{gluten free & dairy free} Clean Brownies

I have only made this recipe in mini bite size Silicone molds.  It was a huge hit and they are perfect for fitting into the kid's Planetbox lunch system.

This recipe is sweetened only with dates and coconut sugar.

{gluten free & dairy free} Clean Brownies

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Organic (cold pressed) Coconut Oil (I love Barlean's), melted
• 1/2 cup Water + 12 pitted dates (blended in Vitamix until creamy)
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup Organic Coconut Sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I recommend Ghirardelli)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup Millet Flour

Optional: I added 5 mini Enjoy Life dairy free chocolates on top of each before baking. 

Directions:

1) Mix coconut oil, "date water", 2 eggs, coconut sugar, and vanilla extract together in a large bowl.

2) In a small bowl mix the cocoa powder, baking powder, sea salt, and millet flour.

3) Add the dry to the wet and mix well.

4) Add batter to whatever baking dish you will be using (spray with oil). I'm guessing 9 x 9 pan if you are going a full pan brownie route. I will have to update that later if I try it. 

5) Bake at 350 until toothpick comes out clean. Approx 13-18 minutes.

Cinnamon Baked Donut with Sugar Glaze

I have no idea why I have decided to start making donuts again...but I have!  My kids are happy about this new found passion for all things donut!

I found a donut tin at Goodwill a couple years back (I need to keep looking for another one there!) Goodwill is a swell place to find lots of great deals on kitchen tools that need a new home. You can save a lot shopping there and chances are high that a lot of items didn't get much love in their old kitchen before landing themselves on a shelf at Goodwill.

As far as donuts go, I am going to call these a WHOLE FOOD treat.  It has WHOLE white wheat flour, it has coconut sugar instead of regular sugar, it has a whole pear in the recipe and is dairy free! And I should mention the obvious...it's baked not fried.

Now, remember I said TREAT, this is not something I recommend you eat daily, but compared to donuts elsewhere there is no comparison to nutrients in this donut! And, in my world, I don't think there is much you should have to live without! 

Cinnamon Baked Donut with Sugar Glaze

Adapted from: JoyTheBaker

Ingredients:

Makes 6 donuts

For the Donuts:

• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar (see notes)
• 2 Tbps Extra Virgin Cold Pressed UNrefined Coconut oil (I recommend Barlean's), melted
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 pear or apple (grated, minced, or pulverized by the Vitamix)

For the Glaze:

• 1/2 cup coconut sugar (see notes)
• pinch of salt
• 1-3 tsp of unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1)  Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease a doughnut pan and set aside.

2)  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices, and coconut sugar.  Set aside.

3) In a smaller bowl whisk together coconut oil, vanilla, milk, pear/apple and egg. Add to dry ingredients.

4) Stir together until no flour bits remain and all of the ingredients are well combined.  Try not to overmix the batter.  That might create rubbery doughnuts.

5) Use a small spoon to dollop batter into the prepared pan.  Smooth out and fill each doughnut in the pan three-quarters full with batter.

6) Place in the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.  Keep an eye on them and try not to over-bake them.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.

While the doughnuts cool, make the glaze.

1) In a small bowl whisk together the powdered coconut sugar, salt, vanilla and milk.  Start out with 1 tsp of milk and add more if needed.

Once the doughnuts are completely cool, use a butter knife to spread each doughnut with glaze.  Allow to rest for 15 minutes in the fridge to harden the glaze.  These doughnuts are best serve the day they’re made.  

Enjoy!

NOTES: When baking with coconut sugar I like to blend the coconut sugar into a super fine powder in the Vitamix. I am sure a Magic Bullet would work great too! Make sure when melting the Coconut Oil not to over heat because you don't want to be cooking that egg when you add them together. 

Coconut sugar is rich in nutrients. It is especially high in potassium, and containing almost 10,300 milligrams per liter of coconut sugar. With the same measurement of milligrams per liter, there are 2,020 milligrams of nitrogen, 790 milligrams of phosphorus, 60 of calcium, 290 of magnesium, 450 of sodium, 4,700 of chlorine, 260 of sulfur and also trace amounts of boron, zinc, manganese, iron and copper

{dairy free} Hot Cocoa

Every once in a while I treat the kids to Hot Cocoa (with marshmallows) after school on a cold winter day.  Holy sugar!  If you look closely at the store bought hot cocoa ingredients you will quickly realize there are many added preservatives, added dyes, etc in those convenient little packets. A big NO NO!

Here's the recipe we use to make our hot cocoa. Enjoy!

{dairy free} Hot Cocoa

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dairy-free milk (I use Unsweetened Coconut Milk)
• 2 Tbps Cane Sugar (Coconut Sugar Or Maple Syrup would work too)
• 2 Tbps Cocoa Powder (higher quality the better)
• 1-2 ounces Enjoy Life dairy free chocolates
• pinch sea salt
• pinch of cinnamon

Directions:

1) Add all ingredients to high speed blender (like a Vitamix) and run on high for a few minutes until warmed. Or you can blend and then heat in microwave if you want it hot!

2) Top with marshmallows. I chose Campfire Brand because they do not have added dyes. I found them at Kroger and Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

Sweet Shop {My daughter's 9th birthday party}

One thing I am passionate about is avoiding artificial food dyes. It frustrates me that I find dyes in Children's medications, along with aspartame in some! Stop the madness.

One to the point...I decided to challenge myself and host a "sweet shop" themed birthday party for my daughter. This girl loves sugar! It's not easy to find clean candy options, but it's not impossible!

I knew throwing this party meant getting creative to find candy and treats that didn't have dyes.  My main goal was to NOT buy anything with dyes (Blue, Red, Yellow, Annatto, etc) and artificial sweeteners. I am pretty sure nothing contained Trans Fats too, which is a huge deal!

The party was a great success!

Here's the whole spread of treats!

 I made the cake pops!

Yummy Earth Brand

 Lovely Brand caramel/chocolate caramel chews Yummy Earth Brand lollipops, 

and Trader Joe's Brand taffy

Yummy Earth brand ginger zest hard candy, Lovely Brand fruit chews,

 and Trader Joe's chocolate covered sunflower seeds

Yummy Earth Brand hard candies

Jelly Belly brand jelly beans (mix of Snapple mix/Superfruit), Trader Joe's Chocolate mints, and Kroger/UNREAL brands mixed chocolate drops

 Whole Foods made the cupcakes. These colored with beets.

 Kroger Simple Truth brand

 Trader Joe's Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter cups and Spun City cotton candy

 G. H. Cretors Brand Chicago Mix popcorn (Costco)

Yummy Earth hard candies

I haven't sampled all of these candies yet, but I have liked all that I have tried.

We will be ordering the Roadside Rootbeer again when we run out. I also enjoyed the Wild Peppermint. My kids don't typically eat much candy at all (they get a small treat in their Planetbox treat spot daily). They also get some during movie nights at home or at the theater (of course I sneak in candy!). Vacation is another time we eat more than normal candy.

 I also enjoyed the Yummy Earth Hot Chili Lime pops. Spicy! The Lovely Brand caramels are DREAMY! A must try.

 You should have seen my daughter all "hyped" on candy that night. Even my best friend made a comment that she has never seen her act so wired....or weird. HA!

Here's a great source of natural candies. Just keep in mind that I don't know many candies that are completely "natural".

Natural Candy Store 

I managed to get all mine from Amazon (way better price on Yummy Earth & Lovely), Candy store at our mall (jelly beans), Trader Joe's, Kroger, and Home Goods. (I think that's all)

I typically would never buy anything with "natural color" or "natural flavor", but I did for this party. I think it's VERY hard not to when it comes to candy.

More info on Yummy Earth

More info on Lovely Candy Co

I'll leave you with this funny image. I guess that's her excited "sugar buzz" face! 

Gluten Free Muffins {Chocolate Chip Coconut}

I am always looking for something that is simple to make for breakfast or an after school snack with no guilt. These muffins were adapted from a recipe at  100DaysofRealFood.com

I wanted these to be dairy free and gluten free. They are also lacking many other things, like colors, preservatives, and trans fats!

My sweet tooth friend came over the other day and tried these. She loved that they were moist and sweet! Yes, even she thought they were sweet. These do not last in my house so I am going to have to make a lot and freeze some for later.

You can add whatever toppings you would like to this recipe.

Gluten Free Muffins {Chocolate Chip Coconut}

INGREDIENTS

DRY

• 2 cups quick oats (blended into flour with the Vitamix) or 2 cups of oat flour
• ½ cup flaxmeal (I use golden)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

WET

• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ¼ cup coconut oil (I use Barlean's), melted or ¼ all natural apple sauce
• 1 cup apple juice (You can juice your own if you have time)

FILLING

• About 1 cup of total filling (berries, fruit, nuts, etc. – see below for details)

DIRECTIONS:

1) Heat oven to 400 degrees F.

2) In a large bowl mix together the DRY with a fork or whisk.

3) In a separate bowl mix the wet together.

4) Add the dry to the wet and stir.

5) Then add 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut. (This is just for this variation of the recipe)

6) Grease muffin tins or use liners. Fill them ⅔ to ¾ of the way full with batter. Sprinkle 1 – 2 teaspoons of Dairy Free mini chocolate chips. onto the top of each raw muffin in the pan. Then gently mix each one with a fork or spoon. 

7) Bake for 10-13 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Serve warm or at room temperature and freeze some for a later date. 

Enjoy!

Here are some options to consider for the fillings:

- blueberries

- diced strawberries

- peeled and diced pears

- applesauce

- either diced or mashed up bananas and chopped walnuts

- raisins and chopped pecans

- grated carrot and chopped walnuts

- orange or lemon zest (only add ¼ to ½ teaspoon of zest per individual muffin)

- a mix of dried fruit bits

- jelly

NOTE: You can easily add the toppings in last and mix in the bowl to avoid the individual mixing of the muffins but that step does insure all muffins have equal ingredients. And please note, my kids don't like coconut but love these!

When I make this using my Vitamix I do all dry ingredients in Vitamix then add them to the wet mixture.

{clean} Tuscan Herb Pasta Salad

This recipe I created rather quickly with things I had on hand in my kitchen (or garden). It was so simple that I can remember the ingredients to make again and again just off the top of my head. I know, impressive! 

It was very good too! Using garden fresh vegetables made it even better. YUM! Before going clean I would have reached for a Soybean/Canola Oil Italian dressing with preservatives and additives to make this. I am glad I didn't because this is even better.

{clean} Tuscan Herb Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 boxes Gluten Free Pasta (Cooked and Chilled)
• Tomatoes, chopped
• Cucumbers, chopped
• Mild yellow peppers, chopped
• Fresh Basil, chopped 
• 2 Tbps Rustic Tuscan Herb Blend (Found at Costco or online)
• 2 Tbps Bragg Vinaigrette Dressing (Found at Kroger or other stores)
• 1-2 Tbps Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• juice of one lime (or lemon will do)
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1) Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Chill for 1-2 hours or longer before serving. 

NOTES: Do not overcook gluten free pasta it will start to fall apart. This is my favorite brand: Tinkyada. I have found it many places, but the best selection is at Super Target or online. For this image I used this brand: Deboles.

If you choose not to buy the Rustic Tuscan Herb Blend (which I do suggest, it's good), then you can look for one similar or make your own. Here's a screen shot of the ingredients. Also, add any veggies you want (and you choose the quantity) and even olives would be a great addition to this pasta. Enjoy.

{clean} Whole Wheat Banana Bread

It's almost school time! With that being said, I will need something that's quick and nutritious in the morning to feed the kids before sending them on their merry way. I have found that making muffins or bread is a great way to get protein and fiber and keep my kids feeling full longer. My kids LOVED this banana bread!  

This banana bread has no added processed sugar, just honey. That in itself is awesome! I use WHITE whole wheat in all my recipes now that call for whole wheat. It tastes way closer to white flour than the brown.

{clean} Whole Wheat Banana Bread

Adapted from: 100 days of Real Food

Ingredients:

WET

• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup organic extra virgin coconut oil, melted (I use Barlean's brand)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tsp all natural pure vanilla
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

DRY

• 2 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour (I use Bronze Chief brand, I find at Wal-mart)
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3 Tbps ground flaxseed

Directions:

1)  Preheat oven to 350.

2)  Mix wet together in a bowl.

3)  Mix dry together in a different bowl.

4)  Combine the two into one bowl. Do not overmix.

5)  Pour mixture into a greased loaf pan.

6)  Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

ENJOY!

{clean} snow cone

Snow cones used to be such a symbol for summer for our family. We would look forward to the snow cone hut opening up so we could begin sucking down the artificial dyes and heavy syrups. Those days are gone. 

It's not that my kids don't see one and want one from time to time. Kids will be kids. These companies added the dyes in there for a reason, to appeal to the average customer! 

I decided last year to "give in" and let both of my kids have a big snow cone with artificial dyes before school started (see, I'm not completely hardcore). That little trip to the snow cone hut ended with two kids with sick bellies that couldn't finish their snow cone.  I was actually happy I decided to let them try one after we had been eating clean for so long.  

Snow cones are so fun on a hot summer day, but not when it makes you sick and creates a sugar crash down the road. 

I decided to create 3 flavors that were made with all natural ingredients and NO artificial dyes. Here's the result:

Rockin' Raspberry

• 2 cups Frozen organic raspberries (thawed), then juiced
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 scoop Barlean's Strawberry Kiwi Greens
• 1 tiny scoop of all natural organic stevia (not Truvia or such)

Limalicious (my daughter named this one)

• 2 limes (skin removed), juiced
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 heaping handful of organic spinach, juiced
• 1-2 tiny scoops of all natural organic stevia

Wacky Wildberry

• 1 cup Frozen wildberries (thawed), then juiced
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 Tbps organic Agave Nectar
• 1 tiny scoop of all natural organic stevia

NOTES:  I used the Vitamix to make the "snow". It's best if you use your fridge and put in a small amount of chopped ice at a time (maybe a cup worth). Using the tamper as it chops because don't have much time before it all becomes stuck in the blades. I made each snow cone at a time. 

For the wildberry, I actually did it the method you would have to if you do not have a juicer. I blended the water, wildberries, agave, and stevia together then strained it through my milk bag that I used for homemade nut milks. I will use the juicer next time because I find it easiest.

These are rough measurements but give you a great starting point to make your own. Keep in mind you can use fresh fruits, however, they aren't always best because frozen ones are usually picked at the peak of season and have the most flavor and color concentration! Next time I'll leave leave out the agave nectar. I hope this helps. Enjoy!

{clean} Frozen {dairy-free} Chocolate Covered Banana Pops

I've been wanting to make these for some time now, but I just keep forgetting...until now! It was so simple and the good news (for me) is that I always have these ingredients on hand in my kitchen.  

{clean} Frozen {dairy-free} Chocolate Covered Banana Pops

Ingredients:

(adapted from spoonful.com)

• 3 bananas
• 1/3 cup creamy nut butter (I used Parkers Farm brand peanut butter from Costco)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/3 cup dark chocolate (I like dairy free Enjoy Life brand)
• 1 Tablespoon coconut oil (I highly recommend Barlean's brand)
• 6 wooden craft sticks

Directions:

1)  Mix nut butter and cinnamon together.

2)  Cut each banana in half and then slice each half lengthwise.
3)  On one side of each half, spread the nut butter mixture and press a stick flat onto it, about halfway up. 
4)  Add other half of the banana and press together. Freeze for about 45 minutes.
5)  In a small microwavable bowl, melt coconut oil and chocolate chips together, stirring until smooth. (30 seconds at a time) With a spatula or table knife, spread a thin layer of the chocolate over the outside of the banana. (Mine was so runny that I poured the chocolate over each side with a spoon) Freeze for another five minutes, until the chocolate is frozen.
6)  Serve frozen. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three days.

NOTE: Make sure to use parchment paper or your banana pops will stick to the tray (or whatever you are using).  Feel free to add unsweetened coconut or chopped nuts to the outside.  Make them "super" pops by mixing in some ground flax with the butter. Or, if you love chia seeds and their crunch you can sprinkly chia seeds on the outside too! So many options with this recipe.

{clean} Chocolate Chia Pops

These are a big hit from kids to adults. They are simple to make and are packed with superfoods (Chia seeds and Cacao Nibs). Chia seeds are a great source of Omega 3's and high in antioxidants (much higher than flaxseeds even). They are also high in fiber and protein.  Cacoa Nibs are an excellent source of antioxidants as well.  They are also known to be one of the highest dietary sources of magnesium. 

I will have these on hand often through the Spring - Fall months. 

{clean} Chocolate Chia Pops

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or filtered water if you don't have almond milk on hand)
• 1 ripe banana
• 2-3 Tbps Chia seeds
• 1 1/2 Tbps Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (I use Ghirardelli brand often)
• 1-2 Tbps Cacao Nibs (optional)
• 2 Tbps honey (local is best)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1) Add all ingredients to a high speed blender (like the Vitamix) and blend on high until smooth.

2) Add to Popsicle molds.

3) Freeze overnight.

NOTE: The higher quality of these ingredients you go the better they will taste. I use my own homemade almond milk recipe. Sometimes with just almonds and filtered water (as in this case). 

Also, I use Barlean's Chocolate Powdered Greens for half the cocoa powder when I have it on hand to give them a boost of greens. 

{clean} Power Brownies

I pulled this recipe out of Health magazine over 6 months ago to make and I just found it folded up in my spice cabinet. Wow, I'm SO organized.

I changed the recipe to fit my needs. These were originally called energy bars, but my daughter said they tasted like brownies! So, the name Power Brownie was born. 

{clean} Power Brownies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup oat flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup coconut sugar
• 1/2 cup peanut butter 
• 2 large eggs
• 1 Tbps organic coconut oil (I use Barlean's)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 2 Tbps hemp seed or flaxseed (more if you wish, I prefer flaxseed)
• 1/2-3/4 cup dark chocolate chips, plus extra for drizzle (over 60% is best)

Optional: 

1/2 cup raw peanuts (I left them out b/c my kids don't like nuts whole in baked goods)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1)  Preheat oven to 350. Spray or coat with fingers a 13 x 9 baking dish with Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Coconut Oil. (Mine was a little smaller)

2)  In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and hemp seed. In a large bowl, beat coconut sugar and peanut butter until well combined. Beat in eggs, oil, and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture. Add oats and chocolate (and peanuts), stirring to combine.

3)  Spread evening in prepared pan. Bake 20-25 minutes until lightly browned and firm to the touch. Cool completely in a pan on wire rack.

4)  In a small bowl, add 1/4 cup or less of chocolate chips and melt in microwave for approx 1 min. Or until melted completely. Do not overheat. Stir until smooth. With a fork, drizzle chocolate over bars. Refrigerate until set. 

NOTE:  I make my own peanut butter with 1 cup raw peanuts and 1 Tbps organic coconut oil in the vitamix. I also add the sugar, vanilla, and eggs on low in the vitamix after the peanut butter is smooth.  If you don't, I suggest you slightly heat coconut oil until it's liquid form before mixing.

Use organic products when available.

Use certified gluten free oats and oat flour if you need to completely avoid gluten.  After I am done with my oat flour I have on hand, I will be making my own in the vitamix.  It truly is the best kitchen appliance EVER! 

Also, I will play around with this recipe, I may up the peanut butter to one full cup since my kids don't like raw peanut chunks.  Maybe up the oats too. I will also try making this with honey or maple syrup instead of brown sugar. I'll update when I do. Enjoy.

2013 UPDATE: I now make my oat flour in my Vitamix. You can sub out the coconut sugar for light brown sugar if in a pinch. Also, you could do half coconut sugar and half dates. If you want completely dairy free I suggest Enjoy Life brand chocolates.

Processed Drinks {you should avoid them}

This is going to touch on just the liquid consumption of sugar...

Many people don't realize how much sugar they are drinking on a daily basis. Many want to live in denial, but they want the extra pounds to just magically go away. Many people doesn't realize their energy level is low because of over consuming sugar.  Sugar IS a drug. Seriously. Many people believe that if sugar was introduced today it would have a hard time getting approval from the FDA. That's food for thought. Here's a great link discussing the fact that Sugar is a Drug, www.hungryforchange.tv

From here on out, you will not be in that group of "many" people. Why you ask? That's because I have spelled it all out for you in this blog entry.

 It's time to get educated on the world of PROCESSED {sugary} DRINKS. If you are reading this, you now will know.  That only leaves two options for you... 1) you can ignore the fact that consuming sugary drinks/chemical drinks are causing you to feel poorly and is stopping you from reaching your optimal health... or 2) YOU can make a massive CHANGE. Starting today! That will impact your tomorrows.

Here's a list of MANY sugary drinks I see people consuming on a daily basis. Many of them being consumed by children not old enough to even understand what a gram of sugar even means and how sugar affects their bodies. That fault goes back on the parent. I was there once, I can admit that.  However, life is different now that I know the facts and how sugar negatively affects our moods and overall health.

Capri Sun Roarin' Waters

Ingredients: WATER, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CITRIC ACID, SUCRALOSE (SPLENDA(R) BRAND SWEETENER), NATURAL FLAVOR.

You are reading that correctly, it does contain water...BUT, it also contains HFCS and artificial sweeteners. Let's come to terms with the fact that Natural Flavor really isn't natural at all. I used to give this to my kids thinking it was just flavored water. WOW! When I started reading labels this NEVER came back into my house again.  

Capri Sun 25% less sugar Fruit Punch

Ingredients: WATER, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, APPLE AND GRAPE JUICE CONCENTRATES, CITRIC ACID, WATER EXTRACTED ORANGE AND PINEAPPLE JUICE CONCENTRATES, NATURAL FLAVOR, VITAMIN E ACETATE.

This has 16g of sugar even after it makes you think it's the better choice. It's hard to say how much sugar a child is supposed to consume because of the large age range of children. A good rule of thumb is to stay under 15 grams of sugar a day (for a child 10 or under). This drink is mainly water and HFCS and concentrated juices (processed juice). Read what Food Babe has to say about it:Capri Sun 

Sunny D
This drink contains 11g of sugar per 6.75 ounces. That isn't even the worst part of this beverage. Look at the ingredients! Water, High Fructose, Corn Syrup and 2% or less of EACH of the following: Concentrated juices (orange, tangerine, apple, lime, grapefruit). Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid, (Vitamin C), Beta-Carotene, Thiamin Hydrochloride (Vitamin B1), Natural Flavors, Food starch-modified, canola oil, cellulose gum, xanthan gum, sodium Hexametaphosphate, Sodium Benzoate to protect flavor, Yellow #5, Yellow # 6
YUCK! And they advertise it that it will give you a "boatload of energy"? WOW. Do NOT believe commercials or labeling. 

Danimal Smoothies

My kids used to suck these down 2-3 a day.  I will say they have changed the ingredient profile a little bit since 2010, but it's still mainly milk and sugar. 14 grams in each TINY little smoothie container. The ingredients at the end of the list are preservatives and food additives. 

Orange Juice
There is approximately 22 grams of sugar (30 grams in the not from concentrate types) in 8 ounces of concentrated orange juice. It is VERY important to give up processed sugary drinks if you really want to have more energy, lose weight, and eat clean!

Let's do a little exercise, shall we...a pound of fat is equal to 3,500 calories.
If you drank ONE glass of OJ a day that would be 22 grams of sugar (8,030 grams a year). Convert that to calories. There is roughly 4 calories in one gram of sugar. That's 32,120 calories you could drop in one year by giving up ONE 8 ounce glass of OJ in the morning. That's over 9 pounds of calories. If you aren't very active, I'm guessing that 9 pounds is sitting somewhere on you right now.

Soda
Coke: 20 ounce bottle: 65 grams of sugar
94,900 calories a year from one 20 ounce bottle a day.
25 lbs of calories a year.
Mt. Dew: 20 ounce bottle: 77 grams of sugar
Sprite: 20 ounce bottle: 64 grams of sugar
Here's a great link that shows the sugar in many popular sugary drinks: www.sugarstacks.com

Just in case you are someone that doesn't consume ANY of the sugary drinks above, there is still a huge issue in drinking diet drinks...

I've touched on this many times. Stop drinking diet drinks. Period. Need reasons to quit?, read this: Diet Coke {rehab}


I get asked many times, WHERE do I begin this eating clean journey? I say, start with what you drink.  Drink only water, coffee (1-2 cup a day), brewed Green Tea (a must), and/or any other brewed {all natural} teas that are sweetened with {all natural} Stevia. You can make fresh lemonade with Stevia as well.

 If you are paying close attention you will notice that I didn't mention milk. There are plenty of other ways to get calcium in your diet besides drinking milk. Cheese, yogurt, almonds, flaxseeds, and green leafy vegetables to name a few.  Leaving out milk will also help with reducing inflammation.

There you have it folks, my run down on why I feel it's VERY important to overhaul what you drink. I think I'll go have a glass of water now. 

Lunch time : In or Out?

I know we are all busy with life, but it's important to get educated on what goes into our body (and our children's bodies).  I took the time put off laundry  and decided to do a cost and nutritional analysis on a meal from home vs a well know Happy Meal from McDonald's.

Now, let's not forget McDonald's just revamped their kids meal to be "healthier" so these stats are on the new and "improved" information. They eliminated full fat milk, caramel dipping sauce, added apples to each meal and reduced the size of the fries included.  I still think it's ridiculous that most McDonald's will still charge you for a drink, even if you want to skip the sugar loaded beverage and save some pennies.  

I have pretty much severed my relationship with McDonald's.  It really was my only burger/fries joint I frequented. I think it was second in line with my Diet Coke love affair. I am down to going there about 2-3 times a year (I think that's a huge improvement over going there 5 times a week for a Diet Coke!) and sometimes I don't even order from there, just the kids (yes, I think they get more excited about the damn toy and box than anything else). Makes you wonder...what if they did away with the toy??? Hmmmm...a girl can dream, right?

Ok, let's get down to business.

The nutritional information I am about to show you is for the following:

4 piece nuggets with 1 ranch dipping sauce

1 kid size fries with 1 packet of ketchup 

1 tiny bag of apples

1 apple juice

McDonald's Happy Meal

Calories: 530

Fat: 29g

Sodium: 730mg

Sugar: 28g

Protein: 10g

NOTE:  To make it a mighty meal, you can add (in addition to the above) 220 calories, 12g fat, 270mg sodium, and 6 g protein. Then you probably add more dipping sauce too! Yikes. This is probably the amount of food my daughter would need to feel full at McDonald's.

My at home meal consisted of 5 hormone free whole breast chicken nuggets (with Bolthouse Farms Ranch dressing), organic mac and cheese, organic carrots, organic grapes, and WATER!

At Home Meal

Calories: 475

Fat: 14.7g

Sodium:  920mg

Sugar: 15.5g

Protein:  29.45g

Let's talk for a minute (if you have time to keep reading)...

Calories:

Shockingly the calories were not that far off: 530 vs 475(mine)

My meal had quite a bit more food and the nutrients in my food well surpassed the Happy Meal. Compared to the Mighty Meal mine came in 275 less.

Fat:

My meal was 14.3g less in fat. (26.3g less than MM)  Not so shocking.

Sodium:

My meal was 190mg more than the Happy Meal. 80 less than the MM.

I will be honest, I don't use the boxed Mac and Cheese too often because of all the sodium in it. This was the Annie's 25 % less sodium and it was still really high. My 4 year old loves the bland taste of this stuff! Yuck. My favorite for overall taste is Back to Nature brand.

With any boxed or frozen food you will have lots of sodium (especially if you are eating no preservatives)!

The chicken I used was from Whole Foods, they were Bell and Evan's Breaded Chicken Breast Nuggets. The ones I purchases are not organic but noted as "raised without antibiotics". I did try one and they were delicious. Probably the best frozen chicken I have had. 

I usually only buy fresh organic chicken. Now that I care about where my food comes from it makes me think WAY too much about the chicken I am consuming and in turn I eat way less meat in general. Here's a video if you wish to know more about Bell and Evan's as a company: Bell & Evan's

Sugar:

Mine was 12.5 less than the McDonald's meal. 8.5 of my total sugar was from carrots and grapes, so it was a natural source of sugar.

Protein:

Here's where the big difference is...My meal had almost 20 grams MORE in protein than the standard Happy Meal. Keeping the kids feeling fuller, longer.

Now, let's get to cost.

Many would argue that they "can't" afford to eat healthy. Hold on to your seats my friends and send this to your friends that are narrow minded on this issue because I've got news for them....

Total cost of a Chicken Nugget Happy Meal at McDonald's is $3.99 + tax =$4.27  (Mighty nugget meal $4.81 with tax)

Cost of my meal (to feed 3 kids)= $3.50

That's a savings of $2.33-$3.93 (give or take) for that one meal.
That can really start to add up.

You should note that my fruits and veggies were ORGANIC and even purchased at Whole Paycheck, oops I mean, Whole Foods.  So you can assume if I were being frugal for this exercise that my meal would come in way under the Happy Meal price.  My foods did not have added colors or preservatives.

I challenge you to this experiment. Get your kids involved. Teach them how to read labels. This is a great math lesson in the making! I think we will do another one very soon!