Get the Most for your Food Money. This List Is for You.

By Kid Kritics | November 25, 2012

We wanted to make a list of foods that give you "the most bang for your buck" food money well spent on

nutrient-rich foods. Those listed below are recommended staples for your kitchen. The cost of food keeps rising. Use this list to manage your budget.

Fresh produce is more cost efficient that you think. Its fiber is filling. Produce is nutrient dense with nature's

vitamins, minerals and trace minerals. Raw produce is best. Try to expand your salad contents past the traditional

lettuce, carrots, and tomatoes. Add raw nuts, seeds, grated cheese, dark leafy lettuces (baby spinach!), dried

berries, and apple chunks. Change the combination from day to day. Use organic when possible.

Enjoy the fruits of nature! … for the health of your family, ellen

Healthy Cost Efficient Foods

Mouth

Total

FOOD

Blood

Bones

Brain

Ears

Eyes

Hair

Heart

Joints

Lungs

Teeth

Muscles

Nails

Nerves

Nose

Skin

Points

Banana

Beef, Ground, lean

Black Beans

Blueberries (frozen)

Broccoli

Carrots

Cheese, Mozzarella

Eggs*

Fish, Tongol Tuna

Garlic

Oats

Olive Oil

Onions

Parsley

Peanut Butter*

Pineapple

Rice, Brown

Sweet Potatoes

Tomatoes

Turkey

Watermelon

Yogurt, plain

* Except for those with allergies

www.KidKritics.com, Family Food Experts Kitchen Radio, 561-417-3645

Fresh Apples. There’s a bazillion ways to eat them.

By Kid Kritics | September 30, 2012

Fresh Apples are everywhere! Organic ones are easy to find. You may be in the enviable position of having an apple orchard near you so you can take you family to pick your own. Or, at least go to local market. While in season, stock up. My two young apple trees were not very productive this year. I'll have to give them an organic fertilizer boost to improve their harvest next year.

I love apples. Every afternoon I bite into a crisp apple to satisfy my desire for sweet and give myself an energy upper. And, its natural fluoride helps keep my teeth clean and healthy!

Apples are delicious! Serve them raw for mouth watering fresh bites, dehydrate or freeze them with a little lemon juice for winter use, make applesauce, pies, tarts and crisps, use them as toppings on pancakes or waffles, put chunks or shavings into salads, fill or coat acorn or other squashes with an apple mix, and cook them with meats. Healthier Recipe Mom, Shonda, created this Apple & Veggie Stix Stuffed Chicken scrumptious meal. The Kid Kritics were amazing that their chicken was so moist and had a touch of sweet. They loved, loved, loved it! Your family will too. Try it!

… for the health of families,
ellen

It is time to go Corn-Free. FREEZE.

By Kid Kritics | August 12, 2012

This summer’s drought is causing havoc on the farmed fields across America. You can expect food prices to go up. Why the focus on going Corn-Free? Because corn is a by-product in thousands of processed foods. Whether it be high fructose corn syrup (a big healthy NO), corn starch or other corn fillers, you’ll find corn ingredients in a boat load of grocery store products. We don’t recommend you eat those, unless they are organic. The summer sad fact is that fresh corn is getting more expensive due to high demand and lower yield. If you can find it, freeze it. No doubt, the prices for frozen corn during this coming fall, winter and spring are going to be higher than now. Buy now and freeze.

Now remember, corn is fed to many domestic animals. Thus the prices of meat and chicken will rise. Buy now and freeze. This drought affects more than corn. Soy is becoming more scare. We only recommend that you eat organic soy to avoid GMO and toxins. And, because soy is known to stimulate the production of estrogen in all bodies, young as well, we simply suggest you take soy products off your grocery list. As to all other produce, the drought is endangering their harvest as well. Buy now and freeze.

Bottom line: Freeze now to save later. It’s simple to do. Do away with your frozen processed foods to make room for … fill your freezer with frozen vegetables, fruit, meat and poultry, and eat well all winter!

As for grains, they can be kept in a cool, dry, dark container and cupboard. Make sure the air has been removed from these container… use plastic bags, roll them tight and seal them.

Hey, if you want to can food, be my guest. I find it challenging and prefer the ease of freezing.

You can beat rising prices if you act now. Yes, I have to practice what I preach to save money, too.

… for the health of our families,
ellen

Where have I been?

By Kid Kritics | July 16, 2012

Traveling to celebrate our 25th anniversary! Yes, I have been traveling a lot mostly for pleasure though when I am around food, I am always working… and I was around lots of great food. While touring Israel, I was surrounded by fields and valleys filled with banana, date, olive, pomegranate, peach, nectarine, plum, nut, and citrus trees. Rows of lettuces, herbs, corn, beets, beans, garlic… you name it, were abundant. Grain fields had just been harvested. This country knows how to make every inch of the earth and every drop or water count to produce food!

Consequently we ate fruit and vegetables for breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner! Tons of mouth-watering alkaline food. Hummus was a daily side at dinner. Cheese and meat were also fresh and delicious but less was served so less we ate. Fresh fish was more often offered as a main entree so we enjoyed some. As a result, we never felt or slept better! In Spain, we continued to enjoy fresh produce with each meal. The portions were small and yet we felt full thanks to their fiber based delicious dishes, especially tapas!

By the time we arrived back in the states, we were hooked on the benefits of eating more alkaline and less acid-based foods. We no longer have meat everyday. More beans please! We crave lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. Now we go to the market more frequently to buy what we don't have growing in our little garden and pots. Our food bill is lower and as is our weight. We actually lost pounds on our trips and are determined to keep them off. We invite you to do the same. We invite you to fill you meals with colorful fruits and vegetables. Kids living around the Mediterranean eat these foods; serve them to yours!

… for the health of your family,
ellen

P.S. I asked if Israel has an overweight or obesity problem with children. The answer was, "No." What I witnessed confirms this.

Grapefruit. Performance Food of the Week

By Kid Kritics | January 15, 2012

Thank heavens it's grapefruit season! Devour their sections and drink their juices to fuel your Brain, Blood, Bones, Ears, Eyes, Hair, Lungs, Mouth/Teeth, Nails, Nerves and Nose (sense of smell)! One of the most important tools in my kitchen is the knife you use to slice away the natural sections after you cut a grapefruit in half. This makes it easy to consume the fruit's flesh and drink the juices. Or just slice into sections as shown in this picture. I just love to bite into them, have the juices squirt around in my mouth and witness my taste buds having a sweet and sour party! Sections in fruit and vegetables salads are delicious. For some, juicing is preferred. Ruby red grapefruits are my favorites. Maybe this is because we were served them when I was growing up. Please introduce them to your children.

… for the health of your family,
ellen

Bananas. Performance Food of the Week

By Kid Kritics | December 11, 2011

This nutrient power-pack in a skin, banana, fuels your brain, bones, eyes, hair, heart, lungs, mouth/teeth, nose and skin. And it is so affordable all year. Breakfast, lunch, snacks, smoothies, topping on yogurts-cereals-pancakes, PB sandwich – bread & muffin filler, and an athlete's best food friend – bananas are it! It is one of the first and last foods you eat because it is easily digested. Actually, on an empty stomach, it takes about 20 minutes for it so be working throughout your body. Fresh and frozen bananas should always be found in your home. It is a rare day when they are missing in action in ours.

… for the health of your family,
ellen

Performance Food of the Week. Corn

By Kid Kritics | November 27, 2011

If you want to feed your brain, blood, eyes, hair, nerves, and nose (sense of smell), eat some yellow corn. It is said that blue corn feeds your nails! More good news. Corn is number two in the "Cleanest Crops." Therefore you can feel comfortable buying, serving and eating conventionally grown corn. It is good as both fresh and frozen. I would avoid canned. Corn on the cob is brilliant when grilled. Cornbread with some kernels tossed in along with some dried cranberries is super delicious – makes a great side dish for the holidays. Throw some in your casseroles, tacos, and soups. Corn is a sweet add-on to many dishes. And, it tends to be on the lower end of produce prices. Don't forget to ask your store managers about upcoming sales.

… for the health of your family,
ellen

“Clean” Fruit & Veggie List

By Kid Kritics | November 2, 2011

Recently we blogged about the top three: Onions, Corn, Pineapples. Here are the rest. Avocado, Asparagus, Sweet Peas, Mangoes, Eggplant, Cantaloupe, Kiwi, Cabbage, Watermelon, Sweet Potatoes, Grapefruit, Mushrooms.* Feel comfortable feeding these to your family without buying organic since they have the least amount of pesticides. Just watch out for imports from South America and Asia. I try to buy one avocado and one mango a week. These will help feed a family when you cut them into little pieces and add to salads or use as a side. We eat a lot of sweet potatoes and cooked onions. You will usually find a pineapple or some watermelon in our kitchen at any given time. Frozen sweet peas are a weekly must. The others are woven into our monthly menu though we have been staying away from cantaloupe lately. This list is your budget saver group. Ask your store's produce manager when they are going on sale, really - make him your "best friend."

… for the health of your family,
ellen

Free Food for you if you Win a Case of Tomato Basil Spaghetti Sauce by Simply Organic. Go to www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes and enter today.

"Clean Cuisine", Better Nutrition, 9/2011.pp/ 31,32.

Top 3 “Cleanest” Vegetables and Fruit

By Kid Kritics | October 19, 2011

Number One "Cleanest."

Onions, Corn and Pineapple, in this order, are the top three "cleanest crops." (foodnews.org) Cleanest indicates they contain the least amount of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and other unwanted chemicals. It also means you can feel comfortable buying and eating commercially grown, avoiding the extra expense of organic. Notice how each has naturally protective skins. That helps. What they also have in common is they have nutrients that feed your brain. Fuel you family economically with fresh onions and pineapple, and, fresh or frozen corn all year round.

… for the health of your family,
ellen

A whole case of food is up for grabs. Go to www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes and enter to win Almond and Rice Cheese Chunks and Shreds by Lisanatti Foods. They look, cook and tastes like mild cheese. YUM!

Performance Food of the Week. Sweet Potatoes!

By Kid Kritics | October 9, 2011

It doesn't get much better than a sweet potato – a sweet nutrient-packed vegetable! It is filled with nutrients that feed your brain, ears, eyes, heart, lungs, nerves and skin. From mashed to baked "fries" to homemade chips, there are so many ways to serve them so your kids will ask for more. We often use them in recipes that call for white potatoes. You can eat cooked skins if you wash them first. If you bake several in advance, say on a Sunday, then you can scoop out the potatoes and quickly heat them up during the week for a quick dinner veggie. Put sweet potatoes on your weekly grocery list!

… for the health of your family,
ellen

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KID KRITICS APPROVED

Identifying healthier foods that your familiy deserves,

and your kids will love

Fresh Apples. There’s a bazillion ways to eat them.

It is time to go Corn-Free. FREEZE.

Where have I been?

Grapefruit. Performance Food of the Week

Bananas. Performance Food of the Week

Performance Food of the Week. Corn

“Clean” Fruit & Veggie List

Top 3 “Cleanest” Vegetables and Fruit

Performance Food of the Week. Sweet Potatoes!

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