The Almost Green Mom

Ok, so another week is almost over, I guess.  I don’t even know what day it is anymore, but I feel like we’ve been in this shelter in place since 1999.

#MomFailOfThe Week:  so I couldn’t find boxed pasta anywhere.  I was so excited to have finally found it on Walmart.com, but I had to buy a case of 10 boxes.  I figured I’d just give extras to some neighbors.  When it arrived, it wasn’t 10 separate boxes, it was 2, 10 POUND BAGS of pasta.  So, if you’re in the Denver area and want some (or 10 pounds) or pasta, let me know.

SNACKS

I don’t feel like meals have been as hard as snacks.  I don’t know if it’s because everyone is hoarding and/or stress eating, but snacks are elusive on Amazon and other sites.  There’s a reason certain snacks are available – because they’re the gross ones no one wants.  Also, we’re at the whim of Amazon Fresh and our local grocery wrt fresh produce, so that’s also a crapshoot.  Here are some things we’ve done to get creative with what we have on hand:

• Banana Bites:  Put one rectangular graham cracker in a ziplock, seal it and let your kid whack the heck out of hit with a spoon until it’s basically powder.  Put a sliced banana in the bag and shake it (like old school shake n bake).  Voila!
• Decorated Grahams.  Can you tell we have graham crackers?  I set out a line of things like peanut butter, raisins, mini marshmallows, jam, sprinkles, etc.  If you are lucky enough to have Nutella, add that to the line-up.  Spread whatever on the bottom and load it up with toppings.
• Pre Packed Snacks.  When things start going sideways, I literally launch snack packs at my kids.  I really wish I had one of those t-shirt launcher guns at the college and NBA basketball games.

MEALS

Breakfast is typically fast.  Lunch and dinner are a little more planned out (if possible) and for these 2 meals I try to include fruit and veggies on each plate along with the main.

• Breakfast.  My oldest child has virtual school during the week, so breakfasts need to happen before then.  We rely on staples like frozen waffles, pancakes, cinnamon raisin toast, yogurt drinks, smoothies (almond milk, whatever fresh fruit is getting too ripe, frozen fruit), etc.  The simpler the better.  On the weekends we sometimes go crazy and make homemade pancakes (watch out).
• Lunch.  Again, it mainly depends on what we have on hand.  Of course, with the bulk pasta we have that’s always an option (butter & salt, pasta sauce & parmesan, add on a meatball, etc.); grilled cheese sandwiches, PB&J, “fried rice” (pre-made brown rice added into a scrambled egg, frozen veggies (whatever is on hand), low sodium soy sauce and teriyaki sauce); bean quesadillas in the toaster, turkey sandwiches, etc.
• Dinner.  I’m a huge fan of not always making a huge “to do” about dinner – it could be a “breakfast for dinner” night (i.e., French toast, omelet, chicken apple sausage & scrambled eggs).  But, when I do feel like making something, I go to some of our fail safe go to’s:
  • BBQ chicken – drumsticks or breasts in an ovenproof glass container, smothered with your favorite BBQ sauce at about 375 for 40ish minutes (until at least 160 degrees with a meat thermometer)
  • Pasta – surprised?; we will also sometimes make lentil pasta, but brands really vary in terms of taste and texture so that can be a risk with my kids
  • Burgers on the grill – veggie / ham burgers (I’m vegan, my youngest isn’t a huge meat eater and my oldest would probably eat a live cow if she could)
  • Veggies on the grill – simple coating of olive oil and salt / pepper.  I was also told about these Urban Accents Veggie Roaster spice mixes recently which are really good (thank you, Amy P).  I got mine off Amazon (there are 3 envelopes in each pack, and each pack is for 1 pound of veggies)

• • Garbanzo Wraps.  This is a pretty close copy of the wraps you can buy at the Mediterranean chain, Garbanzo’s.  We use a whole wheat tortilla, smear hummus on top, and then pile on cucumber & tomato salad (diced cucumber, diced tomato mixed with a Greek dill dip / dressing – we us Oladipity but there are others), cut up chicken breast and kalamata olives
  • Homemade Mini Pizzas.  I get the unrefrigerated, small pizza crusts from Target (once open, refrigerate them), top it with pre-made pizza sauce (we like Classico) and then whatever toppings you want – we are fans of mushrooms, olives, tomato slices and whatever veggies we have on hand (great way to use up veggies that are getting ripe).  I get the mini crusts so each child can put on her own toppings – also so I can put them in the toaster oven instead of the gigantic regular oven.  Again, you can just line up the toppings and let the kids go to town.  10 minutes in the oven, and it’s done.
  • Select Recipes.  As a single mom of two young kids, I don’t have a ton of time to follow recipes (one of my best friends, who is almost my Aunt, told  me  she receives recipes in her inbox that are supposed to be quick and easy with things you have on hand, but some of them require cardamom seeds and gorgonzola?!  Umm, not really what I have stock these days.  Hilarious).  Another one of my best friends, Michelle, turned me on to an amazing cookbook that is simple and fast.  And I’m probably the last person to get it as it is a #1 NY Times Bestseller:  Skinnytaste Fast and Slow.  We made the chicken pizza roll-ups the other night and both of my kids loved it.

I hope this simple blog today is helpful.  I’m off as my kids have yet again dumped boxes of things all over the living room so I need to dart off.

For those of you celebrating Easter, have a wonderful holiday.  In Denver, we are supposed to get snow on Sunday, so the Easter Bunny better be able to get inside and hide eggs in our basement.

The Almost Green Mom

As an Amazon Associate, I am compensated for purchases you make through my Amazon links.

I’m baaaaaack!  Sorry for the hiatus, but having a second daughter will do that to you!  Yes, I am proud to announce the birth of my second daughter, and I cannot be happier.  Now that I’m back in the newborn world again, I look forward to providing some blogs specific to newborn gear and products I continue to love, and those I feel you can do without.  Onto the blog for today…

The answer is…YES!!!!!

Let me start by saying that I understand that going 100% organic can be nearly impossible, whether that be lack of availability of items (although this seems to be getting better) or more likely, lack of sufficient funds to buy what is sometimes a $4 organic apple (don’t get me started on why a fast food hamburger is cheaper than an organic apple – I have promised not to venture into the land of subsidies and politics!).

So, why does organic matter?  A simple answer is that it’s one of the only ways we can have transparency and assuredness that the food we are consuming has been raised / grown in a high quality way, without the use of some really gross and unhealthy things.

Why should we care?  Because it impacts the quality of our food as well as our health.  We no longer live in the time where we grow (all of) our own food or at least source it from neighborhood farms.  Our country’s (and most of the developed world’s for that matter) food supply chain has changed dramatically in the past century, as well as in just the past few decades.  Not only do we not source our food locally, but long gone also are the days when farmers used heirloom seeds from ancestors which produced the tastiest and most nutrient dense food around.

So, what happened and how did we get here?  Our food supply chain changed DRAMATICALLY due to a variety of factors such as a growing global population, increasing and changing demand for food as well as a government push for various food items based on crop yields (again, I’m trying really hard to not get into the politics of this, but remember the huge push for breakfast cereals and wheat-based food items like bagels?).  In addition, the composition of our food has changed – the nutrient profile is very different from even a decade ago.  There was / is a view that in order to produce sufficient food for our global needs, modifications to the food (i.e. GMOs, or genetically modified organisms), fertilizers, pesticides, hormones and other items are required to boost crop output per acre, meat per animal, etc.  In essence, as much of our modern food supply is created in a lab as in a field.

As a result, today we walk through warehouse-sized grocery stores filled with innumerable goods to purchase.  The produce looks shiny and pristine; the meat looks fresh and many other items are packaged with labels citing things like “natural” on them.  Everything looks healthy and fresh…well, most likely that’s because of the various sprays and additives used to make the food look this way.  Take a closer look – you’ll notice that most of the conventional (non organic) food are not locally produced and seem to have amazing shelf lives.  So, where does our food come from?  As discussed above, most families no longer live on farms, rather the farms have become gargantuan pieces of land where high volumes of crops are needed to sustain profitability (or even to break even).  Large companies like Monsanto and Syngenta have monopolized the seed markets, resulting in crops that are generally uniform in shape, taste and yield (as well as having similar fertilizer and weed / infestation control).  In addition to traditional seed-based farming, our animal farming has “revolutionized” to feed the mass markets – overcrowding, growth hormones and antibiotics to name a few.  Similarly, most of our animal products are also not locally grown, but instead are part of a mechanized supply chain meant to focus on volumes.  As a result, most of the produce and animal products in traditional grocery stores looks the same.

But, aren’t there laws and federal organizations to ensure our food is safe?    I won’t get into the elaborate details of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and its role in our food supply chain, as that would take pages and pages (and I would get too political).  However, the basic premise is that it was formed to ensure the U.S. population is eating healthy food and food that is prepared and marketed in a way that is not detrimental to us.  But, I personally have a very hard time believing the FDA is up to snuff when the public is notified of tainted meat months (sometimes years) after it has been sold in stores.  Nope, not good enough.

So, this is where organic comes into play.  If you see the stamp of “USDA Organic” on an item, it means that it must have an ingredient list and those ingredients must be at least 95% certified organic.  If you see a stamp of “natural”, it MEANS NOTHING – there is no mandated definition of natural, and it is only an advertising ploy to make the consumer believe the product is healthy.  So, what defines organic?

• No pesticides
• No synthetic fertilizers
• No sewage sludge (gross, this must mean it is used for conventional)
• No ionizing radiation
• No antibiotics for meat or dairy
• No growth hormones for meat or dairy
• No GMOs (genetically modified organisms – scary little buggers if you ask me)

You know the organic food movement is picking up steam when traditional grocery stores advertise and stock their shelves with organic products.  We will always have the stores like Whole Foods and local co-ops which routinely stock this sort of product, but we must have more mainstream demand to result in change.

So, what do we do?  Eating organic (and hopefully locally) is one of the ways I can ensure my family is consuming foods that are traceable – meaning, I know where they came from, how they were produced and what steps were taken to ensure the integrity of that food.  No, we don’t have fields and fields of fruits and vegetables we harvest at home year round, nor do we have chicken coops in the back yard for fresh eggs (although that sounds amazing).  We shop at a variety of stores for organic produce (Whole Foods, Sprouts, Safeway, etc.) and many times I choose things based on price.  We also use a weekly organic food delivery company called Door to Door Organics (check it out – I get no referral for this.  Amazing online business which delivers high quality organic produce to your door weekly in a fully customizable box). For meat, we always buy organic – it only takes a little bit of research to understand how disturbing our meat supply chain has become in this country.

So, I say buy as much organic as you can.  If it’s not available in your local stores, potentially look into delivery services and/or local sources.  If going fully organic isn’t an option, focus on meat (if you eat it) and the “dirty dozen” –  a list of 12 produce items which routinely test positive for a bevy of chemicals (celery, peaches, strawberries, apples, domestic blueberries, nectarines, sweet bell peppers, spinach / kale / collard greens, cherries, potatoes, imported grapes, lettuce).

Love & Peace,

The Almost Green Mom

RESOURCES

National Geographic – “Feeding 9 Billion”

Brookings Institute – “Can 10 billion people live and eat well on the planet?  Yes”

In short – Yes.

As I’m sure many of you have read, there are an increasing number of articles about arsenic levels in rice.  I’ve never been a huge rice eater myself, but as I started thinking about it, I realized that rice (and its various components) are in A LOT of foods, including baby foods.

Here are a few foods that contain rice that many people eat regularly:

• Infant rice cereal
• Rice cereal (Rice Crispies and others)
• Sushi
• Rice noodles
• Rice crackers
• Egg roll wrappers
• Dumplings
• Rice bran oil (you won’t know you’re eating it, but because of its high smoke point, it is used for frying)
• Rice vinegar (used in many salad dressings and marinades)
• Rice starch (used for thickening, many times in baby formula)

So, is it really true that there is arsenic in rice?  Yes.  Is it in both traditional and organic rice?  Yes.

What is arsenic?  It’s a toxic trace element – here comes the science part…it can be organic (basically a living version found in plants and animals) or inorganic (in rocks, dirt or water).  The inorganic version is the most toxic version and a known carcinogen.  It’s this inorganic version of arsenic that seems to be most apparent in rice, which not only is cause for concern, but moreso because this grain is a basic food staple for much of the world’s population.  How did the arsenic get in the soil?  There are small trace amounts of it in the earth’s crust, but the majority of it today is a result of contamination from pollution as well as widespread use of pesticides.  And, unfortunately, the EPA has shown that arsenic can stay in soil for up to 45 years.

Studies have shown that rice is the single biggest food source of inorganic arsenic (several studies have been conducted by the US National Library of Medicine, National Institute of Health).  Because rice basically soaks in water and soil, the inorganic arsenic is absorbed by the rice plant almost continuously, regardless of whether the rice is grown conventionally or organically.  This has become such a concern, that the FDA actually started investigating arsenic levels in rice several years ago, and released some disturbing data and results in 2016.  It has a summary of its findings on “Arsenic and Rice Products” on its website (I included a link).  In reading the summary, the alarming part to me was the statement that “rice intake, primarily through infant rice cereal, is about three times greater for infants than adults in relation to body weight.”  In fact, it appears as if the reason behind the entire study was to understand better arsenic levels in infant rice cereals.  So what did they find?

In studying 76 infant rice cereals and 38 multigrain cereals, the infant rice cereals “were found to have an average level of 103 parts per billion (ppb) inorganic arsenic.”  The FDA then uses come cute language and says that 47% of the samples were below the 100 ppb level, a level set by the European Union for infant cereals.  Wait…so if I can do simple math, this means that 53% WAS OVER THE LIMIT.  Yikes.  And even the FDA with it’s muted language stated “the FDA found that inorganic arsenic exposure in infants and pregnant women can result in a child’s decreased performance on certain developmental tests that measure learning, based on epidemiological evidence about arsenic, including dietary exposures.”  While I didn’t appreciate it several years ago, our San Francisco pediatrician told me to never feed my baby rice cereal.  She didn’t mention arsenic, but I’m glad I still listened.

So what do we do?  Eat less rice – for those of you with sushi addictions, take it down a notch (if not because of the arsenic, for the potential mercury in the fish).  But, what about this of us who still like to eat rice?  There are ways to reduce the amount of arsenic in rice during the cooking process:  cook the rice in extra water (instead of the usual 2 or 3:1 ratio, use 6 – 10:1 water to rice) and drain the excess water – this has been shown to reduce arsenic levels by 40 – 60% (as cited by the FDA in its report).  Unfortunately, this process of cooking rice can also reduce the nutritional value of the rice. Rinsing rice beforehand does nothing the reduce arsenic levels, instead it reduces key mineral content of the rice (iron, folate, thiamin, niacin).  And what about for babies and children?  Many pediatricians and friends continue to recommend rice cereal as one of the first baby foods.  Unless your pediatrician tells you there is a very specific reason to only give your baby rice cereal, I vote to steer clear of rice altogether – there are so many other infant cereals out there with different grains like quinoa, millet, oat and barley (we used Earth’s Best Organic Whole Grain Multi-Grain Cereal).  Also, check any infant formula for rice and its variants (if the FDA, which in my view is way to tame on these issues, is advising us to not feed our infants much rice cereal, I take that to mean almost avoid it).  And, look at those fun kid snacks – many of the crunchy snacks that we give our toddlers have rice as a main ingredient.

As I always say, let’s try to stick to whole foods and items with minimal ingredients.Here’s to eating a wider variety of grains!

Love & Peace,

The Almost Green Mom

Amy Smith is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com

Oh milk.  I will preface this blog by noting I’ve never been a cow’s milk fan – I just don’t like the taste.  Growing up, I would dump out the milk from my cereal bowl and just eat the frosted flakes.  When visiting friends while pregnant, I was given a huge glass of cold cow’s milk.  Where did this association between cow’s milk and health come from?  Is it even valid?  Has the production of milk changed so much that we should be rethinking our consumption of it?  This blog seeks to provide some links to research on various types of milk (dairy and alternatives), and it comes from someone who has sought out cow’s milk alternatives for decades.

COW / DAIRY

Growing up, I would always watch the milkman deliver milk to our house – in glass bottles on the front step (I’m showing my age).  This was before the use of growth hormone, added DHA, organic, etc.  I remember loving watching the milkman drop off the bottles and hearing the clanging of them against the metal basket.

We now go to the grocery store and are faced with dozens of choices just for cow’s milk.  Gone are the days of the milkman, and we now have (predominantly) a milk supply chain that is like the Ford assembly line on steroids (literally).  The vast majority of cow’s milk (unless it’s marked that it doesn’t have this additive) contains genetically modified growth hormone (known as rBST or rBGH).  This hormone was approved by the FDA in 1993 and produced by Monsanto.  It’s injected into cows to make them produce more milk.  The FDA puts language on non-rBST dairy products, stating that there is no significant difference between them and rBST products.  Really?  From personal experience on my own fertility journey, I was injecting myself with various hormones (including growth hormone), and it definitely had physical and emotional effects on me.

Aside from my personal beliefs and experiences, there are countless scientific studies which show links between the growth hormone in milk and early puberty, various cancers and other troubling things (please read the Global Healing Center‘s summarized version of the effects of growth hormone – at the bottom it cites numerous other credible sources of information).

I can’t fail to mention that rBST has been banned by the European Union, Canada, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and Israel since 2000.  When it came time to give my child milk (around 1 year old), I decided to only give her cow’s milk that was organic, non-rBST and had added DHA.  The good news is that non-rBST milk is readily available at most grocery stores – the containers will have language noting it does not contain growth hormones.

Aside from the rBST additive, there was a very impactful study done by Uppsala University in Sweden a few years ago on the negative impact of cow’s milk in general to our health, including children’s (it was published in the British Medical Journal, for which you need a subscription.  But, here’s a link to a Washington Post article which summarizes the findings).  Interestingly, the study cites that any sort of fermented dairy, like yogurt or cheese, does NOT have the negative effects associated with milk as they do not contain the problematic milk sugar, D-galactose (hope this isn’t getting too geeky for you!).   People seem horrified that skipping cow’s milk will result in calcium deficiency – for goodness sake, you can get the calcium other ways.

What do we do?  Neither I or my toddler (3 years old) drink cow’s milk – I personally don’t like it, and my child doesn’t ask for it.  I’m not convinced it’s the healthiest way to get calcium and protein.  We both have a variety of other calcium sources including organic yogurt, some organic cheese, organic lean protein, white beans and other things.

So, if it’s not obvious, cow’s milk isn’t a fan favorite of mine. And, if you believe we are animals, we are the only animal that drinks another animal’s milk – a little weird if you ask me.  But, if you are still bound and determined to drink cow’s milk, get organic, non-rBST and try to get grass fed versions (I’ve seen one at Whole Foods).  And, don’t forget to also look for growth hormone in other dairy products such as yogurt, cheese, cream and ice cream.

SOY

Soy seemed to be all the rage years ago.  I remember everyone and their brother ordering soy lattes at Starbucks.  I also remember my endocrinologist (I’m hypothyroid) to NEVER have soy as it could disrupt the proper functioning of my thyroid.  Also, my fertility doctor told me to avoid soy because there are studies linking increased soy ingestion to fertility issues.  Yes, “western” doctors telling me to avoid soy like the plague!  That’s enough for me, but I’ll also provide you to documented studies on it so you can decide for yourself.  Select studies are provided by Harvard School of Public Health, Mayo Clinic and Scientific American.

Then come a few arguments like (1) I like the protein in soy because I’m vegetarian; or (2) certain cultures have eaten soy for generations and are healthy.  Just understand that the soy we have today is generally mass produced and is genetically modified (according to USDA survey data, 94% of the 2016 soybean crop was genetically modified).  Also, soy acts as a phytoestrogen (mimics estrogen) in our bodies which can have negative implications (see studies cited above).  So, I say think twice before having soy milk, edamame and certain veggie burgers (look at the label – many contain soy).  Soy is off my list as an alternative – time to move onto another cow’s milk alternative…

ALMOND

Now we’re talking.  Here’s why I like / love almond milk – of the alternatives, I find it to be the tastiest on its own as well as in things like smoothies and coffee.  And, nutritionally, it appears to be the best option.  We usually buy cases of the organic, vanilla unsweetened almond milk at Costco.  You can get almond milk almost anywhere these days, including organic, at stores including Safeway and Costco.  Again, I encourage you to buy organic, and read the label!  Many almond milk varieties have a lot of strange ingredients in them as well as a lot of added sugar.  As I’ve always said, if you can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it.  And I’m going to call BS on anyone who says almond milk isn’t as nutritious as cow’s milk.  It does not have as much protein as cow’s milk (but there are much healthier sources for protein anyways), and sometimes doesn’t have as much calcium (but, you can buy versions fortified with calcium so they have as much or more than cow’s milk).  Here’s  a comparison of 1 cup of my Costco’s Kirkland Signatures Organic Unsweetened Almond Non-Dairy Beverage Vanilla (note:  this one is not fortified with calcium) vs. Horizon Organic DHA Omega-3 2%Reduced Fat Milk:

*not fortified with calcium.

If you’re super into it, you can make your own almond milk (you can find recipes online.  I tried this a few times before I had a child and it was delicious…but, now I just buy it prepared).  So, I say, drink up your almond milk.  In my view, this is the best cow’s milk alternative out there.

OTHERS

I won’t review every other type out there because there are so many these days – oat, rice, hemp (all too watery and grainy for my taste), hazelnut, macadamia, etc.  I’ve tried each of these, and I still prefer almond.  But if your goal is to avoid cow’s milk, know there are many alternatives out there which will fit the bill. But, again, check the ingredients and the nutritional aspects – some have virtually no nutritional value.

So, almond it is for me.  If you’re not a fan, maybe you can go halfsies and put half organic cow’s milk with half organic almond milk and work your way up.  Again, I’m no doctor, so this is my personal view which is based on pretty substantial research and decades of taste testing.

Love and peace,

The Almost Green Mom