Our Daily Yeast Bread Recipe

I have been baking all of the bread for my family for a while now. It is so refreshing to not be dependent on store bought bread to help feed my family. Not only do I know what is in our bread but I can easily alter each loaf depending on the needs for that week. I have been adding a variety of fruits during the Christmas season for a special treat. I have also been able to keep many of the sugary treats out of my house this Holiday season because I baked bread for my friends and neighbors instead of cookies and candy.

Here is my fool proof everyday bread recipe:

2tsp yeast
.5 cup honey
1.5 cup warm water

Mix above ingredients and let stand until bubbly

3.5 cups whole wheat flour (sometimes I do all whole wheat and other times I substitute with 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour)
1 cup rolled oats
1.5 tsp sea salt
1.5T butter cut in 3 chunks
.5 cup vital wheat gluten
.25 cup ground flax meal

Mix dry ingredients.

If you will be using a bread machine add the wet and dry ingredients according to your machine's instructions. Typically the wet ingredients are added first and the dry ingredients are added next.

If you are making by hand, mix the above ingredients in a stand mixer until you get a nice dough ball. Cover and let rise 1.5 -2 hours. Pound dough on floured surface. Form into a loaf shape. Added to your favorite loaf pan and let rise again until the dough has doubled in size. Bake at 375 until the crust is golden.

Set a Good Example With Your Food Choices

How often do you think about your food choices? Perhaps every time you eat. Seems logical, right? The question is though, from whose perspective do you make your food choices. Do you think only about what you want to put in your mouth? Or do you think about your children and the example you are setting each time you put a bite of food in your mouth?

I am not here to tell you what to do or eat but rather I will share my experiences and impressions as they pertain to my own family. It is my hope that perhaps you will begin to reconsider your own food choices in light of my experiences and lessons learned.

My kids are food magnets, there is just no two ways about it. Whenever my husband or I get a snack or eat outside of normal meal times our three children swoop in around us from wherever they are in the house and what a bite of what we are eating. With three kids one bite quickly becomes a devouring of our plate without even one bite making its way into our mouths. This is typically not an issue at all because I have learned from past mistakes and purposefully choose healthy nutritious snacks for myself. I care deeply about the food my children consume so as a result my own eating habits have improved dramatically from my "pre-kids" days.

Some examples of my mid-morning or early afternoon snacks (the pregnancy has increased my appetite beyond recognition) include:

• vine ripened tomatoes with fresh mozzarella and fresh basil (when I have it available). Sometimes I drizzle a little EVOO and season with sea salt. Other times tis just a pinch of sea salt. For a serving of grains with my snack I will add whole wheat crackers or WASA bread; they both add a nice crunch to a soft textured snack.
• organic yogurt with fresh fruit pieces (apples oranges, grapes, etc.)
• fresh veggies with cream cheese or hummus
• a light salad with a variety of toppings (I have found my kids are more open to eating a salad if they see me eating one)
• fresh fruit with peanut butter and cheese slices (I make up a big plate of fruit slices, peanut butter, and cheese slices for everyone to share together)

Now dinner is a more difficult endeavor in our family. I do my best to prepare healthy and well balanced meals 99% of the time (we all have to splurge on dinner made with breakfast food from time to time). My oldest son will eat anything you put in front of him, my younger 2 however are more challenging. I know with time and age will come more willingness to eat a variety of foods though. Despite the challenges and reluctance at dinner my husband and I stay fast to our rule of not preparing a special meal or allowing after dinner snacks for those that refuse to eat the meal that was prepared for the entire family. My kids all know this rule and no longer argue or question us when the issue arises.

Another challenge when trying to raise healthy eaters is when eating out. The rule in our family is that you must eat the healthy portion of your meal (sandwich, meat serving, etc) before moving onto any less healthier side dish on the plate. At restaurants where they offer side choices for the kids we do not allowed fried food (french fries, etc). If there is more than one unhealthy side choice I simply let my kids know which items they can choose from (salad, fruit, steamed veggies, etc) and and stay strong to my decision. I figure that even if they only eat a few bites of their side dish that is better than eating an entire serving of the less than healthy option they have otherwise been served. Also, just like at home my husband and I prefer to choose rather healthy meal options when eating out. For example, I will request my hamburger wrapped in lettuce rather than having it served on a bun. I will also ask that they exchange the standard french fry side serving with a side salad with dressing on the side.

Am I fanatical about our food choices? Absolutely not! We have our fair share of less than ideal eats in this house. Is it a daily occurrence though? Not at all. The big picture in all of this is that as parents we need to teach our children healthy eating habits. To that end I believe those lessons begin with the food we put in our own mouths. Eating is definitely not a "do as I say, not as I do" lesson. Healthy eating is a life long decision, it doesn't happen overnight and it certainly doesn't come naturally.

Low Carb Eating and Type 1 Diabetes

Have you ever stopped to think about how many carbohydrates (in grams) you consume everyday? I didn't think so. Other than the low carb fad diets that pop up from time to time I hadn't given carbs a second thought in my own diet until a fateful day in November 2006. My husband had just turned 31 and I was 5 months pregnant with my daughter. In one week he lost his job and got diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. To say the least, our world was turned upside down. After the carb withdrawal dust settled we adapted nicely to our new low-carb diabetes diet.

I whole-heartedly believe that if more people watched their carb loads the obesity epidemic would not exist. My own experience is a testament to that fact. No I have never been obese but I have seen a dramatic difference in my weight since counting carbs. My husband too has seen a dramatic difference in his weight but some of that can be attributed to his diabetes so I will leave his weight loss out of this story.

As I mentioned above I was 5 months pregnant with my daughter when my husband was diagnosed and our eating habits were turned upside down. Rather than changing only my husband's diet our entire family started eating according to his requirements. In the final 4 months of my pregnancy I gained 10 pounds, for a total my entire pregnancy of 18 pounds. Compare that to 35 pounds gained in my first pregnancy. Carbohydrates are notorious diet killers and cause us all to quickly pack on the pounds.  The average American's daily carb intake is in the high hundreds of grams, for some people it nears 800 grams. This is just insane! No wonder everywhere you look people are struggling with their weight.

My husband's daily carbohydrate intake is less than two hundred grams. Please keep in mind this is a little higher than recommended for most type 1 diabetics because he is tall, 6'3". On average he eats 60 grams of carbohydrates per meal. Like my husband I too eat around 200 grams of carbohydrates per day. Of course I have had to alter my meal planning, but after over 3 years it has become second nature. It can become habit for you too, if you so desire.

How do you count total carbs? Simple. For packaged foods subtract the fiber (in grams) from the carbohydrates (in grams) to calculate the total carbs per food. For fruits, vegetables, and other common foods consult Carbohydrate Counting for Common Foods (a pdf).

total carbohydrates (g) - fiber  (g) = net carbohydrate amount per serving/food 

In addition to carb counting, here are some simple ways to drastically reduce your carb load for the day:

1. You do not need bread, rice, potatoes, or other starches with every meal.
2. Eliminate desserts. But rather make it a special treat once a week or so.
3. But whole wheat. The fiber count in whole wheat is higher, therefore the total carb for the food will be lower.
4. Substitute an extra portion of veggies for a serving of starch.

Low carb eating is not a diet for my family, it is our way of life.

Are you struggling with your waistline? Count your daily carbs for one week, you just might be sabotaging your diet and exercise efforts.

Stay tuned for low carb meal ideas.

Promoting Healthy Eating in Children

As I sit here eating a late night treat I thought I would write about promoting healthy eating in your children. Oxymoron? Most definitely, but my kids don't know where I stash the girl scout cookies! :)

All too often friends of mine complain about what their kids eat, how picky they are, and a wide variety of other complaints centered around their children eating. One question always pops in my head. . .and exactly where did your kids get the horrible things they are eating? You see where I am going with this post.

Friends, family, and even strangers in restaurants comment on how well my children eat. Everyday my children get varying servings of lean proteins, vegetables, fruit, low fat dairy, and low carb snacks. Why do my kids eat the stuff that other kids their age turn their nose up at? One answer, it is the only option they have. I do not buy processed snacks, frozen dinners, fried quick meals, or anything else that congeals when cold. My children truly know nothing else other than healthy eating. It is normal to them, they know nothing else. But guess what? They don't complain about it either. My kids have all eaten salad starting at age 2, fresh fruit from the time they could chew, and dinner is always made fresh. Of course there is a special night here and there when we order pizza or go to our favorite Mexican restaurant. These are special occasions though and my kids know not to expect them. No, I am not a treat or sweets warden. I am a sucker for chocolate and my dear husband almost always has some stash in the house for me. I share with my kids but they do not expect it everyday. Desert is not a staple in our house. When planning a meal I do not include desert simply because of a personal decision my husband and I have made to raise a healthy family.

So how do you promote healthy eating habits in your own family?
1. First and foremost, you are the example your kids will follow. Make healthy food choices. No more processed junk or fried yuck in the house. My daughter always wants to eat what is in my hand, no matter what it is. So naturally she has grown up eating healthy because she sees and eats what I eat. This has also proved to be an added incentive for my own healthy eating. I know she is going to want what I have, so I have to eat healthy if I want her to eat healthy.

2. Make healthy snacks available to your children. Keep the healthy stuff at their eye level with easy access. Veggies should be placed in a low drawer in the refrigerator. Keep a fruit bowl on the kitchen counter. My kids are always climbing on the kitchen counter to get a piece of fruit. Keep healthy snacks in the pantry at their eye level.

3. Think about your grocery purchases. Do you really need that bag of potato chips? Is there a better alternative to chicken strips and cheez-its? Of course there is. Save money and just don't buy them. You may hear a complaint or two for a couple of weeks. After that though, they will get used to the healthier alternatives.

4. Plan your meals. Stopping rushing around at night trying to scrounge something decent to eat. This leads to foods of convenience and they are generally not the healthiest choice for your family. Plan 1 or 2 weeks at a time, maybe even a month at a time. Use your crock pot as much as possible, they are convenient and will save you a ton of time.

5. Set limits. When your children ask for a snack give them 2 healthy choices and do not waver in your decision. Also, when you are out to eat look over the childrens menu and let your child decide from the 2 most healthy options.

As a parent it is your responsibility to your children to teach them healthy eating habits. No your kid isn't just big boned. No she isn't going to hit a growth spurt big enough to allow her to grow into the pudge around her belly. "He has always been big" can no longer be an excuse for overweight children. Get them moving, exercising, and eating right all day everyday. Don't send your children out into this world with self-confidence issues centered around their weight, do not ill equip them to deal with the fat and sugar laden food that will bombard their senses when they begin to live on their own. Just as you educate them about the 3 R's also teach them about food choices, portion control, and self control. You owe it to them.