Healthy Snacks To Go

Have you ever felt like all you have to offer your children is over processed food when it comes to quick snack ideas? I know I have.

Passionate Homemaking is hosting a giveaway of a new ebook from Kitchen Stewardship called Healthy Snacks To Go. I am anxious to look into this book. I know I am always on the lookout for healthy, kid approved snacks for my kids.

The book is on sale right now for $6.95, but if you are interested in winning your own copy head on over to Passionate Homemaking for a review of the book and to find out how to win it.

Baby Steps-Healthy Oils

Oils and fat are things I grew up being taught that they should be avoided. I was a teenager during the whole fat free trend. My mother still believes this is the best way to go. I on the other hand have had a change of heart. Maybe I am wrong, but I feel that the body needs fat to run properly, but like all things it should be used in moderation. Fat is naturally occurring in foods that are left alone and not messed with by man made ideas. Have you ever noticed that the low fat milk is cheaper then the whole milk? I can not figure out that one considering they have to work harder to get the fat out of the milk.

After doing a lot of reading and research of the last several years I have come to the conclusion that the healthiest forms of fat and oil include olive oil (mentioned many times in the Bible as a healthy oil), coconut oil, butter, ghee, and if you have nothing else lard.

Yep, I said lard. I don't know if I could eat it, but it is a naturally occurring and cheap form of fat. I have seen it mentioned in the Maker's Diet and Nourishing Traditions. Both are great books to have in your library if you have not read them yet.

Olive Oil
Your best bet with olive oil is extra virgin olive oil. It has an excellent taste and is the best for your body. You do need to make sure that olive oil is not super heated or it will lose all of it healthy benefits. It is best used as a marinade, dressing, or dipping oil. I will admit that I have used it in baking before when I have been out of anything else.

Another great use for olive oil is as a moisturizer for your hands and legs after a shower. It does not stay greasy and absorbs very quickly. I have hear that this is what women in Italy do and have you ever noticed how beautiful these women are?

You can buy extra virgin olive oil in most grocery stores. Lately I have been getting mine at World Market in large bottles for around $8-9.

Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is a high in saturated fat oil that comes from, you guessed it, the coconut. It has been used by people for many years, but has just recently become popular again by those of us who do not live in a tropical climate. At first I was very unsure about using this oil do to the saturated fat, but my mother started putting about 1 teaspoon in her oatmeal every morning and the doctor could not believe how much her cholesterol had come down.

Thanks to Lindsey at Passionate Homemaking for pointing out this article excerpt from Sue Gregg about why we should not fear coconut oil.

According to Sue Gregg, “There is a double reason not to fear coconut oil. First, it is highly debatable that saturated fats cause heart disease. Uffe Ravnskov, MD, PhD in The Cholesterol Myths (www.NewTrends Publishing.com) presents the facts of exhaustive research over the decades to disprove this theory. Secondly, the saturated fat of coconut oil is different than the long chain fatty acids of meats and also of polyunsaturated fats.” Read the full article here.

Coconut oil has been said by some to be a miracle oil for it's many health properties and uses which include:

Diaper rash ointment
Deodorant (recipe coming soon)
Lotion
Cooking
It is heat resistant and great for cooking
Heart health
Diabetes
Cholesterol lowering
The list goes on and on

If you are interested in reading more about the health benefits of coconut oil you can check them out here.

Coconut oil can be bought in bulk online with Azure Standards or Mountain Rose herb. If you are concerned about price you may consider buying a large amount and splitting it with a friend.

Other places I have seen it area at Walmart (Spectrum brand) and all health food stores.

Some other good oils to consider...
Sesame oil
Peanut oil
Unrefined sesame oil
Palm oil
Grape seed
Flax seed

Lindsey has a great article regarding these oils here. I considered getting more in depth with them, but this post would get really long if I did, and I think Lindsey does a great job.

Oil to avoid:
Canola oil
This has been considered one of the most healthy oils in the last several years and is nearly impossible to avoid in processed foods.

I can say first hand that it is not good for the body. I used it to make doughnuts before I studied it and became very ill. To the point of the Dr doing a sonogram to find out why I was having such terrible intestinal distress. They never found anything, but I began to notice that whenever I used my canola oil the pain started all over. Needless to say I tossed the bottle.

What is canola oil? I got to thinking one day olive oil comes from olives, peanut oil comes from peanuts. What in earth is a canola? I discovered that canola is a highly processed oil that comes from the rapeseed plant which is considered toxic in it's natural form. Well that was it for me on using this so called healthy oil.

Other oils to avoid include:
ALL hydrogenated oils
Soy, corn, and safflower
Cottonseed

These have all been linked to heart disease, fertility issues, learning disabilities, as well as many other things.

Well I think that about sums up my view on oil. They may be a bit more expensive then some other products on the market, but you only need to use them in small amounts. I think my health is more important then saving a few dollars.

As an afterthought if you are wanting to cut down the cost of baking you can always swap out butter for applesauce, bananas or other fruit. This will also cut down on the amount of sugar you need to use as well.

Thanks for hanging in there for this LONG post.

Why Eat Whole Foods?

I heard a statement recently that only confirmed my stand on eating only whole, natural foods when possible, "If you grandmother or great grandmother would not recognize it don't eat it." Along with this statement and having watched Super Size Me and the trailer to Food Inc my husband and I are convinced that a diet that has been processed as little as possible is the best way to go for us. My theory is if God made it that way then it is OK to eat. (For example whole, raw milk) If man made it think twice.

I am not going to say that we NEVER eat anything that is not processed or has artificial ingredients in it. That would be nearly impossible in today's society, especially with little ones. I am not going to throw a fit if someone feeds my child something that I do not necessarily approve of, but I can try to teach my children what will nourish their bodies the most and hope that someday they will remember.

The problem becomes how do we afford to eat the way our grandparents did? When the words "organic" and "all natural" were unheard of. Things already came from local farms and were not sprayed with pesticides or genetically modified.

The other day I noticed a mother shopping in our local grocery store and she was filling her cart with only organic, healthy foods for her family, but I could not help thinking to myself, "Wow her bill is going to be HUGE. I wish I could tell her that I can teach her how to make most of those things herself and save tons of money." I realize that not everyone will have time to make all of their own foods from scratch, but it is possible with some time saving techniques. Only in the last 50-60 years have we decided that we need to make everything as fast as possible and not spend time making nourishing foods. We need to slow down and realize that good food is necessary for a healthy life. We could avoid so many health issues if we would just slow down and prepare wholesome food.

Well I got to thinking about how to go about buying cheaper food that is less processed. I went into Aldis last night and the family in front of me had nothing but prepared dinners and overly processed foods in their cart. I felt bad for thinking that they could have made better choices. They had absolutely so fresh produce at all. Again I felt bad for judging them and I tried to think about something else. Maybe this is all they could afford. They were doing the best they could. Then I heard their total, over $70. I got to thinking that I budget $250 a month for whole foods. What could possibly be the difference between us.

Between the lady in the first story spending $100s on healthy food and the family spending close to the same amount on processed food I had to stop and think, there has to be a middle ground. How can I possibly show others that they can live healthy, natural lives and not spend tons of money. We will have to see were things go. That is the purpose of this blog. Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to start my series on where I buy my whole foods and how much I spend. Thanks for bearing with me on this bit of a rant and long post.