You have made the decision to grow your own vegetables. It’s a lifestyle and health choice. You want the best for your family and there are no shortcuts on the way. Good for you!

So now you’ve got all these wonderful fresh vegetables growing in your garden how do you get the kids to eat them? We should be eating 5-9 servings of fruit and vegetables a day. Many adults don’t get the full servings required and you know the kids are getting a fraction of that.

If you’ve got problems getting vegetables into the kids, try a few of these strategies…

Some of the key nutrients in brown rice include B vitamins, maganese, selenium, iron and fiber. The health benefits of brown rice read like a laundry list to disease prevention and boosting the immune system. These benefits include lowering cholesterol, reduced risk of diabetes, heart disease, heart attack, stroke and colon cancer, reduced severity of asthma, and lower frequency of migraine headaches.

Whole grains, like brown rice may also help women in weight management. An obesity study conducted at the Harvard School of Public Health showed that women who consistently consumed more whole grains weighed less than women who consumed fewer.

When it comes to eating brown rice, most people discover the nutty flavor is far more appealing than the bland taste of its stripped down relative.

Age to introduce: About six months old in the form of infant cereal only. About 12 months for cooked grain texture.

At the market: Brown rice contains natural oils, which can turn rancid on the shelf. For packaged rice, check for usability dates and when buying in bulk, choose a store that has a high turnover. If organic brown rice is available, consider purchasing it over conventionally grown rice. Conventionally grown brown rice has been found to contain small traces of arsenic. While the levels of arsenic are low and will not cause immediate illness, the build up of arsenic in the body, might be linked to some cancers.

Storage: Oil-rich brown rice will turn rancid at room temperature. If stored in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator or freezer, it will stay fresh for up to a year.

Tips on cooking rice: Rice can be a little tricky to cook perfectly. Here are a few tips from the U.S. Rice Federation that will help you out:

• Accurately measure rice and liquid.
• Set timer to prevent under or over-cooking.
• Keep lid on pot during cooking to prevent steam from escaping.
• Rice triples in volume. Use cookware appropriate for the amount of rice you are preparing.
• Do not stir. Stirring releases the starch, resulting in rice that is sticky.
• At the end of cooking time, remove lid and test for doneness. If rice is not tender or liquid is not absorbed, cook 2 to 4 minutes longer.
• When rice is cooked, fluff with fork or slotted spoon to allow steam to escape and keep the grains separate.

For those who plan ahead, soaking brown rice overnight cuts the cooking time dramatically. Soak the rice in the measured amount of water you’ll need to cook it, and cook it in the same water, adding more if necessary. DO NOT drain the rice after soaking it, nutrients will be lost.

And for those who do not like to cook rice, you can pick it up from your local Chinese restaurant. Almost all Chinese restaurants offer a choice of white or brown rice.

Here are some creative and tasty ideas for adding brown rice to your family meals: Never serve a boring side dish ever again. Adding a few simple ingredients to brown rice will put a gourmet spin on any family dinner. After your brown rice has been cooked, and while it is still in a hot pan, try adding any of these ingredients:

• Chopped cilantro, parmesan and lemon zest with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
• Chopped mango, black beans, 1 tablespoon lime juice and 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Chopped, cooked shitake mushrooms, green peas, sesame seeds (or a drizzle of sesame oil) and 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Chopped tomatoes, scallions 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Chopped pineapple, cilantro and 2 tablespoons coconut milk
• Chopped cooked carrots, sliced almonds, and fresh parsley and 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Creamed spinach, crumbled gorgonzola, and chopped walnuts
• Chopped cooked broccoli, cubed firm tofu, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon olive oil

Don’t throw out leftover rice. It is great to have on hand for stirring into soups and broths. You can also use it to make terrific salads, here are two simple recipes.

Veggie Brown Rice Salad
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked brown rice
1/2 cup corn kernels (roasted is a nice touch)
2-3 seeded, chopped plum tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped green and red pepper
2-3 chopped green onions
1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions: Toss all ingredients in a bowl, add salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Fruity Brown Rice Salad
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked brown rice
2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 cup vanilla or lemon yogurt
1/4 cup of honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice.

Directions:
Toss all ingredients in a bowl and serve.

About the Authors
Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers are sisters, the mothers of five children and founders of Fresh Baby, creators or products such as homemade baby food kits, baby food cookbooks, baby food and breast milk storage trays, breastfeeding reminders, and child development diaries. Visit them online at www.FreshBaby.com and subscribe to their Fresh Ideas newsletter to get monthly ideas, tips and activities for developing your family’s healthy eating habits!

Parents often wonder how much food should their little ones (1-2 years old) be eating. Recent media coverage suggests over the past 20 years, restaurants and food companies have been increasing their serving sizes. This trend is considered to be a contributing factor in the rise in obesity (among adults and children).

We all know that children should eat less than adults. After all, they are smaller. The following are some serving size guidelines for a 1-2 year old that may help you out.

Milk/Dairy: Servings: 16-20 ounces of milk per day. Whole milk, soy or rice milk are recommended. Other equivalents: 1/2 -3/4 ounce of cheese = 4 ounces of milk. 1/4 cup of yogurt = 2 ounces of milk.

Fruits and veggies: Servings: 5 or more per day. Serving size: 1-2 tablespoons – Pureed, mashed, or cubed.

Grains: Servings: 3-4 per day. Serving sizes: 1/2 slice of bread, 1/4 cup of cooked cereal, 1/4 cup of dry cereal. 1/4 cup of pasta, 2-3 saltine crackers, or 1/2 tortilla.

Non-dairy Proteins (meat, fish, beans, eggs): Servings: 2 per day. Serving sizes: 1/2 egg, 2-3 tablespoons beans (i.e. black, pinto, edamame, etc…), 1 tablespoon peanut butter, or 1 ounce of fish, lean beef, pork or chicken.

About the Authors
Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers are sisters, the mothers of five children and founders of Fresh Baby, creators or products such as homemade baby food kits, baby food cookbooks, baby food and breast milk storage trays, breastfeeding reminders, and child development diaries (www.FreshBaby.com). Visit them online at www.FreshBaby.com and subscribe to their Fresh Ideas newsletter to get monthly ideas, tips and activities for developing your family’s healthy eating habits!

When shopping for your family, you should consider that per pound of body weight, babies consume about 60 times more fruits and vegetables than adults. This fact combined with undeveloped digestive and immune systems, put young children at the greatest health risk for pesticide residues. To minimize the effects, you might consider buying organic for those foods that your children eat regularly.

Produce: Pesticides levels vary in produce. Here is a list of common fruits and veggies that are high in pesticide residues*. Because of the naturally high levels, you might consider buying organic for these foods:

Apples
Bell peppers
Celery
Cherries
Grapes (imported)
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Potatoes
Red Raspberries
Spinach
Strawberries

On the flip side, these fruits and veggies are commonly found to have the lowest levels of pesticide residues*

Asparagus
Avocados
Bananas
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Corn (sweet)
Kiwi
Mangos
Onions
Papayas
Pineapples
Peas (sweet)
*Source: The Environmental Workers Union

Organic food means different things depending on the product. Organic produce (fruits and vegetables) are grown without the use of conventional pesticides, artificial fertilizers or sewage sludge, and without ionizing radiation, bioengineering or food additives. The same concept as planting an apple tree in your backyard, and doing nothing but watering it and then picking the apple off and eating it. Organic fruits and vegetables also lack genetically modified organisms or altered DNA.

For meat, dairy, eggs and poultry it means animals reared without the routine use of antibiotics and without the use of growth hormones. Thes products have no additives to make them richer or fattier, they are naturally farmed and raised. Like organic produce, organic meat, dairy and poultry lack the genetically modified organisms that non-organic foods contains.

Fresh or Processed
Organic food can come both fresh and processed. with most fresh foods being seasonal and higher priced than non-organic foods. Often they are easier found at a farmer’s market or specialty grocery stores. Consumers worried about effects on their pocket book can price shop to find the best prices in their area. Fresh organic fruits and vegetables are likely much easier to find than fresh meat and dairy products.

Processed organic food is more commonly found at the neighborhood supermarket Processed organics often come from large conglomerates that produce food in larger quantities. Processed organic foods usually contain organic ingredients without artificial food additives, and are processed through fewer artificial methods.

When shopping for organic foods, keep in mind you will find most of it near the produce. Organic fruits and vegetables largely out number the meat and dairy organic choices in neighborhood grocery stores. Trouble identifying organics? Try the one under the higher price tag!

Baby Food
One popular organic item hitting the shelves is organic baby food. Baby food sections now include almost as many organic selections as non-organics. It is becomming more common for new parents to be concerned about added preservatives and artificial flavors when they start feeding baby. These concerned new moms and dads are choosing organic baby food for their little one. For more on organic baby food see our article by clicking here.

Consumers
It is believed that most of the pesticides infants and young children come in contact with come from non-organic baby food,non-organic fruits and vegetables. These products are treated with pesticides, artificial preservatives and other additives. Studies show that simply by replacing your non-organic foods with organic you can decrease the risks of pesticide levels dramatically. There has been much controversy over the safety of pesticides, leading to many families choosing organic produce for their home.

Environmental
Organic foods are also beneficial for the environment. Organic produce is not treated with pesticides, reducing the chemical levels released into our environment. Some pesticides can be harmful to animals and humans in or around the area. Organic farms also sustain a more diverse ecosystem without chemicals that potentially may kill plants, insects and other animals. Organic farms also conserve more energy and produce less waste, as they do not dispose of packaging for additives.

Producers
The lack of pesticide use on organic farms has huge health benefits for workers. When used correctly, pesticides get into the air, and are then breathed by workers. Resulting in medical conditions including abdominal pain, dizziness and headaches. Some believe long term exposure to pesticides contribute to cancer in some patients.

While organic foods are still in their infanthood, all of the long and short term benefits are not known. One would be pressed to argue the obvious fact that lack of pesticides and artificial additives make organic foods a better choice for ones’ family. Many families opt for organic foods, despite the slightly higher costs, feeling it is safer and healthier for their children and loved ones.

If you’re looking for freshness and great taste, of course you can’t beat the vegetables from local farms. But have you ever stopped to think about the gas used in shipping those veggies from Chili, Florida, or wherever? Or the gas that is being burned by loud, obnoxious, emissions-belching trains, and roaring dangerous tractor-trailer rigs on the highway?

Living green is about making a lot of little choices to eliminate our impact on our environment. If more and more people make those little responsible choices, maybe we can eliminate a truck on the highway, or even a lot of trucks on the highway. We can make an impact in the area of noise pollution as well as air pollution and depletion of natural resources by banding together. Buying local is a prime example.

Another thing about buying local produce is that you can get to know your local producers. Many of these agrarian folks are similarly interested in making the greener, simpler choices in life. Many of them raise their food organically. Often, they can become sources for responsibly raised meat and dairy products, or can advise you about where you can find these products.

These producers often are also a source for home baked wholegrain breads and goodies as they try to supplement their family income. The children often participate by selling cookies or produce from their own little gardens, thus learning valuable business and people skills.

Not all of green living is about chemicals and scientific statistics. When we get to know and support our local farmers, our world becomes friendlier and more charitable. Local farmers often have a strong sense of faith and family. When we buy from them, we are helping to support a way of life that is traditional and wholesome, a way of life that is quickly becoming extinct as our cities grow and our pace of life quickens.

When you think about it, there is much more to buying local produce than getting a great tasting tomato. Environmentalists have been saying for years, “Think globally, act locally.” Supporting your local producers, whether through an organized Farmers’ Market, or stopping by that house with the homemade sign proclaiming “Eggs – $1 a dozen,” you are making a statement that you are in favor of a gentler, greener world for all.

The effects of pesticides on the health of a young child are not fully known at this time, but the brain of the developing child is probably at risk. It certainly seems prudent to reduce the amount our children are exposed to. One way is by using organic fruits and veggies.

Organic produce is getting easier to find in regular supermarkets as the demand and production increases. Still, it’s often two or three times as expensive, and the choices are likely to be limited. One way to bring organic into the reach of your budget is to take up organic gardening. Even just a few cherry tomato plants can make a big difference in the overall amount of toxins you ingest.

It might be impossible to buy all organic fruits and vegetables. If you can’t, try to go organic for at least those fruits and veggies that tend to be loaded with pesticides. The top offenders among fruits are peaches, apples, strawberries, nectarines, cherries, pears, and imported grapes.

Among veggies, watch out for bell peppers, celery, spinach, lettuce, and potatoes. The twelve foods just mentioned are called by some the “Dirty Dozen.” Buying these foods as organics can eliminate the bulk of pesticides from your diet. The next most contaminated vegetables after the top dozen are carrots. Since we tend to use carrots frequently, you might want to opt for organic ones, especially if you use them in juicing.

Safest selections among non-organic produce include onions, frozen corn and peas, broccoli, cabbage, kiwis, bananas and pineapple. (Data was determined by the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit agency.)

What about washing produce to remove pesticides? Washing helps to remove substances like bacteria, but don’t trust washing and peeling to get rid of the pesticides. Studies have shown that the residues work their way into the very cells of the fruit or vegetable.

Don’t forget about your non-diet exposure to pesticides. Use simple natural insect repellents in your home. If you have a serious insect infestation, there are bait-type insecticides that are much safer to use than sprays that go everywhere. And just forget about those bombs. They leave residue on everything in your house

According to the Environmental Working Group, everyone should buy the following produce only when grown by organic means, since these are the most contaminated fruits and veges when grown conventionally:

• Apples
• Bell Peppers
• Celery
• Cherries
• Imported Grapes
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears
• Potatoes
• Red Raspberries
• Spinache
• Strawberries

Why is the above produce the worst of the bunch? Because their thin skins allow for the most absorption of pesticides, sewer sludge, and other poisons used to grow them by conventional means.

Since we’re making lists, here’s another group of foods you should consider buying organically if you want to avoid consuming chemicals that were banned in the 1970s but are still lingering around.

• Butter
• Cantaloupe
• Cucumbers / Pickles
• Meatloaf
• Peanuts (including peanut butter!)
• Popcorn
• Radishes
• Spinach
• Summer Squash
• Winter Squash

These foods are thought to be contaminated with pollutants that persist in the environment for decades and are linked to very serious developmental disorders, disease, and cancer.

Are you ready for a little good news? Here’s a list of foods that you can feel reasonably safe in purchasing conventionally grown:

• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Bananas
• Kiwi
• Sweet peas – frozen
• Asparagus
• Mango
• Pineapples
• Sweet Corn – frozen
• Avocado
• Onions

I try to buy everything organic but sometimes my budget just doesn’t allow it. It’s good to know I can take advantage of lower priced fruits & veges once in a while without exposing my family to too many poisons.

Question:
My kid thinks “chocolate” is one of the main food groups! She eats way too much junk food, and not enough healthy foods. How can I help her develop better eating habits?

Think about it:
Kids tend to focus more on immediate gratification than long-term benefits, especially when it comes to eating. It will take education and behavior modification to change your daughter’s eating habits.

Purge your kitchen:
Many children will eat junk if it’s available to them. The first step, then, is to make junk less accessible. Clean out your cabinets and refrigerator. Keep only a minimum amount of treats on hand. If you absolutely must have your chocolate, keep it hidden from little eyes. Interesting alternatives: Kids aren’t going to get excited about carrot strips and apple pieces! Keep a supply of tasty healthy choices available. Look for low-fat, low-sugar snacks that will appeal to your child. There are many types of muffins, bagels, breads, fruit-based snacks, puddings, and crackers that make good snack choices.

Powerful Habits:
Children tend to have favorite foods that they eat over and over. Try to replace the old favorites with a similar but healthier choice. For instance, if your child often eats potato chips, try to find a salty, crunchy replacement, such as pretzels. If your child is hooked on candy, choose licorice, jellybeans, or hard candy in small quantities as a better choice. (Note: Do not give hard candy to young children who may choke on it.)

Get moving! Encourage your child to be more active. Bored kids who aren’t staying busy may fill their time by eating. Enroll your child in a club, sports team or get her started with a hobby or craft activity. Replace old habits, such as munching in front of the TV with a more productive activity.

Copyright Elizabeth Pantley. (McGraw-Hill, 2003)

About the Author:
Elizabeth Pantley is the author of several books, including Gentle Baby Care : No-cry, No-fuss, No-worry — Essential Tips for Raising Your Baby, The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night, Kid Cooperation (with an introduction by William Sears, MD), Perfect Parenting, as well as her latest The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers and is also president of Better Beginnings, Inc. She is a popular speaker on family issues, and her newsletter, Parent Tips, is seen in schools nationwide. She appears as a regular radio show guest, and has been quoted in Parents, Parenting, Redbook, Good Housekeeping, American Baby, Working Mother, and Woman’s Day magazines. Visit Elizabeth’s web site http://www.pantley.com/elizabeth.

Your Baby’s Health
Many parents do not want to introduce their baby to the pesticides and artificial preservatives that are put in fruits and vegetables. They want their baby to be as healthy and pesticide free as possible, and are determined to only give their baby the best. Tests have shown that the pesticides do show up in children and decrease immediately when a child is switched from non-organic fruits and vegetables to organic fruits and vegetables. Long term health benefits are still unknown, but immediate health benefits are high and enough to sway many moms and dads to give their baby organic foods from the start.

Where To Start
Most parents start their children out on rice cereal from the baby food isle. For those that make that choice but want baby food for their baby that is pesticide free, they can choose to start with organic rice cereal. If you are really adventurous you can attempt to make your own organic rice baby food by purchasing organic rice, cooking it per the directions, blending it with breast milk till desired consistency, and serving it to your baby. You can even freeze it in ice cube trays and store it in plastic baggies till you are ready to feed it to your baby.

Organic Fruits and Veggies
After your baby has learned to eat and swallow the baby cereals and it is time to move onto the jarred baby foods, you still have lots of choices in the organic department. There are organic jarred baby foods in all the different stages. Your baby can start out with organic peas, carrots and sweet potatoes for the organic vegetables and organic bananas and apples for the fruits. Organic fruits and vegetables taste the same as the non-organic fruits and vegetables and give your baby a healthier alternative to the already healthy baby food he has begun to eat. As your baby moves up in stages the food changes and more organics are added. As your baby begins to eat table food you can choose organic fruits and vegetables for your table.

Organic foods are the new in “thing” for many families. While they are often a little bit more expensive than your non-organic food, having it available on the supermarket shelves is not only welcome, but convenient.