One of THOSE Moms

I learned very quickly, once he was diagnosed with a fairly severe milk intolerance, that Hoo was going to be the person in the family I learned, all over again, to cook for.

Those were the days when you were lucky to find soy milk in an airtight container on the store shelf at Whole Foods.  And you ALWAYS had to check the date or you might get a nasty, stinky surprise upon opening the box.* 

There were a ton of experiments and lots of wasted ingredients those first years.  When you lose the binding agent in milk, the very protein that Hoo is highly sensitive to, you often lose texture, consistency, and elasticity.  In the early days, I would often end up with a gooey mess that felt strange in our mouths and had a funky flavor. 

But, the fun had just started.  In rapid succession, we realized that milk wasn't our only problem.  And, I won't bore you with the details, but the laundry list of sensitivities that plaque Hoo and Nickels is extensive.  And, honestly, there is no way I can cook in this world without touching on something that might send one or both of them into the stratosphere.  But, I do my level best.

That's not to say there aren't nights I just throw in the towel and we all go get a Subway sandwich.  Or run to Papa Murphy's for a cheese-less pizza.  But, those times have become so rare that my kids are eternally grateful (and express it) each time we venture into a restaurant. 

What I've discovered along the way is that children in our society deal with so many issues because of what we choose to eat:  attention problems, allergies/sensitivities, and behavioral problems, just to name a few.

And, lest you think you can ignore what I'm writing because your child doesn't fall into any of these categories, you still should be aware of the chemical soup of preservatives and additives and dyes that make it into processed foods.  Because I read labels until I think I'll lose my mind, I have become incredibly in tune with the number of ingredients that have to be added to make our food "shelf stable" for long periods of time.

Case in point.  Do you recognize the following popular cereal?

Whole grain corn, sugar, Reese's Peanut Butter (peanuts, sugar, monoglycerides, peanut oil, salt, molasses, corn starch), dextrose, corn meal, corn starch, corn syrup, rice bran and/or canola oil, salt, Hershey's cocoa, tricalcium phosphate, red 40, yellows 5 & 6, blue 1 and other color added, trisodium phosphate, artificial flavor, TBHQ and BHT added to preserve freshness

This is Reese's Puff Cereal.  And, at the outset, you would THINK that a cereal packed with peanut butter, a known source of protein, would actually be better than most cereals. Think again.

I'm not going to even get into the lack of protein or high sugar or comment on artificial flavoring or TBHQ or BHT because I want to focus on one thing:  the crazy amount of food coloring:  red 40, yellow 5 and 6, and blue and "other color added".  In other words, MYSTERY COLORS?!?!

What gives, General Mills?  Do you just see what is leftover from coloring Yoplait and chunk it into our kids' cereal?  Really?  You can't disclose ALL the colors?

And, stories like this illustrate my point.  I have seen this same story played out a thousandfold from parents who follow the Feingold Diet.  Irrational, unpredictable behavior "cured", sometimes overnight, by eliminating the amount of preservatives, colorings, and artificial flavoring that a child is ingesting.

Even if your child isn't completely out of control and you aren't at your wits end, it doesn't take a brain surgeon or a rocket scientist to figure out that the old phrase "junk in, junk out" is not only true for computers, it is true for our bodies, as well.  How could it HURT to eliminate stuff that isn't necessary?**

For our family, changing our way was immediate:  eliminate all sources of milk or have a baby in excruciating pain.  That doesn't leave much choice.  You just do it.

But, I urge you to start small.  Don't overhaul your entire pantry or fridge today.  Just pick one thing your family eats regularly and do a little label checking.  What are you actually eating?  Is it a real food or something completely artificial?  Is it highly preserved or colored?  Are there ingredients you can't pronounce?  What are they?  Is there an alternative you might like just as much but haven't tried?***

I urge you to think simple.  Change from canned fruit in sugar water to a mixed fruit salad you chop yourself.  Move from sodium-high canned green beans to a fresh, frozen variety and add salt once you've cooked them, to taste.  See if your kids wouldn't rather have peanut butter toast than a cereal that it "designed" to look and taste like peanut butter.

Healthier, brain-happier, less chemically-charged eating is good eating.  It might require a bit more prep or a bit more label reading or a bit more experimentation, but if it is for the betterment of your entire family, isn't it worth it?

Here's to choosing to say "Yes" to healthier eating and "No" to icky preservative, dyes, and flavorings!


*Fast forward to today, and my refrigerator might contain soy, almond, flax, rice, coconut, or hemp milk.  And I can choose to buy them off the shelf or out of the refrigerated section!

**And I am still, personally, trying to kick the diet soda habit I developed in my early teens.  I'm like a drunk, on and off the wagon, of Diet Coke and Diet Dr. Pepper...



***Whole Foods is the king of "like it or bring it back".  If you are going to switch to a "healthier" version of something and it is available at WF, buy it, try it, and return it if it is repulsive to your taste buds.