*Feed your family high quality, nutritional food challenge*

[JennyMominRI]

This is some really great info..We eat a ton of spinach around here... When I buy fresh I buy organic but not when I buy frozen

 

[ANNFMUR]

Love this thread. I was intrigued by the cheap eats threads but ultimately disgusted by what some people are feeeding their families. I would love a focus on how to eat healthy and frugally. I love trader joe's for healthy organics and have noticed how more affordable organic food has become. Or maybe we just have more to spend on it. Ten years ago when I was investigating organic and healthy eating we were young and broke. It was hard to find and outrageously priced.

Keep the great ideas coming.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

Oh my! I'm pescetarian and simply can't stand it when someone tries to pull something like that over on me. Have you thought about throwing his food on the grill first? That's what we do for me (um, and we have two Foremans too, and a huge two-level outdoor grill, but I digress...).

I am not "pulling" anything. He is 17 years old and the only member of the family who has chosen the Vegan lifestyle. As I explained to him when he started this, I will support his decision, but he is going to have to be responsible for this himself. I am not his short order cook.

If he doesn't want eggplant grilled at the same time as chicken and that is what is being planned for the evening, then he can grill his own before or after the chicken, or he can take it inside and cook it himself.

If nothing else he has a job, he can buy his own second grill and I promise not to touch it.

 

[LisaR]

For several years, I've grown more & more allergic to raw fruits & veggies. I've been allergic to melons for about 25 years now. I can only eat cooked veggies or canned or cooked fruits. I figure something in the cooking/canning process breaks down some chemical enough so I can eat the fruits.

Only 10 years ago, I used to eat raw apples every day. Suddenly I became allergic.

Have you tried eating some of these things in different seasons; especially melons? There is a huge connection to melons and hay fever season. When I lived in MI, I had the worst hay fever. If I ate watermelon, my throat would swell and I would have a horrible reaction. The allergist suggested trying a small amount during another time of the year. I did fine (of course, the watermelon doesn't taste as good in January but at least I didn't react). After moving to FL three years ago, my hay fever has disappeared and I can now eat melon in season.

Lisa

 

[weregoingtodw]

I am not "pulling" anything. He is 17 years old and the only member of the family who has chosen the Vegan lifestyle. As I explained to him when he started this, I will support his decision, but he is going to have to be responsible for this himself. I am not his short order cook.

My apologies, no offense meant. It's rather a sore subject for me. Family members try to "slip" meat items in, like cooking the rice in chicken broth, or cooking food with meat in it, then slipping out the meat before I get there.

If you're cooking his food on the same grill for him, I'd just let him know, "I'm about to cook your eggplant where I just cooked our steaks. If you'd like to clean the grill, you'd better come do it now!"

You're a great mom for supporting him in his lifestyle. As I'm sure you've seen, the vegan lifestyle is not an easy one. I'm not even aspiring to it at this point, although I have great respect for those who do.

 

[LisaR]

On the organic apples they had a show on NPR this week about eating "in season fruit" being better for you. Apples for example they said should not be eaten in the summer. Whole Foods always has a great guide in their handouts about what's at it's peak right now - I know yesterday had peaches among other things and so we went with peaches for the week and they are delicious!!!

Any idea why? I assume it would be because the nutritional quality isn't as good since the fruit was picked months ago. If that is the case, it is still better than junk food, however, if there is some other reason, I would like to find out. My DD and DH are appleaholics! DD has two apples almost every single day of the week.

Lisa

 

[kayeandjim00]

Any idea why? I assume it would be because the nutritional quality isn't as good since the fruit was picked months ago. If that is the case, it is still better than junk food, however, if there is some other reason, I would like to find out. My DD and DH are appleaholics! DD has two apples almost every single day of the week.

Lisa

The basics as I remember were the multiple "costs" of food being shipped in. The fruit loses lots of vitamins and minerals in the time span it takes to get here. The effect on the environment for the trucking to get it to you. The cost to local farmers when out of state fruit is purchased. More of a chance for contamination in that time span. That's all I remembered Oh and it's cheaper Can't forget that!

 

[swankybeth]

Breakfast-Glucerna strawberry and flakes cereal w/vanilla soymilk
grapes

Snack-whole wheat bagel w/cream cheese, peach iced tea (me)
everything bagel w/cream cheese, iced latte (dh)

Late lunch-roasted veggie wraps-whole wheat flatbread, eggplant, lite Swiss, roasted peppers, sundried tomatoes, Kalamata olives
matzah w/cranberry pepper jelly

Dinner-Rotisserie chicken from Costco (no skin)
collard greens w/onions and some dark meat from the chicken
salad-greens, crumbled Feta, olives, Sesame Ginger dressing
iced green tea w/honey

Snack (dh only) lowfat Hebrew National hotdog on a whole wheat bun

 

[weregoingtodw]

Okay, here goes today's meals:

Breakfast --
organic peanut butter on organic whole grain bread
organic ff milk / organic oj

Lunch --
tuna on organic whole grain bread
various organic veggies (cukes, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes)
hummus for dipping
water

Dinner --
four-cheese ravioli with organic vodka sauce (both from TJ's)

Snack --
root beer float (Hansen's diet root beer with vanilla bean ice cream -- NOT organic! )

I like this. Keeps me accountable.

 

[weregoingtodw]

Can't remember where, but I think someone in this thread mentioned organic ice cream being a "must have" from TJ's. I checked today and ours doesn't carry it (doesn't even have a shelf tag). Whoever mentioned it, do you happen to know the brand name, or is it a TJ's brand item? I'm going to request it at ours.

 

[Juliah]

Breakfast:
scrambled eggs
home fries
low-carb whole grain toast
orange juice
coffee
(The low-carber in the family also had sugar-free jam.)

Lunch:
grilled cheese on low-carb whole grain bread
pickles
water

Dinner:
oven-baked chicken nuggets http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_32656,00.html?rsrc=search
green beans with parmesan cheese
Annie's Whole Wheat Shells & Cheddar
whole grain vanilla cake (from an Archer Farms mix) with blueberries and whipped cream
milk or water

Snacks:
cashews
whole wheat pretzels
peanut butter
apple juice

 

[TnTWalter]

Love this thread. I was intrigued by the cheap eats threads but ultimately disgusted by what some people are feeeding their families. I would love a focus on how to eat healthy and frugally. I love trader joe's for healthy organics and have noticed how more affordable organic food has become. Or maybe we just have more to spend on it. Ten years ago when I was investigating organic and healthy eating we were young and broke. It was hard to find and outrageously priced.

Keep the great ideas coming.

I am on a few budget related boards and read messages about how little people spend and I am so jealous UNTIL I read what they're buying. I especially am amazed at the people who buy $100 of groceries with $60 in coupons but then it's mostly stuff I don't buy. BUT....

there HAS to be a way to be FRUGAL and still HEALTHY....no?? I know scratch cooking really helps and I plan to use some of the recipes I've read about HERE, but I'd love tips on FRUGALITY, especially for produce and good meat. Thanks!!

That said, my tip....a bunch of my neighbors are going in on a COW. We're getting mostly ground beef, but some good cuts [no parts that I wouldn't know what to do with]. They don't get antibiotics. It's working out to about $2 a pound. I can get cheapo ground chuck in the roll for less than that, but this sounds better...

Trish

 

[TnTWalter]

Whole wheat waffles made with Trader Joe's Mix [love this stuff]...and light syrup....[box is <$3 and lasts a while; syrup is generic and $1.29 also lasts a while] ...used 2 egg whites in the batter...
Fresh mango & cantelope slices... [cantelope was FREE from friend's garden; mango was $1].
Milk & OJ for drinks.

Snack Apple slices with Colby Jack Cheese [bag of apples $3/bag of sliced CJ $3.59].

Lunch
Strawberries [$1.50]; Carrots [whole bag is $1.50 used 1/3 on 3 kids at lunch]. Ranch Dressing to dip [generic $1.25/used 1T each kid]; Organic PB & Honey Whole Wheat Toast [organic PB $1.89; Bread $1.79]. Iced Cookies. Milk [I spend <$2 per gallon no generic; we go through 2 per week...].

Snack
Raisins & Crackers with Squirt Cheese [bad me but they love to write their names]. & Capri Sun Water + Grape flavor. [Capri Sun is $1.50 for 10; Raisins were $1.50 for pack of 8 generic; Squirt Cheese $2.89].

Dinner
FREE...Luau....the kids had hot dogs [yikes!] and fresh pineapple & watermelon & macadamia cookie + shared rasberrey sherbert [sp].

Trish

 

[LisaR]

Dinner tonight was homemade pizza. Most would think our pizza is pretty gross. We don't use cheese (except DS who uses rice cheese) and we add some interesting toppings. I guess I view it more as a grilled flat bread type thing but we call it pizza.

Homemade whole wheat pizza dough in bread machine

Homemade sauce (previously frozen)

Toppings:
DH & Mine: onions, broccoli, tons of mushrooms, tomato slices, peppers, spices including a bunch of fresh basil.

DD (12): onions, mushrooms, tons of broccoli, Applegate Farms ham, spices.

DS (10): This is the really gross one! lol Rice cheese, onions, AF ham, and a huge mound of shredded carrots........all you can see is orange when he is done.

I tease my kids that they are not allowed to eat pizza in public because they will get made fun of.

Lisa

 

[LisaR]

there HAS to be a way to be FRUGAL and still HEALTHY....no??

Healthy is a very subjective term. We don't buy any beef. Someone else might buy low fat ground sirloin and consider that healthy. Neither one of us is wrong. It is just a question of what one deems healthy.

Lisa

 

[Juliah]

I just read through the entire thread. I am crying as I type this.
We do not eat like this. I have twinkies and potato chips in my cupboard. I ate 6 pieces of bacon as a snack tonight. My husband's favorite food is sugar cereal. I have 2 sons who are 9 and 12 years old. Thank goodness they are both skinny and so is my husband. I was not brought up to shop and cook and think like you guys. I was taught to cook frozen pizza and canned fruit and veggies. How do I stop that and start doing what you guys do? I am so impressed....

jwann,

Our family hasn't always eaten as well as we do now, and we still have plenty of room for improvement. Like someone said, it's a process, and a gradual one at that. We didn't make sudden huge changes. At first, I mixed half regular pasta with half whole wheat pasta and worked up to all whole wheat. Same thing with using whole wheat flour in baking. I used a little at first and gradually changed the proportions. When my kids were little, I got in the habit of using a lot of convenience foods (my two youngest were born with medical problems, so we were really stressed). We gradually cut back on those, doing more and more cooking from scratch. The crockpot is a big help because I can chop up the ingredients in the morning when I have more time, throw them in the crockpot, and have a good meal in the evening when I'm busy and tired.

It's been really helpful to have a good friend who's into healthy eating, too. We inspire each other, share recipes now and then, and give each other the heads up when we find good deals. This thread inspires me a lot, too. Finding better ways to feed my family has become kind of a fun and satisfying challenge.

Maybe you can start making some small changes and see where it goes. Good luck!

 

[LisaR]

jwann,

Our family hasn't always eaten as well as we do now, and we still have plenty of room for improvement. Like someone said, it's a process, and a gradual one at that. We didn't make sudden huge changes. At first, I mixed half regular pasta with half whole wheat pasta and worked up to all whole wheat. Same thing with using whole wheat flour in baking. I used a little at first and gradually changed the proportions.

I totally agree. Make small changes. It takes time to change your habits. You have been eating this way for years so you can't expect it to change overnight.

Funny story: DH was on a golf team from work for years. At the end of every season, they went to one guys house for a BBQ and night of poker. A few weeks before, the guy would take orders and go to the butcher and pick up the meat. This was probably 17 or 18 years ago. We had stopped eating red meat and the choices were always different types of steaks. My DH asked if the guy could get him a chicken breast instead. DH was the butt of all the jokes at the golf outing that year since he didn't eat a "manly" steak. Good thing he has a sense of humor! Fast forward a year and the guy comes around with the menu. Not only are chicken breasts on the menu but HALF of the golf team ordered chicken instead of steak.

What is the point? If I would have told my DH 20 years ago that one day he would totally give up red meat and eventually become a vegetarian for 8 years (we have gone back to eating poultry and fish) he would have said I was crazy. Over time, I just stopped serving meat and had meals that tasted so good, he honestly didn't notice until I pointed it out. This took time; years in fact. If you make small changes now, you will look back in a few years and be impressed at how different your diet is. Good luck!

Lisa

 

[TinkerbellMama]

We make our own pizzas with whole wheat dough. I still haven't mastered rolling out the dough 100% though and would love tips! I can't remember the rules about letting it rise, when to take it out of the fridge, etc. etc. Sometimes it shrinks back up on me after I've rolled it out, and I do have a high-quality rolling pin so it's not the equipment's fault!

For toppings we use:
Organic tomato paste, sauce, and/or sliced/diced tomatoes
Green pepper
Red onion
SESAME SEEDS! We sprinkle these directly on top of the tomato base as they are tasty and have a lot of calcium. They don't make the crust any crunchier that I've noticed, but they do give it a kinda vaguely nutty, toasted taste that is fantastic!
Sometimes vegan cheese/pepperoni slices, but usually not. Expensive and high in sodium. Blah.
Oregano
Crushed red peppers (even our son loves these)

Sorry to add this part given the OP's guidelines, BUT (lol), this is not only a healthy, satisfying meal...it is cheap, too!

 

[TinkerbellMama]

Last night I made Spinach & Ricotta on shells. Kids LOVE This stuff!!


Ingredients:

olive oil
spinach
unsalted butter
half and half
scallions
parmesan cheese
ricotta
pasta shells

I am going to make this tomorrow with tofu instead of ricotta and Earth Balance in place of butter...if anyone is interested in how it turns out, PM me and I'll get back to you with details!

 

[Imzadi]

Have you tried eating some of these things in different seasons; especially melons? There is a huge connection to melons and hay fever season. When I lived in MI, I had the worst hay fever. If I ate watermelon, my throat would swell and I would have a horrible reaction. The allergist suggested trying a small amount during another time of the year. I did fine (of course, the watermelon doesn't taste as good in January but at least I didn't react). After moving to FL three years ago, my hay fever has disappeared and I can now eat melon in season. Lisa

I did know that my melon allergy was probably related to my hay fever. I never thought about trying them out of season. Makes sense though, as my all too sensitive system from the hay fever might be exacerbated by the melons, whereas I might not have a problem at other times. That, or as kayeandjim00 said, maybe by the time the out of season fruit gets shipped over, the nutrients/chemicals I'm allergic to may have faded enough for me not to have a reaction.

It would be nice to have fresh fruit again. After finding I was still allergic to the orchard apples I got, I ended up making individual baked apples out of the rest. I also found Trader Joe's has mangoes in a glass JAR that are to die for.

People who are allergic to soy may just have to change brands. I'm allergic to the SILK brand soy millk as it's processed in such a way that it's still very raw & it needs to be refrigerated. But the PACIFIC brand soy milk, I don't have a problem with. Again, something about the heating/canning, packaging process in this case, neutralizes whatever I'm allergic to.