Sunday, March 20, 2011

Healthy Breakfast Ideas For Kids

I've been wanting to write this post for a long time. I don't know what most kids eat for breakfast nowadays, I just remember what I ate as a child. My favorites included: poptarts, toaster strudel, sugar cereals such as Lucky Charms, Life, Honey Nut Cheerios, etc., packaged cream of wheat and white toast with butter, white sugar and cinnamon. Every single one of those choices contain tons of sugar. Processed sugar. Not the best way to start your day. No wonder I was so ADD!

I recently read a blog called raisinghealthyeaters.com. I read a post on the 10 best cereals for kids. I was honestly appalled at some of the cereals- Life and Honey Nut Cheerios were included in the top ten. I will now list the ingredients for Honey Nut Cheerios as I am an ingredient girl :D
Ingredients
Whole Grain Oats (includes the oat bran), Sugar, Modified Corn Starch, Honey, Brown Sugar Syrup, Salt, Tripotassium Phosphate, Canola and/or Rice Bran Oil, Naturan Almond Flavor. Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) Added to Preserve Freshness.
And Life:
  • Ingredients

    Whole Grain Oat Flour, Sugar, Corn Flour, Whole Wheat Flour, Rice Flour, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Disodium Phosphate, Reduced Iron, Niacinamide, Zinc Oxide, BHT (A Preservative)Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Thiamin Mononitrate( One of The B Vitamins)Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (One of The B Vitamins)Riboflavin (One of The B Vitamins)Folic Acid (One of The B Vitamins)
Ok, let's be real here. Should 2 cereals with SUGAR as a SECOND ingredient really be considered healthy, let alone in the top ten of all cereals or even breakfast options? And Life also contains artificial dyes Yellow 5 and Yellow 6. One thing I would like to say to the writer of raisinghealthyeaters.com is, well I guess I would have more than one thing to say! Seriously though, I don't know what she is thinking. She should not be encouraging parents to feed their children like this, telling them this is healthy. And this is why... wait for it.... we must educate ourselves. So ignore every little thing I am telling you until you get out there for yourself and learn! Check those ingredients! (No, I did not make them up) :)

Alright. My rant is done. I would now like to share with you a few of our favorite breakfasts, that yes, my daughter loves. I feel good about giving her (and myself!) these choices. Now here are some good ways to start your day! Raisinghealthyeaters top ten cereals for kids move aside!!!
May I introduce...

Top Ten Breakfast Ideas For Kids (That are truly healthy and fun too!)

1. Green Eggs
Or 'green eggies' as my daughter calls them. Here is a great way to sneak in some greens and make it fun for kids. Simple ingredients: Free range eggs, raw organic spinach, sea salt, pepper and diced onion (optional). Mix them together in your blender then scramble.

2. Peanut Butter and Jelly Smoothies
No, there is actually no jelly in this smoothie.... Mix in your blender 1 Banana, 1/2 cup strawberries, 2 heaping tablespoons smooth peanut butter (no sugar added), 1/2 tsp. organic vanilla extract (optional), 1/3 cup almond milk and ice cubes.

3. Honey Nut Oatmeal
We buy quick oats in bulk, we actually eat oatmeal quite a bit! It is super easy to pour boiling hot water over the oats in your bowl just to moisten them. Then, add in to taste, raw honey, cinnamon, 1 tsp coconut oil, 1/4 cup finely ground walnuts, and as much milk as you like (almond, raw cow's milk, etc.). Mix together and serve. For variety, you could also swap the oats for quinoa.

4. Very Berry Breakfast Quinoa
Quinoa is very high in protein and therefore a great start for the day! Cook quinoa according to box directions. In your bowl, mix with raw honey to taste, some cinnamon, 1 tsp. coconut oil, and thawed mixed frozen berries. Delish! Again, you can swap the quinoa for oats for variety.

5. Carrot and Fruit Smoothie
Our blender gets a lot of use.... Blend one raw carrot, any kind of frozen fruit- about 1 cup, 1 banana, 1 cup plain full fat yogurt (organic is best), and 1 cup raw milk or almond milk. You can also sneak in some greens- raw kale or spinach, however, depending on the fruit you use it may turn the smoothie a more brownish color. If you are avoiding dairy, coconut milk can r eplace the yogurt, but it will not be as high in protein.

6. Gluten Free Morning Glory Muffins
I am attaching a recipe here. I recommend using the gluten free version for breakfast, as quinoa flour is high in protein. Of course, these make a delicious snack too. :)

7. Blender Pancakes
1 cup grain of your choice, 1 cup of yogurt or buttermilk, 1 tsp of lemon juice: Add ingredients to a blender or food processor and mix up creating a vortex. The vortex is key to make sure there is enough liquid… add more liquid sparingly, if there is no vortex (mixture will get too runny otherwise). Whirl mixture for a few minutes in order to break up the grains. After the grains have been ground up let mixture sit overnight (8-10hrs).In the morning begin mixing below ingredients in blender: 1 tablespoon – melted butter or coconut oil, 1 egg, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp of Pumpkin spice or cinnamon, up to 1 tsp vanilla extract and/or sweetener of your choice (optional). Cook on your skillet using coconut oil, butter or grapeseed oil spray, and be sure to top with fruit or real maple syrup.

8. Veggie Frittata
Frittatas are very easy to make. You can do a lot of different versions. Basically just throw some free range eggs, lots of veggies, some organic cheese, sea salt and pepper together and mix up. Then pour into a hot buttered skillet for a few minutes. Then bake at 400 degrees until done. Very easy. This slices like pie, so it's kind of fun compared to regular scrambled eggs.

9. Full Circle Organic Oat Bran Flakes Cereal
One of the only cereals we tend to eat other than oatmeal! I am not able to find the ingredient list online, so I will have to post it next time I buy a box. Or you could go check it out for yourself. ;)


10. Overnight Blueberry Stuffed French Toast
Lastly... a special treat breakfast that you can feel good about feeding your family! Everyone needs a little breakfast 'treat' now and again. You can find the delicious recipe here.

Ok, so there it is. Top ten. Longest blog post ever? Maybe! Happy breakfast eating. Happy healthy choices!!

Overnight Blueberry Stuffed French Toast


I made this Friday night as a special breakfast for Saturday morning. Everyone loved it and we had enough for Sunday morning too (I even halved the recipe). If you have a special breakfast or brunch coming up (Easter maybe?), THIS is your dish. Scrumptious!

Overnight Blueberry Stuffed French Toast

12 slices day-old bread, cut into 1 inch
cubes (we used a whole wheat sourdough with all healthy oils!)
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, cut
into 1 inch cubes (organic, if possible)
1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) blueberries
12 free range eggs, beaten
2 cups milk (raw is best)
1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
1/3 cup real maple syrup
1 cup xylitol
2 tablespoons arrowroot starch (also called arrowroot powder)
1 cup purified water
1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) blueberries
1 tablespoon organic butter

Directions:
1. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with butter or grapeseed oil spray. Arrange half the bread cubes in the dish, and top with cream cheese cubes. Sprinkle 1 cup blueberries over the cream cheese, and top with remaining bread cubes.
2. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and syrup. Pour over the bread cubes. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.
3. Remove the bread cube mixture from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. Cover, and bake 30 minutes. Uncover, and continue baking 25 to 30 minutes, until center is firm and surface is lightly browned.
5. In a medium saucepan, mix the xylitol, arrowroot, and water. Bring to a boil. Stirring constantly, cook 3 to 4 minutes. Mix in the remaining 1 cup blueberries. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, until the blueberries burst. Stir in the butter, and pour over the baked French toast.
YUM!

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Chocolate Chip Walnut Muffins (Gluten Free)


Can I just say.... I love quinoa flour!!! mmmmm....


Chocolate Chip Walnut Muffins

1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup oat bran flour
3/4 cup quinoa flour
1/4 cup rice flour
1/4 cup ground flax
3 eggs
2/3 cup applesauce (no sugar added)
3/4 cup Xylitol
2 teaspoons organic vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate chips (use dairy free for dairy free muffins ;))
1/2 cup coursely chopped walnuts


In a mixing bowl, beat together eggs, xylitol, applesauce, and vanilla. Next add your flour (s), flax, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix in chocolate chips and walnuts. Fill greased (grapeseed oil spray) or lined muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick placed in center comes out clean.

Chocolate Coconut 'Larabars'

We love bars in our house.... especially my 3 yr old! We make a version of 'mock larabars' quite often. Here is another creation:

Chocolate Coconut Raw Bar

2 cups dates, pitted and soaked
1 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
1 Tbsp Cocoa
1/3 ground flax seed
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)
1/2 raw almonds, finely ground
2 Tbsp raw honey

I grind my almonds, chocolate chips and flax first in my Blentec blender (a food processor will work) and set aside. Next pulse dates. Add cocoa, coconut, coconut oil, honey, flax, almonds, and ground chocolate chips until mixed. Press into a glass pan and refrigerate, cutting into bars when ready to serve.