Who doesn’t love cookies? I’m a big fan of the cookie and here’s a cookie that’s been around for almost one hundred years: Mother’s brand Oatmeal Cookies. Well the cookie itself hasn’t been around that long, (though with preservatives these days…) I digress. Mother’s brand cookies have been a staple on supermarket shelves for nearly one hundred years, yet their ingredients are anything but wholesome. (more…)
I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that a a lot of kids out there like avocados. They are a healthy, nutrient rich fruit (yes they are a fruit) that are often passed off as a vegetable in sandwiches, salads, and of course, guacamole. Seeing as Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner, I realized those easy prepackaged containers of guacamole would soon be flying off the supermarket shelf. (more…)
We know how important it is to read labels on snack foods, boxed dinners and cereals but do we actually need to read the labels on yogurt? YES. If I’m learning anything during this journey it’s that you have to read the labels on everything. Yogurt should contain only milk, live yogurt cultures and any natural fruit they might add. Should. But many of the fruit flavored yogurts on the market contain a lot more than that. I’ve seen some that contain carrageenan, others that contain high fructose corn syrup and artificial colors, and some fruit yogurts that contain no fruit whatsoever. So how do you find yogurt that contains simply fruit, milk and yogurt cultures? Two ways: read the labels or mix up your own. (more…)
I’m not suggesting that what your about to read is about health food. It doesn’t follow a raw diet, vegetarian or vegan diet, or even a fresh-fruit-and-veggie diet. But we all know kids like fun food and I’m a believer that “Fun Food” does not have to be synonymous with “Junk Food”. If we make smart choices about the ingredients we use, we can make fun “kid food” without all the chemicals, food dyes, refined sugars and well…junk. (more…)
Granola bars stir up quite the controversy at our house. My kids want to bring them to school for snack, but a nut-free school means no granola bars with nuts of any sort. That rules out a lot of the granola bars on the market. Then when we look at what’s left and examine what ingredients are actually in the remaining granola bars things really start to get interesting. Let’s just say we’re left with…well, not much. (more…)
Granola. What image does the word “Granola” evoke for you? I’ve always felt the word “Granola” was synonymous with “health”. For me growing up, the word Granola evoked images of health food markets where you could barely fit down the aisle but you could find things like Wheat Grass and Hemp seed. But now Granola is common, good food and chances are you can find a healthy, minimally processed granola at the average supermarket. But not all Granola is the same and this is a perfect opportunity to discuss the importance (and ease) of reading labels.
A few nights ago we took our boys to see the holiday light displays on “Candy Cane Lane”. As we rolled our minivan slowly through the streets behind the rest of Los Angeles, we spotted a neighbor selling hot cocoa to benefit the Eagle Scouts. What’s more festive than a cup of hot cocoa, brightly colored light displays and holiday music on the radio, right? We bought each of the boys a cup and as they sat cozy in the back, sipping the warm drink and slurping the marshmallows out one-by-one, I realized that it was probably time to take a deconstructed look at instant hot cocoa. I was pretty sure those drink packets weren’t as innocent and idyllic as they seemed. Turns out I was right.
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Watch it wiggle, see them jiggle…and squirm, and meltdown, and bounce off the walls. Yup. I’ve seen it. My kids love jello, at least they did the two times I made it for them. But both times I cringed as I poured hot water over that neon colored powder, the overly sweet smell wafting up through the steam. But who am I to deprive my kids of that fun, jiggling food product that makes them giggle? I don’t have to. (more…)
As we head into fall, I find that my family starts to crave the cozy goodness of fresh popcorn. It’s a perfect after school snack on a gray afternoon and it makes a delicious accompaniment to a Sunday movie.
I know on the surface it may seem easier to grab a bag of microwave popcorn and throw it in for three to five minutes. But is it three minutes to fresh popped corn or three minutes to a chemical coated health risk? You be the judge… (more…)
A few fresh treats just for fun! Hope you all have a Happy Halloween! (more…)