Fitness Romance Saga
Food Trap Metamorphosis: Change What You Put in Your Mouth
August 26th, 2010 • 18 Comments | Leave a Comment »
Ignorance is blissful, but it may also cause cancer and weight gain and other bad stuff. So this week I made four small changes to what my family puts in their Food Trap. Check out my stealth moves…..
MAPLE SYRUP
If you try 100% of the pure stuff, chances are you’ll NEVER want that other crap on the pancake shelf. According to one of my favorite food reference websites, World’s Healthiest Foods, maple syrup “contains fewer calories and a higher concentration of minerals than honey”. Uh, I didn’t know that. When you go buy the maple stuff, it might make your pockets feel dried up and crusty, but it’s worth the price. Whether you decide to go maple or not, you’re gonna get what you pay for, so just try it.
GRAPE PRESERVES
I used to only look at the calories on the nutrition label, but now I eyeball if it also has High Fructose Cornyness. I’m phasing that crap out of my life as much as possible. Why? Because this Cornyness also fuels cancer cells. I quit buying the infamous Welch’s Grape Jelly to smather on my kids’ peanut butter and jellies. Now they get fancy grape preserves on their sammiches. The Polander brand pictured is sweetened only with natural fruit juices. No refined sugars. No cornyness about it.
ORGANIC MILK
When I hear craziness about acceptable levels of pus (somatic cells) in milk and genetically-engineered bovine growth hormones that make milk a top cancer-causer in the home, I gotta go organic. According to MilkSucks.com, this pus contains a bacteria which is believed to cause Chron’s disease. The FDA does not requires the dairy industry to disclose that their milk has growth hormones, but the proud farmers that don’t use it are happy to boast about it, so look for them saying so on their carton.
Tuscan’s Over the Moon milk gold seal says, “Our farmers pledge NOT to use artificial growth hormones”. A half-gallon of organic milk runs about the same price as a whole gallon of regular milk. This week I paid close to $10 for three, half-gallons of organic. But that doesn’t bother me. I refuse to feed my family tainted cow’s milk. I will also phase in Almond Milk.
CHICK PEAS
I did something genius until Husband ruined it. Greedy Baby loves sugary dry cereal in a bowl. So instead of giving her Captain Crunch, I put some chickpeas in a bowl, gave it a cool name (Chickie Peas), and told her she’d love it. And she did love it until Husband proclaimed, “Eww! She doesn’t want that stuff!”. Greedy Baby heard him say it. And then she refused take another bite. I am currently on damage control in attempts to salvage this situation so she’ll try it again. Way to go, husband. Good thing Baby loves the Yoga Bread.
So how about you? How will you metamorphosize your Food Trap intake?
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Elisabeth August 26th, 2010 at 22:15
You always make me laugh. =)
You should try coconut milk with the family too. My hubby and niece and nephew (they’re all persnickety) hate almond milk, but love the coconut stuff. We buy So Delicious brand, but I’ve also put the kind that comes in a can on their cereal when I was in a pinch, and they never said a word (just store the cans in the fridge rather than the cupboard so it’s always cold).
The difference for me is that the texture of coconut milk is much more like real milk, and doesn’t have a funky aftertaste (which I think almond milk does).
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Josie Reply:
August 26th, 2010 at 10:17 pm
That’s good to know. I’ll try it. I’m definitely open to suggestions.
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Eunice August 26th, 2010 at 22:41
I’ve been wanting to get maple syrup, but the price makes me run away crying. I will have to save some of Kohy’s stripper dollaz to buy some.
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JourneyBeyondSurvival August 26th, 2010 at 22:47
I’m currently using the cage free eggs, with omega. I prefer to get them at the farmers market fresh and local, but I suck at that right now.
I also make sure that our milk is DHA free. Unfortunately I did not know about growth hormone in time, and I had to purchase training bras for my 7 year old. SEVEN. That should be criminal.
I love the “spreadable fruit”. It helps if I get all military on my healthy food, pretending I don’t want to share. Then it seems they can’t get enough.
Finally (i promise) I use Wasa crackers because they are high in fiber, unleavened, and baked. Oh. And they taste so great with cheese (the good kind) I have to hide them.
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Miz August 27th, 2010 at 5:41
ok loved the post and STEALING JBS’ tip about getting militant and NO WAY YOU CAINT HAVE ANY!!! on the health food to see if that, uh, sparks some interest up in herre
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Jessica @ How Sweet August 27th, 2010 at 6:40
Did you add milk with the chickpeas?! I’m assuming not. That is a great idea – I used to love only dry cereal too!
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Josie Reply:
August 27th, 2010 at 9:18 am
Chickie Pea cereal? I’ll try anything once.
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skippymom August 27th, 2010 at 8:16
Well you know me – the old no salt queen – but since it is medically imposed I must do it.
– But it is working out well – although I never salted anything because of hubby’s high blood pressure [which is gone tyvm] it wasn’t to hard to take the salt out of my cooking until I noticed that the packaged foods and cans we were buying are LOADED with the stuff. I mean even more than I ever thought – packaged lunch meat too and condiments – WOW [but explain to me why chocolate, ice cream and soda don't need it to taste good....hmmm?] So out with the boxed/canned in with the farmers market, when we can afford it- and if not frozen stuff or cooking the sides [rice/pasta] from scratch. The only problem [good for hubby and the kids, but not me] is that foods low in sodium are usually low in calories [except for the aforementioned yummies] and I’ll be danged if I can put on weight. So it may be a double bonus for those that are trying to eat healthier – low salt lowers your risk of heart disease and hypertension plus most of the stuff isn’t fattening. Oh and it totally knocks fast food out of the equation. ::hello McDonald’s – I miss you:: heehee
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Erin August 27th, 2010 at 9:16
It’s all awesome but it’s way too pricey for our budget right now. I don’t get why everyone wants the world to be healthier yet they still make the crap the only thing that is affordable. I think it’s bull! I want all that cool expensive fancy healthy stuff!
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Josie Reply:
August 27th, 2010 at 9:18 am
you are so right. Have you seen Food Inc.? The movie talks about why crap food is cheaper to buy. It’s a conspiracy! Seriously.
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Alexia August 27th, 2010 at 10:00
Welch’s Grape Jelly has high fructose corn syrup?! you’re kiddin’!
And I feel ya about the milk – cow’s milk is one of those things I would only buy organic!1
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DareToBecome August 27th, 2010 at 10:30
I love, love, LOVE this post. I hate HFCS and love it when I read others who make a stand against the companies and refuse to by the product that uses it. This is the only way, the ONLY way, food manufacturers will make a change. They will not change until we as consumers show our protest through how we spend our shopping dollars. As for organic milk, we switched to organic seven years ago after our youngest was born. I see a direct contrast in our physical health and lack of colds, etc. by not having tons of antibiotics in our system. Yes, it does cost more, but I challenge everyone to think it is worth it. It is much cheaper to buy organic milk than pay doctor bills, etc. Great job, Josie!
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Nicole August 27th, 2010 at 12:47
Your ‘Pimp-slap’ post popped into my head when I read the part about how your husband has tainted poor little greedy babys decision to eat Chickie Peas. Just sayin’……
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Jody - Fit at 52 August 27th, 2010 at 14:59
I am such a label reader so I am so into this post!!!! I check for all the hidden crap in stuff!!!
I use the all the 100% all maple stuff & love it.. Trader Joe’s has some pretty good prices on it. I put it in my special protein cookies that I make & a few other things. All about portion control & a little goes a long way!
BOO on hubby! Tell him I am going to beat him up!
Yeah, like I could….
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Kylie @ A Hungry Spoon August 28th, 2010 at 10:05
Awesome changes! Chickpeas are the best add-in to salads, soups, you name it. Hopefully you can get the baby enjoying them again
Isn’t real maple syrup the best, too?! I completely agree–the cost can make me do a double-take, but the taste makes it worth it. I should take your advice and switch to organic milk–the added hormones, etc. can be scary stuff.
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Jennifer Lambert August 30th, 2010 at 0:43
While I do agree with buying Organic when possible…that milk website is put out by PETA. If it’s one thing I am strongly against, it’s PETA. I want to see the actual medical journals and the research papers from the institutes and university studies. I don’t want something like PETA speaking for me. They just spread propaganda in any shape, way, or form.
I just spent almost 7 dollars on Organic milk tonight. Words can’t express how I feel about the whole situation.
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merri August 30th, 2010 at 19:52
Last xmas, my mother sent me some real maple syrup, and I also got some from work, leftover from a client package my boss got. I stuck them in the cabinet, till ONE DAY a couple months ago, I noticed hey! Our ‘syrup’ is just corn syrup and food coloring YUK. I threw that out and opened the real stuff..it tastes SO GOOD! And its way healthier! I’m never buying the fake stuff again! Ditto with the jellies/preserves. I cut out HFCS all together. And the more expensive real preserves taste better, and its not as if I eat them a lot anyway. I don’t drink a lot of cow’s milk, mostly just for baking. I often get it from the corner store across the street. When I don’t, ill try and get milk with that label from now on..i really don’t think pus sounds good. (EW). I mostly use soymilk though, and the soy milk says its not genetically altered. I tried almond milk and didn’t like it, and my roommate is allergic. Im still looking for that yoga bread..i cant find it here in san francisco. Basically ive been trying to get rid of all high fructose corn syrup and chemicallyness and its been working. And cage free eggs (no egg recall!) My roomie and I are pretty healthy and everything tastes good! (altho it’s kind of more expensive..but worth it..)
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Lisa D September 1st, 2010 at 9:18
Bravo for making the change to organic milk! I know how expensive it is, but my kids have never had anything but. It’s especially important for girls – many attribute the (very) early onset of puberty to growth hormones in milk (and meat.) And here’s a tip for trying to get the baby to eat the chick peas – you can put them in the oven and roast them and they get crunchy – maybe that will be different enough to get her to eat them again. If all else fails you could make hummus out of them and give that a crazy new name, lol!
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