Cooking
Secret Tip On how to Avoid GMOs at the Grocery Store
Many of us are eating Genetically Modified Foods (GMOs) whether we realize it or not. Do you know how to tell the difference?
It turns out that you can easily tell whether the produce you purchase at the grocery store is a GMO simply by reading the PLU (price look up) code.
Here’s what you need to be aware of:
1. If the PLU is 5 digits and begins with an 8, then it a Genetically Modified Organism.
2. If the PLU is 4 digits, even if it contains a symbol at the beginning, then it is not a GMO.
Regarding your purchases of processed foods, keep in mind that according to Wikipedia, as many as 75% of ALL processed foods on American shelves contain at least one GMO.
Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a way to discern if a packaged item contains GMOs or not. Yet another reason to avoid the entire middle section of the grocery store as much as possible.
For wholesome, nutritious and delicious recipe ideas, be sure to visit my gluten-free recipe page.
Best,
Tina
Packing the Kids a Healthy Lunch
What exactly should you look for in a healthy, well-balanced lunch? You should make sure to include whole grains, fruits and vegetables, calcium, and lean protein. The USDA has daily recommendations for children for each of these food groups, and you should aim to provide as much as possible in each category when preparing your child’s lunch.
Collect recipes just as you would for dinners which can deliver to your child the nutrition he needs in a variety of creative ways. You can make lunch for the whole family in large servings—for Mom, Dad, and all the kids. Not only will this ensure that you’re feeding your child a variety of tasty foods, since you’ll be eating it yourself, but you’ll also save money and time by simplifying lunch-making.
If you’re strapped for time, get your kids to prepare their own lunches the night before (this is usually better than rushing in the morning). Kids are actually happy to help with cooking are able to pull it off with success with some supervision. It is with this in mind that I’ve created Danny the Dragon Children’s Cookbook as part of my Danny the Dragon children’s series.
Give your child the daily gift of a well-balanced lunch and watch him thrive!
Probiotics Can Prevent Children’s Flu
A recent study shows that preschoolers who were given probiotic supplements twice a day were less likely to experience fevers, coughs, and runny noses than preschoolers who weren’t taking any during flu season. Probiotics are “good germs,” which promote a healthy balance between good and bad bacteria and between good bacteria and yeast in the digestive system. As a result, immunity is boosted.
Breast milk naturally has probiotics and there are also probiotic-fortified formulas out there for non-breastfed babies. There’s also a type of fiber called prebiotics which promotes the growth of probiotics. You can pick up powdered or liquid infant and children’s probiotics at the health food store and add these to breast milk, formula, or other liquids your child is drinking. Make sure to check the container for storage instructions. Usually, they need to be stored in the refrigerator. You can also find this nutrient in probiotic-rich foods such as yogurt and yogurt drinks as well as certain brands of baby foods.
Vitamin D Can Prevent Children’s Flu
Many studies have recently come out singing the benefits of the super-nutrient, vitamin D, which helps to activate immune cells. It’s recommended that children get 400 IU daily of vitamin D. What’s unique about this nutrient is that you can get it just by enjoying some sun; sunlight triggers production of it in your skin.
Unfortunately, a lot of kids aren’t exposed to enough sunlight, so they’re not getting enough of this important nutrient. It’s important that you provide vitamin-D rich foods such as fortified milk and juices, cheese, eggs, and salmon in your child’s diet. A glass of milk has 100 IU of vitamin D. Unless your child is prepared to drink four glasses of milk a day, which is unlikely, it is probably a good idea to find a supplement with vitamin D in it. Similarly, for infants who are exclusively breastfed, it’s important to find a supplement with 400 IU of vitamin D, as breast milk is deficient in it.
Healthy Eating for the Kids—Easy Tips
It all starts with some planning. It’s best to create a menu for the week with healthy recipes that take thirty minutes or less to prepare, unless you know you’ll have more time available for cooking. There are many easy, healthy recipes available online which you can prepare in a snap.
Homemade cooking is the best way to ensure the family will be eating right. Even healthier TV dinners can be packed with sodium. When you prepare your own food, you are in control of it. You can add powerful nutrients by throwing in some wheat germ oil, rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, low-fat instead of regular cheese, or whatever you’ d like.
When you go grocery shopping, I recommend that you leave the kids at home. If you do have to take the kids along with you while you go shop, make sure everybody eats a big, filling meal first. One of the most important steps in improving your kids’ diets is keeping the house full of healthy foods instead; remember, your kids can’t binge on junk food at home if you don’t have any.
Prepare snacks ahead of time for the week, keeping them in high-quality storage containers. Your kids can grab from these ready-made snacks, such as celery and almond butter, when they start to get hungry. Eventually, you’ll be sure to find tons of good-for-them goodies that you’ll both approve of.
Finally, get the kids involved in healthy cooking. Studies show that children who participate in household chores, such as cooking and making their own lunches, grow up with a better sense of self and end up more successful than less helpful or involved children. Kids of all ages will be able to find some way to help with the cooking, and they will love to be included.
Danny the Dragon Contest – October Winners!
The Fowler family including Tyler (7 yrs old), Parker, Isabell and Peyton (4 yr old triplets), pictured above in their Halloween costumes, are the winners of the October contest as part of the Danny the Dragon Gluten-Free “Halloween” cupcake party that was hosted by Tina Turbin in Florida.
The kids will soon receive their Danny the Dragon gift basket loaded with goodies and Danny the Dragon give-aways!
I am very pleased to also share the Fowler triplets’ story. Their mother briefly shares what it has been like to raise 3 children with celiac:
Our Celiac Disease Journey started in May of 2007, the triplets were about to turn two and I was questioning the doctor about their small stature. Like most, the belief was that there were 3 of them, so it might just be their size, but at their two year check up we would run more tests if they had not gained any weight. No surprise, their two year check up came and the girls had failed to put on ANY weight in the 6 month period prior to their checkup.
At that point, we decided to see the Pediatric GI here in St. Pete who immediately thought Celiac or Cystic Fibrosis. He was pretty optimistic and we were sent home wishing for an auto immune disease. Being a mom with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Auto-immune hepatitis and Thyroid Disease (all auto immune diseases), I only began to worry about what the girls health would look like in the future. Not a promising outlook but the Celiac diagnosis was manageable and that is what we were hoping for.
Halloween 2007 we spent the majority of the day screening at All Childrens for Celiac and Cycstic Fibrosis. The girls were poked, and encouraged to sweat for their tests, so we walked the halls of All Childrens prompting them with Candy corn.
Long story short, the results were Celiac Disease and after their biopsy’s we learned their small intestines had been effected and they were no longer absorbing the nutrients they needed to grow. AHHHHHHHHHHH at last a diagnosis, now to change the diet.
My husband and I left the hospital that day and went straight to the health food store in St. Pete and began our Gluten Free lifestyle. We also have a 7 yr old soon (5 at time of diagnosis) and another son (the 3rd triplet), both who do not have Celiac, so we knew we were in for a big change.
The transition went better than expected and within 6 months the girls blood levels had balanced off and were within normal range. We finally saw the weight gain, and they were beginning to look like big kids, instead of a year or two younger than they actually were.
The girls are now getting close to being on the growth charts, and are showing signs of growth all around. We still hear that they are small because they were multiples but at least now we know it is not their diets causing it. Overall you can see they are eating more of what they like and just feeling better.
It is a big adjustment to make, but it is manageable and with the right attitude and support you can fine tune the diet so that no child is left out or feels “different” because of what they eat. My girls are sure to ask at every outing, “is it gluten free?”, and that alone puts a smile on my face.
How Do You Teach Kids to Eat Gluten-Free?
As many of you know, I write for a variety of publications. I am a featured columnist for the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA), and much of what I write is beneficial for parents!
Be sure to read my October tip and “tid bit” in the latest issue of the NFCA newsletter.
This month’s tip will inform you on how to easily teach children about eating a gluten free diet. Believe me, it’s not as daunting as it may seem! Click here to read.
Danny The Dragon and Me- Cupcake Parties Are Fun!
Boy oh boy, Danny has me busy folks. There is so much happening and such wonderful people reaching out to us to come to schools, events, hospitals and venues. My books are spreading out there and landing in some lovely venues for sale. Thank you everyone!
I am heading to Los Angeles right after my very popular Halloween Cupcake Party Danny and I are hosting with a terrific team a children and parent bakers. I only have 100% Gluten-Free Parties! Pamela’s Products, is sponsoring this event in support of my efforts and my interest to help Dr. Peter Green at the Celiac Disease Center. This amazing man correctly diagnosed about 2500 celiac patients last year alone and the year before and the year before that…. Need I say more?
All of this will be filmed on October 24th, Saturday. Check your Tampa, St Pete .and Clearwater newspapers, check the internet and check out http://is.gd/4pYn1 for specifics. ( Los Angeles cupcake party will be announced before the end of this year too!) I invite you to join in the fun and support my this Cause.
Please contact me via the contact page if you are interested.Id love to have you join. We have limited spaces available but I was told this week-end we can take a few more kids and moms, since I really want to bake and decorate a load of gluten free cup-cakes for everyone to take home. Yummy!
Thank you Everyone for your support and good wishes, Tina Turbin and Danny
Gluten-Free Halloween Cupcake Party!
As many of you know, our August Gluten-Free cupcake party was a smashing success! So by popular demand I will be hosting a Gluten-Free “Halloween” cupcake party, to be videotaped and used to raise funds and awareness for the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University Medical Center.
Date: Saturday October 24th
Time: 2-4 p.m.
Location: Dunedin, Florida
RSVP: Rosie Newman at roseann.newman@gmail.com
Parents and kids are invited to help bake and decorate delicious Halloween treats for a good cause. Space is limited, so be sure to confirm your participation today by emailing Rosie Newman at
roseann.newman@gmail.com.
Successful Tips to Get Your Child to Eat Vegetables!
I’ve written my 2nd article for the September issue of the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) newsletter, which focuses on: fun, sure-fire ways to help your child to actually LIKE eating vegetables, as well as proven methods to “sneak” vegetables in to many of your everyday meals.
I’m sure you’ll agree, many parents will benefit from the above!
Read the full article here and prepare for some meal-time magic! After you click on the above link, be sure to scroll about halfway down the page, and go to my section entitled: “Tid Bits with Tina”.
Happy vegetable eating! And if you’d like to share your own proven, successful methods for vegetable-eating with kids and/or have any success with your kids as a result of this blog entry, please do let me know.
