HRM Parent Blog

Eating healthy on a budget can be tough.  Fresh, whole food often costs more than its processed counterpart.  That said, we all know the role great food plays in keeping our families' healthy, and with good planning we really can eat great-quality food and keep the grocery bill reasonable.  Here are a few of my favourite tips for keeping healthy eating affordable, one step at a time:

 

Before You Shop:

- Plan, plan, plan: I cannot underscore enough the importance of this one. It will take a half hour but save you at least three in extra grocery trips and prep time.  Do a meal plan for the week the day before you grocery shop.  Go through the recipes/meals you plan on making and include any new ingredients on your grocery list.  Include snacks for the week and school lunch ingredients in your plan and food list.  It's also a great idea to have the ingredients for one healthy "fast food" meal on hand (like scrambled eggs or whole grain pasta and sauce) for the inevitable unplanned dinner "rush job".  All of this detail the key to affordable whole food. 

- Don't waste: Before you do your meal plan, check your freezer and pantry:  Do you have any meals or meats that need to be used?  Incorporate them into this week's plan to save money & reduce waste!

 

 

 

At The Store:

- Look "high and low", literally, when you are at the grocery store. The most expensive items are almost always placed at eye level, with bargains on the lower and upper shelves.

- Stick to your list: This is crucial. Did you know that 7 out of every 10 purchases are spontaneous?  Avoid that trap by knowing exactly what you need.  

 

Back at home:

- Bake with your kids: Not only do you control the ingredients and freshness of the foods, it's often much cheaper than buying pre-made treats, and it provides quality time to "talk food"!

- Cook a large-batch meal every weekend and freeze half, or use leftovers for lunches through the week.

- Plan and cook with seasonal produce in mind: It's often cheaper and fresher than imported produce, and it's a great way to support local farmers.

- Eat vegetarian a couple of meals a week, and use the money you save to splurge on better quality, grass-fed meat.  Shop for meat at your local market or butcher!

- Freeze, freeze, freeze: Not only can this let you take advantage of bulk deals and sales on healthy items, it can make your life much easier! Did you know you can freeze brown rice, cooked beans, hummus, pesto, and leftover fresh herbs (puree with a little olive oil before freezing)?

Good luck, fellow penny pinchers!  Try it for a couple of weeks and you will
be amazed at how much money you can save with a little planning!

 

Wendy McCallum, LLB, RHN, is passionate about providing busy parents with the tools & support they need to feed their families wholesome food, so everyone can play, learn, and feel better!  She is a mother of two terrific HRM kids, aged 7 &8.  For information and recipe ideas, visit her website.

If you've been told that you or your child are allergic or sensitive to dairy and are trying to avoid it as a result, don't panic! I often hear from parents who are worried about their ability to get their kids the calcium they need without milk, but the truth is we don't need "three servings of milk a day" to do this. If you are creative and diligent, you can easily provide your children or other family members with the calcium they need by choosing the right dairy alternative for your family, and including good sources of calcium in your family's daily diet.

If you are following a dairy elimination diet, there are many dairy alternatives you can try, for example:

Soy milk (always buy organic, as non-organic is almost always made from genetically modified or "GMO" soy beans)

Rice milk (it's not always fortified with calcium, so check your labels!); and/or

Almond milk

In my experience, most children come to like almond milk. Just don't try to pass it off as cow's milk (they are too smart for that!) and introduce it slowly and in small amounts.

It's naturally sweet flavour seems to appeal to them. You can use almond milk as a substitute for dairy in almost all baking and cooking. If you visit my recipe blog you will see that I never use cow's milk in recipes and they generally call for almond milk in its place (www.simple-balance.ca).

You will be able to find soy cheese and yoghurt alternatives as well. In addition, the dairy-sensitive member of your family may find they are able to tolerate goats' milk and cheese better than similar cow's milk-derived products, as goat milk's nutritional profile is closer to that of human milk.

There are lots of great sources of calcium in foods other than dairy products. Most of the sources listed above are available fortified and will contain comparable calcium to cow's milk (as does fortified orange juice), but there are also many other non-dairy sources, such as:

Firm tofu (1/2 cup): 258 mg
Collard greens (1 cup cooked): 220 mg

Kale (1 cup cooked): 206 mg
Beet greens (1 cup cooked): 198 mg
Spinach (1 cup cooked): 176 mg
Almonds (1/2 cup): 166 mg

Hummus made with tahini (1/2 cup): 137 mg
Broccoli (1 cup cooked): 136 mg
Quinoa (1 cup): 120 mg
Haddock (1 fillet): 111 mg
Oatmeal (cooked, I cup): 115 mg
Chickpeas (1 cup cooked): 106 mg

Black beans (1 cup): 102 mg
White beans (1/2 cup): 100 mg
Blackstrap molasses (1 tbsp): 150 mg
Bok choy (steamed, 1 cup): 158 mg

If you are concerned you or your child are not meeting your recommended daily intake, you can consider using a good-quality calcium supplement. Ask your health practitioner or pediatrician for a recommendation if you need some guidance!

 

Wendy McCallum, LLB, RHN, is passionate about providing busy parents with the tools & support they need to feed their families wholesome food, so everyone can play, learn, and feel better!  She is a mother of two terrific HRM kids, aged 7 &8.  For information and recipe ideas, visit her website.

These make a delicious, nut-free & school-friendly treat.  They are a great source of fiber, healthy fat and quick energy, and are very hard to keep around in my house.  You could easily substitute in a different whole grain flour, dried fruit or seed if you have favourites in your household.  

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups of old fashioned rolled oats (not quick oats)
2 cups of spelt or whole wheat flour
1 cup of unsalted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup unsalted pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp sea salt
1 cup dark chocolate chips or coarsely chopped dark chocolate
1 cup raisins or dried unsweetened cranberries
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup molasses
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup + 1 tsp canola oil (preferably organic)
1 cup unsweetened almond milk

To prepare: 
Preheat oven to 350F.  Line two baking trays with parchment paper.  

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl, and wet ingredients in a separate smaller bowl.  Add wet to the dry and stir until just mixed.  Place about 8 - 2 tbsp-sized scoops of mixture per tray, pressing each scoop gently with a fork to flatten slightly.  Bake for about 20 minutes, checking the bottom occasionally to prevent burning.  Let cool on wire racks.

Makes about 32 cookies.

 

Wendy McCallum, LLB, RHN, is passionate about providing busy parents with the tools & support they need to feed their families wholesome food, so everyone can play, learn, and feel better!  She is a mother of two terrific HRM kids, aged 7 &8.  For information and recipe ideas, visit her website.

I'm well aware that I'm taking a risk here, but my second green veggie of choice for this month's Family Challenge is the dreaded brussels sprout.

Why have I chosen this particular vegetable? Because I think it's gotten a bad wrap as the victim of overcooking and poor seasoning, which has lead to it's unfair veggie vilification.

In fact, brussels sprouts are one of the best veggies out there you can get your family eating. Brussels sprouts, or "baby cabbages", are a cold-weather member of the brassica or cruciferous family, which includes other varieties of cabbage, kale, broccoli and cauliflower. They are an excellent source of vitamins K and C and a good source of folate (the most commonly deficient vitamin in the world), vitamin A, manganese, protein, fiber, potassium, vitamin B6, iron, thiamin, omega-6 fatty acids, magnesium, riboflavin, vitamin E, copper and calcium... Phew!!

There is also increasing evidence as to the anti-cancer properties of the brassica family. Boiling can reduce these compounds, but steaming, stir-frying and roasting do not result in significant loss.

If you have always hated brussels sprouts, chances are that you are innocently passing that aversion on choosing not to include them in your family's diet. Break the cycle!

Brussels sprouts, cooked right, can be downright delicious. I was completely gobsmacked & delighted when my 8 year-old pronounced them this year to be his favourite vegetable. Here is the simple recipe that got him hooked:

Golden Brussels Sprouts:

Ingredients:
- About 25 brussels sprouts (washed, ends trimmed, and sliced lengthwise)
- 1 tbsp or so of coconut oil
- a pinch of sea salt
- 1 tbsp goat's cheese feta, feta, or grated asiago

To prepare:Sauté sprouts over medium heat in coconut oil and a pinch of sea salt until softened and browned (Covering the pan speeds up the process), then toss with cheese and serve. So simple, so good.

And here's one more that his mama loves, that incorporates some other "super veggies":

Roasted Veggie & Warm Kale Salad

Use whatever veggies you have in the fridge or pantry: You could substitute just about anything in here and it would taste yummy, so use your imagination!

Ingredients:
- I small yam or sweet potato, peeled and cubed
- 1-2 large carrots, peeled and cubed
- 8-10 small beets or 4-5 large, peeled and cubed
- 1-2 cups of brussels sprouts, washed, stems trimmed and sliced lengthwise
- 8-10 garlic cloves, peeled and cut lengthwise
- 1 onion or large shallot, peeled and loosely chopped
- 2 cups of kale, de-stemmed, washed and chopped finely
- 1/2 cup pecans, pan toasted at low heat
- 1.5 -2 tbsp coconut oil
- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- salt & pepper to taste

To prepare: Preheat oven to 450F. Melt oil, and toss with all veggies except kale in a roasting pan or 9 x 11 dish. Roast for about 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from oven, and pile the kale on top. Put back in oven for 10 minutes, stirring once to toss kale and veggies.

Remove from oven again and toss with the balsamic, and salt & pepper to taste. Serve in bowls topped with some toasted pecans.

 

 

Wendy McCallum, LLB, RHN, is passionate about providing busy parents with the tools & support they need to feed their families wholesome food, so everyone can play, learn, and feel better!  She is a mother of two terrific HRM kids, aged 7 &8.  For information and recipe ideas, visit her website.

The HRM Parent March challenge is to eat a new green veggie every week.  For those of you whose kids aren't eating this one yet, let me introduce you to one of my old faithfuls: Spinach!

 
One of the mildest of the dark leafy greens, this one packs an awesome nutritional punch and is easy to slip into many of your family's go-to recipes.

Here are a few reasons why your family should be eating spinach:

- Spinach is a great source of fiber;

- 100 g of fresh spinach contains about 25% of our daily intake of iron, which is an important trace element required for red blood cell production;

- Spinach is a rich source of anti-oxidants vitamin A & C;

- Spinach also provides loads of vitamin-K;

- This leafy green vegetable also contains good amounts of the B vitamins B6 (pyridoxine), thiamin (B1), riboflavin, folate and niacin;

- 100 g of fresh spinach contains almost half of the daily recommended intake of vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that supports immune function;

- Spinach leaves also contain potassium, manganese, magnesium, copper and zinc, and are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids; and

- Regular consumption of spinach helps prevent osteoporosis and iron deficiency anemia.

How do you get your kids to eat spinach?  Easy.  Finely chop it and add it to anything.  I always add about 2 cups of raw, pre-washed organic spinach to our family smoothie in the morning.  I chop it up and add it to stir-fries, soups, and stews, and rarely leave it out of tomato sauces.  You can use it in the place of basil to make a delicious pesto, or as a base to any salad.  I also often saute a cup or two with a little garlic, olive oil and some cherry tomatoes as a side to our eggs in the morning. 

St. Paddy's Day is Saturday!  Here are a couple of simple ways to "green up" your family's breakfast and avoid the artificial food colours:

- Finely chop or puree a cup or so of raw spinach. Add it to your family's scrambled egg mixture for natural "green eggs";

 

 

- Combine a banana, two cups of skim milk or milk alternative, a handful of spinach, a couple of ice cubes and a dash of vanilla for a healthy green "shamrock smoothie". Trust me, they'll never know the spinach is in there!

Happy St. Patrick's Day, HRM families, I trust you are all enjoying a wonderful March Break!

 

Wendy McCallum, LLB, RHN, is passionate about providing busy parents with the tools & support they need to feed their families wholesome food, so everyone can play, learn, and feel better!  She is a mother of two terrific HRM kids, aged 7 &8.  For information and recipe ideas, visit her website.