The latest food experiment began in the mid-90s. New crops were derived from genetically modified organisms, called GMOs. The genetic modifications produce living organisms, which are not possible through natural means. We have no idea what the eventual outcome will be for people eating these foods. So, the nickname “Frankenfoods” stuck.

Franken Foods scare Kaylee.

Genetically Modified foods often resists pests. Now, the bugs just don’t stay away from the GMO, not the plant “resists” the bugs with it’s own built-in pesticide. Yes, pesticide. When a bug eats a GM plant, the toxin splits open their stomach and kills them. Now what happens when people (babies and children) consume modified plants. We don’t know, but your ingesting pesticides.

The most common Franken crops are soy, corn, cotton, and canola. They’re used in hundreds of processed foods. The introduction of Frankenfoods has caused concern around the world. Some believe they might pose a danger to human health. They’re banned in Europe.

Most of the scientific community says there’s no evidence that Frankenfoods poses a threat. They’re right. There have been no long-term studies on humans, so there’s no evidence. The only evidence is antidotal. Although, Frankenfoods have been linked to food allergies, low fertility and birth weight, increase in autoimmune diseases, heart disease, respiratory illness, anemia, and cancer.

There is no telling what the consequences of using these genetically modified foods will be. Already, investigators have found that rats fed genetically modified potatoes had an increased thickening in the lining of their stomach and intestine and a weakening of their immune system. Read more about GMOs…Click Here.

You can do three things to limit your exposure to GMOs:

*Read food labels.

*Reduce the amount of processed food you purchase.

*Buy organic

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For a synopsis of Baby Bites: Transforming a Picky Eater into a Healthy Eater, Click Here.

No matter how well I think I’ve planned, many times dinnertime seems to arrive much too early. I’ve found two easy solutions for a quick dinner prep.

Once or twice a month, grill a large package of skinless chicken breasts. Freeze in individual pieces or enough pieces to feed your family. Defrosted grilled chicken breasts can be shredded for quick addition into salads, tacos, and casseroles. They can be served as the main course when you’re tight on time.

Is it late-afternoon all you have is frozen uncooked chicken? You can hurry up the defrost time for frozen chicken by submerging it in its airtight packaging in cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes to be sure it stays cool. A one-pound package of boneless chicken breasts will defrost in an hour or less. It speeds up the defrosting time if the breasts are individually frozen.

Katelyn thinks chicken is a great idea for dinner.

Chicken a healthy choice for protein
Chicken is one of the most used meats in the world, because of its low cost. Ounce for ounce, skinless chicken is one of the lowest-fat meats around. Lean chicken is a great source of protein and vitamin B12. Chicken is low in calories and cholesterol, unless it’s fried. Although breast meat has the lowest fat content, even skinless dark meat is comparatively low in fat and high in iron and other essential vitamins and minerals.

Organic, natural or free-range what’s the difference?
Organic farmers never use antibiotics, or synthetic hormones, or pesticides in production. Organic chickens receive organic feed (no GMOs). There are no such standards or inspections for natural, pastured, and conventional chicken. Free-range means the chickens have access to the outdoors.

Do you have visions of a family farm with children scattering seed for the chickens in front of the barn? Do you think chickens roam the yard, scratching the ground, and pulling up worms. But, “free-range” only indicates there is “access” to the outdoors. There may be a small door in the sidewall of a standard chicken house. The chickens may never use it.The freshest chicken I ever ate was in Italy, when I stayed with my cousins in Tuscany on their vineyard. They keep a large garden and a chicken coop. When chicken is on the menu, Mirella goes to the coop, picks out a chicken and in a couple of hours, it’s served for dinner. Now that’s fresh!

Fresh is allowed by the Federal Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) on labeling of raw poultry products if the internal temperature has not been below 26 degrees. That means your “fresh” chicken may have been frozen.

Prevent cross-contamination
1) Always wash your hands before and after handling food.
2) Prevent cross-contamination by keeping raw poultry and their juices separate from other foods.
3) Wash cutting board, knife, and counter tops with hot, soapy water after coming in contact with raw poultry.

For info about eggs, Click Here.
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Listen to today’s podcast, Click Here.
For a synopsis of Baby Bites: Transforming a Picky Eater into a Healthy Eater, Click Here.

Nonna Joann on Denver’s Fox 31 News talking about her Happy Birthday to My Happy Meal blog:

Nonna Joann Bruso appears on several local news channels throughout the year. The first three segments are from a recent TV interview on DayStar. Following are short news segments on Fox31 and Denver News. Check back frequently to see her updated segments.

Nonna Joann Bruso on The Denver Celebration TV Show (3 Segments)

Following are videos from other appearances on FOX31 and Channel 2 News.
The first three are with feature reporter Dan Daru on Fox31.
These were shot in Nonna’s kitchen on January 6, 2009.

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Although, I frequently shop at a whole foods store, you can save on organics at big box stores like Sam’s Club and Costco. Since there’s not a Sam’s Club near me, I have a Costco membership. You’d think that Costco would have a list of organic products carried online, but I couldn’t find one. This is my unofficial list. My list is not inclusive and because items are constantly being changed. The most frustrating thing about Costco is that a favorite item will disappear from the shelves…sometimes for good, sometimes for a season.

Not all of these items are available in all Costco stores, some are seasonal and some are for reasons unknown to me are not always available.

Organic Frozen Foods (They keep adding to the organic frozen foods…YEA)
Asparagus (Pacific Meadows)
Blackberries
Blueberries (Scenic Fruit or Pacific Meadows)
Berries, mixed (Cascadian Farms)
Broccoli (Natural Choice)
Cherries (Townsend)
Corn ( Bybees)
Frozen Yogurt (Julie’s Organic lowfat strawberry)
Garden Trio (Bybee)
Green Beans (Lisa’s)
Peas (Bybee)
Peaches (Wawona)
Salmon (check to see if it’s from the Pacific Ocean and not farmed)

Organic Produce
Apples, sliced
Apples and Pears — occasionally are organic
Carrots & Mini Carrots
Edmamame (Fusjsan)
Mangeos (Pacific Meadows)
Spring Mixed Lettuce
Spinach
Roma tomatoes aren’t organic, but pesticide free

Not organic produce with peels or shells, so you’re throwing away most
(I added the word most, after Mike’s comment below) of the exterior pesticides.
Avocados
Bananas
Garlic
Onions
Oranges
Potatoes
Nuts in the shell seasonally

Organic Dairy
Butter (Kirkland)
Cheese (Organic Creamery Sharp Cheddar)
Eggs (Some stores have cage-free eggs) “ Free-range Chicken Eggs.”
(I believe that Sam’s Club carries organic eggs)
Milk, but it’s 1 percent (Whole milk is a whole food, children need healthy fats, see “ Whole Milk Challenge.”)
Tapioca
Tofu
Yogurt

Organic Meat
Organic Chicken Breasts, Thighs & Whole Chickens
Beef (grass fed is better than corn fed, but organic fed is a step up from commercially grown beef)

Organic Grains
Brown Rice, short grain (Lundberg)
Cereal (Ancient Grains, Mesa Sunrise, Natures Path Pumpkin Flax Plus Granola & Kirkland Instant Oatmeal)
Farro (Earthy Delights)
Quinoa (Red Hill)
Wild Rice (Harvest Medley)

Other Organic Products
Alpine Valley Organic Multi-Grain Bread
Apple sauce (Treetop)
Apple Chips (Bare Fruit)
Beef Jerky
Blue Agave
Chicken Broth (small amount of sugar)
Corn (Westrae canned corn)
Coffee (Magnum)
Figs ( Black Mission Figs)
Flax
Granola (Udi’s)
Ketchup (Heinz)
Maple Syrup
Olive Oil (extra virgin)
Peanut butter
Rudi’s Bread
Raisins (Sunmaid-comes in 2 two-pound packages)
Rice Dream Rice Drink
Salad Dressing (Newmans’ Own)
Salsa (Kirkland)
Salmon (Bear & Wolf wild Alaskan salmon)
Seasoning, No Salt (Kirkland)
Soup (Amy’s Lentil & Pacific Red Pepper)
Soy Milk, plain and vanilla  (Kirkland)
Strawberry Spread (Kirkland) It has 8 grams of organic sugar (two teaspoons) per serving.
Spaghetti & Macaroni (Garogalo Organic whole wheat)
Tomatoes (canned, brand changes)

Organic, Not Necessarily Healthful, Because They Are Highly Processed (may have added sugar)
Candy (The ingredients shouldn’t contain additives such as artificial colorings and flavorings.)
Cake mix (Sof’ella Gulten-Free Chocolate Cake and Frosting.)
Cereal (Kirkland Raisin bran & Kashi Autumn Wheat)
Corn Tortilla Chips
Granola bars (Nature’s Path)
Macaroni and Cheese (Annie’s)
Healthy Handfuls (organic toddler cookies, not necessarily healthful, but organic)
Italian Blood Orange Fruit Drink
Oatmeal (Kirkland instant)
Sugar (not healthful at all, but there may be times when a little sugar is needed)

Products which are NOT organic, without too many additives or sugar
Chicken Breast for sandwiches and salads (Kirkland)
Crackers (Milton’s Multi-grain & Crunchmaster Crackers are trans fat & interesterified fat free )
Fruit Leather (Stretch Island Fruit Co. no artificial ingredients)
Mushrooms (canned)
Marinara Sauce (White Linen Collection-needs some added Italian seasonings)
Tuna (Chicken of the Sea Chunk Light Tuna)

*These are the brands that I have purchased from Costco, but they can change. If you purchase an organic food item from Costco and it’s not on my list, leave a comment. I’ll add it to the list. Thanks

When you sign up for the Baby Bites Ezine (Look for the fruit face on the right side of this page.),
I’ll send out two helpful reports: “Be Frugal Save Grocery Dollars” and “7 Tips for Healthful Grocery Shopping.”

CLICK HERE for the Baby Bites book.

This European Union-funded project found vast differences between organic and conventionally grown foods. Researchers grew fruit and vegetables and reared cattle on adjacent sites. Their primary site was a 725-acre farm attached to Newcastle University.

They found levels of antioxidants in milk from organic herds were up to 90 percent higher, than in milk from conventional herds. They also found up to 40 percent more antioxidants in organic vegetables.

Pictured Left: Ethan agrees, organic is better!

The coordinator of the project said the government was wrong, about there being no difference between organic and conventional produce. “There is enough evidence now, he said, that the level of good things is higher in organics.”

For most, organic means less processed or unprocessed foods. The top reasons for organic usage are the absence of pesticides and growth hormones. Consuming fewer pesticides and growth hormones is a good idea, but, are organic foods any healthier than conventionally grown produce?

“There have been a couple of studies that suggest some produce may have larger amounts of certain nutrients,” says registered dietitian Sue Moores, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. “Organic practices affect how food is grown and, in some cases, that may yield more nutrition.”

Families on a tight budget may have difficulty making the shift to organic. Sorry to say, many times organic foods cost more than conventionally grown foods. Despite the health and environmental benefits, buying all organic for some families isn’t an option.

With the price of everything going up, the expense can be the hardest obstacle to overcome. Which foods should you buy organically and which conventionally grown foods can you get by with?

Produce: Organic fruits and vegetables are grown without pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. Some produce such as apples, berries, green beans, and spinach are more susceptible to pests. Naturally, they’re more heavily sprayed with pesticides, than worry-free produce like bananas, oranges, and broccoli. When making purchasing decisions, it makes sense to purchase organic produce that conventional growing methods are more likely to be heavily treated with pesticides.

There is another benefit to eating organic produce without pesticides. When plants aren’t coated in pesticides to help fight off disease, they develop stronger compounds to protect themselves. If you eat that produce, you get those disease-fighting compounds, too. What’s more, organic produce often has better flavor than conventionally grown foods. Since organic produce may be locally grown, they ripen later and are picked at their peak instead of being picked early to ensure survival during shipping.

When your budget is too tight for all organics, purchase conventionally grown produce with thick skins. Fruit such as pineapples, avocadoes, bananas, and citrus like oranges, lemons, and limes, all have thick skins, which are not eaten but discarded. When you throw away the outside, you’re throwing away many of the pesticides.

According to a study done by the Environmental Working Group, the top 6 most pesticide-laden foods when grown conventionally are peaches, strawberries, apples, spinach, nectarines, and celery. These might be on your must have organic list. Also, you can save when you purchase organic produce at big box stores like Costco and Sam’s Club or a farmers’ market.

Meat: A concern with eating conventionally produced meat is the hormones and antibiotics given to the cattle. Conventionally raised animals are pumped with these substances to enhance growth, increase milk production, and prevent disease. Unfortunately, these substances are then passed to people through the animals’ fat cells.

Purchasing low-fat meats may reduce your exposure to these chemicals, but buying organic guarantees a product free of hormones and antibiotics. And animals raised organically can’t feed on genetically altered grains or on land treated with chemicals. Another huge benefit.

Dairy: What sets organic milk apart is what the cows eat: Grain that has not been genetically altered and they are fed feed free of animal byproducts. Plus, these animal are also free from hormones and antibiotics.

In terms of nutritional benefit, a study from England found that organic milk has higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which boost health and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, than non-organic milk.

Other studies have shown organic milk has higher levels of vitamin E and other antioxidants, as well as minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium and chromium.

Without a doubt, organic eggs are a good nutritional buy. Eggs from hens raised on pasture contain more omega-3 fatty acids, beta carotene, and vitamins A and E.

Processed foods: The majority of packaged crackers, cookies, and chips contain a component from a genetically modified crop such as canola, soy and, corn oils, cornstarch, and high fructose corn syrup. Genetic modification involves gene transfer between plants or animals to yield a crop with increased production and greater resistance to spoilage. If you want to stay healthy and save dollars, don’t purchase processed foods.

The Bottom line: If going organic 100 percent of the time isn’t an option for you, choose the most affordable and sensible foods for your unique circumstances.

Organic dairy, for example, may be the most reasonable option if you have children. The Hartman Group research indicates having children is the most significant reason to go organic. In fact, anyone whose immunity is compromised (i.e., cancer or HIV) should consider eating organic products.

It pays for you to ask questions and to learn more about the foods your family eats. Learn how they were grown and how they arrived on your plate. There’s no time like the present!

There’s more…Whole Foods on a Food Stamp Budget, Click Here.
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For a synopsis of Baby Bites: Transforming a Picky Eater into a Healthy Eater, Click Here.

Perhaps Mother Earth News has the answer to this age-old question!

True free-range eggs are far more nutritious than eggs from commercially raised hens. They say, eggs from hens raised on pasture contain more omega-3 fatty acids, beta carotene, and vitamins A and E! That’s great news! The reason, they say, are the differences in diet between free-range pastured hens and commercially farmed hens.

It’s no surprise, that most egg industry advocates still feel strongly that commercially farmed eggs are no different from eggs from pastured hens. They feel that hens’ diets don’t alter their eggs nutritional value.

BUT, Mother Earth News points out the flawed definition of “free-range.” The USDA defines “free-range” as chickens that have “access to the outside.” However, it leaves out a lot information. It doesn’t define their diets, or whether or not the “outside access” is to a cement courtyard or a field fit for foraging.

I think the chicken crossed the road, because she was truly free-range and could!

You’ll want to read, Chicken the Solution for Dinner, Click Here.

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We know organic cost more than conventionally grown fruit and veggies. It’s usually a good thing to compare apples to apples. For this comparison, I didn’t shop around for the best prices. I made all, but one purchase in one discount grocery store. Most grocery stores carry a line of organic products, so it wasn’t hard to do.

Now, if I was really comparing apples to apples, with each list of groceries, the total on the organic receipt would certainly be higher. Occasionally, it makes sense to compare apples to oranges. When you make the switch to whole foods, not just organic processed foods, the cost is almost identical. Organic processed foods are certainly more expensive. When you purchase whole foods, instead of processed foods, you’ll be surprised that your total food bill hasn’t changed very much! When switching organic foods, compare your total food bill, not just item to item. Processed snack foods are expensive, too. Once they are eliminated from your food bill, you’ll have more to spend on organic foods.

Obviously, organic fruits and vegetables will cost a bit more than conventionally grown. But when you compare boxed pancake mix to the cost of making your own, you’ll save big time! In the recipe section, I have added a very easy to make pancake recipe. It doens’t take any longer to prepare than making pancakes from a boxed mix.

Processed snack foods drive your food bill up! Plus, you’re filling up on fake-foods without valuable nutrients. I purchased two grocery bags full of snack foods. Each bag included the same number of items. The first bag, contained items for whole-food organic snacking . The second bag contained conventional processed snacks.

Each list has seven items. The total was almost exactly the same for each group of snack foods. I purchased the items in Spring 2008. With the cost of gas and inflation, I rounded up each item.

Organic Snacks

1) 4.00—1 quart Apple juice

2) 3.60—1 pound celery

3) 4.20—1 pound raisins

4) 1.80—1 pound carrots

5) 4.20—3 pounds apples

6) 5.30—4 pounds Valencia oranges

7) 1.00—1 pound organic popcorn (I purchased this at a whole foods store, because I couldn’t find where it was located at the grocers)

Total Cost of Whole-food Organic Snacking = $24.10

Conventional Snacks

I added three pieces of fruit to this list, thinking most people eat at least some fruit.

1) 5.70—Case of soft drinks

2) 4.20—1 pound 3 ounces Cheese chips

3) 4.20—Chocolate cream-centered cookies

4) 2.20—Fish-shaped crackers

5) 3.00—Oatmeal cookies

6) 2.50—Pretzels

7) 2.40—3 Gala apples

Total Cost of Processed Food Snacking = $24.20

The cost of eating organic is measured not only in dollars, but health.

My journey to whole foods began when Jenny, my third daughter, was diagnosed as hyperactive. Her pediatrician wanted to write a prescription at her two-year check-up to control her symptoms. I resisted and I resisted again at her 3-year and 4-year check-ups.

Jenny was constantly moving and she had a short attention span. We found ourselves adjusting our routines just to accommodate her. More worrisome, Jenny had great difficulty falling asleep. Bedtime took hours for her to settle down.

I knew in my heart that Jenny wouldn’t be able to function in a school setting and I would be out of options at her next annual check-up. I began to search for solutions at a time where there weren’t many. Although, it didn’t take too long and I found a book, Why Your Child is Hyperactive, by Dr. Feingold. He was the first to make the connection between food additives in processed foods with hyperactivity. Today, you can find many resources through the Feingold Association.

After reading Feingold’s book, I knew I had to change my purchasing habits, not only for Jenny, but for the entire family. I figured, I didn’t have anything to lose. I was a mom on a mission. I didn’t wait to gradually replace the food I’d previously purchased, but took an afternoon and cleaned out my entire kitchen. I read every label and gave away 5 bags of food.

In about a week, we began to see a new child emerge from the cloud of chemicals. Jenny, who exhausted US at her bedtime, was now falling asleep in minutes. This alone was worth any perceived difficulty or for that matter cost in changing our diets. Jenny’s attention span increased. She was more at peace. We always knew when something hidden in our food got past us, in our own accidental double-blind studies. After ingesting hidden chemicals, Jenny would once again experience sleep difficulties and, of course, hyperactivity.

I became a master sleuth, locating the additive culprit and then eliminating it. It typically took three to five days to clear her system. Unfortunately, in the last 30 years more chemicals have been added to our food supply. Today, 90 percent of the foods in our grocery stores are processed with over 3,000 chemicals. I believe this is why we are seeing an alarming increase of Autism Spectrum Disorder, which includes: Attention Deficit Disorder, ADD, ADHD, Sensory Integration Disorder, and of course Autism.

Learning what’s in the food we purchase is vital for every family; whether or not you have a sensitive child, like Jenny. Eliminating additives and chemicals from your diet will increase the overall health of your family. Although our nutrition label is more complete, today, manufactures have added to the confusion. They want us to believe that we’re purchasing a healthy product, even if we’re not. They do everything they can to convince us that their processed food is in some way nutritious.

In Baby Bites: Transforming a Picky Eater into a Healthy Eater, I explain the difference between natural and organic: “The terms natural and organic don’t mean the same thing. They’re not interchangeable. Certified USDA organically grown produce is produced without pesticides, synthetic herbicides, sewage sludge, irradiation, preservatives or additives, and doesn’t utilize seeds from Genetically Engineered Organisms (GMOs). USDA Organic means it’s grown, handled, and processed differently than conventionally processed foods. At least 95 percent of the product is organic. On the other hand, the word “natural” on the label means absolutely nothing. Natural isn’t a term designating how the food was grown or produced or handled. The term “natural” indicates the product is edible. The food hype includes the whole food industry, which is growing by leaps and bounds. Just because the word organic is mentioned, don’t think the product is free of sugar or white flour. Reading labels is still your best bet. ”

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