Baby steps to better foods #2

[barleychown]

The next three steps are cutting down on high fructose corn syrup, having better breakfasts, and adding more veggies to our diet.


To cut down on HFCS, read labels. It is found in LOTS of processed foods, but if you take the time to look around while shopping, you can usually find a comparably priced option without HFCS. Let's take bread for example...almost all sandwich breads and buns on the shelves contain HFCS, or they are way more expensive if they don't...but a walk over to the bakery netted me a couple different loaves baked in store that did not contain HFCS (or preservatives!) and it was comparable in price. 

Having a better breakfast is important as well. It really does matter how you start your day. If you eat well, you feel better...and you are less likely to eat junk. If you start with junk, often you feel like you've already "blown it" today, so more junk doesn't matter.

I've never been fond of breakfast, and I understand how hard it is to get a good one on the run. I'll continue to add options over the next few weeks as I remember them.


To add more veggies to your diet, add an extra one or two to lunch and dinner. Add new veggies to your pizza, salad, or sandwiches.

[Jessica]

Thanks, Sarah.  I am looking forward to seeing what ideas everyone has now.

[barleychown]

Some off the top of my head:

Yogurt with granola and berries, could be packed up the night before

Breakfast sanwiches...toast/muffin, ham, cheese and egg...can be slapped together pretty quick

Crockpot oatmeal...add in's can be prepared the night before

Smoothies are quick, and you can poke a lot of good stuff in them.

Made ahead and frozen pancakes...can reheat in toaster and put butter and jam on them.

[Tina]

Have the seasonal fruits and vegetables changed much, Sarah?

[barleychown]

Not really...still mostly citrus and green veggies. Being in California, you probably have a few more options.

I really like shopping for veggies at farmer's markets. We have one here in town, and a HUGE one in Eugene on Saturdays.

[Tina]

Yes we have a few of them here, I think every day of the week is covered in some area or other. Even at the hospital where I used to take John. They set up an organic farmers market on their big main lawn on Fridays. Kaiser is really pushing its members and employees to be healthy.

[Jessica]

We live in such a rural area that we don't have much for farmer's markets.  There is one in town on Wednesdays but there is never much there.  That is why I joined the CSA.

[barleychown]

CSA's are also a good idea. When does yours start?

[Jessica]

First week of June I believe.  They said if there are things ready before then, we will be notified.  I am looking forward to it.  I got some great green beans at the local farmer's mark last year though.  I stop in there once in a while.   It is just small and not a lot to choose from.

[Tina]

 Fast food breakfasts. I love food you can microwave straight from your freezer on your way out the door. The  pancakes are good. But blueberry pancakes wrapped around a sausage And frozen in parchment and tucked away together in a large baggie are a little more complete. Add some vanilla, cinnamon or maple extract to your basic batter and you trick your mind into thinking there is sweet in there.
Make and freeze your own egg sandwiches too. Break an egg into a mug, break the yolk and give it a gentle stir although it is nice if it is still two-toned.  Cook it in the microwave until it is just underdone. Plop it out onto your toasted muffin or biscuit or crumpet. Add bacon or sausage or ham and some cheese of choice and wrap in parchment and freeze. For this you want to have your meat cooked already before beginning the egg.
These are kind of weekend things to do. And the egg sandwich really needs a fruit or vegetable to complete it. Or a yogurt smoothie or parfait (a' la McD's).
And they can be eaten one handed while driving Susie to school or waiting for her bus with her if needed. I eat most of these grab and go meals right here at my computer.

[barleychown]

 That's coming right up!  It'll be June before you know it.

Good ideas, Tina!

[Tina]

Fruits good frozen as a snack-y breakfast; blueberries, bananas, strawberries, peaches, grapes. Keep separate or together in small bags to toss into yogurt. Or even to grab on the way out the door when you are running late because Amy couldn't find her other shoe or Danny lost his homework. If you keep them bagged in smaller amounts they are ready to grab and go.  Dip them in yogurt if you want. I like them frozen and plain myself. I have frozen green grapes all of the time just because we like them.

[barleychown]

I keep a whole shelf in the freezer just for quick grab stuff. Fruits and lunch/dinner stuff. Sure helps when I'm busy...then Mike or Marissa have options all ready to go.

[Tina]

These are hurry-up ideas I developed and stole from others while I was a foster parent and had kids going of to 5 different schools.

[barleychown]

I can see where you'd need quick ideas!

[Jessica]

Thank you, Tina.  I made some breakfast burritos but I was the only one that ate them.  Tristen loves breakfast sandwiches though so maybe I will make some of them.  Hopefully James will eat them too.  I like the idea of fruit packaged in single serving sizes to grab and go.  I definitely need to do that.  I will eat more of it if I have it ready.  I think I need to cut up veggies on Sundays too so that it is easy for me to throw a lunch together.

[Tina]

Well, they probably took just as much work as making them on the morning, but if you get it done when you have time it works out well.
I used to bake all of my own bread with the exception of cheap sandwich bread. I also baked and cooked lots of 'desserts' that were really complete meals. When my kids got a giant 'cookie' for breakfast it was usually a pretty complete meal, at least a complete protein.
And I had a blast. But I also had time while they were all off at school to work on these things. It would be much harder working them into a weekend or something. I didn't have a slow cooker back then though. I bet I could have gotten some things accomplished just leaving that on during a workday. It could cook sausages so you could wrap and freeze in an evening, for instance. (I wish I was better at actual time management than writing about it.  ) 

[Jessica]

That is a great idea.  I never thought about cooking sausages in the slow cooker.  You are so smart, Tina!   Thanks for all the great ideas!

[Jessica]

I know it probably takes as much time but I don't have the extra time on a weekday morning to cook sausage and eggs for breakfast sandwiches for all of us. If I can make a dozen on the weekend, we would be set for the week.  I am thinking I could crack an egg into each well of a muffin tin and bake them.  I would have a dozen eggs all done at once.  I think I read that somewhere.

[Tina]

I hope it works. Some sausages I have turn to lead fishing weights if cooked too long.

[Jessica]

I will try a small batch on the weekend to see how they turn out.

[Tina]

That may work. Grease those tins and watch the eggs pretty carefully. If they are overcooked you teeth bounce back off of them. And they do get additional cooking in the microwave. So just barely done when you wrap your sandwich. And you don't need to freeze all of them. They will keep in the fridge for a couple of days.

[Tina]

I have gotten lazy lately and bought fully cooked bacon at my restaurant supply store. It is pretty tasty and I get 60 slices for about $8. I'm figuring that per weight with the fat rendered off and the cost of cooking it, I am not spending much more than if I get the good bacon in my butcher department. It comes in packs that can be divided into two and frozen as is. Kind of double kryo-packed. And it could be divided and frozen even further. No additives other than smoke flavoring.

[Jessica]

That is a great deal, Tina!  I will have to keep my eyes open.

[barleychown]

Resturant supply stores are a lifesaver when you are cooking in bulk.