Spring Cleaning: Your Pantry!

By Kid Kritics | April 14, 2013

It's that time of year! Time when we are inspired to clean our houses and our lives of any unwanted clutter and stress. Perfect time to also clean out your pantry and stock up with new and better foods for you.

Start off looking at your canned goods, keep only what you can't live without. Then try to switch out for buying fresh or when needed and available packaged in glass. Canned goods can come in handy on a last minute pinch, but their BPA dangers, added salt, and other artificial ingredients are not ideal for everyday consumption.

Next look at your pasta, rice, cake batter and baking flours. Make sure you have at least 80% as whole grains. Switch out white rice for brown rice. Explore other grains such as quinoa, barley, Freekeh and bulgur. The basics are also very important, look at all your "best by dates" on all your products, including herbs and spices and throw out anything expired. On average we throw away $1 for every $4 of purchased food, we must break this trend with meal planning and avoiding stocking up due to sales when you are unsure you will use it in time.

The snack section of your pantry is just as important. Look through it and see what can you substitute with more nutritious options. Try to get rid of anything with lab-made food dyes, added preservatives, excessive sugar or salt and "empty calories" type snacks which don’t provide any nutritious value and may increase underlying stress. Look at our grocery list for great ideas on snacks and more! Our Kid Kritics Approved Brands have plenty of options to make stocking your pantry an easy task.

As we defrost from winter into spring we can start looking forward to Summer! Time to look and feel our best. Having the right foods at home to fuel your body is crucial to a successful "Spring time cleaning" of your health.

… for the health of your family,

Carolina

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

Met Chef Paul Prudhomme!!!

By Kid Kritics | October 11, 2012

Our kitchen cupboard always has some seasonings from Chef Paul Prudhomme in it… easy way to spruce of a meal. Thus I see his cheerful face on his jars weekly. Imagine how delighted I was to see Chef Paul last week at the Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo. Truth is, I was sad to see his him sitting in an electric wheel chair – hard work and being an excellent chef has caught up with him. However, his warm smile shown through as he stirred the creation made for us to taste. The good news is that he and his tall lovely wife have come out with a new line of low sodium seasonings. Look for them in the stores.

… for the health of your family,
ellen

Expo East Rocks

By Kid Kritics | September 23, 2012

Recovering from exploring hundreds of food booths at Expo East for three days… lots of new products. One was a Greek Yogurt "ice cream" bar. Another, Chocolate Greens by Barleans (see photo). Oh, you want to know who is in this photo? Part of our Family Food Experts Network team, Kathy and Lauren (Nutrition Babes), Tracee (Real Food Moms), and Molly, our business manager. The guy is Andreas, head of marketing for Barlean's. I'm taking the photo.

The BIG trend was non-GMO foods. Prop 37 will be voted on in CA requiring food companies to identify their products as GMO or non-GMO. This will have a huge rippling affect on food production because it will impact consumer buying decisions. Research is now confirming what we all suspected, GMO (genetically modified organisms) food is related to health problems. Google it to learn more. Bottom line, it is best to eat non-GMO foods.

OR, you can listen to our internet radio show this Wed. 6pm eastern on W4WN (Women for Women) radio. With Dr. Heather Manley and food expert, Kimberly Stewart, we discuss this GMO issue. Learn the truth by listening.

… for the health of families,
ellen

Store’s FREE Cookie Giveway to hook kids and you

By Kid Kritics | September 9, 2012

I had an interesting talk with a dad this morning. He has an adorable 3 year old. One day they were in a grocery store and someone asked if she wanted a cookie. It was the free cookie for your kids attraction. Before this happened, he said, they used to have fun going to the store to shop for food. Now, she associates grocery shopping with a cookie – she wants to go there for the cookie. "Let's go to the store so I can get a cookie."

Has anyone stopped to think what message is being programmed into young children with this cookie bait? Grocery shopping is now about free cookies. Come and get a free cookie. Come to our store because we have free cookies for kids. It it no longer about being together and choosing good foods for breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner. Here, I'll give you this sugar filled cookie if you are sit quietly in the cart – really? Are you using this behavior gratification for behavior modification? Cookies rule.

How many of you have been sucked into this lure? How many of you choose the store you shop in because they give a free cookie to your kids? How many of you say no thank you to the store and no to your kids? How many of you say, let's go pick out an apple instead? Please, think twice about how you are brain training your children.

By the way, usually, these cookies are made with totally unhealthy, nutrient-empty, sugar-laden harmful ingredients. You think it is free. One day, you will be paying for this cookie habit. Or, you can outsmart these stores and say no, or, stay away.

… for the health of your family,
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

Olympic Breakfast for Kids

By Kid Kritics | July 31, 2012

I was looking to see what Olympians eat for breakfast… no not cheeseburgers. They know the science of eating for performance. Their breakfast food depends on the time of day they are competing. Let’s say they are up at 6pm and their race is at Noon. This would call for great grain carb sources and some fruit for energy, not a lot of protein. The staple for most is oatmeal – better to have cooked rolled or steal cut oats. Along with this I recommend our recently Kid Kritics Approved Breakfast Banana Split. You simply cut a banana in half. Spread some vanilla yogurt over the halves. Top it with freshly cut strawberries, pineapple and some blueberries. Place a dollop of some vanilla yogurt over the fruit. Sprinkle ground nuts of choice on top (or not if you have nut allergies in your home). Serve. This combination, with oatmeal lightly sweetened with 100% pure maple syrup or fair trade honey, prepares your kids for hours of high performance. FYI: all fresh produce contain some protein – a little of a lot adds up. Of course, include a tall glass of spring water.

Enjoy this Olympic Power Breakfast! (Recipe details Click Here)

… for the health of your family,
ellen

Look at what I brought home with me!

By Kid Kritics | July 31, 2012

A RECIPE to die for! I call it the Pineapple Mint Refresher. Why, because one sip of this ice cold drink and you'll feel the fresh mint rush. During a really hot summer in Jerusalem, we walked into the Aroma cafe where coffee is their specialty. Since I have never like the taste of coffee, not even mocha, my eyes searched for an alternative and spotted a green drink. It turned out to be a combination of lemon juice with mint and ice cubes pulverized in a blender. Think they may have added some honey as a sweetener. It was out of this world delicious! For the rest of the days we were there, I order a glass full. When I returned home in the states, I decided that since I wasn't sure of the exact lemon recipe, I would make my own using 100% pineapple juice. It was sensational! Ever since, I have made one everyday for my afternoon pick-me-up.

The key that makes this cooling drink a stand out is the use of a blender to grind fresh mint leaves in a 100% fruit juice along with some ice cubes. My proportions are 1 cup of 100% pineapple juice (not from a can), 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves and a handful of ice cubes. That's it! CLICK HERE for RECIPE details

For this photo, I realized I had run out of pineapple juice so I pulverized fresh pineapple with water. Then added the mint leaves and ice. The more mint leaves you use, the greener it is… here the green has yet to settle. The more mint leaves your use, the fresher the uplifting taste!

Now I will admit that after I took this photo, I noticed I had a couple of strawberries and blueberries in the fridge. So, I threw them into the blender and now I have a purple/pink mint drink. There is hardly a fresh fruit that can't be enhanced by fresh mint. Try it!

Where do you buy fresh mint? You can find it in a grocery store in packets or as a plant. Since it grows like a weed, I recommend buying a plant of two, put them into larger pots either directly into the ground or on your balcony. Now this drink becomes really inexpensive.

By the way, refreshing has a double meaning here. Mint and pineapple are both full of nutrients, antioxidants and even anti-inflammatory properties. Serve it to you whole family this summer. Once you have made this – just takes minutes – I'll best you also will be hooked – that's a good thing!

… for the health of your family,
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.