Question for Organic and Uber Healthy Eaters

[LisaR]

Thank you for your post! I will definitely be looking for those nonorganic rice cakes in the regular section of the store as my kids are yet again eating half a package right now after school. Yes, my #1 concern is trying to stay as close to whole foods as possible. I am horrified by he granola bars I was giving my kids for years. It would have been healthier for me to make them cookies, I think. I do love the Food Co-Op here; it just seems like they never have everything I need, but maybe I can go to Smiths for the rest. Funny that you mention the canned/boxed tomatoes because I just made spaghetti (with rice pasta) last night and I had a heck of a time finding ones I thought would be good. I can't wait for the Farmers Markets to start!

I am not sure if this recipe would appeal to your kids or not but I will share my recipe for granola bars. Unfortunately, measuring isn't one of my strong points so you will have to play with it. These freeze so well. My kids will grab one in the morning and by the time they need a snack in the late morning, they are good to go.

Old Fashioned Oatmeal (I will use a whole tub but I have a huge pan I make them in. Not sure the size but it is bigger than my 9x13 pan)
a banana or two
Natural, no sugar added apple sauce (I use close to a whole big jar)
Frozen fruit of your choice (Berries work really well with blueberries being our top choice. I use about 4 cups.)
Optional: Sweetener of your choice (honey, sugar, agave)

Mash the banana in a large bowl. Add the oatmeal. Add enough applesauce to make the mixture stick together really well. You want it to be slightly damp not sopping wet.

Take the frozen berries and pulse them in the food processor. This will be noisy! You don't want to do this with thawed berries because it will make a a wet, mushy mess.

Add the crushed berries to the oatmeal mixture and mix well. If you want to sweeten it, add sweetener to taste. I did in the beginning but I don't now.

Line the bottom of your pan with parchment paper and press the mixture in, patting it down very well. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour at 350 until it seems firm. Take out of the oven and lift up by the parchment paper. Set on a cooling rack for 5 or 10 minutes. Then, flip the entire thing over and remove the parchment paper. Let cool completely and store in the refrigerator or freeze.

A few of my friends make this and add nut or seeds. Due to allergies, we can't but that may be an option for you.

Hope that helps!

 

[mermaidwannabe]

I am not sure if this recipe would appeal to your kids or not but I will share my recipe for granola bars. Unfortunately, measuring isn't one of my strong points so you will have to play with it. These freeze so well. My kids will grab one in the morning and by the time they need a snack in the late morning, they are good to go.

Old Fashioned Oatmeal (I will use a whole tub but I have a huge pan I make them in. Not sure the size but it is bigger than my 9x13 pan)
a banana or two
Natural, no sugar added apple sauce (I use close to a whole big jar)
Frozen fruit of your choice (Berries work really well with blueberries being our top choice. I use about 4 cups.)
Optional: Sweetener of your choice (honey, sugar, agave)

Mash the banana in a large bowl. Add the oatmeal. Add enough applesauce to make the mixture stick together really well. You want it to be slightly damp not sopping wet.

Take the frozen berries and pulse them in the food processor. This will be noisy! You don't want to do this with thawed berries because it will make a a wet, mushy mess.

Add the crushed berries to the oatmeal mixture and mix well. If you want to sweeten it, add sweetener to taste. I did in the beginning but I don't now.

Line the bottom of your pan with parchment paper and press the mixture in, patting it down very well. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour at 350 until it seems firm. Take out of the oven and lift up by the parchment paper. Set on a cooling rack for 5 or 10 minutes. Then, flip the entire thing over and remove the parchment paper. Let cool completely and store in the refrigerator or freeze.

A few of my friends make this and add nut or seeds. Due to allergies, we can't but that may be an option for you.

Hope that helps!

Lisa, thank you!!! It's so convenient to have a snack like that!! I have a 47 oz jar of applesauce, so I'll just go by what you said to not have it wet. Thanks for the tip about processing the berries; I probably would've thawed them. Can't WAIT to try these. I have a ton of oatmeal since I was going to make my own oat flour.

Oh, to those who make yogurt, can I use coconut milk or almond milk or do I have to use regular milk??

 

[mcgrawfan]

My family has cut out eating wheat, grains, fake fats like vegetable oil, and cutting sugar WAY out. We mostly eat vegetables, fruit and meat. We purchase a LOT of food at Costco. They have a wonderful produce department where we can get fresh fruits and veggies in larger quantities for a fraction of grocery store prices.
We have gotten a few things at Trader Joes. They have yummy hummus! We are getting a Whole Foods next year. It will be about 45 minutes away from us. So I am excited to add that to our grocery choices too.
Eating healthy is NOT cheap, but I have lost about 14 lbs without even trying and I feel that we are making positive changes to our lives.

 

[magik]

Do you use rice? Buy it from an Asian market for a substantial savings.

Not only rice, but also sometimes fresh produce is a great bargain at Asian or other "international" grocery stores. There's an Asian market near me that has great deals on big bags of rice and dried beans. Things like tea and herbs/spices can also be good deals at international grocery stores (not to mention having cool seasonings you can't necessarily find easily at some place like Safeway or Giant).

 

[mermaidwannabe]

We've totally changed how we eat for 3 weeks now, and I haven't lost any weight, but I did kick my caffeine and sugar habit after 3 days of feeling AWFUL. I think I'm eating too many nuts and sprouted toast , but I'll work on it.

Tried the yogurt in the crock pot last night, but it didn't work at all. I think maybe because I used coconut milk, so tonight I guess I'll try cow's milk, even though I've been trying to get away from that. Still, I can't give up Greek yogurt so want to try this. I'm going to try Lisa's granola bars too, hopefully today.

My family does love enchiladas and burritos and tacos, so I'm definitely going to get some rice and beans recipes. I've been getting the brown rice, but I thought I read somewhere that basmati is good for you too. ?

No international markets here unfortunately, but thank you for the tips on that. I'm going to be in San Diego after Disneyland next month and posted to TripAdvisor on if/where there are any organic or whole foods stores and people have responded so that will be good there. Now DL? That may be hard to eat healthy there, but I'm going to go over the menus today at allears.net.

Thank you!!

 

[mermaidwannabe]

Just wanted to share. We just tried Bob's Red Mill Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal that is wheat, gluten and dairy free, and my kids like it! My middle girl is addicted to Cream of Wheat, I swear, so this was good to find. It has rice, corn (which I'm not so sure about), sorghum and buckwheat. Kind of pricey. I think it was $5.99 for a little bag, but it will make 3-4 breakfasts, I think, so not bad overall.

 

[westcliffemom]

Just a suggestion: Try contacting all the companies that make the brands you're buying. Let them know you really enjoy their products and ask for coupons. It's not super long term savings, but it helps a little bit.

 

[mermaidwannabe]

Just a suggestion: Try contacting all the companies that make the brands you're buying. Let them know you really enjoy their products and ask for coupons. It's not super long term savings, but it helps a little bit.

Good idea, thanks! Shouldn't take too long online. On a side note, I've tried the crockpot yogurt two times and failed, so I will stick to my Fage.

 

[williamson_ja]

My suggestions have somewhat been answered already, but I just make as much as possible from scratch. I can make bread for about $0.50 with beautiful whole grains, honey, olive oil, and yeast. Much cheaper than buying a $5.00 loaf. Breads, muffins, tortillas, etc. are all pretty simple to make and super cheap. I buy all my produce from our food co-op. They have regular produce and organic. The organic produce there is cheaper than the regular stuff at the grocery store. Use a lot of rice and beans. They are cheap, taste great, are very versitile, and good for you. Just make sure it's brown rice. If you use rice milk or almond milk, it's also really easy and cheap to make yourself. I buy raw almonds in bulk, then just make as much almond milk as I need at the time. Super easy. Anyway, hope something here helps. You do have to get a little creative to eat healthy and not spend a fortune. I've actually gotten to where I now spend LESS than when we ate the standard american diet.

 

[LisaR]

Good idea, thanks! Shouldn't take too long online. On a side note, I've tried the crockpot yogurt two times and failed, so I will stick to my Fage.

Sorry it didn't work for you. When I made yogurt, I used an actual yogurt maker that was maybe $10. I found it was impossible to make yogurt with almond, rice, or oat milk. It always worked out perfectly with cow's milk and usually worked well with soy milk. Unfortunately, in my family of four, we have three that can't tolerate cow's milk and three that can't tolerate soy (not the same three, either). It just wasn't worth the effort for me since only one person could eat a batch.

 

[Sarah_Rose]

Sorry it didn't work for you. When I made yogurt, I used an actual yogurt maker that was maybe $10. I found it was impossible to make yogurt with almond, rice, or oat milk. It always worked out perfectly with cow's milk and usually worked well with soy milk. Unfortunately, in my family of four, we have three that can't tolerate cow's milk and three that can't tolerate soy (not the same three, either). It just wasn't worth the effort for me since only one person could eat a batch.

I was just wondering what kind of yogurt you used as a starter... I've been trying to make breast milk yogurt for my 9 month old son (I have tons of frozen milk in the freezer, and he doesn't take a bottle and I can't donate it because of strict no-medication rules for the milk banks) and I've tried a few different methods with no luck. I'm wondering if it's the type of yogurt I'm using for the starter... I've been using plain Greek yogurt, but nothing has been happening.

Sorry if the phrase "breast milk yogurt" grosses people out!

 

[LisaR]

I was just wondering what kind of yogurt you used as a starter... I've been trying to make breast milk yogurt for my 9 month old son (I have tons of frozen milk in the freezer, and he doesn't take a bottle and I can't donate it because of strict no-medication rules for the milk banks) and I've tried a few different methods with no luck. I'm wondering if it's the type of yogurt I'm using for the starter... I've been using plain Greek yogurt, but nothing has been happening.

Sorry if the phrase "breast milk yogurt" grosses people out!

I always used Stoneyfield Farms plain yogurt.

 

[Sarah_Rose]

I always used Stoneyfield Farms plain yogurt.

Thanks! I'll have to try that out! I've tried Chobani (because that's what my DH eats tons of, so we always have it in the house), but I'll have to pick up some Stoneyfield. I prefer their yogurt, anyway.

 

[mermaidwannabe]

Yes, I thought about getting a yogurt maker. Actually my DH suggested it after my 2nd failed attempt with the crock pot, lol.

Lisa! I made the granola bars, and while my kids thought I should add some salt next time and sweetener, we loved them. Next time I'll add more frozen fruit; I don't think I added enought and maybe a few packets of stevia at least until they get used to now having granola bars that are essentially cookies, like normal ones! On a few, I spread EXTREMELY thinly, some 70% dark chocolate so I could then sprinkle some unsweetened coconut on top. Very pretty! I do have a question. Just wondering if I made them too thick? They were chewy in the middle (maybe I didn't cook them long enough), probably 1inch thick.

 

[mermaidwannabe]

My suggestions have somewhat been answered already, but I just make as much as possible from scratch. I can make bread for about $0.50 with beautiful whole grains, honey, olive oil, and yeast. Much cheaper than buying a $5.00 loaf. Breads, muffins, tortillas, etc. are all pretty simple to make and super cheap. I buy all my produce from our food co-op. They have regular produce and organic. The organic produce there is cheaper than the regular stuff at the grocery store. Use a lot of rice and beans. They are cheap, taste great, are very versitile, and good for you. Just make sure it's brown rice. If you use rice milk or almond milk, it's also really easy and cheap to make yourself. I buy raw almonds in bulk, then just make as much almond milk as I need at the time. Super easy. Anyway, hope something here helps. You do have to get a little creative to eat healthy and not spend a fortune. I've actually gotten to where I now spend LESS than when we ate the standard american diet.

WOW, you make your own almond milk??!! And tortillas? I never even thought about making those things! That's great that you are spending less now. I'm going to have to dig my old bread machine out and try a few.

 

[Sorsha]

Not one stop shopping is right!! You know what? I think we DO have a7th day store, but I think it's for books and supplements. Honestly I've never gone in because I didn't know if I was allowed to. Not that I have my religion pasted on my forehead, lol. And I am trying the yogurt!

Silly!!

Yes you are allowed to shop there! I used to belong to the SDA church - separated from the religion years ago over theological reasons - but they are very nice people. I believe I have been in the Bozeman store (*think, think, think*) - it has been some years, but I believe they do have a grocery selection as well, or at least they did when I was there.

Anyone can shop there, and they are quite welcoming, and they try to keep the prices down. They also encourage case sales. I believe they used to offer a mailing list and would let you know when a truck was coming in so you could come shop by the case.

 

[LisaR]

Yes, I thought about getting a yogurt maker. Actually my DH suggested it after my 2nd failed attempt with the crock pot, lol.

Lisa! I made the granola bars, and while my kids thought I should add some salt next time and sweetener, we loved them. Next time I'll add more frozen fruit; I don't think I added enought and maybe a few packets of stevia at least until they get used to now having granola bars that are essentially cookies, like normal ones! On a few, I spread EXTREMELY thinly, some 70% dark chocolate so I could then sprinkle some unsweetened coconut on top. Very pretty! I do have a question. Just wondering if I made them too thick? They were chewy in the middle (maybe I didn't cook them long enough), probably 1inch thick.

Glad they liked them! I just cut back the amount of sugar a little each time until I am making it without. I do that on anything that requires a sweetener. Now when my kids have something with a "normal" amount of sugar in it, they are grossed out at how sweet it is!

My granola bars are only about a 1/2 inch thick so that is probably why yours were chewy in the middle. Just bake them longer. I have forgotten about them in the oven a time or two.......or three and they are fine.

If they like the granola bars, try making cobbler. It is the same base: banana, applesauce, oatmeal, sweetener is optional.

Put frozen berries in a pan with a tablespoon or two of frozen OJ concentrate. You could also add a sweetener if you wanted. Let it simmer until the OJ has melted and the berries are no longer frozen (only takes 10 minutes or so). Once it is bubbling, mix a tablespoon of cornstarch with a tablespoon of cold water and SLOWLY add it to the berries, stirring until it thickens. Do not leave this unattended. It thickens quickly and it will burn in a split second if you aren't watching it. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

In a glass pan (either 8x8 or 9x13) press 1/2 to 3/4 of the oatmeal mixture into the bottom. You don't need cooking spray. It won't stick. Pour the berries on top and spread out. Crumble the rest of the mixture on top. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. My kids love this and they eat it for breakfast and dessert!

 

[williamson_ja]

WOW, you make your own almond milk??!! And tortillas? I never even thought about making those things! That's great that you are spending less now. I'm going to have to dig my old bread machine out and try a few.

Almond milk is super easy. I usually keep some sprouted almonds in the fridge to make it with. They don't have to be sprouted, but it is more nutritious if they are. You just put 1 cup of almonds and 3 cups of water into your blender. Blend on high. Then you strain the almond pulp out. They sell nut milk straining bags, but I just made my own by cutting a corner off of an old clean pillowcase and strain it through that. Once you strain the pulp out, you can add some agave to sweeten it a little. That's it.

Tortillas are also super easy. I think it costs me about $0.35 to make a dozen whole grain tortillas (about 10 inch size). I know I only put good stuff in them, they are cheap, and we use them all the time. I just use a rolling pin to roll them out and cook them in a frying pan on the stove. Something anywhere close to what I make at the grocery stores around here cost around $4 for 8.

 

[erinmomof2]

Almond milk is super easy. I usually keep some sprouted almonds in the fridge to make it with. They don't have to be sprouted, but it is more nutritious if they are. You just put 1 cup of almonds and 3 cups of water into your blender. Blend on high. Then you strain the almond pulp out. They sell nut milk straining bags, but I just made my own by cutting a corner off of an old clean pillowcase and strain it through that. Once you strain the pulp out, you can add some agave to sweeten it a little. That's it.

Tortillas are also super easy. I think it costs me about $0.35 to make a dozen whole grain tortillas (about 10 inch size). I know I only put good stuff in them, they are cheap, and we use them all the time. I just use a rolling pin to roll them out and cook them in a frying pan on the stove. Something anywhere close to what I make at the grocery stores around here cost around $4 for 8.

Thank you for the almond milk recipe! We go through a lot of it and it can get expensive. I'm going to try this for sure!

 

[SDSorority]

I make my own almond milk, too- so easy

SO speaking of how healthy we all eat at home.... what do you guys do when you're at the parks? We always rent a car so we can go get groceries to keep in the room. Have you found any treats at the parks that are.... 'ok'... from our standards KWIM? I always bring fruit, nuts, granola bars, water, etc. And I'll hunt around until I find Divvies cookies. THANK GOODNESS for Babycakes at DTD!