Important snack tools to last throughout the year

This month I have been posting daily snack ideas for after school, sports and classrooms. Along the way, on my quest for healthy snacks, I was introduced to a really fun Popsicle maker and snack cup. Two products both made by a company called Fresh Baby.The So Easy Popsicle Maker and So Easy Snack Cup were easy to use, easy to clean and not to mention super cute in bright orange and green colors.
The So Easy Popsicle Maker and Snack Cup are Bisphenol-A (BPH) free and simple to use. The fact that the product is BPH free is a plus for me. BPH is currently being studied and may be linked to causing potential health effects on the brain and the behavior. The less chemicals I can expose my family to the better off I think they will be.

Making the pops was easy. The Popsicle maker stood up on its own and was an easy, non-spill fill and an easy seal with the pop on  lid.

We made our Popsicle from prepared smoothies that we purchased (to save some time). Normally I would blend up my favorite smoothie concoction but lately we have been on the go a little too much. We ended up making delicious Mango Madness and Green 

Goodness smoothies which were easily removed from the Popsicle maker (another plus because I hate fighting with the Popsicle maker to release the pops) and enjoyed a healthy after school snack! 

I had to seek out an adorable baby to test out the Fresh Baby So Easy Snack Cup. Thankfully my friend Kim has the cutest 20 month old in town, Natalie. Natalie loved the colors on the snack holder and easily reached for the snack inside. Kim commented that the snack cup was great because with her toddler being always on the go it was nice to see that snacks were kept in their place (instead of spilled all over the floor). 

Check out the So Easy Popsicle Maker and So Easy Snack Cup by clicking the words above. You will not be disappointed! 

And...don't forget to check out our series on snacks and just all around healthy eating for kids and families by "liking" our Facebook page: ABCD Eat Right and visiting our web page www.ABCDEatRight.com 

Top 5 treats that will make your 4th of July "POP" !

Have your kids taste buds go POP this Fourth of July with these easy, healthy and delicious treats!

1. Patriotic fruit kebab

 

 

2. Banana ice cream (1 ingredient- frozen bananas! Just freeze, blend and serve)

 

 

3. Favorite fruit pop

 

 

4. Watermelon cupcakes

 

 

 

5.Ice pops (I just bought these on Amazon)

 

 

 

Have a great Fourth of July!

 

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Brandi@ABCDEatRight.com

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Twitter: AbcdEatRight1

Day 2 of Holiday Healthy Coaching...What is Emotionless Unrefined Eating (EUE)?.

On the 2nd day of Christmas my 
Registered Dietitian recommended to me... 

Emotionless Unrefined Eating (EUE) ! 

We were doing so well...learning the basics, weeding out the refined foods and then the holidays hit. It all started at Halloween, the scary processed, sugar laden and chemically clustered foods started lining the shelves and continued to hang out for a quarter of the calendar year. Many of my clients tell me how they are emotionally drawn to the foods that they eat especially around the holidays. I can relate to this attachment personally and professionally, whether its grandmas pecan pie, dads fried turkey or just store bought white rolls. Whatever the favored holiday food may be its time to change the way we look at the foods we eat at holidays in order to make a real change in our overall health. My advice  is to enjoy the holidays but to try and focus on other activities with the family that do not involve food. Food should not be the center of the holiday, it should accompany and provide enjoyment, but not be the focus of the season. Here are a few tips that I recommend for a holiday with emotionless unrefined eating.

1. Plan ahead and provide an outdoor and indoor activity that will draw the family away from the kitchen or food preparation areas. This year we brought a football and attempted to play a variation of flag football with the 3 generations that were in attendance. For the indoor activity we had a multitude of crafts that all ages loved to do.

2. Consider compromising. If that snack cake shaped like a Christmas tree is a must have for your holiday enjoyment then consider swapping it for that canned ham topped with maraschino cherries. Just because it is the holidays does not mean its a free for all and all the traditional foods have to be eaten at once. Spread it out and work on replacing the refined foods with unrefined foods.

3. Load up on fruits and vegetables. Set the table with fresh fruits and vegetables that are easy to grab and go. Instead of dips and chips or crackers and cheeses as an appetizer consider laying out fresh vegetables and fruits. The fiber will fill you up and allow for less room for the other stuff.

4. Talk to your family about the changes you would like to see this year during the celebrations. Encourage them to adapt healthier recipes and to participate in physical activity during the celebrations.

5. Consider preserving traditional recipes in a family made cookbook that can be shared with all family members and friends. By writing down the recipe the entire family can still participate in the event without drawing on the emotion of disappointment which may accompany a family event when someone is asked to make their recipe a little healthier. This method allows grandma’s 4 sticks of butter stuffing to be more of a heart warming memory and less of a heart stopping food item. 

When the holidays are over you don't necessarily remember the food,  the real memories are made by the time spent with family and friends. Consider changing how you and your family view your food related family traditions. This change to healthy, unrefined foods will provide the best gift you could give to your family and friends.

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Unrefined? What do I eat that has protein?

Protein is one of my biggest go to focus points with clients, patients and family members. Are you getting enough protein? Do you even think about protein? Are you getting way too much protein? My husband and I had dinner once with a couple and the other couple's male counterpart discussed his diet regimen with us that included LOADS of protein powder. The man was taking in well over 150 grams of protein a day. Unless you are a numbers/science/nutrition geek like I am you may not realize that 150 grams is way too much but that is OK, that is what Registered Dietitians are for...to help with a balanced meal plan. 

If you have ever tried the Atkins diet or modified South Beach diets or  protein only diets you will find that the "science" behind these diets are based on Ketosis. Ketosis is when your body increases the ketones in your blood causing it to burn fat as the primary fuel. 
It does not mean that these diets are good because frankly, they are not balanced and you miss out on other nutritionally dense foods. You will loose weight but it is only a temporary band-aid when the focus should be a lifestyle change. 

What does all of this mean for Unrefined living?

So here is the 411...you need protein and it should take up roughly 20% of your diet. Whether you are vegan, vegetarian or carnivore protein is an important part of your diet and your families diet.

Here are some recommended sources of protein for unrefined living:

Eggs- Poach, scramble, hard boil or fry in coconut oil. 

Lean cuts of beef -Loin and round are the leanest cuts of the cow. Consider switching to farm raised and grass fed trying to steer clear of corn fed.
Chicken (without the skin), consider also switching chicken to farm raised and grass fed. 
Pork- I am not a big fan of pork but if it is a must on your go to list think lean white meat. NOT BACON...say no thanks to nitrates, salt and fillers.
Some other sources of protein include dairy products. We will touch these products in later posts. But until then consider buying only skim or low-fat dairy and organic dairy products ( I know this can be expensive but other than apples and a few other fruits or vegetables, I only recommend buying organic dairy products). 
Beans are a great source of protein and with hundreds of varieties to choose from you should be able to find your favorite. 
Nuts and seeds are also a good source of protein, especially easy to squeeze into snack time. 
Soy products also contain protein. We will explore soy products in a later post as well but in the meantime stick with Edamame and soy milk. 
Fish is a great source of not only lean protein but good fats. Bake it, grill it or broil it and stay away from farm raised or imported fish from other countries. Canned tuna is OK as long as it is stored in spring water. 
Grains are another source of protein that we will explore in later post as well, especially quinoa. 

Take some time to think about what you eat and where you get your protein from. It's easy to get it unrefined which will make it healthier for you and your family. Stay tuned for more recipes and ways to eat unrefined! 

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Defining Unrefined...Getting started and making a difference in family health

What does unrefined mean? 

The Dietitian's Husband Unrefined was founded on the basis of making my own family healthy. It is a lifestyle plan that has evolved from years of being married, raising children and practicing as a Registered Dietitian in the community. Through the years my family has tried different lifestyles such as vegan, vegetarian, pescetarian, raw, flexitarian and various other weight loss plans or exclusion diets. Ultimately, I don't believe in excluding any food groups or promoting a single food that will cure all or promote weight loss. Healthy living is about having a balance in life and in the kitchen. Learning about where food comes from and how it effects our bodies is the most important piece of education that I could provide to my family as well as my community. I hope that you follow our journey as we live in reality but without refined foods. 

Lets get started on our journey and dive into what the meaning of unrefined is and how it will be interpreted in Dietitian's Husband Unrefined. The dictionary defines unrefined and processed as below:

Unrefined [uhn-ri-fahynd] means:  Not processed or refined.

Processed ˈ[präˌses,ˈpräsəs,ˈprō-] means: Having been altered from their natural state for safety reasons and for convenience. The methods that may be used for processing foods include: canning, freezing, refrigeration, dehydration and managing hazardous bugs that infiltrate a product. 

The idea of processed food is usually thought of as bad but in reality we need to process some foods in order for it to make it from farm to table. Here is where the gray fuzzy line is drawn between unrefined and processed. We do need to process food to kill bacteria and provide a product that is formidable to eat but we do not need to add chemicals, colors, excessive salt and sugar and strip a food of its normal nutritive value only to add it back in. 

Therefore, we need to establish a list of five rules for foods that should be considered unrefined and these foods should be excluded in the Dietitian's Husband Unrefined NOT TO EAT list. 

1. If the food can only be made in a factory by a machine or was invented by a food scientist.
2. After reading the label you find that there are more than 5 ingredients on the label and most of the ingredients contain unpronounceable chemical and color names. 
3. The food item has been on the shelf for many years and has still yet to expire per its expiration date. 4. If it is a recipe that can not be made in your kitchen. 5. If it comes from a place that has a drive thru or takes less than 5 minutes to make at a restaurant. 

 Over the next few weeks I will continue to define the foods that should be included in a way that teaches our audience about what our food really contains. We will include recipes and feedback from other Dietitians in the community and photos of the unrefined lifestyle. We will work on the male of the house and explore the relationship between his health and the rest of the families influence by the changes that are made. 

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Can a healthy fat make a good snack?

 

How many healthy snacks can you find

in the arrangement above?

Healthy snacks can also include foods that are high in fat...the good fat such as omega-3 fatty acids, monounsaturated (MUFA's) and polyunsaturated (PUFA's) fatty acids. The fats to avoid include saturated and trans fats. Adequate and healthy fat intake is important for growth, neural and hormone development. Fat adds flavor and texture to foods but should be eaten in moderation with a focus on the healthy fats.

Here are a few of the healthy snack ideas you see above: Low fat yogurt sprinkled with chia seed which is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and calcium; Avocado and pear sandwich on whole wheat bread (avocados are packed with MUFA's, Vitamins B6, C, E, K as well as folate, potassium, magnesium, folate and lutein); Nut butter with strawberries on whole grain bread (nut butter is rich in protein, MUFA's, PUFA's, folate, calcium and potassium); Seeds, raisins, and nut mix (rich in MUFA's, PUFA's, calcium, folate and selenium); Crackers that are made without trans fats (this is important because many snack foods have the bad trans fats).

 

For more lunchbox ideas, or grocery store tours, contact Brandi@ABCDEatRight.com or visit www.ABCDEatRight.com
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Fun Festival Food for Kids

This past weekend we spent time at the Palm Beach International Boat Show and had a blast as my husband filmed a pilot for a TV show, people watching, looking at amazing yachts, attending a fishing clinic with our son and having custom made Tom's made for our daughter. Love that charity!

The thing that always gets me at festivals and outdoor events such as this is the food. This is not a typical place that you would find healthy food but I decided to do a little research. My son loves Arepas. If you are not familiar with an arepa they are the South American version of a grilled cheese. They are gluten free because they are made from corn meal and the cheese is typically a Mexican type "queso". They are also grilled. Between the pizza, burgers, hot dogs and fried chicken, Arepas are worth trying because they are a little healthier than the typical fare.

If you don't have a festival coming up in your area, consider making Arepas at home. It is a fun and easy way to change things up on the kiddie menu. A recipe that I found to make these yummy and kid friendly treats can be found on the website: My Recipes

For a quick (not perfect) recipe resembling an Arepa take 2 corn tortillas and place a Colby jack or mozzarella cheese in between. Heat pan and brown on each side until cheese is melted.

Arepas are likely a healthier choice when attending these festivals. There are also other healthy choices such as fruit smoothies and of course bringing your own snacks and drinks!

This week is the last week of National Nutrition Month. One more week of visual snack attack. If you do not have our free weekly newsletter sign up today!

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Springing into spring with healthy kids

What does Spring mean to you? To me it means better weather, longer evenings and healthy, fresher food. It is also a time for me to reflect on how the year is going. And a great time to spring clean! The kitchen is the first place that I start my spring cleaning/reorganizing. I usually clean out the pantry twice a year and this year is no different. Every time I clean the pantry out I ponder over whether or not I should throw away food that I will never use.  I hate to waste food. There is just something inside of me that does not like to be wasteful,  but sometimes it must be done. Food will not keep forever. I look at this de-cluttering time as a time that may open up new waves of creativity in the kitchen.

This Spring my focus is to rid our pantry of processed food. I am slowly considering the transition to a wheat free kitchen after reading a book pertaining to the modification of wheat. I am not 100% sold on the idea so this is a lingering thought. I will still maintain a consistent flow of oatmeal, quinoa, rice, corn and potato products through our house so I feel our carbohydrates will be met but the concept that wheat has been genetically modified that its present form could actually be hurting my family is definitely bothering me.

As I clean out the pantry I reexamine the lower shelves that the kids have access to and determine that there is a decent balance of nuts, dried fruits, granola bars, raisins and pirate booty. Enough to complement the fruit drawer and shelf with yogurt and milk in the refrigerator.

My pantry does not look too bad this time around. I am sure that there is always room for improvement but I am pretty satisfied and now, since I have done a brief nutritional assessment update on our family it is time to move to the next room in the house!

Do you need help with your kitchen and lifestyle changes? Consult a Registered Dietitian today!
Brandi@ABCDEatRight.com. ABCD Eat Right also has recipe boxes to help families make healthier meals and a free weekly e-newsletter. Visit our site at: www.ABCDEatRight.com

Activities for kids- Fun Friday Art

Art with Asparagus and Apples

Items needed for art work:

1 apple for 2 children

1 piece of asparagus per child

Art paint

Paper or paper plates

Slice apples in fun shapes. The apples can be halved or thinly sliced. The apples should be dried out facing down on a paper towel, overnight is best. The asparagus does not need any preparation. If the asparagus is wet dry off before painting. Place the apples face (flesh) down into the paint. Spread paint evenly with asparagus and stamp the apple onto the paper. Use the asparagus to draw a bowl, other fruits, lines, circles, a tree or whatever the child desires. Have fun!

Next week we move on to the letter "B" with exciting bean art!

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Sick Day Nutrition

As the school year starts, so does the school related colds.
This year I was hoping to be proactive and start Jackson off with a healthy breakfast and a day full of Vitamin C in hopes of building up his immune system and avoiding the tedious cold.
When I was a child my mom would push the Vitamin C vitamin tablets but as I turned into a mom I felt that eating foods that were rich in Vitamin C were even better than popping a vitamin tablet.
So we load up on apples, oranges, blueberries, melons and juices.
Jackson is getting more sleep due to the exhaustion that comes with an extended school day.
And we push the fluids: water, 100% juice and 2% milk.
We also talk about hand washing and sneezing into the elbow.

Still...the cycle of cold's has begun. First Jackson then Olivia then mom and dad.

A honey, lemon and water drink tops off our medicinal interventions and otherwise we just have to ride it out. What are some of your home remedies for colds?

Healthy Kids Snacks

This month I have been focusing on healthy snacks and packing a healthy lunch box. In the most recent Parents Magazine I ran across a recipe for Fruit Leather. I had memories of wrapping Fruit Roll-ups around my fingers and making fun shapes with my BFF Stephanie in Elementary School. Although we loved Fruit roll-ups as a kid, as a mom, I am more hesitant to buy the store bought ones for my kids. But making them at home...that's another story. I know exactly what goes into them: 4 cups of pureed berries and 2 tablespoons honey. Once I had this liquid mixture that, by the way, would also be tasty in a fruit smoothie, I laid down parchment paper on two  8x13 pans, preheated the oven to 200 degrees and slowly baked/dehydrated the fruit leathers for 4 hours. When it was done I cut up the fruit leather in strips and put them in the fridge. The kids enjoyed the healthy snack and it was super easy, albeit a bit time consuming on the cooking end. If you need a new way to present fruit to your kiddo try it out!

Fall Garden

We did it! We finally got our garden planted. After our successful harvest of 3 watermelons from our late spring/summer garden we were encouraged to try in the fall.

This Fall we decided to plant: Pumpkins, carrots and squash.

The kids were excited to get dirty again! We bought a new bag of dirt, pulled out our gardening tools and went to work. I had hoped to plant eggplant but we could not find any eggplant seeds. I will have to do more research to see why we could not find those seeds. We weeded, spread the dirt, then sowed our seeds.

Fingers crossed we will have pumpkins (probably in November) and carrots and squash in October. 

Breakfast basics

I wanted to post exerts from this weeks newsletter because it is such an important part of healthy eating for kids! If you don't get our newsletter make sure and sign up for it at ABCD Eat Right.com

Breakfast Basics

Do you eat breakfast? Do your kids eat breakfast? Studies have shown that children are more likely to eat breakfast when their parents eat breakfast. Sometimes parents are short on time and tend to skip breakfast as a habit. This habit leads to a day full of trying to catch up to achieve a better diet and higher energy level.

If we break down the logistics of breakfast we see that it has been roughly 8-12 hours overnight without food and now the day is about to begin. A long day of work or school is ahead, and it will be at least 3 hours until lunch. The body needs to refuel and get ready to face the day with a strong start. Breakfast provides the body with energy needed to sustain activity throughout the day. Without breakfast the brain and muscles may not have the energy that is needed to meet peak performance.

Research has shown that kids that do not eat breakfast have poor concentration and problem solving ability. Those that start the day with breakfast usually meet their protein, calorie and vitamin requirements throughout the day which leads to a more balanced diet. So start the day off right and remember...

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!

Here is a quick list of 15 Breakfast ideas: Hard boiled, scrambled or fried eggs; Nut butter and banana sandwich; Yogurt and granola and/or fresh fruit; Cottage cheese and fruit; Milk and fruit smoothie; Frozen waffles with nut butter, fruit and honey; Flavored milk (milk mixed with fresh fruit); Trail mix ( dried fruit, whole grain cereal, nuts and seeds); Cheese sandwich; Cereal with milk; Banana with nut butter; Pancakes made with bananas and flax seed; No cook muesli (see recipe below); Granola bars, nut bar or low sugar breakfast bars and milk; Oatmeal with raisins or frozen blueberries.

What do you serve your family for breakfast? Blog with us and share your favorite idea and see what others are saying on ABCD's blog.

No Cook Muesli

1 cup plain nonfat or 2% yogurt

1 cup quick oats

1/2 cup slivered or chopped nuts

1 Tablespoon flaxseed

1 Tablespoon honey or syrup

1 cup fresh berries or a banana

In a blender combine the yogurt, oats, flaxseed and honey. Blend until the oats and nuts are in small pieces (about 30 seconds), then divide the muesli among 3 bowls and top with berries or bananas.

A quick and cool alternative to hot oatmeal.