PB&J

This is a great helpful hint given to me by William Collins. 

When making your wonderful PB&J put peanut butter on both pieces of bread and then add the jelly. Doing this keeps the bread from getting soggy from the jelly soaking into the bread.

Try this next time you make your PB&J and see how much better it taste!

Also, try making the PB&J with natural or organic peanut butter. Natural and organic peanut butters don't have the high-fructose corn syrup that non organic ones do.

Local Harvest

Check out the website www.localharvest.org to find farmers markets, CSAs, and more in your area. 

It is important that we support our local farmers. Besides the benefit of support, you are able to buy natural and organic foods that are so much more healthy for your family. 

If you know of any other good websites for local farmers markets please email me or leave a comment.

"Eat This Not That"

This is such an amazing book that everyone should run out and get. There is so much insight to food in this book.

“Eat This Not That” Supermarket guide is so insightful on what items you should buy and which ones you should stay away from. Going through this book I have, many times, thought I was getting the better product but actually I wasn’t.

“Eat This Not That” Eating Out guide is wonderful. It gives list of popular chain restaurants and what to order and what not to order. It is amazing that making small improvements in your meal ordering can save you so many calories.

Please go right now and get these books. They will give you great insight on food that you won’t believe.

Block Cheese vs.Pre-Shredded Cheese

For about 1 year now I have opted to buy block cheese instead of Pre-Shredded Cheese. At times it is annoying that I have to shred my own cheese, but I feel that it is healthier me and my family. 

Pre-Shredded Cheese has about 4 added ingredients than block cheese. They are

Potato Starch

Natamycin

Corn Starch

Calcium Sulfate

The reason why I stopped buying Pre-Shredded Cheese was because of the Calcium Sulfate. It just really bothered me to have a chemical in my cheese and I knew that if I just spend several minuets shredding myself that I wouldn't consume any extra chemical. 

There are so many chemicals in the things that we eat these days that if there is anyway to prevent them you should. On Monday afternoon, after my trip to the store, it takes me about 5 minuet to shred my cheese. I then put it in a container and put it in the fridge and I know all week  I will have fresh cheese!

Try it you will taste the difference!

Truvia

Truvia is a new non-calorie that I love and it is the only sweetener that I can use. Most other artificial sweeteners out there have an ingredient call aspartame. Aspartame causes me to get horrible headaches, therefore I cannot use. 

Aspartame  isn't know as being that great or healthy for you. If you want more indepth information on Aspartame then click on it and it will take you to the link. 

Truvia is a great more natural way sweeten your drink. 

If you go to there website, linked above, there is more information so you can learn more about it.

Label Reader

Since having a child I have been more conscious of what I am buying from the store and what ingredients my food has in it.

There is a show on TV I love to watch and it is call The Doctors. In a segment on food they listed 3 things to watch out for when buying food. 

1. High Fructose Corn Syrup... Many people believe it to be natural or good for you when in fact it is worse for your body then regular table sugar. 

2. Hydrogenated Oil... This is also known as Trans Fat. This type of fat heightens bad cholesterol and lowers good cholesterol. HO's are used now a days so much more because they prolong they shelf life of a product. 

3. Artificial Food Dyes... AFD's are really not good for they body. It is now being discovered that there is a link between AFD and ADHD. 

On the right side of the blog I have a link to 3 different websites that discuss each of these 3 things at length. Also, If you roll over the Bold Italic words it will take you to the websites as well. 

Keeping our kids and families healthy is such an important task. I know I am not perfect and don't read every label of food but I try my hardest. The best thing is, if you can, buy as much organic food as possible. Organic foods might cost a bit more but search or coupons and local grocery store for deals. If you can lower the intake of these 3 things as much as possible in your life you will be healthier for doing it.

If you have any questions or comments about this topic I would love to hear from you.