Happy New Year! 

I don’t buy into all the dietary hype that rolls around in January. I’ve never had a gym membership, and I don’t diet, period. However, after the holidays, my body starts craving winter salads and hearty soups and I naturally turn to common sense seasonal eating in the New Year.

I think most of us do, whether we are health conscious or not.

The start of a new year is a perfect time to reflect on past eating habits for the future. That’s what I’d love to discuss today.

January is also an ideal time to set a few goals for intentional healthy eating for the year. Below I’ll share mine, and then I’d love to hear yours in the comments.

My Food-Related Goals for 2012…

…in no particular order.

Plant a garden and harvest my own food.

Last year Danny built me four beautiful raised garden beds in the back yard (look for a tutorial on that project in the spring!). They are waiting under the snow, to be planted when the spring sun warms the soil. For now, I’m browsing seed catalogs and imagining the possibilities.

Source more food locally.

As much as I shop at markets, and my selective shopping continues to work well for me, there are still many more products that I know I can source from local purveyors. First up: organic honey.

Continue to eliminate fast food.

Avoiding fast food chains is a top priority for this family and has been for many years. My children have never eaten at McDonald’s and we easily went through 2011 with no meals consumed at a typical burger joint. I don’t see why 2012 would bring about any changes in this long-standing goal.

Inject more of my October Unprocessed project into everyday life.

Last fall I participated in Andrew’s mega Unprocessed challenge, along with thousands of others. Even though our household avoided processed foods for one ‘hard core’ week, it was inspiration enough to kick-start a daily effort of more scratch cooking and whole foods. 2012 will be the year that I focus more on intentionally eating unprocessed foods.

Continue to develop our family food culture.

In our actions, words and expressions, we are daily shaping how our children approach food. Helping them form a healthy, open, and educated attitude toward food is one of the most important gifts we can impart to them when they are young. This year, my husband and I will continue our journey to building a healthy family food culture.

Preserve more of my own food.

Last summer’s noble canning ambitions got waylayed when I found myself pregnant and exhausted during the peak produce seasons. I barely had enough energy to function, never mind put up quarts of tomatoes and peaches. I have no regrets for the summer, knowing I did what I could, but there’s no reason why 2012 can’t be a stellar canning year!

Eat well for baby and breastfeeding.

There’s nothing like being pregnant to keep one’s nutritional know-how up to date. Since I’ll be breastfeeding most of 2012, after this baby’s arrival in March, I’ll want to be sure that my body is adequately nourished to sustain my energy levels, as well as feed a growing baby.

Continue to eat well and spend less.

You’ll be happy to hear the popular monthly series, Eat Well, Spend Less, will continue through 2012. Look for many more relevant posts on important topics as we work to best nourish our families on a budget.

Now it’s your turn! In the comments section below, share your dietary goals for 2012 with us.

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To say that our week of eating only unprocessed foods went by without much ruffling of feathers would be a fair statement. If you remember, we had pledged to one week of ‘hard core’ unprocessed eating and the entire month of October as ‘soft core’, meaning we might indulge in chocolate chip cookies or hot cocoa once in a while.

Saturday wrapped our week of serious wholesome eating , and today I’ve brought you the highlights from that week, with a few recipes and  tips for beating the cravings.

If you are smack in the middle of October Unprocessed and need a little inspiration for the week ahead, or just want to improve your diet in general, then hit the jump.

Monday

The morning started with a fridge clean, as it often does, then a trip to the market for our fresh produce.

I’m always playing catch-up on Mondays, so I had made dinner a few weeks before and frozen it. We feasted on Bean Burritos made with homemade whole-wheat flour tortillas and ‘frijoles rancheros‘, re-fried in bacon fat. Also wrapped up in our burritos was avocado, tomato, lettuce and Greek yogurt. A completely satisfying, unprocessed dinner.

TIP: Both beans and tortillas freeze fabulously, making this a perfect do-ahead meal. Oh and homemade tortillas? No biggie. One batch takes about 30 minutes to make and gives us 12 large tortillas, enough for three meals.

Snack attack! In the afternoon I threw banana, yogurt, pumpkin puree and cinnamon in a blender with a little agave syrup. We loved these Banana Pumpkin Spice Smoothies for our after school snack.

Tuesday

Can you say Breakfast Burritos? Scrambled eggs, re-fried beans, and diced tomato, all wrapped up in a leftover homemade flour tortilla. What a way to start the day off right.

For dinner, an unprocessed version of my Lentil Shepherd’s Pie turned out even better than I expected and was gobbled up by the kids. I think I’ll have to update the recipe with my alterations, because they really worked.

Here’s what I did: ketchup was subbed for one small tomato, diced. Tabasco was omitted. Oil was replace with bacon fat, and homemade pumpkin puree was used instead of sweet potatoes for the mash because I had some on hand. I did leave in the apple cider vinegar, as the shepherd’s pie really needs that tang.

Wednesday

Since it was a cold, wet day, I jumped into the kitchen and had a simple Cream of Potato-Leek Soup simmering in minutes. It turned out so well that I’m sharing the recipe below.

We spent the entire afternoon at a routine doctor’s appointment for the kids, so it was incredibly lovely to come home and just have to heat soup for dinner. A big bowl of homemade garlic croutons fulfilled our cravings for accompanying crackers. They’re also a great way to use up bread with no preservatives.

Sweets: Speaking of cravings, my sweet tooth was aching in a major way on this day. I satisfied it with with maple-glazed apple chips as well as a bowl of Greek yogurt with plenty of honey and toasted coconut. 

Thursday

A batch of homemade ricotta and some roasted beets paved the way for lunch. Crisp apple accompanied the beets; fresh pepper, lemon juice and parsley garnished them, and soft ricotta topped the whole thing off. I just might be eating this all winter.

All the vegetarian meals had us craving something succulent, so I roasted a whole chicken for dinner, packed with herbs and lemon and perfectly cooked, in my usual method.

Friday

On Thursday I turned the leftover whey from the ricotta into crêpe batter, with a simple recipe that goes like this:

1. Combine 6 eggs in a blender with 1.5 cups whole wheat flour, 1 cup organic white flour, and 3 cups of slightly warmed whey. Blend until smooth.
2. Chill overnight. In the morning, beat crêpe batter again. It will be very runny.
3. Brush a non-stick skillet with melted butter and cook crêpes, one at a time, brushing the pan with butter with each new crêpe.

For breakfast we feasted on ricotta-filled crêpes with strawberry-honey jam and sliced oranges. Dreamy.

Dinner: There was plenty of chicken leftover from the previous dinner, so I cooked a pot of brown Basmati rice and stir-fried them up together. Shredded cabbage and carrots added color and kid-approved vegetables, while sliced green onions provided the garnish to our dinner of chicken fried rice.

Weekend

We celebrated Thanksgiving on the weekend with various meals here and there, some of it processed, which I didn’t sweat. However, my contribution to the family dinner were two all-natural, unprocessed pies: a double-crust apple pie and a maple pecan pie. Look for the maple pecan pie recipe coming soon!

Recipe: Cream of Potato-Leek Soup with Bacon

Five minutes and five ingredients are all you need to get this soup simmering. Then puree it until it is silky smooth and add fresh cream for richness. You’ll want to eat several bowls – especially if you have some garlic croutons to top it with.

This soup also freezes well. Just omit the cream and instead add it in when you re-heat the soup.

Yields 8 cups.

ingredients:

• two rashers thick-cut, double smoked bacon, chopped
• 3/4 lb chopped leek, mostly white with some green, about one large leek
• 1.1 lb new potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup whole cream

method:

1. Heat a medium heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and add the bacon. Saute for about five minutes until the fat is rendered and bacon begins to crisp.
2. Add chopped leek and saute until leek is wilted, about two minutes.
3. Add chopped potatoes and 4 cups of filtered water.
4. Simmer, partially covered for 25 minutes, or until potatoes are soft. Stir occasionally.
5. In two batches, puree soup in a blender until velvety. Add salt and cream, blend again and taste for seasoning. Serve hot.

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For more menu plans visit Org Junkie.

What was the best thing you ate all week?

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This week my family and I are smack dab in the middle of our little ‘October Unprocessed’ challenge, as inspired by the annual project from Andrew at Eating Rules.

Yes, the chocolate cravings have kicked in, but other than that, we’re feeling excellent and excited about whole foods!

Today I am guest posting over at Unprocessed central, with ‘7 Ways to Survive October Unprocessed with Kids‘. Whether or not you are participating in the challenge, this post is for you. I also give a recipe for Maple Apple Chips, a great grab-and-go snack that is helping to stave off the sugar cravings.

My tips are for anyone who wishes to increase whole foods in the family diet and successfully move away from highly processed products.

From the post:

“Participating in ‘October Unprocessed’ is one way to build a healthy food culture. Why? Because it narrows our food choices down to real, whole foods. Food should be recognizable, change with the seasons, and come from known sources – and I don’t mean a supermarket shelf.

While you may think that taking on a challenge such as Unprocessed will be tough on your kids (and partner, potentially), remember that you’re sowing seeds for future healthy food choices. Who knows? This month could be a turning point for your family’s eating habits.”

Head over to Eating Rules to read 7 Ways to Survive October Unprocessed with Kids….

I’ll be hanging out there to take your questions in the comments. Happy Friday!

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On Monday I’ll be 16 weeks pregnant and am heading for a routine check-up with my amazing OBGYN. You know, I feel a little guilty that I haven’t shared much about my pregnancy on this space. Cravings, nausea, diet, food aversions – I haven’t covered any of those juicy topics since announcing the happy news.

There are a few reasons for my lack of baby talk.

First of all, I was obsessed with my diet in my first pregnancy (aren’t we all?) and may very well have gone overboard with sharing information. So yes, while the excitement of  life inside of me is every bit as wonderful as the first time around, I have cooled off a little on the nutritional facts and calorie counts.

Secondly, it was an extremely uneventful first trimester. No nausea to speak of (I know some of you are going to hate me for that), no serious food cravings, save for one late-night rice pudding hankering that had me up until well after midnight, stirring a pot well of milky rice with vanilla beans. Oh. So-worth-it.

Thirdly – and you knew this was coming – I’ve been so darn busy. Really. And not just with two kids, two blogs, a new non-profit, an upcoming speaking gig, a home, garden, and family to take care of. No, the projects keeping me up late I can’t even talk about yet.

So with a busy schedule and a routine pregnancy, there hasn’t been much time or need to talk prenatal food and diet. Until now.

Here’s the thing: I haven’t gained any weight. Like, nary an ounce.

This is unusual for me, as I gained at least five pounds in the first trimester with both my other pregnancies. So, I’m making more of a conscious effort to eat as nourishing as possible, without overly obsessing.

What is nutritious diet when pregnant? Well, I’m no medical expert, and opinions expressed here are my own, but there are a few basic guidelines that expectant mother’s should follow.

Nutrients especially beneficial in the first trimester are Vitamins A and D for proper organ development. These nutrients can be found in butter, eggs, and seafood. Fortunately, I love eggs and seafood has been particularly kind to me (ie: agreeable to the finicky stomach) this pregnancy.

Meat, fish, poultry, milk, cheese, and eggs are great sources of calcium and protein –essential in the second trimester for good bone and muscle development. Here’s where I hiccup a bit; red meat hasn’t appealed to me since mid June. Except bacon, naturally!

All of the above, plus plenty of fish is a good route to go for the third trimester. Fish (or cod liver oil, if you can stomach it) provides the all-important Omega-3′s which are essential for brain development. Our whole family enjoys fish, so tossing tilapia fillets in panko and baking them has become a popular quick dinner.

In addition to those foods mentioned above, pregnant mamas should aim to eat plenty of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables, especially cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, cauliflower, cabbage). They should avoid processed foods as much as possible and pile on the grains and legumes. Oh, and avoid stuff like alcohol, caffeine, raw milk cheese…but you know all this already!

My Pregnancy Diet: A Snapshot

While serious nausea has stayed away this pregnancy, I still battle an extremely sensitive stomach. I’m also satiated much faster at meals, and find myself hungry an hour later. Consequently, I’m eating 5-6 small meals a day instead of the usual three.

I described my pregnant state to a friend as feeling like I had “…the body of an eighty year-old and the palate of a two year-old.” Fortunately I can feel my strength slowly returning, but the prenatal take-out orders are still on the bland and boring side.

So here’s what I’ve been eating around the 16 week mark.

Breakfast

Whole grain cereals, as described in my recent back-to-school breakfast post. Baked oatmeal is a favorite, as is polenta with maple syrup.

Second Breakfast

Eggs, toast, grapefruit juice. I’m usually ravenous by 9 am. Oddly enough, so is Mateo (3), so he joins me for a poached egg or two. Sometimes we’ll whip up a yogurt lassi with whatever fruit we have on hand.

Lunch

Homemade soups, full of autumn vegetables. Minestrone is popular, as is Roasted Carrot (minus the cilanto, as it’s not to the kid’s taste).

Sandwiches. I’m on a serious BLT kick; tomatoes are so incredible right now – why not?

Plenty of raw vegetables and fruits. We stop at a local market at least three times a week and take our pick of the local bounty. Oddly, one vegetable at its peak now that I just can’t stomach is corn. Go figure.

I drink watered-down tomato juice on ice with a twist of lemon and an occasional celery stick.

Snack

New apples with slices of 2 year cheddar. This snack improves even more when Russet apples- my absolute favorite-come into season.

Organic rice cakes with sunflower butter. Apple-Oat muffins. Dried fruit, including homemade apple chips.

Dinner

Leafy Salads. My young garden is producing baby spinach, arugula and oak leaf lettuce. These tender greens combine to make a delicate salad full of folic acid and other nutrients.

Lots of Lentils and Beans. As I mentioned above, red meat just doesn’t do anything for me right now, so lentils have been nourishing us instead in meals like this Lentil Shepherd’s Pie. Look for my post Monday on 5 ways to serve lentils.

Frijoles Rancheros, with our own homemade flour tortillas.

Mounds and mounds of roasted vegetables. My current favorite being roasted cabbage with a squeeze of lemon. I’m going to have to give that one up when I begin breastfeeding!

Roast chicken. Both Lemon & Oregano Roast Chicken and Classic Roasted Chicken and Root Vegetables.

Comfort food such as risotto and pasta are enjoyed frequently, featuring seasonal vegetables and simple preparation. This week we devoured mac & cheese, as well as a delicious leek risotto.

Snack

Baked apples, oatmeal cookies, zucchini bread, slivers of dark chocolate. These snacks usually tend to be on the sweeter side!

Midnight Snack

Hot cocoa with goat’s milk. Popcorn.
Plain yogurt, great for those probiotics. And occasionally, puffed organic quinoa with milk.

Looking back, that looks like a lot of food. A lot of snacks! But my portions are small and I put in very long days (usually 6:30 am – midnight) so I need all the nourishment I can get.

Now it’s your turn! I’d love to hear from you – even if you are not currently pregnant! Think back to that loooong nine month stretch and what you ate to keep you fueled.

What is your pregnancy diet looking like? What are your food aversions and cravings? What has been the biggest challenge for you with this whole pregnancy diet?

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Written by Diana of A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa.

It’s definitely the season for radishes, however, the ones in the picture above were harvested in the Fall of last year.

I was really excited to write this post because anyone that follows my blog knows that my heart and passion is in my garden.  It’s my source of therapy and meditation as I sow, tend to and, yes… even pull weeds.

I’m not claiming to always have a green thumb, however, year after year I learn a bit more and for me it was a revelation when I learned about fall gardening.

Many of us are into preserving our own food. This revolution has sparked backyard gardens throughout the nation.  In order to preserve the most amount of food from your garden to carry into the winter months, you need to start planning a Fall garden now.

All Photos by Diana Bauman

That’s right, In order to have a productive Fall garden (depending on your region), your vegetables need to be sowed or planted by late July into the first week in August.

This can sound a little daunting especially for newbie gardeners, however, with a few tips you’ll be on your way to growing a bountiful harvest to carry you into the Winter.

What Can I Grow in My Fall Garden?

Greens:

• Kale
• Spinach
• Pak/Bak Choi (Asian Greens)
• Arugula
• Green, beautiful, Lettuce
• Collards

Brassicas

• Cauliflower
• Cabbage
• Broccoli
• Brussels Sprouts

Root Vegetables: (keep well for months in a cool crisper or cellar)

• Beets
• Carrots
• Turnips
• Celeriac
• Rutabaga (MY NEW FAVORITE!)
• Radishes
• Parsnips
• Potatoes (In some regions)

Other Veggies (specifically grown to preserve)

• peas
• green beans

It’s pretty amazing to visually see how much food can be grown late in the season.  One thing to note as well is that it’s during this season that harvested greens, root vegetables and brassicas taste their best.

Let’s Plan!

1. Starting seeds indoors. Count back 12-14 weeks from your Average First Fall Frost Date. All of your brassicas, and kale need to be started indoors where the temperature is cooler.  When your seedlings are about 3 weeks along, transfer them outdoors, preferably on a cloudy day.

2. Add some nutrients to your soil. You’re probably going to plant where a previous vegetable had already been growing.  It’s a good idea to add a bit of compost or worm castings to give your Fall crops optimal growing conditions.

3. Mulch. Since the days are still going to be hot, make sure to add some organic mulch to your Fall crops such as grass clippings or straw to keep moisture in the ground.

4. Water. Make sure to keep your seedlings moist especially if your trying to germinate seeds directly sown into your garden.  One tip, soak your seeds and leave them in the refrigerator overnight.  The next day sow them in your garden.  This should speed up germination.

5. Pest Prevention. One of the most difficult aspects of starting seeds and putting out new plants during the summer are bugs.  My biggest tip is to use floating row covers especially on your brassicas to inhibit cabbage worms.

Let’s Plant!

12 to 14 weeks before your first frost

• Direct-sow beans, parsnips, rutabagas, and begin planting lettuce and radishes.
• Start brassica seedlings and kale indoors, and set out the seedlings within 3 weeks.

10 to 12 weeks before your first frost

• Set out brassicas and kale.
• Direct-sow beets, carrots, collards, leeks and scallions, along with more lettuce and radishes. In some areas, even fast-maturing peas and potatoes will do well in the fall garden.

8 to 10 weeks before your killing frost

• Direct-sow arugula, Chinese cabbage, lettuce, turnips, spinach, mustard, pac choi and other Asian greens.
• Sow more lettuce and radishes, including daikons.

6 to 8 weeks before first frost

• Make a final sowing of spinach.
• Make a final sowing of lettuce beneath a protective tunnel or frame. (I have hoops over one of my beds for my Christmas Salads.)

On or around your first killing frost date

• Every fall garden should include garlic and shallots to be harvested in the Summer of the next year

Take it one step at a time.  If your a newbie gardener, try one green and root vegetable for your Fall garden.  If you’re ready to step up your game, add a few varieties and keep track of what produces well and what your able to preserve.

Most importantly, no matter where you’re at, have fun.  Also, try to remind yourself, if you don’t meet your expectations there’s always the farmers market.

Do you have a Fall garden? Please share what you grow or would like to grow during the Fall to preserve for the Winter.

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Written by Shannon of Nourishing Days.

There is a scene in the film Food Inc. in which a seemingly nice guy is interviewed about his giant confinement feed lot. In that interview he states that if the consumers were to demand ethically-raised meat, the farmers would change their practices to meet that demand.

In other words, the power is in our hands. Every dollar we spend on factory-farmed meat is a vote to continue that method of farming.

Don’t get me wrong, I actually feed my family meat every day. I have learned that our family is healthier with meat in our diets, but we try to avoid conventional meats at all costs and I try to serve a lot more vegetables with tons of nourishing fats as a large part of our meal.

Walk into a grocery store, though, and you’re likely to be staring at labels with claims that could mean just about anything, and often not what you might think.

The truth is, these labels are about tricking you into thinking animals live happy, carefree lives when nothing could be further from the truth. To find good meat… real meat… you have to outsmart the labels and beat them at their own game.

Dissecting the Terminology

Photo by Azdodsons

When you go into a grocery store you are being coerced to buy things with labels that won’t tell you the whole story. So lets define a few of the labels you will find on meat packages.

FREE RANGE or FREE ROAMING

The poultry has been allowed access to the outside. This could mean that a small door is put in place at the end of a very large chicken barn which in turn means that those chickens may not have seen the light of day in their lifetime.

NATURAL

A product containing no artificial ingredient or added color and is only minimally processed. This is usually factory farmed meat with nothing added to it. Not much natural about that.

NO HORMONES

Hormones are not allowed in raising hogs or poultry so to be labeled as such means nothing. The term “no hormones administered” may be approved for use on the label of beef if sufficient documentation is provided

NO ANTIBIOTICS (red meat and poultry)

The terms “no antibiotics added” may be used on labels for meat or poultry products if sufficient documentation is provided by the producer to the Agency demonstrating that the animals were raised without antibiotics.

Photo by Matins

ORGANIC

Means that the animal was raised in accordance to federal organic standards. The animal may have been raised in a facility similar to a factory farm but with organic feed.

I am not an animal farmer so I don’t know the necessity of using any feed additives or drugs, but I thought it was interesting that the following substances are allowed in organic meat production:

• Atropine
• Butorphanol
• Flunixin
• Furosemide
• Glucose
• Magnesium hydroxide
• Tolazoline
• Xylazine
• Sucrose octanoate esters
• DL–Methionine, DL–Methionine—hydroxy analog, and DL–Methionine—hydroxy analog calcium for use only in organic poultry production until October 1, 2012 (SOURCE)

GRASS-FED

This can get tricky. Some labels say “grass-fed” but are actually finished on grain. Whole Foods carries grass-fed beef and 100% grass-fed/grass-finished beef. The healthiest animals are 100% grass-fed/grass-finished or pastured.

Photo by Rajthesnapper

How to Eat Less Meat

It is a simple fact that healthier meats are more expensive than conventional, though one could argue that the long term benefits will ultimately save you money. Unless you’re ready to increase your grocery budget, though, you might want to consider altering your plate first. What has worked for us is:

Eat more vegetables with plenty of fat. The fat and fiber of the vegetable fill you up and the ones that come from the garden are free!

Eat more eggs. I try to serve eggs for dinner at least once a week. Frittatas, omelets, veggie scrambles, and skillet baked eggs are some of our favorites.

Make Stock. Buying meat with bones may seem like a waste of money, but those bones are gold. Long-simmered stocks such as brown stock contain lots of minerals and have a protein-sparing quality. That means that you can make soup with a little bit of protein – from vegetables or meat – and the stock will stretch that protein into something more filling and nourishing.

The Bottom Line

My point is not that we should all become vegetarians, because I think meat is actually a pretty necessary component to our diets. Nor do I believe that we should just blindly accept whatever term is slapped on a label.

The only way to ever truly know how animals are raised, how crops are grown, or how dairy is produced is to know where your food comes from. If you can look your farmer in the eye or watch a chicken happily munching away on greens then you will know, unequivocally, that what you feed your family is not only healthy, but ethically raised.

How do you fit meat into a sustainable diet?

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She’s an author, mother, homeschooler, world-traveler, blogger — and now Jamie Martin can add ‘vegan’ to her resume. She just wrapped a 30-day stretch on a strict vegan diet.

We know Jamie as the editor of our sister site, Simple Homeschool, as well as the voice behind Steady Mom. I knew Jamie was fearless when it comes to intentional mothering and creative writing, so I shouldn’t have been surprised to hear she was going vegan for a full month.

Definition of VEGAN

vē-gən: A strict vegetarian who consumes no animal food or dairy products; also : one who abstains from using animal products (as leather).

~ From Merriam-Webster.com.

I was curious about Jamie’s temporary switch to veganism, so I asked her a few questions and she graciously shared her experience with us. Thanks Jamie!

SB: So, Jamie, first of all, tell us – did you complete the full thirty days as a strict vegan?

JM: Yep, I did–no cheating! Well, there was that one time I chased the kids around trying to grab a bite of their cheese pizza, but I promise I was joking!

SB: Congratulations! It is impressive that you switched to vegan cold turkey from a regular diet – or should I say ‘tofurkey’! How do you feel now?

JM: When it first ended, this was what I posted on Facebook:

“A vegan no more! Ironically I’m finding that I’m mostly eating that way anyhow today. And I don’t seem to want any caffeine now. And I lost 2.5 pounds over the month. And milk tastes like cow juice, not in a good way.”

After the cleanse finished, I was ready to begin integrating a bit of organic dairy back into my diet, but I was surprised at how odd everything tasted initially.

I’ve dropped having milk in my tea and drink it black. Now that it’s been a few weeks, I still feel like I’ve really changed for the better. I’m an absolute vegetable junkie now, and must find a way to incorporate them into as many of my meals and snacks as possible.

I find that the way I think about and enjoy food has improved. What I honestly want to eat has changed–pretty remarkable from a 30 day experience.

Though I should admit that our first family meal after the 30 days ended was Chicken Parmigiana (small portions) and I loved every bite!.

Photo by Jamie Martin

SB: Okay, backtracking a bit. What made you decide to become vegan?

JM: I had noticed vegans in the blogosphere who rave about how incredible they feel. Our family had already adopted a whole foods diet, but I wanted to experiment with taking it to the next level.

Then Heather from Beauty That Moves announced her intention to run a 30 day vegan e-course, and it seemed like perfect timing. It also coincided with my 35th birthday, so it felt like a great gift and learning experience to go along with that milestone.

SB: Did the family jump on board or were you flying solo?

JM: I expected to fly solo, but my husband Steve said he wanted to give it a shot, so we did it together. My three kids tried it as well, but they bailed after a week.

SB: Mine probably would too. What kinds of foods did your children miss?

JM: They missed having butter on their toast. And every Sunday night we have a tradition of making homemade pizza. So on Sunday, when they realized what no cheese on pizza would mean, they collectively decided to drop the veganism.

My son Jonathan insists he is a “vegetarian, except on special occasions.” My daughter Trishna says she wants to be a “meat eater all the way.” And my other son Elijah just goes with the flow.

SB: What about you? Did any cravings kick in that were hard to ignore?

JM: Not really–I didn’t feel desperate for anything specific. A few times Steve and I wanted something sweet, so that sent me to the kitchen to create healthy vegan treats.

What I enjoyed the most was how detached I felt from sugar. Most of the time we use natural sweetners (like maple syrup, honey, and sucanat). Now I find myself very satisfied with those and not really wanting processed sugar.

For this Southern girl who almost always had a soda in hand until five years ago, that is quite the accomplishment.

Photo by Jamie Martin

SB: Jamie, we’re big on menu planning, batch cooking and other ways to save time and get organized in the kitchen. Would you say eating vegan took more or less effort than your daily routine? Why?

JM: It definitely took more effort, but I think that was just because it was new–so I was constantly trying out recipes and spending more time in the kitchen. I never intended to remain a vegan, but I imagine that if I chose to, the time preparation would lessen as I discovered tried-and-true family favorites to add to our regular repertoire.

SB: That is very true. So where did you find inspiration for meals?

JM:  Not all of these are strictly vegan resources, but they have all helped my food evolution in some way:

Heather from Beauty That Moves actually led the e-course, so I have her to thank for my experience! Heather’s blog contains tons of inspiration and recipes for a whole foods lifestyle. Participants in the e-course received recipes each week, but many of these are found throughout Heather’s blog for free.

(Editor’s Note: Heather’s 30-Day vegan ebook is coming soon. You can sign up for more information over at Heather’s blog.)

Also:

• Feeding the Whole Family: Cooking with Whole Foods by Cynthia Lair
• Healthy Homemaking by Stephanie Langford
• Lisa Byrne’s blog and e-courses at The Well-Grounded Life.

SB: What about cost? We just wrapped our Eat Well, Spend Less series, and ingredients such as beans and lentils were high on the list of frugal eats. Did you notice your grocery bills were lower during your month as a vegan?

JM: No, not exactly! Actually they were probably a bit higher because of the specialty ingredients we were trying out for the first time. Many of these became pantry staples for us, items you don’t need to buy very often, so I imagine that cost would even out over time. I have to say the experience was worth every penny.

Thank you for chatting with us, Jamie! Now what about you, the reader: would you go vegan for 30 days? For life?

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Written by Megan of Stetted.

Milk has a place on almost every table across North America. From the days of door-to-door delivery in glass bottles to the wide rows of brightly-lit jugs in our supermarkets, milk is something we reach for at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

These days, it’s a difficult task to keep track of which kind is best to give to your family. From cow milk to goat milk, coconut milk to almond milk, the market is saturated with choice. But there is one choice that is likely missing from your neighborhood grocery store: raw milk.

My family was hesitant at first about raw milk. We had tried some low-temperature pasteurized milk and didn’t like the flavor. The word “raw” conjured images of strange food and a culture many of us don’t understand. However, we were blown away when we tried our first glass of whole raw milk, and now we’ve been drinking it for a full year. Pasteurized milk now tastes strange to me.

What is Raw Milk?

Raw milk is produced on small farms and comes from cows that are free to roam on the pasture, eating a healthy diet of clover, barley, grasses, and whatever else pops up in the field. This diet helps the cow have a healthy gut, and in turn, helps create creamy milk that is full of flavor.

Whole raw milk looks strange at first, because the cream rises to the top. On a good gallon of milk, the three or four inches at the top are cream – about half a quart. It can easily be poured off and saved (or used to make your own butter), or you can just shake it into the milk whenever you pour a glass.

Photo by Chiot’s Run

What Raw Really Means

Raw milk simply means that the milk isn’t heated, unlike the milk we’re used to from the grocery store. Raw milk is taken from the cow, filtered, and cooled rapidly to just above freezing. Standard milk is first heated to high temperatures very quickly, and then brought down to chill. While the high temperature pasteurization kills any potential pathogens, it also kills lots of the good kind of bacteria you do want in your gut.

Once opened, a container of raw milk can last about 10 days, provided it is properly chilled. We keep our milk the the back of the refrigerator and haven’t had a worry about the milk going bad. And when raw milk goes “bad”, it is still useable. It gets sour, but it can be used for making yogurt, cottage cheese, and even baking.

Pasteurized and UHT (ultra-high temperature) milks need longer shelf lives because they are shipped all over the country, but their freshness once opened is still the same as raw milk. In fact, I’ve had organic pasteurized milk go bad after being open only 4 days, even though the “Best by” date was not for two more weeks. Since you’re getting raw milk directly from the farmer, there’s none of the worry about how long the milk has been sitting in a warehouse cooler.

Benefits

Why drink raw milk? Aside from promoting a local, real food economy, there are a multitude of benefits in drinking raw milk, according to the Weston Price Foundation.

• Raw milk contains a lot of butterfat, which is needed by the body to be able to absorb the calcium and protein in the milk.
• Raw milk is said to do everything from help with allergies (due to the varied grasses the cows eat) to ear infections.
• Raw milk helps with bone growth and can recalcify teeth.
• Raw milk has beneficial bacteria that helps the digestive system and boosts nutrient absorption.
• Raw milk naturally contains 21 minerals and 13 vitamins.

Making the Next Move

As with any food, you need to make your own decision on whether raw milk is right for your family. Currently raw milk is not allowed to be sold in stores in most states, and you might have read about crackdowns on farms across the country. The truth is that yes, sometimes raw milk causes illness – but so do eggs, peanut butter, leafy greens, and beef (and those cause it in greater numbers).

With anything that you eat, information is key. If you are curious about raw milk, go visit a producer to ask questions and see the way the cows are treated and how the milk is collected. You can find raw milk producers by visiting RealMilk.com.

Have you ever tried raw milk? Would you let your family have it?

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Written by Shannon of Nourishing Days.

Becoming a mother may just be the most intense and terrifying thing that I have ever done. There was that whole giving birth thing, which was supposed to be the hard part, right? But then you enter the world of breastfeeding, books, ideologies, and the tornado of information that comes from parenting “experts” of all sorts.

In the midst of it all is this incredibly personal thing called feeding our children. When all you have heard for 30 years is “Fat is bad!” you tend to want to feed your children according to that philosophy.

But that doesn’t make any sense. Breast milk, the perfect food for baby, is at least half fat, much of which is saturated fat and even (gasp) cholesterol. I don’t believe that a child’s need for saturated fat and cholesterol ends when weaned.

And I am not alone…

The Case For Saturated Fat

According to Dr. Mary Enig, author of Know Your Fats, toddlers should still get about 50% of their calories from fat, much of which should be saturated. Others who echo Enig’s call for traditional fats include Nina Planck, Dr. Uffe Ravnskov, Dr. Weston A. Price and Dr. Malcolm Kendrick.

They all say that saturated fats and cholesterol are needed all the way through adulthood and are not the villains of heart disease that many claim them to be.

• Saturated fats are stable fats. That means they are good for cooking because they can be heated without being damaged.
• Monounsaturated fats are less stable and are better at very low temperatures or uncooked.
• Polyunsaturated fats are the most unstable – possibly rancid by the time you get it off the shelf.

Science aside, I’m in favor of common sense eating, so my philosophy is to eat what I could produce in my own backyard. I don’t know about you, but I am more likely to have a cow, pig, or olive orchard than a genetically engineered field of canola.

And how exactly does one extract oil from corn?

Of course it goes without saying that factory-farming is a crime of modern engineering in its own right. Your best bet is to seek out a local farmer or raise the animal yourself.

Stocking a Healthy Fat Kitchen

Because of the different properties of fats, I use some for cooking and some for uncooked dishes. Here’s what I keep in my kitchen:

Cooking Fats

• Lard
• Tallow
• Coconut Oil
• Butter

Salad or Raw Oils

• Olive Oil
• Sesame Oil
• Avocado
• Cod Liver Oil – (This is not an ingredient, but a fat that we give our boys as an additional source of vitamins A & D and omega-3s.)

10 Ways to Nourish Children at Every Meal

Once we get past the stigma unfairly given to traditional fats we can easily incorporate this tasty and necessary food at every meal.

• Give them whole dairy products.
• Butter their vegetables.
• Add a knob of butter to their oatmeal.
• Cook eggs in butter or lard.
• Leave the skin on the chicken.
• Butter their bread.
• Serve raw vegetables with homemade dip.
• Cook fish with butter.
• Fry potatoes in lard.
• Dress salads in homemade dressing.

Fat is a real, wholesome ingredient necessary for healthy children (and adults) and it is time we welcome it back to the table.

How do you nourish your children with healthy fats?

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Food is a celebration of both life and family. Food is also a culture, and it is up to you to shape that culture in your home and around your table.

Italians are famous for their food culture; their recipes are handed down from generation to generation and children cook alongside their nonnas, who express their love to their family in a dish. Yes, the strong food heritage of Italians is noted, but we all have a food culture of our own, whether it is as obvious as a plate of homemade eggplant parmigiana or not.

How do you relate to food? What are your childhood experiences? These are the things that shape your personal food culture. It is more than ethnicity or heritage, it is your attitude toward food.

Food culture is passed along from parents to children, and shaped by day-to-day actions, expressions, and words.

Why Is Food Culture Important Today?

We know that sharing a meal together is more than just physically nourishing, but it fills a primary need for community and connection on many levels. By creating a healthy food culture in the home, you are giving your children the very best attitude toward food, instead of letting society’s food culture influence – and perhaps misguide - them,

We want our children to grow up to be healthy eaters, aware of the way their food choices affect the planet, and how it is produced. Most importantly, we want them to connect the dots between healthy, whole food and happiness.

My Family’s Food Culture

As this post started to take shape in my mind, I couldn’t help but notice how the strong food culture that my siblings and I were immersed in as children still effects us today. Nearly thirty years later, all four of us are following in the footsteps of our parents in some way or another, even though we live in a modern world and our lifestyles are very different.

As a boy, my brother, Josh, fished for lake trout from the lake that we lived on. Now he takes his family deep sea fishing for halibut and crabs, digs for clams, and wrestles 35 pound Steelhead salmon from the riverbed every August.

Eldest of us three girls, my sister Haidi milks goats for a neighbor and trades her efforts for fresh milk. She makes her own yogurt, just as my mother used to from our goats. Although Haidi lives in a different country, and in a city as opposed to our rural upbringing, her three children are surrounded by a very similar food culture that Haidi was raised in. (Note: our surroundings affect our food culture marginally compared to our attitudes.)

Miranda, the youngest of the four, never ate the way most college students do. She cooked from scratch and embraced real foods similar to those she grew up on. Now she even prepares her pet food from scratch – for three dogs and two cats. No additives for anyone!

My mother was (and still is) a gardener through and through. I’ve carried on that aspect of our food culture to the best of my ability and circumstances. I think I’m happiest when I have dirt under my fingernails and nothing tastes as good as home grown vegetables.

What is my point? It’s no coincidence that the activities and interests that my siblings and I currently embrace are reflections of our upbringing.

How to Create a Healthy Food Culture at Home

Children mirror what they see in us. Your attitude toward food -buying, cooking, eating- will directly shape how your children approach it.

Talk

Actions speak louder than words, but never underestimate the impact of a solid conversation. Topics such as seasonal eating, sustainable farming, and whole foods can be introduced to children in ways they can understand. It’s never too early to plant the seeds of environmental responsibility.

My kids and I talk through food shopping, cooking, and eating. When my two-year-old announces he’s finished eating his brassicas, it’s because he’s been listening in on his older brother’s conversation with me about the genus species of vegetables on his plate.

Grow

You can help your children make that key connection between field and fork by growing some produce yourself. Also, what better way to explain seasonal eating than by observing it first-hand as the seasons change?

If growing some of your own food isn’t possible, then visit a farm once in a while.

Shop

I can’t remember ever setting foot in a grocery store with my mother. What I DO remember vividly, however, are the farmers markets we frequented on Saturday mornings. I can recall the taste of a brownie I nibbled as we walked along the stalls, the feel of a baby rabbit’s silken fur under my fingertips, the sound of the rain pattering on the tarped stalls, and the smells of tomato seedlings, waving at me from their peat moss cups.

Food culture. It’s not surprising that now I feel out of place in a supermarket, but at home at the open air marché.

You probably already shop with a little one or two in tow, so why not make it memorable (and informative)? Food culture starts with gathering the food, no matter where you shop.

Cook

I’ve long sung the praises of having kids in the kitchen. The effects of this nurturing, one-on-one time are life-long. Where else are children going to learn about their family’s food culture than under your wing in the heart of the home? By touching the food, talking about it, and watching it come alive under your hands, they are learning to appreciate whole foods and the enjoyment of scratch cooking.

Related posts:

• 6 Ways to Thrive in The Kitchen With the Kids :: my article on Simple Mom
• Simple Tips for Baking with Kids

Eat

Eat together. This is Food Culture 101. I don’t need to elaborate on the importance of the family dinner. What I would like to point out, though, is that eating together doesn’t have to be static and predictable.

Round out the corners of your home food culture by showing that food can be an adventure, an experience, a journey or a collaboration. I’m all for manners, but if they portray eating as a sterile, no-nonsense action, then it’s time to relax and have some fun.

Campfires, fondue, dinner baked in foil, picnics, family pizza night, and sweet summer corn on the cob are just but a few ways to ignore the silverware and enjoy food from a different angle.

It is up to the parents to demonstrate that fun is indeed fun.

Pray

Saying grace and giving thanks to God is an integral part of our food culture. Around our table we bless the food and the one who prepared it, express thankfulness for the bounty of it and His provision for it, and show appreciation for the Creator who nurtured the seeds.

Even if you don’t pray in your home,  take time to acknowledging that you have food when so many do not, and you will teach your children gratefulness in a day when so much is taken for granted.

How would you describe the food culture in your home? Would you like to strengthen it?

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