Week Three

Making It Easy for Mom

I’m just a mom on a budget, trying to keep my family healthy.

"The projection... warns that 42% of Americans may end up obese by 2030 (up from 36% in 2010), and 11% could be severely obese, roughly 100 or more pounds over a healthy weight (vs. 6% in 2010)."  Nancy Hellmich, USA Today

How much sugar are you eating?  Did you take my sugar challenge last week to see?  I bet most of us don't realize how much sugar is in our everyday foods.  When we think about all the issues we are having with health as a nation, and as a world, could one possible solution be to stop eating sugar?  Diabetes is becoming normal in children.  Why?  Insulin resistance caused by too much sugar.  Be the catalyst of change in your family and your community.   Let your voice be heard.  BE LOUD!  Let's eat real food and get healthy together.  

Book Recommendation: Fat Chance

Lustig, Robert H., M.D. (2012) Fat Chance:  Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity, and Disease.  New York, NY:  Penguin Group.

If you are wondering why we have an obesity epidemic, Dr. Lustig will answer your question.  Lustig believes this epidemic is rooted in sugar consumption.  Claiming that sugar is toxic, he scientifically shows the terrible effects of sugar in our bodies.  When you realize how many products contain sugar, it's not hard to believe that Lustig is on the right path.  At the same time, he points out that other environmental toxins can affect our health.  Lustig includes stories of his patients and the investigations he went through to uncover the causes of their problems.  One memorable story to me was about a five year old girl showing signs of entering puberty.  After sorting through her history, Lustig discovered that the body wash she was using (one we all know well) was created with a plant based estrogen.  This estrogen was the reason for her unhealthy weight gain and increased estrogen levels.  While this book can get a bit scientifically technical, Lustig does a great job of talking to his readers.  If you are concerned with sugar and want to know how to avoid overconsumption for you and your family, then I suggest you read this book.

Something my kids have taught me this week:  They will do just about anything to watch more TV, so I have decided to use TV as a reward.  We don't have cable, because of both the cost and the commercials.  Research has shown that children can't distinguish commercials from regular programming until they are at least eight years old.  There is now a connection being made between childhood obesity and TV kid specific advertising.  Ask yourself, when was the last time you saw a commercial advertising cucumbers?  Both children are allowed to pick one show on Netflix each day.  Since they are asking to watch more, I have created a new rule.  If you both read me a book, then you can pick one show together.  This is a great way to promote teamwork too.  My youngest went from a beginning reader to a very fluent reading four year old in no time at all.  This is a situation where everyone wins.  


Brain Power Idea:  One of my best friends purchased a globe for my kids almost two years ago.  For the first year, I kept the globe up high, out of their reach.  I didn't want their dirty fingers to ruin it, right???  Well then it dawned on me, she purchased the globe for the kids.  So I put it on the kitchen table, and you know what?  My kids KNOW geography.  We all spend lots of time spinning the globe and wondering about our world.  This has sparked many dinner conversations about landforms, cultures, and places.  My youngest can't read the place names, but she sure does remember the shapes and colors of interesting places and can point them out.  Yes, the globe does look loved, but I think my friend wanted that to happen. 

Reasonably Priced Quality Globes

Methods to get your kids to eat new foods: I received a question asking about how to get your kids to try new veggies.  The key word here is try because once they have tried them, about 10-13 times, they will eat them because they like them.  They might not like every veggie, but they will find some to be delicious.  I have found that giving the raw version of the fruit or veggies is the tastiest, and let's be honest, easier to prepare.  On top of that, the raw version is almost always the most nutritious way to eat veggies and fruits.  Okay, drumroll please...I bribe my kids.  Isn't that what all good parents do?  Here is strategy two of six. 

Bite for Bite:  This is the horse with the dangling carrot.  I use dark chocolate chips.  They are healthy and sweet.  If your kids don't like dark chocolate, look for something small and healthy.  I place a handful of chips on the table.  I tell the child, take a bite of food for a bite of a treat.  This helps kids to not feel so overwhelmed.  By breaking up the meal with small treats you might get more compliance.  Plus if they don't like the food, they at least can mix it with something sweet in between.  

Featured Veggies:  Avocado Cups:  This is a simple way to eat avocados.  I know you are all probably sick of avocados, but they are just that fantastic for us that I can't stop recommending them.  Instead I will show you different ways to eat them.  I promise soon to review brain boosting fats, and their utmost importance for developing brains.  Okay so cut the avocado lengthwise and take out the pit.  Fill that hole with freshly squeezed lemon.  You can also sprinkle a little mineral salt on them.  And there you go...avocado cups.  Somehow just assigning them a name makes them even tastier to my kids.  

Fun Dessert:  I am always looking for a healthy way to give my kids a special dessert.  So we created something fun this week.  We took bananas and split them lengthwise.  Then we mixed a spread made of Spectrum brand Decadent Blend Chia and Flax Seed with Cocoa and Coconut too with Greek Yogurt.  We spread that on the bananas.  Then we topped that with dark chocolate chips and sprinkles of coconut chips.  We then put them in the oven at 185 degrees for about 20 min.  We weren't sure how it would turn out, but it was delicious and packed with tons of great nutritious goodness!  

Spectrum Products

Snack Ideas:
-Apples with almond butter
-Beef Sticks
-Handful of nuts
-Bananas
-Cheese Sticks

Grocery List:  This is based on a family of four.
Produce:  We have apples, pineapples and clementines in season here, but feel free to substitute this fruit for something better available in your region.  

-2 bunches of bananas
-4-8 avocados
-2-4 lemons
-1 bunch organic broccoli (fresh)
-2 containers of fresh organic spinach
-1 bag of organic apples
-1 pineapple
-1 bag of clementines
-Bag of yellow onions
-5 jalapenos
-1-2 Bunches of garlic
-7 tomatoes
-Bag or box of organic quinoa
-2-3 organic bell peppers of different colors
-1 container of spring mix (lettuce mix)
-1 red onion

Cold Stuff:
-2 containers of Greek Yogurt
-2 loaves Udi's gluten free bread
-3 dozen eggs
-Container of  organic cottage cheese
-Container of Vegenaise (mayo)
-Container of cream cheese
-Box of butter
-1 package of sprouted grain corn tortillas
-1 bag organic Mexican shredded cheese

Meat:
-2 packages bacon
-2-3 packages of lunchmeat
-1-2lbs of ground turkey
-1 whole chicken
-Bag of wild caught shrimp or 2 chicken breasts
-1lb of organic ground beef
-2 chicken breasts

Dry Stuff:
-Spectrum brand Decadent Blend Chia and Flax Seed with Cocoa and Coconut (if you want to make the fun dessert above or to mix it in smoothies)
-Dark chocolate chips
-Shredded coconut
-2 boxes of organic chicken stock
-2 small cans of organic tomato sauce
-Bag of almond accents
-1 bag of white sushi rice
-Jar of olives (actually I think the olive bar is best)
-Sriracha sauce (if you want to add spice to the shrimp salad)
-1 can organic pinto beans
-1 can organic black beans
-1 can organic corn
-1 can organic diced tomatoes
-1 package original taco mix
-1 package organic ranch mix (dry)

Check your pantry:
-Protein powder
-Jar of almond butter
-Costco no-salt seasoning mix
-garlic powder
-onion powder
-salt
-pepper
-Panko gluten free breadcrumbs
-turmeric
-Bragg's nutritional yeast
-worcestershire sauce
-Box of toothpicks
-Bag of gluten free flour
-paprika
-Olive oil

Breakfast Options:

Option 1:  Bacon, broccoli and eggs-I usually cut my bacon into pieces and fry it up with some broccoli.   When that's all cooked, I add some eggs to make a scrambled egg mix.

Option 2:  Protein shake- This week let's mix our protein powder with the new Spectrum powder, some bananas and Greek Yogurt.  

Option 3:  Udi's gluten free bread with some almond butter, and a side of cottage cheese

Monday: 
Breakfast: Option 1

Lunch:  Make a sandwich with Udi's gluten free bread, spinach, Vegenaise (mayo), and lunchmeat.  On the side have some fruit and yogurt.  

Dinner:  Magic Meatballs (I always double this recipe for lunch the next day.)
I call them magic because everyone loves them no matter what's inside of them.  Basically I use meatballs to clean out my fridge.  I sautee anything that is about to spoil.  Typically this includes, onions, jalapenos, tomatoes, garlic, kale (food process it up so it's tiny), really the options are endless.  Then per pound of ground turkey, I add one beaten egg, a generous amount of Costco's no-salt seasoning mix, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and turmeric.  You can also put some nutritional yeast (extra b vitamins).  I like Bragg's brand of nutritional yeast.  Also put enough worcestershire sauce to turn that mixture a light brown.  Then add in your sauteed mix and some type of breadcrumb.  Either use Panko gluten free breadcrumbs or you can crush up the Mary's Gone Crackers from last week.  Mix that all up and roll them meatballs into balls.  Bake them at 350 degrees for about 30-40 min.  

I make quinoa with these.   Put a little olive oil and some kosher salt and fry one cup of quiona.  When it's light brown, add one small can of tomato sauce into a measuring cup and fill the rest of the recommended liquid with chicken stock.  Cook the recommended time.  

If you put enough veggies in the meatball, you might not even need a side of veggies.  Tonight would be a great night to make the featured banana dessert.  

Tuesday:
Breakfast:  Option 2 and make your dinner to throw in the crock pot.

Lunch:  Magic meatballs and some fruit

Dinner:  Arroz con Pollo (chicken with rice)
This is a recipe from week one. Perhaps the second time around it will be fast and easy. Grab your crock pot and set it on low for 8 hours.  Take your cut up whole chicken and dip in the following mixture, gluten free flour mixed with paprika, salt and pepper.  Fry each piece in a little olive oil until the skin is browned.  Then throw that chicken in the crock pot.  In a separate pot, combine one box chicken stock and one small can of tomato sauce with some paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and salt.  Bring that to a boil and add it to the crock pot.  In your fry pan from the chicken, fry cut up onion, the 2-3 cut up bell peppers and a cup of rice.  When everything is brown, throw it in the crock pot too.  And that’s it.  It will be ready when you get home from work.  

When you get home from work throw some spinach in a bowl with some olives.  I don’t use dressing, but rather squeeze a little lemon and sprinkle salt and pepper on it too. 

Wednesday:
Breakfast: Option 3

Lunch:  Meat roll-ups.  Take some lunch meat (like 5-6 pieces) and spread cream cheese in each piece.  Then roll up the piece and stick a toothpick in it to keep it rolled up. Put some fruit in a tupperware.  Grab a handful of almond accents.

Dinner:  Shrimp Salad

If you don't like shrimp, then I suggest you just fry some chicken breasts like pollo a la plancha from week two, and then follow the rest of the directions.  For those of you that do like shrimp, get wild caught, not farmed.  More on that another time. My husband created this sauce and I love it. So, take about 2 tablespoons of butter per person and melt it in a pan.  I add fresh chopped garlic to lightly brown in the butter.  We love garlic, so I use a head of garlic when I make this for the family.  To add some spice, squirt some Sriracha sauce in the pan too.  Then throw in the correct amount of shrimp and cover it for about 10-15 minutes or until the shrimp is done.  While the shrimp is cooking, mix together your salad.  Combine spinach and the spring mix with avocado, red onion, and some almond accents.  Then throw your shrimp on top and use some of the sauce in the pan as your dressing.  It's delicious!!

Thursday:

Breakfast:  Option 1 and get your dinner in the crock pot

Lunch:   Make a sandwich with Udi's gluten free bread, spinach, Vegenaise (mayo), and lunchmeat.  On the side have some fruit and yogurt.  

Dinner:  Taco Soup

To make taco soup, put one can of pinto beans, one can black beans, one can corn, one can diced tomatoes, one pound of ground beef browned and drained, and one packet of original taco mix and one packet of ranch mix into the crock pot.  Make sure you dump the juice from the cans too.  I also cut up avocados, jalapenos, onions and some cheese to put on top right before you serve.  Remember the corn chips from last week?  Those are great to make and serve with the soup too.  Fruit for dessert.

Friday:

Breakfast:  Option 2

Lunch:  Leftover taco soup

Dinner:  Tortitas de Pollo 
This is a bit more difficult of a dish to make, but I think you are getting better at cooking, so let's try it.  I use 2 chicken breasts for my family.  Boil the chicken breasts and then shred them into pieces.  I then add some garlic powder, onion powder and salt.  If you could do this in the morning before work, dinner would be ready much faster at night.  Once you have your chicken shredded, then you need to make your batter.  This is simple.  For each breast I use 4 egg whites.  Using a hand beater, whip up the egg whites until they look like this...

Then you take a small handful of chicken and dip it in the batter.  Roll it around so that the chicken is completely covered in batter and in the shape of a meatball.  Then throw that ball into a pan with some olive oil to fry.  When you flip the tortita, squish it down so that it is flat.  My kids think these are chicken nuggets and love them.  I also make a sauce.  Take 4 tomatoes, a quarter of an onion and 1 clove of garlic.  Food process them all up.  Then using a strainer, push the liquid through to make a thin tomato sauce.  Cook this until bright red.  

Your tortitas should look like this.  I hope you like them as much as we do!

We also eat avocado cups and fruit with this dinner.  

I hope you enjoyed this week's menu.