Kids are going artfical preservative/colour/flavour free...

[pookiesossige]

Wherever possible, anyway. They love fruit, cheese, saltanas, raw carrots etc for snacks, and I haven't brought fruit/muffin bars or museli bars for ages because of the additives they contain. So that part's not hard.

But I have some lovely looking organic museli and I'd like to make museli bars from it.. What's the best way to make it set? :detective:

I also just want to hear from others who also try to give their kids whole foods and foods in their natural form only.

What snacks do your kids enjoy most? What meals always go down well?

I'd love some inspiration! :yes: Thanks in advance :D:wave:

[WorkingClassMum]

Home made tomatoe sauce are mandatory in this house if you ask DS

My kids have very few processed food, and I avoid preservatives and additives where ever possible - but wheat, cows milk and yeast are mandatory exclusions, and all other foods are based on convience after that.

ie all foods must be WF, DF and YF, preferably AF and PF, followed by organic if possible

Fruit straps get eaten on a regular basis, as does freeze dried apple and natuarally dried mango, honey glazed dried banana chips, and DD loves dried cranberries.

We eat a lot of seasonal fruit and I bought a curly apple peeler and they love the concept of "Slinky" apples

We do have natural yoghurt, but I do cheat and have Jalna Yaoghurt. (they can tolerate natuarl set yoghurt)

Also watch that kids can have withdrawls for a while and can be cranky. Also the occassional indulgence will now seem like a full on high followed by a cranky low

[canberramomma]

Hey, I have two recipes for muesli bars that I use

50g butter or 1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup honey or similar
1/4 cup free nut butter, tahini or similar
1 cup toasted rolled oats
1/2 cup toasted wheatgerm or substitute
1/2 cup roasted sesame or substitute
1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds or substitute
1/4 cup chopped dried fruit

Put butter/oil, honey, free nut butter/tahini/etc into large pan and bring to boil stirring. Turn heat to lowest setting for about 10 mins watching so it doesn't burn. Mix all dry ingredients with dried fruit in large bowl then mix in honey liquid. Press into lined pan (I use a smallish baking dish) and leave to cool till firm but flexible then cut into bars or squares.

This is adapted from an Alison Holst recipe.

The other recipe is only loosely a muesli bar in that it contains oats.

1 cup sr flour
1 cup oats
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped dried fruit
250 g melted butter or similar (can use oil or non dairy marg)

Mix all dried ingredients including fruit. Mix in butter till all ingredients are combined. Press into lined baking dish. Bake at 180 C till golden. Cool and cut into slices or squares.

[Lastcenturymum]

Good on you Pookie!! Its not that hard to be healthy and kids are very adaptable.

Wrap breads are better than sandwiches too.

Hmm I think it's time for a nice vegie lasagne with pita bread for dinner!!

I dunno if they are still available, but I have Julie Stafford's Taste of Life recipe books - they are great and she even has party ideas. We lived off her recipes for years

[elissas]

Well done! You'll all certainly reap the benefits.

Check out www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info for lots of info and great recipes.

Please just be careful with dried fruits, including sultanas. They contain sulphites which can aggravate things like asthma and other conditions, as well as behavioural problems.

I can't have dried fruits at all and neither can DS. Within 2 weeks of having cereal with dried fruit in it (after a break for a few months) I was back on my puffers. I've cut them out again and no more med.

DS starts coughing and wheezing at night and goes a bit troppo when he's had just a few sultanas a day for a few days. :(

Also be mindful of cheese. Especially processed cheeses and the kids cheese. Most contain a colour called "Annato" (160B) - it is used in lots of products, mainly dairy, from cheese, to yoghurt, to ice cream, and margarine/spreads. It may be listed as Natural Colour. It is considered natural so companies can still claim to be free from artificial colours. It is one of the biggest contributors to behavioural and health problems in children.

[reAllytee]

We started doing this a few months back. We didnt have to make too many changes as i like to make a lot of our stuff anyways but had decided to drop dried fruits to see the difference.

The change in Boof was huge & to see whether it really was the dried fruit that made a difference we gave him a small amount the other week. WOW ! He was a nightmare so yep dried fruits had to go. Im now trying to get my hands on a dehydrator to make our own.

The site elissas gave you has some great recipes :thumbsup:

[pookiesossige]

Thanks so much, everyone, for your suggestions!

Home made tomatoe sauce are mandatory in this house if you ask DS


Your post reminded me that we put sauce on a few things for the kids and I haven't really considered how bad it is- but it must be one of the worst... Will make some methinks! :yes:

It's not hard to connect sudden mood swings/destructive bursts of energy with those fries, the bread or treat food that was given earlier in the day, hey... We're a bit fed up with all that cr@p.

Canberramomma, I'm about to go and make the first recipe you gave- thanks heaps for that :thumbsup: :D It was just what I'm after.

Good on you Pookie!! Its not that hard to be healthy and kids are very adaptable.


:hugs: Ta! We are already halfway there with just an awareness of what should be avoided and an idea of what some additives can do (I can actually thank Today Tonight a bit for that, LOL) and we have a fairly healthy lifestyle because Mace is insulin dependent and we've already made adjustments.

Well done! You'll all certainly reap the benefits.

Check out www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info for lots of info and great recipes.

Please just be careful with dried fruits, including sultanas. They contain sulphites which can aggravate things like asthma and other conditions, as well as behavioural problems.

I can't have dried fruits at all and neither can DS. Within 2 weeks of having cereal with dried fruit in it (after a break for a few months) I was back on my puffers. I've cut them out again and no more med.

DS starts coughing and wheezing at night and goes a bit troppo when he's had just a few sultanas a day for a few days. :(

Also be mindful of cheese. Especially processed cheeses and the kids cheese. Most contain a colour called "Annato" (160B) - it is used in lots of products, mainly dairy, from cheese, to yoghurt, to ice cream, and margarine/spreads. It may be listed as Natural Colour. It is considered natural so companies can still claim to be free from artificial colours. It is one of the biggest contributors to behavioural and health problems in children.

I had no idea about that cheese additive, thanks for that info- and the link. I've been checking saltana packet ingredients for Sulfur Dioxide/202 but the packet we currently have just lists saltanas and oil- so I guess we should be ok, right? Haven't had dried apricots in ages because of this... That's wonderful about you being able to go off your meds since cutting dried fruit out of your diet!!



We started doing this a few months back. We didnt have to make too many changes as i like to make a lot of our stuff anyways but had decided to drop dried fruits to see the difference.

The change in Boof was huge & to see whether it really was the dried fruit that made a difference we gave him a small amount the other week. WOW ! He was a nightmare so yep dried fruits had to go. Im now trying to get my hands on a dehydrator to make our own.

The site elissas gave you has some great recipes :thumbsup:


I'm off to ask on freecycle for an unwanted food dehydrator!! Thanks Ally!!!!