Category: Food allergies

Does one (or all!) of your children have food allergies? Sadly this is no longer a rare thing. More and more kids struggle with food allergies now than ever before.

I’ve been there too. Skin testing, blood work, epi-pens…the works. It can be challenging or down right scary.

But you don’t have to live in fear. And you don’t have to just accept food allergies as a life sentence. There is help!

My son went from over twenty food allergies and an epi-pen to being able to eat just about anything. Even nuts!

There are ways to heal the gut and nourish the body so your child can get back to a normal life. Food allergies have so many underlying causes. Once you figure out the root problem and treat it the body will begin to heal.

Don’t let food allergies define your life. I’m here to help you and your child heal.

January 13, 2019

What Does Vitamin A Do in the Body?

Have you ever wondered what all of the vitamins and minerals do you in your body? Or if they are really that important? Or that maybe we’re getting too much? What does Vitamin A do in the body? I’m sharing the details today.

NOTE: I no longer support the Vitamin A as poison theory. All information in this article is purely to help you understand what it is based on. It is possible to get too much Vitamin A by overdosing supplements or liver. But that doesn’t happen often and can be quickly remedied if it does. Vitamin A from animal sources is an essential part of the diet. Beta Carotene can cause carotenemia (as my son had) but will not overload the body with Vitamin A. I encourage you to research and make your own decisions. You can read our update/why we turned and ran from the Vitamin A Detox Diet HERE.

Last week I presented the theory that Vitamin A is not really a vitamin at all. It is a toxin/poison.

Whether you are warming up to that idea or not, today I’m digging into the role of “Vitamin” A in the body. What does Vitamin A do in the body? What happens after you ingest it? And where does it go wrong?

I’ll admit, some of this stuff is a bit technical for me. It kind of makes my head hurt to read the details. But I’m going to do my best to break it down for you so you have a basic understanding. If you like the nitty gritty details make sure you read Grant Generuex’s books that I linked to in my previous post on Vitamin A. Most of the information in today’s post is what I learned from Grant’s book. But I tried to summarize it and break it down for you.

How Vitamin A is Supposed to be Handled

In a healthy (not toxic) person there is a simple cycle that the body uses to maintain balance when it comes to Vitamin A.

Vitamin A is ingested.
That Vitamin A is quickly transported to and stored in the liver.
The stored Vitamin A is periodically called for by cells in the body when it is needed.
The Vitamin A is delivered to its destination via Retinol Binding Protein (RBP).

RBP is like an envelope to deliver the retinol safely to its destination (this is a critical point). The body does not want to be exposed to retinol without RBP. Plain retinol is toxic. Also, the cells calling for retinol have receptors specifically for RBP. So the retinol goes directly where it’s needed in a nice protected package. A wonderful design.

Pretty straight forward. And harmless.

How Vitamin A is Handled in Toxic Individuals

But this simple cycle is messed up if the liver is saturated from excess Vitamin A. Now the tissue of the body is exposed to plain retinol without RBP because it is sitting around, not able to enter the liver. Instead excessive Vitamin A levels are now found in the blood serum, giving it time to combine with fat (remember it is fat-soluble). Other systems and organs try to deal with the excess vitamin A by storing it in the only safe wrapper it knows – fat. So that’s where it sits. And there is speculation that this is the cause of obesity! The body stores fat to handle excess Vitamin A.(you can read more about the connection of Vitamin A with obesity here).

So now the simple cycle above looks more like this:

Vitamin A is ingested.
That vitamin A is stored in adipose tissue (fat) because the liver can’t hold any more.
Some of the retinol is converted to retinoic acid.
Specific gene expressions (all my epigenetics fans – this is where it comes in) and immune response of the individual dictates how the body responds.
This causes inflammation.
Serum pH drops.
Calcium is drawn from bones and teeth to compensate.

Not so simple now. The liver is swollen from excess Vitamin A (fatty liver). Organs and tissues are being exposed to retionic acid. And the body gradually breaks down little by little completely inflamed. In other words, you now have health problems like autoimmune disease. And you develop weak bones.

That is the big picture. Did you follow me?

Vitamin A at the Cell Level

There are two inflammatory responses in the body.

One helps heal. It is the body’s natural response to infection and injury. The immune system uses inflammation to protect against pathogens. In this case the inflammation is healing. You get sick…the body heats up and fights back. Wonderful.

The other is the body’s response to cell injury, damage or incorrect mutations. In this case inflammation is destroying. A damaged cell must be killed before it creates problems.

We all know that inflammation produces heat. This helps kill the pathogens/intruders. It is why you get a fever when you are sick. Your body is doing what it is supposed to do to fight and heal. And this is great when it really is a temporary invader (like infection or injury) or random cell damage. The body calls in the troops, heats up in battle and then settles down.

Inflammation and Autoimmune Disease

But that is not how it works with autoimmune disease. In this case the inflammation is chronic. But here is where current understanding goes wrong.

The inflammation itself is NOT the cause of the disease.

The inflammation is the body trying to do its job like always…but not succeeding because it is searching for phantom pathogens. So it is never-ending since it can’t actually find a pathogen. But there is no off switch. It is a search and destroy mission. And the heat applied to the retinol-containing lipids (fats) is like setting off a bunch of bombs!

The body is attacking a damage-associated molecule instead of a pathogen – your own tissue cells with the molecule. And all that heat it generates is what you know as an autoimmune flare-up.

The human body has quite a defense mechanism. It uses a lot of proteins and acids as weapons – one of which is retinoic acid. As the body produces more and more retinoic acid it creates more inflammation. As the retinoic acid destroys tissue (like skin, intestines and joints), it makes them very thin and weak (think eczema, Crohn’s and even leaky gut!). Ever heard of chemical peels for the skin? It’s retinoic acid!

After the acid attacks, the body quickly tries to make more tissue to compensate. But this time around the tissue is much thicker (sclerosis). This is how conditions like arthritis and psoriasis come about.

Where Does Retionic Acid Come From?

Obviously we don’t consume retinoic acid. So where is it coming from?

The Vitamin A we eat is retinol, retinal or its precursors carotenoids (like beta carotene). The conversion from Vitamin A to retinoic acid happens at both the cellular and molecular level. It is converted in the intestines and in other cells. Not damaged cells either. Retinol is metabolized to retinoic acid in normal cells.

I mentioned that the body knows how to transport retinol properly via RBP. Once it reaches its destination it is unwrapped and converted to retinoic acid (RA). The RA goes to the nucleus of the cell to be used for gene expression and protein generation. The gene expression can produce cytokines. Which in turn can produce an immune response. This is all well and good when the cell actually requested some retinol. It needs the retinoic acid for a specific purpose. And the liver is able to supply sufficient retinol for all the body’s needs.

Now here is where the real problem arises. When there is unbound retinol (excess retinol just floating around not packaged by RBP) it can still enter the cell. But the cell did not request it. The extra retinol has now bypassed the cell’s regulatory system. But it still produces cytokines and potentially more inflammation.

This is what we know as autoimmune disease. But it is not “auto.” There is a reason for it. Excess Vitamin A. The body does not just randomly produce inflammation. It is responding to something. And now we know what that is!

This conversion of retinol to retinoic acid will happen much more frequently in people with an over-saturated liver.

Too Much Vitamin A

Once your liver reaches saturation, the Vitamin A will be stored in other tissues – skin, fat and intestines. And disease begins. The body’s primary defense mechanism (liver) is out of commission. So any amount of Vitamin A you consume after that will cause problems (like a bathtub overflowing with water).

A little extra keeps the inflammation going. A lot extra makes a full blow autoimmune flare, burning holes in your skin, tissues and organs.

All Autoimmune Disease is the Same

Here’s where it all comes together. All autoimmune diseases are actually the same condition – Vitamin A Toxicity. Where the inflammation happens is unique to each individual based on genetics and lifestyle/diet. When the inflammation starts and how severe it gets just depends on how long it takes your liver to become saturated. It could happen at age two or age fifty.

I hope you followed all that! You may have to re-read it a few times for it to make sense. I know I did! That is the basic idea of what happens in the body when you consume Vitamin A. In small amounts it is totally fine. And probably necessary. God didn’t create it for no reason. But we have gone WAY beyond small amounts. And now we have so many sick individuals, including young children. It should not be common for kids to have diabetes, cancer, autoimmune disease and autism. But that is the reality of our world now. It has to stop!

The numerous conditions Vitamin A Toxicity can influence is beyond the scope of this post. Again, I refer you to Grant’s books (Poisoning for Profits and Extinguishing the Fires of Hell).

I am just scratching the surface of the Vitamin A Toxicity details in this post. But hopefully it’s enough to help you understand how Vitamin A can go wrong and make you curious enough to read more.

I hope you’ll stick around for next week’s post. The one I know everyone is waiting for…how to detox the Vitamin A and get help for your health problems! This is the key to getting your child to eat!!

Do you think Vitamin A can be the root of all disease? Does it just sound impossible?

January 6, 2019

Is Vitamin A Really a Vitamin?

NOTE: I no longer support the Vitamin A as poison theory. I do not recommend it to anyone, especially children. All information in this article is purely to help you understand what it is based on. It is possible to get too much Vitamin A by overdosing supplements or liver. But that doesn’t happen often and can be quickly remedied if it does by stopping the supplements. Vitamin A from animal sources (retinol) is an essential part of a nourishing diet. Beta Carotene can cause carotenemia (as my son had) but will not overload the body with Vitamin A. Retinol is required for regulating both copper and iron. I encourage you to research and make your own decisions. You can read our update/why we turned and ran from the Vitamin A Detox Diet HERE.

Are There Vitamin Impostors?

I will preface this by saying that you need to have an open mind. Forget what you know about nutrition for just a moment and listen.

We’ve all been taught since grade school that we need vitamins. They are important for our health. There are water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins (A, B, C, D, E, K, etc.). There are lots of important minerals as well (calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, etc.). We get these vitamins and minerals from our food. Our bodies use them to function well. Pretty straight forward.

But what if I told you there were a couple impostors in that list?

It is well-documented that Vitamin D is actually not a vitamin. It is a hormone. [source] Yet, people are supplementing with “Vitamin” D left and right. Somehow we’ve been told that everyone is Vitamin D deficient. Here’s a little secret…you’re not! And if your Vitamin D truly is low (you can find out with a blood test), supplementing is not the solution. A low level of Vitamin D (low is below 25 ng/dL. Ideal is 25-40 ng/dL…don’t think you need sky high Vitamin D levels) is an indicator that something is not working properly in your body (often times a Vitamin C deficiency). So you need to figure out what that is and fix it. Supplementing is like putting on a band aid. It might change your symptoms, but it’s not actually fixing anything. Here is what is actually happening.

Supplementing with Vitamin D is like taking hormone replacement therapy. And people are doing it to their children!! Even infants. Vitamin D drops, cod liver oil, multi-vitamins. You don’t need it. The excess fills your liver and then gets stored in your tissues (joints, digestive tract, kidneys, skin, etc.). You wouldn’t give your baby estrogen or testosterone drops. So why give hormone D drops?

Think about DHEA. Most people consider it good for health…but that doesn’t mean we call it a vitamin!

Isn’t Vitamin D Good For Your Bones?

Wrong again. Actually quite the opposite. One of the roles of Vitamin D is to maintain calcium levels in the blood…not the bones [source]. So it does whatever it takes to maintain that balance, including drawing calcium from your bones. All that extra Vitamin D you’re taking displaces the calcium in your bones. So if you want to guarantee that you have weak bones and teeth and that you will develop osteoporosis, keep taking Vitamin D supplements. Or keep drinking tons of Vitamin D fortified milk…and see if you develop arthritis or kidney stones.

Ok, that was kind pf a tangent. I just wanted to give you an example of a common health claim that is totally bogus. This post is really not about Vitamin D. It does relate to the rest of the post, though. If you want to learn more here are some great articles.

Is Vitamin A Really a Vitamin?

Now for the real heart of the matter. Vitamin A. Is it really a vitamin?

Let me start at the beginning.

After my fourth was born I started having some odd symptoms. I was already experimenting with my diet to help my nursling feel better and nurse better. So I was very observant of how I felt and how he felt in relation to what I ate.

I started noticing the symptoms appeared when I ate desiccated liver. That was odd. I’ve always thought liver was a super food loaded with nutrients (like Vitamin A and D). Knowing that it is one of the highest sources of Vitamin A I started to wonder if you could get too much Vitamin A.

I stopped eating liver and felt a little better. Ok. Maybe I didn’t need it or I wasn’t tolerating it. No big deal.

Then I happened to see this post from Matt Stone…all about Vitamin A. Good timing I thought. It was interesting. And helped me decide to stop the desiccated liver completely. Back to my crazy life trying to figure out why my kids won’t eat.

Then I saw Dr. Garrett Smith, ND post on Facebook about how Vitamin A is toxic. I started following him a few years ago at the suggestion of my Nutritional Therapy Practicioner (NTP), but hadn’t seen any posts from him in well over a year (and you know how picky Facebook is…why would I happen to see this one?).

I watched one of his videos and thought it was interesting, but a little out there. Carrots and spinach are bad for you? Avoid egg yolks? I don’t know about that. Those are super nutritious!

I was elbow deep researching histamine intolerance and methylation. So I focused on that and figured I’d ignore the Vitamin A stuff. It just sounded a little too strange for me.

Breastfeeding Challenges

At the same time my son continued to struggle with breastfeeding. My four-year old was not doing well either. She had an eye infection, followed by a month of full body hives and then stomach aches and poor appetite. She was back to hardly eating. It was getting so bad we had her pediatrician order a bunch of blood work.

I was praying daily for wisdom. I was on a low histamine diet since many of my symptoms match histamine intolerance. But I knew that was just a temporary fix. Not a true solution.

God Gives Wisdom if You Ask!

Over the next few weeks I saw daily posts about Vitamin A toxicity. I tried to ignore it. But God wouldn’t let me. It was on the top of my feed every time I got on Facebook. Ok, ok. I’ll listen to the information.

And that started our new journey of healing. The more I read and listened, the more it made sense.

And it explained all of my symptoms, all of my son’s symptoms and every other feeding challenge we have faced over the last ten years. Every. Single. One.

What is Vitamin A Toxicity?

So this is where I’m starting (hopefully you made it this far to get to the heart of the post!). Today I’m telling you a little bit about Vitamin A Toxicity (Hypervitaminosis A) and giving you some resources in case you want to dig in for yourself. If you want to hang back and just watch how it goes for us, that’s fine too. I’m not trying to tell you what to do. I’m just giving you the information.

And I will forewarn you…once you read about it you can’t unread it. And it could change your views on health and nutrition forever.

A quick Dr. Google search will tell you that hypervitaminosis A is a real condition[source]. You can have hypervitaminosis of any vitamin (true vitamin or substance called a vitamin) really. Yes, hypervitaminosis D is very real too! The list of symptoms hypervitamimosis A is lengthy. It includes:

Drowsiness
Irritability
Abdominal pain
Nausea
Vomiting
Increased pressure on the brain/headaches
Blurry vision or other vision changes
Swelling of the bones
Bone pain
Poor appetite
Dizziness
Sensitivity to sunlight
Dry, rough skin
Itchy or peeling skin
Cracked fingernails
Skin cracks at the corners of the mouth
Mouth ulcers
Yellowed skin (jaundice)
Orange skin (carotenemia)
Hair loss
Respiratory infection
Confusion
Softening of the skull bone
Bulging of the soft spot on the top of an infant’s skull
Double vision
Bulging eyeballs
Inability to gain weight
Coma
Fluid-filled cysts
Autoimmune disease
Autism
ADD/ADHD
Picky eater/refusal to eat
Oily skin and hair
Osteoporosis
Eczema
Food intolerance/food allergy
Cradle cap
Asthma

Did you catch all that? Crazy, huh? And those aren’t even all of them.

Another search will tell you that pregnant women should not get too much Vitamin A because it can cause birth defects. I wish I had known that! Sadly I listened to the WAPF pregnancy guidelines that claims you shouldn’t worry about too much Vitamin A. Just one example of something they got SO wrong.

Where Does Vitamin A Come From?

Vitamin A is found in many common “healthy” foods today:

sweet potatoes
carrots
liver
egg yolks
dairy
brightly colored vegetables
pork and lard
avocado

Really most foods have at least a little Vitamin A. Meat and grains are probably the lowest in Vitamin A. And the body can handle a little.

The problem arises when the liver gets saturated. Which, you can see, won’t take long if you eat a healthy diet by today’s standards or from a traditional diet. The WAPF dietary guidelines for pregnancy would give a woman an overabundance of Vitamin A! Truly excessive amounts.

Initial symptoms usually impact the skin (dry skin, eczema), hair (thinning, graying), eyes (dry, red, itchy, poor vision) and bones (osteoporosis, weak bones and teeth, joint pain). But as the toxicity continues it will gradually break down other systems. The inflammation reaches the intestines (think Crohn’s, Colitis, IBS, leaky gut, food allergies), the brain (cranial pressure/migraines, ADHD, Autism, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s) and other important organs (thyroid, kidneys and heart).

Does that sound like you or anyone you know? Or everyone?

Where “Healing” Diets Fail

And what is the solution these days? A “healing” diet like GAPS, AIP, Keto, Nemecheck. Where you load up on brightly colored fruits and veggies, bacon, lard, egg yolks, liver, sweet potatoes, unrefined coconut oil. Are you seeing the irony here?

What if our “Eat the Rainbow” mentality was actually doing more harm than good? In the plant and animal world bright colors are a sign of poison (called aposematism). Plants are brightly colored to keep animals from eating them (should we be doing the same?). Animals that are poisonous are often brightly colored (think snakes and frogs). It is a warning sign. Yet we have come to see them as the holy grail of nutrition!

You may be thinking, “But we have soil nutrient depletion and other factors now.” True. But they aren’t enough to cause such a drastic increase in health problems and autoimmune diseases and conditions like autism in recent years.

Is a Standard American Diet Less Toxic?

And what about people that don’t eat healthy? What about people on the Standard American Diet?

Well, they don’t have it much better. Somehow the government has thought they know better than we do what our bodies need. For the past fifty plus years now our foods have been fortified. All pasteurized milk must be fortified with Vitamin A and D. Most grains/flours, cereals, milk alternatives, yogurts and snack foods are fortified. We’re all told to take multi-vitamins and random supplements without any kind of testing.

Everyone worries about not getting enough vitamins and minerals. But we are bombarded with them…certain ones at least. And it’s causing so much overload and imbalance. Excessive supplementation will not fix anything. It will just make problems worse. God designed our bodies to get nutrition from food and to maintain balance. Our bodies now have to compensate for all of the over-supplementing and it is causing big problems (you can read more about the dangers of supplements HERE).

Unless you and your children somehow fall in the middle (no processed/fortified foods AND no abundance of veggies and traditional foods) you probably have Vitamin A Toxicity. That’s right. Just about everyone has it.

What About Vitamin A Deficiency?

But wait. Isn’t Vitamin A deficiency really serious? That depends on your view. IF Vitamin A is actually a vitamin and IF the established symptoms are truly from a deficiency, then yes. The problem is those could both be false assumptions.

Are you still with me? Do you think I’ve lost my mind yet?

In the 1930’s when Vitamin A, the first vitamin, was discovered, the experiments were done incorrectly. The scientists were actually loading the rats with Vitamin A instead of depriving them! They were poisoning the rats instead of inducing a deficiency.

If you look at the symptoms of Vitamin A deficiency and the symptoms of Hypervitamonosis A (listed above) you’ll notice something odd…they are the same! Whether or not that’s possible I’m not sure. Whether Vitamin A deficiency is actually a condition I don’t know. I’m not sure there have ever been any true studies to prove it. Would you actually go blind without Vitamin A? I don’t know. It would take a long time to actually get it all out of your system (could be 5+ years!). How did everyone not go blind hundreds of years ago without supplements and without orange veggies?

It turns out that Vitamin A may actually not be a vitamin at all.

Our bodies can handle some. But too much is toxic. Where that threshold lies is different for everyone and depends on the health of your liver (this is key!).

That rainbow we’ve been told to eat…could be acting more like poison if you are overloaded. (side note – the “five a day” and “eat the rainbow” campaigns were completely arbitrary recommendations).

Now What?

I don’t like to leave you hanging. I just told you that you could be poisoning your family after all! But I also don’t want to overwhelm you with information. And this could take a while to digest.

Plus I’ve got homework for you.

I’ve got more posts coming on other factors that contribute to Vitamin A Toxicity, what happens to Vitamin A in your body and what you can do about it. That’s really what we all want, right? A solution!

There is one. And I have a new book that will help guide you through it. This could be the definitive guide to solving all of your feeding challenges. I know that is a bold statement. But I truly believe it.

I also want you to do some reading and research of your own. And you may know just about as much as I do if you actually do all the reading. So if you just can’t wait, get started!

Engineers Are the Best Problem Solvers

All of this information started with some personal experimenting from an engineer named Grant Genereux (I truly believe engineers make some of the best doctors since our passion is finding root problems and coming up with a solution. Yes, I am an engineer too). He was diagnosed with eczema, an autoimmune condition, and told he would have it for the rest of his life and there was nothing he could do for it.

Not an acceptable answer for an engineer.

He healed his own autoimmune condition and wrote two very detailed books about his research on Vitamin A.

They are totally free and totally worth reading every word. I could not pull myself away. If you really want to understand Vitamin A Toxicity I suggest you read his books. At the very least his second book, Poisoning For Profits. It will blow your mind.

To be fair, I also wanted to point out that often times engineers are Analytical Eaters (see my Eating Styles for more details), myself included. Analytical Eaters tend to get in food ruts and cause excesses and deficiencies. So whether or not Grant had created a severe Vitamin A Toxicity in himself I don’t know. Just an observation on my part. So he may just be one more extreme case, not the norm.

Here are his FREE books:

Poisoning For Profits

Extinguishing the Fires of Hell

I know, not everyone has the time or interest to read 400-page books on vitamins.

Here is another great blog post from Butter Nutrition about the symptoms of Vitamin A Toxicity.

So, Is Vitamin A a Toxin?

I applaud you if you made it to the end of the post. And even if you do now think I’ve gone completely mad I hope this at least got you thinking. Let it sit a while and come back to it if you need to. That’s what I had to do. And lots of praying for wisdom. But I feel this is truly where God is leading me.

Big changes are always hard. Changing your perspective on health and nutrition is very hard. But change can also be good.

As I said at the start of the post, I’m always researching, learning, and experimenting. After a year on the Vitamin A Detox Diet I’m still not fully clear on my views on Vitamin A.

I truly believe that it is toxic in certain doses (and probably lower than people think) and that a state of toxicity is quite easy to reach these days with fortification, supplements, superfoods, glyphosate, and other toxins.

I also think the health of your liver and your body’s ability to detox is of utmost importance and a key factor in the whole equation. But whether or not Vitamin A is a toxin I’m not sure.

Unfortunately most scientific studies are done in the extremes. They are either trying to prove the impacts of toxicity or deficiency. But we are supposed to live in balance. There are no studies in the balance zone. What that balance is, I’m not sure. Do we need certain amounts of Vitamin A to balance other things? Does eliminating all high Vitamin A foods create other imbalances? There is a LOT we still don’t know. Just because there are studies that show the seriousness of Vitamin A Toxicity does not mean there can’t also be a deficiency? I’m not sure a true Vitamin A Deficiency study has ever been conducted!

Bio-individuality and listening to your own body is also critical. Regardless of any scientific study or prescribed diet, you have to do what works for you and makes you feel your best.

After a year on the Vitamin A Detox Diet we are learning that we have developed some serious vitamin and mineral deficiencies and most symptoms have returned. We are adding in foods that we tolerate and finding a new balance.

Have you ever heard of Vitamin A Toxicity? Have you ever wondered about over-supplementing?

January 2, 2019

The Best Way to Keep Your Family Healthy This Year

No matter what feeding challenges you face there is one key strategy to keeping your family healthy and well-fed this year. I’m sharing my number one tip…meal planning!

When my son was two he was diagnosed with a myriad of food allergies. Feeding him became my new challenge.

Then when my youngest daughter was an infant she reacted to just about every single food I ate. Even harder.

Before I even had kids I went through my own journey of different diets to help my digestive issues.

Over the last fifteen years I’ve had so many different dietary restrictions to figure out and work around. In spite of that I’ve always had healthy, homemade food on the table for my family.

It never really mattered what foods we could and couldn’t eat. I can work around any food restriction. I like the challenge!

How to Keep Your Family Healthy

But there was one common solution to keeping my family healthy: meal planning.

That’s right. The best way to keep your family healthy this year is by meal planning.

As long as you plan ahead you can make good food choices. You can work around busy schedules and restricted diets. Even if it’s homemade chicken lunch meat sandwiches in the car between sports or a simple split pea soup you put in the crockpot at 6 am so dinner is ready when you get home from a busy day. Real food can take on many forms. But if you don’t plan ahead the packaged food and takeout meals will win.

How to Meal Plan

There are varied strategies for meal planning. Some people plan a month at a time. Some do a week. Maybe you normally just figure out meals the night before. Some like variety while others rotate through a handful of family favorite meals. There are online meal planners and apps so you don’t have to do the work.

You can copy someone else’s meal plans too! I’ve got about five years of weekly menus on the blog.

It doesn’t really matter what meal planning method you use, as long as you actually use it!

My Meal Planning

Before I had kids I would plan meals one day ahead. And I hated it. The meal planning never ended! I had to do it every day.

As life got busier and we added in food allergies and special diets that method went out the window.

I now meal plan one week at a time, typically on Saturday. I base my meals on our schedules (when we might need a prep ahead meal or a quick clean up meal) and what food we have on hand. I find that if I try to plan farther ahead schedules change and I have to make adjustments anyway. So one week at a time works well for me.

My kids like to help too. They give input and I try to make it fit. I also try to plan meals they can help make.

Friday we always have breakfast for dinner. It’s good to do a fun night every week. My kids always look forward to Friday!

No matter how you do it, meal planning will help keep your family well-nourished. Plan a day ahead, a week ahead or even a month ahead. Cook daily or batch cook and stock the freezer. Make 30-minute meals or use your crockpot or Instant Pot. Find what works for you and stick with it!

November 20, 2018

The REAL Reason I’m Teaching My Kids To Cook

Getting my kids in the kitchen has been one of my favorite things to do since before my oldest could even walk. But fun and games aside, this is the real reason I’m teaching my kids to cook.

“It’s a good thing I like to cook.”

I made that comment to my husband earlier this week. And I really meant it.

With all of the varying allergies in our house cooking is a full time job. I’m not joking. I spend half of my day in the kitchen.

It’s a rare treat if I can come up with a meal the whole family can eat. There is no such thing as convenience food (unless you mean a box of raisins.). Eating out? That’s a thing people do?

Even as we look ahead to visiting family this summer I have to do the meal planning. I don’t get a break whether I’m home or traveling.

Nobody Else Can Cook for my Family

There is no substitute for me. Even my husband doesn’t know how to cook.

It doesn’t matter if I’m sick.

It doesn’t matter if I’m tired.

If I don’t cook, my kids don’t eat.

I happily accept the challenge of keeping my kids well fed and healthy. It is actually my passion.

Everyone Deserves a Break From Cooking

But let’s be honest. Everyone needs a break sometimes. If you don’t get one, that passion fades a little. The joy of cooking isn’t quite the same when your food is reduced to a handful of safe options. And I don’t have ten hours a day to cook.

Have you tried cooking when you can’t let one person’s food touch another’s food? You must use a new knife for everything you cut. Did I stick that spoon in this pot or that one? Better get a clean one just to be safe. What rotation day are we on? Better check so we know what your snack options are. Does this measuring cup have latex? Gotta wash my hands after I add the flour to the bowl (or buy new measuring cups). Everyone must wash up as soon as they are done eating so you don’t get an allergen on anything.

Nothing is Easy with Allergies

Easy meals like sandwiches are a big undertaking. It requires me to make my own lunch meat and bake a minimum of two kinds of bread. Pizza…three separate crusts, two kinds of sauce, different toppings, some with and some without cheese, bake on separate pans, use different pizza cutters. Not so easy.

Cooking and eating at my house is like a very delicate juggling act. Fun in some ways. Not as fun in others. And one little slip up and it comes tumbling down.

Cooking is a Learned Skill

When I got married I really had no idea how to cook. I had a handful of things I could make. But not very well. And most of them involved packaged foods.

Over the years I have taught myself to cook. I have learned to be creative in the kitchen with evolving food restrictions and new diets. I always gladly accept each new challenge. I’m thankful I get to share my journey and my creations with you!

I Want to Teach my Kids to Cook

But my kids won’t be little forever. I won’t be in control of what they eat when they grow up. I can’t make choices for them when they are not home.

I want to empower my kids to take control of their own health and understand how to eat well in spite of their allergies. I want to share my passion for real food with my children.

Yes, we are working on and hopeful for healing. It would be wonderful if someday we can all eat the same food and a much larger variety of food. But that is not guaranteed.

What I can for sure give my kids is the knowledge and ability to cook and care for themselves.

Here’s the Plan for Getting Kids in the Kitchen

That’s where the Kids Cook Real Food eCourse comes in. We started it almost three years ago. When we do the lessons my kids LOVE it. And they learn so much. Now they are always begging me to help in the kitchen.

Sound good? Go check out The Kids Cook Real Food eCourse! There is something for everyone. Do it at your own pace and watch the videos whenever it fits in your schedule. It works for kids of all ages.

Set Goals for your Kids

My first goal was to have my eight year old be able to make an entire meal by herself, start to finish. Then in a pinch I know I could rely on her to make a meal. That may sound like an ambitious goal if your kids don’t normally cook. But she’s been cooking with me since she was nine months old. She loves helping in the kitchen. Now I can let her really take responsibility.

Even my toddler has been doing the course and helping cook meals for two years. She’s very skilled with a knife!

Who knows, maybe I’ll even convince my husband to tune in to some of the classes and learn a few cooking skills too.

I love cooking in spite of our challenges. But I don’t want my kids to depend on me forever (well, I do, actually…can I keep them this small?). Sadly they do have to grow up.

I could say I’m teaching my kids to cook so I’m off the hook. But really that’s not it. I want them to be safe. I want them to stay healthy even if a situation comes up where I can’t be around to cook a meal. I want my children to be able to visit Grandpa and Grandma and tell them what they can eat.

How about you? Are you ready to give your kids skills for life?

Click here to register for the Kids Cook Real Food eCourse.

It’s an investment in your kids’ future.

The real reason I’m teaching my kids to cook is to empower them and keep them safe and healthy. What is your motive for teaching your kids to cook?

Need more info about picky eating and allergies? Check out my books!

November 18, 2018

Grain Free Pumpkin Spice Breakfast Cookies

I’ve got a solution for your busy weekday mornings. These grain free pumpkin spice breakfast cookies are so easy to make and loaded with good stuff. Plus kids love them!

*I am working with Perfect Supplements for this post. I have been compensated for my time commitment, but all opinions are my own. Some links are affiliate links. Using the links will not change the cost of anything for you.*

Life is BUSY. And just when you think your current busy situation is coming to an end…something else comes up. Last year we had so many activities. I was driving the kids here, there and everywhere. I hated it.

Fast forward a year. Now we are home a lot more. But we have a baby that requires a lot of my time and attention. It feels just as busy. Just in a different way.

Busy life = less time for making good food.

But I’m not giving up! No way. I came up with the perfect fall breakfast that you can prepare in advance. You can even make a double or triple batch to stock your freezer for weeks. And if you are teaching your kids to cook they can actually make them for you. How’s that for freeing up some time?!

Allergy Friendly Pumpkin Spice Breakfast Cookies

These pumpkin spice breakfast cookies are loaded with nourishing ingredients. Plus they taste great! They are super allergy friendly too. No grains, dairy, nuts, eggs or soy.

There is one secret ingredient that is really the star of the show.

Gelatin!

I love the grass-fed gelatin from Perfect Supplements. There is no strange smell. It gels beautifully. And since I do a lot of egg free baking it is my go-to ingredient.

These pumpkin spice breakfast cookies are also packed with coconut oil for healthy fat. Combine that with gelatin and garbanzo bean flour for protein. Plus tapioca flour for starch. It’s a complete breakfast that you can hold in your hand.

Grab a couple for the road, pair it with bacon and fresh fruit or pack one in your child’s lunch box. You get the flavors of fall in a nutritious cookie.

Grain Free Pumpkin Spice Breakfast Cookies

2016-10-09 12:58:32

Yields 15

An allergy friendly breakfast cookie loaded with healthy protein, fat and carbs.

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Ingredients

1 cup amaranth flour
3/4 cups tapioca flour
3/4 cups garbanzo bean flour
3/4 cups water
2 Tbsp. Perfect Supplements collagen
1 Tbsp. organic lemon juice
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup organic cane sugar
3 tsp. Perfect Supplements gelatin
1/2 tsp. unrefined sea salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 - 1 cup mix-ins of choice: raisins, dried cranberries, mini chocolate chips, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds

Instructions

In a large bowl combine the flour, water, collagen and lemon juice.
Mix well.
Cover and let sit at room temperature 7 - 24 hours.

When ready to bake

Heat oven to 375*F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat.
Add the coconut oil and pumpkin to the soaked mixture. Stir to combine.
Add the sugar, gelatin, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. Mix well.
Stir in your mix-ins of choice.
Drop by large mounds onto the prepared baking pans.
Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, until golden brown.
Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes on baking pan.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Store in a sealed container at room temperature for 3 days, in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a year.

By Mary - justtakeabite.com

Just Take A Bite https://justtakeabite.com/

Prep Ahead Breakfast Cookies

I soak the seed and bean flours to help with digestion. I also prep the rest of the ingredients the night before. In the morning I just pour, mix and bake. I can have a batch of pumpkin spice breakfast cookies in the oven in about five minutes. Then we can eat some fresh and stick the rest in the freezer for a quick breakfast any day of the week.

Or if you like to do all of your prep work on the weekends that works too!

Add whatever mix-ins you like. Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds, mini chocolate chips, raisins, dried cranberries…they’re all good.

My kids LOVE these cookies. I think my toddler ate THREE one morning (yes, the toddler that used to barely eat anything). They are that good.

More To Love From Perfect Supplements

If you’ve never tried Perfect Supplements gelatin I highly recommend it. The quality is exceptional. But don’t stop there. Perfect Supplements carries such a wide variety of products.

Collagen

Like the collagen that I also use in the pumpkin spice breakfast cookies. I use it in all of our smoothies (like this blueberry spinach smoothie or this squash cherry smoothie). It was a life saver (literally) for my toddler when she was barely eating (check out how I got her to eat again with this “squash milk”).

Greens

We also recently tried both the fermented kale powder and the aquatic greens. They are perfect for smoothies. And the aquatic greens are especially great for those with allergies. I use it for my big kids as often as possible.

I could go on and on about all of the great products. But I’ll let you do some looking for yourself.

How to Save Money on Breakfast

Now for the best part.

You can use the coupon code TAKE10 at checkout to get 10% off your entire order!

I’ve got another great recipe that uses Perfect Supplements gelatin to share with you!

What is your favorite way to use gelatin?

Need more ideas for fun ways to add gelatin or collagen to your diet? Try these:

Strawberry Kiwi Gummies

Lemon Elderberry Gummies

Dairy Free Grilled Cheese

Homemade Fruit Snacks

Healing Hot Chocolate

Molasses Tonic

Squash Milk

Allergy Friendly Vanilla Cake

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

November 5, 2018

10 Tips For Keeping Real Food on the Table When Life Gets Busy

Don’t let the busyness of fall derail your real food lifestyle. Use these ten tips for keeping real food on the table to maintain your sanity and everyone’s health.

Believe it or not it is already time for school to start and all of the fall activities to begin again.

Summer was easy. There was time to prepare plenty of good food. Snacks were easy with the abundance of fresh produce.

Now life gets busier and time is limited.

So how do you keep it real?

Here are a few tips to get your fall started the right way and keep your family well fed.

1. Plan, Plan, Plan

One of the most important ways to make sure you are making healthy food is to plan ahead. At the start of each week or each month take a few minutes to plan meals.

Check your schedule and plan meals that work around your activities. This will also help you when grocery shopping so you know exactly what you need.

If you have to be gone most of the afternoon or everyone has a different schedule, try making a crockpot meal that will be ready whenever you need it. Maybe you’ll be home in the afternoon but won’t have time to cook. Prepare a casserole first thing in the morning so you can put dinner in the oven and go back to your to-do list.

Try planning a few meals that will have a lot of leftovers. Then transform the leftovers into another meal. Roast a chicken one night. Then use the leftovers to make soup or stir fry another night.

No matter what is on your agenda you can feed everyone healthy food if you plan ahead.

If you need some ideas to get you going I’ve been posting weekly menus for years! Check them out.

2. Stock the Freezer

As much as you try, there isn’t always time to cook a good dinner. Or maybe for you breakfast is chaotic trying to get out the door on time. The solution is a stocked freezer.

Breakfast foods like muffins, coffee cakes, granola bars and even smoothies freeze very well. Make a few big batches of your favorite breakfast items on the weekend and you’ll have a healthy, homemade grab-and-go breakfast all week.

Another great item to have in the freezer is cooked meat. Tacos only take minutes if you have pre-cooked ground beef. Cooked chicken works well for stir fry, fajitas, sandwiches or salads.

Do casseroles work well for your family? The next time you make a casserole, make a double batch and freeze one.

Stock a few casseroles in the freezer and you’ve got a no-prep dinner just waiting for you. A frozen casserole does not need to thaw. Simply give it a few extra minutes to bake.

Cooking and baking when you have the time and stocking your freezer is one of the easiest ways to keep your family well fed.

3. Stock the Pantry

Maybe you haven’t had time to plan or stock your freezer yet. Now what?

Keep your pantry filled with foods like canned salmon, noodles, beans, rice, olives, dried fruit and tomatoes. A simple pasta dish will come together quickly. Cook the noodles. Add salmon, beans, tomatoes and seasoning. Dinner is served.

4. Stock the Refrigerator

When it comes to simple, a refrigerator filled with fresh fruits and vegetables is key. A salad can be assembled easily when there is plenty of fresh produce on hand. It is very portable as well.

Make the dressing in the bottom of a container and layer the salad toppings. Mix it when you are ready to eat.

Kids are more likely to grab fruits or vegetables to snack on if that is what is available. Nutritious food does not have to be complicated.

You can also keep easy protein sources on hand like nuts, cheese, yogurt and hard boiled eggs.

5. Keep Inventory

All of the preparing and stocking doesn’t do much good if you don’t know what you have. Keep track of what is in your freezer and pantry. Every time you put something in or take something out take note.

A great way to take inventory is with a dry erase board. Then you don’t even have to open the freezer to know what you have.

6. Fill Up At Meals

Snacks can be the most time-consuming foods to make. They are also the most likely sources of junk food.

Make sure your meals are nutrient-dense and filling so you won’t need to snack much. A meal should have a balance of fat, protein and carbohydrates. Figure out what ratio works best for your body. Then stick to it at your meals to feel satisfied.

When you do need a snack something simple like fresh fruits and vegetables will be sufficient.

7. Make Snacks That Last

For the occasions when you do need snacks, make homemade munchies that don’t go bad easily. A batch of homemade graham crackers lasts in the cupboard for a couple months.

Dried fruit travels well and holds up to heat. Homemade fruit snacks or gummies will stay fresh in the refrigerator for weeks.

Put your effort into making food that will last more than a couple days.

8. Don’t Bring Junk Into the House

When life gets busy it is easy to grab convenience foods. But if the food is not in your house, you won’t eat it.

So skip buying the junk food at the store and keep the fridge and cupboard filled with quality, nutritious food.

9. Keep it Simple

Real food doesn’t have to be complicated. Whole milk yogurt mixed with fresh fruit or a fried egg and toast make very easy breakfasts.

Lettuce topped with nuts, cheese, dried fruit and fresh vegetables is a great lunch. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil, vinegar and sea salt on top for a quick dressing.

Chicken legs, potatoes and carrots placed in a crockpot in the morning will provide a nutritious and delicious dinner in the evening.

Eating real food is possible even when you only have a few minutes at a time to prepare meals. Just keep it simple.

10. Let Everyone Help

Preparing good food doesn’t have to be left to one member of the family. Get kids involved with simple food preparation at a young age.

Even small children can chop fruits and vegetables, make salad dressing or assemble fruit salads. Older children can help cook at the stove and even prepare whole meals if mom and dad are busy. You can teach your kids to cook using the Kids Cook Real Food eCourse. Check it out HERE!

Take turns planning and preparing meals throughout the week. By dividing the work the food will be prepared faster and nobody will feel the stress of having to do it all.

When life gets busy don’t panic. There are many ways to keep eating quality food and making sure your family is well nourished.

Are you in a busy season? Use these simple tips for keeping real food on the table to make sure you’re eating well even if you are busy.

Looking for easy meal ideas to get your fall started? Here are some of our favorites!

Tacos

Sweet and Sour Stir Fry

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Squash Soup

Sweet Potato Salmon Burgers

Chicken Nuggets

In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog. It will not change the cost of any products or services for you.

This post is linked to Savoring Saturdays.

November 4, 2018

Pumpkin Spice Graham Crackers {gluten free, dairy free, egg free, nut free}

Pumpkin spice graham crackers are easy to make, allergen friendly and capture the warm flavors of pumpkin pie. They make a perfect after school snack or lunch box addition.

For me there is no better snack than a graham cracker. Crunchy. Slightly sweet. Perfection.

I got hooked on them in college and have eaten more than my share since. Of course they came out of box.

No more boxes here. Now when I’m in the mood for graham crackers I make them!

I have created quite a few versions of graham crackers:

Graham Crackers with Fall Spice!

Today I’m sharing my fall version of graham crackers – pumpkin spice.

They are very easy to make and very allergen friendly. Pumpkin spice graham crackers are gluten, dairy, egg, nut, soy, corn and rice free. But nobody will ever know!

You get the mild sweetness and crunch of a graham cracker combined with pumpkin and spice. This is a fun holiday treat for kids and adults. It is like pumpkin pie in graham cracker form.

Let your kids trade in Halloween candy for pumpkin spice graham crackers or add them to your Thanksgiving baking list!

Graham Crackers for Breakfast, Lunch, Snack or Dessert

My kids go crazy for pumpkin spice graham crackers. Though we try not to go overboard, a whole batch is sometimes gone in a couple weeks.

They make the perfect after school snack with a big glass of raw milk. Somehow they make homework easier. But there are many other ways to enjoy them.

Pumpkin spice graham crackers are delicious broken and sprinkled over whole milk yogurt for breakfast. You can also spread nut butter in between two crackers for a nutritious snack or sandwich alternative.

Kids will love pumpkin spice graham crackers in their lunch. What a fun way to give them a treat that is full of good stuff.

They can be used in desserts as well. Sprinkle crushed graham crackers on top of pudding or grind them to make the crust for a fall cheesecake.

No matter how you serve them, pumpkin spice graham crackers are sure to be a hit.

Kids in the Kitchen

The next time your kids are begging for a treat make a batch of pumpkin spice graham crackers. But be sure to let them help.

All you need is a bowl and a spoon. Kids can measure, poor, stir and then roll the dough. My kids always have fun making graham crackers. Especially since they have learned to cook using the Kids Cook Real Food eCourse! Learn more about how you can teach your kids to cook here.

You can make it even more fun by using cookie cutters to create different shaped crackers.

The dough is ready to go in the oven in less than fifteen minutes. The hard part is waiting for them to bake and cool.

Pumpkin Spice Graham Crackers Year Round.

One batch of pumpkin spice graham crackers makes around fifty crackers. Keep half in the cupboard and store the rest in the freezer for an easy snack when you don’t have time to bake.

If your kids are like mine you might need to make a double batch!

Not sure what to give your kids when they are asking for snacks? Pumpkin spice graham crackers are just the thing. Healthy fat, vegetables and gluten free grains will give them the energy they need to keep going.

Do you enjoy graham crackers? What is your favorite way to eat them?

Pumpkin Spice Graham Crackers {gluten free, dairy free, nut free, egg free}

2014-11-12 05:42:21

Yields 50

A graham cracker with the taste of pumpkin pie.

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Ingredients

1 cup any combination of starchy gluten free flour (tapioca, white rice)
1 cup any combination of whole grain gluten free flour (sorghum, amaranth, brown rice, buckwheat)
1/2 cup organic cane sugar or coconut sugar
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cloves
2 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. molasses (can be replaced with honey or maple syrup)
6 Tbsp. butter, coconut oil, lard or tallow, melted
1/3 cup pureed pumpkin

Instructions

Preheat an oven to 350*F.
Cut three pieces of parchment paper the size of a baking sheet.
In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, salt, soda, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Stir.
Add the honey, molasses, pumpkin and melted oil. Stir until well combined.
Split the dough in half.
Place one half on a piece of parchment paper. Top with a second sheet.
Roll the dough between the paper until it is about 1/4" thin.
Remove the top piece of paper. Using a pizza cutter or knife cut the dough into squares.
Transfer the dough on the parchment paper to a baking sheet.
Repeat this process for the second half of the dough.
Bake graham crackers in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes.
Turn off the oven. Leave the crackers in the oven for an extra 10 minutes.
Remove the crackers from the oven. Allow to cool completely.
The crackers will crisp as they cool.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the freezer for long term storage.

Notes

The graham crackers freeze very well and are ready to eat as soon as you take them out of the freezer.
You can replace the cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg with 1 1/2 tsp. of pumpkin pie spice.

By Mary - homemadedutchapplepie.com

Just Take A Bite https://justtakeabite.com/

This post is linked to From The Archives Friday and Savoring Saturdays.

October 9, 2018

Picky Eater Approved Grain-Free Meatloaf Sliders

Make meal time or snack time fun for kids with these picky eater approved grain-free meatloaf sliders.

I’m a big fan of meatloaf. It’s so easy to make. And all of my kids will eat it. That’s pretty much the equivalent of a gold medal meal.

I usually cook mine in the crockpot (I like this style). I put it in before we leave for church on Sunday and it’s ready when we get home.

A New Way to Make Meatloaf

Recently I got to review the Paleo Cooking with your Air Fryer cookbook by Karen S. Lee (grab your copy here). When I saw her little meatloaf sliders I knew I had to try them! A family staple in a mini size for little hands? Perfect!

Since my kids have done the Kids Cook Real Food eCourse I actually let them help me make these fun meatloaf sliders. Everything goes in one bowl. My kind of prep work!

My kids are used to eating their burgers without a bun. So that’s what we did. But it would also be fun to make some mini buns or use a lettuce wrap. Or if your kids are like mine they love anything served on a stick. I like mine on a big salad! Top it with some avocado. YUM.

I love that these meatloaf sliders are free of grains/gluten and dairy. If you can’t have eggs I bet they would work fine without. We are nut free, so I swapped a little more coconut flour for the almond flour.

I served our meatloaf sliders with cauli-bites, also from Karen’s book. I skipped the buffalo seasoning since my kids are not big on spice. But I bet it would be delicious!

Do You Need an Air Fryer?

Now you may be thinking, “These look good…but I don’t have an air fryer.” Well, I don’t either! Though I may have to put one on my Christmas list now. All of the recipes can be adapted for the oven by using a wire rack on a baking sheet. Simple.

If you do have an air fryer I’d love to hear what you think of it!

Even if you don’t have an air fryer I highly recommend Karen’s book. The pictures are gorgeous (my favorite thing about any cookbook). And the recipes all sound delicious. PLUS they are all paleo recipes and easy to adapt to your dietary needs.

I had to steal the cookbook back from my ten year old. She was drooling over every page.

Divided into eleven chapters, Paleo Cooking with your Air Fryer includes crispy and flavorful dishes for every meal and snack, including desserts. Karen’s nutritious and delicious air fryer recipes will turn her family favorites into your family’s favorites, including Healthy Korean Chicken Wings, Filet Mignon with Herbs and Roasted Garlic, Not Your Gramma’s Fried Chicken, Fish Tostadas, Fancy Pants French Fries, Simple Chocolate Mud Cake and Pumpkin Coconut Crème Brûlée.

Dr. Karen S. Lee is a retired Doctor of Chiropractic and Acupuncture Fellow, who helped thousands of patients with emphasis on holistic therapy, ergonomics, nutrition therapy, and mind-body medicine. She is the founder of www.drkarenslee.com, a blog dedicated to holistic health, real food recipes, and lives in Westchester County, New York with her family.

Grain Free Meatloaf Sliders

Karen has graciously allowed me to share the meatloaf slider recipe with my readers! It’s great for little hands. And it’s definitely picky eater approved! Especially if you let them help cook. Something about helping prepare the food makes it so much more appealing.

Enjoy this super fast, super delicious, super kid friendly recipe. We eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

Recipe reprinted with permission from Paleo Cooking With Your Air Fryer by Dr. Karen S. Lee, Page Street Publishing Co. 2018. Photo Credit: Donna Crous.

Grain Free Meatloaf Sliders

Grain and dairy free mini meatloaves.

Cook Time 10 minutes

Servings 8

Author Karen S. Lee

Ingredients

1 lb. grass-fed ground beef
2 eggs large
1/4 cup onion finely chopped
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 cup almond flour extra fine blanched
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 tsp. unrefined sea salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. gluten free Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. dried tarragon

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix well.
Make patties that are about 2 inches in diameter and about 1 inch thick. If you want to make thicker or thinner patties, make sure all of them are similar size, so they cook properly at the same time.
Place the patties on a platter and refrigerate for 10 minutes for the flour to absorb the wet ingredients and the patties to become firm.
Preheat the air fryer to 360*F or the oven to 400*F.
Place as many patties as you can fit in the basket and close. Set the timer for 10 minutes. Check the patties halfway through. When the timer goes off, take them out, place on a serving platter and cover until all the patties are cooked.
If using the oven, place patties on a wire rack on top of a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, until cooked through.

September 30, 2018

The Parental Stress of a Child With Feeding Challenges

As parents, especially moms, we are wired with the desire to nourish and care for our children. But when your child has feeding challenges it can create a lot of parental stress that is hard to handle.

I spend a lot of time on the couch nursing baby number four these days. And I can only look at my phone or stare at the wall for so long. Which means I’ve gotten back into reading! It’s been great to actually have time to read again. Even if it’s usually short intervals because I get sleepy or lose focus. Postpartum sleep deprivation will do that.

Recently my husband suggested a book he bought called “Boys Should Be Boys” by Meg Meeker, MD. Sure, I thought. I’ll give it a look. After all, we do have two sons! And a pediatrician should have some good advice.

I felt encouraged that a lot of it was right in line with how we raise our children – don’t overschedule, let them have plenty of free time, let them explore outside, give them attention. Great.

All About Mom

Then I got to the chapter specifically for moms. I found a few areas to work on and more encouragement that I’m doing an ok job at this parenting thing.

And then I read one line that made me pause for a moment.

“In my medical practice, the most stressed-out mothers I have encountered are often the mothers whose sons have growth issues. If a child fails to eat well and fails to grow, a mother subconsciously feels that she has failed.”

It wasn’t until about thirty minutes later that the weight of that statement really hit me and the tears started flowing.

After four years of watching my youngest daughter struggle with eating and being undernourished and now having another baby that struggles to eat, it was the first time I didn’t feel alone.

I’m not just the crazy mom that worries too much about her kids. If a pediatrician sees the parents of children with feeding challenges as the most stressed out, then it’s not just me!

And it’s Not Just You, Either!

To the mom who couldn’t breastfeed despite her best efforts – you are not alone.

To the parents of a child with an undiagnosed tongue tie resulting in undernourishment – you are not alone.

To the mother of a kid going through feeding therapy – you are not alone.

To the parent of a child whose diet is limited to ten foods – you are not alone.

To the parents of kids who throw tantrums at every meal – you are not alone.

To the mom who gets anxious before every checkup, fearing that your child is still not growing – you are not alone.

To the mom of a kid with food allergies – you are not alone.

To the mom that puts her life on hold to make feeding her children well a priority – you are not alone.

And to the mom whose baby screams at every feed, whose day is consumed with feeding attempts and you can hardly leave the house – YOU are not alone. I am not alone.

In her book “Cold Tangerines” Shauna Niequist describes feeding others like this:

“[F]eeding the people I love is a hands-on way of loving them. When you nourish and sustain someone, essentially, you’re saying that you want them to thrive, to be happy and healthy and able to live well.”

That is exactly how I feel about feeding my children. And it’s a challenge when there is a road block in the way.

I see other moms of little ones going out on dates or out with friends, while I’m over here wondering if I can manage a trip to the grocery store between feeding attempts. I see other families going to the beach or the zoo for the day, and I can’t go anywhere for more than an hour without a private place to breastfeed. There is no such thing as being discrete with all the bouncing, back arching and screaming going on.

The parental stress of a child with feeding challenges is very real, but hard to understand if you’ve never been through it. If you know a mom struggling with feeding issues give her some encouragement and maybe a helping hand. She is doing such important and demanding work!

Parental Stress

I focus a lot on health and nutrition for kids. But also for parents. It’s important for mom and dad to be healthy not only to set a good example, but also to be able to properly care for your kids.

I’ve been working on my own health for many years. And it’s always a challenge during pregnancy and breastfeeding when I am sharing nutrients and often on a limited diet for baby’s food intolerances.

But one of the biggest factors in health problems is not the food you eat but instead the amount of stress in your life.

Ask any doctor and they will tell you to reduce stress.

You can declutter your house, free up time in your schedule, simplify meals and try to get to bed earlier…but you can’t get rid of your child! The parental stress of a child with feeding challenges is a permanent fixture as long as the feeding troubles remain.

I often joke with my big kids that baby brother only wants to eat as soon as I sit down to eat. So I have to rush through every meal with a fussy baby. Eating too quickly, not chewing thoroughly and eating while stressed is a recipe for disastrous digestion. Yep, that’s me. You too? I pretty much have a constant stomach ache from the tension.

The stress impacts how I interact with my other children and my husband. If my little guy is having a bad day I am having a bad day and patience goes out the window. If my four year old refuses to eat my anxiety builds and it shows.

Help for Feeding Challenges

I can’t make your stress go away, but I can offer assurance that you are not alone. And encouragement that you will get through this. As kids get older the feeding gets easier. And there are things you can do right now to at least ease the problems. I outline the details in my book “Why Won’t My Child Eat?!” I have tips for breastfeeding struggles here and feeding a child with sensory processing disorder here.

I’ll leave you with this quote from Dr. Meeker.

“Mothers love through sacrifice. They act. They will surrender whatever is necessary to keep their son alive. Whether it’s intuitive or not, that is what love does.”

Caring for a child with feeding challenges is stressful. It’s hard work. And it shows your deep, deep love for your child. Some days are more challenging than others. And some days you just need a good cry. But don’t give up. You’re doing a great job. Keep it up!

I wrote this post to encourage others. But also to encourage myself as I’m right there with you dealing with multiple children with feeding challenges at the same time. It is stressful. And it’s OK to admit it. Just know you are NOT a failure!

I hope that ten years from now when I’m not struggling with very young children this post can still offer encouragement to those in the midst of the challenge. And I will still be here to help you along the journey!

What has been the most stressful part of having a child with feeding challenges for you?

August 12, 2018

Simple Baked Beet Fries

Every summer our garden is loaded with beets. My husband just did our THIRD planting! There are so many reasons to eat beets. But not everyone is a fan. Until now. You’ll have even your picky eaters going for seconds with these simple baked beet fries!

Beets. You either love them or hate them. Some (like me!) love their earthy sweet flavor. Then there are others that think they just taste like dirt.

I am happy to say that I’ve converted my whole family into beet eaters! Especially freshly roasted golden beets from our garden. They are so sweet!!

But I know not everyone is so fond of them.

It’s a shame because they are loaded with vitamins and minerals. Just look at that rich color! Plus they are powerhouse helpers for your liver, assisting in detox.

There must be a way to get beet haters to enjoy them (besides trying to hide a tiny bit in a smoothie), right?

Yes, there is!

Beet Fries.

My three year old will eat a mountain of beets. But my son, although willing, really only cares for a few pieces. Until I made them into fries.

All it takes is cutting beets into sticks and rolling them in flour. Bake for an hour and sprinkle generously with real salt. And presto. Beet fries.

Suddenly my son will fight over them!

You don’t even need ketchup for dipping. They are great as-is. Perfect for keeping the added sugar out of your diet.

I love that this is also a great alternative for anyone that can’t have potatoes due to allergies (like my sons) or a nightshade sensitivity. We also make a lot of carrot fries to avoid potatoes.

My kids will eat these warm or cold. They do tend to go for the golden ones first. Like I said, golden beets are so sweet. But they like both varieties. If you think you don’t like beets, try golden. You might change your mind.

Grab some beets from your local farmer’s market (or grow your own!) and make these picky eater approved beet fries. Easy to make and fun to eat. Plus they are so good for you! It’s a win all around.

Do your kids like beets? Would they eat them as beet fries?

5 from 2 votes

Simple Baked Beet Fries

A delicious way to serve beets to picky eaters.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings 5

Ingredients

3-6 medium to large beets
1/2 cup rice flour, cassava flour or tapioca flour
1 tsp. unrefined sea salt
1 Tbsp. olive oil or avocado oil

Instructions

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Peel and slice beets into 1/2" sticks.
Combine flour and half of the salt.
Lightly coat beet sticks with flour and line them up on the baking sheet.
Drizzle the olive oil over the beets.
Bake in heated oven for one hour.
Sprinkle on remaining salt while fries are still hot.