Becoming a Healthy Family Challenge #3

This week's challenge could prove to be too much for you. I would have had a problem with it a couple of years ago.

So here it is:

What is your family drinking?
Take stock of your frig and cupboards. Are you allowing yourself and your little ones to consume lots of sugary drinks or are you doing good in this area?

A couple of years ago, I stopped buying soft drinks. This was huge for me. I always drank a glass of Coca-Cola or Mt. Dew with my supper. When I finally stopped buying them I have learned to do without them.

What about fruit juices? My children used to drink lots more juice than they do now. I have been limiting juice intake to a small glass of fruit juice at breakfast and supper. The juice is not from concentrate and it is watered down as well. The rest of the day we enjoy filtered water and fresh raw milk.

I had been making an effort to make Kefir. We enjoyed grape water kefir. It can be overwhelming to keep up with. May try it again soon.

We occasionally make lemonade with water, lemon juice and a few drops of Stevia.

Tips for making the transition easier:
*Put the water in new water bottles. We have the Klean Kanteens
*We are using the Royal Berkey water filters and we love it. The boys can each go and fill their cups up with water whenever they are thirsty.
*Slice a few lemons and limes to squeeze into the water.
*Take all other options away until you have created a new healthy habit.

Here are some links about soft drinks/juice
Soft Drinks-America's Other Drinking Problem
Aspartame: Diet-Asterous Results

Still Learning,
Holli

Colorful Variety-Healthier Family Challenge #2

Here's a little challenge that goes right along with purchasing your fruits and vegetables at the market. How many different colors does your family eat on a given day? week?

Just for clarification, I mean how many colorful, whole, unrefined foods are you preparing for your family? yourself? Grape kool-aid and a colorful pack of Skittles or M&M's do not count:-0 We need to be providing wholesome colorful foods for the bodies that God has placed in our care.

So grab a pen and paper or post a comment on here, sharing how you are doing with eating your colors!

Boo-homemade yogurt, blackberries, boiled egg, sweet banana pepper, grapes, blueberries, herb biscuit, supper will be soup with squash, tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, green beans, cabbage and rice

Bo's will be the same except no blackberries.
Shater aka Lou Lou's will be the same except no sweet banana pepper, or grapes and add banana
Mine will be the same except no sweet banana peppers
Chris will have the veggies in the soup tonight and I'm not sure if he took fruit to work.

We normally do not have that many veggies during the day. The soup I made tonight has lots of veggies. It's easy to get frustrated if you think you should eat from every color group every day. Keep a list of what you eat in a given week and see if that is easier. It gives you seven days to get your color groups eaten.

Holli

Our Weekly Menu and Market Finds

Breakfast options: eggs and fruit (blackberries or oranges), oatmeal, peanut butter on a banana, or homemade yogurt and granola with maple syrup and fruit

Lunch options: variety plate:(boiled egg, almonds, cheese, cucumbers, tomato and blueberries), peanut butter and banana (if not chosen at breakfast), homemade bread with peanut butter and jelly, chicken salad (made with cucumbers, walnuts, grapes, chicken, and a boiled egg) with crackers and cheese or leftovers

Dinner Menu:

Day 1: meatloaf (Chris said my meatloaf was the best he had ever had;-)
fried potatoes
steamed cabbage
squash casserole
cucumbers with apple cider vinegar

Day 2: Fish Cakes (salmon and rice)
fried squash
steamed kale
cucumbers with apple cider vinegar


Day 3: leftovers


Day 4: tabouli
cheese
fruit

Day 5: Baked chicken
lentil/rice casserole
Broccoli
herb biscuits
cucumbers with apple cider vinegar

Day 6: leftover soup (leftovers I've been saving thrown into a pot of homemade chicken stock.)

Day 7: supper with my grandmother


Local food treasures found at the market:

onions
potatoes
green beans
cabbage (a couple of weeks ago, just cooking it)
kale
okra
cucumbers (bunches in our CSA box)
sweet banana peppers
tomatoes
blueberries
peaches
2 dozen eggs

*We picked 1 gallon of blackberries off of the 2 bushes I planted in our yard three years ago.
*We went to Chris' uncles farm and picked 3 gallons yesterday. I hope to make a little jelly and juice then freeze the rest.

See how many wonderful, fresh fruits and vegetables are available at your local market!

Join me for the challenges.
Holli

Becoming a Healthier Family Challenge #1

As promised here is the first challenge in my new series Becoming a Healthier Family.

For the next couple of weeks I want you to work on buying as much locally grown produce from sustainable farms as possible. I am allowing two weeks for some of the challenges because I know how overwhelming it can be to change a family's eating habits. A great place to find locally grown organic food is Local Harvest.

*Plan a menu for the week. Remember to include an array of fresh fruits and vegetables that are currently in season in your area.
*Make a list of the fruits and vegetables you will need.
*Visit your local farmer's market and see how many items you can find that are on your list.
*Take time to talk with the farmers about their farming practices. You will probably make some new friends while you are there. I value the friendship we have made with a local sustainable farming couple that we met at our local market. We purchased a CSA share with them this year.

or

*Visit your local farmer's market and buy lots of fresh produce and then come home and plan your meals around your finds.

Here is an article about why eating organic food may be especially beneficial to children.

Here is a guide that lists the dirty dozen. These fruits and vegetables should be purchased organically whenever possible.

Here is the website to the book I have recently finished reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. This is the account of a family who made a commitment to eat only what they could grow or buy locally for one year.