We found this yummy cookie bar recipe on Pinterest and within 15 minutes of finding the recipe, it was in my oven :). It took minutes to prepare and is made with whole, real, good for you ingredients, so I didn’t feel guilty giving this chocolate dish to my kids for breakfast. I have to admit, I was weary of this recipe as the bars had a cardboard-esque appearance to them. I hesitantly served one to my son (he is always my taste tester because he is by far my pickiest — if he likes it, everyone else usually loves it) and he said it was the best breakfast I have ever made for him :).

One of the main ingredients in these bars is coconut flour. Coconut flour is made from dried, ground coconut meat and is a fantastic lower-carb, high-fiber and gluten-free alternative to wheat flour. With 5 grams of fiber per tablespoon, coconut flour has far more of this indigestible carbohydrate than whole-grain flour, which has just 0.8 gram per tablespoons, or white flour, which has about 2 grams per tablespoon. Much of this fiber is the insoluble type, which adds bulk to your stool, helps you feel full, deters constipation and enhances colon health. You can add coconut flour to baked goods, sauces or smoothies to help you reach the recommended 25 to 38 grams of fiber daily. (Source)

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Banana Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

See Detailed Nutrition Info on

Whole Food. Real Food. Good Food.

Ingredients

• 2 bananas
• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup Enjoy Life semi-sweet chocolate chips
• coconut oil to grease pan

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Place all ingredients except chocolate chips in food processor.
3. Blend for 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula after the first minute.
4. Scoop out batter into bowl and combine most of the chocolate chips.
5. Press batter into 8x8 pan greased with coconut oil.
6. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips over top.
7. Bake for approximately 30 minutes.
8. Enjoy!

Notes:

Recipe Source: http://iambaker.net/chocolate-chip-banana-bars-paleo/

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

• 2 bananas
• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tsp vanilla (I prefer the taste of the type without alcohol)
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder (make sure it is aluminum free)
• 1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt
• 3/4 cup Enjoy Life Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
• Coconut oil to grease pan

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Place all ingredients except chocolate chips in food processor.
3. Blend for 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula after the first minute.
4. Scoop out batter into bowl and combine most of the chocolate chips.
5. Press batter into 8×8 pan greased with coconut oil.
6. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips over top.
7. Bake for approximately 30 minutes.
8. Enjoy!

To receive daily health tips and gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and sugar-free meal/snack ideas, like us at www.facebook.com/wholefoodrealfood.

“When you know better, you do better.”

Here are the pop molds we use. I love these because they come with a lid and you can save an unfinished pop instead of letting it go to waste.

To receive daily health tips and gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and sugar-free meal/snack ideas, like us at www.facebook.com/wholefoodrealfood.

“When you know better, you do better.”

Asian Meatballs

To make the meatballs combine the following in a bowl and form into meatballs: 3 tbsp coconut aminos, 2 drops of fish sauce*, 1/4 cup chopped green onions, 1 tsp minced fresh ginger, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1/2 tsp salt (we use Himalayan pink salt), 1/2 tsp pepper and 1 pound of ground turkey (preferably organic). Bake at 425 °F for 25 minutes on a rimmed baking sheet. *We use Red Boat Fish Sauce, the only ingredients are anchovy and sea salt.

Cinnamon Nut Mix

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Whisk together 1 egg white, 1 tbsp coconut oil, 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract, 1 tsp ground cinnamon and 2 pinches of salt (we use Himalayan pink salt). Add 1/4 cup almonds, 1/4 cup macadamia nuts, 1/2 cup walnuts and 2 tbsp almond meal. Spread evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until toasted. Sprinkle extra salt if desired.

Pecan/Almond Butter Cups

Melt Enjoy Life Chocolate chunks or chips in a double boiler, coat the bottom of a candy mold with the chocolate, let it set, then added a tiny scoop of pecan butter and poured chocolate over the top.

Trail Mix Cups

1. Line a mini-muffin pan with paper liners (we didn’t have mini muffin cups, so we just used a regular sized muffin tin).
2. Spoon a tablespoon of melted chocolate into each muffin liner (we use Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips).
3. Toss together nuts and fruit. Place mixture into the melted chocolate and use a spoon to make sure all of the goods are glued down into the melted chocolate.
4. Place the muffin pan in the refrigerator until the chocolate is firm.

Here are the combinations we used:

– Dehydrated Bananas (chopped) & Raw Pecans (chopped)
– Dried Cherries (chopped) & Pistachios (chopped)
– Dried Apricots & Almonds (sliced or chopped)

Wings

• 20 Chicken wings (organic if possible)
• 2 tbsp hot sauce (only ingredients should be distilled vinegar, red pepper, salt)
• 1/4 cup ghee (organic butter works too)
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (depending on taste)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp celery seed

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and place wings on greased sheet pan. We use the Misto Gourmet Olive Oil Sprayer to grease the pan. I have Trader Joe’s California Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil in my sprayer.
2. Bake in oven for 30 minutes, or until they are cooked through.
3. Combine hot sauce, ghee or butter, vinegar, paprika, cayenne, black pepper, garlic powder, and celery seed, in a medium saucepan.
4. Set over low heat, mixing until butter is completely melted and combined; simmer for 5 minutes and remove from heat.
5. When wings are baked, dip in sauce to coat well, then shake off excess and return coated wings to baking sheet.
6. Reduce over temperature to 250°F (120°C) and give wings another 15 minutes. Toss wings in remaining sauce after you remove from over and serve.

Corn Dog Mini Muffins

• 1/4 cup melted butter or ghee
• 3 eggs
• 2 tbsp honey (preferably raw)
• 1/4 cup almond flour, firmly packed
• 2 tbsp coconut flour, firmly packed
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt (any salt will work)
• 3-4 hot dogs (cut in 1/2 inch slices)

1. Preheat oven to 325℉.
2. Whisk together melted butter, eggs and honey.
3. Stir in dry ingredients.
4. Scoop into greased mini muffin pans, about 1 tablespoon of batter in each.
5. Place 1 hot dog slice in each muffin.
6. Bake for 14-17 minutes, until golden brown.
7. Enjoy!

Cauliflower Hummus

• About 1 pound cauliflower florets
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 2 tbsp good olive oil (or more to taste/texture preference)
• 1 clove garlic
• Zest and juice (about 4 tbsp) of 2 lemons
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
• Pepper to taste

1. Bring about 1/2″ water to boil in a large covered pot with a steamer basket installed.
2. Once it’s boiling, arrange florets in a single layer, stems pointed down to take the heat more directly. Add garlic. Cover and let steam until a knife can be easily inserted into the thickest stem.
3. Lift from water and let drain and cool for a minute or two.
4. In a food processor, collect remaining ingredients.
5. Add cauliflower and process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
6. Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour to allow flavors to meld.

Garlic Chili Chicken Legs

• 10 chicken legs (preferably organic)
• 1 tsp Himalayan pink salt
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• coconut oil

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Grease a glass baking dish with coconut oil.
3. Place legs in dish and pat dry with paper towels.
4. Coat legs with coconut oil.
5. Season using all of the spice mix.
6. Bake for 1 hour.

Grain-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 3 cups almond flour
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 cup raw honey
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp Himalayan pink salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1. Preheat oven to 375℉.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a small mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients. Set aside.
4. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the eggs, honey, and vanilla extract with a hand mixer, or wire whisk.
5. Pour wet ingredients slowly into dry ingredients and beat with mixer or fork until combined.
6. Add the melted coconut oil and continue to blend until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
7. Drop Tablespoon size balls of cookie dough onto prepared baking sheet.
8. Bake for approximately 8-10 minutes.

Sloppy Joe Meatballs

FOR THE MEATBALLS

• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 pounds ground beef (preferably organic)
• 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp coconut aminos
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• Salt & pepper to taste

FOR THE SAUCE

• 1 28-ounce can tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp coconut aminos
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, diced
• Salt to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a medium pot, heat a tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until cooked through.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the rest of the meatball ingredients. Once the onions are cooked, add half of them to the meatball mixture (keeping the other half in the pot). Use your hands or a scoop to form the meat into balls. Place the balls onto a baking sheet and bake until cooked through — depending on the size of your meatballs, about 15-20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, add the sauce ingredients to the onions in the pot. Simmer the sauce while the meatballs bake in the oven.
5. Place the meatballs int he sauce and let them get cozy and hang out for a few minutes before serving.
6. Enjoy!

Spice Rubbed Brisket

• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp Himalayan pink salt
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar
• 1 tablespoon seasoned salt (see notes below on how to make your own seasoned salt)
• 1 (4 pound) beef brisket
• 1 1/2 cups beef broth

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine spices in a small bowl and blend.
3. Apply rub to surface of brisket.
4. Cook brisket, uncovered, in preheated oven for 1 hour.
5. Remove from oven and add beef broth to roasting pan. Lower oven temperature to 300 degrees F, cover roasting pan tightly with foil, and cook 3 more hours.
6. Let brisket rest 30 minutes before slicing.
7. Slice against the grain, place slices back in broth in a serving dish.
8. Enjoy!

To receive daily health tips and gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and sugar-free meal/snack ideas, like us at www.facebook.com/wholefoodrealfood.

“When you know better, you do better.”

When purchasing your hot dogs it is important to make sure they do not contain nitrites. Many brands of hot dogs contain nitrites which are used as preservatives, primarily to combat botulism. During the cooking process, nitrites combine with amines naturally present in meat to form carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds. It is also suspected that nitrites can combine with amines in the human stomach to form N-nitroso compounds. These compounds are known carcinogens and have been associated with cancer of the oral cavity, urinary bladder, esophagus, stomach and brain. (Source) It is especially important that children and potential parents do not consume 12 or more of these hot dogs per month.

We use Organic Applegate Hog Dogs. The only ingredients are: Organic Grass-Fed Beef, Water, Sea Salt, Organic Spices, Organic Dehydrated Garlic, Organic Dehydrated Onion, Organic Paprika, Celery Powder. My kids love them!

When purchasing your honey for this recipe, raw unprocessed honey is a good choice. 75% of all honey sold in stores contains no honey at all. A comprehensive investigation conducted by Food Safety News (FSN) has found that the vast majority of so-called honey products sold at grocery stores do not contain any pollen, which means they are not real honey. “Raw honey is thought to have many medicinal properties,” says Kathy Egan, dietitian at College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass.  ”Stomach ailments, anemia and allergies are just a few of the conditions that may be improved by consumption of unprocessed honey.”

I hope you and your family enjoy these as much as we did!

Original Recipe: Gluten Free Fix

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Mini Corn Dog Muffins

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 17 minutes

See Detailed Nutrition Info on

WholeFoodRealFood.com

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup melted butter or ghee
• 3 eggs
• 2 tbsp honey (preferably raw)
• 1/4 cup almond flour, firmly packed
• 2 tbsp coconut flour, firmly packed
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt (any salt will work)
• 3-4 hot dogs (cut in 1/2 inch slices)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325℉.
2. Whisk together melted butter, eggs and honey.
3. Stir in dry ingredients.
4. Scoop into greased mini muffin pans, about 1 tablespoon of batter in each.
5. Place 1 hot dog slice in each muffin.
6. Bake for 14-17 minutes, until golden brown.
7. Enjoy!

Notes:

Original recipe: http://glutenfreefix.com/corn-dog-bites/3126/

Mini Corn Dog Muffins

• 1/4 cup melted butter or ghee
• 3 eggs
• 2 tbsp honey (preferably raw)
• 1/4 cup almond flour, firmly packed
• 2 tbsp coconut flour, firmly packed
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt (any salt will work)
• 3-4 hot dogs (cut in 1/2 inch slices)

1. Preheat oven to 325℉.
2. Whisk together melted butter, eggs and honey.
3. Stir in dry ingredients.
4. Scoop into greased mini muffin pans, about 1 tablespoon of batter in each.
5. Place 1 hot dog slice in each muffin.
6. Bake for 14-17 minutes, until golden brown.
7. Enjoy!

To receive daily health tips and gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and sugar-free meal/snack ideas, like us at www.facebook.com/wholefoodrealfood.

“When you know better, you do better.”

We use Unbleached Baking Cups which are made from premium quality, unbleached, greaseproof paper. These cups are Totally Chlorine-Free (TCF). Since no chlorine or chlorine derivatives are used to produce the cups, no chlorine or its derivatives get dumped into our waterways. From my experience, muffins and candies are much easier to remove from these baking cups than traditional baking cups.

1. Line a mini-muffin pan with paper liners (we didn’t have mini muffin cups, so we just used a regular sized muffin tin).
2. Spoon a tablespoon of melted chocolate into each muffin liner (we use Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips).
3. Toss together nuts and fruit. Place mixture into the melted chocolate and use a spoon to make sure all of the goods are glued down into the melted chocolate.
4. Place the muffin pan in the refrigerator until the chocolate is firm.

Here are the combinations we used:

– Dehydrated Bananas (chopped) & Raw Pecans (chopped)
– Dried Cherries (chopped) & Pistachios (chopped)
– Dried Apricots & Almonds (sliced or chopped)

To receive daily health tips and gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and sugar-free meal/snack ideas, like us at www.facebook.com/wholefoodrealfood.

“When you know better, you do better.”

Hunza foods are grown according to ancient and organic methods. The farms and orchards are irrigated with mineral-rich glacial water containing iron, calcium, copper and gold. The produce of Hunza is grown 6000 to 9000 feet above sea level. Chemical fertilizers are not in used in Hunza because the soil is rich and the environment is clean. Hunza fruits attain ripeness and full flavor before being hand picked and dried under the sun. They are unsulphured and contain no preservatives.

Here is an example of a trail mix that contains a lot of added oils, sugars and salts. The front of this package of trail mix says “Simply Almonds, Cashews & Cranberries Trek Mix”. As you can see from the ingredient label, it is not “simply” anything — added canola oil, sugar and salt. For an alternative, but your own raw nuts and dried fruits and make homemade trail mix. “Raw means not roasted in hydrogenated cottonseed or soybean oils, not “honey roasted,” not beer nuts or any of the other variations of processed nuts that transform healthy raw nuts into something that causes weight gain, high blood pressure, and increases LDL cholesterol.” – Dr. William Davis. Raw nuts are usually available in the bulk section of grocery stores, in three-pound bags at stores such as Sam’s Club and Costco.

This is why it is important to always read the ingredient labels, a lot of nuts and fruits have added oils and sugars. The mix pictured is Trader Joe’s brand, thus the canola oil is GMO free… according to their website all Trader Joe’s private labels are GMO free. However, other brands of non-organic trail mix containing canola oil are probably GMO. Further, canola oil is not a healthy oil. Over-consumption of oils like canola cause an abundance of Omega 6 fatty acids — this imbalance increases the risk of inflammation, heart disease, obesity, and prostate and bone cancer.

Here is a picture of what I send my husband to work with some days. He does not always get the dressing, I only send this when he is going to eat out and order a salad. Most of the salad dressing in restaruants compromise the quality of the salad, so I make it at home and send it with him. You can find our favorite recipe here. We use the Evriholder Dressing to Go Salad Dressing Container. You can read about the water bottles we use here.

I add lemon to the water with a funnel and citrus juice press:

It has been helpful for us to always have trail mix while we are on the go. If we get hungry in the car we snack on this. In the past we would get hungry and a drive-thru would be our only option. With just a little bit of planning we have been able to avoid the drive-thrus and improve our health tremendously!

Eat Better. Feel Better.

Raw jicama has a sweet apple-like fruity taste and texture. It is a very low calorie root vegetable and contains only 35 calories per 100g. Jicama is one of the finest sources of dietary fiber and an excellent source of oligofructose inulin, a soluble dietary fiber. Inulin is a zero calorie, sweet, inert carbohydrate and does not metabolize in the human body, which makes the root an ideal sweet snack. Jicama is also rich in vitamin C, providing 34% of DRA (daily recommended allowance) of vitamin C per 100g. Vitamin C is a powerful water-soluble antioxidant that helps the body sweep away harmful free radicals, thereby offering protection from cancers, inflammation and viral coughs & colds.  It also contains small levels of valuable B-complex vitamins such as folates, riboflavin, pyridoxine, pantothenic acid and thiamin. Further, it provides healthy amounts of some important minerals like magnesium, copper, iron and manganese.

Jicamas are generally available year-round. Choose well-formed, firm, round, medium-sized jicamas. Avoid soft, shriveled, or ones with surface cuts, cracks and bruised skin. Jicamas can be stored like potatoes. They have very good shelf life and keep well in a cool, dry, dark place for about 3-4 weeks.

When ready to use, wash in cool running water. Peel skin using a vegetable peeler or paring knife. The peel and other plant parts contain rotenene, an odorless, colorless chemical compound used as a broad-spectrum insecticide and pesticide; and therefore, should be discarded. It then can be cut into cubes, sliced, or chopped to fine sticks. It stays crisp when cooked, making it wonderful in stir-fries.

Strawberries are always on the list of dirty dozen foods, in part because fungus prompts farmers to spray, and pesticide residue remains on berries sold in the grocery store. Nearly 60 different pesticides have been found on fresh strawberries. If you can’t find organic strawberries, safer alternatives are kiwis and pineapples. When purchasing your pineapples, do not purchase Del Monte varieties from Costa Rica as they are at risk of being genetically modified. There is usually a tag on the pineapple that tells you where it is from.

It is best to purchase organic blueberries because they usually make the dirty dozen list, since more than 50 pesticides have been detected as residue on them. Unfortunately, obvious alternatives like cranberries and cherries, while they may not make the dirty dozen list this year, are often contaminated themselves. – Information provided by: The Daily Green.

Strawberries and blueberries contain ellagic acid (plant chemical) and a large number of polyphenols (anti-oxidants). “Ellagic acid seems to have some anti-cancer properties. It can act as an anti-oxidant, and has been found to cause cell death in cancer cells in the laboratory. In other laboratory studies, ellagic acid seems to reduce the effect of estrogen in promoting growth of breast cancer cells in tissue cultures. There are also reports that it may help the liver to break down or remove some cancer-causing substances from the blood. Ellagic acid has also been said to reduce heart disease, birth defects, liver problems, and to promote wound healing.” – Information provided by cancer.org

To receive daily health tips and gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and sugar-free meal/snack ideas, like us at www.facebook.com/wholefoodrealfood.

“When you know better, you do better.”

So why make your hummus with cauliflower? Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable — one of the big reasons to eat plenty of cruciferous vegetables is that they may help to lower your risk of getting cancer. Cruciferous vegetables have compounds called glucosinolates. Non-cruciferous vegetables do not not have glucosinolates. These compounds KILL carcinogens before they can damage our DNA and prevent healthy cells from turning into cancerous cells. They provide vitamin A, B6, C, K, folic acid, potassium, maganese and iron. Some other cruciferous vegetables are kale, bok choy, brussel sprouts and broccoli.

I hope you enjoy this healthy, delicious snack! It pairs well with any vegetable and kale chips.

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Cauliflower Hummus

Prep Time: 20 minutes

See Detailed Nutrition Info on

Ingredients

• About 1 pound cauliflower florets
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 2 tbsp good olive oil (or more to taste/texture preference)
• 1 clove garlic
• Zest and juice (about 4 tbsp) of 2 lemons
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
• Pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Bring about 1/2" water to boil in a large covered pot with a steamer basket installed.
2. Once it's boiling, arrange florets in a single layer, stems pointed down to take the heat more directly. Add garlic. Cover and let steam until a knife can be easily inserted into the thickest stem.
3. Lift from water and let drain and cool for a minute or two.
4. In a food processor, collect remaining ingredients.
5. Add cauliflower and process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
6. Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour to allow flavors to meld.

Notes:

Recipe adapted from A Veggie Venture.

Cauliflower Hummus

About 1 pound cauliflower florets
2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp good olive oil (or more to taste/texture preference)
1 clove garlic
Zest and juice (about 4 tbsp) of 2 lemons
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
Pepper to taste

1. Bring about 1/2″ water to boil in a large covered pot with a steamer basket installed.
2. Once it’s boiling, arrange florets in a single layer, stems pointed down to take the heat more directly. Add garlic. Cover and let steam until a knife can be easily inserted into the thickest stem.
3. Lift from water and let drain and cool for a minute or two.
4. In a food processor, collect remaining ingredients.
5. Add cauliflower and process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
6. Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour to allow flavors to meld.

Eat Better. Feel Better.

I had my girls help assemble the trays, which they thoroughly enjoyed, and this is what we came up with:

Each child got their own tray, we made 18 of them! Here is a list of the contents in each tray:

– Organic whole blueberries.
– Enjoy Life Semi Sweet Chocolate Mega Chunks. These chunks are dairy, nut & soy free. They contain evaporated cane juice, natural chocolate liquor (non-alcoholic) and non-dairy cocoa butter.
- Organic diced strawberries.
– Organic grape tomatoes cut into thirds.
- Grapes cut into thirds.We usually purchase organic grapes (and raisins) because they are part of the dirty dozen, but I always have a hard time finding them this time of year. I am expecting them to be available in the next few weeks. My kids have been bugging me for them, so I bought non-organic ones and washed them really well. Unfortunately, washing them does not do the complete trick because the pesticides soak through the skin of the grape.
– Cheddar cheese chunks. We usually purchase Organic Valley cheese, but could not find it at the store we were at.
– Organic carrots. We peeled and diced these ourselves — both my girls love to peel carrots.
– Organic cucumbers. If you cannot purchase organic, it is a good idea to peel your cucumbers to remove as much pesticide residue as possible.
– Annie’s Organic Snack Mix. This box comes with a variety of three snacks: cheddar, buttery rich, and pretzel. I took each cracker and separated them into three cube trays. It was much more cost effective than purchasing three boxes of crackers. We don’t eat these snacks often because they are still processed, but when we need a quick snack to grab, they are a better choice than most. They have no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives and are certified organic. They are also made with real cheese, have no cholesterol and 0g trans fat & 0g saturated fat. They are made with vegetable and canola oils, which are not healthy oils, so they need to be eaten in moderation.
– Organic chopped romaine hearts.
– Organic bananas. Bananas are low in pesticide residue, so these can be purchased non-organic.
– Organic hummus. It is best to make your own hummus if you can to control the oil that goes into it. All of the hummus’ I have found have canola oil in them, which is not a healthy oil, thus it needs to be eaten in moderation. We did not have time to make our own this week, so we purchased Tribe Organic Hummus which contains organic cooked chickpeas, organic canola oil, organ tahini, water, organic lemon juice concentrate, sea salt, organic dried roasted garlic, organic spices. If you eat hummus on a daily basis it would be a good idea to make it yourself. If you eat is as an infrequent snack it would be a good idea to purchase organic to ensure the canola oil does not contain GMOs. Canola is a high risk crop for GMOs (75% of canola crops are genetically modified). Be careful if purchasing non-organic hummus, I have seen a few brands that contain Sodium Benzoate.

The kids were so excited to see all the different options. The teacher was wonderful and briefly talked about each food and the idea came up that this would be a great snack to pair with the Hungry Caterpillar. I was thrilled to see children getting so excited to eat real food! Many times with children it is all about the presentation and in this case it most certainly was.

~ We need to teach our children TO EAT REAL FOOD. No Fast Foods. No Junk Foods. No Processed Foods. Just Honest, Nutritious, Real Food.

Microwaved popcorn also contains trans fat. It is important to remember, even if a product declares ‘Trans Fat: 0 grams”, it can contain trans fat if one of the ingredients listed is ‘shortening’ or ‘hydrogenated oil.’ It is also important to remember that if a label says the product contains “no trans fat” or “not a significant source of trans fat” it can still contain trans fat.  The FDA regulations state if the product contains less than .5 grams of any fat per serving, they are allowed to list it as 0 grams.

The following information is provided by Alexandra Scranton, director of science and research at Women’s Voices for the Earth, a nonprofit that advocates for environmental health issues that directly affect women:

The Problem: Diacetyl, a chemical used in butter flavoring, is used in a lot of fake butter flavorings, despite the fact that the chemical is so harmful to factory workers that it’s known to cause an occupational disease called “popcorn lung,” Scranton says. After news of the chemical got out to the popcorn-eating public, companies started replacing diacetyl with another additive—which can actually turn into diacetyl under certain conditions, she adds. Neither chemical is disclosed on microwave-popcorn bags because the exact formulations of flavorings are considered trade secrets. “It’s a classic example of the need for better chemical regulation and improved transparency on the chemicals used in our food and other household products,” she says.

The Solution: Make your own popcorn using real butter. Pop it on the stovetop in a pot, or go an easier route: Put a small handful of kernels into a brown paper lunch bag and stick the bag in the microwave. The kernels will pop just like those fake-butter-flavored kernels in standard microwave popcorn bags. When they’re done, pour some melted organic butter over them. “Makes pretty good popcorn at a fraction of the cost!” Scranton says. Another alternative is a hot air popper. If you want a little extra flavor you can melt ghee and pour it over the popcorn once it is popped. Alternatively, you can spray olive oil on the popcorn with an Olive Oil Sprayer and then sprinkle some salt… the olive oil will help the salt stick to the popcorn.

Elizabeth Yarnell of EffortlessEating.com stated, “At the Seeds of Doubt conference recently, Jeffery Smith, executive director of the Institute for Responsible Technology and GMO expert, assured us that even though almost 90% of the corn grown and eaten in this country is GMO corn, popcorn comes from a different seed and has not been genetically modified.” (Source)

Just because popcorn is not GMO does not mean you should buy any brand. Popcorn is a crop that is heavily covered in pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and fertilizers, thus it is best eaten as organic. We use Arrowhead Mills Organic Popcorn, but there are other organic brands that are good too.

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Microwave Popcorn

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cook Time: 3 minutes

See Detailed Nutrition Info on

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unpopped organic popcorn
• 1 tsp extra light olive oil
• 1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt

Instructions

1. Combine the unpopped popcorn and oil in a small bowl.
2. Place the popcorn into a brown paper lunch sack, and sprinkle in the salt.
3. Fold the top of the bag over twice.
4. Cook in the microwave at full power for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, or until you hear pauses of about 2 seconds between pops.
5. Carefully open the bag to avoid steam.
6. Enjoy!

Notes:

Purchase organic kernels if possible.

1/2 cup unpopped organic popcorn
1 tsp extra light olive oil
1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt

1. Combine the unpopped popcorn and oil in a small bowl.
2. Place the popcorn into a brown paper lunch sack, and sprinkle in the salt.
3. Fold the top of the bag over twice.
4. Cook in the microwave at full power for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, or until you hear pauses of about 2 seconds between pops.
5. Carefully open the bag to avoid steam.
6. Enjoy!

~ Eat Healthy. Be Healthy.