Time for another recipe round-up! This week I put together a week of Kid-Friendly Meals to inspire you! Hopefully you’ll find a couple of new meal ideas your kiddos (and YOU!) will enjoy!
If you have kids that are picky eaters, it can be easy to fall into a food rut and make the same things over and over. Remember it’s important to keep trying new things. Some day they might surprise you and eat them!
Stuff these with all sorts of delicious options like nut butter, fresh fruit, yogurt, etc. Not in the mood for chocolate? Make my Vanilla Cinnamon Crepes. You could even wrap up scrambled eggs!
Super easy to personalize the mix-ins for each kiddo. If you have an older kid, they can heat water in the tea kettle and make the oats for themselves and younger siblings! Top with nut butter or fresh fruit if desired! Have a younger baby? Make them some of my Homemade Oat Cereal for Babies so they can join the party!
So many options – just be sure to include a protein, some fruits and veggies and a healthy cracker. Or try this Kiddie Salad Bar idea from Nutritious Eats
Do you have birth wishes you want the hospital staff to honor? Make sure your doctor is aware of them ahead of time! Here’s an example of a hospital birth plan that you can tailor to your needs and share with care providers.
Today, I am delighted to welcome my good blogging buddy, Stacy formerly from Stacy Makes Cents now from Humorous Homemaking, as a guest poster for our “A Natural Phenomenon Natural Pregnancy & Birthing” series! Today, she’s giving us a sample birth plan for a hospital birth. Please pay her site a visit. You will be blessed!
The birth of my first child did not go as expected. I did not prepare, and I didn’t know what was going on.
I had spent all my time reading silly baby books about what my child should do after birth. Boy, was that a HUGE mistake!
I should have prepared myself for the journey of labor instead of dilly-dallying around with stupid baby schedules that never worked and drove me looney tunes. Just rely on that natural mama instinct, y’all.
BUT, this time I have decided I’m going to be ready. I am fully aware our plans don’t always go as expected. However, it’s better to have a plan and be informed than to lie around like a silly invalid. I didn’t have a plan with Annie, but I will for Baby 2.
I’m reading and talking with my doula…I’m trying to learn the classic signs of real labor and pain relief options BEFORE I GO INTO LABOR. So, my husband and I have written out our desired birth plan for this child. I thought it would be helpful for others to be able to see it. Feel free to use it for yourself if you so desire.
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” ~Ben Franklin
Birth Plan
To: Caregivers at [Insert OB office here (primary doctor – Your Doctor)] Obstetrical nursing staff of Your Chosen Hospital From: Mother and Father
We have chosen to give birth at the maternity ward of Chosen Hospital because of their outstanding facility and great staff. We are requesting your help to attain our goals and have a happy, healthy birth. In the event of complications, we will give our full cooperation after an informed discussion with the doctor and private consideration between mother, father, and doula.
First Stage of Labor:
Those to be present at all times at the labor and birth: (father) and (doula)
I would like to labor at home as long as possible and request the option to return home if I arrive at less than 5 cm dilated.
I would like to have my birthing ball and back massager and request to have showers for pain relief when desired.
If IV is deemed necessary, please use a heparin lock so that I can move around and walk as needed.
Please no internal fetal monitoring unless emergency arises.
Vaginal exams only upon consent and as few as possible to avoid rupture of membranes
Please no pitocin or breaking of water unless deemed medically necessary
No analgesia or anesthesia unless requested
Freedom to move and walk during labor
I would prefer no hospital gown – I will bring one from home.
Quiet room, no excess staff please
Second Stage Labor:
Choice of position for pushing; please no stirrups
Mother chooses when to push
If delivery assistance is needed, please use suction instead of foreceps.
Please place baby on mother’s abdomen after birth, unless medical intervention is necessary.
Cord to be cut by father, after pulsing stops
Breastfeed immediately to help birth placenta – no pitocin, uterine massage, or pulling of cord please
Keep lights low
If stitching is necessary, please use local anesthetic.
Third Stage Labor:
Newborn to stay with parents at all times; no nursery visits please
Please delay all routine exams for ________ to allow for bonding time.
Please perform all physical exams and procedures in room with parents.
If warming is needed, baby is to be placed on mother’s chest with blankets.
Breastfeeding only: no bottles, pacifiers, artificial nipples, formula, or water
Father to stay with baby and mother at all times
We thank you in advance for your support and kind attention to our choices. We look forward to a wonderful birth.
NOTE: In the event of a c-section, I would like (father) and (doula) to be present. Please let the baby remain with me until I’m stitched up and ready to be moved to recovery.
______________________ Father _____________________ Mother ______________________ Physician
If you want to learn more about natural childbirth, watch this free webinar from Mama Natural!
Have you ever used a birth plan? What would you include on a birth plan for a hospital birth?
About Stacy Myers
Stacy is a stay-at-home mom to Annie, Andy, Eli and soon-to-be #4. After an “awakening” in March 2011, her family switched to a more natural, whole foods diet.
She likes to blog about how to live on less than you make and how to eat good food while doing it. Her passion is teaching others how to save money and she tag teams with her husband in this endeavor. At Humorous Homemaking you’ll find information on how to save money in the kitchen, how to have fun with your kids, and how to be thrifty in all areas of life. Her passion is teaching others how to live debt free. Make sure to follow her on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with her daily antics.
It seems to me that our nation’s “picky eaters” tend toward the same “standard American fare” foods. These foods are easy to prepare in our convenience food society, and it’s what parents tend to feed their kids if the kids balk at whatever the real dinner is.
There are hundreds of different basic foods to choose from and thousands of food and flavor combinations. It’s hard for me to believe that so many people *only* like the same small handful, and that it’s truly how their palates were formed by God.
I got this request from a reader a few months ago:
“My kids (8 & 9) have become extremely picky eaters over the years. It’s mostly my fault for succumbing to them and just letting them eat their favorite things. I’d like some tips to help them branch out of their ruts. They pretty much only like to eat pizza & chicken nuggets right now. I made homemade nuggets which are at least better than deep fried ones, but they are still just chicken nuggets. Do you have any ideas to get them to try AND like new foods?”
I’m relieved this mama said, “It’s mostly my fault,” because I can start from there without offending everyone in the world.
Katie here, just interrupting for a sec if I may with an exciting announcement about something I’m super passionate about…kids cooking dinner!
Your kids can learn to cook!
If your dream would be a night off dinner – or you know it’s vital that your kids have life skills like cooking – or they’re ASKING to help in the kitchen but you’re not sure where to start – these brand new videos can help!
It feels like you don’t have time for anything else – but teaching kids to cook truly creates time where there was none once they start pitching in on dinner prep. #kitchenmiracle
If a child somehow only likes 3-4 foods out of thousands, who gave them those choices? Were they served various fruits, vegetables, meat cooked in different ways, eggs, grains, soups, and more? Or were they allowed, as the mom in the example shared, to eat their favorites and never branch out?
Are we really talking “how to get a picky eater to eat” or “how do we stop feeding our kids only what they like best?”
I know there are true medical issues – our KS contributor Mary wrote a compelling look into life with a child with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). She shares how her child needs quite bland foods and can struggle with certain textures – but her family continues to eat very healthy food, day in and day out!
Mary has identified her child’s needs after separating needs from wants, and she offers only nourishing options that fit within those parameters. She adapted without compromising, and I applaud her.
So I realize some children truly are more than just stubborn about food.
But.
If a child eats both pizza and plain noodles, insisting on no sauce, that’s a bunch of malarkey. They’re playing you, parents. Pizza sauce and spaghetti sauce are nearly the same thing.
Meal ideas for picky eaters - more than just plain spaghetti with a meatball
In fact I myself have a child who claims to only like buttered pasta, no sauce, but she’ll eat pizza and lasagna.
Total. Malarkey.
And if we’re reheating pasta with the sauce all mixed in, too darn bad for her. (Usually? She’ll eat it anyway.)
I get it if your tastebuds just don’t like spicy things, or garlicky foods, or if textures that are mushy or slimy get to you.
God made us all different.
But to say that a picky eater doesn’t like anything but a handful of foods – especially if those foods don’t have much in common – that’s choice, my friends.
Preference.
Personal opinion.
Can You Cut Out a Whole Food Group and Still Eat a Balanced Diet?
Can picky eaters be balanced if they won't eat a whole food group?
We have a little friend who doesn’t like fruit. But she’ll eat vegetables, grains, dairy, meats – her diet is plenty balanced without fruit. In my mind, that’s a picky eater. But not a big deal at all.
Another child we know is a purported picky eater. The family claims she only likes bland things. Pizza with pepperoni only. Chicken nuggets. A certain kind of yogurt drink.
But she’ll munch on Fire Cheetos and Sour Cream and Onion chips all day long.
Um. Bland?
If we’re talking only eating junk food and not eating anything healthy, then I don’t care what food group you’re omitting or solely eating from, that’s not just picky – it’s a problem.
And it needs to change.
Our bodies weren’t made to run on pizza, chicken nuggets, and Fire Cheetos.
And if we’re talking children, it’s the parents’ job to get to the bottom of it, to nourish the little bodies entrusted to them, not just fill their bellies with whatever comes with the least resistance.
Here’s How to Fail
neon pizza shop sign
If I was trying to get you to quit smoking, I would not smoke in front of you.
If I was trying to help you stop cursing, I surely wouldn’t scream obscenities at you.
Same thing:
If you’ve got a picky eater or problem eater, you will make no difference at all if the adults in the house are unwilling to try new foods and demonstrate a good attitude about it.
It’s a plan for failure, 100%.
I’m not sure how to say this without offending the very people it’s on my heart today to help, but here goes:
If you want your picky eater to change his or her habits (and you’ve determined that there isn’t SPD going on), you need a PLAN.
You need to COMMIT to it.
Both parents/caregivers need to be on the same page.
And you need to resolve your OWN picky eating issues too.
If you can’t do that, you’re condemning yourself to be a short order pizza/chicken nugget cook until your kids leave home, and you’re restricting their tastebuds to “kid foods” until they discover what they’ve been missing when they become adults – if ever.
Get Out the Eraser
Pan-fried Tilapia with St Peter's Spicy Fish Seasoning
You need to eradicate some phrases from your home, now:
He doesn’t like that.
They won’t eat that.
She won’t like that.
They won’t even try it.
He’s a picky eater.
Those are losing words. Failure words.
You won’t win – or change anything – if you don’t start by trying.
Be the Change You Wish to See
It’s not a cliché.
My husband and I have foods we don’t care for too, but every summer, I try tomatoes, and every few months, my husband tries cucumbers. The kids watch him power through a dinner of baked fish every other week, even though it’s not his favorite.
But he eats it because he knows it’s healthy for him – and I think it’s pretty sexy when he shows such great parenting and is supporting his own health at the same time.
Create a New Normal
Homemade macaroni and cheese
A friend of mine decided she was done buying boxed mac and cheese. She started making a homemade recipe (maybe the one in Better Than a Box?) and the first time she served it, there were a lot of complaints from the peanut gallery.
The kids wondered why it was different, and they were very vocal about not loving it.
Some parents would give up there and chalk it up to a failed experiment.
She pressed on, and in time, homemade mac and cheese became the New Normal.
There is now zero balking at the table, and I bet her 4-year-old will completely forget about the blue box once another year passes. The mom has created a new culture in her home, a new expectation – that mac and cheese comes homemade, and that’s just the way it is.
We need to keep that goal in mind, parents, and do remember – the fussing won’t last forever, no parent ever actually died from children’s complaints (although I do agree it feels like we might!), and most importantly – no child ever died from not getting what they wanted for dinner. Kids’ memories aren’t as long as we worry they are, promise!
I’d love to join your “team” on this and help you make real food a New Normal, moms and dads. Teaching my kids to cook is the most powerful thing I’ve ever done for them (after giving birth of course). But it’s not easy to know where to start!
In our Kids Cook Real Food eCourse, I’ve done all the thinking for you, and my kids are working with food in all the videos to be a little positive peer pressure for yours. Kids love seeing other kids on the screens! They call them their friends.
Now for the Practical Stuff – Bridging the Gap
IF you’re willing to commit to actually making the effort to curb the picky eating in your house, I have some ideas for your game plan – because you DO need a plan.
1. Know where your boundaries are.
Do you have to MAKE the kids eat everything on their plate to eradicate picky eating?
Goodness no.
Do they even have to take a bite of everything?
Possibly not, not right away.
Simple Salmon Patties Recipe - bite it, lick it, or smell it - a solution for picky eaters to bridge the gap
You might be able to make headway simply by offering a number of choices for a while – one bite of each new thing on their plate – and having no expectations or requirements other than that the bite sits on their plate and they don’t remove it unless they eat it.
For some “picky eaters,” that’s going to be a goal in itself. But food sitting on a plate never hurt anyone (sans allergies).
You need to study your child for a while, take notes if you have to, and make it like a research project. Write out the milestones you want to reach.
Your list may look something like this (or may not):
Child allows bites of new food on plate.
Child gets a choice about the new food: Take a bite, take a lick, or smell it. Once they have, they can be served the rest of the meal (which they like).
The “smell it” choice disappears.
The “liked” food begins to change (see next tip about bridging).
Snacks included! If kids know they can just wait for a good snack and eat three helpings, they’ll win the battle every day.
(There are likely a number of possible baby steps in here, but they will be very individual based on the child’s stubborn spots and the timing you’re trying to work with on your picky eating eradication plan.)
At some point, parents will need to commit to not having the favored junk food in the house, at all. To only offer healthy options. There can be lots of options, and the child may choose what s/he eats without consequence for skipping things, but nothing else beyond the meal on the table will be served. NOTHING. No short order cooking. Set a deadline for it to be reality!
The bottom line is that like with any parenting intervention – potty training, getting babies to sleep through the night, keeping kids in their rooms at bedtime, or a homework routine – it must be deliberate and intentional. You must be committed and professional about it!
I’m offending people right now, I can just feel it.
Fingers are hovering over keyboards to tell me what I’ve heard before when I talk about picky eaters:
Katie, some kids really won’t eat. They’ll starve themselves, and they won’t eat breakfast either. You are really recommending something dangerous here!
But I’m not saying to only offer them one thing at dinner and make them eat it. I’m not even recommending that the food they don’t eat be saved for the next meal until they eat it.
I’m just saying:
Serve healthy options. Allow the kids to make choices. DON’T make it a power struggle – leave the room if you have to!
And don’t let them forage for unhealthy options between meals, or you’ll sabotage your own plan.
You’ve got to know exactly what your goal is, what your steps are, what you’re willing to compromise on (not much), and be CONSISTENT about it! Nothing about parenting is easy, but it’s all worth it.
I shared a talk last week for the Mom Conference on building responsibility by getting kids into the kitchen, and I received a comment that made my whole month:
Thanks for the encouragement on picky eating. I tried the “lick it, touch it, or smell it” with our salmon at dinner this evening. One licked it, one smelled it, and one licked it & decided he wanted to eat it & then asked for more!
I mean hey – with results like that, it’s worth at least TRYING, right???
2. Find ways to bridge from what they like to other things.
Tips for getting a picky eater to eat - more than just recipes or finding protein sources
If your kids have a few things they love, imagine a brick path from that food to healthier options, more variety. Each brick in the path is another step, connected to the last. If pizza is on the happy list, you might try something like this:
Try new toppings on pizza – broccoli, spinach, zucchini, fresh basil, tomato slices, blending some squash into the sauce – to get them used to seeing and tasting vegetables
Make homemade pizza together with a white flour crust.
Use a whole grain crust (or even a step in between is part whole grain).
Then make another kind of bread dough, homemade rolls or something…
Then add something to the homemade rolls like egg salad, or grilled cheese with veggies inside…each step is connected to the last and getting toward expanding their palates.
Another step along the way is to make pizza veggies – frozen broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, zucchini – whatever medley you want to try – smothered in pasta sauce and mozzarella cheese
kids eating pepperoni pizza voraciously - can it be a bridge to get picky eaters to try new foods?
Here are some possible bridges for chicken nuggets:
Add something green in the coating just so they’ve seen it before.
Add a side veg – something kid-friendly, maybe the pizza veggies above, or this spinach cheesy bake – if you’re far enough through your stepping stones, you could set a pattern where they get one bite of it and one chicken nugget, and seconds are one bite of each, thirds the same – they have to finish their firsts if they want seconds.
Have them help make the homemade chicken nuggets to purposely lift the veil: “Oh look, there are eggs in here! I guess you actually like eggs too…how should we cook them in a different way tomorrow?” and offer pictures of scrambled eggs, egg salad, egg drop soup, egg fried rice…whatever you’re willing to make.
Pizza chicken – chicken breasts baked in pizza sauce with cheese on top – then add some veggies in there and move all the way to sausage zucchini bake.
Grilled chicken strips and grilled potatoes – moving to Chicken, Rice and Green Beans from Better Than a Box, beans cut very small.
Accidentally “run out of ketchup” on purpose – so they have to try something else. Maybe it’s mustard sauce, which could bridge to cheeseburger soup, egg salad or potato salad. Maybe it’s an avocado based dip with seasonings they’d like, or a sour cream ranch style dip which can bridge to raw veggies.
Once you get going, I guarantee it will actually be fun to build the bridge from one food to the next!
3. Retrain dinnertime.
Kid-friendly Blended Green Soup with lots of Veggies
Dinner is your stomping ground for your picky eating intervention – so you can’t let snacks sabotage your efforts. Dinner should be the pinnacle of a few hours of preparation, and I DON’T mean the work you’ll do in the kitchen:
Prepare the space: Make sure they’re hungry for dinner. Allow no snacks whatsoever at least 2 hours before dinner.
Lead with your ace: Serve veggies and dip first at dinner – maybe a pizza flavored dip if pizza is one of your bridges!
Follow suit: Try a blended starter soup – served first before anything else is available. Say that the chicken nuggets still have 10 minutes to cook, and mean it.
Those strategies will be like the spit on a spitball – they’ll grease the chute for everything else you do to work.
4. Offer healthy options.
How to get a picky eater to eat
At a certain point in the process, you will need to ban junk food altogether. Otherwise you’ll end up with an eternal exercise in futility, making healthy food just to let the kids stare at it and choose the junk food.
Once you’ve gotten to the point where everything on the table passes the “healthy” test for your philosophy, then you’ve won the race.
You’re at the end.
It doesn’t matter what the kids choose to eat or not eat, because every choice makes you happy.
Then they can be picky AND healthy at the same time!
Do you think most picky eaters are stubborn and can be helped if the parent is stubborn enough too?
Images from GraphicStock. Used with permission.
Original article and pictures take www.kitchenstewardship.com site
Green tea improves metabolism and supports fat absorption. A cup of green tea consumed daily can reduce the risk of many diseases including heart disease, stroke, skin cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, colds, flu and more.
Oranges are very appreciated due to their nutritional and antioxidant properties. They are free of saturated fats and contain plenty of dietary fiber, especially important for those who wish to get rid of extra pounds. In addition, oranges have a positive effect on arthritis, cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
Spearmint is a very rich source of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and potassium. This herb has the ability to improve digestion, to help the body burn fat and to prevent bloating.
Boil 1 liter of water for 2-3 minutes. In the meanwhile, you can wash the oranges and cut them into very small slices; leave the skin on. When the temperature of the boiled water gets down to 80-85 ° C, add five bags of green tea and infuse them for 3-5 minutes. Remove the tea bags, and pour the tea into a glass jar. Add the orange slices and fresh mint leaves. Close the jar and wait for the tea to cool. Once cooled, place the jar into the fridge. The next day, your miracle drink will be ready. Drink a cup before each meal.
A Little Known Aspect of Human Anatomy that is Critical for Gut Health
Today’s conventional medicine mechanistically looks at body parts. There are specialists for every body part you have. However there is one, little known, unifying aspect of anatomy that every doctor should consider.
Fascia the Old
Years ago when I studied anatomy, fascia was understood to be a structural aspect of human anatomy.
Fascia is a thin protective sheath of collagen that covers almost every structure in the body. Take it from me – there is a lot of fascia in the body. When I was in chiropractic school we took 4 semesters of human dissection (among many other anatomy classes). In the lab we had to cut through an awful lot of fascia to get to the organ, muscle, tendon or ligament.
Back then we were looking for structures. Now I look back and realize that fascia is collagen.
Collagen essentially holds us together. We are structurally a fascia web that is connected from head to toe and from the skin to the deepest organ. When you move your toe you are also affecting the entire fascia web that runs through your body.
As a chiropractor, this is fascinating to me, as it translates into mis-alignments and malfunctions in the structural system that affect the deeper organ systems. I have found this relationship in many of my patients.
Many other alternative therapies address this relationship as well. These include acupuncture, rolfing or structural integration and the Feldenkreis technique, to name a few.
Fascia the New
It is now recognized that our fascial network is one of our richest sensory organs. The surface area of this network surpasses that of the skin or any other body tissues. Within the network are millions of membranous pockets that house sensory receptors to the tune of 6 times that found in muscle tissue.
Fascia is involved in proprioception, interoception, and nociception. Proprioception is the unconscious perception of where we are in space. It affects our posture, balance, and the relative position of body parts.
Interoception involves subconscious stimulus of nerve endings coming from the organs. This gives information to the brain about maintaining the body in homeostasis. Interoception is processed via the insula region in the brain, and is usually associated with an emotional or motivational component. Here we see an interesting connection between the organs and the emotions which can explain somato-emotional disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome or hypertension.
Finally, nociception is the ability to feel pain, caused by stimulation of a nociceptor (pain receptor). Certainly, by understanding the various anatomical layers of superficial fascia and deep fascia (which has 3 layers), one can begin to understand the critical role the fascia plays in connecting and coordinating structure, physiology and movement in the human body.
For example this author suggests that the patient with pain in any region should be looked at as a whole, because the fascia connects, for instance, low back pain with knee, foot or even gastrointestinal dysfunction. This is what holistic health care is all about.
There are many chiropractic (and other manual techniques) which address the visceral component of pain patterns. (source) (source)
Nutrition Aspects of Fascia
Collagen
Fascia is collagen. Collagen tissue makes up 50% of the protein in the body, as it is the primary protein in fascial connective tissue. Collagen makes up the matrix of joint cartilage, tendons, ligaments, bone, blood vessels, the gut lining, skin and intervertebral discs, as well as cornea of the eye.
Traditionally, humans have supported collagen by eating the collagenous parts of animals. The best way to do this is by making low and slow cooked bone broths.
Gelatin
Gelatin is simply the cooked form of collagen. Back in the 1800’s in Europe, the many wars necessitated a cheap and efficient way to feed the troops. A chemist by the name of Jean-Pierre Joseph d’Arcet discovered how to extract gelatin from bones. Numerous other researchers ran with this idea and came up with various ways to extract and stabilize gelatin and place it into commercial foods.
Gelatin powders and tablets became a substitute for meat in soups and gravies and became a popular food. Manufacturing of gelatin was not regulated and poor quality products appeared on the market.
Gelatin is not a complete form of protein and so it soon fell out of favor and we are left with the artificially produced bouillon that is loaded with MSG, salt and other toxic additives. Additionally, the product jello, is loaded with artificial flavors, colors and sweeteners and/or sugar.
None of these products are healthy at all.
Your Fascia Needs Nutritional Support
If you have any intestinal, joint, bone or skin problems, it is likely that your fascia needs support. Structurally you can seek out some type of body work as mentioned above, but it is also imperative that you support all your fascial tissues with nutrition.
This means beyond joint and skin, the intestinal lining is the place to start. As Hippocrates said,
all disease begins in the gut.
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, leaky gut is an integral part of most health conditions and must be addressed in order to heal.
Like this article? Get many more and tons of information and instructions on using grain free flours in my fantastic kindle books. You don’t need a kindle to read them, as Amazon offers a FREE reader for all devices, on the sales page for each book.
These recipes are suitable for Paleo, SCD, GAPS and all grain free eaters.
Original article and pictures take realfoodforager.com site
A Frugal Real Food Guide to Healthy Food at Costco A totally awesome guide to healthy food at Costco, broken down into four categories for you! :: DontWastetheCrumbs.com
One of the biggest issues I hear frugal real foodies struggling with is finding affordable real food without having to drive all over dodge.
Over time, you find a routine as to what stores or markets work best for your budget, your time and your area. But I remember first starting out and wishing there was some totally awesome list that someone else had put together for me, just coming right out and telling what stores had the best deals on certain items. It would have been helpful too if they told me what NOT to buy, and their reasons why.
Back then, I was neck-deep in information overload. My mind was swimming with random bits and pieces about nitrates and BPA and high fructose corn syrup. I felt like throwing my entire kitchen in the trash can and spending a paycheck or two at Whole Foods, but that wasn’t possible with our small grocery budget. Besides, one paycheck won’t get me very far there!
Today’s post is an ode to you folks who are feeling this pain. Those who are trying to eat better and not go broke. Those who are making more foods from scratch, but simply don’t have the time or energy to make ketchup or butter. Those who have embraced homemade bread, but are still trying to get their families to embrace whole grains.
Allow me to share my version of a totally awesome list of healthy food at Costco. At one time or another, I’ve price compared just about every item on this list with either another store or an online seller. In the end, Costco won. The totally awesome list is broken down into four main categories:
What I Always Buy
What I Sometimes Buy
What I Never Buy
What I Would Buy But Haven’t Yet
You’ll find the price for each item (which might vary from store to store) and explanations throughout the list too, since it helps sometimes to see the ‘why’ behind what someone does. The items in each list are in no particular order. Unless you count the way Costco designs the layout of their warehouse.
Curious what healthy food you can find at Costco? And that truly saves you money? Find out in this amazing guide!
What I Always Buy
Almonds, $15.49 for 3lbs ($5.16/lb)
California is the only state that grows almonds commercially, and since the state requires almonds to be pasteurized (with either propylene oxide or high-temperature steam-heat), I figure there’s no point in forking over the money for “raw” almonds when they’re likely not raw anyway.
Organic Maple Syrup, $16.49 for 1L
Hands down the best price I’ve found anywhere. Not even Amazon can beat it!
Jasmine Rice, $16.99 for 25lbs
This equates to just 68¢ per pound, which is an amazing price for rice. We also prefer the taste of jasmine rice over long grain white or brown. It’s just a hint sweeter, and fits well with most of our meals.
All-Natural Peanut Butter, $10.99 for (2) 40 oz jars
The term “all-natural” is not regulated and has no official meaning, so it’s up to us as consumers to read the ingredient label and decide for ourselves whether it’s truly natural or not. Kirkland brand all-natural peanut butter contains just peanuts and salt.
Vanilla Extract, $6.99 for 16 oz
The only way you’ll be able to beat this price is if you buy vanilla beans and liquor in bulk and make it yourself. I’m not there in my journey yet, so for now, this is my go-to shop for vanilla.
Active Dry Yeast, $4.49 for 32oz
A KILLER deal for yeast. Those little single serving packets are expensive on their own. Buying in bulk equates to just 2¢ for every teaspoon of yeast.
The only downside of these chips is that they contain soy lecithin. Fortunately, we’ve eliminated soy from just about everywhere else in the kitchen. We’ve really cut back on our use of chocolate chips since we started eating real food, so this doesn’t concern me much. I haven’t noticed any difference in quality between these and the Nestle TollHouse brand either, so these are a winner.
Organic All-Purpose Flour, $14.99 for 25lbs
Most commercial flour is enriched, meaning there is synthetic vitamins and minerals added to the flour after the berries have been ground. The only way to avoid this is to buy either un-enriched and un-bromated flour, or go organic. We make all of our breads from scratch, and although we’re on average 75% whole grain, we still use white flour on occasion. Buying in bulk equates to paying $2.99 for a 5lb bag, which is a great deal on organic flour.
Find out the best healthy food to buy at Costco and a breakdown on prices!
Old-Fashioned Oats, $8.39 for 10 lbs
After reading about the differences between all the different types of oats on the market, I decided that the Quaker Old Fashioned Oats from Costco offer the best bang for our buck. They earn points for not being partially cooked like the instant oats, and since they’re basically steel cut oats that have been squished, I don’t see the point in paying more for the unsquished version.
Kerrygold Butter, $6.99 for (3) 8 oz sticks
Mmm. Kerrygold’s butter is grass-fed, and is the yellow-est butter I have ever found. It’s only a bit more per pound than organic butter, but incredibly more affordable than buying it at another local store where they sell it for $4 per 8 oz!
Organic Cheese, $10.99 for 2 lbs
Most organic brick cheeses at Costco run this price, with the exception of sharp cheddar which is just a dollar more. $5.50 per pound of organic cheese is a really great price, and no other store in our area can come close.
Organic Ketchup, $6.99 for (2) 44 oz
Organic ketchup contains sugar, but it doesn’t have high fructose corn syrup. Ketchup is another item that we don’t eat as much of as we used to, but when we buy it, it’s always from Costco.
Cashews, $14.99 for 2 1/2 lbs
These are salted, but you can save a few pennies and get a 2 1/2 lb tub of unsalted cashews for $14.69. Like the almonds, the best price I’ve seen and they’re our preferred nut for homemade protein bars.
Fresh Mozzarella, $6.99 for (3) 8 oz balls
Homemade pizza isn’t the same without fresh mozzarella cheese – the kind in water. It’s also just $4.66/lb, far less than any other store in our area.
Granulated Sugar, $4.29 for 10 lbs
After watching the circulars week after week, and even price comparing with a coupon, Costco consistently offers the best deal on granulated sugar. Granted, I know this isn’t 100% “real food” because it’s not completely natural, but we use it for kombucha, baking bread, some desserts and Mr. Crumbs’ coffee. My general rule of thumb is to bake with honey, but not every recipe is completely adaptable. We average buying this every four months, and that’s something I can live with. I did try organic sugar one time but it cost twice as much and the bag was half as big. For now, for our budget, we’re sticking with the plain white granulated.
Sun-Dried Tomatoes, $7.99 for 32 oz
We love these tomatoes in our Greek dishes, and this is just a mere fraction of the cost in other stores. Trust me, I found out the hard way when we ran out at the last-minute and we had to make a quick stop at Savemart! Yikes!
Kalamata Olives, $7.39 for 52 oz
Like the sun-dried tomatoes, another killer deal. Local stores charge nearly the same price for a teeny tiny jar!
What I Sometimes Buy
Flour Tortillas, $5.99 for (2) 25 ct
If I’m short on time or feeding a crowd, the Tortilla Land flour tortillas would be in my cart. They contain canola oil, but no other weird ingredients. This is definitely a compromise food in my opinion, but sometimes homemade tortillas just aren’t in the schedule, ya know?
Organic Frozen Fruit, $9.59 for 3 lbs
That price is for blueberries. A berry blend is $9.99 for 3 lbs and mangoes are $8.69 for 4 lbs. My eye has been on these throughout the winter, and the price hasn’t changed. We tend to buy these usually over the winter, but this is a really great price that might even give fresh berries a run for their money!
Apples, $6.99-$9.99 for 5 lbs
Previous trips to Costco almost always contained apples. After finding local organic apples for a better price at the farmers market, this might change. Of course, if they’re not in season, Costco still has the best price in town.
Honey, $12.99 for 80 oz
This is for the single big container. The smaller honey bears are priced at $12.99 for (3) 24 oz, and are actually more per ounce than this big container. Lately we’ve ordered raw honey from Tropical Traditions or Amazon.
Lemon Juice, $5.79 for (2) 48 oz
This might very well make it to my “always” buy list. It tastes amazing, and the large bottles mean I don’t feel bad making lemon vinaigrette dressing every night of the week. We bought this Mid-March and we’re just barely halfway through one jug. Although it’s a bit more out-of-pocket since it’s bulk, it’s turning out to be a huge money saver over the course of time.
Coffee, $14.79 for 3 lbs
Our favorite blend is the organic San Francisco rainforest, which occasionally goes on sale for $9.99 for 3 lbs. If it does, we stock up! When we don’t by coffee from Costco, it’s another item we order from Tropical Traditions using gift certificates.
Greek Yogurt, $7.48 for 48 oz
We usually buy this when we’re about to make our own yogurt, but it’s also on the list when we’re needing a lot of yogurt or planning lots of meals using it. It’s a good bang for the buck since it’s thick already – perfect for homemade dressings and sauces.
Organic Quinoa, $18.99 for 4 lbs
We’re not huge quinoa fans, but it is nice to change up the menu now and then. It’s only $4.75 per pound too and packs a huge nutritional punch.
Want to know the best foods to buy at Costco? These frugal finds are always on my list!
What I Never Buy
Chicken Stock, $11.99 for (6) 32 oz
That price is for organic chicken stock, but I would never buy either one of them because it’s SO easy to make your own using the carcass and bones from whole chickens. Homemade chicken stock is like a free by-product of buying chickens. If you want to get technical, the only true cost is water and apple cider vinegar, but even if you account for those, it’s infinitely cheaper to make it yourself.
Organic Whole Milk, $9.99 for (3) 64 oz
This milk is UHT, which of all the milks available, is the one with the least amount of nutrients left. You can read more about pasteurization here. I can actually get HTST organic whole milk for a few pennies less per gallon!
Organic Strawberry Preserves, $6.99 for 42 oz
It only took one time of making homemade apple butter to say bye-bye to store-bought jellies, plus it costs just $2 for a 16 oz jar of organic butter! Check out this post for a tutorial and recipes to get started.
Organic Kirkland Peanut Butter, $11.99 for (2) 28 oz
Peanuts are not at the top of my list in terms of buying organic, so organic peanut butter isn’t a priority. Besides, we’ve gone through A LOT of peanut butter lately and the natural version with just nuts and salt is much more affordable.
What I Would Consider Buying But Haven’t Yet
Coconut Oil
I usually buy my coconut oil from Tropical Traditions, but I’ve heard good things about the Nutiva brand available at Costco.
Tropical Traditions typically has great prices on coconut oil, but sometimes when I need other items too I’ll order it from Thrive Market. And right now you can get a jar of coconut oil for FREE with this link! Get a free 15 oz jar of coconut oil AND a 30-day free trial to Thrive Market when you spend $29 or more (free shipping on orders $49+).
Almond Butter
We don’t have any nut allergies, so we’ve always bought peanut butter. However, if I was looking to buy almond butter, Costco has the best deal. They sell two brands: Maranatha for $9.79 (26 oz) and Organic Brad’s for $15.99 (24 oz). Maranatha is the better deal per ounce and unless I was specifically looking for organic almond butter, that’s what I would pick.
Baking Soda
We still have a few boxes of baking soda leftover from my couponing days, so it’ll be some time before we have to buy it again. However, when we need to, we’ll buy it from Costco – it’s just 38¢ per pound. That’s WAY better than any coupon price I found!
Organic Heavy Cream
We use heavy cream mostly during the holiday season. This is a recent addition to our Costco so we haven’t had a need to buy it yet. However, I’m excited that it’s available and that it’s organic!!
Organic Corn Tortillas
Like the flour tortillas above, this would be another compromise food. We usually make our own, but $2.99 for a 24 ct package isn’t a bad deal if you simply don’t have the time or energy to do it yourself. Plus since they’re organic, they aren’t GMO.
Finding healthy food at Costco will help you save money! Use this guide to help you find the best deals.
Other Items I Buy But Haven’t Listed
Some of the best deals on produce and meat can be found at Costco, but unfortunately, the prices on those vary tremendously from region to region. Local produce is always best, but I think I’m a bit spoiled since many growers grow in California… so the produce at my Costco is local.
But just in case inquiring minds want to know, or you’re unable to find good deals on local produce in your area, here’s the produce and meat that we often, if not regularly, buy in bulk from Costco:
kale
carrots
oranges
bananas
sweet potatoes
garlic
onions
lettuce
celery
whole chickens
pork roasts
If you’re still working on creating a grocery budget, know that buying in bulk will save you money over time, but that it requires an up-front cost that can sometimes be difficult to afford. Aim for just one item each budget cycle and go from there. Soon you’ll create a meal plan from a stocked pantry and extra funds to splurge on better meat or organic produce!!
More frugal foodie price lists:
What foods do you buy from Costco? What are your always, sometimes and never buys?
Original article and pictures take dontwastethecrumbs.com site
Obviously my kids are old and huge and they no longer like to sit in my lap and learn letter sounds while playing fun computer games. But still, I went through the process of setting up an account to see how easy it is (and how easy it is to cancel!). Both were simple!! And in the meantime, I played with a few of the learning games to see if it was worth your time to set this up for your kiddos.
Oh yes. It’s worth your time. This learning app is fantastic, fun, and for 30 whole days – FREE! What a great way to enjoy some fun learning this summer with your little ones.
If my kids were still little, I would sign all four of them up for this. This is exactly the kind of learning fun they loved during those little years. And it is the kind of computer time I loved to let them enjoy. It’s safe, adorable, easy to navigate, and of course, educational. (You don’t have to tell your kids that part though!)
A Fit Balanced Approach to School Lunches {and staying sane}
I’m not getting any “Mother of The Year” awards under the category of healthy lunches here, folks. In fact, in the spirit of full disclosure, you should know that my kids are finally old enough that I made “Pack Your Lunch” into one of their chore magnets because they’re quite capable of doing most of it themselves. This article is more about how I maintain a fit and balanced approach to school lunches, providing healthy choices for them without weeping in a corner when they bring things home uneaten.
To keep myself sane and my kids healthy, there are a few unwritten rules that I live by… except now I’m writing them down. My motherly hope is that I’m raising kids with a varied palette AND a deep respect for those buying and preparing their food. I want them to know where their food comes from, and I want them to feel a sense of ownership and responsibility for what they put in their mouths.
#1 – First and Foremost… Keep It Simple
Not so simple that we just buy the school’s hot lunch each day {mine get it on Fridays} nor so complicated that I spend more time researching their food and rounding up ingredients than I do actually feeding them. Some moms delight in cooking gourmet muffins and sumptuous soups for their littles… but. I. Can’t. Even. It’s not in my wheelhouse to do stuff like that. I’ll make homemade jam, and assemble bento boxes, but I’m so grateful for baby carrots, fruit leather, applesauce squeezers, canned olives, pre-made guacamole, and those apple cutters that slice the whole thing in one push!
#2 – Make Them Own It
If I want my kids to develop the skill of making their own lunches {so that if I die tomorrow… okay that’s extreme… so that when they’re ready to move out they don’t live on Top Ramen} then we have to start with basic foods and prep abilities that make them more confident. A six-year-old is capable of assembling a sandwich and choosing fruit and other items from a cupboard that’s at their level. They can also clean up after themselves: wipe counters, put dishes in the sink or dishwasher, put their trash in the wastebasket. Kids want to be self-sufficient! They also want to be lazy! But I am not the maid!
#3 – Don’t Make Every Lunch About Cancer
We do our best to avoid most pre-packaged highly-processed foods, and we stay away from corn syrup, food dyes and partially hydrogenated crap. I make sure there is protein in every meal, and 2-3 fruits and veggies. We buy organic when it’s available, and I milk a goat for cryin’ out loud! And that has to be enough for us.
We can know too much and get obsessive and overwhelmed. We can get to the point where we are afraid to even go shopping or visit a friends house for fear of being offered GMOs and Cancer… or we can live! I don’t want my children to be worrying about cancer and diabetes right now; that’s my responsibility. But even as close as my ear is to the train-tracks of the wellness world, it’s all so overwhelming. I have to give myself grace. You have to give yourself grace. Because we could eat all the healthy things and do all the workouts and still get hit by a car tomorrow. Food and fitness can help improve the quality of our life, but those things can’t save us. And I don’t want to spend my life worrying and obsessing… so when they took the artificial food coloring and high fructose corn syrup out of otter pops, we got a box! And we ate them this past summer! My favorite is purple. Don’t judge.
#4 – Use A Little Creativity
Emphasis on the “little” amount because I’m really not the type to make birds out of celery or an octopus out of a hot dog. No one wants to eat the same thing day in and day out {scratch that: I’d happily live on french bread, cheese, kalamata olives, orange juice, and cereal. Every day. Heaven.} but I don’t believe I need to turn lunches into works of art to get my kids to eat. However, a little creativity goes a long way. Right now my munchkins are digging Nutella banana sandwiches made with Dave’s Killer Bread which is a company local to us = score!
Please, no lectures on the evils of Nutella. I’m aware that some people think it’s a terrible product. But it’s a healthier compromise in my family that works for us. See #3 and know that I’m a real mom who picks her battles. My son is picky about bananas, so if I can get him to eat them in a Nutella sandwich… so be it.
#5 – Offer Choices
I already mentioned the cupboard/cabinet at their level where they can choose from various baskets of things: fruit leather, squeeze pouches, nuts, bars, and I also keep a fruit bowl on the table. I’m teaching them how to recognize carbohydrates vs. proteins and processed sugar vs. real sugar. They’re learning that I’ll check to be sure they have a protein source and a fruit and a veggie. They like most of the choices I offer, but I often insist on a new thing they might not like once a week. Yesterday it was carrots dipped in peanut butter. The girl liked it; the boy did NOT like it. Good to know.
#6 – Compartmentalize
Did you see that gorgeous picture of the bento box I packed the other day. Notice the carrots? The girl ate all of hers; the boy avoided them because they touched the peanut butter. He likes apples and peanut butter, not carrots and peanut butter. Here some bento box lunches that work well with my children:
Crackers and cheese slices, baby corn and grapes
Whole grain organic crackers, grapes, apples, and carrots for dipping in peanut butter. (pictured above)
Black olives, carrots, chips, and guacamole.
#7 – Last but NOT least . . . Set Boundaries That Teach Respect
Call me old fashioned, but I now love the mantra I was raised on: “Eat it or go without.” And I am doing the same with my children, at least at dinnertime when I make one meal for everyone. I’m not a gourmet chef at a restaurant, and I don’t take special orders at dinner. If my kids don’t like it, they aren’t allowed to moan and complain and disrespect me; I’d be horrified if my son went to someone else’s house and did that, and I’m the one who gave him birth and changed his fanny for 3 years, so he’d best treat me even better than he’d treat his friend’s mothers. I don’t make my kids clean their plates {that promotes obesity} but I provide appropriate portions for their age, and I insist they eat most of it.
Lines I’ve used on my children to get them to eat without further disrespectful behavior:
“Well, I guess if you can’t eat, you must be sick, and if you’re sick, you’d better go to bed right now. Good night! See you in the morning!” … and if they do head off to bed, I know they really aren’t feeling well, and we shift gears.
“Oh, you’re full? Well, that’s a bummer! I guess that means you’re too full for anything else as well?” … it seems my children only get ‘full’ when there is dessert available which they’re anxious to skip ahead and eat instead of their dinner.
“You’re not hungry? Okay, you may leave the table. I guess you’ll just eat a really big breakfast in the morning!” … sometimes they really aren’t hungry. One week, they’re going through a growth spurt and eating everything in site, and the next they’ve slowed down again. This line has saved many arguments.
“I guess that since you didn’t finish your lunch/dinner, you can just have it for dinner/breakfast which is fine! Less work for me! Thanks!” …no one likes to eat soggy lunch for dinner, and my son especially hates dinner for breakfast! He only took me up on that offer twice!
To sum it all up: Every family is different with different children with different dislikes and allergies and sensitivities. We all do what works best for our families. Our children might think we’re trying to murder them when we introduce a new healthy food, but like I told my daughter yesterday when she frowned at a pickle: “You need to at least taste it, because one day you might crave one, and you need to know how it tastes!” She wasn’t convinced. Oh well. I tried.
And that’s what matters most of all: We try. We do our best by our kids because we love them. We love them enough to keep trying to feed them peas and spinach.
What do you think? How do you stay sane when making food every. single. day?
Put it in pretty boxes and my kids are more likely to eat it or at least lick it. Original article and pictures take fit2b.us site
