause allergies to develop. Soy formula is terrible in every way. Apart from concerns over long-term damage, this formula smells and tastes awful and causes otherwise healthy children to smell terrible as well. It causes intestinal distress and is generally very bad news. I found that the hypoallergenic milk-based formulas were the least harmful of the commercial formulas, but there are serious problems with them as well. They are horrendously expensive and not available in many hospitals and pharmacies. Furthermore, they are also full of MSG-like neurotoxins.
I put off giving my twins home-made formula for six months, because of all the dire warnings I had seen against giving unprocessed cow's milk to infants. The medical establishment now warns against giving milk before one year, but I can no longer accept that idea. My mother was switched from breast milk to raw cow's milk at three months and did not suffer any ill effects.
Above all, I believe that fresh raw cow's milk is the best substitute for mother's milk, because it is also a living food, full of enzymes and antibodies to disease. It is probably superior even to frozen mother's milk from a breast milk bank, which these days is delivered after being pasteurized.
I wish I had been confident enough to give my twins the Fallon formula from the first day they were home. I also wish I had been able to breastfeed them exclusively, as I eventually did with my older son, but it simply wasn't possible for me. However, I feel good knowing I did the best I could. My children are growing very well.
Another good thing about the homemade formula is that it caused me to overcome my fear of raw milk. I started to drink it myself, and it helped me to recover from a difficult pregnancy and delivery. Thank you for providing this wonderful information to mothers and their babies. Name Withheld, Los Angeles, California
No More Infections
My son Joey was born December 15, 2002. I had planned to breastfeed exclusively and felt brokenhearted when I couldn't produce enough milk to feed him. I didn't know there were any alternatives so I had to give him commercial formula. He suffered from constipation and when he was three months old he came down with bronchitis and an ear infection. The doctor put him on antibiotics and we had to give him respiratory therapy twice a day for several weeks.
About this time my nutritionist suggested the homemade baby formula. I started making the formula immediately. The difference in Joey's health has been like night and day! He has never had another ear infection or any more respiratory problems. No digestive problems either. He is happy, smart and physically active. He runs, jumps, climbs and turns a great somersault.
May God bless you for the work that you do!
Barbara Finn Figluilo, Frankfort, Illinois
Health Topics - Children's Health
Written by Weston A. Price Foundation
Thursday, 19 March 2009 17:19
Parents are grateful for our Recipes for Homemade Baby Formula when breastfeeding is not an option or must be supplemented. See also our FAQ on Homemade Baby Formula, Diet for Pregnant and Nursing Mothers, and FAQ on Diet for Pregnancy.
Once Scrawny, Now RippedMy son was born at 6 pounds, 4 ounces. By the time I got him home and weighed again, he was down to 5 pounds, 12 ounces. Scrawny! The first week of his life I attempted to nurse, but my milk never came in sufficiently enough to satisfy him. He was starving and got lighter before I got smarter. First I tried a store-bought organic powdered baby formula. It was thin and I felt terrible giving it to him. I tried adding oils, but felt terrible not knowing what was the best thing to add to help him grow. I had known about the baby formula recipe, but in rural Alaska could not get all the ingredients. Then I learned I could get them from Radiant Life.
At week three of Brody's life he got his first shot of real, healthy, food. We noticed an immediate difference. He stopped fussing. He slept better. His color improved. His hair started coming in. He acted happy. He gained weight, not the doughy, rolly, fatty weight but a perfectly proportioned body with extra girth at the joints. When he was 3 1/2 months old we began giving Brody organic, 3-minute egg yolks.
Brody is a healthy, happy, smart, inquisitive little guy. He is cute and funny and has a natural charisma that draws people's attention to him. Everyone always comments on how tall he is and how handsome. Most people think he is at least 2 years old when he is barely a year. He has defined biceps and triceps. His calf muscles are firm and long. Once when strolling him through the Anchorage airport a young man walked up to me and said to Brody "Hey, little man!" Then he turned to his 20-something buddies and said, "Dudes! Check him out. He's one ripped up little dude." They then all fussed over him and told him how buff he was. I can only attribute it to his wonderful nutrition.
Lynn Harris, Fairbanks, Alaska
Healthy After a Rough StartThe Weston A. Price Foundation teachings, my pregnancy and the birth of our son Seth are infinitely tied together. I had first learned about the principles from a chiropractor just weeks before I found out I was pregnant. I had been having abnormal paps that just wouldn't clear up. I'm sure now the reason was due to the raw vegan-fruitarian diet I was eating at the time. After 4-5 months on a nourishing traditional diet my paps finally tested normal. However, being malnourished and pregnant before that time affected our unborn son; he was born with hypospadias. I later learned that the penis is formed around the 8th week of pregnancy and I was still eating a fruitarian diet at the point.
Seth was born via cesarean section after a failed water-birth at home. My C-section resulted in a punctured bladder and heavy blood loss requiring 6 units of blood and ending up in the ICU. I was in the hospital for almost a week before returning home. Needless to say, nursing didn't get off to a good start and bottles were given. I continued to try breast feeding Seth, but between the pain from the cesarean, dealing with my bladder and the catheter I was sent home with, etc., I couldn't handle nursing Seth on demand. He was a big boy, 9 pounds, 10 ounces at birth, and his weight bothered my tummy and aggravated my myofascial pain in my neck and shoulder region from an earlier accident.
In order for my family to help with the feedings we adopted the milk-based formula. Nursing fell off completely after 3 months, as Seth preferred the formula to me and the formula became his main-stay.
Seth is now 2 1/2 years old and has been extremely healthy. He was sick for the very first and only time this past winter with an ear infection. He never had so much as a sniffle when he was on the formula. I didn't have to worry about him being well enough for his hypospadias surgery at 10 months old, because he was so strong and robust. We couldn't be happier with the results that good nutrition has had on him, even though we had a rough start of it.
Robin Leuenberger, Michigan
Making Homemade Baby FormulaMy adopted son Tate started on the homemade raw milk formula when he was three days old-and has thrived on it. Since I knew I would be making formula for my baby, I was able to prepare ahead of time. I love to cook, but like most people, I took one look at the raw milk formula in Nourishing Traditions and was a little apprehensive with the long list of ingredients. Actually, I added one other ingredient-1-2 tablespoons cow colostrum to each batch.
I knew that sleep deprivation was in my future! Nevertheless, I forged ahead with optimism, and to my great delight, after the first few times of making the formula, it became easy as baby-pie! It only takes 20 minutes to make from start to finish, including clean up!
Here are some of my tricks. First, before Tate arrived, I made ice-cube portions of the whey, cream and colostrum. A typical cube section in a tray equals two tablespoons. This is the perfect amount for the formula; four tablespoons or two cubes for the whey and two tablespoons or one cube for the cream and colostrum.
Here's my early morning routine. First I rinse off everything with hot water to make sure there is nothing foreign on my utensils. I fill an 8-cup glass measuring bowl with a pour spout with 2 cups of filtered water, then scoop out 2 tablespoons to make 1 7/8 cups. I pour this into a stainless steel pot and add the gelatin. I turn the stove on between low and medium to just warm the ingredients, not boil. Then I add 2 frozen cubes of whey, and 1 each of cream and colostrum. I also add the coconut oil to the pot so that it melts sufficiently. In the same measuring bowl I used for the water, I add the milk and the rest of the oils and dry ingredients (which are available at most health food stores and/or www.radiantlifecatalog.com, (888) 593-8333). By the time I am done with that, the frozen ingredients are melted and I add them together in the big glass measuring bowl. At this point I blend the formula in the blender. I found when left unblended the oils in the formula do not combine well enough. Be sure not to blend for too long, as the cream may curdle.
Then I pour the formula back into the measuring bowl, divide it into glass baby bottles, add the nipples and tops, and that's it! Even with sleep deprivation, I find this process to be easy and doable. For the actual feedings, I use a bottle warmer that heats with steam instead of going to the stove to boil water each time. When you have a hungry baby, as many of you know, warming a bottle is something you want to happen sooner rather than later.
Once you do it a few times, it's easy. . . and our baby has thrived on the formula!
For those adoptive parents out there, please feel free to contact me for extra support and encouragement: jen (at) nourishingconnections.org.
Jen Allbritton, CN, Evergreen, Colorado
Brainwashed
"Breast milk is best." "Cow's milk is for baby cows." "Breast milk boosts your baby's immune system." "Formula can cause your baby to have allergies to food."
I was brainwashed (in a good way, mostly) by multiple sources, including my Lamaze teacher/lactation consultant, health articles, etc. I was so adamant that I would not use formula-until little Zachary at two months old was not thriving and almost admitted to the hospital because I did not have enough milk to feed him. When I realized this I went to the store and bought formula to save my baby's life. At the same time, a friend ordered the ingredients for homemade formula for me from Radiant Life. Zachary took commercial formula while I got educated and brave enough to trust raw milk for my baby. I started slowly, gradually increasing the ratio of the homemade formula and eliminating the commercial one.
It took about two months to have Zachary exclusively on the homemade formula. He loved it then and he loves it now! Just on the formula and an occasional raw egg yolk he reached 23 pounds at one year! I am so grateful to have witnessed this miracle. My baby was starving and now I can know that he not only made it to his year birthday, but he got such a wholesome formula that even when my other children got sick, he did not. If he did it was almost not noticeable.
So maybe breast milk is best, but when it is not possible cow's milk can be for babies if you apply it to the homemade formula using raw milk. This formula did boost my baby's immune system and so far he has no allergies to any food we have given Zachary. I recommend this formula to anyone and for any baby. It is amazing!
Bernadette Gewondjan, Livermore, California
Meat-Based Formula
Having been a personal fitness trainer for a number of years I started on a Paleolithic diet in 1999. I couldn't find any conventional baby formula for my first child (a son) who is now six years old. We had to go with a lacto-free brand and did not get to start him on a totally paleo diet until he turned one year old. With my second son (who will be three in August) I made sure I was prepared. I used the meat-based baby formula in Nourishing Traditions. This was very easy to make and soon my wife and I had a great system worked out to stay stocked up.
My first son Jimmy has a fairly strong immune system, but my second Tyr has an even stronger immune system. Tyr used to love his meat-based formula, finishing a bottle in less than a minute sometimes. Tyr is a very healthy, energetic, and loving little guy.
I just love the fact that there are alternatives to the unhealthy (and unnatural) products out there.
Jim Smith, Yorktown, Virginia
Feels Good To Make My Own Decisions
I needed to supplement my breastfed baby at about four months. My nutritionist showed me the homemade formulas in Nourishing Traditions. There was a concern in making my own baby formula for a variety of reasons including sterile conditions, proper measuring and vast uncertainty. I thought about it for a long time. In the end, I knew this was my decision to make. I realized that I have a hard time letting anyone take care of my child because I don't think anyone will care for him like I do. It just took me a little bit longer to carry that thinking over to feeding my baby.
My son is now 131/2 months old. At his 12-month check-up, the doctor said he was advanced to that of an 18-month-old. He already has about 15 different words that he says. Strangers tell me he's a smart baby just by looking at him, as he's alert and attentive to his surroundings. Everyone tells me what a good boy he is no matter where we go. After all that worry and uncertainty, making my own baby formula seems so natural, so normal. I can't begin to tell you how good it feels to make my own decisions for my baby.
Allison, Annapolis, Maryland
Spectacular Results
With our first child we had every intention of breast-feeding our daughter but through a series of bad nurses, the difficulty of nursing, fatigue of my wife and the stubbornness of my daughter to not breast feed we had to find an alternative. Lucky for us we had a good source of raw milk and the recipe for an alternative formula.
Rachel will be three in June 2005 and for the first 18 months only had the milk formula. The results were spectacular, bordering on unbelievable. She was never sick, slept through the night starting at about eight weeks, ate well and had a happy disposition. We were warned about typical childhood problems; these problems never materialized. For example, we bought things to help with teething before she had teeth but we never used it because her teeth came in with no pain or disruption to her sleep patterns. We were excited about the results and shared it with the staff at the hospital and the pediatrician: our reward was a stern warning about the dangers of raw milk and we can no longer see either unless we stop feeding Rachel raw milk. What we have observed in the medical system in Canada is that no one wants to see a healthy little girl who drinks raw milk.
Patrick and Michelle, Toronto, Canada
Adopted Child
When my husband and I adopted our daughter Claire as a newborn, we were looking for a healthy alternative to nursing, as I was unable to do so. I felt very discouraged with what I was reading and hearing about in regards to commercial infant formula and was looking for something that would come as close to breast milk as possible. I was already familiar with the Weston A. Price Foundation and regarded it as a trusted resource.
We started Claire on the milk-based formula as soon as we brought her home from the hospital and have never looked back. She is now one year old, and a strong, healthy toddler. We had her on the formula for one full year, and she never had one ear infection, flu, fever, allergic reaction or colic. She had three minor colds the whole year, less than most babies from my observations. She has been in the 95th percentile for length and weight and has rosy cheeks and sparkly eyes. Her pediatrician has commented on how strong and healthy she is. She has a pleasant, calm disposition and is rarely fussy. One of the most amazing things has been that she has slept soundly through the night, consistently, since her third week. We have never experienced sleep deprivation.
We are planning to adopt another baby soon, and will be making the NT formula again, since our experience and Claire's health outcome has been so positive. We are so grateful this information was made available to us.
The Ellingtons, Wilson, North Carolina
Feeding Twins
Five years after my son was born I gave birth to boy-girl twins, via Cesarean section. Even though my twins were seven weeks premature, they each weighed over five pounds and were sent home from the hospital after one week. The hospital gave them soy formula a few minutes after they were born, which they quite understandably threw up. This caused the staff to believe the twins needed to be immediately attached to feeding tubes.
I was very upset that they had been given soy and arranged to have them given a milk-based hypoallergenic formula instead, which I purchased outside the hospital and delivered to the NICU. This hospital was very unfavorable to breastfeeding. (Perhaps they believed it was impossible with twins.) When the babies came home after one week, it became evident to me that I would not be able to breastfeed them exclusively. However, I took measures to increase my supply and was eventually able to provide about half of their needs with breast milk, and the rest with hypoallergenic formula.
When the babies were six months old, I took them off commercial formula and switched to the raw milk formula provided in Nourishing Traditions. They are now three years, nine months old and still drinking a modified version of the formula, along with plain raw milk and a variety of whole foods. My boy twin self-weaned from the breast at 10 and a half months, but my girl twin still nurses a couple of times a day.
The twins took to the raw milk formula immediately and had no digestive distress. They seem to have no allergies of any kind. My girl twin is the healthiest of the three and very rarely gets a cold. My boy twin is not quite as healthy. In his early months, he breastfed quite a bit less than his sister did, and received more commercial formula. However, he is very strong and well built, with exceptionally beautiful white teeth.
There are severe problems with all other formulas, in my view. Standard dairy-based formulas are too difficult for children to digest and can cause allergies to develop. Soy formula is terrible in every way. Apart from concerns over long-term damage, this formula smells and tastes awful and causes otherwise healthy children to smell terrible as well. It causes intestinal distress and is generally very bad news. I found that the hypoallergenic milk-based formulas were the least harmful of the commercial formulas, but there are serious problems with them as well. They are horrendously expensive and not available in many hospitals and pharmacies. Furthermore, they are also full of MSG-like neurotoxins.
I put off giving my twins home-made formula for six months, because of all the dire warnings I had seen against giving unprocessed cow's milk to infants. The medical establishment now warns against giving milk before one year, but I can no longer accept that idea. My mother was switched from breast milk to raw cow's milk at three months and did not suffer any ill effects.
Above all, I believe that fresh raw cow's milk is the best substitute for mother's milk, because it is also a living food, full of enzymes and antibodies to disease. It is probably superior even to frozen mother's milk from a breast milk bank, which these days is delivered after being pasteurized.
I wish I had been confident enough to give my twins the Fallon formula from the first day they were home. I also wish I had been able to breastfeed them exclusively, as I eventually did with my older son, but it simply wasn't possible for me. However, I feel good knowing I did the best I could. My children are growing very well.
Another good thing about the homemade formula is that it caused me to overcome my fear of raw milk. I started to drink it myself, and it helped me to recover from a difficult pregnancy and delivery. Thank you for providing this wonderful information to mothers and their babies. Name Withheld, Los Angeles, California
No More Infections
My son Joey was born December 15, 2002. I had planned to breastfeed exclusively and felt brokenhearted when I couldn't produce enough milk to feed him. I didn't know there were any alternatives so I had to give him commercial formula. He suffered from constipation and when he was three months old he came down with bronchitis and an ear infection. The doctor put him on antibiotics and we had to give him respiratory therapy twice a day for several weeks.
About this time my nutritionist suggested the homemade baby formula. I started making the formula immediately. The difference in Joey's health has been like night and day! He has never had another ear infection or any more respiratory problems. No digestive problems either. He is happy, smart and physically active. He runs, jumps, climbs and turns a great somersault.
May God bless you for the work that you do!
Barbara Finn Figluilo, Frankfort, Illinois
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Lunch Box ideas!!!
Packing the Perfect Lunch Box
Health Topics - Children's Health
Written by Jen Allbritton, CN
Friday, 15 February 2008 16:54
A Growing Wise Kids Column
Whether at work, school or just out-and-about at play, packing food "for the road" is a must-have skill. The lure of fast food to fill the tummy tank is unavoidable, stationed at every street corner, not to mention within the schools themselves. Don't forget villainous vending machine temptations strategically placed down every corridor. As traditional food enthusiasts, we know it is vital to make every meal count.
Cafeteria lunches and vending machine snacks are laden with sugars and preservatives—ingredients that set a child up for poor performance on an afternoon pop quiz and for mid-class catnaps. Thus, a sack lunch becomes mandatory for those wanting to stay on top of their game nutritionally and mentally, at school and at the office. The nice part is, with a little forethought, packing lunches based on the principles of nourishing traditional diets can be easy and cost effective.
Hang Loose, Mom!
The opinion of peers can have a strong influence on a child's feelings about belonging, especially given the impact of commercialism around eating. Some children with strong convictions about their food may not bat an eye at what other children say about their unconventional lunch items. In fact, certain situations may even lend to strengthening a child's character about "being different." Yet some children may consider it important to "belong" and when foods make them stand out or feel "different," your lunch-making efforts may go to waste. If your child(ren) fall into the latter category, it's important to indulge their "cool" needs. Are hoagie-like sandwiches the "in" thing? Well, break down and purchase the best hoagie-style bread you can find (or make your own if you are so inclined) and fill it with pastured sliced meats, homemade condiments and nourishing veggies (those they will eat). Making small allowances could mean the difference between eating your homemade lunch or trading for the junk!
Another strategy: get the kids involved! They can help with choosing lunchbox items at the store and even in the packing process. Little Susie will feel vested being a part of the lunch packing process and have more pride in consuming what she helped to create.
That extra touch may make all the difference. Try including an encouraging note, a comic, or a funny photo in your child's lunch.
Main Lunchbox Items
Get creative with the main lunch item, it can make or break a lunch!
Dinner Leftovers: This is often the easiest food to add to a lunch, especially if you plan ahead. Try one of these Nourishing Traditions recipes in your next lunchbox meal: Maria's Empanadas, Spicy Meat Loaf, Sesame Buffalo Wings, Spicy Lamb Pastries (Samosas) or Breaded Chicken Breast.
Sandwiches, Roll Ups and Pitas: Sandwich filling "holders" can come in many shapes and sizes, from the mess-containing pita pocket, tortilla or spongy English muffin, to the good ol' standby multi-grain bread (preferably sprouted or slow rising sourdough). While purchasing a properly prepared loaf of bread is the simplest method of obtaining bread, homemade varieties can't be beat. Sandwich filling options are endless; stand aside PB&J, these hipper sandwiches are moving in!
Turkey meat slices with pesto and tomato
Good quality salami with mustard and lettuce
Homemade chicken liver pâté with pickles
Apple slices, bacon, Dijon mustard, and cheddar cheese
Grilled cheese embellished with bacon bits, shredded meat or chopped veggies
Chicken, bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayo
Nut butter (peanut, almond, cashew) with sliced banana
Meat or turkey loaf with mayo and lettuce or sprouts
Cream cheese with salmon, capers and red onion
Chicken salad made with crispy pecans, grapes, celery and mayo
Mashed avocado mixed with a drop of lemon juice in a pita stuffed with spinach, grated carrots, tomatoes slices, cucumber slices and provolone cheese.
Roll-ups: The great thing about roll-ups is that the "roll" can be so many different things. While the most obvious is a tortilla (preferably whole wheat and sprouted), other choices include toasted nori seaweed sheets, crepes, pancakes, or a large leaf of lettuce. Here are some easy creative inspirations:
Raw cream cheese sprinkled with grated carrots, grated zucchini, grated apple and topped with a lettuce leaf
Cream cheese, wild salmon, arugula or other lettuce and sliced green onion
Mix cream cheese, chopped apple, nuts, vanilla, cinnamon and raw honey
Refried beans (seasoned with cumin, garlic and salt), lettuce, cheese and salsa
Hummus with shredded carrots, cucumber strips and sliced avocado
Use a slice of deli meat to roll up a stick of cheese and add in some pickles or sauerkraut (preferably fermented and homemade), onions, a little squirt of mustard and mayo.
For more inspiration, check out the Sandwich Suggestions section of Nourishing Traditions.
Soups: Soups and chili offer the ultimate nutritional bang for your lunchbox buck. They fill the belly and warm the soul, especially on those cold winter days. These lunch items are particularly nourishing when made with a homemade bone broth base, which is bursting with vitamins and minerals, including calcium, magnesium, collagen and much more. Freeze leftover soup in meal-sized portions (glass Pyrex or small plastic yogurt-size containers work well). Thaw the needed portion overnight and warm it up on the stovetop (stay clear of the microwave) for the thermos.
"Snacky" Lunchbox Ideas
Crispy nuts and seeds (see Nourishing Traditions for how and why) - the ultimate snack item packed with fats and protein in an easy-to-digest package.
Trail mix made with crispy nuts, coconut flakes, dried fruit and just a splash of carob or chocolate chips to make it extra special.
Nutty Snack Bar (see recipe below).
Fruit salad made with chopped fruit with a dab of sour cream or crème fraiche with a touch of maple syrup and a sprinkle of dried coconut.
Apple fruit salad made with mayo, crispy walnuts, a little coconut and a dab of raw honey.
Homemade fruit leather.
Dates stuffed with crispy almond, pecan, or walnut.
Olives, green or black, from a can, drained.
Date logs/balls (available for purchase or make your own by grinding dates or raisins, add coconut or finely chopped nuts and roll into balls).
Jerky is yummy and filling. Try the Salmon Jerky in Nourishing Tradition for something a little different. For the traditional meat jerky, thinly slice a grass-fed beef or buffalo roast and sprinkle with sea salt or soak in naturally brewed soy sauce. Put it into a dehydrator or a 150 degree oven for up to 24 hours and enjoy.
Pemmican is a traditional Native North American "cake" typically used for emergency rations for adventures that may take one on long-term travels. It is make with strips of dried meat pounded into a paste, mixed with melted fat (usually tallow rendered from cow fat) and dried berries or fruit. See the recipe in Nourishing Traditions.
Hard boiled eggs with a dash of sea salt or herbed salt.
Cheese, preferably raw, cut into fun shapes with small cookie cutters.
Popcorn topped with melted organic butter, sea salt and a dash of nutritional yeast and/or parmesan cheese.
Yogurt Dough Crackers. Use the Yogurt Dough recipe in Nourishing Traditions. Add a few tablespoons of honey, roll out thin, sprinkle with salt, and puncture with a fork. Place on a cookie sheet and cook on 350°F for about 12 to 15 minutes.
Waffle squares. Use your favorite waffle recipe and add a little extra sweetener to the batter and send them off as a nice sweet bready treat.
Muffins offer an excellent way to sneak in veggies like shredded zucchini or carrot and sweet potatoes or even beets.
Baked tortilla chips with bean dip or homemade lacto-fermented salsa.
Avocado "pudding" made with mashed avocado, whole raw milk or cream with a dash of a favorite sweetener.
Raw veggies (carrots, celery, turnip sticks, pepper slices, daikon radish, etc.) or crackers make great dippers for hummus, guacamole, onion dip, or peanut sauce. Salmon dip can be made from canned salmon (drained), mixed with sour cream, kefir cheese, crème fraiche or mayo with capers and diced red onions.
Fermented veggies, especially pickles or any other choice enjoyed.
Nutty Snack Bar
1 cup nut butter of choice (preferably homemade from crispy nuts—see Nourishing Traditions for recipe)
1/4 to 1/2 cup brown rice syrup
1 cup crispy almonds, chopped into small or large pieces
1 cup dried coconut
1/2 cup crispy sunflower seeds
1 cup carob or chocolate chips or dried fruit of choice (such as dried cherries or raisins)
Mix everything together and press into a baking dish. You can leave this recipe raw and place it into the refrigerator as is or allow the flavors to meld and the chips to melt by baking it for approximately 20 minutes at 350 degrees F—either way it is yummy.
Beverages
Competing with the temptations of the soda machine or coffee station may be a challenge for some family members, so go the extra mile with beverages if this is a weakness. A homemade lacto-fermented beverage with a little whole food sweetener is far better than anything that can be found outside the home. Also, drinks can be put in the freezer overnight and by lunchtime, they are cool and frosty! Try these on for size:
Raw whole milk!
Kombucha with a touch of blueberry juice concentrate (not frozen juice "concentrate", this is a bottled more nutrient-dense variety)
Iced herb tea, such as Fruity Options, with stevia to taste
Lemonade made with stevia or honey
Seltzer water with cherry juice concentrate*
Hot cocoa made with almond or coconut milk in a thermos for those cold days
Water kefir (see recipes in Eat Fat Lose Fat by Mary Enig and Sally Fallon)
Beet kvass with a touch of grape juice to add that extra zing of taste
Homemade lacto-fermented ginger beer*
Homemade lacto-fermented apple cider*
*Caution: these can be highly carbonated, be careful when transporting.
Sweet Treats
The trick to sweet treats for the lunch box is to find your family's best compromise between health and "living in the real world" pleasure meter. Although the family may eat your famous no-sugar quinoa and barley cookies at home, that doesn't mean they won't be tempted to toss them for something more appealing in the vending machines or hit their buddies up for a trade at school. The first option is to try to see whether a sweet tasting whole food will satisfy this sweet treat category—especially if your lunch-toting family member is highly sensitive to sugar. This could be raw milk, a stevia-sweetened beverage, berries with a little sour cream and maple syrup mixed in or candy-ripe cherry tomatoes.
While whole foods certainly are ideal, they may not be practical in the "real world" of kid lunches. If that is the case for your little ones, any number of homemade desserty sweet treats fit the lunchbox bill—brownies, cookies, macaroons, honey nut balls or cookies made with a crispy nut base—almost any work. When choosing your lunchbox treats, the most important thing is to make them as nourishing as possible. Yes there will be a sweetener of some sort, whether it is evaporated cane juice, honey, brown rice syrup or stevia, but realize that what you are making will be off-the-charts more nutritious than anything the cafeteria or vending machines have to offer.
These "tote-able" foods will help keep you and yours nutritionally charged. The only requirements are thinking ahead, a lunch pail, preparation time and a little organization, which is no sweat once you have the basic ideas under your belt.
Sidebars
Four Tools of the Lunchbox Trade
Having the right "equipment" on hand is the first step in packing the perfect lunch for anyone. Below are the items to have ready.
1. Lunch "box." Reusable lunch boxes or sacks come in all shapes, sizes, fabrics and colors. They are not only functional, but can fit anyone's style. Have the kids pick out something that they consider "hip"—whether that is a hard-sided Cinderella box or the classic black collapsible cooler.
2. Freezie ice packs. Within the lunch pail aisle sit ice packs that fit nicely into lunch boxes to help the contents stay cool. Frozen lunch items can also be used in place of these packs, such as a frozen sandwich, yogurt or beverage.
3. Stainless steel thermos. This is an indispensable item to keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot. In fact, hot foods will stay so piping hot that caution should be taken when opening the thermos and taking the first swig! Not only will stainless steel thermoses retain temperatures for long periods of time, but, more important, they will not leach unwanted chemicals as do the more reactive plastic varieties.
4. Waxed paper or plastic baggies and small containers. Separating foods keeps them from getting discombobulated on a bumpy drive and prevents "mushiness." Also, small glass bottles are great for packing drinks (if they are allowed in the cafeteria and if they won't come back broken). Although plastic is not preferable, it may be necessary for younger children.
Time-Saving Packing Tips
1. Do what you can the night before. Mornings tend to be hectic and if all you have to do is pull a pre-made lunch out of the fridge or toss everything into the lunch pail, you can focus more on the morning meal and sending everyone off with a smile.
2. Make large batches of lunch items and freeze. For instance, make a large batch of chicken balls, serve a few for dinner, but save the rest in a plastic baggie and throw them in the freezer.
3. Freeze drinks. Pull these out the night before and put them in the fridge. By the time lunch rolls around, the drinks will still be nice and cold. It helps keep the other foods cool to boot! If the drink has milk or coconut milk in it, such as a smoothie-like mix, a little shaking distributes the remaining ice and makes the beverage refreshingly slushy.
Let's Pack Lunchbox Samples
For simplicity, consider making one of these samples several days in a row, using this much variety on a day-to-day basis may be exhausting!
SAMPLE 1: Almond butter and banana slices between two whole grain soaked pancakes, a tangerine, trail mix, date balls/logs and raw milk.
SAMPLE 2: Pastured turkey meat slices, cheese cut into fun shapes with cookie cutters, homemade Yogurt Dough Crackers (to eat with the meat and cheese), yogurt with fresh or frozen raspberries with a dollop of unheated honey, salted cucumber slices and some kombucha.
SAMPLE 3: Nitrate-free pastured meat hot dogs with homemade ketchup for dipping, a handful of olives, carrot and turnip sticks with an onion dip mix, almond cookies and some lemonade.
SAMPLE 4: A thermos filled with meaty chili and veggies, cornbread muffins, fruit salad and apple cider.
SAMPLE 5: Salmon salad sandwich on sprouted whole grain bread, hardboiled egg with sea salt to taste, cherry tomatoes, brown rice pudding and ginger beer.
This article appeared in Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, the quarterly magazine of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Summer 2007.
About the Author
Jen Allbritton, is a wife, mother and Certified Nutritionist who enjoys researching, writing, and experimenting in the kitchen with WAPF-friendly dishes. Her column Growing Wise Kids is a regular addition to the Foundation's quarterly magazine, Wise Traditions. Jen has a degree in Kinesiology from the College of William and Mary and has been passionately learning and teaching others about food's affect on health for over 14 years. Contact her with column ideas: jen@growingwisekids.com .
Health Topics - Children's Health
Written by Jen Allbritton, CN
Friday, 15 February 2008 16:54
A Growing Wise Kids Column
Whether at work, school or just out-and-about at play, packing food "for the road" is a must-have skill. The lure of fast food to fill the tummy tank is unavoidable, stationed at every street corner, not to mention within the schools themselves. Don't forget villainous vending machine temptations strategically placed down every corridor. As traditional food enthusiasts, we know it is vital to make every meal count.
Cafeteria lunches and vending machine snacks are laden with sugars and preservatives—ingredients that set a child up for poor performance on an afternoon pop quiz and for mid-class catnaps. Thus, a sack lunch becomes mandatory for those wanting to stay on top of their game nutritionally and mentally, at school and at the office. The nice part is, with a little forethought, packing lunches based on the principles of nourishing traditional diets can be easy and cost effective.
Hang Loose, Mom!
The opinion of peers can have a strong influence on a child's feelings about belonging, especially given the impact of commercialism around eating. Some children with strong convictions about their food may not bat an eye at what other children say about their unconventional lunch items. In fact, certain situations may even lend to strengthening a child's character about "being different." Yet some children may consider it important to "belong" and when foods make them stand out or feel "different," your lunch-making efforts may go to waste. If your child(ren) fall into the latter category, it's important to indulge their "cool" needs. Are hoagie-like sandwiches the "in" thing? Well, break down and purchase the best hoagie-style bread you can find (or make your own if you are so inclined) and fill it with pastured sliced meats, homemade condiments and nourishing veggies (those they will eat). Making small allowances could mean the difference between eating your homemade lunch or trading for the junk!
Another strategy: get the kids involved! They can help with choosing lunchbox items at the store and even in the packing process. Little Susie will feel vested being a part of the lunch packing process and have more pride in consuming what she helped to create.
That extra touch may make all the difference. Try including an encouraging note, a comic, or a funny photo in your child's lunch.
Main Lunchbox Items
Get creative with the main lunch item, it can make or break a lunch!
Dinner Leftovers: This is often the easiest food to add to a lunch, especially if you plan ahead. Try one of these Nourishing Traditions recipes in your next lunchbox meal: Maria's Empanadas, Spicy Meat Loaf, Sesame Buffalo Wings, Spicy Lamb Pastries (Samosas) or Breaded Chicken Breast.
Sandwiches, Roll Ups and Pitas: Sandwich filling "holders" can come in many shapes and sizes, from the mess-containing pita pocket, tortilla or spongy English muffin, to the good ol' standby multi-grain bread (preferably sprouted or slow rising sourdough). While purchasing a properly prepared loaf of bread is the simplest method of obtaining bread, homemade varieties can't be beat. Sandwich filling options are endless; stand aside PB&J, these hipper sandwiches are moving in!
Turkey meat slices with pesto and tomato
Good quality salami with mustard and lettuce
Homemade chicken liver pâté with pickles
Apple slices, bacon, Dijon mustard, and cheddar cheese
Grilled cheese embellished with bacon bits, shredded meat or chopped veggies
Chicken, bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayo
Nut butter (peanut, almond, cashew) with sliced banana
Meat or turkey loaf with mayo and lettuce or sprouts
Cream cheese with salmon, capers and red onion
Chicken salad made with crispy pecans, grapes, celery and mayo
Mashed avocado mixed with a drop of lemon juice in a pita stuffed with spinach, grated carrots, tomatoes slices, cucumber slices and provolone cheese.
Roll-ups: The great thing about roll-ups is that the "roll" can be so many different things. While the most obvious is a tortilla (preferably whole wheat and sprouted), other choices include toasted nori seaweed sheets, crepes, pancakes, or a large leaf of lettuce. Here are some easy creative inspirations:
Raw cream cheese sprinkled with grated carrots, grated zucchini, grated apple and topped with a lettuce leaf
Cream cheese, wild salmon, arugula or other lettuce and sliced green onion
Mix cream cheese, chopped apple, nuts, vanilla, cinnamon and raw honey
Refried beans (seasoned with cumin, garlic and salt), lettuce, cheese and salsa
Hummus with shredded carrots, cucumber strips and sliced avocado
Use a slice of deli meat to roll up a stick of cheese and add in some pickles or sauerkraut (preferably fermented and homemade), onions, a little squirt of mustard and mayo.
For more inspiration, check out the Sandwich Suggestions section of Nourishing Traditions.
Soups: Soups and chili offer the ultimate nutritional bang for your lunchbox buck. They fill the belly and warm the soul, especially on those cold winter days. These lunch items are particularly nourishing when made with a homemade bone broth base, which is bursting with vitamins and minerals, including calcium, magnesium, collagen and much more. Freeze leftover soup in meal-sized portions (glass Pyrex or small plastic yogurt-size containers work well). Thaw the needed portion overnight and warm it up on the stovetop (stay clear of the microwave) for the thermos.
"Snacky" Lunchbox Ideas
Crispy nuts and seeds (see Nourishing Traditions for how and why) - the ultimate snack item packed with fats and protein in an easy-to-digest package.
Trail mix made with crispy nuts, coconut flakes, dried fruit and just a splash of carob or chocolate chips to make it extra special.
Nutty Snack Bar (see recipe below).
Fruit salad made with chopped fruit with a dab of sour cream or crème fraiche with a touch of maple syrup and a sprinkle of dried coconut.
Apple fruit salad made with mayo, crispy walnuts, a little coconut and a dab of raw honey.
Homemade fruit leather.
Dates stuffed with crispy almond, pecan, or walnut.
Olives, green or black, from a can, drained.
Date logs/balls (available for purchase or make your own by grinding dates or raisins, add coconut or finely chopped nuts and roll into balls).
Jerky is yummy and filling. Try the Salmon Jerky in Nourishing Tradition for something a little different. For the traditional meat jerky, thinly slice a grass-fed beef or buffalo roast and sprinkle with sea salt or soak in naturally brewed soy sauce. Put it into a dehydrator or a 150 degree oven for up to 24 hours and enjoy.
Pemmican is a traditional Native North American "cake" typically used for emergency rations for adventures that may take one on long-term travels. It is make with strips of dried meat pounded into a paste, mixed with melted fat (usually tallow rendered from cow fat) and dried berries or fruit. See the recipe in Nourishing Traditions.
Hard boiled eggs with a dash of sea salt or herbed salt.
Cheese, preferably raw, cut into fun shapes with small cookie cutters.
Popcorn topped with melted organic butter, sea salt and a dash of nutritional yeast and/or parmesan cheese.
Yogurt Dough Crackers. Use the Yogurt Dough recipe in Nourishing Traditions. Add a few tablespoons of honey, roll out thin, sprinkle with salt, and puncture with a fork. Place on a cookie sheet and cook on 350°F for about 12 to 15 minutes.
Waffle squares. Use your favorite waffle recipe and add a little extra sweetener to the batter and send them off as a nice sweet bready treat.
Muffins offer an excellent way to sneak in veggies like shredded zucchini or carrot and sweet potatoes or even beets.
Baked tortilla chips with bean dip or homemade lacto-fermented salsa.
Avocado "pudding" made with mashed avocado, whole raw milk or cream with a dash of a favorite sweetener.
Raw veggies (carrots, celery, turnip sticks, pepper slices, daikon radish, etc.) or crackers make great dippers for hummus, guacamole, onion dip, or peanut sauce. Salmon dip can be made from canned salmon (drained), mixed with sour cream, kefir cheese, crème fraiche or mayo with capers and diced red onions.
Fermented veggies, especially pickles or any other choice enjoyed.
Nutty Snack Bar
1 cup nut butter of choice (preferably homemade from crispy nuts—see Nourishing Traditions for recipe)
1/4 to 1/2 cup brown rice syrup
1 cup crispy almonds, chopped into small or large pieces
1 cup dried coconut
1/2 cup crispy sunflower seeds
1 cup carob or chocolate chips or dried fruit of choice (such as dried cherries or raisins)
Mix everything together and press into a baking dish. You can leave this recipe raw and place it into the refrigerator as is or allow the flavors to meld and the chips to melt by baking it for approximately 20 minutes at 350 degrees F—either way it is yummy.
Beverages
Competing with the temptations of the soda machine or coffee station may be a challenge for some family members, so go the extra mile with beverages if this is a weakness. A homemade lacto-fermented beverage with a little whole food sweetener is far better than anything that can be found outside the home. Also, drinks can be put in the freezer overnight and by lunchtime, they are cool and frosty! Try these on for size:
Raw whole milk!
Kombucha with a touch of blueberry juice concentrate (not frozen juice "concentrate", this is a bottled more nutrient-dense variety)
Iced herb tea, such as Fruity Options, with stevia to taste
Lemonade made with stevia or honey
Seltzer water with cherry juice concentrate*
Hot cocoa made with almond or coconut milk in a thermos for those cold days
Water kefir (see recipes in Eat Fat Lose Fat by Mary Enig and Sally Fallon)
Beet kvass with a touch of grape juice to add that extra zing of taste
Homemade lacto-fermented ginger beer*
Homemade lacto-fermented apple cider*
*Caution: these can be highly carbonated, be careful when transporting.
Sweet Treats
The trick to sweet treats for the lunch box is to find your family's best compromise between health and "living in the real world" pleasure meter. Although the family may eat your famous no-sugar quinoa and barley cookies at home, that doesn't mean they won't be tempted to toss them for something more appealing in the vending machines or hit their buddies up for a trade at school. The first option is to try to see whether a sweet tasting whole food will satisfy this sweet treat category—especially if your lunch-toting family member is highly sensitive to sugar. This could be raw milk, a stevia-sweetened beverage, berries with a little sour cream and maple syrup mixed in or candy-ripe cherry tomatoes.
While whole foods certainly are ideal, they may not be practical in the "real world" of kid lunches. If that is the case for your little ones, any number of homemade desserty sweet treats fit the lunchbox bill—brownies, cookies, macaroons, honey nut balls or cookies made with a crispy nut base—almost any work. When choosing your lunchbox treats, the most important thing is to make them as nourishing as possible. Yes there will be a sweetener of some sort, whether it is evaporated cane juice, honey, brown rice syrup or stevia, but realize that what you are making will be off-the-charts more nutritious than anything the cafeteria or vending machines have to offer.
These "tote-able" foods will help keep you and yours nutritionally charged. The only requirements are thinking ahead, a lunch pail, preparation time and a little organization, which is no sweat once you have the basic ideas under your belt.
Sidebars
Four Tools of the Lunchbox Trade
Having the right "equipment" on hand is the first step in packing the perfect lunch for anyone. Below are the items to have ready.
1. Lunch "box." Reusable lunch boxes or sacks come in all shapes, sizes, fabrics and colors. They are not only functional, but can fit anyone's style. Have the kids pick out something that they consider "hip"—whether that is a hard-sided Cinderella box or the classic black collapsible cooler.
2. Freezie ice packs. Within the lunch pail aisle sit ice packs that fit nicely into lunch boxes to help the contents stay cool. Frozen lunch items can also be used in place of these packs, such as a frozen sandwich, yogurt or beverage.
3. Stainless steel thermos. This is an indispensable item to keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot. In fact, hot foods will stay so piping hot that caution should be taken when opening the thermos and taking the first swig! Not only will stainless steel thermoses retain temperatures for long periods of time, but, more important, they will not leach unwanted chemicals as do the more reactive plastic varieties.
4. Waxed paper or plastic baggies and small containers. Separating foods keeps them from getting discombobulated on a bumpy drive and prevents "mushiness." Also, small glass bottles are great for packing drinks (if they are allowed in the cafeteria and if they won't come back broken). Although plastic is not preferable, it may be necessary for younger children.
Time-Saving Packing Tips
1. Do what you can the night before. Mornings tend to be hectic and if all you have to do is pull a pre-made lunch out of the fridge or toss everything into the lunch pail, you can focus more on the morning meal and sending everyone off with a smile.
2. Make large batches of lunch items and freeze. For instance, make a large batch of chicken balls, serve a few for dinner, but save the rest in a plastic baggie and throw them in the freezer.
3. Freeze drinks. Pull these out the night before and put them in the fridge. By the time lunch rolls around, the drinks will still be nice and cold. It helps keep the other foods cool to boot! If the drink has milk or coconut milk in it, such as a smoothie-like mix, a little shaking distributes the remaining ice and makes the beverage refreshingly slushy.
Let's Pack Lunchbox Samples
For simplicity, consider making one of these samples several days in a row, using this much variety on a day-to-day basis may be exhausting!
SAMPLE 1: Almond butter and banana slices between two whole grain soaked pancakes, a tangerine, trail mix, date balls/logs and raw milk.
SAMPLE 2: Pastured turkey meat slices, cheese cut into fun shapes with cookie cutters, homemade Yogurt Dough Crackers (to eat with the meat and cheese), yogurt with fresh or frozen raspberries with a dollop of unheated honey, salted cucumber slices and some kombucha.
SAMPLE 3: Nitrate-free pastured meat hot dogs with homemade ketchup for dipping, a handful of olives, carrot and turnip sticks with an onion dip mix, almond cookies and some lemonade.
SAMPLE 4: A thermos filled with meaty chili and veggies, cornbread muffins, fruit salad and apple cider.
SAMPLE 5: Salmon salad sandwich on sprouted whole grain bread, hardboiled egg with sea salt to taste, cherry tomatoes, brown rice pudding and ginger beer.
This article appeared in Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, the quarterly magazine of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Summer 2007.
About the Author
Jen Allbritton, is a wife, mother and Certified Nutritionist who enjoys researching, writing, and experimenting in the kitchen with WAPF-friendly dishes. Her column Growing Wise Kids is a regular addition to the Foundation's quarterly magazine, Wise Traditions. Jen has a degree in Kinesiology from the College of William and Mary and has been passionately learning and teaching others about food's affect on health for over 14 years. Contact her with column ideas: jen@growingwisekids.com .
Lactation issues? Digestive issues? Try fermented beverages like Kefir and Kombucha
Fermented Honey
Health Topics - Food Features
Written by Sally Fallon
Wednesday, 28 April 2004 10:56
Honey has been a valued food in many parts of the world, both in primitive societies and sophisticated civilizations. Hunter-gatherers are adept at removing honey from bee hives located in hollow tree trunks, using smoke to drive away the bees. In some primitive groups, honey supplies a large portion of total calories at certain times of the year. The Aborigines of Australia prized honey and distinguished between two types--light and dark. A neolithic rock painting in Spain shows a man collecting wild honey.
Egyptian writings dating from about 5500 BC refer to honey. At that time, Lower Egypt was called Bee Land while Upper Egypt was called Reed Land. Apiculture was well established in the 5th dynasty (about 2500 BC) and is shown in several reliefs in the temple of the Sun at Abusir. Tablets from the reign of Seti I (1314 to 1292) give a value of an ass or an ox to 110 pots of honey. Thutmoses III is recorded as receiving tributes of honey from Syria in 1450 BC.
The Indians used honey in religious rites. The Indian Laws of Manu, dating from 1000 BC, called for a tax of one-sixth of the beekeeper’s production.
Honey is sugary nectar of flowers gathered by bees. It is carried in "honey sacs" where enzymes begin the process breaking down the sugars. The bee then deposits her cargo into hexagonal wax cells, to provide nourishment for a young bee. Continued evaporation in the warm atmosphere of the hive gradually transforms the nectar into honey. Bees must travel thousands of miles to produce just one teaspoon of honey.
The saliva of bees breaks down the sucrose in flower nectar into the simple sugars fructose and dextrose. Honey consists of about 35-40 percent fructose and 30-35 percent dextrose along with 17-20 percent water and traces of pollen, wax, acids, proteins, enzymes, vitamins, minerals and pigments. Honey also contains gums, which are complex carbohydrates that contribute to the viscosity of honey--the more gums it contains, the thicker it will be. The flavor, texture and color of honey depend on the types of flowers that provide the original nectar.
Only careful and minimal processing will preserve the many nutritive benefits of honey. Honey should never be heated during extraction or the enzymes will be destroyed; nor should it be filtered. Honey should be thick and opaque. When it comes to honey, see-through is obscene.
Many health claims have been made for honey. Babylonian tables give recipes for "electuaries," medicines based on honey. Pliny the Elder included powdered bees in a cure for dropsy and bladder stones. In Russia, beekeepers are noted for their longevity, and this is said to be due to their custom of eating the "honey from the bottom of the hive," which contains high levels of "impurities" such as pollen, propolis and even bee parts.
Propolis is a resinous substance collected from various plants which the bees mix with wax and use in the construction of their hives. Extravagant health claims have been made for propolis and it has, in fact, been the subject of a number of studies. A 1992 study published in Chemical-Biological Interactions found that caffeic acid esters (which give propolis a sharp taste like cinnamon) in propolis have strong anticancer characteristics when tested on colon cancer cells.
Health claims are also made for bee pollen, claims which have been validated by at least one study. In 1948, the Journal of the National Cancer Institute reported that bee pollen fed to rats halted the proliferation of cancerous tumors. The best results occurred with only small dosages of pollen. This suggests that bee pollen is very powerful and so potent that even weak or small amounts are vigorous enough to affect the growth of cancerous tumors.
It is the pollen in unfiltered honey that is said to provide relief to allergy sufferers. Small amounts of pollen act as an inoculant against large amounts in the air that trigger reactions like the runny nose and itchy eyes of hayfever.
Unlike other sweeteners, honey is predigested and so is easy to digest. When consumed with carbohydrates, such as oatmeal or toast, the enzymes in honey help with the digestion of carbohydrates.
Since early times, man has made fermented drinks with honey. The most important was mead, an alcoholic beverage, enjoyed by the English and Russians. The word derives from the Sanskrit word for honey, which is madhu. A similar drink called t’ej is popular in Ethiopia.
What is less well known is the fact that honey itself can ferment, if it contains enough residual moisture and is left in a warm place--honey ferments but never spoils! Fermented honey actually expands somewhat, and develops rich flavors. It is an even better aid to digestion than regular honey.
The following recipes all call for raw, unfiltered honey, preferably fermented, and all involve lactic-acid fermentation to which the honey contributes. In all of them, the enzymes are preserved, as none require high temperatures to prepare.
Fermented Honey Crackers
Makes about 30 crackers
1/2 cup plain whole yoghurt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, preferably cultured
2 1/2 cups freshly ground wheat, spelt or Kamut® flour
1/4 cup fermented honey
1 teaspoon sea salt
unbleached white flour to prevent sticking
Leave butter at room temperature to soften. Mix yoghurt, butter, honey and salt together with an electric mixer. Gradually add the freshly ground flour. Form dough into a ball, place in a bowl and cover with a towel. Leave at room temperature for 12-24 hours.
Rub a 9-inch by 13-inch pyrex pan with butter and dust with white flour. Dust your hands with white flour to prevent sticking and then press the dough into the pan. Score with a knife so the dough will separately easily into rectangular "crackers." Dehydrate by placing in an oven set at 150 degrees until the crackers dry out completely--this will take a day or two. Break into crackers and store in an air tight container in the refrigerator.
Honey Topping
Makes 1 1/2 cups
1 1/4 cup good quality cream, preferably raw
1 tablespoon cultured cream, such as creme fraiche
2 tablespoons fermented honey
1 tablespoon liqueur, such as cognac or armagnac
Mix all ingredients together with a wire whisk and place in a glass mason jar. Cover and leave at room temperature overnight, then refrigerate. The cream should become very thick when chilled. Use as a topping for fruit or other desserts.
Honey-Lemon Drink
Makes 2 quarts
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup fermented honey
1/2 cup homemade whey
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
filtered water
Mix honey with lemon juice and place in a 2-quart glass container. Add whey, grated nutmeg and water to fill the container. Cover tightly and leave at room temperature for 2-3 days. Transfer to the refrigerator and leave for 2-3 weeks. Serve plain or with added soda water.
Honey-Berry Beverage
Makes 2 quarts
2 cups blackberries, raspberries or boysenberries,
fresh or frozen
1/4 - 1/2 cup fermented honey
1/2 cup whey
2 teaspoons sea salt
filtered water
Place berries in a food processor and process with a little water until smooth. Pass through a strainer to remove the seeds. Blend with honey, whey and salt and place in a 2-quart glass container. Add enough water to fill the container. Cover and leave at room temperature for 2-3 days. Carefully remove any foam that rises to the top. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for several weeks. The sediment will fall to the bottom. To serve, pour out slowly so as not to disturb the sediment.
Sidebar
Fermented Honey Now Available
The Really Raw Honey company produces a wonderful raw, unfiltered honey from hives set in wildflowers along the eastern seaboard. Their product contains the pollens of goldenrod, wild asters, dandelion, May apple and St. John’s Wort and is both raw and unfiltered. They currently have a large stock of fermented honey available which may be ordered by calling (410) 675-7233.
This article appeared in Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, the quarterly magazine of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Fall 2000.
Health Topics - Food Features
Written by Sally Fallon
Wednesday, 28 April 2004 10:56
Honey has been a valued food in many parts of the world, both in primitive societies and sophisticated civilizations. Hunter-gatherers are adept at removing honey from bee hives located in hollow tree trunks, using smoke to drive away the bees. In some primitive groups, honey supplies a large portion of total calories at certain times of the year. The Aborigines of Australia prized honey and distinguished between two types--light and dark. A neolithic rock painting in Spain shows a man collecting wild honey.
Egyptian writings dating from about 5500 BC refer to honey. At that time, Lower Egypt was called Bee Land while Upper Egypt was called Reed Land. Apiculture was well established in the 5th dynasty (about 2500 BC) and is shown in several reliefs in the temple of the Sun at Abusir. Tablets from the reign of Seti I (1314 to 1292) give a value of an ass or an ox to 110 pots of honey. Thutmoses III is recorded as receiving tributes of honey from Syria in 1450 BC.
The Indians used honey in religious rites. The Indian Laws of Manu, dating from 1000 BC, called for a tax of one-sixth of the beekeeper’s production.
Honey is sugary nectar of flowers gathered by bees. It is carried in "honey sacs" where enzymes begin the process breaking down the sugars. The bee then deposits her cargo into hexagonal wax cells, to provide nourishment for a young bee. Continued evaporation in the warm atmosphere of the hive gradually transforms the nectar into honey. Bees must travel thousands of miles to produce just one teaspoon of honey.
The saliva of bees breaks down the sucrose in flower nectar into the simple sugars fructose and dextrose. Honey consists of about 35-40 percent fructose and 30-35 percent dextrose along with 17-20 percent water and traces of pollen, wax, acids, proteins, enzymes, vitamins, minerals and pigments. Honey also contains gums, which are complex carbohydrates that contribute to the viscosity of honey--the more gums it contains, the thicker it will be. The flavor, texture and color of honey depend on the types of flowers that provide the original nectar.
Only careful and minimal processing will preserve the many nutritive benefits of honey. Honey should never be heated during extraction or the enzymes will be destroyed; nor should it be filtered. Honey should be thick and opaque. When it comes to honey, see-through is obscene.
Many health claims have been made for honey. Babylonian tables give recipes for "electuaries," medicines based on honey. Pliny the Elder included powdered bees in a cure for dropsy and bladder stones. In Russia, beekeepers are noted for their longevity, and this is said to be due to their custom of eating the "honey from the bottom of the hive," which contains high levels of "impurities" such as pollen, propolis and even bee parts.
Propolis is a resinous substance collected from various plants which the bees mix with wax and use in the construction of their hives. Extravagant health claims have been made for propolis and it has, in fact, been the subject of a number of studies. A 1992 study published in Chemical-Biological Interactions found that caffeic acid esters (which give propolis a sharp taste like cinnamon) in propolis have strong anticancer characteristics when tested on colon cancer cells.
Health claims are also made for bee pollen, claims which have been validated by at least one study. In 1948, the Journal of the National Cancer Institute reported that bee pollen fed to rats halted the proliferation of cancerous tumors. The best results occurred with only small dosages of pollen. This suggests that bee pollen is very powerful and so potent that even weak or small amounts are vigorous enough to affect the growth of cancerous tumors.
It is the pollen in unfiltered honey that is said to provide relief to allergy sufferers. Small amounts of pollen act as an inoculant against large amounts in the air that trigger reactions like the runny nose and itchy eyes of hayfever.
Unlike other sweeteners, honey is predigested and so is easy to digest. When consumed with carbohydrates, such as oatmeal or toast, the enzymes in honey help with the digestion of carbohydrates.
Since early times, man has made fermented drinks with honey. The most important was mead, an alcoholic beverage, enjoyed by the English and Russians. The word derives from the Sanskrit word for honey, which is madhu. A similar drink called t’ej is popular in Ethiopia.
What is less well known is the fact that honey itself can ferment, if it contains enough residual moisture and is left in a warm place--honey ferments but never spoils! Fermented honey actually expands somewhat, and develops rich flavors. It is an even better aid to digestion than regular honey.
The following recipes all call for raw, unfiltered honey, preferably fermented, and all involve lactic-acid fermentation to which the honey contributes. In all of them, the enzymes are preserved, as none require high temperatures to prepare.
Fermented Honey Crackers
Makes about 30 crackers
1/2 cup plain whole yoghurt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, preferably cultured
2 1/2 cups freshly ground wheat, spelt or Kamut® flour
1/4 cup fermented honey
1 teaspoon sea salt
unbleached white flour to prevent sticking
Leave butter at room temperature to soften. Mix yoghurt, butter, honey and salt together with an electric mixer. Gradually add the freshly ground flour. Form dough into a ball, place in a bowl and cover with a towel. Leave at room temperature for 12-24 hours.
Rub a 9-inch by 13-inch pyrex pan with butter and dust with white flour. Dust your hands with white flour to prevent sticking and then press the dough into the pan. Score with a knife so the dough will separately easily into rectangular "crackers." Dehydrate by placing in an oven set at 150 degrees until the crackers dry out completely--this will take a day or two. Break into crackers and store in an air tight container in the refrigerator.
Honey Topping
Makes 1 1/2 cups
1 1/4 cup good quality cream, preferably raw
1 tablespoon cultured cream, such as creme fraiche
2 tablespoons fermented honey
1 tablespoon liqueur, such as cognac or armagnac
Mix all ingredients together with a wire whisk and place in a glass mason jar. Cover and leave at room temperature overnight, then refrigerate. The cream should become very thick when chilled. Use as a topping for fruit or other desserts.
Honey-Lemon Drink
Makes 2 quarts
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup fermented honey
1/2 cup homemade whey
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
filtered water
Mix honey with lemon juice and place in a 2-quart glass container. Add whey, grated nutmeg and water to fill the container. Cover tightly and leave at room temperature for 2-3 days. Transfer to the refrigerator and leave for 2-3 weeks. Serve plain or with added soda water.
Honey-Berry Beverage
Makes 2 quarts
2 cups blackberries, raspberries or boysenberries,
fresh or frozen
1/4 - 1/2 cup fermented honey
1/2 cup whey
2 teaspoons sea salt
filtered water
Place berries in a food processor and process with a little water until smooth. Pass through a strainer to remove the seeds. Blend with honey, whey and salt and place in a 2-quart glass container. Add enough water to fill the container. Cover and leave at room temperature for 2-3 days. Carefully remove any foam that rises to the top. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for several weeks. The sediment will fall to the bottom. To serve, pour out slowly so as not to disturb the sediment.
Sidebar
Fermented Honey Now Available
The Really Raw Honey company produces a wonderful raw, unfiltered honey from hives set in wildflowers along the eastern seaboard. Their product contains the pollens of goldenrod, wild asters, dandelion, May apple and St. John’s Wort and is both raw and unfiltered. They currently have a large stock of fermented honey available which may be ordered by calling (410) 675-7233.
This article appeared in Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, the quarterly magazine of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Fall 2000.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
"Healthy" snacks...not really!
While I may not agree with EVERY thing below, you will find some very good general advice. If you're packing your child's lunch - which YOU SHOULD BE DOING... the stuff they feed them at school is hardly edible for my chickens - make sure you're not guilty of these "healthy" mistakes.
6 “Healthy” Kids Snacks That Aren’t
by Toby Amidor in Back to School, Healthy TipsComments (20)
Find out which snacks to skip.
Feeding your kids can get confusing. Between pushy food marketing and bewildering labels, it’s no wonder that most folks are misled as to which kids snacks are really healthy. Here’s the real deal on what you’ve been buying.
#1: Yogurt
Cows don’t make purple, hot pink or even blue-colored yogurt — that’s what I tell my kids every time we hit the dairy aisle. Those neon yogurts are loaded with sugar (including the infamous high fructose corn syrup) and lots of additives and preservatives that don’t do any favors to little bodies. Give kids a punch of calcium and protein from healthier dairy products. If your kids are pining for yogurt, here are some healthier options:
Stonyfield Yo Baby, Yo Kids and Fat-Free Organic (the French Vanilla is my 5-year-old’s fave)
Low-Fat Brown Cow Yogurt
Chobani Champions Greek Yogurt
#2: Granola Bars
Although a basic granola bar includes a combo of nuts, oats, seeds and sometimes dried fruit (all healthy stuff), many packaged varieties add in pieces of chocolate or candy or loads of sugar and fat. Check out our favorite snack bar brands or make your own granola mix.
#3: Meat & Cracker Combos
While they’re convenient kid-favorites, most packaged lunch combos come with a side dish of excess salt and fat. With a laundry list of ingredients and preservatives, you’re better off packing your own. On your next trip to the market, pick up a package of whole-wheat or rye crackers, Swiss or cheddar cheese and low-sodium turkey or ham (or leftover turkey or chicken) and pack in compartment-type Tupperware. You’ll save money and control the ingredients.
#4: Veggie Chips
Once fried and processed, even veggies aren’t that healthy. Heat and various processing techniques destroy many of the vitamins, which are not typically replaced once they’re made into chips. Pack a serving (about 15 chips) for a once-in-a-while snack, but don’t substitute them for actual vegetables.
#5: Fruit Snacks
Fruit snacks might have the word “fruit” in the title, but don’t be fooled. Most of these chewy snacks contain corn syrup and “natural” and artificial flavors. If you carefully examine the list of ingredients, you’ll also find vitamin C added back as it’s destroyed during the processing of the snack. Nothing can replace a juicy, fresh fruit, but if you want to serve it up as an occasional treat make sure to brush those little teeth right away.
#6: Juice Drinks
Lemonade, iced tea and other such juice drinks are loaded with calories, sugar and not much else. Look for 100 percent fruit juice and limit kids to a maximum of 4 fluid ounces per day. Don’t be fooled with the claim that it’s excellent source of vitamin C — you can get just as much (if not more) from good old fresh fruits like kiwi, citrus fruit and strawberries and even a few veggies like bell peppers, tomatoes and potatoes.
Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, is a registered dietitian and consultant who specializes in food safety and culinary nutrition.
6 “Healthy” Kids Snacks That Aren’t
by Toby Amidor in Back to School, Healthy TipsComments (20)
Find out which snacks to skip.
Feeding your kids can get confusing. Between pushy food marketing and bewildering labels, it’s no wonder that most folks are misled as to which kids snacks are really healthy. Here’s the real deal on what you’ve been buying.
#1: Yogurt
Cows don’t make purple, hot pink or even blue-colored yogurt — that’s what I tell my kids every time we hit the dairy aisle. Those neon yogurts are loaded with sugar (including the infamous high fructose corn syrup) and lots of additives and preservatives that don’t do any favors to little bodies. Give kids a punch of calcium and protein from healthier dairy products. If your kids are pining for yogurt, here are some healthier options:
Stonyfield Yo Baby, Yo Kids and Fat-Free Organic (the French Vanilla is my 5-year-old’s fave)
Low-Fat Brown Cow Yogurt
Chobani Champions Greek Yogurt
#2: Granola Bars
Although a basic granola bar includes a combo of nuts, oats, seeds and sometimes dried fruit (all healthy stuff), many packaged varieties add in pieces of chocolate or candy or loads of sugar and fat. Check out our favorite snack bar brands or make your own granola mix.
#3: Meat & Cracker Combos
While they’re convenient kid-favorites, most packaged lunch combos come with a side dish of excess salt and fat. With a laundry list of ingredients and preservatives, you’re better off packing your own. On your next trip to the market, pick up a package of whole-wheat or rye crackers, Swiss or cheddar cheese and low-sodium turkey or ham (or leftover turkey or chicken) and pack in compartment-type Tupperware. You’ll save money and control the ingredients.
#4: Veggie Chips
Once fried and processed, even veggies aren’t that healthy. Heat and various processing techniques destroy many of the vitamins, which are not typically replaced once they’re made into chips. Pack a serving (about 15 chips) for a once-in-a-while snack, but don’t substitute them for actual vegetables.
#5: Fruit Snacks
Fruit snacks might have the word “fruit” in the title, but don’t be fooled. Most of these chewy snacks contain corn syrup and “natural” and artificial flavors. If you carefully examine the list of ingredients, you’ll also find vitamin C added back as it’s destroyed during the processing of the snack. Nothing can replace a juicy, fresh fruit, but if you want to serve it up as an occasional treat make sure to brush those little teeth right away.
#6: Juice Drinks
Lemonade, iced tea and other such juice drinks are loaded with calories, sugar and not much else. Look for 100 percent fruit juice and limit kids to a maximum of 4 fluid ounces per day. Don’t be fooled with the claim that it’s excellent source of vitamin C — you can get just as much (if not more) from good old fresh fruits like kiwi, citrus fruit and strawberries and even a few veggies like bell peppers, tomatoes and potatoes.
Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, is a registered dietitian and consultant who specializes in food safety and culinary nutrition.
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