Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Toxin Free Baby: Feeding Little Ones on the Run

Yesterday I asked you all for any questions that you had, and Kellye had a great one:

"When you go out with your family what do you feed your little ones? Suggestions on places to get ok food. I know that nothing out there is very good....but sometimes we have to make due with what we have at the moment. Just wondering!"

Thanks for your blog!!!!

Kellye

Great question Kellye!
Feeding little people is hard enough at home, much less on the run! And especially at birthday parties, the mall, or Sunday school, where cookies, hot dogs, and Goldfish are the order of the day!

Fortunately, it is possible to keep little ones properly nourished, even when you're out and about.

Here are some of my tips:

1) Prepare, prepare, prepare! This goes for adults too! If you are in a situation where there is food, albeit unhealthy, and you are STARVING, you are much likely to give in.

So: feed your kids a good meal or hefty snack before you leave. And take healthy snacks with you like bananas, ( a serious favorite in our home) sliced apples, sprouted nuts, raw cheese, raisins, raw milk, or Jennie's macaroons.

I often feed our little guys these snacks to tide them over until we get home, when they can have a real meal. So if we're grocery shopping and lunch time is approaching, but we're not done yet, some banana or some raisins will usually keep the screaming away! :)

2) If you do find yourself in a situation where you need to purchase food, and you don't have anything with you, the key phrase is: wise choices. Again, this goes for adults too. Stick with simple dishes like meat and vegetables- ditch the complicated sauces, (which are usually loaded with toxins like MSG) the fries, the breads, the soda, and the dessert! I always say that just because you are eating out, does not mean you are obligated to order french fries! And stick with water.

3) As far as little ones go, the above principles would apply. Although it just hit me that our little ones have never eaten out, anywhere besides Whole Foods! If you have a health food store in your area, a lot of times they will have prepared foods- if you need to eat out, hit up Whole Foods before you go to Panera Bread or California Pizza Kitchen!

4) Do a search for restaurants in your area that do serve organic foods- for example, we have a restaurant about 20 minutes from our home that is 100% organic- amazing! You might have one in your area too! Check out http://www.localharvest.org/restaurants/ to find one in your area. I'd also recommend doing a google search with the phrase, "Organic food in X..." (Fill in your city and state.)

I hope these tips help you to feed your little ones well- even when you are on the go!


1 comment:

akdbaker said...

Thank you Catherine!
When I'm out and about I try to find a place that I can eat some meat and veggies...like a cafeteria or cafe. But...you still don't know how they prepare it or what pots and pans they use, etc. Even salads could have something on the lettace to preserve it.
Thanks again!
Kellye