How much of your Food Budget is spent at Restaurants?

By Kid Kritics | April 4, 2012

Apparently Americans spend nearly half of their food dollars at restaurants. That totals about $566 billion in a year! (National Restaurant Association, 2009) Wow. This leaves me speechless, especially for two reasons: a lot of that is spent on low-nutrient, disease promoting fast food, and, the nutrition and behavioral benefits of eating home cooked meals at home way exceeds the convenience of eating out. Now moms, please, I understand the lure of a quick breakfast, lunch and dinner solution - I was a working single mom for years and have experienced the related time issues. However, the health of children holds a greater value than succumbing to the ease of fast food restaurants. I hear moms saying, "I just have to spend less on food." I say to you, spend less on having someone else prepare food – buy and prepare it yourself. Then enjoy a good meal at a restaurant once in a while.

… for the health of your family,
ellen

Don't forget to enter to Win a Case of Greek-Styled LowFat Yogurt by Cabot of Vermont. www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes

Breakfast, Budget-saver, Carbohydrates, Cooking, Dairy, Dinner, Eating Healthy, Eating Out, Family Food Experts, Fast Food Restaurants, Food News, Gluten Free, Grocery List, Health, Health Food Stores, Healthy, Kid Kritics Approved, Kid Kritics Approved Food Giveaway Sweepstakes, Kid Kritics Food Giveaway Sweepstakes, Kids & Teens, Lunch, Minerals, Natural, Nutrition, Performance Food, Protein, Restaurants, Shopping, Supermarkets, Vitamins, children, contest, dads, family, food, kids, moms, parents, prize, sweepstakes, www.KidKritics.com, www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes | Leave a comment

Do you Throw Out $500 to $2000 of Food every Year?

By Kid Kritics | March 21, 2012

Inside someone's refrigerator…

Research says you do. Yearly you trash: Milk & Yogurt: 13%. Grains: 14%. Fruit & Juices: 16%. Vegetables: 25%* Rest: non-perishables. A number one reason is we buy too much – overstock – that means lack of planning. I would add that with good intentions, moms buy fresh vegetables but then do not prepare and serve them bowing down to a number of excuses… time especially. Please pay attention to what you are buying: those who make grocery lists waste less.

It doesn't help that fresh vegetables are off to a bad start thanks to the constant spraying by stores. They are dripping wet when you put them into your cart… a recipe for decay. These need to be wrapped in paper towels for moisture absorption while being refrigerated. Then washed and dried before use. I know, it takes time. To avoid this issue, I reach for those stacked in the back, buy from Fresh Product Markets and try to grow some of my own. If you see some vegetables on the verge of going bad, throw them in the freezer for later use in omeletes, casseroles, sauteed dishes, and soups.

Another thought: weekly, check those back corners of all the shelves in your refrigerator. That's where the forgotten gets shoved and stays awhile. I am often surprised at what I find in these darker places. Wish they would invent rotating shelves… !

They say that only 12% of contents in refrigerator-freezers are leftovers*… that's really low. Does this mean you are throwing out too much, or, your family is eating all the food your prepare for them? I'll bet some of these leftovers are "doggy bags." Even in this economy, "spending on restaurants and take-out meats still makes up about half of food expenditures."*

We love leftovers in our home. They open the door for lunches and subsequent dinners. Bottom Line: Leftovers can save you time and money – all $500 to $2000 of it.

… for the health of your family,
ellen

It is your turn to Win a Case of Kid Kritics Approved food? This week, a case of Cocoa Brownie Mix, Gluten-Free and Organic by Simply Organic. You will be well supplied with birthday and holiday treats! These are yum! Even your family and friends with wheat allergies can enjoy every bite! www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes

* "Leftovers: Tasty or Trash?", Sarah Nassauer, Wall Street Journal, March 21, 2012, p. D1.

Budget-saver, Cooking, Eating Healthy, Eating Out, Family Food Experts, Fast Food Restaurants, Food News, Fruit, Fruit Juices, Gluten Free, Grocery List, Health, Health Food Stores, Healthy, Junk Food, Kid Kritics Approved, Kid Kritics Approved Food Giveaway Sweepstakes, Kid Kritics Food Giveaway Sweepstakes, Kids & Teens, Nutrition, Produce, Restaurants, School Lunches, Shopping, Snacks, Supermarkets, Sweets, Vegetables, Whole Grains, children, contest, dads, family, food, kids, moms, parents, prize, sweepstakes, www.KidKritics.com, www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes | Leave a comment

Start Eating for your Baby BEFORE you are Pregnant!

By Kid Kritics | August 26, 2011

Prepare your womb with good eating habits before you are pregnant. When you test positive for pregnancy you are already at least 2 weeks along. So stop with the smoking, drinking and drugs well before you conceive to give your baby his or her best odds. Also, Dr. Keri Batiskov says no raw fish or meat (sushi), deli meats, fast foods, unpasteurized milk and soft cheeses, artificial additives, fake sugars, fish with mercury, sodas… AND YES to fruits, vegetables, grains, meats, good fats, eggs,dairy and WATER! "Eat from the earth." Definitely take supplements per your doctor's recommendations, especially folic acid, and hold off on herbal supplements during your pregnancy. Take the time to listen to more from Dr. Batiskov, go to www.BetterFoodChoicesRadio.com or iTunes ("Better Food Choices".

… for the health of your family,|
ellen

Babies and Toddlers, Bad Fats, Better Food Choices Radio, Carbohydrates, Chemicals, Diets, Drinks, Dyes, EFAs, Eating Healthy, Eating Out, Essential Fatty Acids, Family Food Experts, Farmer's Market, Fast Food Restaurants, Fat, Fruit, Grocery List, Health, Health Food Stores, Healthy, Junk Food, Medical Info, Minerals, Natural, Nutrition, Podcast, Produce, Protein, Radio Interviews, Shopping, Sodas, Sugar, Supermarkets, Vegetables, Vitamins, Water, Whole Grains, children, family, food, iTunes, kids, meat, moms, parents, sugar-free | Leave a comment

Did you know – Chicken McNuggets contain a “deadly” chemical preservative?

By Kid Kritics | July 28, 2011

We are starting a Did You Know series. This first one is a whopper. It is reported that Chicken McNuggets are 50% chicken and 50% "corn derivatives, sugars, leavening agents and completely synthetic ingredients. Two include: dimethylpolysiloxane anti-foaming agent made of silicone, and, tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) "a chemical preservative so deadly that just five grams can kill you." Holy smokes. Well, you say, there aren't 5 grams of TBHA in a serving. That's no excuse. Every bit adds up. How many times a week do your kids eat Chicken McNuggets? How many weeks a year? PLEASE, take a stand for your children and vote NO with your pocketbook…

… for the health of your family,
ellen

Win a Case of 6oz. bags of Pizza Veggie Sticks and the DVD, "The Princess and the Pop Star" by Veggie Tales. This Veggie Stix & Veggie Tales sweepstakes series is more than half way over. Don't miss out. Go to www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes today. Enter more than once to up your odds!

SOURCE: "The Chicken Which Should be Banned," posted by Dr. Mercola, www.Mercola.com, 11/8/2010

Chemicals, Dinner, Eating Healthy, Eating Out, Family Food Experts, Fast Food Restaurants, Food News, Health, Junk Food, Kids & Teens, Lunch, Nutrition, Restaurants, School Lunches, Snacks, Uncategorized, children, contest, dads, family, food, kids, meat, moms, parents, prize, sweepstakes, www.KidKritics.com | Leave a comment

Some Good News on Sugar

By Kid Kritics | July 8, 2011

High Fructose Corn Syrup. Looks harmless… not

Sugar Cane Crystals (not bleached)

Some restaurants and packaged food companies are "bowing to consumer concerns about HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) and replacing the sweetener with sugar…. It's so hard. It's in everything." True. From ketchup to oyster crackers, HFCS has been the sweetener of choice for decades. Finally, many are waking up to the reality this needs to stop due to the research associating it with cancer and more. Sugar cane crystals are still sugar but are at least less processed. This change will up their prices since part of the appeal of HFCS was how cheap it was as an ingredient. Still, this is a good move and you can thank those who spoke up and said, "We don't want it." Keep speaking out…

… for the health of your family,
ellen

* Katy McLaughlin, "Sweet Revenge, Chefs Pour on the Sugar," Wall Street Journal, 7/6 11, p. D1.

Artificial Sweeteners, Cancer, Carbohydrates, Chemicals, Cooking, Drinks, Eating Healthy, Eating Out, Family Food Experts, Fast Food Restaurants, Food Manufacturers, Food News, Grocery List, Health, Health Food Stores, Healthy, Kids & Teens, Latest Food News, Minerals, Natural, Nutrition, Party Food, Protein, Restaurants, Shopping, Sugar, Supermarkets, Sweets, Vitamins, beverages, children, dads, family, food, kids, moms, parents, recipe | Leave a comment

Watch out for the latest Food Craze!

By Kid Kritics | February 24, 2011

Food companies are jumping on the appeal of sugar and salt flavor combinations. This flavor profile is a recipe for obesity… and other illnesses. Outsmart them and don't buy such products they will sell in stores and at fast-food restaurants. Instead, stick to fresh foods and season them yourself with a little sea sale or sugar.

… for the health of families,
ellen and sally

ADD and ADHD, Cancer, Cooking, Depression, Diabetes, Disease, Drinks, Eating Healthy, Eating Out, Fast Food Restaurants, Fat, Food Manufacturers, Food News, Grocery List, Health, Health Food Stores, Healthy, Junk Food, Kids & Teens, Latest Food News, Nutrition, Obesity, Restaurants, Shopping, Snacks, Sugar, Supermarkets, Sweets, bacteria, children, colds, coughs, family, flu, food, immune system, kids, moms, viruses | Leave a comment

How does the Child Nutrition Act affect you? Tune in to find out.

By Kid Kritics | July 22, 2010

Jolie Root helps make sense of the latest Nutrition News including the Child Nutrition Act and food safety. Tune in live on July 23rd, Noon ET on www.BetterFoodChoicesRadio.com or listen on iTunes for free. Call in with your questions: 914-803-4091.