Mindful Chatter

Struggling with Healthy Snacks for Kids?

Are you trying to keep your kids off of sugar and having a hard time?

Does your child suffer from allergies to dairy or wheat and you feel like there is nothing you can feed him or her?

This is one of the most common complaints I hear from parents. "My child is so picky and I just want to make sure they get enough food," or " I need something quick because I don't have that much time to prepare snacks or meals." I understand. Here are a few quick ideas.

 

 

 

1. Almond Butter on Celery or an Apple with Almond Butter is much healthier than peanut butter because peanuts contain mold, so if you can get your child to eat that over peanut butter it will help them in the long run. 

 

2-Roasted Walnuts or Pumpkin Seeds: I put them on broil and add a little sea salt. Yum!

 

3-Terra Sweet Potato Chips with Daiya cheese: Sweet Potato has a ton of Vitamin A -great for the immune system and it won't spike their blood sugar like white potato chips. Daiya cheese is a wonderful dairy alternative that does not contain casein or soy and it is actually made from green peas! Strange but delicious!

 

4. Hummus with brown rice crackers or gluten free pita: Or If your child isn't a fan of hummus you can do a white bean dip instead. Just blend white beans, olive oil, garlic, lemon and sea salt in a blender or food processor-very easy!

 
 

5-Smoothie:You can try to either blend greek yogurt with frozen berries and a little bit of frozen banana or for a dairy free version try blending vanilla rice milk or almond milk with 1 tsp of cocoa powder, frozen berries, and banana. If it isn't sweet enough for them you can add 1 tsp of agave.

 

6. Ezekiel bread with almond or cashew butter.

 

7. Homemade Quesadilla:Try Brown Rice Tortilla's with daiya cheese and guacamole -if they like it- and salsa. Or for variety you can add turkey and daiya cheese with salsa.

 

8. Homemade Popsicles: I just found a great one on Sur La Table's website: http://www.surlatable.com/product/PRO-179833/Zoku-Quick-Pop-Maker

You can even blend yogurt with fruit and use that for your popsicles.

 

9. Organic Mozzarella sticks:If your child is not sensitive to dairy this is a great snack-quick and easy!

 

10. Mini Pizzas: You can use brown rice crackers or a gluten free pizza crust, add mozzarella or daiya cheese and tomato sauce and bake until either the crust is done or the cheese has melted on the crackers.

 

Enjoy!

Nicole 

 

 

 

Gluten-Free Apple Pie Recipe

 

 

Last week, completely out of the blue, my 4-year old requested that I make a cherry pie for her upcoming "pie party".    I had no idea what "pie party" she was talking about, I've never been much of a baker, and our entire family just recently joined the fast-growing Gluten-Free club.  Needless to say, I was pretty intimidated...

First, there's the crust.  I started out with high hopes, but after searching online for "how to make the best gluten-free pie crust" (and there are some good ones out there!), the non-baker in me kicked in.  I switched my search to "the best ready-made gluten-free pie crusts" and found the following:

• Gillian’s makes a crust which is sold at Whole Foods and many health food stores around the country.
•  Gluten-Free Bakehouse, a Whole Foods brand (only sold at Whole Foods), also makes a gluten-free pie crust. Like most ready-made gluten pie crusts, the ready-made gluten-free crusts 
  are stocked in the freezer case at the store.
•  The next best thing to baking from scratch-  gluten-free baking mixes. Favorites include Pamela’s Pancake and Baking Mix, Gluten-Free Pantry and Breads by Anna.

That settled, I looked for an apple pie recipe that would bring me back to the good old days- the times before I had to be concerned about gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, pesticide-free, and the like.  So I adapted a recipe to fit my dietary needs, and voila! 

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 recipe Gluten Free Pie Dough - Enough for a 2- crust pie
• 7 cups, peeled Grannie Smith apples, sliced 1/4" thick- about 2 1/2 pounds
• 3/4  cup Agave nectar (if using a tart variety of apple, use more agave)
• 2 tablespoons sweet rice flour OR tapioca flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons cubed butter

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400°

1. Roll out half of dough according to recipe instructions and place in a 9-inch pie plate.
2. Combine agave, amaranth, arrowroot OR cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl and use a whisk to thoroughly blend ingredients.
3. Add sliced apples and gently coat apples with agave mixture.
4. Pour apples into dough-lined pie plate and distribute them evenly.
5. Dot the top of the apples with cubed butter.
6. Place top crust over the apples. Press edges to seal dough and use your favorite method to flute the edges (pressed with fork tines, etc.). Cut or poke several small vents in the top of the pie crust.
7. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until top is golden brown and apples are tender.
8. Check frequently. If edges brown too quickly, place a strip of foil around the edge to prevent burning.
9. Allow pie to cool for several minutes before cutting.

 

New ingredients:  $50

Hours in the Kitchen: 2 (I had an hour's worth of kitchen-cleaning procrastination before I actually started)

Having a pie party that didn't leave my toddler irritable and gassy:   Priceless.

 

I hope you enjoy as much as we did!

Lindsay

 

 

____________________

http://celiac-disease.com/where-can-i-find-a-gluten-free-pie-crust/

 

 

Eat to Relieve Stress

Do you turn to food when you are stressed? Well why not use food to ease stress! There are healthy ways to soothe the nervous system without overeating. Oftentimes a vitamin and mineral imbalance can create more tension so here are some tips to keep your body in balance!

 

Magnesium:

Magnesium is the most important mineral when balancing stress and when you are chronically stressed you are most likely deficient. Muscle cramps can be caussed by a magnesium defiency, but it can also be calcium related as well. Oftentimes stress related diseases such as heart attacks can be attributed to a magnesium deficiency.

Foods high in Magnesium:

Black Beans, kidney beans, lima beans, millet, bananas, broccoli, dark chocolate, halibut, brown rice, oats, almonds, artichokes, spinach.

 

 

Vitamin C:   

People who have high levels of vitamin c do not react to stress in the same way as those with low levels of c. Vitamin C protects the body from infection and it also helps the body to balance the release of stress hormones.

    

Foods high in vitamin C:

 Oranges, grapefruit, broccoli, tomato, papaya, mango, peppers, jicama, kiwi

 

 

 

Serotonin:

Serotonin helps the body to feel relaxed, and upbeat, and it also regulates sleep. When under chronic stress the body's serotonin reserves can become depleted.

Foods high in serotonin: Turkey, black eyes peas, cottage cheese, eggs, walnuts, almonds, sesame, pumpkin seeds

 

 B Vitamins 

B vitamins play a key role in anxiety, stress, cardiovascular health,  energy, hair and more.  Fruits and vegetables can be an excellent source of b vitamins.

Foods high in B vitamins:

Spinach, parsley, broccoli, turnips, snapper, bell peppers, asparagus, lentils, turkey, bananas, avocado, white beans, legumes

 

Whole Foods White Bean and Spinach Salad

Serves 4 to 6

With so few ingredients, this salad is surprisingly substantial thanks to the protein and fiber of the beans and big flavors from red onion and a bold Dijon dressing. This is an excellent cold side salad for grilled meals or sandwiches.

Ingredients

3 cups cooked no-salt-added cannellini beans (from 2 (15-ounce) cans beans, drained and rinsed)
1 small red onion, quartered and thinly sliced
4 cups tightly packed fresh spinach leaves (about 1/4 pound), tough stems removed
2 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Method

In a large mixing bowl combine beans and onion. Slice spinach into thin ribbons and add to the beans.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together mustard, vinegar and Italian seasoning. Pour dressing over the bean mixture and stir to combine all ingredients. Serve immediately or chill until ready to use.

Nutrition

Per serving (about 6oz/168g-wt.): 170 calories (5 from fat), 1g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 200mg sodium, 32g total carbohydrate (12g dietary fiber, 1g sugar), 10g protein

 

Nicole's note: Add some sliced oranges or grapefruit to the salad for an extra boost of vitamin C and a few sliced almonds for some a boost of serotonin!

 

Enjoy!

 

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everyone always asks us for great gluten free recipes. I stumbled upon this one on the Food Network site. I made a few changes to make it a little healthier! Enjoy!

 

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

 makes 24 cookies

Ingredients  

• 1 cup coconut oil
• 1 1/4 cups agave nectar
• 1/3 cup applesauce
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose baking flour
• 1/4 cup flax meal
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, mix together the oil, agave, applesauce, cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla. In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, flax meal, baking soda, and xanthan gum. Using a rubber spatula, carefully add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and combine until dough is formed. Gently fold in the chocolate chips just until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.

Using a melon-baller or tablespoon, scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 1-inch apart. Gently press each with the heel of your hand to help them spread. Bake on the center rack for 14 minutes, rotating the trays 180 degrees after 7 minutes. The cookies will be crispy on the edges and soft in the center.

Let the cookies stand on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely before covering. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.