Halloween on our Eating Plan, Year 2

We have now been on our more natural "real food" eating plan for almost 2 years.  We are still reaping huge benefits from it, and I don't see us ever going back to the way we ate before.  As a matter of fact, we are gradually and constantly adjusting to make things even healthier for us. 

I am reposting information from last year about how we handle Halloween on this plan.  It worked GREAT last year, so we plan to repeat the process this year.   Hope it helps any of you struggling with what to do with all that candy!!

We are going to let the kids trick or treat as normal, getting candy and other goodies as they knock on neighbors' doors and hold out their  plastic pumpkins.  When we are finished for the evening, they can each pick one piece of candy of their choice.   ANYTHING, even if it's not on plan (provided, of course, that it looks safely wrapped!).  Then, my husband and I are going to "buy back" any non-plan candy from them.  Last year they got a lump sum for their candy of about $20.  Next, the kids can use that money to buy themselves one type of candy or treat that they CAN have.  Any remaining money will be used to purchase goods for our church pantry.   The kids were excited about shopping for the pantry, so they are completely on board with this idea. Some of the candy we "buy back" will be saved for our annual gingerbread houses in December.  We are hopeful that, in addition to making sure we stay on plan, it will help the kids learn to think of others and to learn to use their money in ways that is helpful to others as well.   This year we are currently studying budgeting and grocery shopping in ways that maximize what we get for our money, so we are planning to incorporate that into shopping for the pantry as well!

Halloween on our eating plan...

We are still on our "real food" eating plan, working our way through month #10.  It has definitely become more second-nature now, although it does still require reading labels faithfully and watching for changes in ingredients.   We have survived holidays, teachers who weren't "sold" on our plan, vacations, etc.  We have no intentions of ever going back to our old way of eating.  However, looming in the distance is...Halloween!  How in the world do you let your kids go trick-or-treating for something they can't even eat?  It seemed kind of cruel to us, so we started brainstorming  Here is what we have decided to do, and the kids are both on board!

We are going to let the kids trick or treat as normal, getting candy and other goodies as they knock on neighbors' doors and hold out their  plastic pumpkins.  When we are finished for the evening, they can each pick one piece of candy of their choice.   ANYTHING, even if it's not on plan (provided, of course, that it looks safely wrapped!).  Then, my husband and I are going to "buy back"any non-plan candy from them.  We haven't decided yet if it will be per piece or as a whole group.  Next, the kids can use that money to buy themselves one type of candy or treat that they CAN have from the local health food store.  Any remaining money will be used to purchase goods for our church pantry.   The kids were excited about shopping for the pantry, so they are completely on board with this idea. Some of the candy we "buy back" will be saved for our annual gingerbread houses in December.  We are hopeful that, in addition to making sure we stay on plan, it will help the kids learn to think of others and to learn to use their money in ways that is helpful to others as well.   I'll be sure you let you know how it goes!

Easter Recipe Roundup

Oh...holidays.  They seem to revolve totally around food...which means I get to break out some new recipes!  Here are our most recent additions to our recipes.  Enjoy!

Homemade "Peeps" - the honey flavor in this was WAY too strong, even for me.  The consistency was great, the "Peeps" were fun to make, the kids had a blast, but the taste just wasn't right.  Next time we'll try a recipe that uses something besides honey.  "Natural" marshmallows are hard to find, which is why we tried to make our own.

Homemade "Cadbury" Chocolates  - OH....YUM.  Cadbury eggs are my all-time favorite candy.  Ever.  They mocked me from the checkout everywhere I went this month, so I had to tackle this recipe!  We made them in mini muffin pans because I could not find an egg mold ANYWHERE.  They were AMAZING.  I didn't bother with the yellow "yolk" part since they were muffin shaped anyway.  Everyone loved them.  Even my husband, who doesn't like Cadbury eggs, said they were "pretty good."

Banana Muffins - I made these last night so we'd have a quick and easy breakfast this morning, and they were great!  Hearty, filling, and just enough sweet.  Both kids scarfed them down.  :) I paired it with some natural cheese for protein.  The author of this recipe originally used it as banana bread, but it worked great as muffins, too!

All natural homemade mac and cheese - finally!  A recipe that gets my husband's approval!!   It only took about 47 attempts to find the right one! The amounts will vary depending on how much mac and cheese you are making and how cheesy you want it!  But, use 2 parts all natural white american cheese (I use Boar's Head from Ingles deli) to one part natural sharp cheddar cheese.  Add to cooked pasta along with pat of butter and about 1 - 2 TBSP milk and stir on low until cheese is melted and gooey and delicious.   The final consensus was that "it's not quite like Velveeta, but it's delicious."  :) It is a little pricey to make with this cheese, but, to be able to have a FAVORITE food occasionally, it is totally worth it to us.

Pancakes  We have played around with pancake recipes for a long time, as well.  This is our go-to recipe now.  The kids call it "Daddy's secret pancakes" because he was the first to try them.  We do use white whole wheat flour instead of regular all purpose, and they turn out delicious every time.   Here is the Easter version we had over the weekend. :)  "Bunny cakes!"   The tail is an all-natural marshmallow and the paw prints are raisins.

Bunny Bread - Our Keepers girls made these cute rolls last week and they were yummy!  I didn't have all the spices, so I substituted Mrs. Dash Garlic Herb.

Summary of our food choices

I keep getting requests for a summary of our new food choices, how we started, where we are now, etc.  So, this is an email I sent to a friend.  It is super long and some of it I've already written about, but maybe it will be helpful to post all in one place.  Let me know what ?'s you have!  Also, any brands I mention are just because we like them and use them.  I am not compensated in any way for mentioning them! :)

We have taken a pretty drastic approach to eating natural at our house.  Everyone wouldn't need to be this drastic.  So, I'll tell you what we do, and you can take it from there, but please don't think that I would think you aren't doing a good job if you don't do what we do!  I think every step taken to cut out unnatural stuff is fabulous.  I'd like to eventually move towards even fewer processed foods, but with the kids in school, right now I'm taking it one step at a time.  

My daughter has severe OCD, anxiety, and depression even at such a young age and has been in therapy since she was 3.  We started this plan because of her brother's hyperactive behavior, and it has helped him, but it has completely transformed her.  She is like a completely different child.  Her emotional control is better, her social anxiety has decreased, and even many manifestations of her OCD have diminished. She used to have meltdowns that could last for hours of out of control crying, anger, and screaming, but not anymore.  Now her "tantrums" are much more age appropriate.  She also used to have severe nightmares/night terrors, and those have mostly been eliminated.  Add to that some more personal issues she had, and they, too, have diminished.  She used to be unable to carry on a conversation with other children, but occasionally now she even seeks them out! Her therapist has been shocked by it, as have we!  I had no clue it would make such a difference for her.  I had not planned to be quite so strict/diligent about it, but even she, at 8 years old, can tell the difference it makes.  So...I will sound extreme and over-the-top in how far we have taken it, but it is simply because our life has changed so drastically from it.  

Basically, we have cut out everything artificial. We are also using all whole grains (I use white whole wheat flour from Gold Medal or King Arthur for all my baking now, including our breads because I haven't found a great natural one at the store). I am HOPING to even mill our own flour when/if we can save enough for a mill.  We don't allow any artificial dyes, colors, fragrances (when possible), preservatives, additives, and sweeteners.  So, no yellow #5, red #40, etc.  Annatto coloring & beta carotene are natural and most people don't react to them.  The main preservatives we look for are BHA , BHT, and TBHQ (sometimes listed on packaging, and sometimes not).   We have also cut out caramel color, vanillin/artificial vanilla, and all artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, etc.  I am trying to limit/reduce any high fructose corn syrup as well, but at the moment I am allowing CapriSuns with no dyes or artificial flavors when the kids have events at school.  I am watching for MSG  and nitrites/nitrates (think hot dogs and bacon) as well when I can.  We are essentially following this plan:  http://www.feingold.org/    This plan is an elimination plan used to determine allergies, etc., so we also eliminated some fruits and vegetables initially while we detoxed from artificial stuff, but I don't think that's necessary for everyone.  I do allow a few things not "on their plan" that we do not seem to react to.  We only found one big thing our kids reacted to (apples) in our elimination process. My son can still have them maybe twice a week without ill effects, but my daughter only once in a blue moon.   More than twice in a week and she has extreme reactions to them.  Also, we pretty much went "cold turkey" on this.  We started over Xmas break before the kiddos went back to school.  

Obviously, the best way to eat natural is to stick with fruits, veggies, lean meats, dairy, and grains, nuts, etc. in their most natural state.  HOWEVER, that is often easier said than done!  It is just reality in our day and time that we sometimes need convenience.  So, I have researched that extensively and am learning every day!  Almost all of these natural things are more filling, and thus we eat less. I am hopeful that when school is out and we don't have to send "non-perishable" snacks for them to have in class I can move us to all "real food/whole food" snacks without the convenience products unless we are traveling.

We have switched to full-fat dairy.  I hate it when I put it on my WW points list, but it doesn't have additives like Vitamin A palmitate, which can cause those who are sensitive to chemicals to react.  Also, it's more filling, so we use less.   We use Sargento Natural cheese slices for the most part, but also some cheese sliced in the deli or some store brand shredded cheese if we need to.

I have a complete "approved food" list that I got from the feingold site when I purchased their materials, but it wasn't as helpful as I had hoped because most of the foods listed in it are from stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joes. (Side note:  There is a Whole Foods and Trader Joe's an hour from us which we are going to start using occasionally for stocking up on things).   However, I have been to our local healthier supermarket  a few times with good success.  EVERYTHING there meets our qualifications, unless we are in the middle of an elimination phase.  They are somewhat pricey on produce and freezer foods, but if you sign up for their emails, they have decent coupons and deals on their groceries if you watch for them.   Also, Kroger has a new line of products called "Simple Truth" that is free from 101 artificial ingredients and preservatives.  They are very affordably priced, almost completely in line with "regular" brands.  

There is a brand of snacks called Annie's Homegrown Organics.  They make cheddar bunnies (like goldfish), cheddar snack mixes, honey graham bunnies (like teddy grahams), gummy fruit snacks and others.  They also make macaroni and cheese that is natural, as well as salad dressings.  I THINK they make some cereals, too, but I haven't found them yet.  Ingles has the best selection of Annie's goods that I have found.  Earth Fare has them, but they are pricier.   Whoever makes Cheetos has a new line called "simply" that is free of preservatives.  THey make "simply cheetos," "simply ruffles," etc.  Kettle Brand has lots of "natural" chips.  

My son loves snack bars, and he says the Clif brand bars are really good.  They make a kids' size, some granola bars, and full "meal replacement" sized energy bars.  He has taken them a time or two instead of a sandwich or wrap for lunch.  Original Pringles are also "natural" ingredients (albeit not very healthy!) and come in snack sizes which are convenient for the kids to take to school.  My kids also like Veggie Straws (in the rice cake section at Walmart) that are basically veggie chips.  Trail mixes can be good, too, if you avoid the M&M kind (although some of the health stores have yummy natural M&Ms....my favorite candy!).  

For cereal, SunBelt bakery makes some preservative free granola that is good.  Kashi is generally natural as well, as is "Mom's best cereals."  My son likes EnviroKidz  because it is "kid friendly."  He likes the Leapin' Lemurs peanut butter and chocolate flavor.  

For lunch meats, bacon, hot dogs, etc., we are looking for those without nitrates and nitrites.  I buy Hormel Natural Choice lunchmeat (Walmart is the cheapest).  Hormel also has uncured pepperoni and bacon, and so does the new Kroger Simple Truth brand.  Oscar Mayer and BallPark both have uncured hot dogs that are good.  

I have been making most of my bread, rolls, etc. from scratch, but I have found a few convenience items that I love to use in a pinch.  Ingles sells a brand of refrigerated crescent rolls and cookie dough called Immaculate Baking that is good.  EarthFare has more options from that brand, but they are pricier. 

I have replaced sugar in almost all of my baked goods with honey. It supposedly is healthier and helps with blood sugar issues (which I have).   I do still allow my kids sugar, though.  As a matter of fact, the first few weeks of this I erred on the side of sweets in order to encourage compliance with our plan, and they actually had more treats than some of their friends!  They have taken it in stride well.  We have explained it to them every step of the way. and they realize they feel better, so they have done well with it. I  won't say they LIKE it, but they have done great, and it is growing on them. 

We have gone so far as to choose natural candies (sounds weird, I know), natural gum, natural sprinkles, and even natural icing and candy colors for birthdays.   For us, it just seems necessary.  

This is sometimes hard to reconcile with weight watchers.  It is hard to focus on both at the same time, but I'm getting back in stride.

I know this is sooo long...but I've tried to be thorough!  Let me know what questions you have!!  I'm not perfect at this and I certainly don't have all the answers, but about 15 weeks into this, I feel like I am gaining momentum.  I believe this has been soooo helpful for us and I think it can be for others as well!

Random Roundup of our eating plan

So, I have totally dropped the ball on this blog lately.  I'll blame it on the stomach bug that knocked our family out for a few days.   I DID notice that my little one was perfectly behaved the couple of days that he was sick and not eating, so I'm confident that if I can remove the last few little things with artificial ingredients (medicines), we will see even more results from him!

Apples are still not working with either of my children.  If they have more than 1 day of apples in a row, they start having total emotional meltdowns and difficult sleeping.  The first time we tried apples, I tried to convince myself that it was "just a bad weekend," but we've now tried them several different separate times, with the same results.   My daughter still reacts more dramatically than my son does to them, but he does as well.  SOOO...since they are a favorite food and juice, we are going to not have them regularly like before, but we WILL occasionally treat ourselves to them.  Just not several days in a row!  In limited quantities/frequencies we seem to do fine.

We haven't really found any other specific triggers in the fruits and veggies we have added back.  Our only thing left to add back is berries, which we started Monday.  Stay tuned for how that turns out...

We haven't tried very many new recipes the past couple of weeks because we've been repeating some of our favorites.  Here are a few we tried:

Bacon Cheese Muffins from Heavenly Homemakers

Homemade Cookies Ice Cream - This was just something we wanted to try, so I didn't use a particular recipe...just looked at several different options for ideas and came up with this:
             
                          3 cups half and half
                          scant 3/4 cup sugar
                          1 tsp vanilla
                          Naturally flavored oreo-like cookies, crumbled

To make it, we put 3 cups half and half and the sugar in our ice cream maker and stirred well.  Then we added the vanilla and stirred again.  I then processed it in our ice cream maker following the machine's directions.  It only took about 35 minutes (maybe a little less?), because it doesn't make a ton of ice cream.  When the machine stopped, I dumped the ice cream into a freezer safe container and stirred in the crumbled cookies...I think I used about 6 cookies?  I forgot to count.  We could have eaten it right then, but after stirring I wanted to let it harden just a little more, so it went in the freezer for about 25 minutes before serving.  It was DELICIOUS!  Even my husband liked it!  We got about 7 or 8 servings out of it.

For any of you who have a Kroger grocery store nearby, I have found many good products in their "Simple Truth" line.  It takes some of the stress of shopping away if I know there is a brand that I can trust to NOT have what I'm avoiding in it that is also affordable.  Kroger did not ask me to comment on this and I do not get compensated for it, I just want to share my good finds! I especially like their nitrate-free meats and such.   :)  Here is a link to Kroger's information about their brand.  Simple Truth   Target also has a similar brand found here:  Simply Balanced   I haven't tried as many of theirs yet, as I am seldom in Target, but the few I have tried were good.   

I do not like Green Eggs and Ham!

So, last week the kiddos celebrated all things Seuss.

My little one's teacher asked me to help come up with a Seussical snack that my kiddo could safely eat on our plan for the party that also had a Green Eggs and Ham theme

Here are the two final choices.  The first are sugar cookies with rolled buttercream icing.  It rolls out smooth and even, but I purposely "squished" it so that it looked more like egg whites on a fried egg.  The green is made from natural green food coloring (found here: Natural Decorating Colors)  By the way, if you want the recipes for these cookie and icing, comment below.  The cookies DO NOT SPREAD, so they are fabulous for Christmas cookies or anything that needs to keep its shape.

 These are pretzels with natural white chocolate and "yolks" natural colored.  These were awesome.  Not that I ate the leftovers! ;)

My favorite quote of the day came from a sweet little girl who was put off by the green coloring.  She said, "Mrs. E., sugar makes me hyper, so I don't want any of that.  Can I have a pack of Oreos?"  Ha!

Recipe (and product) Roundup, Birthday edition

It was my little one's birthday this week, so we used this cake recipe for his Ninja Turtle cake.

                  King Arthur Tender White Cake  Everyone said it was yummy!  It didn't last as long as a store-                     bought cake mix, but that's not a problem!  We had plenty for party day and the next day, which                   his real birthday, so it was perfect timing.  I will post party pics later so you can see the end                           results.

We also found some natural white vanilla chocolate to make candy Ninja Turtle suckers, and we used these colorings to make the colors:

                 Natural powdered food coloring   It took very little powder to color the chocolate, and the                            taste was minimal.  Both of our kids were fine with it.  The colors weren't as bright as the                              artificially colored candy you can melt for suckers, but that was okay.   At least no one's behavior                  was affected from it!

 I dyed the icing for the cake with these:  Natural Liquid Food Coloring   Again, the colors were more subdued, but tasted fine and were safer for my kiddos.  I bought a small pack to start, as I wasn't sure how they would work.

We always have muffins on birthday morning so that we can put candles in them and blow them out.  Since our boxed/packaged muffins are no longer allowed, we tried these:
                   Chocolate chip muffins from BreadBeckers website
                   Cinnamon roll muffins

We also found some chocolate chip cookies from Immaculate Baking Company that have no artificial colors and flavors.  Those were my little one's school birthday treat for snacks.  I didn't want to send snacks because I am "over" how many snacks they serve the kiddos at school, but Fridays are snack day anyway, so at least I knew there would be something safe for him.  :/

Now that we have been on the plan for quite a while (7 weeks I think??), we are going to be working to reduce our sugar intake as well.  These first few weeks we've been trying to increase compliance and decrease how much the kids felt "left out" by our food choices, so we have been modifying their "junk food favorites."  Now we are going to work on the sugar issue. I  am not going to completely eliminate it, but we are going to work to reduce it.  It's just not the healthiest way to go.

My one "cave" to convenience has been these Tyson nuggets, which claim to be 100% natural. I know there are better choices, but for the occasional "oh no, we got home really late and have 30 minutes to fix and eat dinner" nights, these have been a life and sanity saver.

Recipe Roundup, Week 5

I jokingly told my mom today that, with the number of new recipes we are trying lately I need to open up a "real food cafe" for other families like ours that just want to eat somewhere besides home! :)

Cheeseburger Soup (This one's mine, but there are tons of other recipes like it online if you want other options.  Feel free to tweak this to suit your tastes! )

1 lb super lean ground beef
3-4 cups water (enough to cover the beef in a pan)
seasonings of preference (I used Mrs. Dash garlic, onion powder, and some montreal steak.  Yes, I know that's not "approved" right now, but I can't afford to throw out all my spices, so I just used a little.)

Cook the ground beef and seasonings in the water until meat is no longer pink (It took mine about 15-20 minutes, but it was also still not completely thawed when I started.).  This makes broth, too, by the way!!

In the meantime, cube 4-5 medium potatoes and place in the bottom of the crockpot with a little water to cover the bottom and turn on high while the meat is cooking in the skillet.

Dump ground beef and broth into the crockpot over the potatoes, stir slightly, and cook on high for an hour.  Turn heat down and cook the rest of the day (or leave on high for faster cooking).

30 minutes or so before eating, add 2 cups cold milk mixed with 1 TBSP corn starch to soup and stir thoroughly.  Add approximately 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese and stir well.  Cover again and cook until cheese is melted and soup has thickened (about 20-30 minutes).

I really wanted to add some other veggies to this, but my hubby can't do veggies, so I didn't.  It was still hearty and comforting on this freezing cold rainy day!  I served it with grilled cheese on homemade bread.  Yum! 

Verdict = yummy but either needed more cheese or less liquid, because the cheese flavor got lost in it.  Also, needed a little more seasoning, because the potatoes absorbed most of the flavor.

Broccoli Cheese Bites - both kiddos liked these, and so did I!  I used gluten free bread crumbs and did 1/2 and 1/2 cheddar and mozzarella cheese.   Next time I will use a little less bread crumbs (maybe 3/4 cup) and more cheddar/less mozzarella.  Also, I forgot the salt and pepper, so I just added those when we ate them.

Yeast Cinnamon Rolls  (You can also make these plain yeast rolls)  I have used this basic recipe from a lady at church for a long time, but I have gradually tweaked it to make it "mine."

1.  Dissolve 3 tsp yeast in 1/2 cup warm water and set aside to foam.

2.  Mix 1/2 stick melted butter and 1 TBSP flax (or up to 1 stick melted butter) with another 1/2 cup warm water.

3.  Add 1 egg, 1/3 cup honey (or sugar), and 1 tsp salt

4.  Combine butter mixture with yeast mixture and mix well.

5.  Gradually add about 3 cups sifted white whole wheat flour.  Dough will be somewhat sticky because it will get stiffer in the fridge.  Mix by hand or with a mixer/dough hook.  Refrigerate overnight or for a few days.  (ALTERNATE METHOD:  Add a little extra flour...maybe 1/4 cup...so not so sticky, cover with a towel, and place in warm place to rise instead of refrigerating overnight.  leave until doubled, probably 1 hour or so).

6.  The next day (or after risen in warm place), knead slightly by hand and then roll out into a long rectangle.  

7.  Brush with melted butter and then sprinkle with equal amounts white and brown sugar and as much cinnamon as you want...you have to play with this to get what you want.  Also, if you are out of brown sugar, it is not necessary.  You can also add raisins and nuts, but I don't.

8.  Roll up and slice as you like (I get about 12 thick or 16 medium thickness rolls) and place in greased 9 X 13 pan.

9. Let rise until doubled.  Bake at 350 degrees about 20-25 min.  

10.  Glaze with a mixture of powdered sugar and milk to desired icing consistency.

Childish Behavior

So last night I got THE CALL.  You know, that first call home from a teacher about your child's behavior in class?   Oh.  no.  Being married to a teacher makes me dread calls like that even more!  When I found out the call was coming, I was a nervous wreck.  However, I had to play it cool because my daughter was having a complete and total meltdown over the situation.  Finally, 5 minutes before the kids went to bed, the teacher called.

First, she talked to my daughter about something that was causing my sweet girl quite a bit of distress, no matter what I said!  They chatted a few minutes, laughed a lot, had some "true confession" moments, and then my daughter went to bed.  And fell asleep.  Instantly.  Unconcerned.  (Such a rare event in our house!)

Secondly, I took the phone and talked to her teacher.  Let me just say before I tell the rest of this that every teacher has their faults, but any teacher who tries THIS hard to help my daughter through some of her struggles deserves my full respect and praise.  It does my heart good to know that someone is watching out for my daughter so whole-heartedly.

So, with great trepidation I began the conversation.  As we talked, what I heard from her was that my daughter has been ACTING HER AGE in class.  She told me that it had not been disruptive, just odd.  She assured me that she was not angry or frustrated, but that it was so out of character for my sweet girl that she wanted me to know about it.  She relayed stories to me about my girl laughing almost deliriously during school at something goofy, about her "risking" reprimand by getting up out of her seat during independent work time, and about her making "weird noises" during spelling.  As I listened, I was dumbfounded.  And elated!  And amazed!  And thrilled!  [I probably sound like a lunatic, but my daughter has always been a "little adult."  She is super serious at all times.  She has rarely smiled, even more rarely laughed, and has extreme difficulty with social interactions and finding humor in anything "childish."  She doesn't "get" jokes, and she seldom lets go enough to laugh.  A tight smile is usually the best we get, unless she is acting in a play or playing with her brother.  He is the only one who can truly make her laugh. ]
Her teacher even said that, when she started giggling or making noises, the rest of the class looked at her as if to say, "She's finally one of us!"  Where the teacher saw reason for concern, I only felt relief.  We have tried for 8+ years to break through her shell, and, for the first time, it's happening.  Usually, she is so afraid of getting in trouble that she will follow the rules TO THE LETTER, PRECISELY, with no deviation to the left or right.  Where we see silliness and goofiness, she disdainfully sees childishness.  Having her step out of her comfort zone to do these "silly" things is huge.  A major step. No, make that a giant leap!

As we finished the conversation, I stressed how much we support the teacher's opinions and efforts. I reminded her that we want to help in any way that we can to make sure our daughter is behaving.  I asked for more updates next week so that I can monitor this, but I also let her know that this was a huge (albeit probably annoying at school) step. Her laughter was probably louder than necessary or crazier than appropriate, but she has so little practice at it that it will take time! I am probably the only parent in history to be RELIEVED by a call from a teacher about strange classroom behavior!

I can't help but wonder if our food changes are to explain for this extreme change.  About a week into our plan, my daughter started to relax and become less uptight and wound up.  She started hugging us willingly for the first time in ages.  She admitted to having "fun" at family night.  She slept better with fewer nightmares.  The tantrums and meltdowns lessened.  I could go on and on.  I have been hesitant to assign the credit for this to the food, but we have tried everything else with little to no success, and this is the FIRST time we have seen something like this.   I am hopeful that it will continue and maybe we can "find" the girl that I know is inside of her somewhere.  She treated us to the laughter at my parents the other night, and it was all I could do to contain my tears.   As a baby learning to laugh, she had a deep, guttural laugh that thrilled us all.  I would call the grandparents and let them listen over the phone because it was such an incredible sound.  It was such a thrill to hear it again this week.

Oh, our beloved apples!!

We  have successfully been on plan for a little over a month, and though some differences are subtle, others are blatant.  All in all, I think the plan is a good fit for our family, but it does require constant diligence!!

At the end of last week we decided to add apples back to our meal plan.  I wanted to wait another week, but I knew we were going to be somewhere that we had agreed to bring fruit, and apples would be among those.  So, I wanted the kids to go ahead and try them a day or two before.   The first day was not a problem.  2nd day was iffy.  By the 3rd day our daughter was like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  It was crazy the transformation of her attitude, behavior, and ability to function!!!   I went ahead and gave her apples one more time just to see if maybe she was having a bad day, but it was awful.  Tears, rigidity of attitude, tantrums, meltdowns, misbehavior, hateful speech, and panic. She had no control. Scary!!!  I felt like the worst mom ever!  So, I promptly took apples out of her meal plan.  I am going to give her a week or so without them to let them clear her system.  Already yesterday (day 2 without again) was better.  After a while, I will test once more to confirm that it wasn't just "one of those weekends."  With her emotional issues, it is possible the 2 weren't connected, but it was a completely stress-free, FUN weekend, so I can't imagine that would have flared up her emotional stuff.   I may wait a few weeks, though, because we have a long weekend for president's day and that way it won't interfere with school.  She (and I!) will be heartbroken if apples are a trigger for her because she LOVES them.  Raw, cooked, juiced, slices with pb, cinnamon baked apples, natural applesauce, you name it!  I have heard, though, that it is often the favorites that kids crave that cause problems.  I will probably cry if I confirm that, but, at least I would know!!!  It is sad to think that one of the "good for you" foods could cause issues for her, but I am willing to do what it takes to help her feel better and more in control.  

I have always heard that "you are what you eat," but until we started this journey, I didn't really understand what an impact the fuel we give our bodies can have on our entire well-being.  I knew it could cause digestion problems and make you feel sluggish or "off" if you ate something wrong, but I had no idea the full extent of the problems it could cause.   The more I read and study and experience, the more frustrated I become with what the food industry has done to our food.   For most of us, we blindly accept that what is placed before us as options is okay for human consumption.  Though I know some of the regulatory agencies aren't strict enough on their guidelines, I never really realized how harmful some of the things they allow truly are, and I CERTAINLY never realized how aggressively dangerous chemicals and additives are marketed to children.  I knew that the fluorescent marshmallows and rainbow cereals were probably not ideal, but I had no idea how many hidden places chemicals and additives lurked.  Did you know that WHITE marshmallows contain blue food dye?  WHY??????  Or that orange peels sometimes have red food dye added to make them look more appealing?   It makes me realize how much we rely on looks and appearances to satiate all aspects of our lives.   I am disgusted that I, a mom who has always tried to keep my family healthy, was duped despite all the reading and research I do.  I can only imagine how ignorant our society is as a whole about these things.  I wonder how many of society's medical issues would be resolved if we could somehow move back towards natural foods and products.  How much of the insurance mess would be improved?  How many of us would have the much-coveted energy we seek through supplements, foods, and even coffee??

Forgive my rambling.  Today I am feeling quite frustrated and helpless and contemplative!  My prayer is that our struggles might help even one person have the courage to experiment with this themselves and improve the lives of their own sweet family!  :)  

Recipe Roundup, week 4

Spinach Quiche Bites   YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!  A little too salty for me, so I will leave out salt next time.  Parmesan and spinach have enough of a bite to them without extra salt.

Homemade Hot Cocoa - everyone liked this!  Even my "Why can't it be Swiss Miss?" kids!  It also reheated well after being refrigerated (just shake it good to mix chocolate back up).   Top with homemade whipped cream.  Delicious!

Chocolate PB muffins I didn't eat these, but the consensus was too dry and not peanut-buttery enough.  Next time I am going to try to sift the flour first to make it lighter and add a little more peanut butter and maybe an extra egg or oil for moisture.  They liked them "okay" but said hard to swallow because of dryness.

Chocolate Eclairs  - As my son says, these were A--MAZ--ING.

Last week I posted Elaine's Most Excellent Sandwich Bread.  I tried it as hot dog buns, but it did not work.  The buns sat on the counter to cool, but instead of cooling they became HARD AS ROCKS.  It is still my go-to bread recipe, but it wasn't the best for buns.

Infraction Reaction...wow!

We have officially had our first major "infraction reaction."  Wow.  Wow.  Wow.  (Did I say Wow?)  I am still trying to pinpoint the cause, but there is no doubt about the effect!  It has been so rough that my husband even suggested last night that maybe "this plan" was causing our son to regress!   Deep down we both know that it is not the healthy stuff that is causing him to regress, but the past few days have been AWFUL for my son!   All I know is that it started on Saturday.   We DID eat at a potluck fish fry, but I saw the ingredients in the batter, and he mostly ate what I brought that I knew was safe.  The few options that COULD have caused it are:  a roll (I totally forgot and let him have it!), the oil for frying the fish (I didn't see what kind it was), or a bear-meat sausage ball (he was dying to try bear and it looked safe).  One of those three completely sent him over the edge.  Saturday night he was pretty wired and had a hard time settling down for bed, but that is not ALL that uncommon, so we didn't worry about it too much.  We even had a few tears but chalked it up to being tired from a busy day.

Then. came. Sunday.

Sitting through services with him was pure torture for him and for us.   He was totally wired and COULD NOT STOP TALKING.  Even when we would shush him or punish him, his chattering was nonstop.  If he wasn't chattering, he was humming.  Or tapping.   Or clicking.  Or something.  It drove us batty.   We would ask him to stop and he would say, "I can't.  I'm trying!"  In addition to this, every little thing set him off in tears.  We would ask why he was crying and he would just cry harder and say, "I don't know!"

Then came Sunday afternoon.   I was exhausted and not feeling well, so I was desperate for a short nap.   Daddy and Daughter both fell asleep quickly, but my son was like a bouncy ball in an enclosed room.  Constant motion, constant noise, and constant frustration.   I even tried to hold him on my lap and cuddle with him (his favorite, even at almost-six), and it was like trying to cuddle with jello.  He was everywhere.

Sunday evening worship and a baby shower were no different.  I was so stressed from it that an older lady came over to ask if I had a migraine.  I just pointed at my son, and she sympathetically nodded and said, "Oh, I had one of those, too."  It was horrible.  I felt awful for fussing at him ALL DAY, and his tears had me in tears.  I finally parked him in front of Daddy at the baby shower (Daddy was talking to a friend) and said, "I'm not strong enough to keep wrestling him.  I give up."

We finally got him to bed on Sunday night, and I followed immediately.  I was completely and totally exhausted...mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Monday was only slightly better, and 3 days later we are still dealing with the after-effects.   The kids have been out of school almost all week for snow, so I am curious to see how things go today when they go back to school.   I am looking to see if there are things I might have overlooked in our elimination that could be triggering this.   #1 seems to be "annatto" coloring found in cheeses and such.  Cinnamon is another possible trigger, and we eat LOTS of cinnamon.  That may have to be the next step, although we will all cry if cheese is off the menu, as it is my kids' primary source of calcium.  I am aware of all the fat in it, but sometimes that is the only protein or calcium my daughter can stomach in the mornings.  This is a day-by-day learning process, and my brain hurts!  :)

I have been doing Feingold pretty faithfully, but I have purchased a few "unapproved" items based on reading labels and unavailability of some of the brands they list, but I am thinking I may have to buckle down even more.  Ugh.  

Recipe Roundup, week 3

I have to confess that I had a mini-meltdown earlier this week about this whole real-food, no-dye thing.   Not because I didn't want to do it anymore, but just  because I was exhausted and in a hurry and not hungry and had to figure out something to fix QUICKLY that everyone would eat and I just didn't want to hear any whining or complaining!! :)  Hubby to the rescue with "boiled omelets."  We have done these for years but I had completely forgotten about them.  Super easy, yummy, and everyone was happy. We added a few fried potatoes and some fruit and we were good to go.

"Boiled" Omelets (sounds gross, but they taste amazing!) - also called camping eggs and omelet-in-a-bag
  Here is a recipe I found online that describes the process so that I don't have to type it all out.   We used ham and cheese with a little salt and pepper.    Omelets

White cake - We are having umpteen "celebrations" at school the next few weeks, so I wanted to make some dye free natural cupcakes for the kiddos to keep in the freezer at school for those unexpected party days, which seem to be almost EVERY day!  (That's another post for another day...don't get me started!)  I totally meant to use white flour (what my daughter calls "the good stuff"), but I got distracted and dumped in whole wheat pastry flour.  They were good!  A little drier than I like, but not bad!   I will add a little more moisture next time.  I topped it off with homemade buttercream icing made with REAL vanilla (not the fake stuff), and even hubby approved.    I popped them in these cute little containers from Wal-Mart, and they are ready for school.

Hamburger buns - I think I posted this recipe before, but it has become my new go-to recipe for hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, etc.  Also, if you get them out at just the right time and eat them hot, they taste amazingly like Sister Schubert's yeast rolls! :)

Cinnamon Roll Muffins - I found the muffin recipe I used last week...these were best fresh, but the kiddos DID eat them reheated, which surprised me!

This week we also had deer stew, make just like a beef stew but with ground venison instead of beef pieces.  We made bacon cheddar chowder for a fellowship with our church family, and it was a hit, but a little too spicy!  Next time I won't add as much cayenne.

We have SEVERAL potluck situations coming up in the next 10 days, and I am brainstorming already about "real" food we can take for those as well as maneuvering my kids through the line and making good choices for them.  I will be sure to let you know how it goes!
   

Recipe Roundup, week 2

We didn't try as many new recipes this week, as we were busier, but here are the ones we DID try!

This bread was a winner.  My kids aren't fans of homemade bread, but both ASKED for cinnamon toast on this bread twice this week! And, they ate PBJ without complaining about the bread. I will take that.  :)  This recipe is all over the web on different sites, but I think that is where I actually printed it out from.  I did change the sugar to honey, though.

We tried Earth Fare Organic macaroni and cheese and both boys liked it.  My daughter ate it but wasn't thrilled (is she ever?!).  I would like to try Annie's Deluxe next, in hopes that it might be more like Velveeta.

EnviroKids Leapin Lemurs peanut butter chocolate cereal - my son liked it.  He said it was ALMOST like the regular PB chocolate cereal we used to buy in the orange box... ;)

We had cinnamon roll muffins this morning.  Hubby said "not bad," son said, "This is a keeper," and daughter said, "Eh.  Okay.  Can I have another?"  :) I printed off the recipe, but it didn't have the web address on it.  I will keep looking and add it on here when I find it!!!

2 Weeks of Real Food

We have officially finished 2 weeks on this new plan.  I must say that 2 weeks seems like a big "milestone" to me.  When we started, we promised the kids a reward if they would comply peacefully for 2 weeks as we adjusted.  Their reward is that tomorrow they each have an hour to pick what we do as a family.  It can mean choosing a board game, watching a movie, doing a craft, choosing a snack (within our plan), etc.  They have done really well considering their ages and being in school where the pressure is on the whole day!

Notes from this week:

• Some people really give you flack for this.  But that is okay!  They are not responsible for the livelihood of your children.  You are.  Trust yourself.  You CAN do this.  Ask for help, read everything you can, jump in feet first, do the best you can, don't worry about making mistakes, and realize there is a learning curve and every change you make is better than where you where before! 

• My husband has been so good about this, even though I know it is SO hard for him.  I offered to give him a list of "can haves" and "can't haves," and he said he would prefer I just buy what we can have and tell him when we're out what he can have.  I love this man!

• My daughter "let it slip" to Daddy that:  "This eating plan really isn't so bad, and I might be getting a little bit used to it."  Granted, she is NOT going to let Mommy know that, but at least Daddy shares secrets!  :)  I consider this a HUGE victory, although we played it cool.

• School is a hard place to be on this kind of plan!  And, as we go along, I am more concerned about the VAST AMOUNTS OF JUNK FOOD our kids are offered during 8 hours of school each day.  I never really paid attention to it before, but now that they are coming home and telling me all the times they didn't get to have the snack the kids did, it is OUTRAGEOUS!  That is another battle for another day...but one that I am seriously considering battling after we get settled on this plan.

• There will be unavoidable times where an infraction on the plan occurs, and I must not be panicked about that.   We can and will move on to the next day.

• Keeping a balance between informing my kids about this and not making it an every-second issue is difficult!  

• If I fix something they don't like, it is OKAY.  They will not starve before their next meal, and, if they are hungry enough, they will eat healthy food even if it's not the best ever.

• For my sanity, I need to do a "cook ahead" day and freeze some reheatable meals and snacks for those days when I just need something quick and easy.

• My daughter asked for seconds on a real-food muffin this morning, and even my husband said it was "pretty good."  High praise from the pickies!

• Letting the kids help in the kitchen increases their compliance and good attitudes about it tremendously.  I am trying to figure out how to do that at least once a week.  Maybe a "kids in the kitchen" Friday or something.

• Naturally dyed sprinkles make everything better. :)

• Potlucks are HARD!  Bring a full meal  (Meat, sides, dessert, etc.) your family can eat! And warn them ahead of time that they can only eat what you brought unless it is raw fruits or veggies or is in the package.  And get your "safe" dessert before you sit down to eat, just in case!

10 days

Tomorrow, we head into 10 days on our new eating plan.  It has been both more difficult and easier than I expected so far.  Although there are more difficulties listed, they don't outweigh the benefits, and we are already seeing some results.

Difficulties:

• Lack of teacher support at school - not openly unsupportive, but "suggesting" to the kids that they must dislike this way of eating.  That being said, they have made sure they only eat what we send.   
• School snack times - already the kids are kind of tired of only having a few choices for snack.  As we progress to stage 2, I will be able to send things like raisins, dried fruit, etc.   That will increase their options considerably.
• Whiny kids because they" don't want to eat this way anymore!"  This has mostly been my daughter, who despises anything homemade from scratch, even before she tastes it!  We had full-out mutiny over the weekend, but today was a little better.
• Thinking of meals to cook without repeating over and over while in Stage 1 and more limited.  I didn't realize how often we used tomato sauce until it was disallowed for a while!  
• My sweet husband is really having a hard time adjusting from NO healthy foods to SOME healthy foods.  :)  I have always tried to cook healthy MEALS but have been lax about buying junky snacks.  Now they aren't even in the house!!
• In order to keep enough pears and bananas in the house I have to shop every few days!  
• Keeping track of all we eat and symptoms/reactions is tedious!  
• Feeling like a "bad parent" just for feeding my kids GOOD FOOD!  

Easier things:

• There really are a lot of things we can eat!
• Packing lunches are easier right now because we don't have many options here at home while on stage 1.
• I don't have to constantly say "No" to candy and junk since it isn't here!
• Lots of friends have been really supportive and understanding!
• Feeling good about our parenting decisions.  

NOW...on to changes I have seen!  Some of these may be coincidence, but then again, maybe not!

• My son's allergies are better, even though we have been out of allergy medicine for most of the week!  For the FIRST TIME since he was born, his eyes have not had "bags" or puffiness under them as much!  Also, not a constant runny nose, and no snoring.
• My son SAT THROUGH SERVICES without constantly bouncing on the pew or talking (only some of the time).  He filled out the outline our preacher provided almost completely on his own because he was LISTENING!!
• Only one dose of Miralax for each kid all week.  Usually, it's a dose a day.
• No asthma symptoms for either kid all week.  No coughing, wheezing, or snoring.  Same for me!
• We went to library today to play on the computers, and my son sat and played without yelling or disrupting the whole place.  Granted, he also climbed on the checkout counter...but only twice! :)  That is progress!
• Both kids have slept through the night for 3 nights in a row.  My son actually woke up in the middle of the night, went to the bathroom, and got back in bed without coming to get anyone up!
• No leg cramps at night for a week for my son (usually 2-3X weekly).
• My daughter has been "cuddly" and willing to sit in our laps.  Normally she hates to cuddle or be held.
• Lots of "focused" time spent on legos, books, etc.
• Less "attitude" and back-talking.
• I have lost 5 lbs in 10 days.

Recipe Roundup, week 1

For my own reference, I am going to try to do a post about once a week or so of any new recipes we have tried while we adjust our eating.  Otherwise, I'll lose the recipes or forget if they were good.  I do have a recipe binder where I keep recipes we enjoy, but it is in serious need of a remodel. :)  For now, this can be my recipe spot.   Also, please note that AT FIRST we are not tackling eliminating sugar.  I have probably gone overboard this week trying to make family favorites "real" in order to increase compliance and support of this plan.  As taste buds adjust and we see results, I will work towards reducing sugar.  I can only do so many things at once...

Homemade Oatmeal Creme Pies  - I made these after an urgent text from my daughter's teacher about unexpected cupcakes brought into school.  Can I just say that these were A-MA-ZING?  Of course, icky picky sister didn't like them (they are homemade, so she can't like them! ha!), but her brother and I could have eaten the WHOLE PAN.  I did use pure vanilla and I halved the recipe and it still made a ton.  I am going to try to freeze a few and see if they thaw well.  If so, I am sending a few for Little Man to keep in a freezer at school in case of unexpected snack times or parties at school.   Nothing low sugar or low fat about them, but for a true treat, they were fabulous.

Homemade peanut butter cups - These were also good.  I halved this recipe as well and used coconut oil in place of shortening.  But, I goofed and bought semi-sweet instead of milk chocolate chips and the chocolate flavor way overshadowed the pb flavor, much to my family's dismay (and my delight, as I love chocolate but not so much pb candy).   They still liked them but said they wanted more pb flavor.  Next time I will do milk chocolate chips and try them in a big muffin pan so there is more pb than chocolate.  I am confident that will solve the "problem" for my non-chocolate lovers.

Homemade Chicken nuggets  Yum, yum, yum!  :)  Only tweak was no paprika, as it is a "not yet" food on Stage one of Feingold.   Delicious!  And easy!  Even my "please can we have store bought nuggets because they are yummier?!?!?!" youngster approved these!

Mac and Cheese  - um...gross.  I LOVE this site, but this recipe did not work for us.  Even my macaroni monster couldn't choke it down.   I think I messed up and added the cheese while still on low heat, so I am willing to try again in case it was operator error, but yick.

Banana Muffins Since my son was born almost 6 years ago, we have had muffins EVERY SUNDAY MORNING.  Unfortunately, they have been the highly processed variety because it was easy for my husband to fix while I scrambled to get us all ready.   So, we tried these this week.  It is listed as a bread recipe, but I made them into muffins, and let me tell you, it made a TON.  I loved them (except that they contained wheat so I was sick as a dog afterwards), but the kids weren't sold.   I think for day 1 they weren't "sweet enough," so I will try them again in a few weeks when taste buds have had a chance to adjust.

Whipped Cream (to replace cool-whip in hot chocolate)     Yes, we licked the bowl.  Every last little bit.  Delicious.  Indulgent.

We also made "real" hot chocolate using sugar and unsweetened cocoa in whole milk.  There are tons of online recipes, but it basically comes down to experimenting to find out how much cocoa and sugar are right for you and yours.  :)

I have a couple more recipes I made "real" from recipes I already had, but I will have to type them up, so this will suffice for now.  Enjoy!

Day 5 Update

It is almost the end of our first week on the plan.  It has been quite a week!

All in all, it is going pretty well.  I have to be focused on it/conscious of it constantly, but it has been okay. I must confess that I am disgusted by how many things have artificial dyes and flavors!  I even learned that they dye FRESH ORANGES from Florida and Texas to make them look "juicier."  Seriously??  I had no idea.  

It has helped that the kids had several snow days this week so that we could try it more at home before they were in school full time.  Today Little Miss' class had an unexpected birthday snack and I hadn't yet made my stuff to freeze and keep at school, so I had to quickly put some treats together (homemade reeses cups and homemade oatmeal creme pies).  My biggest issue with following it is that my daughter HATES anything homemade or made from scratch.  She always has hated it, but it's more obvious and more of an issue now that EVERYTHING is homemade.  She is my junk food junkie.  Also, today she was trying to sneak food (that terrifies me!), but her teacher ratted on her. :)  In her defense, she said that the cupcake was white and had white icing, so she thought it was okay.  I haven't addressed much besides colors with the kids yet, so I understand that. The other day she did help me make homemade bread, and SHE ATE IT AND ASKED FOR SECONDS.  Maybe getting her to help will ease the transition.  I am going to make an effort this weekend and next week to include the kids in making stuff more, even though it will take longer and be less convenient.  Both kids have been very good about asking before they eat anything.  They have learned that they like pear juice as much as apple juice. :)  I haven't yet noticed any behavior changes, but I am hopeful.  We had one afternoon where I thought Little Man had turned a corner (he VOLUNTARILY worked on ONE LEGO PROJECT FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF UNASSISTED AND WITH NO ONE TALKING TO HIM!!!), but the next morning he was back to his normal, wild self.  But, I know it can take time.  

We have tried lots of new recipes this week, though!  Some are keepers, and some not so much! :) I have been trying to make healthier versions of their favorites this week so that they don't feel like there has been quite so much of an upheaval.

I am still reading my official material.  This is going to be such a learning process!  I wasn't very thrilled with the food list, only because the one they sent me doesn't really seem to be for this area.  It is VERY thorough, but there are very few stores I recognize.  I am going to contact them and tell them the stores around here and see if another regional list is better suited.  We are on the edge of 2 regions, so it is possible I purchased the wrong thing.  

On a very positive note, I lost 3 lbs at WW this week following this plan!  Granted, it was the 3 I gained over Xmas, but still! :) 

Reflections on the first 24 hours

I will NOT plan to post on here every day about this, but the first day was such a big deal here, so I wanted to comment on our new eating plan a little (mainly for myself so I can keep records!).

Day 1 was a challenge.  Not so much because I couldn't find things for my family to eat, but more so because I don't want my kids or husband to feel restricted by food or to have it constantly on their minds.  I don't want to create an unhealthy perception about food.  So, making this a positive experience is requiring a great deal of creativity on my part!

Little Prince:  He was a trooper, especially after the apple juice incident.  (Note:  Apple juice is allowed after stage 1 on the plan.  Search:  Salicylate sensitivity for more information here).  We improvised with pineapple juice and all was well.   He is normally asking me every 30 seconds for a snack, but he was great yesterday about not harping on things.  As soon as they go back to school (maybe today??  The weather is iffy) I am going to clear out a space in the pantry for "approved" snacks that they can grab whenever they want so that they don't have to ask constantly "is this okay?"  Overall, he handled it well.  He is the main reason I initially researched the plan, so I have high hopes for him!  He also just went with it when I gave him new dye-free gatorade (instead of the beloved blue) at bedtime for his leg cramps.  I was so proud of him!

Little Princess:  Our only despondency from her came when she realized her favorite gum (which she chews CONSTANTLY) was full of red dye and aspartame. :(  Not sure how I can find a substitute here, but I'm looking!  Other than that, she was the food police.  When I snuck some ketchup to little man (tomatoes are one of the items on the "not yet" list), she was quite vocal.  But, I had promised him homemade tater tots for several days, so I allowed a tiny squirt of ketchup (all natural).  We had a church fellowship last night and she wanted a snack, and she came and asked before getting anything.  She is normally the rebellious one, so I was impressed and proud!  Today at school will be the real test...

Me:  This isn't all that different from how I normally eat, so I didn't have much trouble.  I will miss my M&Ms, but I'll survive!  :)  I haven't given up coffee yet...it is one of the suggested things you don't do for the first few weeks, but I haven't decided about it...  Not sure it's a good idea to go cold turkey on that, so I may do half caff for a while and then cut it out if I feel like I'm not benefiting enough from the program.

King of my Castle:  My poor hubby is trying to be sooooo supportive.  I have rarely felt as loved as yesterday when he sacrificed some things he wanted to be supportive, and the cheez balls stayed hidden til after the kids went to bed.  The problem is that he mostly eats junky, processed stuff.  Not a lot of it, but mostly junk.  He was going through the cabinets yesterday totally frustrated that his favorites were not approved.  I am not forcing this plan on him at all because what he will eat is so limited, but he has volunteered to do all he can to follow it.  His biggest problem is that the only fruit or vegetable he can tolerate is green beans.  Oh, and tomato sauce.  So, he doesn't have much to supplement with, unlike me and the kids.  I am NOT cutting out tomatoes for him initially because I need him to be able to eat some veggies.
Also, his only real source of fiber is fiber bars for breakfast, so for now we are keeping those.  I am researching homemade alternatives, but it is super important he still get some fiber!  Also, we have decided he will use up some of the things in the pantry and we will replace them with better options because we can't afford to just throw them out.  His biggest snack is popcorn, and I did find a natural alternative for the "butter" he sprinkles on his popcorn.  :)

All in all, it was a good day on plan.  School starts back today, and I know my kids will struggle some with that.  We are setting up a "trading post" where they can trade in candy and stuff that they get at school for other things (stay up 10 min late, read with Mommy or Daddy, play a few extra minutes on iPad, etc).  My daughter has her approved snacks in her backpack for snack time, and both kids are armed with letters to their teachers.  I greatly appreciate all the prayers and emails sent our way as we start this!

Oh...also...we forgot about some Christmas money, so we purchased the Feingold download plan.  I am hopeful this will make things easier!!

Day 1 of "Good bye to the Bad Stuff"

After much research, today is my family's first day on our nothing-artificial eating plan. No dyes, no artificial colors, etc.   I must confess that I am overwhelmed and terrified.  I almost cried when my little one woke up and asked for apple juice and I had to tell him no.  (That being said, after a couple of weeks on this program he can have his beloved juice, and in the meantime I will make substitutions).  My kids have been such troopers as we have talked about our reasons for doing this, and even Daddy is going to participate (after he finishes his neon orange cheez balls he got for Xmas).  :)  When I told them what I had learned about dyes and colors, they were grossed out.  I took them to the store with me the other day with our "approved" list for stage 1 of the plan, and they picked out their choices of fruits, veggies, and others from the list.  I have already written letters to the teachers explaining the situation, and my pantry and fridge are stocked with choices.  I still need to pick up a few things, and I know it will be a work in progress, but here goes nothing!

For those who are wondering, we are following the idea of the Feingold diet (as much as possible without purchasing the materials.  We intend to purchase them as soon as we have the money, but first we have to put a new roof on our house and get rid of the mold from the leak!  So, it will be a few weeks before we can get it.

I will do my best to blog regularly about our journey here. I will explain more of our reasons for doing so in a later post.  Prayers from my church family as we start this would be much appreciated!