Sausage Balls with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce ~ Great Game Day Appetizer!

I look forward to the Super Bowl every year...not to watch the game, not necessarily for the ads (although I do pay attention during commercial breaks haha), but to make appetizers! You already know how much I love to cook easy, healthier recipes, but on game day? Healthy recipes? I think it's okay to let go every once in awhile, especially if you want to please a crowd of hungry football fans in the mood for 7-layer dips, chicken wings, pizza, and beer.

Au contrair, friends!!! You don't have to completely let go because opting for organic ingredients and making recipe from scratch makes a recipe healthier that easily!  And the munching, yelling football fans won't know the difference.

That's why I'm making made-from-scratch and organic Sausage Balls for this Sunday's game.  My husband and his family are HUGE sausage ball fans, and you can always count on a batch of sausage balls being set out on the table during family reunions.  Instead of making the sausage balls from premade mix, I made my own little mix and used organic organic hot sausage.  So easy. So quick. SO GOOD.  Just don't count on keeping your hands clean.  This recipe involves full on hand-kneading.

But what's a good sausage ball without a good dip? That's where my Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce comes into play.  Perfection.

Organic Sausage Balls with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

Sausage Balls 

The recipe below makes about 24-30 1" diameter sausage balls.

Ingredients:
*choose organic and local where possible
- 2 cups unbleached, organic flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp dried sage
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- dash of cayenne pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbs cold organic, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 pound ground sausage, preferably hot sausage (hot sausage ads great flavor...doesn't make the sausage balls spicy, but mild sausage may make them bland!)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add butter, sausage and cheese. Knead with your hands until mixed all the way through.  This may take a little time (5 minutes max) and some work, but well worth it.

3. Shape the mixture into about 1" balls and place them on an ungreased stainless steel cookie sheet. 

4. Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until the edges are a little brown.

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

This makes about 3/4 cup sauce.

Ingredients:

*choose organic and local where possible

- 1/2 cup mayo
- 4 tsp yellow mustard
- 1 tbs Dijon mustard
- 2 tbs honey
- 2 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl until smooth.  Place in fridge over night to let flavors combine.

2. Dip!

What are you making for game day?

If you're looking for a couple more ideas, here are a few snacks you can bring to a gathering:

• Broccoli-Cheddar Bites
• Broccoli Parmesan Fritters
• Fruited Curry Chicken Salad (with pita chips on the side!)
• Homemade Chips
• Kale Chips
• Baked Sweet Potato Bites

~ Hannah

Pan Roasted Salmon with Soy-Ginger Glaze

Per usual, I'm always looking for easy, healthy, and tasty meals to make during the week.  And when they look as good as they taste, it's even better!  Almost as satisfying as a smile when someone tastes your dish is a smile when someone sees the picture and starts getting hungry.  This pan roasted salmon did just that.  I paired the salmon with steamed broccoli and oven-baked Japanese sweet potatoes seasoned with smoked paprika, a little nutmeg, and a dash of salt and pepper. A great weeknight meal going on the repeat list!

Below is the recipe for 2 servings.

Ingredients: 
*choose organic and local if you can!

• 1/8 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger (I used ground ginger I had on hand)
• 1/2 tsp organic/local honey
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Two 6-ounce wild-caught salmon fillets (mine had skins on the bottom since they were fresh from the market when I bought them)
• freshly ground pepper
• Cilantro leaves, for garnish (optional but good!)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a small saucepan, combine soy sauce and ginger. Bring to a simmer and remove from heat. Stir in honey and dijon mustard.
3. Season salmon with freshly ground pepper.
4. Heat enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a large skillet. When the skillet is hot, add salmon, skin side up and cook over a medium/high heat until golden and crusty (about 2-3 minutes). Remove from heat, turn the salmon over, and spoon the ginger-soy glaze on top.
5. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake for about 5 minutes, or until cooked to your liking.
6. Transfer finished salmon to a plate and garnish with cilantro!

How do you like to cook salmon? Do you have any glazes you enjoy?

~ Hannah

Date Syrup & Raisin Muffins

After making a pretty decent amount of Medjool date syrup, I went on the hunt to find uses for it! I stumbled across a Date Syrup & Raisin Muffins recipe that I tweaked to make it my own. This was the first time I had ever baked something that was sweetened naturally with fruit!  And for a no-sugar-added muffin, I say they were pretty darn good.  Definitely not the dessert-type muffin but more like a breakfast muffin that will hit the spot on your way out the door in the morning.

When making these muffins, I used vegetable oil in this first batch, but I think next time I will try applesauce for a healthier version.  Also, I used my stand-alone paper cupcake cups (I had a bunch leftover from the snowman ones I had over the holidays) that are free from PTFE, PFCs and made from natural, eco-friendly paper! They are grease proof, have no silicone or coating of any kind, use food-safe inks, and are chemical free.  All I had to do was fill them with muffin batter and set them right on top of my stainless steel cookie sheet.

And twenty or so minutes later, they came out perfect! The cupcake cups held so well, and the muffins came out like they were baked in a muffin tin.  Pretty neat.

I let them cool for ohhhh about 30 seconds because I couldn't wait to taste them!  The raisins and date syrup were a perfect combination.  My husband had two, and liked the muffin a little more with a small piece of butter, hence the photo below.

So if you have a bunch of date syrup that you want to use, bake with it! I'm sure it will go well with many recipes, but if you want to try these muffins, here's my recipe for 12 muffins:

Ingredients:
*choose organic and local where possible

• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup mild vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1-1/3 cups Medjool Date Syrup
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1-3/4 cup unbleached flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves

Directions:

1. Preheat the over to 400 degrees.
2. Line a 12-muffin tin with paper liners (or use the stand-up paper cups like me!)
3. In a large bowl, mix eggs, oil, vanilla extract, date syrup, and raisins.
4. In a separate bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. 
5. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cups and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.
6. Remove from rack and cool.

Do you have any recipes where you use date syrup as a sweetener? Please send them my way! I'd love to try them.

Enjoy!

Hannah

Medjool Date Syrup ~ An All Natural Sweetener

I had never had dates up until a few months ago when my aunt made a date cake that I fell in love with.    Since then, I've been trying to find a way to use dates in a recipe; and because I had never used dates before, I wanted to make sure it was a VERY SIMPLE recipe. That's when I found out about Date Syrup.  Just 3 main ingredients: medjool dates, filtered water, and lemon juice.  That's it, but I had to put my own twist on it--cinnamon!  Pretty easy for a first-time date recipe, and I can't wait to see what I can do with the date syrup.  Recipe below...

Ingredients:
*makes about 1-1/3 cups of syrup

• 8-9 whole, organic medjool dates
• 1-1/4 cups filtered water
• 1-1/2 tsp lemon juice (this helps the syrup last longer)
• a pinch of cinnamon

Directions:

1. Place the whole dates in a small bowl and cover with warm water. Let them sit for about 30 minutes. Once the have soaked, drain the water and remove the pits.
2. Add the soaked dates to a high-speed blender (we use a Vitamix).  Add filtered water, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Blend on high for 45-60 seconds, or until smooth.
3. Transfer mixture to an airtight container. 

Lasts for about 2 weeks in the fridge.

As a plain syrup, I have used it as a sweetener for my plain greek yogurt and granola in the mornings, but I have heard it would be great as a pancake syrup!

What to make, what to make!?
Hannah

Extreme Makeover: Leftovers Edition ~ Pork Medallions into Pork Fried Rice

Earlier this week we had oven baked pork medallions and black beans and rice for dinner.  The pork medallions were simply seasoned with a little salt and pepper and baked in the oven till cooked through--a much healthier way to cook pork and it still came out juicy!  We had one pork medallion leftover (cut up into chunks it came out to 1 cup), so two days later I decided to make pork fried rice instead of re-heating the pork for dinner.  The best thing about fried rice is you can really put into it anything you have leftover and on-hand, just make sure you have soy sauce, ground ginger, and brown rice (leftover brown rice would be great too).

In the picture below, you'll notice the sushi rolls, which were leftover from going out to dinner the night before! Talk about a serious leftover meal! And, of course, our reusable bamboo chopsticks...part of the To-Go Ware bamboo utensil set.

Below is the very adaptable recipe for pork fried rice. Makes about 2 servings.

Ingredients:
*use organic and local where possible

• 2 cups cooked brown rice (1 cup uncooked if you don't have leftovers)
• 1 cup leftover pork medallions, cut into chunks
• 1-1/2 cup leftover veggies (I had onions, celery, and mushrooms on hand)
• 1 egg
• 1-1/2 tbs green onion, chopped (optional, but I had a little frozen)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tbs + 1 tsp soy sauce

Directions:

1. Cook rice if you don't have any leftover.
2. While rice is cooking, saute minced garlic and veggies on a skillet with olive oil. Once the veggies are cooked through, set them aside in a bowl.
3. In the same skillet, coat the pan with a little olive oil.  Whisk your egg, add it to the heated pan, and scramble. Once cooked, add to the bowl of veggies.
4. When the rice is ready, add veggies, egg, green onion, ginger, and soy sauce to the pot of rice. Stir to combine.  For extra moisture, add a little more olive oil to the rice!

Looking forward to the next makeover,

Hannah

Extreme Makeover: Leftovers Edition ~ Steamed Broccoli turned Broccoli Cheddar Bites

Another great leftover steamed broccoli recipe! The same day I made my Broccoli Parmesan Fritters, I made another batch of these Broccoli Cheddar Bites.  We had A LOT of leftover broccoli at my parent's house from the previous week. And by giving leftover steamed broccoli a makeover, all the broccoli was gone in one meal (it was a little over a pound of broccoli).  It would have likely gone to waste had I not come to the rescue!  These bites look almost the same as the fritters, but they are baked in the oven and taste completely different.  Again, ingredients are most likely in your pantry already--except for the cheddar cheese.

Fresh out of the oven!

Ready to devour...

As mentioned with previous Makeover recipes, the ingredients can be adjusted and changed based on how many leftovers you have and what you have on hand!

Ingredients:
*choose organic and local where possible

• 2 cups steamed leftover steamed broccoli, chopped
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used a mild white cheddar)
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs (I didn't have Italian breadcrumbs on hand, but I had a little bit of plain breadcrumbs available. I did a slight mixture of breadcrumbs and unbleached all-purpose flour to reach 1/3 cup...the bites came out more than fine.  I also added Italian seasoning for the "Italian" part)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper.
3. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until well combined. 
4. With your hand, form small patties and line them on the parchment lined baking sheet.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes in the oven (depending on how crispy you want these bites). After 15 minutes of baking, flip the bites and continue baking.

Looking forward to the next leftovers makeover,

Hannah

Extreme Makeover: Leftovers Edition ~ Cooked Chicken Breast turned Fruity Curry Chicken Salad

Growing up, weeknight dinners usually consisted of some sort of chicken variation, so leftover chicken was always sitting in the fridge. The great thing about chicken leftovers is that it makes for great chicken salads! Below is my recipe for Fruity Curry Chicken Salad. My mom drools over a great chicken salad, and this is by far her favorite!  It's easy to modify based on the ingredients you have on hand...and yes, you will likely have almost all the ingredients this recipe calls for.  The key is to at least have leftover chicken and curry powder.  I've also made this so many times and used all types of seasoned leftover chicken. It's all good :)

The quantities below can be modified, of course!

Ingredients:
*choose organic and local where possible

• About a pound of leftover chicken, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 golden delicious apple, peeled, cored, and diced (I've used other varieties and it's just as good)
• 1/2 cup raisins or craisins (or both! I used both in my last batch)
• 1/2 cup seedless grames, halved (didn't have them last time and it was still delicious)
• black pepper and salt to taste (this depends on the chicken...if it's already salty enough, definitely skip this step)
• 1/2 tsp curry powder (I always guesstimate on this amount and just taste as I go)
• 3/4 cup light mayo or less depending on the consistency you like (I've never tried plain yogurt, but I can imagine it's great!)
• handful of swiss cheese (optional, but added it this last go around and it was a hit)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. For best flavor, let the chicken salad sit over night, but if you're hungry, DIG IN!

Looking forward to the next makeover,

Hannah

Extreme Makeover: Leftovers Edition ~ Steamed Broccoli turned Broccoli Parmesan Fritters

Leftover steamed broccoli always brings about the makeover maniac in me! The first time you cook broccoli it's great, but steaming it again is a makeover-faux-pas in my book.  Tends to overcook and smell up the house, right?

Instead, broccoli can be made into so many great new recipes, and simple ones at that (I like to keep it simple, ALWAYS).  Today, I am sharing with you  my Broccoli Parmesan Fritters recipe.  It calls for ingredients found in everyone's kitchen....all the time!  All you need is leftover broccoli, but I'm assuming that's why you stopped by this post.

Ingredients:
*choose organic and local where possible of course!

• 3 cups leftover steamed broccoli, chopped
• 1 large organic egg
• 1/2 cup un-bleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 small onion, chopped (this may be the one ingredient you need to go out and get, but if you don't have an onion on hand, it won't ruin the fritters!)
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, plus more to taste
• A pinch of red pepper flakes (I like it spicy, so my pinch is usually a mini-grab)
• Black pepper to taste
• Olive oil

Directions:

1. Place chopped broccoli in a large mixing bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk egg. Then add all the rest of the ingredients and combine.
3. Add the mixture in #2 to the big bowl of broccoli.  Stir to combine and mash the broccoli, but not too much! You still want some chunks of broccoli in there, but the mashing allows the fritters to stick a little better.
4. Heat a stainless steel skillet over low/medium heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. When the oil is hot, add heaping tablespoons of the broccoli mixture to the pan and flatten slightly with the back of a spoon. Fry fritters on 2-3 minutes on each side (or at least until browned and a tad bit crispy). Repeat with the rest of the mixture!

These were so delicious, and if you have fussy-broccoli eaters, I think these may do the trick!

Looking forward to the next makeover,

Hannah

You call it November, we call it No-can-ber!

Challenge: Kick the can and make food from scratch this November!

On New Year's Day, my husband and I made our new year's resolution: avoid canned foods. Why? We thought this would be a fun challenge to start making more items from scratch (especially intimidating beans!) and a great way to help us avoid our exposure to BPA.  11 months later, and we've  done a great job sticking to our resolution.  It really has ended up being much easier than we ever anticipated.  The only slip ups we had was the occasional canned tuna. But, last month, I made tuna salad from scratch (pretty proud of myself!) so we are completely canned good free now!

Over the past year, we realized how easy it really is to avoid canned foods when you're determined. Once you make beans, pasta sauce, and tuna from scratch, you'll never want to go back to the canned version.  Fresh really does taste better. That's why we thought it would be a fun challenge to open up to our fans!  I feel like November is often associated with canned foods because of Thanksgiving dinner, so this was the perfect month to get going on the challenge.  Plus, I thought No-can-ber was just too catchy not to use haha.

Throughout the month I will be posting recipes I have used that don't require canned food (and yes, these recipes have their easier canned good version, but the no-can way is better!).  Do you have any no-can recipes you'd like to share with everyone?  Email me your recipe at hello@liveESP.com and I'll try to test it out and post it for others to enjoy as well.

Come take the No-Can-Ber challenge with us! Share this post with your friends so they can join in too :).

What is BPA? Find out more here!

Chicken, Broccoli, & Cheese Casserole

No need for canned soup in this recipe for homemade Chicken, Broccoli, & Cheese Casserole! This is a BPA free and easy one-dish meal your whole family will love ~ even picky green veggie eaters...

Ingredients:

• 1 lb cooked organic chicken, shredded
• 1 cup cooked organic brown rice
• 1 lb fresh organic broccoli, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons of butter
• 2 Tablespoons of rice flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried mustard
• 1 1/2 cups of organic milk
• 1 1/2 cups of organic cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs or slivered almonds for topping

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees F.
2. Melt the butter in a medium stainless steel saucepan.  Add the flour, salt, pepper, and mustard, and cook 2-3 minutes until bubbly and foamy.
3. Slowly whisk in the milk and cook until thickened.
4. Stir in the shredded cheese.
5. Place the brown rice, chicken, and broccoli in a casserole dish and pour the white sauce over the top.
6. Spread the breadcrumbs and slivered almonds over the top.
7. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

~ Hannah

The Link Between Chemicals and Obesity

Since 2008, about one-third of U.S. adults and almost one-fifth of children and adolescents ages 2 to 19 have been classified as obese—both staggering and shocking statistics.  But what if working out and watching what you eat isn’t paying off?  Is there anything else causing obesity out there besides overeating and genetics?  As it turns out, there may be more.  Harmful chemicals, called obesogens, are sneaking into our homes and diets…and ultimately changing the way our body controls weight.

            Obesogens are either natural or man-made chemicals that can alter the way one’s body controls weight, especially during fetal and early development.  Obesogens do this by causing an increase in the number of fat cells, a decrease in calories burned, a resistance to insulin in the liver, and a release of less leptin (responsible for telling your body you are full) from fat cells.  Luckily, the federal government has taken obesogens head on, funding $20 million for further studies on this topic.  But as we wait for updates and new findings, there’s no hurt in starting to avoid obesogens today—starting right at home!   Here is a list of obesogens to help you and your family on the path towards a healthier body and environment!

1.       BPA:  BPA (Bisphenol-A) is commonly found in hard plastics, cans, and, interestingly enough, cashier receipts.  A few simple ways to help reduce your exposure to BPA include choosing glass or stainless steel bottles over plastic, avoiding canned foods, and letting the cashier know you won’t be needing a receipt (which also helps reduce waste!).

2.       Pesticides: The chemicals found in pesticides used for farming are often linked to obesity and diabetes.  To reduce your intake of pesticides, start choosing organic foods!  Studies have shown that after just 5 days of eating organic, you can cleanse your body of almost all pesticide residues.

3.       Atrazine: Faucet water has been found carrying pesticides from the soil surrounding water sources.  The main obesogen pesticide found in tap water, atrazine, slows thyroid hormone metabolism.  Install a granular activated carbon filter on your faucet to filter out that unnecessary weight gain.

4.       High fructose corn syrup: High fructose corn syrup can cause your liver to resist insulin and lessens the amount of leptin released from your fat cells to alert you that you’re full.  Organic and natural sweeteners are better ingredients to be found on food labels.

5.       Polybrominated biphenyls (PCBs):  PCBs work through estrogen receptor pathways and affect the liver—not to mention PCBs have been shown to cause cancer.  Their release into the environment has caused them to bioaccumulate in fish and other animals, so eating lower on the food chain a bit more in your diet can protect you from harmful levels of exposure. Why not try the growing trend of Meatless Monday? This would be a great start!

6.       Soy: Despite its high levels of protein and other healthy attributes, soy promotes fat-cell growth because of its plant-based estrogenic properties.  High doses of this legume and its form of drink cause weight gain.  Babies and children are mostly affected, so it’s best to keep soy away from young children and to offer breast milk to babies over other supplemental drinks.

7.       Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA): If you use non-stick pans coated with PTFE, PFOA may be leaching into your foods.  Found even in microwaveable popcorn bags, PFOA can have a negative impact on your thyroid gland.  Stainless steel and/or cast iron pans are great alternatives to PTFE-coated pans.

8.       Phthalates: Phthalates, hormone-disrupting chemicals, are common in personal-care products, especially synthetically fragranced products.  Besides being linked to obesity, high levels of phthalates can affect the growth of children.  Take a quick look at the ingredients in your favorite personal care products for “fragrance” or “parfum” and toss them if you find those listed.  Air fresheners and scented candles are culprits too, so natural beeswax candles are a safer alternative.

9.       Organotins:  Harmful organotins can be found in vinyl (some flooring, purses, and shower curtains) and PVC plastics (pipes).  According to a recent study, mice that were exposed to organotin tributyltin bore mice that were predisposed to weight problems.  That said, try to avoid this obesogen by paying attention to what is in your household and cleaning your home on a regular basis, since PVC can hang around household dust.

10.   Nicotene: Babies born to mothers who smoke throughout pregnancy face an increased risk of being obese during their developmental years.  Second-hand smoke is just as important to avoid, and from third-hand-smoke, the toxins that linger in a cigarette after it has been put out still pose health risks, especially to babies and young children.  “There are no safe levels of this stuff,” says Jonathan Winickoff, MD, MPH, at the Center for Child and Adolescent Health Policy at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

          I hope this list helps because any step you can take to keep your body obesogen-free is progress towards a healthier and more successful diet.

~ Ivana

What’s Green, Healthy, and Non-Toxic all over?

Your lunch! Or at least it can be with some tips on how to makeover your lunch bagging routine into a green, non-toxic, and healthy one.  The great thing about a green and healthy lunch bag is that you can simultaneously be good to the environment, be good to your body, and be good to your wallet!

Oh, okay, before I start, I do want to add that this is how I typically pack my lunch during the week. So any healthy foods you enjoy will work…I just may or may not be addicted to salads (guess that’s not such a bad thing!)

The Bag

Instead of reaching for a brown baggie, a leftover plastic grocery store bag, or an insulated lunch container (that often needs to be refrigerated if there isn’t enough inside to keep items cold), reach for a 100% Organic Cotton Lunch Bag! They are machine washable and made from natural, unbleached organic cotton.  Pack your lunch in one of these and pop it in the work refrigerator to keep contents cold and bacteria free.  As a little side note, did you know that compared to conventional cotton, the methods used to grow organic cotton have lower environmental impacts and are non-toxic (no pesticides used)? 

The Food

Lunch

Swap out your plastic containers (yes, even those that hold pre-sliced deli meat) for non-toxic and reusable stainless steel food containers! I pack a salad in my larger stainless steel food container.  As for the dressings, I have a stainless steel snack set that comes with a compact container (here I often pack yogurt or fruit) and a small container that is just the right size for salad dressing.  For a healthier twist on salad dressing, I use fresh salsa!  It’s lower calories, is made from fresh vegetables, and doesn’t come in a plastic container like many grocery store brands do.  What I love about my stainless steel containers is that they are dishwasher safe and, most importantly, it won’t leach chemicals like BPA into food.  If I'm packing a sandwich, I have a more oval-shaped stainless steel container that is the perfect size!

Snacks

To help you avoid plastics and wasting plastic baggies, try a reusable snack bag! The LunchSkins snack bags are the perfect size—plus they are water proof, grease proof, lead free, BPA free, and phthalate free.  I often pack raw nuts, trail mix, and even grapes!  

The Utensils

Reusable bamboo utensils are a great alternative to plastic utensils and are much lighter than bringing silverware in a lunch bag.  The RePEat bamboo utensils are made from renewable bamboo and are completely non-toxic!

The Drink

I know this sounds like old news, but try to stay away from plastic water bottles!  Instead, I used a BPA free glass water bottle or stainless steel water bottle. By using them, you produce less waste and won’t run the risk of BPA leaching into your drink!

I hope these tips help you pack healthier, greener, and more non-toxic lunches for you and your family!  And you don't have to stop at the lunchbag for going healthy, green, and non-toxic...Healthy Child Healthy World has a bunch of ideas to help you and your family live healthier lifestyles!

Is it bad that I look forward to packing lunch every day?  Not just for me...but I used to pack for my whole family...there are 8 of us!

Happy Packing,

Hannah

Holiday Mood Food

What traditions do you have during the holidays?  If you are anything like my family, chances are a good portion of your traditions are centered on food.  I come from a HUGE family.  There are 8 of us, and when it comes to the holiday season, we can’t help but get excited over the influx of baked goods, hearty meals, and stretchy sweat pants to accommodate our growing plates. But this year, I am going to be taking a closer look at our food choices, thanks to a great article on holiday mood foods from Rodale. According to Rodale’s article, there are many common holiday foods that are lacking important nutrients, which can lead to heightened seasonal affective disorder.  Luckily, there are many healthy alternatives to keep your season merry and bright!  Below is a list from The Happiness Diet creators’ list of 11 foods that can bust your holiday mood.

CANDY CANES:

·         Mood Buster: Although these simple treats look good on the outside (and on my family’s tree), it’s what on the inside that counts.  There are loads of sugar that can ruin your mood and cause weight gain—according to Tyler Graham, Dr. Ramsey’s Happiness Diet.

·         Mood Booster: DARK CHOCOLATE ORANGE SLICES are a great alternative because the citrus rinds have phyonutrient narginen, an anticancer compound, and the dark chocolate is anti-oxidant rich, which can improve blood flow to the brain and help you stay more focused. 

AGAVE NECTAR:

·         Mood Buster: Sure, this sounds healthy, but despite the myth that Agave is a natural sweetener, it can’t always be trusted.  Its excess fructose increases your risk of having a metabolic syndrome, setting the stage for brain shrinkage and mood instability.

·         Mood Booster: 100% MAPLE SYRUP (with no high-fructose corn syrup) or LOCAL HONEY because these both carry bonus minerals and plant antioxidants.

CONVENTIONAL CHRISTMAS HAM

·         Mood Buster:  This traditional holiday entre is NOT worth keeping because it is full of sugar, salt, fillers, and nitrate preservatives (not to mention it comes from antibiotic-filled pigs).  All of this can cause low moods, migraines, swollen ankles, and even “cankles”! 

·         Mood Booster: WILD-CAUGHT ALASKAN SALMON has memory-preserving, mood-boosting omega-3 fats DHA and EPA.  Did you know that fish oil containing the same omega-3s found in wild salmon is just as effective as Prozac in treating depression?  If you’d rather stick to pork, opt for PASTURE-RAISED PORK LOIN, a top source of a B vitamin (thiamine) that is vital for nervous system functioning.

SODA

·         Mood Buster:  This could probably be relevant year-round since the average American drinks about 600 sodas a year!  Soda turns to fat inside the body, bringing our moods way down after the big sugar rush.

·         Mood Booster: SODA WATER WITH a little bit of ORGANIC FRUIT JUICE. This healthy replacement will taste great and make you feel good for having chosen the healthier option!

MARGARINE

·         Mood Buster: For a while, scientists weren’t sure which was healthier, margarine or butter, but recently, studies show that the inflammation-promoting, industrial fats and the high levels of omega-6 fatty acids in margarine can tamper with your mood and insulin levels.

·         Mood Booster: PASTURED BUTTER (from grass-fed cows) has more conjugated linoleic acid (which has anti-cancer properties, brain-healthy omega-3, and has been shown to cut belly fat and lower your risk for heart attack).

PROCESSED PUMPKIN SEEDS

·         Mood Buster: While raw pumpkin seeds you roast yourself are healthy, the processed ones purchased at the store are probably not.  They’re typically coated in a preservative called potassium bromated, blocking iodine from being absorbed by the thyroid.  This may cause the thyroid to stop working properly and push your mood down a slippery slope.

·         Mood Booster: RAW, HOME-ROASTED PUMPKIN/WINTER SQUASH SEEDS will help treat your body to good minerals and a natural antidepressant!

POTATO CHIPS

·         Mood Buster: They’re typically fried in oils full of omega-6 fatty acids that block omega-3 fatty acids from enhancing your mood.  Plus, frying potatoes naturally creates the carcinogen acrylamide, a substance of great concern.

·         Mood Booster: MICROWAVABLE POPCORN or BAKED RED OR BLUE-SKIN SPUDS.  The red/blue-skin spud skins are rich in phytonutrients ready to benefit your mind and body!

BAGELS

·         Mood Buster: Although I considered these “healthy” during childhood, bagels are actually packed with refined carbs that cause a huge energy crash and mood bust.

·         Mood Booster: ORGANIC, PASTURED EGGS that’ll keep you full and energized with B vitamins, zinc, and iodide for a brain and mood boost.

PEANUTS

·         Mood Buster: Packaged, salted peanuts, though easy to serve as a snack at a holiday party, are high in sodium and have questionable food additives such as monosodium glutamate (MSG), an artificial flavoring linked to migraines, weakness, burning sensations, wheezing, and difficulty breathing—not exactly what your holiday guests are looking for.

·         Mood Booster: A MIX OF omega-3-rich WALNUTS, vitamin E-rich ALMONDS, AND selenium-rich BRAZIL NUTS (selenium deficiencies are linked to depression and suicide) to keep up your energy.  If you’re looking for adding some flavor, toss in some rosemary and sea salt and roast them in the oven at 300 degrees for 15 minutes.  Interestingly enough, Rosemary is showing brain-protecting qualities in some research!

VEGETABLE SHORTENING

·         Mood Buster: I’m not familiar with this cooking ingredient—thank goodness— because it should be avoided for the same reason we should avoid margarine: omega-6 fatty acids block out the brain-building, mood-promoting omega-3 fatty acids that you should be getting.

·         Mood Booster: PASTURED LARD (as shocking as this sounds) because leic acid in lard is a monounsaturated fat linked to decreasing risk of depression.  The main saturated fat in lard (stearic acid) doesn’t cause heart disease, nor does it affect your cholesterol levels.

SUGAR-PACKED SWEET POTATOES

·         Mood Buster: Sure the words “sweet potato” make this sound naturally healthy, but this holiday dish carries multiple cups of sugar that negatively affect your brain process and mood just minutes after eating.  High blood sugar levels even cause your blood vessels to age, brain to shrink, vision and nerve function to suffer damage, and increase your risk of depression and Alzheimer’s disease.

·         Mood Booster: NAKED SWEET POTATOES because they’re loaded with beta-carotene, a brain-protecting antioxidant used to create vitamin A.  This vitamin promotes the enzymes that create mood-regulating neurotransmitters like dopamine.  Better forms of vitamin A also come from butter and eggs from  animals raised on pasture, so add a little butter if you so desire!

Let us know what alternatives you can think of or how you keep the holiday mood soaring high all season long!  And if you feel it’s too late to use these health tips, New Year’s resolutions are just around the corner…

For more info, check out http://www.rodale.com/print/9224

~ Ivana

Re-thinking my addiction to Breakfast Cereals...

I kid you not when I say I'm addicted to breakfast cereals. That's why I'm not a fan of the name "Breakfast Cereal"...I eat it for breakfast and often times as a snack throughout the day (yep, I love cereal and eat it alllll the time).  But for the sake of its true purpose, we'll call it Breakfast Cereals for now.

This morning I was watching Morning Express with Robin Meade and one of her headlines focused on a new report by the Environmental Working Group on the amount of sugars that fill our favorite cereals.  Ding! I woke up instantly and started listening in...hoping my faves weren't on the list. 

In the report, the EWG took a look at the nutritional content of 84 cereals and found that some of the cereals had more than 50% sugar by weight, ehk!  Here is the list of EWG's 10 worst Children's Cereals (I may not be a child, but children's cereals are great tasting!):

1. Kellogg's Honey Smacks - 55.6% (phew! not a fan of these but I know my mom used to love them)
2. Post Golden Crisp - 51.9%
3. Kellogg's Froot Loops Marshmallow - 48.3% (oh no! wait, the marshmallow one I don't like...I thought I was in the clear until I saw #10)
4. Quaker Oats Cap'n Crunch's OOPS! All Berries - 46.9%
5. Quaker Oats Cap'n Crunch Original - 44.4% (oh man, one of my favorites to mix with fiber cereals...)
6. Quaker Oats Oh!s - 44.4% (Quaker Oats is taking over!)
7. Kellogg's Smorz - 43.4% (Kellogg's is coming back to win the # of cereals on the list.  Oh, and a cereal calls Smorz? Sounds sugary so no surprise here)
8. Kellogg's Apple Jacks - 42.9% (the word apple can be so deceiving...)
9. Quaker Oats Cap'n Crunch's Crunch Berries - 42.3% (looks like we should just stay away from Cap'n Crunch flavors)
10. Kellogg's Froot Loops Original - 41.4% (no! I've been defeated!)

So the list was pretty disappointing from my perspective, but the good thing is that I can now make healthier cereal changes in my life. The EWG complimented the list of bad cereals with a list of Good ones:

• Amborsial Granola
• Go Raw
• Grandy Oats
• Kaia Foods
• Laughing Giraffe
• Lydia's Organic
• Nature's Path Organics
• Kellogg's Mini-Wheater
• General Mills Cheerios Original
• General Mill Kix Original
• Post Shredded Wheat
• Post Grape-Nuts Flakes
• Quaker Oats Otameal Squares Cinnamon
• Post Bran Flakes
• Post Honey Bunches of Oats with Vanilla Bunches

Along with this list comes some times on checking cereal labels:

• Look for cereals with high fiber content
• Cereals with a short ingredient list are best
• Check the sugar percentage
• Look for cereals with few or no added sugars

For more info, check out the EWG article!

~ Hannah

Non-Toxic & Heartburn Free Thanksgiving Tips!

While the probability of family taking over every part of your home, the kitchen being so packed you can hardly open the oven door to get the turkey out before it burns, and a serious food-coma to persist after a massive meal, there are two things you can do your best at avoiding this Thanksgiving holiday: hazardous chemicals and heartburn!

To help avoid hazardous chemicals, there are several simple steps you can take:

1.      Cook in stainless steel cookware or cast iron cookware.

2.      Eat on glass plates—they’re lead free!

3.      Bake on stainless steel or glass bakeware.

4.      Eat organic J

When it comes to heartburn, it may be a little more difficult to manage, but not impossible!  It is estimated that 42% of Americans suffer from heartburn at some point in their lives.  Heartburn is a burning sensation in the chest that often radiates upward into the neck and throat.  Although there are many causes of heartburn, the primary cause is gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).  GERD is the condition in which the acidic contents of the stomach leaks back into the esophagus, causing burning irritation.  Our odds of experiencing heartburn can also be increased by what we eat.  For example, coffee, tea, and other caffeinated drinks can relax that lower esophageal sphincter (LES) which then allows the contents of the stomach to reflux into the esophagus.  In addition, over-eating, eating late at night, and even wearing tight clothing can contribute to heartburn! 

Whatever the cause, our eating habits can often add to the amount of heartburn we feel.  For this reason it is important for sufferers of heartburn to watch what they eat.  Dr. Jaime Koufman, author of “Dropping Acid: The Reflux Diet Cookbook and Cure,” offers many recipes for dishes that are low in acid and may help you avoid heartburn during this holiday season. Here are a few of Dr. Koufman’s holiday themed recipes. 

Happy Thanksgiving Week!

~Jessica

More info:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/08/a-heartburn-free-thanksgiving/

http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.1185/03007990903553812