#and I know for a fact it was the meat cos dairy/cheese doesn’t do that to me so 🤷 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

wellpersonsblog · 5 years

Text

5 Oil-Free Dressings That Will Transform Any Salad

On a scale of 1 to Super Vegan, I’d say my love for salad falls somewhere in the middle. I like them, sure, but I’m not the kind of person who craves a salad for lunch every day.

And based on the feedback we hear from community members, chances are you feel the same way.

But what I’ve come to discover since going vegan is that most of my resentment towards salads stems from the fact that I grew up doing them all wrong. You know…

Tasteless iceberg lettuce,

Shaved carrots,

Unripened diced tomatoes,

And soggy croutons.

Then I’d drown it in Ranch dressing just to make it edible. (And not the good kind of Ranch we highlight below, but the uber-processed, non-vegan, high-calorie kind.)

Maybe I would have been better off without a salad at all.

But — newsflash — as it turns out, salads don’t have to look like that! I know, novel idea.

Salads can feature a variety of leafy greens, raw, roasted, or grilled veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, and just about anything else.

That is the beauty of the salad. It’s a blank canvas for just about any food you have in the refrigerator.

And when you toss it with an easy homemade vegan dressing, (like one of the recipes five below) you’re in business.

Why it Starts with the Dressing

A few years ago I wrote a post about my family’s Sauce System — how we often start with whatever sauce sounds the most appealing, and build our meals around that.

Today, I want to share a similar technique for building salads, only with healthy, homemade dressings instead of sauces.

The technique goes, if you learn a few simple dressing recipes, then you can shape nearly anything in your kitchen into a delicious salad of your choosing.

But before we get to the recipes, let’s talk about why I’m going oil free with these five staple recipes.

Oil-Free Doesn’t Mean Taste Free

Not that long ago, I would have said that all dressings either need oil or cream. A quick Google search, however, shows that’s clearly not the case.

But while I love a good vegan oil-free blog, many of them do the world a disservice by simply sharing classic vinaigrette recipes with the oil omitted. Those are probably not going to do it for you.

Instead, the five oil-free recipes below incorporate fat from nuts and seeds to give the same fatty, oily texture only in a whole-food way. This is the good kind of fat we always talk about.

And it’s nuts (not dairy products) that can make creamy recipes just as creamy and delicious as ones with animal products, only a heck of a lot more healthy.

5 Oil-Free Salad Dressing Recipes

Below you’ll find my five go-to dressing recipes, each filling a different need. Based on how my family is feeling in the moment, and what food we have available, we’ll whip up one of these, throw a salad together, and call it a meal.

But keep in mind, salads don’t always have to look like a plate of lettuce and toppings. You can combine a bunch of grated vegetables, have it focus on pasta, or simply use these dressings as dipping sauces. It’s not too far of a stretch to call that a salad.

Let’s get to the recipes!

Sid and Lisa’s Creamy Balsamic

Probably the most common salad dressing out there, and typically vegan, the balsamic is a go-to of mine at restaurants. But what if you could make a healthier (and tastier) version at home?

Health Made Simple co-creator Sid Garza-Hillman and his wife Lisa created their own oil-free version, replacing the oil with cashews to keep the fats up and add an extra creaminess.

How to Use It:

This goes well with just about any standard salad, but really pops with your traditional Italian flavors. But really, you can’t go wrong to have it on hand for whatever ends up on your salad plate.

The Recipe:

1 cup cashews (or sunflower seeds or slivered almonds)

1 1/2 cup water

3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 – 3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Blend all ingredients until creamy. Add additional salt/pepper to taste.

“I Can’t Believe It’s Cashew” Ranch Dressing

Just when you thought you’d never get to enjoy ranch dressing without a bunch of a processed substitutes!

Another Sid and Lisa creation, this one will even impress your omnivore friends and leave them shaking their heads, saying, “I can’t believe it’s cashew.” Hence the clever name.

How to Use It:

I think everyone knows how to use a Ranch dressing, but I love to throw this on big salads with roasted veggies, chickpeas, and tomatoes, and toss in some pumpkin seeds for crunch.

We also use it as a dipping sauce for veggies.

The Recipe:

1 1/4 cups cashews (Optional: Pre-soak cashews for a creamier dressing

1 cup filtered water

1-2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp dried dill

1 tsp sea salt or, to taste

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper or, to taste

Optional: 1 tsp hot sauce

Blend all ingredients till creamy and smooth. Make sure not to blend so long that it gets hot. If too thick, add more water.

This dressing thickens in fridge, so add a little water as needed to thin before using.

Garlic Tahini

The inspiration from this one came from a trip Matt Frazier took to the Whole Foods salad bar. It was so good he had to learn how to make it at home.

Tahini has a sharp, almost bitter flavor, and is something of an acquired taste, but it’s one that many people start craving once they have it a few times. If you find the tahini flavor too strong in this dressing, you can tone it down with more water, using nutritional yeast to thicken it again.

How to Use It:

This sauce goes great with Asian-inspired ingredients, or with a super simple greens salad along side a stir-fry or Asian noodle dish.

The Recipe:

2 cloves garlic, or more to taste

1/2 cup tahini

1/4 cup water, more to thin

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp reduced-sodium tamari

Optional first step: Toss the whole garlic cloves (peeled, of course) around in a dry skillet over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, until they just barely start to color and blister. This retains the garlic flavor but tones down the intensity a little bit.

Add the garlic to a food processor blender and pulse a few times to mince. Then add the rest of the ingredients and combine until smooth. Add water until you reach a relatively thin consistency, but not so thin that it won’t stick to your salad leaves. (It’ll thicken in the fridge, but you can always add more water before you use it.)

Creamy Avocado-Lime Dressing

Avocado makes everything better, right? This dressing from the No Meat Athlete Cookbook sure thinks so.

The fats from the fruit has a creamy richness that more than makes up for missing oil. Thanks to the avocado, this dressing is creamy and rich without any added oil.

How to Use It:

We often use this recipe Mexican-inspired salads, with dark greens, corn, tomatoes, black beans, and grilled fajita veggies.

It’s also a great dressing in a massaged kale salad.

The Recipe:

1 avocado, diced

1/4 cup fresh lime or lemon juice (about 2 limes or lemons)

1/4 cup cilantro leaves

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup water, plus more as needed

Process all the ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth. Adjust the seasoning and add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, plus more as needed to achieve the desired consistency (up to an additional 1/4 cup). Use within 1 day.

Blueberry-Walnut Vinaigrette

Contrary to how it sounds, this dressing isn’t overly sweet. The natural bitterness of the walnuts balances well with the sweetness of the berries. It’s slightly chunky and complements bitter greens well.

How to Use It:

Add this to your bitter greens like arugula. Throw on some roasted root veggies, more walnuts, and tofu or tempeh, and crumbled some soft nut-based vegan cheese, and you have yourself a full meal.

The Recipe:

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup blueberries

1/4 cup walnut pieces

1 or 2 Tbsp water, optional

1 Tbsp minced shallot or red onion

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp sugar or maple syrup

Salt and black pepper

Puree the vinegar, blueberries, and half of the walnuts in blender until smooth, thinning it with 1 or 2 tablespoons of water if desired.

Finely chop the rest of the walnuts. Transfer to a jar with a tight-fitting lid and add the shallot, thyme, and sugar. Shake to combine and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for at least a few hours and up to 3 days to allow the flavors to meld.

The last two recipes are from The No Meat Athlete Cookbook: Whole Food, Plant-Based Recipes to Fuel Your Workouts—and the Rest of Your Life© Matt Frazier and Stepfanie Romine, 2017. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment. Available wherever books are sold. experimentpublishing.com

Does the Dressing Make the Salad?

There’s a lot more to a salad than just the dressing, but for me, it’s the perfect place to start. The right dressing can spruce up just about any plant-based food in a healthy, flavorful way.

Call on these five staple recipes as a starting point for the next time you’re in a pinch, and build off the dressing to create a meal even the healthiest among us will enjoy.

The post 5 Oil-Free Dressings That Will Transform Any Salad appeared first on No Meat Athlete.

First found here: 5 Oil-Free Dressings That Will Transform Any Salad

0 notes

benegap · 7 years

Text

What Primal Types Can Learn from Plant-Based Diets (and Dieters)

I joke around a lot and give them hell, but I have love and respect for plant-based diets and the people who eat them. These folks come at health from an entirely different place, and, it’s true, I don’t think their diets are optimal. I think they get a lot wrong. They often misconstrue what Primal is all about. I’ve even received threats from some of the less grounded members of the community, though I know that these are the outliers, the extremists, and I never took them seriously.

But…I’d also suggest plant-based dieters get a lot right. More than you’d think.

I’m not talking about the pastatarians, of course, or the junk food vegans, or the vegetarians who subsist entirely on pizza and Tofurkey. I’m talking about the ones eating loads of veggies. Actual vegetarians and vegans who eat actual plants.

They can learn a ton from us. That’s true. We can learn a lot from them, too. Today, I wanted to discuss just what I’ve learned and what we can learn from plant-based diets.

How to Maximize Nutrition from Subpar Sources

Being a vegan is hard work. Being a healthy vegan is even harder. We Primal types have it easy. We can really let the nutrient-density fall by the wayside because we can always fall back on a few pastured eggs, a quarter pound of beef liver, some wild salmon, a good steak, some oysters and mussels. Someone on a plant-based diet doesn’t have that luxury. They can’t rely on whey protein or ground beef for high-quality bioavailable protein; they have to combine legumes and grains to get the right mix of amino acids. They can’t get all the zinc and iron they’ll ever need from a half dozen oysters.

They have to comb the literature for nuts and seeds high in each and make sure not to eat too much iron-binding calcium or zinc-interfering copper at the same meal. They can’t eat long-chain omega-3s directly (unless they eat algae); they must make it out of ALA.

Imagine if you ate both high-quality animal foods and maximized the nutrition from plant sources. You’d be unstoppable.

Which Esoteric Leafy Greens You Should Try

There’s a clearly-vegan woman I often see at the farmer’s market. We’ve never spoken about our respective diets (contrary to popular belief, not all vegans immediately announce their dietary ideology), but it’s obvious from the dreadlocks, piercings, waif’s physique, blue/purple/green hair, and (more to the point) basket bulging with green things.

We do talk about what she’s got in that basket though. She’s always digging up the most interesting leafy greens, and I’m quick to ask for recommendations. Without her, I wouldn’t know about star spinach, or purslane (I figured it was just a weed; turns out it’s high in omega-3s, magnesium, and calcium), or sweet potato leaves (I’ve read about their use in Africa while researching for the blog but never actually had them), or the multitude of Asian greens. If you want to move past spinach, kale, chard, and lettuce, ask the only hominids who put down several pounds of leafy greens daily.

Why Low-Carb, High-Fat Didn’t Work For You

I’m on record as claiming that low-carb, high-fat Primal ways of eating are the simplest, most effective way to lose body fat for the most people. Hell, I’m about to release a book predicated on the notion that becoming fat-adapted is great for your health, performance, and longevity. But I’ll also admit that it’s not for everyone. Some people just don’t do well on this type of macronutrient ratio. And that’s fine.

In her excellent presentation at AHS14, entitled “Lessons from the Vegans,” Denise Minger explained how some people who don’t thrive on low-carb, high-fat can actually prosper on low-fat, high-carb diets. But here’s the catch: They should be truly low-fat, as in sub-10% of calories from fat. Anything more, Denise cautions, and you run the risk of entering no man’s land where both fat and glucose metabolism are dysfunctional. The best example of this is the standard American diet, which contains moderate amounts of both (unhealthy) fat and carbs and fails miserably on all fronts.

It’s definitely not for me, and it won’t work for everyone or most, and you’d probably need to include animal foods, but you could put together a decent low-fat diet by sticking to Primal sources.

How Cruel Industrial Animal Agriculture Is

Animal well-being matters to us, but we often couch our distaste for CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations) in the substandard nutrient content of their products. Makes sense that we’d worry about the nutrition, since we’re eating so many animal foods. But there’s another reason that we shouldn’t forget.

And your average plant-based dieter certainly won’t let you forget that some of the industrial animal operations are truly repugnant. Chickens crammed in cages, beakless and miserable. Cows standing knee deep in their own manure. The actual killing is probably the most humane part, as the vast majority of animals are stunned or otherwise rendered unconscious before being killed and butchered. But the life of a CAFO animal is quite miserable. If anything, it’ll bolster your resolve to seek out sustainably-raised, pastured/grass-fed animal products whenever you can.

Pretty Much Everything to Do with Poop

This is one of the more perplexing habits of most plant-based dieters I’ve encountered. They love waxing poetic on defecation and exploring the day-to-day variations in consistency, frequency, texture, odor, and volume. It’s really something to behold. I almost suggest spending a day in the local vegan cafe just to eavesdrop.

But if you can bear with it, you might indirectly learn about the importance of gut health. A large percentage of poop, after all, is made up of gut bacteria. And if plant-based dieters are proud of the prominence of their feces, they may be doing something right on the gut bacteria front.

Several years back, the media made a huge fuss over a study that claimed to show plant-based diets lead to better gut health and gut biome diversity than diets containing meat. The “meat diet” was a bit of a strawman in that it contained nothing but cheese and cured meats—no fiber at all—but the fact remains that the plant-based diet resulted in a diverse, apparently healthy gut biome.

Take that to heart, and eat some fibrous plant matter. Nothing’s stopping you from enhancing your omnivorous diet with loads of plant matter and fermentable fiber.

How to Prepare Legumes

Legumes are kinda back on the Primal menu. Go read the post, but here’s the gist:

They’re full of fermentable fiber.

They’re quite nutrient-dense, containing lots of folate and minerals.

They’re low in “net carbs,” especially compared to grains.

The lectins they contain are usually deactivated by soaking and/or cooking.

But you’ve been away so long that you probably don’t know how to prepare them. I’ll admit that I don’t really know either.

Check out some vegan blogs for tips and recipes. They rely so much on legumes for the protein content that they’re far more likely to understand the ins and outs of legume preparation and cooking.

You can easily modify the recipes to make them meatier. Add a ham hock or some salt pork (basically, just add pig parts). Use bone broth instead of activated Nepalese rainwater (or make bone broth using the rainwater).

That Humans are Incredible

Take most other animals and put them on a weirdo diet that strays from their biological foundation, and you’ll have a whole bunch of dead animals in a few weeks. They’re fragile. They’re rigid. Dogs could do all right, but that’s because they co-evolved with humans for tens of thousands of years. And the omnivores like bears would do okay on a range of diets. But gorillas? Pandas? Tigers? No way.

Humans can eat just about anything. From Inuit to tropical hunter-gatherers to Swiss dairy farmers to ketogenic dieters to Pacific Islanders to Incan potato farmers to kale-eating highlanders, the range of viable human dietary practices boggles the mind.

No diet is more evolutionarily novel than the vegan diet. There are no known records of successful or even factual vegan groups living before last century. Vegetarian, sure. Vegan for a short period of time due to food shortages, of course. But full-time elective vegans? Nope. It just didn’t happen.

Yet, there are successful vegans living today. Healthy ones. I might think they can all benefit from an oyster or an egg or a piece of liver or two every now and again, but they’re out there and they exemplify the stunning adaptability of the human animal.

So, head down to the local vegan cafe and grab a salad or a bowl (most vegan places hate industrial seed oils as much as we do). I can honestly say I’ve had some genuinely fantastic meals at vegan restaurants.

Talk to the vegan clerk at the health food store for some tips on new veggies to try and how to prepare them.

Pick the brain of the ripped vegan lifter at your gym. What’s his or her secret?

Above all else, don’t ignore good advice and wisdom because of the source. The Primal Blueprint is an opportunist’s way of eating and living. We take what works from ancestral traditions, present-day populations, and modern science to form the best possible lifestyle. That list of influences has to include plant-based dieters—because every group with any kind of success (well, almost every group) has something to offer.

That’s it for me, folks. I think those are some very important lessons, but I’m sure there are more I missed. What have you learned from plant-based diets and dieters?

Thanks for reading and take care!

Post navigation

Subscribe to the Newsletter

If you’d like to add an avatar to all of your comments click here!

from Health Insure Guides http://ift.tt/2xrbN2g via health insurance cover

#health #health insurance #medicines #cures #healing #medical #treatment #Health Insure Guides

0 notes

milenasanchezmk · 7 years

Text

What Primal Types Can Learn from Plant-Based Diets (and Dieters)

But…I’d also suggest plant-based dieters get a lot right. More than you’d think.

They can learn a ton from us. That’s true. We can learn a lot from them, too. Today, I wanted to discuss just what I’ve learned and what we can learn from plant-based diets.

How to Maximize Nutrition from Subpar Sources

Imagine if you ate both high-quality animal foods and maximized the nutrition from plant sources. You’d be unstoppable.

Which Esoteric Leafy Greens You Should Try

Why Low-Carb, High-Fat Didn’t Work For You

How Cruel Industrial Animal Agriculture Is

Pretty Much Everything to Do with Poop

Take that to heart, and eat some fibrous plant matter. Nothing’s stopping you from enhancing your omnivorous diet with loads of plant matter and fermentable fiber.

How to Prepare Legumes

Legumes are kinda back on the Primal menu. Go read the post, but here’s the gist:

They’re full of fermentable fiber.

They’re quite nutrient-dense, containing lots of folate and minerals.

They’re low in “net carbs,” especially compared to grains.

The lectins they contain are usually deactivated by soaking and/or cooking.

But you’ve been away so long that you probably don’t know how to prepare them. I’ll admit that I don’t really know either.

Check out some vegan blogs for tips and recipes. They rely so much on legumes for the protein content that they’re far more likely to understand the ins and outs of legume preparation and cooking.

That Humans are Incredible

Talk to the vegan clerk at the health food store for some tips on new veggies to try and how to prepare them.

Pick the brain of the ripped vegan lifter at your gym. What’s his or her secret?

That’s it for me, folks. I think those are some very important lessons, but I’m sure there are more I missed. What have you learned from plant-based diets and dieters?

Thanks for reading and take care!

Want to make fat loss easier? Try the Definitive Guide for Troubleshooting Weight Loss for free here.

0 notes

fishermariawo · 7 years

Text

What Primal Types Can Learn from Plant-Based Diets (and Dieters)

But…I’d also suggest plant-based dieters get a lot right. More than you’d think.

They can learn a ton from us. That’s true. We can learn a lot from them, too. Today, I wanted to discuss just what I’ve learned and what we can learn from plant-based diets.

How to Maximize Nutrition from Subpar Sources

Imagine if you ate both high-quality animal foods and maximized the nutrition from plant sources. You’d be unstoppable.

Which Esoteric Leafy Greens You Should Try

Why Low-Carb, High-Fat Didn’t Work For You

How Cruel Industrial Animal Agriculture Is

Pretty Much Everything to Do with Poop

Take that to heart, and eat some fibrous plant matter. Nothing’s stopping you from enhancing your omnivorous diet with loads of plant matter and fermentable fiber.

How to Prepare Legumes

Legumes are kinda back on the Primal menu. Go read the post, but here’s the gist:

They’re full of fermentable fiber.

They’re quite nutrient-dense, containing lots of folate and minerals.

They’re low in “net carbs,” especially compared to grains.

The lectins they contain are usually deactivated by soaking and/or cooking.

But you’ve been away so long that you probably don’t know how to prepare them. I’ll admit that I don’t really know either.

Check out some vegan blogs for tips and recipes. They rely so much on legumes for the protein content that they’re far more likely to understand the ins and outs of legume preparation and cooking.

That Humans are Incredible

Talk to the vegan clerk at the health food store for some tips on new veggies to try and how to prepare them.

Pick the brain of the ripped vegan lifter at your gym. What’s his or her secret?

That’s it for me, folks. I think those are some very important lessons, but I’m sure there are more I missed. What have you learned from plant-based diets and dieters?

Thanks for reading and take care!

Want to make fat loss easier? Try the Definitive Guide for Troubleshooting Weight Loss for free here.

0 notes

watsonrodriquezie · 7 years

Text

What Primal Types Can Learn from Plant-Based Diets (and Dieters)

But…I’d also suggest plant-based dieters get a lot right. More than you’d think.

They can learn a ton from us. That’s true. We can learn a lot from them, too. Today, I wanted to discuss just what I’ve learned and what we can learn from plant-based diets.

How to Maximize Nutrition from Subpar Sources

Imagine if you ate both high-quality animal foods and maximized the nutrition from plant sources. You’d be unstoppable.

Which Esoteric Leafy Greens You Should Try

Why Low-Carb, High-Fat Didn’t Work For You

How Cruel Industrial Animal Agriculture Is

Pretty Much Everything to Do with Poop

Take that to heart, and eat some fibrous plant matter. Nothing’s stopping you from enhancing your omnivorous diet with loads of plant matter and fermentable fiber.

How to Prepare Legumes

Legumes are kinda back on the Primal menu. Go read the post, but here’s the gist:

They’re full of fermentable fiber.

They’re quite nutrient-dense, containing lots of folate and minerals.

They’re low in “net carbs,” especially compared to grains.

The lectins they contain are usually deactivated by soaking and/or cooking.

But you’ve been away so long that you probably don’t know how to prepare them. I’ll admit that I don’t really know either.

Check out some vegan blogs for tips and recipes. They rely so much on legumes for the protein content that they’re far more likely to understand the ins and outs of legume preparation and cooking.

That Humans are Incredible

Talk to the vegan clerk at the health food store for some tips on new veggies to try and how to prepare them.

Pick the brain of the ripped vegan lifter at your gym. What’s his or her secret?

That’s it for me, folks. I think those are some very important lessons, but I’m sure there are more I missed. What have you learned from plant-based diets and dieters?

Thanks for reading and take care!

Want to make fat loss easier? Try the Definitive Guide for Troubleshooting Weight Loss for free here.

0 notes

cristinajourdanqp · 7 years

Text

What Primal Types Can Learn from Plant-Based Diets (and Dieters)

But…I’d also suggest plant-based dieters get a lot right. More than you’d think.

They can learn a ton from us. That’s true. We can learn a lot from them, too. Today, I wanted to discuss just what I’ve learned and what we can learn from plant-based diets.

How to Maximize Nutrition from Subpar Sources

Imagine if you ate both high-quality animal foods and maximized the nutrition from plant sources. You’d be unstoppable.

Which Esoteric Leafy Greens You Should Try

Why Low-Carb, High-Fat Didn’t Work For You

How Cruel Industrial Animal Agriculture Is

Pretty Much Everything to Do with Poop

Take that to heart, and eat some fibrous plant matter. Nothing’s stopping you from enhancing your omnivorous diet with loads of plant matter and fermentable fiber.

How to Prepare Legumes

Legumes are kinda back on the Primal menu. Go read the post, but here’s the gist:

They’re full of fermentable fiber.

They’re quite nutrient-dense, containing lots of folate and minerals.

They’re low in “net carbs,” especially compared to grains.

The lectins they contain are usually deactivated by soaking and/or cooking.

But you’ve been away so long that you probably don’t know how to prepare them. I’ll admit that I don’t really know either.

Check out some vegan blogs for tips and recipes. They rely so much on legumes for the protein content that they’re far more likely to understand the ins and outs of legume preparation and cooking.

That Humans are Incredible

Talk to the vegan clerk at the health food store for some tips on new veggies to try and how to prepare them.

Pick the brain of the ripped vegan lifter at your gym. What’s his or her secret?

That’s it for me, folks. I think those are some very important lessons, but I’m sure there are more I missed. What have you learned from plant-based diets and dieters?

Thanks for reading and take care!

Want to make fat loss easier? Try the Definitive Guide for Troubleshooting Weight Loss for free here.

0 notes

cynthiamwashington · 7 years

Text

What Primal Types Can Learn from Plant-Based Diets (and Dieters)

But…I’d also suggest plant-based dieters get a lot right. More than you’d think.

They can learn a ton from us. That’s true. We can learn a lot from them, too. Today, I wanted to discuss just what I’ve learned and what we can learn from plant-based diets.

How to Maximize Nutrition from Subpar Sources

Imagine if you ate both high-quality animal foods and maximized the nutrition from plant sources. You’d be unstoppable.

Which Esoteric Leafy Greens You Should Try

Why Low-Carb, High-Fat Didn’t Work For You

How Cruel Industrial Animal Agriculture Is

Pretty Much Everything to Do with Poop

Take that to heart, and eat some fibrous plant matter. Nothing’s stopping you from enhancing your omnivorous diet with loads of plant matter and fermentable fiber.

How to Prepare Legumes

Legumes are kinda back on the Primal menu. Go read the post, but here’s the gist:

They’re full of fermentable fiber.

They’re quite nutrient-dense, containing lots of folate and minerals.

They’re low in “net carbs,” especially compared to grains.

The lectins they contain are usually deactivated by soaking and/or cooking.

But you’ve been away so long that you probably don’t know how to prepare them. I’ll admit that I don’t really know either.

Check out some vegan blogs for tips and recipes. They rely so much on legumes for the protein content that they’re far more likely to understand the ins and outs of legume preparation and cooking.

That Humans are Incredible

Talk to the vegan clerk at the health food store for some tips on new veggies to try and how to prepare them.

Pick the brain of the ripped vegan lifter at your gym. What’s his or her secret?

That’s it for me, folks. I think those are some very important lessons, but I’m sure there are more I missed. What have you learned from plant-based diets and dieters?

Thanks for reading and take care!

Want to make fat loss easier? Try the Definitive Guide for Troubleshooting Weight Loss for free here.

The post What Primal Types Can Learn from Plant-Based Diets (and Dieters) appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

Article source here:Marks’s Daily Apple

0 notes

ourhealthyfoodblog-blog · 7 years

Text

New Post has been published on Healthy Food and Remedies

New Post has been published on http://healthyfoodandremedies.com/2017/04/22/buy-food-psychology-supermarket/

How to Buy Food: The Psychology of the Supermarket

This is the first part of a two-part series on how to get the most of your supermarket-shopping experience. Part One discusses how supermarkets try to get you to spend more time and money than you originally wanted. Part Two, to come later, will lead you step by step through a supermarket trip, and give you tips on how to buy food the right way.

The simple fact of the matter is that going grocery shopping isn’t—and never was—as simple as you imagined, whether you’re on your own for the first time, or you’ve been shopping for a family of eight for 20 years.

Sometimes it seems less like you’re going out to buy milk and bread than you’re buffeted by endless marketing, too many choices, and not enough information. Does the perky green label mean that this box of cereal is good for me? Are there certain expiration dates that are less important than others? Am I a bad mom if I buy frozen spinach for dinner? How do I know what kind of fish to buy? Am I right to be a little scared of the butcher? And how did I end up spending $150 if all I went in for was some milk and bread?

Even professional food writers and editors ask these questions. (Butchers’ cleavers look scary!) But if you really want to learn how to do something right, you have to put aside your ego, go back to the basics, and approach everything you thought you knew as if you were a newborn—or maybe a freshman in college whose every previous meal had come from Mom, McDonald’s, or the lunch ladies at school.

And who better to teach these lessons than five experts who could deconstruct a basic trip to “make groceries” (as they say in New Orleans) from five different angles? In this case, they were BA senior food editor Dawn Perry; environmental psychologist and author of What Women Want: The Science of Female Shopping Paco Underhill; architect and supermarket designer Kevin Kelley, of the firm Shook Kelley; the director of the graduate nutrition program at the Institute of Human Nutrition at Columbia University, Sharon Akabas; and efficiency expert Gwynnae Byrd.

And they had a lot of wisdom to impart—so much, in fact, that it’s best to tackle this topic in two parts. In the second part, to come later, the experts will lead you through the basics of getting the most out of your supermarket shopping, step by step, from the parking lot to checkout.

In this part, they talk about how the supermarket gets you to spend your time and money. From the lighting to the little old lady handing out cheese on crackers, everything inside the store has been plotted out to make you buy more, more, more. And if you’re going to be a conscientious—even conscious—shopper, you should know what you’re up against.

The average supermarket sells 64,000 different products. Photo: Whole Foods

Whole Foods Market

Psychological Warfare

Going to the supermarket is never as simple as popping in for a carton of milk.

“Upward of 50 percent of what we buy in a supermarket we had no intention of buying as we walked in the door,” psychologist Underhill says.

Supermarkets aren’t faring too well these days, getting by on razor-thin margins and facing increased competition from bargain markets like Aldi, natural- and organic-themed markets like Whole Foods, and big-box stores like Wal-Mart and Target. They’re even feeling threatened by farmers’ markets, food co-ops, CSAs, and backyard gardeners. So you can’t blame them for doing what they need to do to survive.

And what the supermarkets know they do best—and what no farmers’ market, food co-op, CSA, or backyard gardener can match—is saturate you with options. The average supermarket has 64,000 products—sixty-four thousand, meaning that you’d have to eat or use more than 175 different products every day for a year before you tried everything once. That variety is a supermarket’s greatest strength—and its biggest threat to shoppers. When you’re surrounded by tens of thousands of possible breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and desserts, it’s hard for the human brain to say “no” to just one more thing to buy.

“The biggest enemy to efficiency is the paralysis we experience from the overwhelming amount of choices,” efficiency expert Byrd says. “So you go in there to get two items and come out with 20. Marketers are really good at getting us to buy stuff we don’t need.”

But sometimes people go the other way—their brains are so overloaded with possibilities that they freeze and fall back on old habits, taking refuge in ruts. That’s when shoppers are vulnerable to the siren call of that rotisserie chicken or premade lasagna.

“It’s the seduction of ease,” supermarket designer Kelley says. “People should be trying to be more consciously aware of the seduction going on around them, because it’s easy to fall into the rut of ‘eating out’ at the grocery store—and they’re paying a premium for that.” ____

The position of everything in your supermarket has been carefully planned out. Photo: Whole Foods

The Layout

Though the people who commission, design, and build it would be loath to call it a trap, almost every aspect of a supermarket has a primary goal in mind: to subtly convince shoppers to spend more time inside, thus giving products more opportunities to all but leap into their carts. That’s why, much as in a casino, you’re not likely to see many indicators of the time, like clocks, skylights, or even windows. (Though newer and more energy-conscious supermarket designs, like the ones Whole Foods uses, have begun to embrace skylights.)

“In the modern 21st-century grocery store, someone has thought through everything about it in every way, shape, manner or form,” Underhill says. “The basic layout hasn’t changed much in almost 80 years: I walk in, produce tends to be up front and to the right, meat and seafood tend to be back and to the right, dairy is generally in the back left-hand corner—the deepest section of the store. The reason why is that virtually everyone who walks in has some dairy product on their list.”

Think about your usual supermarket routine. Chances are, if your market is designed like the majority in the U.S., you start shopping at the right side of the store and work your way around the outer rim of the supermarket—with occasional forays into certain aisles, but generally sticking to a counterclockwise route till you get to the register.

Now you may wonder, Why do I always choose to go that way?

The answer is, you don’t. Whoever designed the supermarket chose that path for you, and for a particular reason: About nine in ten people are right-handed, and a counterclockwise route makes it easier for right-handed people to put stuff in their carts.

“Most stores work better with a counterclockwise circulation pattern because you tend to push your cart with your left hand and pick things up with your right hand,” Underhill says.

So supermarkets are usually designed with their most alluring sensations—the bright colors of the floral or produce sections, or the tantalizing smells of the bakery—to the right and front of the store, drawing shoppers into a preplanned route that takes them around the building in exactly the order that the supermarket wants.

Most shoppers see the produce section first, because the bright colors and enticing fragrances are meant to draw them in.

Whole Foods Market

And the subtle persuasion doesn’t stop there. Supermarkets make their most money off of sections on the perimeter, especially produce (but whether people actually use the produce they buy, of course, is another matter—but more on that in Part Two). Supermarkets make the least profit in the center aisles—the worst sellers being those that contain products you can also get at the drugstore or corner store, like mouthwash, garbage bags, paper towels, or carbonated beverages. Of every ten people who walk through the entrance, only one will go down the soda aisle, Underhill says. So supermarkets appeal to shoppers’ subconscious to linger in these aisles, often by literally slowing them down with bumpier or tackier floor surfaces.

“It’s the reason there are often changes in texture under your feet—if you’re in fourth gear in the parking lot, they would like you to downshift to third or second,” Underhill says.

The Perimeter Rule Is Dead

Not too long ago, nutritionists gave a simple rule of thumb to supermarket shoppers: Stick to the perimeter, where the healthier, unprocessed options tend to be.

Well, the perimeter rule is dead. (Sorry, Michael Pollan.)

“You used to be able to stay on the perimeter of the supermarket, but that’s no longer the case,” nutritionist Akabas says. “The treats have invaded the healthful foods.”

In other words, Akabas says, the supermarkets and food makers figured out that people were obeying the perimeter rule, and started subverting it, infiltrating the once-safe space with foods that they tout as healthy—Power Bars! Granola bars! Breakfast bars!—but are really just candy bars for adults. In this case, the perimeter rule dovetailed nicely with the fact that the outer ring is where shoppers already tend to be the most vulnerable to marketing suggestions.

“If you’re shopping at the perimeter of the store, where the fresh, not-shelf-stable stuff is, it activates your senses,” Kelley says. “You’re very impulsive there, not thinking rationally. People there buy what stimulates them.”

When you’re trying to determine whether a product is actually healthy for you, try to be aware of what Cornell University marketing professor Brian Wansink calls the “health-halo effect.” That’s when people tend to assume that, if one aspect of a food is touted as good for you—say, it’s high in omega-3s—the food must be healthy as a whole, ignoring the fact that it also has 100 grams of sugar, two days’ worth of saturated fats, and enough salt to parch Lake Michigan. So you’ll see cheery, often green-accented packaging, signs, and pop-outs that will try to convince you that what your diet really needs is that low-fat, gluten-free yogurt (that, oh, happens to be packing lots of calories of pure sugar per serving).

Identity Politics

Supermarkets and food manufacturers try to take advantage of a fundamental fact of why we buy groceries–and it’s not necessarily to get food.

“When people buy products, it’s about personal identity, social-context issues, vanity, how they look in front of friends,” Kelley says. “If your friend are animal-cruelty-conscious Whole Foods customers and you show up to the party with a live lobster, it’s a faux pas.”

In other words, when most people shop, it’s not just about fulfilling their weekly quota of calories and nutrients—it’s equally about reconfirming their sense of who they are and what they’re about to themselves and their friends: You’re not buying food, you’re buying an identity. Supermarkets, food manufacturers, and marketers know this, and take advantage of it at every turn, implicitly promising you that, when you buy that pouch of manly beef jerky, or ethically harvested dry-roast coffee, you’re going to feel better about yourself and win esteem from your friends and colleagues. So when you find yourself tempted to buy something you didn’t want when you walked in the store, it’s a good idea to ask yourself: “Am I buying this because I actually need it? Or am I buying this because someone just convinced me that it’ll impress people?”

The list of psychological tricks in a supermarket goes on and on. Do you think it’s a coincidence that that brightly colored, sugar-laden cereal with the tie-in to the new kiddie-cartoon craze is on the shelf at about your mid-thigh? It’s not a great height for an adult to notice it, but it’s in perfect line of sight for a six-year-old kid.

Notice how the cheapest, generic boxes and cans tend to be on the lowest shelves? Most people think of themselves as the kind of go-getters who’d be fine with stooping a little rather than essentially paying the market an extra dollar not to have to bend their knees—but decades of research suggest otherwise. You pay more for items that are within easy reach.

And the products that hold those prime positions at the ends of the aisles, facing the perimeter? People tend to assume that they’re there because they’re involved with a special promotion. Not so. They’re there to appeal to our laziness.

“The end caps are sold to different manufacturers, and the fact that they’re there has nothing to do with being on sale,” Underhill says. “It means that someone has paid for the privilege of being there—the end caps are shortcuts for someone to buy off of so they don’t have to physically walk down the aisle.”

In fact, the placement of everything on every shelf in the store has been meticulously negotiated between the supermarket and the manufacturers, with certain brands willing to pay more because they know that shoppers tend to gravitate toward products at eye level.

“Looking down and looking up is where you find your bargains,” Underhill says.

Beware the free samples! Photo: U.S. Navy

United States Navy

The Hunger Games

You know how there’s that always that old lady giving out free samples of kielbasa on toothpicks at the grocery store? And how guilty you feel about eating one (or two) and then not buying any kielbasa?

Well, stop feeling guilty. Because as soon as you ate that little bit of sausage, the little old lady had already accomplished her mission. In fact, she did her job as soon as the savory aroma of spiced pork wafted into your nostrils.

The point of those bite-sized—always bite-sized—portions of food is not to get you to buy a particular product. It’s to trick your body into thinking it’s hungry.

“Those people handing out samples are there not to get you to buy what they’re selling, but to get your salivary glands working,” Underhill says.

If if you think about it, you’ll notice that the little old ladies handing out samples are always stationed on the perimeter—that supermarket highway everyone travels on—and often near the openings of aisles that might generate more traffic if someone, y’know, gave shoppers just a little nudge. Consider yourself nudged.

“If they can tantalize your taste buds but not satisfy your hunger, you become a less disciplined shopper—just by way of smell,” Underhill says.

We’d tell you to be wary of little old ladies bearing gifts, but by the time you run into her, you’ve already been partially brainwashed. Remember what we said about how the bakery, produce section, or floral department are usually toward the front and right of a store as you walk in, beckoning you onto the counterclockwise Yellow Brick Road around the store?

“As soon as you step over the threshold of the supermarket, the first thing that happens is you’re assaulted by smells—from the produce, the bakery, or the floral section up front,” Underhill says. “All to get your salivary glands working.”

And you know how the veggies and fruit you buy at the store never look as good in your fridge or on your kitchen table? The lighting in the produce section has been carefully chosen and placed to make everything look as enticing as possible, both to convince you that, yes, this is the week to finally try making something with chayote, and to get your brain thinking that maybe, just maybe, it is feeling a tad peckish, as you begin your stroll toward the consumerist version of Oz.

So, now that you know what kind of subliminal trickery you’re up against, how exactly do you walk out of the store with healthy and cost-effective options that won’t eat up your entire day? We’ll lead you through that next time—that is, if you’re hungry for more.

#Supermarket

0 notes

milenasanchezmk · 7 years

Text

The Definitive Guide to Children’s Nutrition

Feeding infants is quite simple. There’s a ton riding on you getting it right, of course—a developing immune system, the fact that the kid’s growing an inch a week, a permeable blood-brain barrier, synaptic pruning—but the answer is usually always “feed them more breastmilk.” Even if you can’t nurse, you’ve got formula, which, for all its limitations, is a decent proxy for breastmilk and getting better all the time. Feeding children, however, is a different ballgame altogether.

I’ve gotten a lot of requests for a post about children’s nutrition, so it’s long overdue. When it comes down to brass tacks, kids really are just small people. They aren’t a different species. They use the same nutrients their parents do. They need protein, fat, and glucose just like us. So in that sense, feeding kids is simple: Give them all the nutritious foods you already eat and know to be healthy.

But it’s not easy.

Adults have been around the block. We’ve already spent several decades eating, so what we do today won’t have as big an impact. Kids are starting from square one. They can get away with a lot in the sense that they have fast metabolisms, they heal quickly, and they carry less physiological baggage. That makes them appear impervious to damage. A Snickers bar may very well send a diabetic’s blood sugar to the stratosphere or trigger weight gain in a middle-aged man, while the average toddler will channel that candy bar into pure ATP and use it to scale bookshelves, leap from sofas, and sing the feature song from the latest Disney flick twenty times in a row.

But from another perspective, a child’s nutrition is way more crucial and precarious. You have an untouched, uncorrupted member of the most complex, creative, intelligent, courageous mammalian species in the known universe. A being of pure potential. You have the opportunity to realize that potential by nourishing it with the best food—or you can tarnish it.

A prudent position is the middle one: Feed healthy foods, but don’t flip out because they ate Baskin Robbins ice cream cake at their friend’s 5th birthday party. After all, look at your own history. Many of you spent decades eating the standard American/Westernized diet. You ended up fat and unhealthy. And you and thousands more turned it all around just by going Primal.

It’s also the position that promotes sanity in a world full of industrialized food. Candy’s going to slip through the cracks. They’re going to be at a friend’s house and have boxed mac and cheese for dinner. Full-on food intolerances or allergies aside, be a little flexible. Your lives will be less stressful, believe me, and you’ll all be a bit saner.

With this in mind…

What are some nutrients to watch out for? Calcium

Growing children are constantly laying down new bone. They need calcium (and collagen, but we’ll get to that later) to do it.

RDA: 1000 mg/day (4-8 years), 1300 mg/day (9-13 years)

Bone-in sardines, hard cheeses, raw milk, full-fat yogurt/kefir, and leafy greens are the best sources of calcium.

Suggested recipe: A hunk of Emmental cheese.

Iodine

It’s the most common cause of preventable cognitive disability; nearly a third of 6-12 year olds worldwide eat inadequate amounts of iodine.

Growing children need iodine to produce thyroid hormone, an important regulator of the growth factors that determine mental and physical development. Kids with iodine deficiency are less likely to reach their maximum height, and studies show that iodine deficiency can lower IQ scores by up to 12.5 points.

RDA: 90 ug/day (4-8 years), 120 ug/day (9-13 years)

Seaweed, with kombu/kelp being highest and nori being lower but still higher than other foods. Milk (storage vats are disinfected with iodine).

Suggested recipe: Toasted nori snacks. Kelp granules sprinkled on everything.

Iron

Iron is another important mineral in children’s nutrition, providing support for growth, neurological development, and blood cell formation. Keep in mind, however, that kids between the ages of 4 and 8 actually need less iron than babies, toddlers, and teens because they grow more slowly.

RDA: 10 mg (4-8 years), 8 mg (9-13 years, prior to menstruation for girls)

Red meat, especially organ meats (including chicken liver), is very high in iron. The heme iron found in animal products is also far more bioavailable than non-heme (plant) iron. If you’re going to eat and attempt to absorb non-heme iron, pair it with a source of vitamin C.

Suggested recipe: Chicken liver paté.

Zinc

Zinc is really important for children’s physical growth and immune development. In one study, modest zinc supplementation to the tune of 5.7 mg/day helped growth-delayed kids hit their growth targets compared to placebo. Other research has found that correcting zinc deficiencies reduces diarrheal infections and pneumonia in kids under 5.

RDA: 5 mg/day (4-8 years), 8 mg/day (9-13 years)

Red meat (especially lamb), oysters, crab, and lobster are the best sources of zinc.

Suggested recipe: Place a can of smoked oysters (drained), 8 olives (I like Kalamata), and a tablespoon of avocado oil in food processor or mortar and pestle. Turn into paste. Eat with a spoon or spread on crackers. You can also add lemon juice and pecorino romano cheese for some extra calcium.

Vitamin A

Full-blown vitamin A deficiency can cause night blindness and permanent blindness. Mild deficiency increases the risk of catching an upper respiratory tract infection.

RDA: 400 ug/day (4-8 years), 600 ug/day (9-12 years)

Pre-formed (more bioavailable) retinol: liver, cod liver oil, eggs, full-fat dairy.

Plant vitamin A: Sweet potato, kale, spinach, carrots.

Suggested recipe: Liver pate.

Vitamin B12

Myelin is the protective sheathing around nerve fibers. It insulates the nerves and increases the efficiency of impulse transmission. Vitamin B12 is a vital co-factor in myelination—the laying down of the sheathing—which takes place in infancy and on through early childhood. Without adequate dietary vitamin B12, the myelin will be weak and ineffective.

RDA: 1.2 ug/day (4-8 years), 1.8 ug/day (9-13 years)

Animal products are the best and only sources of vitamin B12.

Suggested recipe: Meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish cooked any way.

Vitamin C

We can’t make vitamin C like most other mammals, so we have to eat it if we want its benefits, which include collagen formation and deposition, tissue healing, and immune response.

RDA: 25 mg/day (4-8 years), 45 mgday (9-13 years)

Vitamin C is present in most fruits and vegetables. If your kid eats plenty of those (what kid doesn’t like fruit?), he or she will be fine.

Suggested recipe: Tall glass of Florida orange juice! Kidding. Some oranges will do.

Vitamin D

If your child is getting unfiltered sunlight on a regular basis, vitamin D probably isn’t a concern. But sometimes the sun’s not out (for months). Sometimes your kid needs to eat some vitamin D.

RDA: 15 ug/day for everyone

Great sources include meat, fish, eggs, and cod liver oil. New research has shown that animal-sourced vitamin D is about 5 times as potent as the vitamin D3 found in supplements (which isn’t too shabby in the first place).

Suggested recipe: Cod liver oil capsules, swallowed whole or pierced and the contents squeezed into smoothies.

Vitamin K2

One way to think of vitamin K2 is that it tells calcium where to go. Low vitamin K2 could mean your calcium ends up in your arteries. High vitamin K2, and it’ll end up in your teeth and your bones. I know where I’d rather have it, especially if I’m an 8-year-old human laying new bone daily.

RDA: Unknown. But it’s quite safe.

Natto is the best source. “Best” as in densest, not “best” as in “tastes great.” The flavor takes some getting used to, but once you do… Other options include goose liver, gouda cheese, and more speculatively, some fermented foods like kefir and sauerkraut. Chris Masterjohn did a whole series on vitamin K2 that contains some food sources.

Suggested recipe: Aged gouda (at least 2 years) on rice crackers or eaten Costanza-style.

Choline

Choline helps the liver process fat and clear toxins, and it’s a precursor to acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter that plays a major role in forming memories and learning new skills.

RDA: 250 mg/day (4-8 years), 375 mg/day (9-13 years)

Egg yolks are pound for pound the best source. Livers of all kinds are runners-up.

Suggested recipe: Scrambled eggs with an extra yolk (creamier).

EPA and DHA

Preformed long chain omega-3s are very important for brain development. That’s been the case in humans for a very long time.

Suggested recipe: Ikura, or salmon roe. Sockeye salmon with crispy skin (fish bacon always lures them in).

Saturated Fat

A curious thing occurs when a child turns 2, according to the powers-that-be. Saturated fat goes from being an essential, dominant, and healthful component of the breastmilk upon which they rely for sustenance to being a lethal toxin. Parents are urged by many health professionals and public service messages to switch to low-fat dairy at this time, and “When should my toddler switch to skim milk?” is now a common query on children’s health websites.

It’s horrifying.

Our cell membranes are about half saturated fat, which is more stable and less vulnerable to peroxidation. This stability makes our cell membranes more resistant to oxidative stress. Kids certainly need cell membranes.

Our bodies use saturated fats to shuttle proteins between cells, release neurotransmitters, and form memories. Kids certainly need to send proteins around the body, release neurotransmitters, and remember stuff.

Saturated fats often come attached to other nutrients kids inarguably require. The more parents restrict saturated fat in their kids’ diets, for example, the less calcium, vitamin E, and zinc they get. It’s hard to “reduce saturated fat” without also reducing lots of other good foods.

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is another one of those weird nutrients that becomes toxic once you stop getting it from breastmilk. I didn’t buy it with saturated fat, and I’m not buying it with cholesterol.

Parents who follow the official advice and “limit cholesterol” deprive their kids of a vital nutrient responsible for production of steroid hormones and vitamin D. Sure, while a kid’s liver will make plenty of cholesterol on its own, limiting cholesterol means limiting some of the most nutrient-dense foods, like egg yolks and shrimp.

Probiotics and Prebiotics

Ideally, children will get access to plenty of microbes by interacting with the natural world around them. But food-based probiotics are good, too. They provide unique nutrients, as the fermentation process often creates new forms of the nutrients or makes existing ones more bioavailable, and they offer novel flavors that promote a more sophisticated palate. A kid who learns to love kimchi will probably try anything.

Prebiotics are arguably as important as probiotics. Both work in concert to modulate the immune response and set children up for a healthy immune system. Remember that infectious diseases used to kill a ton of kids. Even though we can usually take care of acute infections with modern medicine, it’s nice to be able to count on your immune system, too.

I suggest everyone punch their children’s meals into a food tracker for a week or so to get an idea of their nutrient intakes. Cronometer and MyFitnessPal are good.

Should You Manage Your Kid’s Macros?

Make sure they’re getting enough protein/fat/carbs?

Not really. I’m a fan of the “unfeeding” approach. Like the unschooler allows the child to make decisions about his education, providing only resources and guidance when requested, the unfeeder provides a meal with all three macronutrients represented and lets the child decide what and how much to eat.

If it’s obvious, and your kid’s eating sweet potato after sweet potato and totally ignoring the beef and broccoli on the plate, make some rules. But for the most part, kids eat as much as they need. This laissez faire approach to feeding kids, however, only seems to cause problems when they have unfettered or regular access to industrial foods and beverages like French fries, pizza, crispy snacks, soda, candy, and other food products designed to trigger the reward system and override natural satiety signaling. It tends to work well when you offer things like this:

Eggs (especially the yolks)

Bone marrow

Bone broth

Gelatinous meats (oxtail, cheek, shank, etc)

Organ meats

Fish eggs (ikura, or salted salmon roe, is a great option at sushi places or Japanese markets)

Fish (fresh, canned, bone-in)

Cheese

Yogurt/kefir

Raw milk

Berries

Starchy tubers

Colorful fruits and veggies

Beets

Seaweed

Coconut milk/butter

Legumes, properly prepared and tolerated

Bananas, slightly green for moderate resistant starch content

As a longtime parent, I’ve learned a few things. I’ve developed a few tricks. I’ve made some observations you may find illuminating. What follows are the tips, tricks, and rules I’ve found very useful in feeding kids well.

Don’t assume your kid is intolerant of everything.

Don’t ignore obvious intolerances or allergies. Just don’t seek them out when they don’t actually exist. Chances are, your kid can enjoy and benefit from full-fat dairy, white potatoes, nightshades, eggs, and even the occasional legume.

“Seven bites.”

7’s a good number, but it could be anything. Make a household rule that you have to take at least 7 bites before deeming a food “yucky.”

Calories count.

But not like you’re thinking. Overall calorie intake is very important for growing children. They’re like CrossFitting endurance athletes training for an MMA fight—they need to eat. Big things are happening constantly in their bodies, and they need plenty of food to support the changes. Don’t consciously limit (or let your kid limit) your kid’s calorie intake unless you have a valid medical reason.

Egg yolks disappear into everything.

Spaghetti sauce? Add a few egg yolks after you’ve turned off the heat.

Mac and cheese? A few egg yolks enrich it without changing the flavor.

Scrambled eggs? Add an extra egg yolk.

There’s nothing wrong with a smoothie.

There’s a lot right. A well-designed smoothie can provide tons of important nutrients. An example:

Baby kale (vitamin K, phytonutrients, magnesium, calcium, folate, potassium)

Frozen green banana (resistant starch, potassium)

Kefir (probiotics, fat, folate, vitamin k2)

Egg yolk (choline)

Whey protein

Brazil nut (selenium)

Cod liver oil (vitamin A, vitamin D, DHA/EPA)

Frozen mango (vitamin C, vitamin A, folate), coconut water (potassium, magnesium)

Kids will eat anything in popsicle form.

Take the leftovers of the nutrient-dense smoothies you make and freeze them in popsicle molds. There, that’s “dessert.”

Rice is an excellent vehicle for nutrition.

Rice is just empty carbs. Right? Not necessarily. Sub bone broth for water, add a dash of Trace Minerals, throw in a few shakes of kelp granules? Suddenly, your rice is a repository of magnesium, collagen, iodine, and other nutrients they may not be getting elsewhere.

Plus, kids are whirlwinds of energy. If they’re doing childhood right, they’re moving constantly. They can actually use those empty glucose molecules.

Crackers are good vehicles for nutrient-dense dips.

Sure, you don’t want your kid killing a box of rice crackers by themselves. As vehicles for things like tuna salad, liver paté, good cheese, hummus, however, they excel.

Fish sauce as a training tool for picky eaters.

Real fish sauce made from fermented salted fish is a potent source of glutamate, a flavor-enhancing amino acid that can teach picky eaters to like novel foods. It also makes food taste good on a subjective level, so you’ll be hitting them from two angles.

Frozen fruit is dessert.

If it’s cold and sweet, kids assume it’s a popsicle. Mangos, strawberries, blackberries, cherries. Forget ice cream for dessert. Serve up a big cup of frozen blueberries, perhaps with some real whipped cream. (This may work on adults, too)

Toothpicks make everything delicious.

If your ungrateful kid won’t eat your seared scallops, or your perfectly medium rare lamb chops, stick some toothpicks in. For whatever reason, kids just can’t resist toothpicked food.

Bribing works…in the short-term.

On a population level, at least. School children offered small prizes in the lunch line if they chose the “healthier” option were more likely to choose it. Be wary of relying on this. Negotiating with terrorists may work in individual instances, but it sets a bad precedent for future incidents.

Well, that’s it for today, folks. I hope you come away with a better grasp of children’s nutrition needs. Let me know how any of those strategies and rules work for you and your family. And please chime in down below with your own tips for feeding kids right. I know we’ve got a ton of parents out there.

Thanks for reading.

The post The Definitive Guide to Children’s Nutrition appeared..

0 notes

watsonrodriquezie · 7 years

Text

The Definitive Guide to Children’s Nutrition

But it’s not easy.

With this in mind…

What are some nutrients to watch out for? Calcium

Growing children are constantly laying down new bone. They need calcium (and collagen, but we’ll get to that later) to do it.

RDA: 1000 mg/day (4-8 years), 1300 mg/day (9-13 years)

Bone-in sardines, hard cheeses, raw milk, full-fat yogurt/kefir, and leafy greens are the best sources of calcium.

Suggested recipe: A hunk of Emmental cheese.

Iodine

It’s the most common cause of preventable cognitive disability; nearly a third of 6-12 year olds worldwide eat inadequate amounts of iodine.

RDA: 90 ug/day (4-8 years), 120 ug/day (9-13 years)

Seaweed, with kombu/kelp being highest and nori being lower but still higher than other foods. Milk (storage vats are disinfected with iodine).

Suggested recipe: Toasted nori snacks. Kelp granules sprinkled on everything.

Iron

RDA: 10 mg (4-8 years), 8 mg (9-13 years, prior to menstruation for girls)

Suggested recipe: Chicken liver paté.

Zinc

RDA: 5 mg/day (4-8 years), 8 mg/day (9-13 years)

Red meat (especially lamb), oysters, crab, and lobster are the best sources of zinc.

Vitamin A

Full-blown vitamin A deficiency can cause night blindness and permanent blindness. Mild deficiency increases the risk of catching an upper respiratory tract infection.

RDA: 400 ug/day (4-8 years), 600 ug/day (9-12 years)

Pre-formed (more bioavailable) retinol: liver, cod liver oil, eggs, full-fat dairy.

Plant vitamin A: Sweet potato, kale, spinach, carrots.

Suggested recipe: Liver pate.

Vitamin B12

RDA: 1.2 ug/day (4-8 years), 1.8 ug/day (9-13 years)

Animal products are the best and only sources of vitamin B12.

Suggested recipe: Meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish cooked any way.

Vitamin C

We can’t make vitamin C like most other mammals, so we have to eat it if we want its benefits, which include collagen formation and deposition, tissue healing, and immune response.

RDA: 25 mg/day (4-8 years), 45 mgday (9-13 years)

Vitamin C is present in most fruits and vegetables. If your kid eats plenty of those (what kid doesn’t like fruit?), he or she will be fine.

Suggested recipe: Tall glass of Florida orange juice! Kidding. Some oranges will do.

Vitamin D

If your child is getting unfiltered sunlight on a regular basis, vitamin D probably isn’t a concern. But sometimes the sun’s not out (for months). Sometimes your kid needs to eat some vitamin D.

RDA: 15 ug/day for everyone

Suggested recipe: Cod liver oil capsules, swallowed whole or pierced and the contents squeezed into smoothies.

Vitamin K2

RDA: Unknown. But it’s quite safe.

Suggested recipe: Aged gouda (at least 2 years) on rice crackers or eaten Costanza-style.

Choline

Choline helps the liver process fat and clear toxins, and it’s a precursor to acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter that plays a major role in forming memories and learning new skills.

RDA: 250 mg/day (4-8 years), 375 mg/day (9-13 years)

Egg yolks are pound for pound the best source. Livers of all kinds are runners-up.

Suggested recipe: Scrambled eggs with an extra yolk (creamier).

EPA and DHA

Preformed long chain omega-3s are very important for brain development. That’s been the case in humans for a very long time.

Suggested recipe: Ikura, or salmon roe. Sockeye salmon with crispy skin (fish bacon always lures them in).

Saturated Fat

It’s horrifying.

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is another one of those weird nutrients that becomes toxic once you stop getting it from breastmilk. I didn’t buy it with saturated fat, and I’m not buying it with cholesterol.

Probiotics and Prebiotics

I suggest everyone punch their children’s meals into a food tracker for a week or so to get an idea of their nutrient intakes. Cronometer and MyFitnessPal are good.

Should You Manage Your Kid’s Macros?

Make sure they’re getting enough protein/fat/carbs?

Eggs (especially the yolks)

Bone marrow

Bone broth

Gelatinous meats (oxtail, cheek, shank, etc)

Organ meats

Fish eggs (ikura, or salted salmon roe, is a great option at sushi places or Japanese markets)

Fish (fresh, canned, bone-in)

Cheese

Yogurt/kefir

Raw milk

Berries

Starchy tubers

Colorful fruits and veggies

Beets

Seaweed

Coconut milk/butter

Legumes, properly prepared and tolerated

Bananas, slightly green for moderate resistant starch content

Don’t assume your kid is intolerant of everything.

“Seven bites.”

7’s a good number, but it could be anything. Make a household rule that you have to take at least 7 bites before deeming a food “yucky.”

Calories count.

Egg yolks disappear into everything.

Spaghetti sauce? Add a few egg yolks after you’ve turned off the heat.

Mac and cheese? A few egg yolks enrich it without changing the flavor.

Scrambled eggs? Add an extra egg yolk.

There’s nothing wrong with a smoothie.

There’s a lot right. A well-designed smoothie can provide tons of important nutrients. An example:

Baby kale (vitamin K, phytonutrients, magnesium, calcium, folate, potassium)

Frozen green banana (resistant starch, potassium)

Kefir (probiotics, fat, folate, vitamin k2)

Egg yolk (choline)

Whey protein

Brazil nut (selenium)

Cod liver oil (vitamin A, vitamin D, DHA/EPA)

Frozen mango (vitamin C, vitamin A, folate), coconut water (potassium, magnesium)

Kids will eat anything in popsicle form.

Take the leftovers of the nutrient-dense smoothies you make and freeze them in popsicle molds. There, that’s “dessert.”

Rice is an excellent vehicle for nutrition.

Plus, kids are whirlwinds of energy. If they’re doing childhood right, they’re moving constantly. They can actually use those empty glucose molecules.

Crackers are good vehicles for nutrient-dense dips.

Sure, you don’t want your kid killing a box of rice crackers by themselves. As vehicles for things like tuna salad, liver paté, good cheese, hummus, however, they excel.

Fish sauce as a training tool for picky eaters.

Frozen fruit is dessert.

Toothpicks make everything delicious.

If your ungrateful kid won’t eat your seared scallops, or your perfectly medium rare lamb chops, stick some toothpicks in. For whatever reason, kids just can’t resist toothpicked food.

Bribing works…in the short-term.

Thanks for reading.

The post The Definitive Guide to Children’s Nutrition appeared..

0 notes

fishermariawo · 7 years

Text

The Definitive Guide to Children’s Nutrition

But it’s not easy.

With this in mind…

What are some nutrients to watch out for? Calcium

Growing children are constantly laying down new bone. They need calcium (and collagen, but we’ll get to that later) to do it.

RDA: 1000 mg/day (4-8 years), 1300 mg/day (9-13 years)

Bone-in sardines, hard cheeses, raw milk, full-fat yogurt/kefir, and leafy greens are the best sources of calcium.

Suggested recipe: A hunk of Emmental cheese.

Iodine

It’s the most common cause of preventable cognitive disability; nearly a third of 6-12 year olds worldwide eat inadequate amounts of iodine.

RDA: 90 ug/day (4-8 years), 120 ug/day (9-13 years)

Seaweed, with kombu/kelp being highest and nori being lower but still higher than other foods. Milk (storage vats are disinfected with iodine).

Suggested recipe: Toasted nori snacks. Kelp granules sprinkled on everything.

Iron

RDA: 10 mg (4-8 years), 8 mg (9-13 years, prior to menstruation for girls)

Suggested recipe: Chicken liver paté.

Zinc

RDA: 5 mg/day (4-8 years), 8 mg/day (9-13 years)

Red meat (especially lamb), oysters, crab, and lobster are the best sources of zinc.

Vitamin A

Full-blown vitamin A deficiency can cause night blindness and permanent blindness. Mild deficiency increases the risk of catching an upper respiratory tract infection.

RDA: 400 ug/day (4-8 years), 600 ug/day (9-12 years)

Pre-formed (more bioavailable) retinol: liver, cod liver oil, eggs, full-fat dairy.

Plant vitamin A: Sweet potato, kale, spinach, carrots.

Suggested recipe: Liver pate.

Vitamin B12

RDA: 1.2 ug/day (4-8 years), 1.8 ug/day (9-13 years)

Animal products are the best and only sources of vitamin B12.

Suggested recipe: Meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish cooked any way.

Vitamin C

We can’t make vitamin C like most other mammals, so we have to eat it if we want its benefits, which include collagen formation and deposition, tissue healing, and immune response.

RDA: 25 mg/day (4-8 years), 45 mgday (9-13 years)

Vitamin C is present in most fruits and vegetables. If your kid eats plenty of those (what kid doesn’t like fruit?), he or she will be fine.

Suggested recipe: Tall glass of Florida orange juice! Kidding. Some oranges will do.

Vitamin D

If your child is getting unfiltered sunlight on a regular basis, vitamin D probably isn’t a concern. But sometimes the sun’s not out (for months). Sometimes your kid needs to eat some vitamin D.

RDA: 15 ug/day for everyone

Suggested recipe: Cod liver oil capsules, swallowed whole or pierced and the contents squeezed into smoothies.

Vitamin K2

RDA: Unknown. But it’s quite safe.

Suggested recipe: Aged gouda (at least 2 years) on rice crackers or eaten Costanza-style.

Choline

Choline helps the liver process fat and clear toxins, and it’s a precursor to acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter that plays a major role in forming memories and learning new skills.

RDA: 250 mg/day (4-8 years), 375 mg/day (9-13 years)

Egg yolks are pound for pound the best source. Livers of all kinds are runners-up.

Suggested recipe: Scrambled eggs with an extra yolk (creamier).

EPA and DHA

Preformed long chain omega-3s are very important for brain development. That’s been the case in humans for a very long time.

Suggested recipe: Ikura, or salmon roe. Sockeye salmon with crispy skin (fish bacon always lures them in).

Saturated Fat

It’s horrifying.

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is another one of those weird nutrients that becomes toxic once you stop getting it from breastmilk. I didn’t buy it with saturated fat, and I’m not buying it with cholesterol.

Probiotics and Prebiotics

I suggest everyone punch their children’s meals into a food tracker for a week or so to get an idea of their nutrient intakes. Cronometer and MyFitnessPal are good.

Should You Manage Your Kid’s Macros?

Make sure they’re getting enough protein/fat/carbs?

Eggs (especially the yolks)

Bone marrow

Bone broth

Gelatinous meats (oxtail, cheek, shank, etc)

Organ meats

Fish eggs (ikura, or salted salmon roe, is a great option at sushi places or Japanese markets)

Fish (fresh, canned, bone-in)

Cheese

Yogurt/kefir

Raw milk

Berries

Starchy tubers

Colorful fruits and veggies

Beets

Seaweed

Coconut milk/butter

Legumes, properly prepared and tolerated

Bananas, slightly green for moderate resistant starch content

Don’t assume your kid is intolerant of everything.

“Seven bites.”

7’s a good number, but it could be anything. Make a household rule that you have to take at least 7 bites before deeming a food “yucky.”

Calories count.

Egg yolks disappear into everything.

Spaghetti sauce? Add a few egg yolks after you’ve turned off the heat.

Mac and cheese? A few egg yolks enrich it without changing the flavor.

Scrambled eggs? Add an extra egg yolk.

There’s nothing wrong with a smoothie.

There’s a lot right. A well-designed smoothie can provide tons of important nutrients. An example:

Baby kale (vitamin K, phytonutrients, magnesium, calcium, folate, potassium)

Frozen green banana (resistant starch, potassium)

Kefir (probiotics, fat, folate, vitamin k2)

Egg yolk (choline)

Whey protein

Brazil nut (selenium)

Cod liver oil (vitamin A, vitamin D, DHA/EPA)

Frozen mango (vitamin C, vitamin A, folate), coconut water (potassium, magnesium)

Kids will eat anything in popsicle form.

Take the leftovers of the nutrient-dense smoothies you make and freeze them in popsicle molds. There, that’s “dessert.”

Rice is an excellent vehicle for nutrition.

Plus, kids are whirlwinds of energy. If they’re doing childhood right, they’re moving constantly. They can actually use those empty glucose molecules.

Crackers are good vehicles for nutrient-dense dips.

Sure, you don’t want your kid killing a box of rice crackers by themselves. As vehicles for things like tuna salad, liver paté, good cheese, hummus, however, they excel.

Fish sauce as a training tool for picky eaters.

Frozen fruit is dessert.

Toothpicks make everything delicious.

If your ungrateful kid won’t eat your seared scallops, or your perfectly medium rare lamb chops, stick some toothpicks in. For whatever reason, kids just can’t resist toothpicked food.

Bribing works…in the short-term.

Thanks for reading.

The post The Definitive Guide to Children’s Nutrition appeared..

0 notes

cristinajourdanqp · 7 years

Text

The Definitive Guide to Children’s Nutrition

But it’s not easy.

With this in mind…

What are some nutrients to watch out for? Calcium

Growing children are constantly laying down new bone. They need calcium (and collagen, but we’ll get to that later) to do it.

RDA: 1000 mg/day (4-8 years), 1300 mg/day (9-13 years)

Bone-in sardines, hard cheeses, raw milk, full-fat yogurt/kefir, and leafy greens are the best sources of calcium.

Suggested recipe: A hunk of Emmental cheese.

Iodine

It’s the most common cause of preventable cognitive disability; nearly a third of 6-12 year olds worldwide eat inadequate amounts of iodine.

RDA: 90 ug/day (4-8 years), 120 ug/day (9-13 years)

Seaweed, with kombu/kelp being highest and nori being lower but still higher than other foods. Milk (storage vats are disinfected with iodine).

Suggested recipe: Toasted nori snacks. Kelp granules sprinkled on everything.

Iron

RDA: 10 mg (4-8 years), 8 mg (9-13 years, prior to menstruation for girls)

Suggested recipe: Chicken liver paté.

Zinc

RDA: 5 mg/day (4-8 years), 8 mg/day (9-13 years)

Red meat (especially lamb), oysters, crab, and lobster are the best sources of zinc.

Vitamin A

Full-blown vitamin A deficiency can cause night blindness and permanent blindness. Mild deficiency increases the risk of catching an upper respiratory tract infection.

RDA: 400 ug/day (4-8 years), 600 ug/day (9-12 years)

Pre-formed (more bioavailable) retinol: liver, cod liver oil, eggs, full-fat dairy.

Plant vitamin A: Sweet potato, kale, spinach, carrots.

Suggested recipe: Liver pate.

Vitamin B12

RDA: 1.2 ug/day (4-8 years), 1.8 ug/day (9-13 years)

Animal products are the best and only sources of vitamin B12.

Suggested recipe: Meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish cooked any way.

Vitamin C

We can’t make vitamin C like most other mammals, so we have to eat it if we want its benefits, which include collagen formation and deposition, tissue healing, and immune response.

RDA: 25 mg/day (4-8 years), 45 mgday (9-13 years)

Vitamin C is present in most fruits and vegetables. If your kid eats plenty of those (what kid doesn’t like fruit?), he or she will be fine.

Suggested recipe: Tall glass of Florida orange juice! Kidding. Some oranges will do.

Vitamin D

If your child is getting unfiltered sunlight on a regular basis, vitamin D probably isn’t a concern. But sometimes the sun’s not out (for months). Sometimes your kid needs to eat some vitamin D.

RDA: 15 ug/day for everyone

Suggested recipe: Cod liver oil capsules, swallowed whole or pierced and the contents squeezed into smoothies.

Vitamin K2

RDA: Unknown. But it’s quite safe.

Suggested recipe: Aged gouda (at least 2 years) on rice crackers or eaten Costanza-style.

Choline

Choline helps the liver process fat and clear toxins, and it’s a precursor to acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter that plays a major role in forming memories and learning new skills.

RDA: 250 mg/day (4-8 years), 375 mg/day (9-13 years)

Egg yolks are pound for pound the best source. Livers of all kinds are runners-up.

Suggested recipe: Scrambled eggs with an extra yolk (creamier).

EPA and DHA

Preformed long chain omega-3s are very important for brain development. That’s been the case in humans for a very long time.

Suggested recipe: Ikura, or salmon roe. Sockeye salmon with crispy skin (fish bacon always lures them in).

Saturated Fat

It’s horrifying.

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is another one of those weird nutrients that becomes toxic once you stop getting it from breastmilk. I didn’t buy it with saturated fat, and I’m not buying it with cholesterol.

Probiotics and Prebiotics

I suggest everyone punch their children’s meals into a food tracker for a week or so to get an idea of their nutrient intakes. Cronometer and MyFitnessPal are good.

Should You Manage Your Kid’s Macros?

Make sure they’re getting enough protein/fat/carbs?

Eggs (especially the yolks)

Bone marrow

Bone broth

Gelatinous meats (oxtail, cheek, shank, etc)

Organ meats

Fish eggs (ikura, or salted salmon roe, is a great option at sushi places or Japanese markets)

Fish (fresh, canned, bone-in)

Cheese

Yogurt/kefir

Raw milk

Berries

Starchy tubers

Colorful fruits and veggies

Beets

Seaweed

Coconut milk/butter

Legumes, properly prepared and tolerated

Bananas, slightly green for moderate resistant starch content

Don’t assume your kid is intolerant of everything.

“Seven bites.”

7’s a good number, but it could be anything. Make a household rule that you have to take at least 7 bites before deeming a food “yucky.”

Calories count.

Egg yolks disappear into everything.

Spaghetti sauce? Add a few egg yolks after you’ve turned off the heat.

Mac and cheese? A few egg yolks enrich it without changing the flavor.

Scrambled eggs? Add an extra egg yolk.

There’s nothing wrong with a smoothie.

There’s a lot right. A well-designed smoothie can provide tons of important nutrients. An example:

Baby kale (vitamin K, phytonutrients, magnesium, calcium, folate, potassium)

Frozen green banana (resistant starch, potassium)

Kefir (probiotics, fat, folate, vitamin k2)

Egg yolk (choline)

Whey protein

Brazil nut (selenium)

Cod liver oil (vitamin A, vitamin D, DHA/EPA)

Frozen mango (vitamin C, vitamin A, folate), coconut water (potassium, magnesium)

Kids will eat anything in popsicle form.

Take the leftovers of the nutrient-dense smoothies you make and freeze them in popsicle molds. There, that’s “dessert.”

Rice is an excellent vehicle for nutrition.

Plus, kids are whirlwinds of energy. If they’re doing childhood right, they’re moving constantly. They can actually use those empty glucose molecules.

Crackers are good vehicles for nutrient-dense dips.

Sure, you don’t want your kid killing a box of rice crackers by themselves. As vehicles for things like tuna salad, liver paté, good cheese, hummus, however, they excel.

Fish sauce as a training tool for picky eaters.

Frozen fruit is dessert.

Toothpicks make everything delicious.

If your ungrateful kid won’t eat your seared scallops, or your perfectly medium rare lamb chops, stick some toothpicks in. For whatever reason, kids just can’t resist toothpicked food.

Bribing works…in the short-term.

Thanks for reading.

The post The Definitive Guide to Children’s Nutrition appeared..

0 notes

cynthiamwashington · 7 years

Text

The Definitive Guide to Children’s Nutrition

But it’s not easy.

With this in mind…

What are some nutrients to watch out for?

Calcium

Growing children are constantly laying down new bone. They need calcium (and collagen, but we’ll get to that later) to do it.

RDA: 1000 mg/day (4-8 years), 1300 mg/day (9-13 years)

Bone-in sardines, hard cheeses, raw milk, full-fat yogurt/kefir, and leafy greens are the best sources of calcium.

Suggested recipe: A hunk of Emmental cheese.

Iodine

It’s the most common cause of preventable cognitive disability; nearly a third of 6-12 year olds worldwide eat inadequate amounts of iodine.

RDA: 90 ug/day (4-8 years), 120 ug/day (9-13 years)

Seaweed, with kombu/kelp being highest and nori being lower but still higher than other foods. Milk (storage vats are disinfected with iodine).

Suggested recipe: Toasted nori snacks. Kelp granules sprinkled on everything.

Iron

RDA: 10 mg (4-8 years), 8 mg (9-13 years, prior to menstruation for girls)

Suggested recipe: Chicken liver paté.

Zinc

RDA: 5 mg/day (4-8 years), 8 mg/day (9-13 years)

Red meat (especially lamb), oysters, crab, and lobster are the best sources of zinc.

Vitamin A

Full-blown vitamin A deficiency can cause night blindness and permanent blindness. Mild deficiency increases the risk of catching an upper respiratory tract infection.

RDA: 400 ug/day (4-8 years), 600 ug/day (9-12 years)

Pre-formed (more bioavailable) retinol: liver, cod liver oil, eggs, full-fat dairy.

Plant vitamin A: Sweet potato, kale, spinach, carrots.

Suggested recipe: Liver pate.

Vitamin B12

RDA: 1.2 ug/day (4-8 years), 1.8 ug/day (9-13 years)

Animal products are the best and only sources of vitamin B12.

Suggested recipe: Meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish cooked any way.

Vitamin C

We can’t make vitamin C like most other mammals, so we have to eat it if we want its benefits, which include collagen formation and deposition, tissue healing, and immune response.

RDA: 25 mg/day (4-8 years), 45 mgday (9-13 years)

Vitamin C is present in most fruits and vegetables. If your kid eats plenty of those (what kid doesn’t like fruit?), he or she will be fine.

Suggested recipe: Tall glass of Florida orange juice! Kidding. Some oranges will do.

Vitamin D

If your child is getting unfiltered sunlight on a regular basis, vitamin D probably isn’t a concern. But sometimes the sun’s not out (for months). Sometimes your kid needs to eat some vitamin D.

RDA: 15 ug/day for everyone

Suggested recipe: Cod liver oil capsules, swallowed whole or pierced and the contents squeezed into smoothies.

Vitamin K2

RDA: Unknown. But it’s quite safe.

Suggested recipe: Aged gouda (at least 2 years) on rice crackers or eaten Costanza-style.

Choline

Choline helps the liver process fat and clear toxins, and it’s a precursor to acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter that plays a major role in forming memories and learning new skills.

RDA: 250 mg/day (4-8 years), 375 mg/day (9-13 years)

Egg yolks are pound for pound the best source. Livers of all kinds are runners-up.

Suggested recipe: Scrambled eggs with an extra yolk (creamier).

EPA and DHA

Preformed long chain omega-3s are very important for brain development. That’s been the case in humans for a very long time.

Suggested recipe: Ikura, or salmon roe. Sockeye salmon with crispy skin (fish bacon always lures them in).

Saturated Fat

It’s horrifying.

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is another one of those weird nutrients that becomes toxic once you stop getting it from breastmilk. I didn’t buy it with saturated fat, and I’m not buying it with cholesterol.

Probiotics and Prebiotics

I suggest everyone punch their children’s meals into a food tracker for a week or so to get an idea of their nutrient intakes. Cronometer and MyFitnessPal are good.

Should You Manage Your Kid’s Macros?

Make sure they’re getting enough protein/fat/carbs?

Eggs (especially the yolks)

Bone marrow

Bone broth

Gelatinous meats (oxtail, cheek, shank, etc)

Organ meats

Fish eggs (ikura, or salted salmon roe, is a great option at sushi places or Japanese markets)

Fish (fresh, canned, bone-in)

Cheese

Yogurt/kefir

Raw milk

Berries

Starchy tubers

Colorful fruits and veggies

Beets

Seaweed

Coconut milk/butter

Legumes, properly prepared and tolerated

Bananas, slightly green for moderate resistant starch content

Don’t assume your kid is intolerant of everything.

“Seven bites.”

7’s a good number, but it could be anything. Make a household rule that you have to take at least 7 bites before deeming a food “yucky.”

Calories count.

Egg yolks disappear into everything.

Spaghetti sauce? Add a few egg yolks after you’ve turned off the heat.

Mac and cheese? A few egg yolks enrich it without changing the flavor.

Scrambled eggs? Add an extra egg yolk.

There’s nothing wrong with a smoothie.

There’s a lot right. A well-designed smoothie can provide tons of important nutrients. An example:

Baby kale (vitamin K, phytonutrients, magnesium, calcium, folate, potassium)

Frozen green banana (resistant starch, potassium)

Kefir (probiotics, fat, folate, vitamin k2)

Egg yolk (choline)

Whey protein

Brazil nut (selenium)

Cod liver oil (vitamin A, vitamin D, DHA/EPA)

Frozen mango (vitamin C, vitamin A, folate), coconut water (potassium, magnesium)

Kids will eat anything in popsicle form.

Take the leftovers of the nutrient-dense smoothies you make and freeze them in popsicle molds. There, that’s “dessert.”

Rice is an excellent vehicle for nutrition.

Plus, kids are whirlwinds of energy. If they’re doing childhood right, they’re moving constantly. They can actually use those empty glucose molecules.

Crackers are good vehicles for nutrient-dense dips.

Sure, you don’t want your kid killing a box of rice crackers by themselves. As vehicles for things like tuna salad, liver paté, good cheese, hummus, however, they excel.

Fish sauce as a training tool for picky eaters.

Frozen fruit is dessert.

Toothpicks make everything delicious.

If your ungrateful kid won’t eat your seared scallops, or your perfectly medium rare lamb chops, stick some toothpicks in. For whatever reason, kids just can’t resist toothpicked food.

Bribing works…in the short-term.

Thanks for reading.

The post The Definitive Guide to Children’s Nutrition appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

Article source here:Marks’s Daily Apple

0 notes