I want to switch our family to all natural healthy foods any suggestions or recipes?

Answer 1

Personally, I stay away from meat and dairy, because God knows what's in them. That and I'm not keen on the production of the "food" and that it's contradictory to being a good steward of the earth.

Yes, some things can be more expensive. I buy bread at $2 a loaf, but it's corn syrup free. I used to buy it for less than a dollar when we lived in Columbus, but that company isn't in Michigan. (The corn syrup was still in the company's "light" bread, but unde the "Less than 2% of" listing and I think even after the first three of those.)

I also agree with frozen veggies over "fresh" and canned. One thing that bothers me with "fresh" veggies are all of the consumers who poked and prodded the merchandise before I came along. Also, I've read that the good enzymes start to deteriorate after picking, which is why frozen is better--They're locked in. Also, my husband and I get frozen veggies for $.99 a 16 oz. bag. Cheaper than fresh, and maybe cheaper than canned, which are filled with sodium.

The last bags of brown rice I bought were for about a dollar a bag. The regular price of them is still under $1.50. Not bad, considering I have rice at least twice a week.

If you have a Trader Joe's near you, shop there. We go there about once a month to stock up. I get my tofu there for $.99 a package. Their store brands of all natural food (they also have organic) are comprable to the store brands of Wal-Mart and even Alid. I also get chocolate chip granola bars there for $1.99 a box. All natural and even cheaper than the Kroger brand and cheaper than Quaker (which has partially hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup; Yeah, real healthy). Last week, I also got a box of fig and whole grain bars and apple and whole grain bars (though I read the ingredients after I bought them; There's milk in them). I've not had one yet, but they seem to be like Nutri-Grain bars, but healthier and cheaper, at $1.69 a box.

Read labels. I still buy Cheerios and traditional cereals, for example, but I'm just pickier about what I put into my body, especially now, with the pregnancy. If the product contains corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, partially hydgrogenated oil (even if the product supposedly has less than one gram of trans fat, it's still too much), hydrogenated oil, and ingredients that look as though they were created by humans in a lab and not in nature by God, I won't buy it. Well, maybe, depending on how many of the ingredients are and how high they are on the ingredients list.

Check labels and prices. Kroger grocery store brand whole grain pasta is the same price, or about the same price as the white pasta. The Dollar Tree sells Hunt's canned pasta sauce. The ones at which we shop also sell the Hunt's organic pasta sauce for $1. Hunt's has all natural ingredients, I don't even think they have corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup in them. We buy Hodgston Mills pancake mix. It's whole grain and cheaper than Bisquick and just a bit more than the store brand and about the same price as Jiffy. It's the only one that's whole grain. Instead of adding the oil and eggs, we add soy milk and either ripe bananas, canned pumpkin, and/or apple sauce. (By the way, ripe bananas, canned pumpkin, and apple sauce work for egg substitutes in baking. Apple sauce also works for oil substitute in baking, too. We buy the sugar free.)

Despite what a previous poster said, it is possible after marriage to change, but maybe not as easy. Six years ago, when my husband and I married (well, six years June 23) I ate what I wanted when I wanted and gave no thought to what was or wasn't in my food. I frequented fast food joints, and bought boxes of Little Debbies to have in my car as snacks. Now, I won't touch either. (Well, I'll go to Taco Bell, and Burger King in an emergency; Panera Bread and Chipolte more daily, especially Panera.) Now I keep the Trader Joe's bars in my car if I need something, or trail mix. I'll go to Taco Bell and Burger King only if I'm traveling and I have nothing in my car. (Burger King because they do offer a veggie burger, though they still serve it on a white bun.)

Now, I'm a whole foods vegan. It took awhile for my husband to follow suit, but he has, to a degree. He'll still eat meat and dairy, but not daily. He does do healthier options, like Smart Balance instead of butter or margarine. Or whole grain tortilla chips and he has admitted to not really liking potato chips any more and doesn't buy them. He'll still do the occasional fast food run, but I've been discouraging him of that, too. Even at his parents', which is laden with "food", he doesn't over do it. He even commented on the yuckiness of the food the last time we went out and wondered if we had a small container or could get one to take along our organic ketchup.

I was blessed to be able to self-educate myself and through prayer and example, my husband has done some mimicking of me.

Also, as the mom said, she just gives the food to her kids. My parents were that way, too. If we didn't like it, we had to eat it anyway. That might be why I've always liked veggies and fruit. They were always readily available in my home. Well, I did like junk food, way too much, but eventually, once I learned what was in it (like the Little Debbies and Hostess) I developed an aversion. Although, I still go for Tim Horton's baked goods and homemade stuff. My MIL with her youngest daughter (my husband's younger sister) and my husband's older sister are good with giving their kids what they want, regardless of whether or not it's healthy. My parents allowed my siblings and I things like soda and Hostess snacks, but only on occasion. Birthdays, anybody's, were great, because we would get cakes.

Other than what I've provided, I have some sites for vegan recipes/cooking. However, I'm not sure how interested you would be. Please let me know. Or, you could do a search for vegan cooking or even vegan family and get some good results.

I hope this has helped, despite the length.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Jerry Seinfeld's wife came out with a really cool cookbook called Deceptively Delicious and explains how to hide fruits and veggies in every day recipes. It's a great book! Make oatmeal raisin cookies and to appease them throw in some choc late chips; that way they can eat their cookies BUT it's better than just a chocolate chip cookie. Also, did you know that you can sub applesauce for butter in baking? That's another way to get some fruit in them! Another tip: if they like applesauce anyway, have them pick another fit that they like (strawberries, peaches, plums) and throw that fruit in a blender or food processor and puree that fruit...mix it with the applesauce for a yummy treat! (be sure to take any pits out of pitted fruit before processing though!) The key is to make eating foods they don't like interesting and fun...give them a sticker each time they try something new, and by all means don't push a new food on them...but they should at least have to try it...if they don't like it wait awhile and try it again. Sweet potatoes are SO healthy and can be made fun by making them into fries. They are naturally sweet and do taste like candy. (well kind of!) Zucchini bread and banana bead are good too, plus they are sweet tasting...very appealing to kids.

Answer 4

All I could do was laugh when I saw this. Since you didn't do it before when you got married, heck, you're not likely to succeed. My suggestion is to pick your battles. Eliminate the less healthy foods, like chips and dip and fast food and add in some things like stir fry using frozen veggies (fast to make). Have salads most days with whatever is in season. Eliminate the soda and replace with sugar free lemonaide.

My mother's brother and my dad's cousin were into the crunchy granola culture and heck, they are the only ones in the family to ever get cancer. My parents are 10 years older, had a medium healthy diet and while my Dad did have a heart attack (hereditary high cholesterol), they are both in better shape than the other two.

Answer 5

Make Over 200 Juicy, Mouth-Watering Paleo Recipes You've NEVER Seen or Tasted Before?

Answer 6

Read the labels on foods at the store.Keep in mind that
sometimes fresh fruits and vegetables are not all that fresh.
Frozen vegetables are processed the same day they are picked, and have excellent nutritional value. Fresh vegetables at the store are picked when still green.
A farmer's market is a good place, providing they do not import their veggies and pick them up at a wholesaler.
I guess the only way to be sure what you are getting in the
fresh vegetable department is to grow your own. Use
fruits and vegetables as snacks instead of packaged crackers etc. Check the packaging of meats, fish and dairy for hormones and other additives. Most likely you will be limited in your choices when eating out. Noble goal; good luck!
hormones

Answer 7

I lost 38 lbs recently-that was for myself of course but incorporating "stirfry" veges with good (olive) oil and a bit of parmasan cheese and lean meat has become a regular in my house. Easy and quick. Also salads-taco,tuna etc. and soymilk smoothies for breakfast. My friend just asked me-how do you get them to dribnk all that? (yogurt,soymilk(Silk brand-vanilla)protein powder,juice and or berries with a little sugar) My answer is that I don't ask and they taste so good the kids don't either-you don't have to go nutty-just get rid of the junk and buy fresh and it will make a huge differance. Also the new waters that are out-rhey like them better than sodas-and gatorades too.

Answer 8

There are 1000's of recipes. You'll need a cook book

Answer 9

Awesome, that's what we did.

It's expensive but you'll feel like a million bucks.

Get a whole grain grinder and grind your own bread. Buy organic veggies.

Try to feed them out of "Sacks" of food rather than expensive packaged stuff.

Get on food co-ops. http://www.frontiercoop.com/

Answer 10

Good Luck!

Answer 11

Capture the squirrels in your backyard, and grill them with a dry rub. Serve with steamed veggies.