Healthy "Chocolate" Pudding

What kid doesn't like chocolate pudding?

Let's take a look inside: avocados, bananas, almond/coconut milk, a little maple syrup, carob, and vanilla... where's the artificial flavor? Where's the chocolate? Where's the preservatives? Oh that's right--not in this super healthy, kid-friendly dessert! Yes, it's possible to taste delicious and be totally nutritious as well. That's what our kids deserve.

2 small avocados
2 medium bananas
3/4 cup almond or coconut milk (use canned coconut milk for richer pudding)
1/2 cup carob powder
2 tsp. vanilla (alcohol free)
1 Tbsp  pure maple syrup (add more to taste if not sweet enough for you)

Blend in a Vita Mix or Blentec. If it's too thick, add a little more almond or coconut milk. It will firm up in the fridge, so chill a bit before serving. Keeps in the fridge for several days.

Smothered Chimmichungas

I just made these Chimmichungas from my new favorite blog, Simple Healthy Tasty. This blog is filled with my type of recipes (whole food, plant-based, vegan, highly nutritious AND tasty), natural body care (here's my post about using simple natural ingredients for body care), plus she homeschools too (like I am planning on doing)! Not to mention, she is LDS. I feel like I'm looking at myself 10 years down the road. So if you don't hear from me for awhile, it's because I am trying out all her recipes! I will try to post my favorites on my spare time (none of that lately, though).

Are Vegans Too Thin?

You may have heard people say  something like "Aren't vegans are too thin? They look like they are not eating enough or are nutrient deficient."

Dr. Fuhrman's response (in his book Disease Proof Your Child):

"We live in a nation of overfed and overweight people, in spite of an overwhemlming amount of information that thin people are healthier and live longer. Most doctors are overweight and have overweight children, just like the rest of Americans....Being thin compared to his or her peers does not necessarily mean that your child is not the perfect weight for him or her."

He notes:
"It is important to be sure that the thin child is not eating sweets and junk food... It is never wise to fill up with poor-quality, disease-causing food in an effort to gain weight." (p. 124-5)

It's true that some vegans may actually be too thin. Vegan simply means not consuming animal products, it doesn't define what they do eat. There is a ton of vegan junk food, including fake meat & cheese products that are packed with chemicals and lots of soy (a big GMO food).

In contrast, those who follow a whole food, plant-based diet eat a very minimal amount of animal products and processed food, if any, and eat a ton of nutrient dense fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts/seeds, and whole grains. This is the way I try to eat, and this is what Dr. Furhman is referring to in his comment.

Some people may look at me and think that I'm thin because I eat this way. These people may have only known me since I started eating a plant based diet. They may not know that I weigh the exact same now as I did before taking out animal products (and back then, I actually drank whole cow's milk along with my toddler, because I thought I was too thin and needed more fat...what was I thinking?).

Here I am before changing my diet:

Almost a year after changing my diet (and having my second baby):

As you can see, besides the obvious difference of location, I look pretty much the same. My weight hasn't changed, yet I feel a huge difference in my overall energy level, strength, and wellness, not to mention a mysterious and excruciating pain that I used to get at least once a month has been completely gone for over a year, since I stopped eating meat & dairy. That in and of itself is a reason for me not to go back.

I am totally convinced, from learning about the latest studies as well as from my own experience, that it's possible to get all the nutrition you need from a whole food, plant based diet. I'm sure a little meat & dairy won't hurt anyone too bad if they are eating very little processed junk and refined sugar, and consuming loads of colorful fruits & veggies, legumes, whole grains, and healthy fats (raw nuts, seeds, avocados).

But for me, I don't want to risk that pain coming back, and my stomach doesn't feel well when I eat meat or dairy, now that I have been without it for so long. So I'm going to happily continue my whole food, plant-based diet.

It's so natural to judge each other and jump to conclusions about people without knowing all the details. I struggle with this too. But in regards to food and weight, I think it would be great if we stop thinking we know everything about everyone, and just look at each other with a desire to get to know them, and acknowledge that we don't know all the details of their lives.

So, what do you think? Do you still think vegans are too thin?

Kids and Food Addictions

Can kids become addicted to certain foods?

Dr. Joel Fuhrman (Author of New York Times Bestseller Eat to Live) said in his book Disease-Proof Your Child:

"The minute children taste low-nutrient processed foods--which are typically high in fat, salt, and sugar-- their desire and their taste for wholesome foods diminishes. To the extent that the parents gave in to the attraction of rich, calorically dense foods such as macaroni and cheese, sweets, or pizza, by that same extent, the child will no longer have an interest in consuming fruits and vegetables." (123)

When I read that, something clicked inside me and I knew it was true. I had seen it in my own son. The more he ate Goldfish crackers and cookies, the more he craved them and the less he wanted real/whole fruits and vegetables.

SUGAR

Then I started experimenting with myself, in an effort to test this out. I started with sugar. I used to have these favorite chocolate chip cookies that I would buy every so often (from Trader Joe's, so they had the appearance of being healthy, but of course they were loaded with sugar). I realized that I would eat them usually when I was stressed or had a long day, as a little "treat" to keep me going. I liked the feeling I got when I ate them. But I couldn't eat just one, so I would keep going back to them all day. The more often I ate them, the more I would crave them.  I didn't like feeling like I wasn't in control of my body, feeling a strong pull towards those cookies. It was as if I was letting my body, instead of my mind, dictate the amount of cookies I ate.

The hard part was that when I stopped buying these cookies (and other foods with added sugar), I still craved them. There were times when I almost felt anxious because there were no cookies in the house. I can see that my body was addicted and was going through withdrawals.

Can we just call it like it is? Sugar is a drug.

It doesn't lead us to do crazy things like other illegal drugs, but the addictive nature and the effect it has on our bodies is a very real problem. Sugar creates an environment where diseases can thrive in our bodies. Sugar feeds cancer cells, instead of fighting them, and causes a million other things to go wrong with our bodies.

Julieanna Hever M.S., R.D., C.P.T, wrote in her book The Complete Idiot's Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition:

"Sugar promotes cancer growth, poor cholesterol profiles, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity or excess weight, gastrointestinal diseases, premature aging, depression, anxiety, cardiovascular disease, tooth and gum decay, gout, and acne. And if that weren't enough, it's physiologically addicting!" (61)

So not only does it put our bodies on the road to miserable diseases, it's addicting. But somehow we overlook that and continue to feed our addictions, justifying it for a multitude of reasons. And worse, we are feeding it to our children. Would you give your children an illegal drug? I hope not. What about an addictive food? Maybe it's because we can't see with our eyes the actual damage that sugar is doing to our bodies, so we rationalize and don't think it's that bad...?

One of the main reasons I justified eating foods with refined sugar was that it's in everything at the grocery store (AND health stores), and surely the food companies wouldn't be producing foods that could be so harmful to my health, right?

Lol. Since when are food companies concerned with MY health?

Or, "Everyone else eats it. It's in all the vending machines. It's in the refreshments at church functions that my spiritual leaders oversee. It's in the 'healthy' granola and organic kids snacks. How could it be so bad?"

If everyone jumped off a cliff, would you jump off too?

"In the HBO documentary The Weight of the Nation, it was noted that if you “go with the flow” in the US, you will eventually become obese." (I found this quote from the intro to this ground breaking article "Nutritional Update for Physicians: Plant based Diets" that I would recommend reading: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3662288/)

JUST SAY NO!

Hever said it best:

"One of the best things you can do for your health (after giving up dairy and animal products...) is to eliminate sugar. You'll find plenty of ways to indulge on a plant-based diet that will make you realize you're not missing anything" (61).

I can vouch for that last line. There ARE plenty of ways to indulge in delicious food on a plant-based diet, and they are all addiction-free and guilt-free. Here are some things I do in my family:

- We start our day with a delicious fresh fruit and vegetable juice, which is packed full of nutrition and sets the tone for the rest of the day (and my taste buds crave fresh fruits and vegetables after drinking this too!)

- We make really yummy food and eat lots of it to fill our stomachs so we don't have room for junk.

- We don't even BUY it anymore- if it's not staring me in the face when I open the cupboard, then there's no way I can eat it even if I wanted to.

- We eat lots of fruits & sweet vegetables such as sweet potatoes, peas (high protein!), carrots, beets... these all contain natural sugar, so they help satisfy my sweet tooth, but don't lead to a dramatic rise and then crash of my blood sugar levels like refined sugar does.

- We make healthy treats that taste amazing, such as coconut oil candies, homemade bars & bar cake.
(sweetened with pure maple syrup, raw honey, or dates)

- We snack on nutrient-dense foods such as hummus and veggies, smoothies, apples & nut/seed butter, trail mix, etc.

- We use dates and bananas to sweeten our food (such as in oatmeal, muffins, smoothies, in warm brown rice with almond milk & cinnamon, etc) and use raw honey and pure maple syrup for special treats (and extra special treats, I have used coconut sugar and agave, but we don't use those very often, since they are very close to having the same effect of refined sugar).

SALT

Did you know salt can be addictive as well?

"Your palate adjusts to how much sodium you consume. The more salt you eat, the more you crave. The good news is, the less salt you eat, the less you need." (Hever 61)

We do need a small amount of sodium in our diets (1,500 mg or less per day; 1 teaspoon of salt contains 2,300 mg). But we don't use commercial, processed, and chemical-treated salt anymore. Instead we use Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt, and try to season our cooked dishes with salt-free spice blends such as Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute.

DAIRY

Is cheese really addicting?

I knew it was hard to give up at the beginning, but I never really thought of cheese as addicting. But I just learned this from Hever's book.

"This protein (Casien) causes the production of the same feel-good effects as optiate drugs. When consumed, casein converts into casomorphins--nature's way to ensure an infant will return to the breast for milk. In cheese, the protein (mostly casein) is much more concentrated along with the fat and sodium content than in milk. Together, you have a powerfully addictive mixture. Cut out dairy, and your cravings will go away in about 3 weeks."  (p. 93)

It's true! I have stopped craving cheese and ice cream, however it was extremely hard at first. So if you are at the beginning stages, don't worry, it does get easier!

Some may ask:
"But how can you deprive yourself of all the amazing treats this world has to offer?"

Here's my answer:  
We don't restrict ourselves, and we never feel deprived.

My husband and I don't have hard rules that we can't EVER have meat or dairy or processed food or other treats. However, at this point in our lives, we don't really crave cow's milk, cheese, or meat as much. I know how I feel after consuming large amounts of sugar and artificial ingredients, so I don't have too much trouble staying away from them. Sometimes I will see a treat that looks good at the store, and instead of buying it, I will say to myself "I bet I can make a healthier version of that" and I do and it tastes great and is not addicting or destructive to my immune system! On holidays, we will have a small amount of meat, since it is such a tradition (such as Thanksgiving). However, my stomach doesn't feel very good afterwards, so the next holiday I usually decide to make all raw or vegan dishes that taste great and make me feel good too.

Emotional eating: 

Getting to the root cause instead of numbing the pain

Every so often I will search for the chocolate chips in the back of the cupboard, or see if we have any unopened cookies. It's those times when I am trying to feel better about something (usually I had an extra difficult day and I'm tired and my husband is still at work and there's no one around to tell me what an amazing job I did changing that diaper or how proud they are of me for not yelling when my son wouldn't brush his teeth). I don't get down on myself for those occasional emotional eating moments, but I do realize that I could deal with those moments in a healthier way, and if they start happening more frequently, I know there is definitely a problem that I need to take care of, instead of numbing the "pain" with addictive foods. (Healthier ways I have thought of include: reading the scriptures, sincerely praying, watching a movie, dancing to fun music, venting in my journal, yoga, deep breathing/meditating, calling a trusted friend or family member, and watching Food Matters on Netflix which always inspires me to make healthier choices.)

How do you get your kids to eat healthy foods?

Here is what our rule is: they need to find something to eat in the house. Simple as that. And my job is to stock our kitchen with healthy options. If I don't buy it, it's not even an option, so there is really no need to argue over food. I make sure to buy a huge variety of fruits & veggies and make different meals all the time for my kids to try. (Note: We still have our challenges, because my son has texture issues and what he is willing to eat changes from day to day. But at least he can choose from healthy foods, instead of getting hooked on unhealthy and disease promoting foods.)

How could I feel good about giving my children drugs, that will not only wreak havoc on their immune systems opening the door to disease down the road, but will be addicting? Sure packaged food, cheesy food, store-bought cookies & candy tastes good, but do I want them craving that taste and begging me for more, refusing the nutritious food options I give them? Of course not. I have already been down that road and don't want to experience that again for fear of where it may lead.


FINAL WORDS
There will be many different reactions to reading this post. I just want to say that, I strongly feel that we cannot judge each other for the choices we make as parents, because we can't see into each other's hearts and everyone is coming from a different background, has learned different things, and is trying to be a good parent in different ways. My way is this: do everything possible to not "go with the flow" of the world, since from what I can see, that road will only leading to obesity, cancer, diabetes, heart disease. But instead, try to gain as much knowledge (with the Holy Spirit as my guide) and real life experience as I can to provide a good start for my kids, hoping that when they grow up they will choose to live a healthy and balanced life, taking care of their bodies and treating them as gifts from God Himself.

In short, we are trying our best, just as I'm sure all of you do. :)

Thanks for reading!

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I recommend the following books referenced in this post:

Disease Proof Your Child by Dr. Joel Fuhrman
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Plant Based Nutrition by Julieanna Hever 

Note: I don't agree with absolutely everything in these books, but they are a great beginning guide to feeding yourself or family without animal products and making sure you know what foods to focus on for a balanced diet. It's so hard to know what to believe. Studies can be interpreted in many different ways, and people (even doctors and nutritionists) have all sorts of opinions on health. That is why I don't believe doctors (they all say something different), or any specific health guru. I seek to know what is true as I pray to God for guidance and understanding, and as I study the scriptures. I figure, since He created my body, and this world, He knows better than anyone what I should put in it. Thankfully, He has been pretty specific by revealing a "Law of Health" or "Word of Wisdom" that can be found here. Hopefully I will finish my post on that subject soon and link it here for you to read. :)

Why You Should Start Using Coconut Oil

The current research is showing that coconut oil is pretty amazing. I love how versatile it is and how many different beneficial properties are in this stuff.

I find myself reaching for it several times a day, and have multiple containers throughout my house and car. Because of this, I am cutting way back on personal care products, eliminating unnecessary and harmful chemicals from entering my body, and spending less money as well.

Please research it for yourself. You can click here for an article about the Top 10 Evidence-based Health Benefits of Coconut Oil, to get you started.

I currently use it in these ways:

Personal care/beauty:
As eye makeup remover
As face moisturizer
As body moisturizer (however in the winter, I still use a natural lotion since my skin can get so dry, but this is all my kids need most of the time)
As lip balm (I put it in squeezable containers and stick in my purse)
As deodorant (since it is an antibacterial- I use this and only this and it works great! Note: If you are using a commercial brand of deodorant, and switch to coconut oil, your body will go through a detox period of about 1-2 weeks where you will have pretty bad body odor since your body is releasing toxins that have been built up from your antipersperant. Just remember, "this too shall pass"! And when it does, it feels great to be free of all those chemicals and using something totally natural that actually works. )

Food:
Use to make coconut oil candies
Use instead of butter: On toast (I like to add cinnamon, jam, or a little honey), on brown rice, quinoa or other cooked grains (adding other spices too for a yummy pilaf), etc
Use as cooking oil: To saute vegetables, to grill pancakes, etc
Use in baked goods: Such as in muffins or quick breads (such as pumpkin)

Home remedies:
If I get a cut, a canker sore, or anything like that, I will frequently apply coconut oil. When I have done this, I seem to heal quickly.

What's your favorite way to use coconut oil?

Chewy Fudge or Vegan Frosting

(Note: This recipe is for the top layer of the above treat, aka the Frosting)

Chewy Fudge or Vegan Frosting-

1/2 cup coconut oil (warmed)
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup (I used maple syrup when making this to use as frosting)
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp carob or cocoa powder
2 Tbsp almond butter (or other nut butter)

Whisk oil and honey. Slowly whisk in powder. Whisk in almond butter (or use a Vita Mix blender and blend everything until well combined- you will have to use your tamper, as it will be pretty thick).

If making fudge, pour into a loaf pan and freeze for 15 minutes. Then cut into squares and enjoy. :)

If making frosting, spread over your cupcakes or vegan cake (or make a pan full of these homemade bars to use as your "cake" like I just did!). Keep chilled until ready to eat. If you want the frosting to be softer, take out about an hour before serving.

Strawberry Bar Cake with Chocolate Frosting (vegan)

Since my son has so many issues with textures that makes him extremely picky, he requested a "Strawberry Bar Cake" for his birthday. He doesn't like the texture of regular cake, but he does like these homemade bars that we make. So I whipped up a special batch of our bars, pressed them into cupcakes and a small cake pan, then made some chocolate frosting using melted coconut oil (1 cup), maple syrup (1 cup), carob & cocoa powder (1/2 cup of each), and 4 Tbsp Sunflower Seed butter (since he's allergic to peanut butter)- recipe for the frosting can be found here. I blended this is my Vita Mix although you could use a hand mixer or whisk probably. After spreading the frosting on the cupcakes and cake, I put them in the freezer (or fridge). To soften the frosting, I took them out an hour or two before serving. They were delicious! Perfectly chewy and the frosting was amazing! The best part was that these didn't have any refined sugar in them (besides a small amount in the rice crispies I used), or white flour! And the ingredients used are actually good for you (raw almond butter, coconut oil, raw protein powder, raw oat flour, etc)!

Step 1: Drop a tablespoon of "dough" into your muffin cups.

Step 2: Flatten with a spoon.

Step 3: Add a layer of freeze-dried strawberries.

Step 4: Cover with another layer of "dough."

Frost with your vegan frosting and add sprinkles (all-natural, such as from Whole Foods)

What to do with the extra frosting? I put dobs of it into my mini muffin pan and added various toppings such as almonds (I pushed them in), unsweetened coconut, freeze dried raspberries, and natural sprinkles. Keep these in an air-tight container in your freezer for a great after dinner treat. :)

Healthy Kids' Snacks: How to eliminate (most) packaged food

I used to give my son packaged snacks when he was a toddler. Why? Because everyone else did, so it must be fine right? I got the healthiest ones I could find, organic mostly, to avoid artificial ingredients.

But then something interesting happened, almost without my realizing. He started getting addicted to them. The more he ate them, the more he asked for them. Just like sugar (and kind of like what happens when he watches TV/movies)!  His favorites were Goldfish cheese crackers. (Note: I didn't know anything about dairy being bad at this point).

Now, on top of this, he has sensory issues which makes him an extremely picky eater. He will only eat certain foods, in certain ways, on certain days. It drives me crazy. So once he started getting hooked on Goldfish, you guessed it, that's all he would eat. He would refuse all other food, besides his daily cow's milk (if only I knew better...) and maybe a couple other foods. (When I say refuse, I mean, if we didn't give it to him, he wouldn't eat anything else, due to his sensory issues that made him so extremely picky. This was a matter of keeping him alive, not about giving in to his demands). Luckily we would make an occasional smoothie with fruits and vegetables.

Long story short- he was getting sick at LEAST once a month on this diet. It was horrible.

So I started a slow shift to eliminate all packaged snacks (note: this was about 6 months before we took out meat/dairy from our diet and started daily juice & smoothies). I hoped that instead of asking for something in the cupboard when he's hungry, he would start asking for something in the fridge.

"But how could you raise kids without packaged food??!?" I hear all my mommy friends screaming at the computer.

Most people cannot fathom how anyone can live without dairy or meat, let alone packaged convenience foods. But we have managed to eliminate most, so I guess I'm proof that you can. (For more on how to go about making this change, see the last section of this post.)

The result? My son is healthy most of the year now, and since we bring home more produce than packaged foods, I'm happy to say that he looks in the fridge when he's hungry, not in the cupboard. And we all feel great, and none of us crave it anymore (unless I get really stressed out and want to eat emotionally, which thankfully doesn't happen too often! And by that point I don't have any junk around in the house so I have to eat a homemade treat which are still pretty darn tasty, minus the junk).

These are some snacks that I give my kids when we're out and about (aka Mess Free). Just keep in mind, I have a very picky eater, so this is just what works for us (some may seem odd to you, and some he won't necessarily eat, but my husband and I will, and your children might as well.)

Also keep in mind that this is in no way a "vegan meal plan," or attempt to contain a balance of all essential nutrients in all food groups. No, this is simply a list of ideas for snacks. I will update periodically.

Healthy Kids' Snacks for the road

OUR FAVORITE: Homemade bars
 
Dried fruit (no added sulfites or any preservatives) - raisins, craisins, dried apricots, etc

Freeze-dried fruit (all natural, no added ingredients)- strawberries, mango, blueberries, raspberries

Whole fruit: apple, grapes, banana, etc

Carrot & bell pepper sticks (bring hummus in container if not too messy)

Trail mix with raw almonds, dried fruit, unsweetened coconut, sometimes banana chips
(I would give this if my kids would eat the nuts & coconut!)

Homemade muffins (using whole wheat flour & honey instead of sugar)

Homemade pancakes (make a pancake sandwich with Sunflower seed butter in the middle)  

Homemade granola

Healthy Kids' Snacks (to eat at home):

Fruit sorbets (we put frozen fruit through our juicer with a special nozzle, and it comes out as a silky smooth "ice cream"- my kids love their "Strawberry Ice Cream"!)


Other fruit: Strawberries, oranges, kiwi, etc.
  Frozen blueberries

Frozen peas

Smoothies

Cinnabutter Swirl: Spread Sunflower Seed Butter on a piece of sprouted whole wheat toast, then drizzle with raw honey, sprinkle with cinnamon, take a knife and swirl around.

Guacamole- mashed avocado mixed with salsa, add a dash of garlic powder if you want. We dip veggie sticks in, or if need be, organic tortilla chips (we get unsalted).

Packaged snacks that we buy when absolutely necessary:

Fruit pouches (although most of the nutrients are cooked out when pasteurized so we try to go with fresh fruit when possible)
Popcorn (organic, non GMO, natural flavored popcorn)
Cereals: Joe's O's (Trader Joe's natural Cheerio's), Nature's Path Millet Rice Flakes (no sugar added, only sweetened with fruit juice), etc
Clif Bars for Kids "Z Bars"- pretty great ingredients for a packaged food

Final words to those who actually want to try eliminating packaged snacks: 
Do it slowly and they won't even notice! Slowly start incorporating more of these real foods, and you will naturally not need to buy as much packaged snacks as you used to. 

Then, when you are down to very little packaged snacks, do yourself a favor and AVOID THE SNACK AISLE at the grocery store. It is sooo tempting to walk down that aisle and see all the fun kids snacks, and start thinking: "Oh, my kids would love this, it would be such a fun treat for them!"  

Don't buy the old stuff again because you are done with it! If you already eliminated most of it, don't bring it back. Remember, it has hardly any nutritional value and is void of the amazing nutrition that fresh, raw plant foods can give them to fight diseases and keep their immune systems healthy. 

If I see something that really looks good, I think to myself "Hmmm, how can I make a healthier version of this?" And then I do and it's great!

If you get there anyway and put a couple boxes of some colorful cartoon character snacks in your cart, rationalizing that all the other moms do it to, think of me and know that even though we are the minority, we are a HEALTHY minority!

Choose HEALTH & enjoy delicious, REAL food creations with your kids, and let THAT be the tradition you start early in their lives. Later in life, they will turn to comfort foods, and wouldn't it be great if they remember your fresh fruit salads or green juice?? ;)

Good luck my friends!