6 packets of stevia
1 cup of maple syrup
1 stick of butter
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1½ cup wheat flour or whole grain flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
3 cups of oats
Raisins or chocolate chips optionally
Mix
Drop by the spoonful on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.
Okay we have talked about the importance of protein, whole grains, and vegetables. Now it is time to address the importance of fruit. Fruit is usually not a big problem to get kids to eat, we as parents just have to make sure we always have fresh fruit available.
Fruits have a lot of those antioxidants that we talked about in the last article on vegetables. Remember the antioxidants get rid of the free radicals that if left to there own devices would damage cells and those damaged cells could become any number of diseases. Fruit also has a cleansing effect on the body. Fruit provides many vitamins and minerals to help our children think and concentrate. The reasons for eating our fruits and vegetables might be the same but we get different vitamins and minerals from them. We typically get more minerals from our vegetables than our fruits because they are closer to the ground.
Anyway, we need to make sure our children are getting at least 2 servings of fruit per day. My kids always hear this question, right after they ask me for a snack, “Have you eaten your 2 fruits for the day?” One of the reasons I ask this when they are asking for a snack is because fruits are not supposed to be combined with other food especially meat. The reason for this is because fruit digests very fast and meat digests very slow. Therefore if you eat them together you force the digested fruit to sit there and wait for the meat to digest. The fruit will start to ferment inside you, and this can cause gas, bloating, and a stomach ache. Snack time is a great time to have your children eat their fruit alone.
Not all fruits and vegetables are created equal. The darker the better. For example, raw spinach has more nutrients than romaine lettuce and romaine has more nutrients than iceberg. In fact, iceberg lettuce is almost void of nutrients. Red grapes have more nutrients than green grapes.
Another very important thing to remember is that after fruits and vegetables are cooked a lot of the nutrients are lost. If they are highly processed and heated all the nutrients could be missing. You want to buy mainly raw and fresh, then second to that frozen, and try not to buy any canned fruits and vegetables. The fiber is definitely missing from your canned fruit, because of this and the fact the fruit naturally has sugar in it, it will cause a spike in your child’s blood sugar level. This can make your child hyper then tired, and cause him or her to have a hard time focusing.
When you cook your fruits and vegetables you also kill the enzymes. Enzymes are so important. Enzymes help your body digest the food you eat.
So, to sum things up for each meal pull one item from each of the following groups; protein, whole grain, and vegetable. Dinner time we just have a double portion of our vegetable. Breakfast, we don’t eat a vegetable. Snack time is always fruit first in our house. Don’t forget about the importance of drinking water.
I hope and pray this will help your family. Thanks, Michelle
Email me at askmichelleabouthealth@yahoo.com
