Oct 31 2008

Tips for Helping Young Children Eat Organic Foods

Tag: organic food @ 4:01 pm

Are you the parent of a young child who you would like to eat healthy? If you are, you may be interested in introducing your child to organic foods. Unfortunately, for some parents this can be easier said than done. If you are finding it difficult to introduce your toddler or preschooler to organic foods, please continue reading on, as a number of helpful tips are highlighted below.

One way to help your child get use to eating organic foods is to not tell them that they are doing so right away. Of course, you want your child to know that they are eating healthy and it is important for children to know what organic foods are, but you may want to wait until your child has already decided that they like eating organic, which they should. This is important for toddlers and preschoolers, as some may be turned away by the word “organic,” especially if it is a new word for them. There is really no reason why you need to tell your child that they are eating organic soap, when you could just simply say soup.

Introducing your child, especially young children, to organic foods slowly is another great approach. If you are making the switch to organic foods, consider making it a transition, instead of a traditional switch. Although your child will likely not be able to tell the difference in organic foods, some children are able to do so. This is where there are benefits to slowly introducing a child to organic foods. For example, start with snacks or one meal a day, such as an organic breakfast.

Speaking of snacks, they are a great way to get your child excited about eating organic foods. Did you know that there are a number of organic snacks, many of which are designed for toddlers and preschoolers? There are. For example, Earth’s Best Organic offers fruit snack bars, organic cookies, and organic crackers. Also, most of their products for toddlers and preschoolers come with Sesame Street themes. Snacks are a positive and fun way to introduce young children to organic foods. Also, consider offering your child a reward for eating all or most of their organic meals. This is great for picky eaters. What you can do is offer an organic cookie or an organic cracker as a reward if all or most of your child’s lunch or dinner is eaten.

Another easy, yet fun way to get your child excited about eating organically is by letting them help you shop. This is ideal if you will be doing your shopping locally. When using this approach, it is best to visit a specialty organic food store, as no matter what your child chooses it should be healthy and natural. For smaller children, point them in the right direction. For example, set your child in the cereal aisle if you are looking to buy cereal, and so forth.

The above mentioned ways are just a few of the many ways that you can successfully introduce your child to organic foods. These approaches are ideal for those at the toddler and preschool levels. Many find that this is the age range that is most difficult to make the switch to organic foods, as many children at this age dislike change, especially where their food is concerned.


Oct 31 2008

Rosemary

Tag: herbs @ 12:49 pm

Rosemary is a relative to the mint family and the name is derived from its Latin origin to mean “dew of the sea.” Rosemary is very common in Mediterranean cuisine and has somewhat of a bitter astringent taste to it. While that is true it compliments oily foods very nicely. A tisane can be made from the Rosemary leaves and that is also very popular when cooking.

First it is burned and then added to a BBQ to flavor various foods. Sage, unlike many other herbs has a high nutritional value to it and is rich in iron, calcium, and vitamin B-6 and is more nutritional in its dried form rather than fresh. Rosemary should be harvested just as you are going to use it because it truly loses its flavor once dried. Gardner’s swear that if you plant some Rosemary plants in and around your garden, the Rosemary will fend off moths, beetles, and carrot flies.

Older Europeans loved Rosemary and believed that it improved memory and also used it as a symbol of remembrance and was often tossed into fresh graves before they were buried over. Traditionally it has been said that Rosemary, left untrimmed, would grow for thirty three years where it will reach the height of Christ when he was crucified. Many would also place sprigs of Rosemary underneath their pillows to ward of evil and nightmares. Often the wood that comes from the stems of the Rosemary plant was used to make musical instruments. Remember that people back then liked to utilize every piece of something as not to waste. Today, many wreaths are made from Rosemary as a symbol of remembrance.

Today, Rosemary is still used for many things besides cooking as it is in potpourris, air fresheners, shampoos, and cosmetics. There has also been scientific evidence that Rosemary works very well as a memory stimulant. Rosemary has also shown some cancer prevention properties in animals. But further Rosemary has shown a strong relationship in relaxing muscles, and to soothe stomach upset as well as menstrual cramps. The main thing to remember when using Rosemary for this purpose is that if you use too much it can actually cause a counter effect.

When made into a tea it is ingested for calming nerves and anxiety and as an antiseptic. Rosemary when used as a tea many people find to taste very good. Making the tea from Rosemary is quite simple actually, just pour boiling water over the leaves and steep for 10-15 minutes. A little sugar can be added by you should not add any cream. A few sprigs can be added to oils and vinegars to flavor the products which add a nice taste for cooking.

When used cosmetically it can lighten and tone human hair and when mixed with equal parts of shampoo it has been known to strengthen hair too. It also makes for a nice additive in hot bath water. Rosemary is still used quite commonly today however more so for cooking than anything else.


Oct 29 2008

Tips for Choosing an Organic Food Store to Shop At

Tag: organic food @ 4:01 pm

If you have just recently decided to switch to organic foods, you may be looking for the best places to shop at. After all, it is no secret that organic foods can sometimes be difficult and costly to buy. With that being said, organic food consumption has increased in popularity over the past few years, as more individuals worry about their health. This means that you may have a number of different options when looking to buy organic foods.

If you do have a number of different options, when looking to buy organic foods, you may be wondering which option is best for you. For example, if you have two local, natural food stores, you may be wondering which one is actually best for you to shop at. When choosing an organic food store to shop at, there are a number of important points that you will want to keep in mind.

Price should play an important role in choosing an organic food store. As it was previously stated, organic foods are known for their increased prices. In fact, that is one of the many reasons why not everyone chooses to eat organically, as many are turned off by the cost of doing so. If you are looking to eat organically on a budget or if you are just looking to save money, examine the prices of your nearby organic food stores. Find a store that enables you to save the most money.

Product selection should also play an important role in choosing an organic food store to shop at. For example, in addition to specialty organic food stores, many supermarkets have organic food sections. As nice as this is, these sections are often extremely small in size. This means that you aren’t provided with the largest selection of organic foods. In fact, you may only have two or three organic cereals to choose from. To help ensure that healthy and tasty organic foods are consumed, the largest selection of products should be sought after.

Your alternatives should also be examined. As previously stated, many supermarkets have small organic food sections. It is also important to note that many cities and towns are seeing an increase in organic food stores. If you have two or more natural food stores to choose from, be sure to examine them all. If you do have a choice, not only look for affordable prices and large product selections, but also examine the level of customer service that you receive.

In addition to buying organic foods locally, they can also be purchased online. When looking to buy organic foods online, be sure to do business with a trusted website or company. Does the website in question look clean, professional, and is it easy to navigate? Remember that you do have a number of different options when looking to buy organic foods online, so be sure to find the best for you.

Should you decide to shop online for organic foods, it is important to examine shipping costs. As you likely already know, fresh and frozen organic foods need to be properly shipped. This may cost extra money, but it shouldn’t cost too much more. You will never want to pay more money for shipping than you need to. For that reason, you should compare shipping costs just like you would organic food prices.

Another great way to help you choose the organic food store that is best for your needs is by seeking recommendations from those that you now. Ask your friends, family members, coworkers, or neighbors for recommendations. It is even better if these individuals are organic food eaters themselves. If you are interested in buying organic foods online, consider joining an online community, like one that is designed for organic eaters or health conscious individuals. Ask about organic food recommendations, not just online stores, but products as well. In fact, did you know that many organic eaters are known to trade recipes on online message boards?


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