*Feed your family high quality, nutritional food challenge*

[MEM]

Finally a menu planning thread I can relate to!

Three easy entrees my family likes in the Summer:

English muffin pizzas - whole wheat English muffins, lightly toasted first, Trader Joe's marinara sauce (no HFCS) and 2% milk mozzarella cheese. Assemble and bake at 400 degree until cheese is melted.

Crockpot vegetable soup - one 46 oz. can of V-8 or store brand vegetable juice, large bag of frozen mixed vegetables, one bag of frozen hash brown potato cubes (not the shredded kind). Cook on low for about four hours - if you cook all day the vegetables get too soft. You can also add a packet of Lipton Onion Soup mix if you can spare the sodium.

Tacos made with ground turkey breast - add equal parts cooked brown rice to the sauteed turkey breast and then season with taco spices. Nearly impossible to tell the brown rice from the turkey.

 

[LadyShiva]

Thank you for this thread! I'm really struggling with DH's milk and peanut allergies, and the fact he was brought up in an incredibly unhealthy kitchen. I need more variety than pre-made, store-bought chicken nuggets and green beans!!! I was brought up with hummus and sauerkraut and gaspacho (which, by the way, are 3 foods that WOULDN'T kill him!!), and I can't get him to try even a bite most nights. Kiddo is starting to take after him, and it is ticking me off!

Thanks again! It's good to know there are people who like to eat healthy out there!

Brandie

 

[briannesmom]

We love Barilla Plus too. If you watch for sales it isn't much more expensive than plain pasta. A week or so ago Krogers had it 3 for $5. I wish they had lasagna noodles, I don't know if they don't make them or my store just doesn't carry them. The only whole wheat lasagna noodles we have a Hodgsons Mill and we really didn't like them.

 

[mjbaby]

For those of you that are consuming unpasteurized dairy, are you afraid of the bacterias that could be in it? My doctor told me no unpasteurized anything due to concerns of listeria. Although I'm pregnant, I'm sure anyone could get this from unprocessed dairy.

There are many thoughts and perspectives, both scientific and not, relating to raw dairy. Deciding whether or not to consume it can only be a part of a personal risk-assessment calculus so if you're interested read a bit about it and see what you think. Since you're under the ongoing care of a physician that will no doubt inform your thoughts - at least for now.

For my family, after doing the reading (and I'm married to a research scientist and he was able to help me decode stuff) we decided that the risk was minimal and something that we felt o.k. about taking on. Then again, we also eat "wild" foods we collect from the fields around our house and I can a lot of fruits and veggies - all things that require some level of risk evaluation. We minimize the risk by utilizing trusted providers. Bottom line? In my opinion, healthy cows produce healthy milk that, when processed in a clean, healthy environment, makes a healthy product for healthy humans!

 

[punkin]

where do you guys get raw milk? in NY, you could get the stuff for use in "pet food" but in Maryland I haven't found anything. I like to make homemade yogurt and farmer cheese and I need raw milk for that.

 

[mickeyfan2]

where do you guys get raw milk? in NY, you could get the stuff for use in "pet food" but in Maryland I haven't found anything. I like to make homemade yogurt and farmer cheese and I need raw milk for that.

I see signs all the time in Lancaster County for raw milk. I am not a milk person and DH will not drink it.

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

Here is the recipe for the lemon orzo with asparagus. I found it on Orlandosentinel.com while I was looking for Disney news. This is good warm or cold.

Ingredients:

1 cup orzo
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash of coarsely ground pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
8 roasted asparagus spears
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts


Instructions:
1. Cook pasta; drain and set aside.
2. Mix lemon juice, zest, salt and pepper. Slowly add oil to juice mixture, stirring with a small whisk or fork, until blended. Add to pasta, tossing to coat. Cool to room temperature. Cut roasted asparagus into 1-inch pieces. Stir in asparagus, parsley and nuts.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

Morning!

Breakfast:
Watermelon, canteloupe, strawberries and bananas with a boiled egg.
sm. serving of POM juice & milk for everyone

Snack:
Apple slices & Raisins
(I'm the lazy lady that pays waaay too much for the pre washed, sliced and packaged apples!)

Lunch:
(being served in exactly 20 minutes)
Homemade Chicken and Rice Soup with a hint of lime
Tomato, cucumber, Carrot Shreds on a bed of Spinach

Snack:
Apple Boats

Apple slices placed on a plate covered in Blue saran Wrap.
Toothpick on the apple holds a triangle of cheese for the 'sail'.
Gold Fish crackers in the 'water'
Small scoop of peanut butter on one side of plate for the 'sand'
Celery on the 'sand' as 'benches'
Raisins on boats and benches as 'people'

Dinner:
The non healty Hamburgers on the grill! hahaha!! Topped with Tomatoes and Lettuce
pickles and homemade potato salad on the side
We wanted something fun and easy for dinner since we are cleaning the garage little by little for the garage sale this weekend!

 

[Nancyg56]

There are many thoughts and perspectives, both scientific and not, relating to raw dairy. Deciding whether or not to consume it can only be a part of a personal risk-assessment calculus so if you're interested read a bit about it and see what you think. Since you're under the ongoing care of a physician that will no doubt inform your thoughts - at least for now.

For my family, after doing the reading (and I'm married to a research scientist and he was able to help me decode stuff) we decided that the risk was minimal and something that we felt o.k. about taking on. Then again, we also eat "wild" foods we collect from the fields around our house and I can a lot of fruits and veggies - all things that require some level of risk evaluation. We minimize the risk by utilizing trusted providers. Bottom line? In my opinion, healthy cows produce healthy milk that, when processed in a clean, healthy environment, makes a healthy product for healthy humans!

My DH raised cows and we drank the milk he brought home without any one of us getting sick. My BIL did get sick when he would get raw milk from a farm near him. I agree that the environment is key and knew that my DH took pride in his animals and kept them clean and healthy. His equipment was sterilized and he never took any shortcuts for milking. I have never gotten any from anyone else though, this is one area in which I only trusted DH.

 

[briannesmom]

Apple Boats

Apple slices placed on a plate covered in Blue saran Wrap.
Toothpick on the apple holds a triangle of cheese for the 'sail'.
Gold Fish crackers in the 'water'
Small scoop of peanut butter on one side of plate for the 'sand'
Celery on the 'sand' as 'benches'
Raisins on boats and benches as 'people'

That is such a cute idea! DD would love it

 

[Beca]

For those of you that are consuming unpasteurized dairy, are you afraid of the bacterias that could be in it? My doctor told me no unpasteurized anything due to concerns of listeria. Although I'm pregnant, I'm sure anyone could get this from unprocessed dairy.

I just encourage anyone who is thinking about raw milk vs. pasteurized milk to do research in general, and then ask questions from the local raw milk farm. I am someone who cannot drink pasteurized milk, I get really bad cramps from it. I have never had any such problems with raw milk...and, it tastes SOOO good (I have never liked the way pasteurized milk tastes).

I think any milk coming from a "milk factory" should absolutely be pasteurized. Also, if the cows have been given antibiotics or growth hormones...we would insane to consume that milk without pasteurizing it first. However, if the whole milk comes from a farm with a limited number of cows (guaranteeing a minimum ratio of grass to cows), and if the are allowed to live most, if not all of their lives outdoors, and if the farm undergoes regular testing by local authorities, I think you are much safer (from a disease perspective) drinking such milk than you are eating a hamburger from your local fast food place (regarding outbreaks of hepatitis and e coli)...yet America consumes vast quantities of fast food every day, and no one seems to worry.

The dairy we get our milk from has two cows...a producing mama, and a non-producing baby. The cow roams freely on several acres of land, and is almost entirely grass fed. She only comes inside to be milked (except for inclement weather), and the owner does frequent "volunteer" testing of the milk to show the customers that all is well. You cannot actually purchase this milk freely in Texas, and we have to be members of a co-op to purchase it (and, when the amount of milk she can produce is spoken for...no more members are allowed). I also had to sign an agreement that this milk is for "pet consumption" only.

I am so impressed by this milk in so many ways...one biggie for me is that the container in which the milk is stored has NO smell while the milk is in it. I have always been so baffled by how people could smell a partially used gallon of milk and tell whether it was good or not....the cartons always smelled spoiled to me, even when they were first opened. When I open the raw milk and give it the "sniff test"...I only smell a slightly sweet "milk" smell. It made me realize how "modified" the milk we drink really is. Ultra pasteurization de-natures the proteins in milk to the point that our body cannot reconize them, and mounts an immune response to them (thus, the milk allergies and congestion often seen by those consuming pasteurized milk). I just do not think causing our bodies to frequently mount an immune response to something we regularly consume is such a good idea. I think everyone should make their own choice (as we do with so many things). I just wish the "choice" was easier to find....I have to drive a great distance to find this milk, and that gets old very quickly.

 

[Beca]

Oh, I forgot to post this. For those looking for really good pasta, I highly recommend the organic pasta from Tinkyada. It is really great pasta, and made from organic brown rice, it is one of the healthiest foods we can consume.

Here's a website discussing the benefits of brown rice:

http://www.whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=128

And, here's tinkyada's website:

www.tinkyada.com

 

[ladysoleil]

Barilla Plus is made with chick peas & other high protein, fiber & Omega 3 ingredients. Yet it tastes like regular pasta. It does NOT taste like boiled cardboard the way "whole wheat" pastas do. You do have to cook it a bit longer than regular pasta. It is a better choice for anyone who would still like to eat pasta, but not all the carbs. And the extra fiber & Omega 3's are an added healthy bonus.

I love the Barilla Plus. The regular whole wheat stuff, I think it would be tastier to eat the box than the pasta. I don't think it costs too much more, and I find it's more filling anyway, so it works out. I eat smaller portions of the Barilla Plus, I guess the fiber makes me feel more full. Or it's placebo effect, so either way, it works.

 

[mickeylove2]

This is a great thread! I will be scouring through all the pages over the next few days!

 

[LuckyMamaInDE]

I am a semi-regular who posts on the $10/day challenge thread (which the OP really meant to be a $20/day challenge as she lives where food costs are very low).

I want to share that it is possible to eat a healthy diet with organic fruits and veggies and whole grains while not spending a fortune It helps that I garden, as you will see.

Our dd12 has food allergies (soy, sesame, peanut, treenuts, watermelon) so we no longer consume any of her allergens. She was diagnosed in March btw and before that we ate a LOT of soy. It's been a long adjustment process!


So today's food (only 4 people today as ds14 is away at marching band camp until tomorrow night ):

Breakfast

dh, dd7 and I----whole wheat toast with butter (bread from outlet, no HFCS), $0.50
dd12---bran flakes and milk, $0.25 (10c for cereal, 15c for milk)
orange juice with calcium (we use 1/3 of the carton daily), $0.88
coffee etc, $0.90
dh had a peach (not-yet-certified local organic orchard) $0.33

Lunch

Dh ate with clients (business expense)
The girls and I had extrasharp cheddar (4oz, $0.50 on supersale), Triscuit crackers (free, Kraft sent me coupons ), sliced tomatoes (not dd7) from garden, peaches from orchard $1.00
water to drink

Dinner

Looks like it will be some sort of a taco-mexican lasagna-ish dish:

canned black beans, rinsed $0.50 (As an aside, Goya dried beans are now marked as contaminated with soybeans Hopefully the other brand of dried beans I can buy will still be ok or I will have to increase the garden size! I had to buy canned beans at the store Monday.)
corn tortillas, guessing at 10 (maybe more) for the meal, 3 cents each from the Mexican grocery, $0.30
cheese, the other half of the extrasharp cheddar, $0.50
tomatoes, garden
peppers, garden
onions, garden
yet more zucchini, garden
herbs, garden
one of dh's hot sauces, negligible cost

with
green beans, steamed, garden

milk to drink, one kiddo, $0.25
decaf sun tea, $0.20 for the halfgallon pitcher

Dh will probably have a homebrewed beer once home (had to drive 1.5hr to deal with umm, highmaintenance clients )---that money comes from his "allowance" portion of the budget.

Total for the day: $6.11

This total would be impossible without my garden I'm a recovering research chemist and am currently studying horticulture at a botanical garden (www.longwoodgardens.org) I hope to one day teach organic gardening techniques

 

[mjbaby]

This total would be impossible without my garden I'm a recovering research chemist and am currently studying horticulture at a botanical garden (www.longwoodgardens.org) I hope to one day teach organic gardening techniques

I don't live far from Longwood - up 202N a ways - but I didn't know they do teaching programs there. I'm going to have to look into that!

Do you mean that you're going to start growing black/turtle beans when you commented about expanding your garden? I don't grow drying beans right now but I'm totally curious about the process. How much space do you need to plant to get a worthwhile crop?

 

[swankybeth]

Today

Breakfast- Glucerna strawberry and flakes cereal (got this because of a free rebate and it's actually really good) with vanilla soy milk
green tea w/Splenda
banana

Snack-100 Calorie pack Lorna Doone

Lunch-turkey, lite Swiss, yellow mustard on light 7 grain bread
peach
grape tomatoes

Snack-watermelon and a couple of pieces of chile spiced mangoes

Dinner-lasagna. I use ground turkey breast, slices of eggplant, fat free ricotta and low fat mozzarella to make it healthier.
glass of sangria for me
lemon-lime seltzer for dh

Snack-if we have one it will probably be either sugar free ices or watermelon

 

[LisaR]

We had a fabulous dinner tonight and I really didn't expect it to taste that great. It was called Butternut Squash French Toast with homemade vanilla syrup. I HATE squash so I was not expecting a whole lot from this recipe. It was so good.
I served it with turkey bacon for the kids, soy bacon for DH and myself and a big fruit salad (watermelon, blueberries, grapes and kiwi). Seriously, give this recipe a try for dinner or breakfast.

http://www.vanillarocks.com/Recipe/page37.html

Lisa

 

[DawnM]

Well, I won't post our last couple of days' dinners because we have been out and about and have been out to eat the last 2 nights with coupons to pretty high quality restarants, no fast food.

One thing I am getting the boys to do is drink more water. We are on a well and have had it tested. It is perfect drinking water. We sometimes put squeezed lemon in it (or lime). It is cheap and healthy.

Some nights we have baked potato night with various toppings including vegetables.

Other nights I make a large cobb salad and that is dinner. I might add some ww bread or rolls, but the salad is the main dish.

We do a LOT of brown rice as a side.

I will post once I start actually getting meals together again.

I think it is feezable to do budget and healthy, but maybe not for $10/day all the time.

Dawn

 

[lisabarr]

We have been doing a lot of heathy cooking. I have lost over 70 pounds. I have switched all our rice to brown rice, pasta to whole wheat (can't tell the diff) whole wheat bread ect... The $10 a day thread scares me
I could not feed my family on the portions they serve let alone the junk food alot seem to consume.
I took my daughter to the pedatrician for her annual checkup and asked her what her weight/height was on the charts because I was worried that she was too thin, I mean she is super slim and very tall and all my friends were commenting. The child really eats but I asked anyway. The dr. said something I thought was so interesting that we, as a society, are so used to seeing overweight children, that when we see someone like my daughter,
(49th percentile), we automatically assume something must be wrong. I thought that was so sad.
\
Now to change the topic.....
I do have a question about cooking the brown rice. I use a rice cooker and it always gets either too sticky or sticks to the bottom. Not really light and fluffy. What is your secret to brown rice cooking??