healthy foods

Grocery shopping is taking me forever these days b/c I am spending so much time looking at labels for foods. Should I be buying organic, sugar free, veggie this and that, should I make my own chicken nuggets etc..I just want to be sure I'm giving my guys the best in terms of nutrition..what do you feed your kids?

 

We shop at Whole Foods, which is primarily organic so it makes it much easier for us. I am floored at how much better the ingredient list looks when it's not full of yucky oils and stuff. Also, when I give my DD non-organic foods, her face tends to break out. There is something that she reacts to. Example, when she eats Goldfish, she breaks out. When she eats Annie's Cheddar Bunnies (similar product), she gets no reaction.

 

Our kids eat very healthy food and nothing processed - purely because one has a milk allergy and we are following a total elimination diet. We have discovered that just about every processed food including lunchmeat and nearly everything that comes in a can or box has some form of milk protein in it. So we had to switch to all fresh food and shopping at Whole Foods. As a result, they eat mostly fresh fruit, veggies, meat and milk-alternative products with easily identifiable ingredients. Although we started them on the diet out of necessity, we have since realized just how much healthier the fresh diet is and we feel better about what they are eating. They still get "treats" like dairy-free cupcakes with all natural ingredients and they actually taste good!

On the negative side - shopping for organic/non-allergenic/whole foods has raised our grocery bill at least 30%. Eating this way isn't cheap!

 

We get a CSA box once a week with fresh picked, seasonal, organic fruit & veggies that I use through the week. Then I only have to buy a few other fruits/veggies, like bananas and avocados.

I buy lots of staples: canned tomatoes, pasta, rice & other grains, beans, bread, cheese, eggs & milk. I stick with whole wheat crackers or O's for snacks and fruit leathers or whole fresh fruit and cheese. I usually buy a whole chicken every other week and use all the parts for soups and stocks and we have another meat once or twice a week, either grass fed beef or lamb or sometimes pork. We have fish when I can find it very fresh, or we'll have sardines or smoked salmon on toast now and then.

I cook almost every meal for us, often using left overs for lunch. I make soups and give them the chunks without the broth, and roast winter veggies and always keep cooked pasta and steamed veggies in the fridge. It makes it easy to quickly heat up something in the microwave or toss it in some butter in the frying pan. I also make my own yogurt from organic milk (it's so easy!).

I've always eaten like this myself, my mother is from Europe and it's how she was raised and how I was raised so for us it's quite natural. I've never bought pre-packaged foods partially because it's so expensive and because I like knowing and controlling what is in my food.

 

My kids eat pretty healthy. It is mostly organic (everything they drink is organic). Mostly their diet consists of rice, pot pies, lots of cheese, yogurt, pasta, fresh fruit (not in a can but whole) everyday w/ lunch, and mixed veggies at supper with a protein source. We only eat fish once a month (if that) b/c of the mercury content. My kids have no clue what a chicken nuggets, pizza, fish sticks or a french fry is and I like it like that. :FIFblush:

I cook every meal and enjoy making my family healthy meals...

 

Eating healthfully is a bit of work, but SO worth it! We get a CSA box too (like a pp mentioned) with seasonal veggies. This is great because it forces me to find creative ways of cooking a variety of vegetables. We also shop at the farmer's market and then Whole Foods for staples like pasta, dairy, beans, bananas, avocados etc.

I was in the food business for many years and have observed the amazing difference in quality and nutritiousness of organic, local foods and foods made from scratch. My boys eat only organic, and I cook almost everything for them (exceptions are O's cereal, whole grain bread,and some crunchy crackers or occasional cookie). We eat roasted chicken, fresh fruit, toast with almond butter, black bean cakes, fish salad, greens blended with yogurt and avocado (their absolute favorite!), cheese, mini flax and applesauce muffins that I bake. I also add blackstrap molasses to their afternoon sippy of milk, which helps make up for any iron their diet might be lacking. They LOVE it!

Eating this way is a commitment, but it seems to clearly pay off. My boys have very efficient digestive systems--we never have any issues with tummy aches, constipation etc. They also have a TON of energy and seem to generally have more stamina than their friends. Don't have any scientific proof that that this is the result of their eating, but I think it must be at least partially responsible.

The key is "whole foods". Not the grocery store , but foods that are prepared by YOU rather than processed. They are more nutritious and more satisfying!

 

I really try to avoid foods that have hydrogenated oil, palm oil, corn syrup, and excessive salt in them. For that reason, I wind up buying a lot of organic snack foods for the boys - crackers, pita chips, etc. Many of the products that meet my criteria do wind up being organic, but that is not the main reason I buy them.

My only gripe about organic products, besides the price, is that sometimes they don't use enriched flour and I think that kids do need the extra B-vitamins and iron that is added to enriched flour.