Dried Fruit Packets

The Food Factor - Stocking Up

There are no two ways about it - if you buy junk food, convenience foods or unhealthy snacks, your kids are going to eat them. You cannot develop a healthy eating plan with cupboards full of rubbish. It won't work. The temptation will be too great for children to resist, and you may also be tempted to give in to their demands even if there are other options available. If a child wails, begs and argues for chips or chicken nuggets for long enough, chances are that most parents will give in eventually. But the reality is that if you don't have these foods in your house, you can't.

All the time I hear stories of parents who are bewildered by the fact that their children will only eat 'chocolate spread sandwiches', 'chips', 'chocolate cereals' or 'spaghetti hoops'. Huh? If you don't buy these foods, they simply can't eat them. It's time to face up to the fact that parents do have the ultimate control over what their children eat in the house, and it is our responsibility to ensure that our children eat well. It's not gluttony that makes a child fat in most cases, but a poor diet. And that is something that you do have the power to change under your own roof.

So clear out those cupboards and the cook-chill drawers of your freezer. If you don't feel comfortable throwing out perfectly good food, then run your stocks down as you begin to incorporate a new eating programme. And then don't be tempted to replace such foods. Many of us make the mistake of hitting the same aisles in the supermarket week on week, like robots, buying exactly the same foods -mega packets of crisps, sweets, chocolate spread, cakes, biscuits, tinned spaghetti, frozen chips and pizzas, ready-prepared burgers, sweetened cereals, fizzy drinks, high-sugar fruit squashes and lots of other unsuitable junk.

So what should you buy?
It's clear that junk foods have no place in our children's diets. Start with fresh foods -lean meats, fish, lots and lots of fresh fruits and fresh or frozen vegetables, some pulses (such as chickpeas or baked beans), wholemeal bread, cheese, unsweetened cereals, butter, milk, pure fruit juice, eggs, pasta (preferably wholewheat), rice (preferably brown), rice cakes (again preferably brown), yogurt, dried fruit, nuts and seeds. If you are weaning children off an unhealthy diet, you may want to buy a small packet of biscuits or crisps and a few snack-sized bars of chocolate - a bag of oven chips is OK, too. If you have a busy lifestyle and have to resort from time to time to convenience foods, look for good-quality brands with a low salt and saturated fat content. And avoid anything with the word 'hydrogenated' on it, as this will contain the most unhealthy fats - trans fats.

Avoid shopping with your children at this stage if you can, as they will undoubtedly persuade you to add other goodies to your trolley, or beg for old favourites. You need a clean slate to do this properly, and that means filling up the house with the type of food you actually want your children to eat.

Many parents will now be baulking at the idea of preparing a freshly cooked meal three times a day. Time is often at a premium, and coming home after a busy day of work to a household of starving kids and then taking an hour to prepare something nutritious may be impossible. There is no doubt that it's easier just to stick a pizza in the oven and call it a day. But it's time now to face up to the fact that this type of approach to food teaches our children nothing about nutrition, and fills them with the types of foods that will either make them fat - or have made them fat already.

It needn't be time-consuming or expensive to prepare and eat fresh foods. In fact, the cost of convenience and junk foods can be exorbitant. If you stick to the basics, you'll find that your shopping bill actually goes down. If you have a freezer it makes sense to buy special offers when possible, and to make extra quantities of healthy foods for standby meals when you are too busy to cook. And as for time, it's a fallacy to believe that healthy food has to be cordon bleu with an hour of preparation time. Grilling a chicken breast, baking a potato and putting together a salad takes very little time.

Before we get onto the nitty-gritty of actual meals here are a few premises to remember:

- Stick to the food pyramid when considering your child's overall daily intake.
- Start with vegetables and fruit - if your child is getting over five servings a day, and preferably more, she'll be filled up with good, nutritious basic foods that will leave her less hungry.
- Try to incorporate at least two or three fruits and/or vegetables at every meal and be careful that you provide a balance; remember - don't neglect the vegetables in favour of fruit.
- Next choose a good source of protein - some chicken, fish, beans or lean meats, such as trimmed pork chops, lamb chops or even lean mince.
- Try to choose unrefined carbs - brown rice, wholewheat pasta, wholemeal bread, potatoes etc.
- Go for water, juice or milk for meals - if water is not popular in your house, then add a few drops of high-fruit squash or pure fruit juice for flavour or a squeeze of fresh lime or lemon juice.
- Dessert or pudding does not have to be off the menu - yogurt, fruit, even fruit purees, tinned fruit in fruit juice or dried fruits are fine. Also, the occasional square or two of good-quality 70% cocoa chocolate, biscuit or cake can top off a meal and satisfy a sweet tooth.
- Don't forget the snacks. Children are normally ravenous when they come home from school, and often can't make it between meals without something to eat and drink. Have healthy snacks to hand and offer them regularly, as this will help to keep blood sugar levels stable, prevent cravings and overeating, and give your children something nutritious in place of the unhealthy snacks they may be eating now.

Food for Fighters (1943)

Sun Maid California Golden Raisins, 15-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 6) List Price: $21.12 Sale Price: $16.25 You save: $4.87 (23%)   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours See Reviews For This Product Description Natural. California. Great for baking and other recipes. High-energy snack. No fat. Eat 5 to 9 a day for better health. Nutrition experts recommend we eat five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day for better health. Just one quarter cup of Sun- Features Pack of 6 (total 90 oz) Raisins packed in resealable bags inside each box Eat them right out of the box as a high-energy snack Great for baking and other recipes Grown in the sunny vineyards in California

Greens To Go, Superfood Drink Mix - 30 X 8g packets List Price: $35.95 Sale Price: $20.46 You save: $15.49 (43%)   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days See Reviews For This Product Description Nature's Antioxidant Blend: Free radicals are believed to play a role in almost all the common diseases of aging. Consuming a wide variety of natural, plant derived antioxidants (phytonutrients) from dark greens, fruits, vegetables, bran, and teas, often called nature's "superfoods", may be the best way to provide the body with the most complete protection against free radical damage. These extracts from fruits and vegetables of all the colors are "super concentrated" to provide the highest antioxidant activity possible! Nature's Greens Blend: The USDA says the average American needs to eat three times more greens. The chlorophyll in greens is one of nature's great healing,alkalizing and detoxifying foods. Please note that we do not use just grass, but organic green barley juice powder, a much more nutrient dense, purer concentrate. Nature's Garden Blend: These blend contains a colorful variety of freeze dried, whole food organic juice powders that provide a broad base of all natural vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients not found in most antioxidant pills. Nature's Super Fruit Blend: This blend of 5 fruit concentrated extracts includes three "newly discovered" super fruits like mangosteen, pomegranate and acai, super rich in antioxidant benefits, plus certified organic apple and acerola cherries, rich in natural vitamin C. Nature's Fiber Blend: This organic blend features gluten free rice bran plus patented oat fiber, Oat Beta Glucan, which lowers cholesterol when consuming 3 gm a day. Nature's Sea Vegetables Blend: These provide lots of pre-vitamin A as beta-carotene and alkalizing essential trace minerals. Nature's Super Tea Blend: We include both green and white tea high antioxidant extracts. Few know that white tea is more powerful than green tea! And both also are rich in a special antioxidant EGCG which has been studied for its potential to promote natural weight loss without stimulants. Features Guaranteed Great Tasting mixed in pure, cold water. No need to add fruit juices that are loaded with extra calories and carbohydrates. Comes in Handy Travel Packets designed to easily pour into a bottle. * "Antioxidant Power from Nature" is naturally derived from: 100% Natural, made with Certified Organic Ingredients, and skillfully blended leaving important nutrients and live natural enzymes intact. Formulated with Enhanced SuperSorbTM Absorption, to enhance the absorption of otherwise poorly absorbed antioxidants.

Natural Jujube Red Date, Longan Dragon Eye and Goji Instant Herbal Tea - 20 Packets (7.1 Oz) List Price: $9.99 Sale Price: $8.99 You save: $1.00 (10%)   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours See Reviews For This Product Description Goji, Red Date and Longan are three traditional natural foods widely used in Chinese medicine. Goji Contains 19 amino acids, 21 trace minerals, more protein than whole wheat . Contains complete spectrum of antioxidant carotenoids, including beta-carotene (a better source than even carrots) and zeaxanthin (protects the eyes). Goji berries are among the richest source of carotenoids of all known foods. Red date and Longan are great for women. Chinese red date, also named as jujube, is originated in China where it has been cultivated for several thousand years. It is widely used in Chinese traditional medicine for the treatment of insomnia and anxiety. It s rich in amino acids and trace elements. It is also widely believed that it is specially beneficial to women's health. Features Goji Berries are a super longevity food used in China for thousands of years Red Date and Dragon Eye are Popular Chinese fruits, rich in amino acids and trace elements It can also be boiled and prepared as a tea. Nt Wt 7.14 Oz, total 1 bag (20 packets) product of China

Crunchies Freeze-Dried Fruit Snacks, Lunchbox Size, 9-Count Box List Price: $19.30 See Reviews For This Product Description 9 Individual Servings: Three Mixed Fruit (.33-Ounces each), Three Strawberries (.3-Ounces each) & Three Tropical Fruit (.33-Ounces each. Crunchy, flavorful, nutritious and fun to eat! Features 3 packets mixed fruit, 3 packets strawberries, 3 packets tropical fruit 100% real fruit No-fat, low calorie, wheat and gluten free, no additives or preservatives, raw food Contains nine individual packets Product of USA

Emerald Breakfast Blend Premium Trail Mix, 5.5-Ounce Pouches (Pack of 6) List Price: $19.08 Sale Price: $14.68 You save: $4.40 (23%)   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours See Reviews For This Product Description Diamond Foods developed a patented process for glazing nuts and introduced three new trans-fat free trail mixes Breakfast Blend, Berry Blend and Tropical Blend. The trail mixes contain kettle-cooked glazed nuts, fruit and granola clusters. Breakfast Blend contains walnuts and almonds, dried apples and cranberries, yogurt raisins and granola. The mixes are packaged in re-closeable foil pouches. Breakfast Blend and Berry Blend come in 5.5-ounce packages. National distribution has been started after its initial marketing in key regions. Features Pack of 6, 5.5-ounce pouches (Total of 33 ounces) Patented process for glazing nuts and introduced three new trans-fat free trail mixes- breakfast blend, berry blend and tropical blend Contains kettle-cooked glazed nuts, fruit and granola clusters Has a mix of walnuts and peanuts, yogurt raisins, granola and dried blueberries, strawberries and cranberries

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 9th, 2010 at 7:29 am and is filed under organic snacks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.Both comments and pings are currently closed.