Re: children's/family diet

[Guest guest]

What about making water kefir?

I know there are fizzy drinks you can make, there are some I

haven't investigated in Nourishing Traditions.

I'm only now brewing kefir & my first jug of Kombucha,

so I'd love to hear about more drinks, esp. fizzy, that can be made

without too much trouble.

I gotta find something my daughter will drink :-/

Take care,

Alice - HSing mom to Alice (DS) born Thanksgiving Day 1995 :-)

Hopewell Junction, NY

http://users.bestweb.net/~castella

children's/family diet

Does anyone have any tips for getting kids off soda?

[Guest guest]

If you go to the site and look in the files section of our

group, there's a pdf for kefir beer--soooooooo easy and definitely

fizzy.

[Guest guest]

I think slow transitions with explanations work. At least they have a little

with my 5 yr old although she's a toughie with very particular tastes. I

slowly phase things out until she's forgotten about them. Just say " sorry we

ran out of that " . My children love kombucha bc it is fizzy and somewhat

sweet, although they don't drink that much of it (whereas they will down a

can of soda). I have read children shouldn't have kombucha, but it doesn't

seem to be harming mine at all. You can also make fruit smoothies with live

yogurt or with kefir. Kids love smoothies. Or popsicles out of fruit

smoothie. Once children have acquired a palate for junk food and high

fructose corn syrup, they are very reluctant to let it go. these foods are

addictive and also highly appealing to the energy junkies kids naturally

are. But lots of healthy foods can be yummy. For instance, I just made a

sprouted spelt/coconut flour banana bread and my daughters actually loved

it.

Elaine

>

> Does anyone have any tips for getting kids off soda? Up until 10 days ago I

> was buying approx 2L of diet cola per day. Now that I'm not drinking it I've

> bought the sugary variety - orange, lemonade, etc. Should I just make them go

> cold turkey and only offer water? I cannot get raw milk where I am - does

> pasteurized milk have any value at all? I have been able to find an

> unhomogenised brand that won't be too much trouble to get. It's a little

> pricier, of course. My water isn't filtered either. I'll look into a filter

> for the kitchen and shower-head in a couple of months when I get a few more

> dollars.

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

i would go slow, one thing at a time.

you could switch from soda to juice then gradually dilute the juice

with seltzer.

maybe i'm wrong, but i think soda is just plain 'evil' and i cringe

at the sight of it, which is often.

anyway, that's how i got my husband off soda. juice and seltzer

mixed, now he drinks plain seltzer.

laura

p.s. i wouldn't go cold turkey...they might have some withdrawal.

i'm serious. give them plenty of fruit. that will help. it's sugar

without the added crap, and with the goodness still in it.

i wouldn't even worry about the starches right now...just try to make

them as whole grain as possible, and as wapf/nt friendly as possible.

remember...progress, not perfection, just start heading in the right

direction and you'll get there eventually.

--- In , " " <harringtonwa@b...>

wrote:

> Does anyone have any tips for getting kids off soda? Up until 10

days ago I was buying approx 2L of diet cola per day. Now that I'm

not drinking it I've bought the sugary variety - orange, lemonade,

etc. Should I just make them go cold turkey and only offer water? I

cannot get raw milk where I am - does pasteurized milk have any value

at all? I have been able to find an unhomogenised brand that won't

be too much trouble to get. It's a little pricier, of course. My

water isn't filtered either. I'll look into a filter for the kitchen

and shower-head in a couple of months when I get a few more dollars.

>

> Do you have the rest of the family off the grains and potatoes

too? Can't imagine how I am going to do that. Particularly for

lunches....Right now I am trying to figure out how to replace the oat

porridge (breakfast) and biscuits (snacks) that I give to the almost

12 month old baby. Guess I'll try to find a way to give him eggs for

breakfast and give him fruit or cheese instead of the biscuits?

He'll be getting some kefir when I get the grains (assuming he'll

take it - he has home made yoghurt now). If I stop buying the

biscuits and buy crates of fruit it might do the trick! Doh!

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

,

> Does anyone have any tips for getting kids off soda?

If you make Kombucha, you can make it more 'soda like' by diluting

it by about 1/2 with water and adding stevia to sweeten it a little

(or a lot, depending on your taste), after the brewing is finished.

You can also add flavored teas or ginger along with the tea to vary

the flavor. You do have to be careful not to consume too much in one

day though, especially at first. (All the good microbes in it give

some people the trots at first.) In any case, it's better not to over

consume Kombucha since it still contains sugar.

You can also try making lemonade with Stevia (2 cups lemon juice and 1

tsp stevia powder diluted to 1 gallon). Another possibility is

unsweetened Kool-Aid sweeten with Stevia. That wouldn't be the

healthiest drink, but it could ease the transition.

> Should I just make them go cold turkey and only offer water?

If you think that'll would work, go for it. It would be the easiest.

However you can try getting their input and use some of their

suggestions (even a little bit). If the kids feel less ambushed, other

changes may be easier.

> I have been able to find an unhomogenised brand that won't be too

much trouble to get.

Unhomogenized pasteurized is better than homogenized pasteurized.

For your other concerns (potatoes, grains, oatmeal...). Do the easy

changes first and the ones that you think are the most important,

like getting raw diary and getting rid of processed foods. When those

changes are routine, you'll know a lot more, and you'll have a better

idea of what you should do next.

Don't get discouraged if the transition takes a while. I've been

working at it for 2 years... My family (DH, DS and 2 DD) eats a whole

lot better than they used to, but there's still room for improvement.

Hope this helps!

Jan

[Guest guest]

Thanks all for your suggestions on converting the family. I like the 'go slow'

and smoothies sound good. Not sure about kefir only because I haven't tried it

yet. Will have to try the fruit juice and seltzer. I've been trying to think

of some way of flavoring seltzer, thinking maybe stevia, but didn't quite get to

fruit juice. Probably because I know that stuff is too full of sugar too on

it's own. It is a little too obvious for me IYKWIM. So I'll give that one a

go. And I'll tell them what's happening in case they have any good ideas.

Can't wait to see their horrified faces.

More fruit. It's good that they like fruit a lot. The fruit bowl gets empty

within a couple of days consistently. Better get that garden happening out the

back. Being hampered by the midget at my legs during the day so it's hard to

get digging - but I am determined. It will not only save money but I'll be able

to have the sort of fruit/veges that I don't normally buy.

Thanks

Re: children's/family diet

Hi ,

i would go slow, one thing at a time.

you could switch from soda to juice then gradually dilute the juice

with seltzer.

maybe i'm wrong, but i think soda is just plain 'evil' and i cringe

at the sight of it, which is often.

anyway, that's how i got my husband off soda. juice and seltzer

mixed, now he drinks plain seltzer.

laura

p.s. i wouldn't go cold turkey...they might have some withdrawal.

i'm serious. give them plenty of fruit. that will help. it's sugar

without the added crap, and with the goodness still in it.

i wouldn't even worry about the starches right now...just try to make

them as whole grain as possible, and as wapf/nt friendly as possible.

remember...progress, not perfection, just start heading in the right

direction and you'll get there eventually.

> Does anyone have any tips for getting kids off soda? Up until 10

days ago I was buying approx 2L of diet cola per day. Now that I'm

not drinking it I've bought the sugary variety - orange, lemonade,

etc. Should I just make them go cold turkey and only offer water? I

cannot get raw milk where I am - does pasteurized milk have any value

at all? I have been able to find an unhomogenised brand that won't

be too much trouble to get. It's a little pricier, of course. My

water isn't filtered either. I'll look into a filter for the kitchen

and shower-head in a couple of months when I get a few more dollars.

>

> Do you have the rest of the family off the grains and potatoes

too? Can't imagine how I am going to do that. Particularly for

lunches....Right now I am trying to figure out how to replace the oat

porridge (breakfast) and biscuits (snacks) that I give to the almost

12 month old baby. Guess I'll try to find a way to give him eggs for

breakfast and give him fruit or cheese instead of the biscuits?

He'll be getting some kefir when I get the grains (assuming he'll

take it - he has home made yoghurt now). If I stop buying the

biscuits and buy crates of fruit it might do the trick! Doh!

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

>> Does anyone have any tips for getting kids off soda? Up until 10

>days ago I was buying approx 2L of diet cola per day. Now that I'm

>not drinking it I've bought the sugary variety - orange, lemonade,

>etc. Should I just make them go cold turkey and only offer water?

Since I started making a low-alcohol " kefir cider " my dd

won't drink anything else, given a choice! It is less sweet

than juice, and better for her I think.

Also any juice mixed with selzer is a winner, and just

plain juiced fruit. We have one of those heavy duty blenders

and throw frozen berries in it ... they aren't very sweet,

so sometimes some sweetener goes in there too, or

a banana. The fruit WITH the fiber is a lot more

filling than just the juice.

However, there is also good ol' WATER. One of the

issues is, I think, that people don't have access to

good water. We got a water cooler and it's full

of artesian water and we have crushed ice too ...

and now I drink more water. Tap water just isn't

very good ...

Heidi Jean

[Guest guest]

,

For weaning off soda how about combining natural fruit juice with club

soda... just keep lowering the amount of juice. Keep a glass pitcher

of it around. Meanwhile start experimenting with fermented beverages.

You can get an affordable reverse osmosis countertop filter here:

http://www.naturessunshine.com

My toddler LOVES his scrambled " eggies " . Find the best eggs you can

(look for firm yellow yolks), good eggs taste a lot better. Scramble

the eggs lightly -- don't overcook -- turn off the heat right before

they're completely solid and keep stirring -- they will continue to

cook themselves for a moment. I grate raw cheese into the eggs, swiss

or cheddar. Though he doesn't always love cheese alone, he loves the

melty cheese in his eggs. I let him eat eggs with his hands to make

it fun.

And according to NT (and my experience) potatos are fine especially

for a child -- as long as the diet is varied! Just don't rely too

heavily on them as they are easy. Cook or serve potatoes with plenty

of good fat like coconut oil, butter, creme freche etc.

Good luck,

Daphne

--- In , " " <harringtonwa@b...>

wrote:

> Does anyone have any tips for getting kids off soda? Up until 10

days ago I was buying approx 2L of diet cola per day. Now that I'm

not drinking it I've bought the sugary variety - orange, lemonade,

etc. Should I just make them go cold turkey and only offer water? I

cannot get raw milk where I am - does pasteurized milk have any value

at all? I have been able to find an unhomogenised brand that won't be

too much trouble to get. It's a little pricier, of course. My water

isn't filtered either. I'll look into a filter for the kitchen and

shower-head in a couple of months when I get a few more dollars.

>

> Do you have the rest of the family off the grains and potatoes too?

Can't imagine how I am going to do that. Particularly for

lunches....Right now I am trying to figure out how to replace the oat

porridge (breakfast) and biscuits (snacks) that I give to the almost

12 month old baby. Guess I'll try to find a way to give him eggs for

breakfast and give him fruit or cheese instead of the biscuits? He'll

be getting some kefir when I get the grains (assuming he'll take it -

he has home made yoghurt now). If I stop buying the biscuits and buy

crates of fruit it might do the trick! Doh!

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Does anyone have any tips for getting kids off soda?

--> we make fizzy grape juice - sooo easy. Started with organic dark grape

juice. We find it too sweet so water it down (with green tea or just water if we

haven't time). Then add a big splash of whey. Let it ferment at room temp, then

put in the fridge. It stays fizzy. Every time it gets down to about 2cm

remaining in the bottom of the bottle, we just top it up with more grape juice

and water and leave it out to ferment again. Soda on tap!!

Filippa

[Guest guest]

Filippa,

Is this whey from kefir? Do I have to put it in a bottle with a lid or it just

stays fizzy like it is. It won't hurt it to put it in a bottle, will it? The

kids won't beieve it's any good if it isn't in a bottle. What brancd of juice

do I look out for? And, when you leave it out the second (third, etc) time you

don't need to add more whey? or yes?

Thanks

Re: children's/family diet

Does anyone have any tips for getting kids off soda?

--> we make fizzy grape juice - sooo easy. Started with organic dark grape

juice. We find it too sweet so water it down (with green tea or just water if we

haven't time). Then add a big splash of whey. Let it ferment at room temp, then

put in the fridge. It stays fizzy. Every time it gets down to about 2cm

remaining in the bottom of the bottle, we just top it up with more grape juice

and water and leave it out to ferment again. Soda on tap!!

Filippa

[Guest guest]

I agree, slow progress!

Also, think a little outside the box. Maybe go to smoothies and water

(smoothies made with 40% fruit and 60% veggies and water to loosen them into

a drink). I'm forwarding the following without permission but leaving the

original author on.

So, my idea is switch the drink but always offer a healthy snack to go with

it... " May I have a soda? " Don't say " no " say, " Let me get you a glass of

water. Instead, would you like some frozen berries or a piece of cheese? "

(or whatever) You re-direct the conversation to a healthy choice they can

make.

OT: Anyone read Playful Parenting by Lawrence Cohen? Or any stuff by Barbara

Coloroso? I'm getting into that and I really like them.

[NaturalMamaBarter] green smoothies recipes- (from raw foodist

Boutenko)

Ode to Green Smoothie

This summer I re-discovered green smoothies. What do I mean by green

smoothie? Here is one of my favorite recipes: 4 ripe pears, 1 bunch of

parsley and 1 big cup of water. Blended well. This smoothie looks very

green, but it tastes like fruit. I like green smoothies so much that I

bought an extra blender and placed it in my office, so that I could make

green smoothies throughout the day. More than half of all the food I've

had in last several months have been green smoothies. I have so much more

energy and clarity that I have removed green juices from my diet. (Juicing

has been something that I've been doing regularly for years.) Green

smoothies have numerous benefits for human health.

1. Green smoothies are very nutritious. I believe that the ratio in them is

optimal for human consumption: about 60% - ripe organic fruit mixed with

about 40% - organic green vegetables.

2. Green smoothies are easy to digest. When blended well, all the valuable

nutrients in these fruits and veggies become homogenized, or divided into

such small particles that it becomes easy for the body to assimilate these

nutrients, the green smoothies literally start to get absorbed in your

mouth.

3. Green smoothies, as a posed to juices, are a complete food because they

still have fiber.

4. Green smoothies belong to the most palatable dishes for all humans of all

ages. With a ratio of fruits to veggies as 60:40 the fruit taste dominates

the flavor, yet at the same time the green vegetables balance out the

sweetness of the fruit, adding nice zest to it. Green smoothies are simply

the best tasting dishes for the majority of adults and children. I always

make extra smoothie and offer it to my friends and customers. Some of them

eat a standard American diet. They all finished their big cup of green

smoothies with complements. They were quite surprised that something so

green could taste so nice and sweet.

5. By consuming two or three cups of green smoothies daily you will consume

enough of greens for the day to nourish your body, and they will be well

assimilated. Many people do not consume enough of greens, even those who

stay on a raw food diet. The molecule of chlorophyll has only one atom that

makes it different from a molecule of human blood. According to teachings of

Dr. Ann Wigmore, to consume chlorophyll is like receiving a healthy blood

transfusion.

6. Green smoothies are easy to make, and quick to clean up after. Many

people told me that they do not consume green juices on a regular basis

because it is time consuming to prepare green juices and clean the equipment

after juicing, or to drive to the juice bar.

7. Green smoothies are perfect food for children of all ages, including

babies of six or more months old when introducing new food to them after

mother's milk. Of course you have to be careful and slowly increase the

amount of smoothies to avoid food allergies.

8. When you consume your greens in the form of green smoothies, you can

greatly reduce the consumption of oils and salt in your diet.

9. Regular consumption of Green smoothies forms a good habit of eating

greens. Several people told me that after a couple of weeks of drinking

green smoothies, they started to crave and enjoy eating more greens. Eating

enough of green vegetable is often a problem with many people, especially in

children.

10. Green smoothies can easily be freshly made at any juice bar, restaurant

or health food store for the great convenience of health-oriented customers.

Please bring a copy of this article to your local juice bar.

I encourage the readers of this article to start playing with green

smoothies, and to discover the many joys and benefits of this wonderful

delicious and nutritious addition to the menu. Here are more ideas for your

green creations. Some of my favorite greens to add to green smoothies:

parsley, spinach, celery, kale and romaine. My favorite fruits for green

smoothies are: pears, peaches, nectarines, bananas, mangoes and apples.

Strawberries and raspberries taste superb in green smoothies, when combined

with ripe bananas.

Delicious combinations:

Mango-parsley

2 large mangos

1 bunch parsley

Water

Peach-spinach

6 peaches

2 handfuls of spinach leaves

Water

Mango-weeds

2 mangos

1 handful of lambs quarters, stinging nettles, purslane, etc

Water

Strawberry-banana-romaine

1-cup strawberries

2 bananas

1/2 bunch romaine

Water

Apple-kale-lemon

4 apples

1/2 lemon juice

4-5 leaves of kale

Water

Kiwi-banana-celery

4 very ripe kiwis

1 ripe banana

3 stalks of celery

Water

Pear-kale-mint

4 ripe pears

4-5 leaves of kale

1/2 bunch of mint

Water

Finger banana-spinach

10 finger-bananas

2 handfuls of spinach leaves

Water

Bosc pear-raspberry-kale

3 bosc pears

1 handful of raspberries

4-5 leaves of kale

Water

[Guest guest]

Right now I am trying to figure out how to replace the oat porridge

(breakfast) and biscuits (snacks) that I give to the almost 12 month

old baby.

####### I have a 10 month old and my MIL insists on giving him some

grains. Since I make soaked oatmeal from NT for myself, I leave some

for as well. It's organic ish oatmeal soaked for 24 hours

in some water with whey. They I cook it for a few minutes and add

butter/coconut oil. Yummy. For teething biscuits, I bought an organic

brand with almost no additives/HFCS.

Guess I'll try to find a way to give him eggs for breakfast and give

him fruit or cheese instead of the biscuits?

####### sure loves eggs and he'll eat any fruit on the planet !!

I also drip the whey out of kefir and mix in fruit for a yummy snack.

He'll be getting some kefir when I get the grains (assuming he'll

take it - he has home made yoghurt now). If I stop buying the

biscuits and buy crates of fruit it might do the trick! Doh!

>

>

###### Good luck,

Magda

[Guest guest]

Hi , sorry for the delayed reply. Nursing a newborn here.

>Filipa, Is this whey from kefir?

Yes.

>Do I have to put it in a bottle with a lid or it just stays fizzy like it is.

It won't hurt it to put it in a bottle, will it? The kids won't beieve it's any

good if it isn't in a bottle.

Yes I put it in a bottle with a lid. Make sure it's plastic or it might explode.

i just use an old spring water bottle. maybe you can use a soda bottle - trick

them! lol!

>What brand of juice do I look out for?

i'm in australia. i buy organic dark grape juice (Lloyds brand here)

>And, when you leave it out the second (third, etc) time you don't need to add

more whey? or yes?

No. you don't need to. when 1cm is left in the bottle, top it up and leave it

out, I find it gets fizzier with time.

sorry typing 1 handed here with babe on breast!

Filippa