Earthly Eating

Use of anitbiotic medicine in the first year of a childs life may increase a their risk of asthma by age seven. The impact is greater among lower risk children (those whose mothers where asthma free and who lived in rural areas). You need good bacteria in your digestive tract for normal development of immune system so that you don’t end up with asthma. Look for live, active cultures in natural yogurts and probiotics supplements to offer children especially if they must take antibiotics.

**Upset with eBay lately? Well Paul is over at Toy Bender and he really gets into it in his post about eBay Madness: Wet Suit. Read the whole story here.**

Baked Salmon with Potatoes, Onions, and Fennel
Serves: 4

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Spray an 11 x 7-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Arrange potato slices in 4 slightly overlapping rows in the bottom of prepared pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 10 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, combine onion, fennel, sugar, and thyme. Toss to combine. Arrange onion and fennel mixture over potatoes. Sprinkle the top with capers. Bake 15 minutes.
4. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
5. Arrange salmon fillets on top of vegetables.
6. In a samll bowl, combine feta, breadcrumbs, and vermouth. Toss gently to combine. Sprinkle mixture over salmon and vegetables. Bake, uncovered, 20 minutes, or until fish is fork-tender.

*Nutrition Facts:
Calories 379 per serving, Fat 11g, (4g sat.), Protein 30g, Carbs 41g, Fiber 5g, Cholesterol 75 mg, Iron 2mg, Sodium 563mg, Calcium 147mg

Happy Eating!

Kosher meat is considered safer and cleaners than conventional meat for good reason. Strict Jewish law requires rigorous inspections: Animals must be active and healthy before slaughter and blemish-free afterward. Kosher beef inspectors reject about 50 times as many animals as USDA inspectors do. The slaughtering process is also considered by some to be more humane and hygienic. Kosher slaughters train with rabbis and veterinary experts to lean how to adminsiter quick, painless deaths, and the meat is immediately cleaned and salted-a practice that is dictated by religious law and has the benefit of inhibiting bacterial growth. But safer, cleaner meat doesn’t guarantee that it’s healthier: Kosher animals are raised on conventional farms, which often administer growth hormones and antibiotics. And kosher hot dogs can be loaded with nitrates and saturated fat. If health is your goal, choose organic kosher meat. Like Wise Kosher Natural Poultry . And if humane is your goal, stick with veggie dogs.
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Earthly Eating Recipe:

The Happy Traveler
Serves 2

Place the tomatoes in a portable container. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper, and basil and drizzle with the olive oil. Cut the avocado in half and scoop out the flesh. In another container, mash it with the mayonnaise and lemon juice. Seal the containers until serving time. Then spread each slice of bread with the avocado mayonnaise and make 2 sandwiches, dividing the bacon, lettuce and tomatoes evenly between them.

Happy Eating!

Since 1994, the Department of Defense has been using its extensive network of farm contracts and trucks to help get more fresh fruit and vegetable into schools. This in not your standard mess hall though, in North Carolina, kids dip into cups of sweet local strawberries. And students in New York City are biting into apples from the Champlain Valley. With an emphasis on buying from nearby farmers and small suppliers, the DOD Fresh Produce Program delievers food to school districts in 47 states. Schools just don’t get enough food from their own backyard so roughly 30 growers want to change that and are involved and farmers can’t wait to sign up. Much to the the delight of local food champions, the word is spreading. Today the organization buys $75 million a year in produce, up from $ 4 million a decade ago. And because DOD Fresh is supported by Replublicans and Democrats alike-not to mention parents and farmers-funding may even increase as the years pass and more framers and schools get involved with one another. For parents, public health officials, and school administrators stuggling to control youth obesity, military helping, food distribution looks to be a useful weapon against childhood eating issues.
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Earthly Eating Recipe:

Fresh and Dried Cranberry, Orange, and Walnut Tart
Serves 10

6. Set the frozen tart shell, still in the tart pan, on a sheet pan. Spoon the tart filling into the shell, then smooth the top. Dot the butter over the filling, and decorate the top with strands of orange zest. Cover lightly with parchment or foil. Bake in the center of the oven until the crust is lightly browned, about 35 minutes. remove, then spoon orange liquor or orange flower water over the top. Serve at room temperature with a dollop of whipped cream or créme fraìche, if desired.

Happy Eating!

If keeping tack of the mercury and PCB content in your favorite fish is getting your frustrated, there is an answer. As of September 2005, Henry Lovejoy, founder of the ocean-friendly company EcoFish has launched the Seafood Safe program. Designed to let you know how many four-ounce servings of such favorites as tuna, wild salmon, and mahi mahi are safe to consume in one month, the label will appear on fresh, frozen, and canned fish. Look for Lovejoy’s products at Wild Oats, Whole Foods, Earth Fare, and other natural food stores. The label shown here:will be on fresh fish cases, so keep your eyes open to the labels and mind your mercury levels. For updates on this check, Sea Food Safe’s website.
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Earthly Eating Recipe:

The key here is to eat most of the carbs and calories during the day and toward the night(of course depending on your schedule) to eat less calories and carbs before bed so they don’t set heavy in your stomach. Your body slows down at night so help it out by eating less heavy, calorie laden foods in the evening.

Happy Eating!

•It takes only six weeks of eating right (a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) and exercising (30 minutes a day) to lower your blood pressure and cholesterol-and to trim body fat.

•A cup of low-fat plain yogurt topped with fresh or frozen berries and sprinkled with high fiber cereal. With little prep and no cooking-you’ll get a big chunk of your dairy, fruit, and whole-grain requirements. (Drizzle with honey if you like.)

•Cook your vegetables or eat your salad with a small amount of oil. In recent study, dieters who tried this trick ate more veggies-and dropped more pounds-than a group who went the nonfat route.
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Maple-Glazed Tofu With Spaghetti Squash:
serves 6

4. Scoop the squash strands out and into bowls. Top with the tofu, drizzle on the glaze, and serve.

Happy Eating!

It’s quick and easier than you think……

If you think “ready-to-use” and “organic” don’t belong in the same sentence, just look at what there is on the market today. From your favorite canned and frozen fruits and vegetables to shelf-stable soymilk, tofu, and healthy meals that are readily available. That’s excellent news for busy people who want convenience without sacrificing organic health benefits.

Why Organic?
For starters, a Tufts University study shows higher concentrations of cancer-fighting antioxidants in organically grown tomatoes and other fruits and veggies. Swedish research finds that strawberries grown organically inhibit the growth of breast and colon cancer to a greater degree than do conventionally grown berries.

For children, the ecidence is even more compelling. Eating organically produced foods can eliminate exposures to a dangerous class of insectcides klnown to disrupt neurological development in infants and children.

Looking for the quick meals? Here are a few to keep in mind, that are not only healthy, but pack a great deal of healthy ingredients as well.

Try these recipes as well:

Mixed Medley Stir-Fry:

3 tbsp. sesame oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp. fresh ginger, grated
1 package Mori-Nu Organic Silken Tofu®, drained and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 lb. broccoli florest, sliced
1/4 lb. snow peas, stems trimmed
1/2 cup red pepper, slivered
1/2 cup yellow pepper, slivered
1/2 cup leek, thinly sliced
1/4 cup roasted peanuts
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 can (8 oz.) pineapple chunks, drained (reserve liquid)
1/2 cup Mandarin orange sigments
1/4 cup light soy sauce
2 tbs. tomato sauce
1 tbs. cornstarch

Heat sesame oil in a medium sixed pan. Sauté garlic, ginger, and tofu until lightly browned. Remove tofu and set aside.

Add next 9 ingredients in order given. Stir-fry until vegetables are just crips and tender. Seperately combine reserved pineapple liquid, soy sauce, tomato sauce, and conrstarch until smooth. Stir into work, throughly coating ingredients. Add tofu cubes. Serve hot over steamed rice.
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Kamut Ditalini & Bean Salad:

1 package of Organic Kamut Ditalini Pasta
1 can Organic Grabanzo beans, drained
1 can Organic Kidney beans, drained
1 can Organic Great Northern beans, drained
1 cip thinly sliced celery, including leaves
3 large plum tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or parsley
1 can (12 oz) artichoke hearts packed in water, drained and quartered
2 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 tbs Organic Brown mustard
3/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground balck pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions. Combine remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl. When pasta is down, drain and add to bowl. Toss to mix. Let stand 3 to 5 minutes and serve.
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Artichoke Ribbons with Asparagus, Snow Peas & Avocado:

1 lb. asparagus trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengeths
1lb. snow peas, strings removed
1 avocado halved, pitted, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 tbs fresh lemon juice
1 package Organic artichoke ribbons
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground balck pepper
1/2 cup fresh mint, pasrsley or basil, chopped
1/4 cup shredded organic parmesan cheese

Cook asparagus in a pot of boiling water, 2 minutes unitl bright green. Remove with a slotted spoon. Add snow peas, cook 30 seconds, remove. Prepare avocado, sprinkle with lemon juice. Cook pasta per package directions. Drain and set saide. Place olive oil, asparagus, snow peas, garlic, salt and pepper in a pasta cooking pot. Cook about 2 minutes. Add cooked pasta, avocado, pasley and cheese. Toss to combine, and season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve topped with choice of garnish and additional cheese if desired.

Due to the Iniversity of California at Davis study of kiwi fruit grown organically and kiwi fruit grown conventionally, the organic kiwi fruit had a lot more disease fighting antioxidants, vitamin C, potassium, and calcium than the conventional grown kiwi fruit. This is due in part because the organically grown kiwi fruit was grown without pesticides and is under more emvironmental stress, which causes it to produce more antioxidants naturally compaired to the conventionally grown kiwi fruit that pesticides were used on. So ultimately this means that locally, pesticide-free fruit is a whole lot better for you physically.

Happy Eating!

The Kellogg Company® has agreed to phase out its advertising of foods containing more than 200 calories, 2 grams of saturated fat, and 12 grams of sugar to children under 12 years of age. Cereal ads such as Froot Loops™ during Saturday morning cartoons.

This coming 6 months after the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, and two parents threatened the company and Viacom, which owns Nickelodeon, with legal action. There will be some commercials that stay on the air and the ads still are broadcast to children though. (Source: Taste for Life)

Not only will Frosted Flakes commercials remain on children’s programming, but this cereal and other “acceptable” processed foods contain as much as two and half teaspoons of sugar per serving. Since TV viewing is as important a factor in overweight issues among children as a family history. Parents need to be the main ones that inhibit healthy eating among children.

Keep this in mind when choosing healthy foods: Anything containing mineral oils and high sugars such as, high fructose corn syrup shouldn’t be going into your childs mouth. They maybe cheap and kids like them, but mineral oil is also used in beauty products and is easy to manufacter. Would you let your child sit and eat lotion or baby oil? Then don’t feed them products with mineral oil in them such as most of the character fruit snacks that are on the market.

Parents need to monitor TV screen time and offer kids healthy sweets instead. 100% fruit juice snacks need to be purchased in a health food section of your grocery store or better yet a health food store. But, do you homework, if your child wants you to buy something, read labels, if it sounds unhealthy or you can’t pronounce it DON’T BUY IT! And teach your child what is good for them and what isn’t. Those life lessons last a forever.

Happy Eating!