Tired of Shady Practices by Big Corporations

I'm sure our parents all think we have it so easy as parents in our current world, where we have all this technology and information to help us raise our children. Yes, the gadgets are a nice plus for sure, but let me tell you what is NOT easier. Buying ANYTHING.

I just got back from the grocery store. From Kroger, which I used to like as a company in general, but I specifically now do not trust the way the one near me is run. Why? This particular trip I found two unrelated items in different but high-traffic areas of the store that had expired a month ago. And both had clearly been handled by staff due to placement of the item and recent "sale" pricing tags. So basically I do not have the tolerance nor the time to shop at this store anymore because they cannot be trusted to put NON-EXPIRED items on their shelves. And I don't have time to waste if I have to double-check their work.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Have you noticed that just about EVERYTHING in the grocery store has a green label now? That used to be an easy way to zero in on organic products, but now that color means nothing. So you have to look even closer and inspect something carefully to be sure it has the USDA Organic label. Let's go back to Kroger for a minute. They have this "new" Simple Truth line. Guess what - all the packaging is green green green. Is it all organic? Nope. They throw around the term "natural" a lot though with all these products which means ZILCH unless they are referring to meat or poultry. You can go to the Simple Truth website and read all about how the FDA "broadly defines" but does not regulate the term, and then some info on their own "policy". 

All those terms in quotes above are probably giving away my suspicion about all this. Why?

Well, there's an organization called the Cornucopia Institute that publishes ratings on ALL organic companies based on particular categories (dairy, eggs, cereal, etc.) and then gives them a 1-5 (low to high) rating. Guess who gets a 1 in all the categories? Kroger's Simple Truth line. And all the other major large brands who don't feel like sharing their resources and therefore do not even participate the Cornucopia's surveys. So wait, you're called "simple truth" and you can't provide that EXACT THING to your consumers? That is SHADY. You are

See those individual milks? That cereal?
They get a 1 out of 5 rating for organic
products. That's what I want to feed my kids,
the organic products with the lowest ratings.

shady if you need to hide your business practices when it comes to the products I put in my children's bodies.

So, if you are unable to share this information with Cornucopia, then why it is you think I should believe a single word on your biased website, I'm not sure.

It is ridiculous that we as parents (or anyone for that matter) cannot trust these major organizations to be honest and truthful about the products they are trying to sell us. 

And sheesh, can you at least make sure the front items in your food displays aren't expired??

As I am trying to get on top of my resolutions for the year and create healthy meals for my entire family to eat together, I am already exhausted by how much planning and research (and drive time to a myriad of grocery stores) that goes into creating a simple, safe, clean meal.

International Food Resources

Now that we are getting settled in Calgary, my mission has been to learn more about our neighborhood and what it has to offer. This includes the best place to buy groceries for my family. Until this point, my goal has been to slowly evolve my kitchen into all organic products, or at least as much as possible.

Food shopping in a new country is always an adventure. I think I have had the assumption that since Canada shares such a major border with the U.S. that just about the same items would be available here as we are accustomed to. Oh, how so wrong I am. (Sad face.)

For starters, due to the location of Canada, fresh produce is harder to come by, and what you can purchase does not last as long as the produce we are used to buying in Texas. Combine that with the already-shortened counter life of organic produce and you pretty much have to eat everything within a couple days. OK, I can handle this.

Then there are the different stores. There is a familiar grocery chain, Safeway, but the selection severely varies in many categories. There are also many, many other smaller specialized chains, similar to a Trader Joe's size, where they can have great finds, but you certainly cannot find everything you need. For example, I tried a chain called Sobey's yesterday, and they don't sell black beans. BLACK BEANS. I thought these were a pretty basic pantry staple, but perhaps I am wrong.

The next choice when shopping the aisles are the brands. I am fine with trying new brands, but I am concerned that the primary U.S. brand I seem to see everywhere is Kraft. As you may or may not know, Kraft is currently infamous for the artificial coloring, hydrogenated oil additives, and GMO ingredients in their products. And a lot of this isn't even on their labels so you are none the wiser. So I am VERY hesitant when it comes to purchasing Kraft products.

The scariest part: the prices! I am not joking: yesterday my husband saw a gallon of organic skim milk for $13.00. THIRTEEN DOLLARS!!! Are you kidding me?!?! The sad thing is, the cheapest I have seen it so far here is $9.00 which is still outrageous. But unless I plan on taking care of our own dairy cow in our teeny backyard, we will be shelling out the nine bucks. Sigh.

At this point, we have been here a couple weeks, and I have tried three different grocery stores. My next adventure will be to an organic market called Market 17, and the Yelp reviews look promising. I am not giving up my healthy plans yet!

Food Scrutiny

Like (hopefully) every parent, I am concerned about what sort of food my daughter is eating. I am starting to get pretty frightened over what we don't know about where our food comes from. Every day lately you hear stories in the news about the lack of labeling, GMOs that we don't know about, mistreatment of animals, pesticides, artificial coloring - all of this a part of what we put into our bodies.

Around the time my daughter started eating table food, I have started to turn my household into an all-organic one. As she watches what we eat, and then compares it to what she eats, she points out to me (sometimes literally) that she needs to be able to eat exactly what we eat. Which means what exactly? That my husband and I need to eat more healthy as well.

And prior to being a parent, I have always been highly concerned about what I eat - but it was more about fat and calories than anything else. As I learn more about what all these confusing ingredients mean, it is hard for me to not buy the fat-free version of something in exchange for the full-fat version. I had been programmed so long to think fat is bad.

But honestly, it just goes back to what we've always been told: everything in moderation. A moderate amount of fat in your diet not only requires you to avoid chemically-modified fat-free versions, but fat helps your body absorb the vitamins it needs to be healthy (for example, the type of salad dressing you use determines whether or not your body will actually recognize those vegetables as nutritious).

I'm probably having the toughest time with milk. I was raised to drink milk, and I have always been a big fan. I used to be proud that I could drink a gallon on my own in less than a workweek. But after learning so much about milk and its variations while learning about the ins and outs of breastfeeding, I'm not sure anymore. It definitely seems to have a lot of sugar in it for a beverage. But isn't it good for our bones? Ugh.

Here are some articles I've been reading lately that cause me to be concerned about our food supply:

Why Fat-free Salad Dressings Are Ridiculous

11 Horrifying Facts About Your Groceries

Monsanto Protect Act: 5 Terrifying Things to Know About the HR933 Provision

Listmania: What to Put in Those Picky Toddler Bento Boxes

I have a picky eater, at least at meal time. This usually leads me to spooning banana into her mouth as she plays around the house, or allowing her to carry around a snack cup full of cheddar bunnies. So I searched for the solution and all over Pinterest I kept seeing this great idea for Baby Bento boxes (at least this is what I call them).

Essentially you take an ice cube tray and fill each spot with colorful, healthy foods, then place this artistic buffet in front of your toddler and watch the magic happen. She no longer has to fight me on food because she can pick whatever she wants! It's genius! I want her to enjoy her lifelong experience with food, and I want her to make her own healthy decisions (something I still need to be better at for myself).

What seemed to be a little lacking in all these posts is ideas on WHAT to put in each of these snack compartments, so THAT is what you will find listed below. Pick and choose obviously as YOU please - we all have different opinions on what should go into our children.

It goes without saying that all these foods should be bite-size, right? Please cut them up appropriately. My daughter can handle all these food options, and she (still) only has two teeth.

Do you have additional ideas? I would love to try new things I'm not sure she'll like...from the pic above, she already learned that she actually LIKES cucumber and corn - SCORE! I'll add more as we explore more options!

Baby Bento Box Ideas

Fruit

1. Blueberries
2. Grapes
3. Strawberries
4. Mango
5. Mandarin oranges
6. Raspberries
7. Blackberries
8. Raisins
9. Craisins

Vegetables

1. Green peas
2. Corn
3. Cherry tomatoes
4. Cucumber
5. Broccoli
6. Steamed sweet potatoes

Grains

1. Cheddar Bunnies (Whole Foods organic knockoff of the infamous Goldfish)
2. Wheat Bunnies
3. Cooked conchiglietti (baby shell pasta - we go through BOXES of this in our house since this is the easiest thing to get Bugga to eat)
4. Oatmeal
5. Cheerios
6. Baby puffs
7. Kix cereal

Dairy

1. Yogurt
2. Cheese chunks

Protein

1. Cooked turkey hotdog
2. Mini peanut butter on tortilla sandwich bites
3. Chopped egg white
4. Scrambled egg

Recipe: Toddler Crockpot Oatmeal

I have never tried steel cut oatmeal before and picked up a container at the Trader Joe's that just opened near us. Unfortunately when I got home and read the instructions, I was disappointed to see how long it takes to cook. 30 minutes?? Who has that kind of time to spend on breakfast?? Certainly not a mom. Then I found a bunch of recipes for cooking your oatmeal overnight in your slow cooker so it is ready to eat as soon as you are in the morning. Genius. 

This is healthy for me, AND my still-picky 14-month-old easily took 10 bites of this, which is a lot for her. 

Here is my take on the recipe!

Toddler Crockpot Oatmeal

Servings: 8
Ingredients*

2 cups organic steel cut oats
6 cups of water
3 tablespoons of organic brown sugar
2 tablespoons of organic butter
1 teaspoon of organic cinnamon
2 teaspoons of organic vanilla
2 mashed organic bananas (optional)
organic cooking spray

*This recipe was really easy to find organic items for everything I used, but if you don't have it in your area, the conventional version works the same as far as directions go.

Directions

1. Spray your crockpot with the cooking spray.
2. Combine all the ingredients and mix together.
3. Cook on low for 8 hours overnight to be ready for breakfast in the morning. Yep, that's it.
4. For freezing, portion into serving-size containers and put in freezer. To reheat, put in the microwave for 2.5 minutes at high.

I used a decent-size crockpot since that is the only one I have, and we had enough left over for half of it to freeze for upcoming breakfasts, and another 2 servings (after we gobbled up this morning's bowls) for breakfast tomorrow on what is sure to be a busy Monday morning. Obviously you can use a smaller 2-qt or whatever, but just reduce the ingredients accordingly.

Recipe: Toddler Power Pancakes

Do you have a picky toddler? Apparently we all do. And since I dread most mealtimes right now, fearing the defiant refusal of all things edible, I'm constantly trying to find things that Bugga will eat. And it isn't much. Fortunately she does have some favorites. And luckily they go well in pancakes.

The wonderful thing about feeding your toddler pancakes is that you can pretty much sneak in the pureed version of anything healthy, and as long as there is something they like in there too that dominates the flavor, you should get lucky. Below is the recipe I used this morning, and my kiddo scarfed down two of these bad boys. And I made enough to freeze and use whenever I run out of berries or need a quick snack or meal.

Toddler Power Pancakes

Ingredients*

1 cup of organic whole-wheat pancake mix**
1 organic egg
2/3 cup of organic whole milk
1 mashed organic banana (optional)
1 cup of organic blueberries (optional)
3 tablespoons of organic cottage cheese (optional)

*This recipe was really easy to find organic items for everything I used, but if you don't have it in your area, the conventional version works the same as far as directions go.
**Yep, I could have really gone with flour, sugar, etc. instead of a ready mix but today is more about the add-ins.

Directions

1. Mix pancake mix with 1/2 cup of milk and the egg. 
2. Add optional items and continue mixing until evenly distributed.
3. Add additional milk as needed to get a slightly-runny consistency.
4. Heat griddle or skillet on medium heat.
5. Use cooking spray to ensure pancakes won't stick to your griddle.
6. Add batter to griddle. Once sides start to harden or bubble, flip pancakes to other side.
7. Once pancakes can be lifted easily from griddle using spatula, they are done.
8. Enjoy!

I thought about going all creative and pulling out the pancake shape tools, but honestly, I am still cutting Bugga's food into bite-size pieces so the shapes would be lost on her at this age. Maybe by the end of the year!

Recipe: Baby's Banana Mini Muffins

I had a few bananas that were ripening faster than we could eat them so I started looking into recipes online for baby-friendly banana bread. Instead I found several variations on banana bread muffins and landed on a combination of several, along with some substitutions that a) worked with what I had in my kitchen and b) catered to my baby's health.

The result? A delish banana apple mini muffin that is SUGAR-FREE, EGG-FREE, ORGANIC and IRON-FORTIFIED...so pretty much a great go-to snack. One quick comment on my organic approach: I am trying to feed my child (and in turn, the family as a whole) as many organic foods as possible. Now that we are back in our full-time home (versus our hiatus in Alaska) I am slowly turning over everything I can in my pantry to organic items. Obviously organic is interchangeable with inorganic, and it is a personal choice, as these things are typically more expensive and do not last as long as conventional ingredients. 

I plan on freezing whatever we don't plan on eating in the next couple days, and then pulling out one or two at a time and reheating in the microwave under a paper towel. Enjoy!

Baby's Banana Mini Muffins

Ingredients
2 Cups of Earth's Best Whole Grain Oatmeal (you can substitute any kind of flour or blended oats)

1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t ground organic cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1/4 t nutmeg (ok all I had was allspice and cloves so I went with cloves :-)...need to put that on the grocery list...)
3 very ripe organic bananas
1/4 Cup organic apple puree (just popped a few cubes out of a ziploc in the freezer!)

1/4 Cup unsalted butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray.
2. Mix most of dry ingredients together in a large bowl: 2 Cups of oatmeal, 1 t baking powder, 1/2 t baking soda (half of what you'll need), 1/2 t of salt, and the 1/4 nutmeg/ allspice/ cloves/ whatever. Set aside.
3. Peel and mash bananas in a medium bowl. Add the apple puree and the other 1/2 t of baking soda.
4. Combine the banana mixture with the dry mixture, adding in the melted butter. Stir thoroughly. This will be pretty lumpy.
5. Add heaping teaspoons into each muffin spot in your tin. Bake in oven for 15 minutes.

One quick comment: Not sure if it is my wonky oven (we have been trying to get to know each other since we bought the house in June and still aren't seeing eye to eye) or the recipe, but the muffins do not really rise and instead sink a little bit. The upside I see to this is they are perfect for a small scoop of vanilla ice cream on top if grown ups are eating these (Bugga is not eating dairy yet).

Because they didn't rise, I was sure I screwed something up (still not positive I didn't??) but they are actually delicious. I hope there are some left by the time Bugga gets up from her nap!

Nom Nom Nom (Baby Food!)

Now that Bugga is 5.5 months old we are getting close to a very fun time - solids! She has only tasted breastmilk so far in her short life, but she is VERY curious about everything we are eating. Her neck is strong and she can sit pretty well on her own so hopefully our first attempts will go well.

I am traveling to a wedding in a week and a half, but once I get back, I plan on trying this out.

In the meantime, I am trying to do a lot of research on how to approach this. I thought that another benefit of me staying home with her would give me a chance to put a lot of care into what she will be eating. I now have the time to shop for organic fruits and vegetables, and prepare them myself so I know exactly what she is consuming. However, I just learned of a new food introduction method called Baby-Led Weaning (BLW). I'm not completely sold on it, so the jury is still out on this end while I read up.

Please let me know what route you took, and if you have any great resources, please post the links! Thanks!