Based on the title of this book, one might assume that the recipes are geared toward families and children. Yes, this book is a great resource for moms (and dads) who want to cook delicious but healthy meals for their families. However, by perusing through this book and trying out some of the recipes, I'd highly recommend this book as a cookbook staple for anyone interested in adapting a healthier lifestyle.
The book is a collection of recipes from moms who are part of the Holistic Moms Network , a national organization for moms who prioritize healthy living to be able to connect with one another. These are the recipe categories and some sample recipes from each category.
Appetizers & Beverages - Roasted, Red Pepper, Asparagus, and Brie Quesadilla - Homemade Chai - Applesauce smoothie
This & That - Chicken and Brown Rice Puree Baby Food - Play Dough - Non-toxic Cleaners
As you can see, there is a wide-variety of recipes in this excellent 232-page resource. There are recipes for everyone: vegans, vegetarians, non-vegetarians, macrobiotics, raw food devotees, etc. For example, I am a semi-vegetarian (80 % of my diet is vegetarian; I occasionally eat meat and I rarely have dairy); while many recipes had too much dairy for my taste, I was still able to mark over 100 recipes that I wanted to try. And for those moms out there with picky eaters, there are dozens of recipes that deliciously disguise veggies.
I give this cookbook a two thumbs up! The book can be ordered here.
This is a quick meal I prepared after becoming quite hooked on whole grains again during my quasi-10-day cleanse. Because I only had 1 cup of quinoa and 1 cup of millet in my pantry, I decided to mix the two and was extremely pleased with the result. This is better than rice any day! This meal was made with some healthy prepared foods (like canned beans and salsa), so it's excellent for those nights when you want to make something quick and easy. And don't let these whole grins intimidate you. They are widely available in most grocery stores, especially those with a decent organic section.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of millet rinsed - 1 cup of quinoa rinsed - 4 cups of water - 2 cans Eden brand Aduki beans, drained - 1 jar of organic salsa of choice (I like Newmans) - 1 zucchini chopped in small cubes and steamed for 5 minutes
Directions: Bring quinoa, millet and water to a boil in water. Once boiling, turn to a simmer. Simmer for 25 minutes. Immediately transfer grains to a big mixing bowl and fluff with a fork. Add beans, salsa and zucchini, and voila! You can add a small amount of part-skim cheddar if you are a cheese fan…and put it in a tortilla if you are more in the mood for a burrito. Any way you have it; this is a tasty, easy way to get in good, hearty whole grains.
So you’re almost done with your seasonal detox and you’re worried about getting back to your more familiar way of eating; perhaps you’ve been dreaming of chocolate chip cookies and you’re afraid that once you are “free” to eat as you please, you might indulge. Or maybe you’re afraid that once you start incorporating meat back into your diet, you might forget about the antioxidant and fiber rich veggies and whole grains.
The key to transitioning out of the detox/cleanse program is to use the cleanse as the foundation to your diet and slowly start supplementing other foods. Read your body—it’s the best barometer of your needs.How does it respond when you incorporate say, dairy, back into your diet? If it doesn’t respond pleasantly, then you know dairy is not for you and should be kept to a minimum in your diet. When you incorporate caffeine back into your diet, do you feel all jittery or to you feel easy going and cool?
I suggest keeping a food + body/mood response journal for the first few weeks after your cleanse; it will help tremendously and will still keep you in check…transitioning out of this structured diet should be slowed and controlled. As I mentioned in my previous blog, I was eager to have a beer and chicken fingers once I completed my cleanse, and I did just that, but I waited for about five days and I felt fine. So if you are having a super strong craving, do wait a little bit and go easy with it. I had one beer and three chicken fingers…so tasty and fulfilling.
Here’s an example of my food + body response/mood journal the day after the cleanse:
Wednesday May 6: Post-Cleanse Day 1
8:00 AM: 1 cup millet with ¼ cup chopped walnuts and 1/3 cup chopped mangos + ¼ cup rice milk and 1-2 Tablespoons of agave nectar:
(SO YUMMY…feel energized for my workout)
9:15 AM- 11:00 AM…1 Hour spin class followed by 45 Minute tempo run on the treadmill with 3.0 grade…my first serious triathlon brick workout this season.
(Feeling tired-probably a little “much” after just coming off of my 10-day Detox)
11:15 AM: “Apple Pie” LaraBar + 1 liter of water.
(I almost forgot what bars taste like…tasty and simple, the ingredients are merely dried fruit and nuts)
12:30 PM: 2 cups homemade lentil soup with carrot, onions, lentils, wild rice and cabbage. (hit the spot…I was craving smoothing warm…felt really nice…and my digestion is still working as well as it did through the cleanse)
3:30 PM: ½ banana chopped with 1 teaspoon sunflower seed butter on kamut cake
(tasty….needed a little energy increase…went for this instead of caffeine. but it’s not working. Ah, well)
6:30: Dinner: 6 ounces wild-caught haddock grilled (marinated with lemon juice, olive oil and ground pepper). 1 cup wild rice. Huge salad with mixed greens, grapefruit, fennel, cucumbers and shredded carrots with balsamic vinaigrette.
(Felt really full. had a hard time finishing salad...saved half of it)
8:30 PM: Starting to feel hungry---so rest of my salad
(Note to readers…my former go-to bed-time snack would be ½ cup kashi heart to heart cereal with rice milk)
I continue logging my nutrition and body/mood response and as a result, I’ve been able to set some “rules” for myself. I feel so in-touch with my body now. Rules don’t have to be followed strictly, but they help set the standard for your healthy lifestyle. Here are the rules I’ve come up with so far:
1.)No thank you to ice-cream. This past weekend while dining at a friend’s house, she offered ice-cream for dessert. It was a delicious rendition of Moose-tracks. I had a mere scoop and my intestines were quite peeved at me.
2.)As for caffeine…Try to start the day without it. Encouragemyself to exercise first. If that wakes me up, great! If not, go for green tea…and if that doesn’t work…a teaspresso is okay. (Note: So far I have only had green tea once..and no teaspressos yet).
3.)Eat whole grains for at least two meals a day…It makes you feel good! (Wow, I can’t even say how grounded and satiated I feel with a cup of whole grains for breakfast and a cup of whole grains at lunch or dinner).I made the BEST “Better than Rice and Beans”---super quick and easy…using millet and quinoa…I’ll post the recipe on my blog very soon.
4.)Meat only three times a week…better if fish. (I’ve been loving eating vegetarian…and 3 seems like the perfect number for me. I have fish once or twice a week and then organic chicken once or twice a week. When I’m in a phase of my menstrual cycle where I need more iron, I’ll have grass-fed beef and fish).
5.)GET SLEEP! (The other night I was up working on an article and I went to bed at 2:00 AMand had to wake up at 7:30 AM the next morning…felt so off the next day…and craved packaged goodies)
6.)Raisins instead of gels on the bike. YUM and all natural!
7.)Keep doing sun salutations and meditation each morning. What a great way to start the day!
8.)Keep dry brushing after showering. My skin is super-thankful!
9.)No pasta or bread. Okay, well maybe good hearty breads for special occasions. (Note: I had whole wheat pasta the other night and felt really bloated after. I haven’t had bread yet and don’t really care to. No more sandwiches for lunch…salads (with grains) or soup instead and I feel great)
10.) As far as baked goods...they're permissible, but must be low-fat and homemade (I made strawberry muffins a couple days ago-YUM)
