Manufacturers have to “enrich” these foods, adding back a few of the hundreds of nutrients, which were removed.

Ninety percent of the food found in the grocery store is processed. We have come to believe the marketing: processed foods are cheaper and faster than whole foods. This is false. Whole foods contain the nutritional ammunition to prevent and reverse illness.

You may have noticed a few sponsors on my home page. What you might not realize is that I only accept sponsors I strongly believe will enhance your health. I’ve turned down numerous products, which I don’t believe are the most healthful choice.

This watermelon drink was a snap to make with a super-powered blender.

Power Blender
A new Vitamix link went up today. (You can see Vitamix specials by clicking on the red dot found on the right side of this page.) I purchased a Vitamix several years ago after much consideration. I already had a very good $80 blender and had a hard time justifying spending more on another blender.

I saw the Vitamix demonstration and thought it might be a beneficial kitchen appliance. After all who doesn’t want to save time in the kitchen? It took me several months, but I finally decided to bite the bullet and purchased the machine.

A Vitamix has a super-powered, commercial grade motor. It’s a blender on steroids. I told myself before I made the investment, “I would make it a point to use it every day.” Otherwise, I’d be throwing money down the drain. (Silly me, I found out later they have a 30-day money-back guarantee!)

Well, that vow turned out to be easy to keep. Not only do I use my Vitamix every day, but I use it multiple times a day.

I eventually gave away four appliances which the Vitamix replaced: ice cream maker, juicer, food processor and, of course, my old blender. Not only I no longer need to store these appliances, which were taking up vital kitchen space, but the Vitamix does a better job than all of them.

Power of Whole Foods
I use the Vitamix for just about every meal. We start the day with a veggie drink. I usually make a mid-day fruit smoothie. I can make my own nut-butters and nut milks. Homemade dips, sauces and salad dressings are quick to make and are additive-FREE.

The first appliance to go was my juicer (after the obvious $80 blender). Cleaning a juicer is a major chore. It was so much work to clean, that I stopped using it. The fiber was wasted. I don’t like throwing away food. Because of the Vitamix’s power, all of the fiber of whole food is utilized. Nothing is thrown away or needs to be “saved” as with a juicer for use in a future soup or stew. In fact, the Vitamix breaks down the cell wall so thoroughly it releases the nutrition trapped inside the produce. You get more nutrition, more flavor and more fiber. I happily gave mine away, because it was no longer needed.

The second appliance I kicked out the door was my food processor. The time to make soup is also cut to a fraction of the time. No peeling, no seeding is required for the powerful blades to create a yummy soup. The friction of the blades will even heat the soup. The Vitamix blades do all the work of a food processor. A head of cabbage is chopped in seconds!

I no longer needed to store my bulky ice cream maker, because the Vitamix makes a soft-serve ice cream with frozen fruit in less than two minutes. Yes, almost instantly, a yummy cool frozen treat is ready. (My grandkids love this feature!)

I also purchased the dry blade for grinding grains. I now grind fresh flour in minutes! Wheat loses its nutrients in a matter of a couple of hours after being ground. When the flour is fresh, the nutrients are intact. Pancakes, muffins and cookies are not only more nutritious, but tastier. It also has a kneading feature for bread, but I still prefer to knead by hand.

Power to Kiss Goodbye Processed Foods
I can’t imagine not having this kitchen appliance. (I’m sorry if this sounds like a commercial.) The number one reason people use processed foods is time. It takes time to cook whole foods. A power blender will  give you the power (time) to say “goodbye” to processed foods.

It’s been almost three years, since I got my Vitamix and I love it every bit as much today as the first day. I REALLY believe the Vitamix to be a superior product. (Did I mention their 7-year guarantee?) I REALLY use my Vitamix EVERY day. That is why I put the new link on my home page. Click on the red dot, then check the site out for special deals and free shipping. (For free shipping, look for the promotion code in the shopping cart. Then enter the number to receive the discount.)

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David Ludwing, director of the Optimal Weight for Life program at Children’s Hospital. Boston, says there’s no scientific basis for the recommendation that rice is healthier for babies. He says, “That’s a myth.”

By the time baby is sitting up in a highchair, his/her first finger food is a French fry. Why is that? Because it’s what you’re eating! Change what you’re eating, and you will change what baby eats.

Kylie is eating oatmeal, her mom made from whole oats.

If you want to avoid a picky eater, purchase and then eat whole foods yourself. What your baby sees, smells, and tastes will help him/her cultivate their taste buds. Baby has a natural desire to emulate you.

Alan Greene, a pediatrician at Stanford University’s Lucile Packard Children Hospital, is encouraging parents to abandon white rice in favor of brown. He’s begun a new campaign, “WhiteOut”, for babies. Greene says that babies are getting hooked on highly processed white rice and flour. This may lead to a lifetime of bad dietary habits.

What we feed babies in the early days, matters for a lifetime. Greene’s WhiteOut is a grand initiative. It’s not only easy to remember, but a healthy cooking philosophy. Cooking brown rice, thinning it with liquid and pureeing it will not only be healthier for baby, but cost a fraction of the processed boxed cereals.

Baby’s First Whole Foods
My 12-month-old grandson, Tristan is staying at our house for over a week. His Granddad and I are having a wonderful time entertaining the little guy. He feeds himself (sans spoon) and pretty much eats the same foods we eat.

The only difference is the food needs to be mashed or chopped really fine: bananas, peas, avocados, and beans. He has scrambled eggs or whole grain oatmeal for breakfast. Sometimes a little chopped chicken, sweet potatoes and green beans for dinner. These foods are easy to puree, especially if you have an inexpensive baby food grinder.

Baby food grinders cost about around $15. They hold a couple of tablespoons of food. You can even grind the food right at the table.

For easy finger food, either chop food really small or get out your hand grater. Wash, peel and then grate carrots, apples, pears, cheese, cucumbers, etc. Tristan loves them all.

This photo of Tristan was taken last October.

Front of the Label Hype
Food manufacturers know how to market to new parents. Call something “nutritious” and even slap the “organic” label on it, so parents will feel good about feeding it to their baby. Processed food is processed food, no matter who the intended market may be.

Happy Baby Organic Puffs is promoted as “finger food for babies.” The label says it’s made with whole grains and fortified with iron, vitamin D, calcium, B vitamins. Rice is the first ingredient. You’d think it was  a whole grain, but it’s NOT brown rice. Brown rice is the fourth ingredient. If brown rice is fourth, then white rice is what’s listed first. The key is the word “fortified” on the front of the label. If it’s “fortified” then nutrition is lacking in the product. Don’t be taken in, it’s a white food. This is like purchasing organic potato chips. Because it’s “organic”, it makes you feel better about your choice for junk food.

Dr. Greene’s WhiteOut food philosophy is not only healthy for baby, but for the entire family. Eat brown rice and whole grain brown bread. White potatoes are the least nutritious (so forget mashed potatoes and French fries), substitute orange sweet potatoes. Forgo white pasta, for whole wheat. Pass on white sugar and anything made with white flour (cookies, pancakes, donuts, frozen waffles, and bagels). Your entire family will be healthier for it.

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Italian researchers did a comparative study in children from Europe and Burkina Faso, a rural African village.

Children from Burkina Faso ate a diet high in fiber content, similar to that of early human settlements at the time of the birth of agriculture. They were found to have significantly more gut flora than European children, who ate processed foods.

The researchers found the African children had a healthier balance of good and bad bacteria, compared to the European children.

African kids had higher levels of fatty acids that produce energy, and had less of the harmful bacteria, such as E.coli, which are linked to gut problems including diarrhea and upset stomach.

They theorized the fiber-rich African diet provided good energy levels while protecting the gastrointestinal (GI) tract from inflammatory and other colonic diseases.

“Do you mean if I eat whole grains & veggies, I might not get a tummy ache?” asks Chase in disbelief.
Photo with permission from ZIMage Photography

Children on Western diets in developed countries eat junk and processed food, which are low in fiber, high in altered fat, sugar and protein. This appears to have changed the natural microflora balance in the gut, leading to the recent rise in allergies, autoimmune and inflammatory bowel diseases. (Learn more about probiotics, Click Here.)

We have come to believe the advertising hype that processed and fast foods (processed foods are purchased in boxes, bags and cans) are nutritious. After all each food product has a “nutrition label” with the nutrients listed. For healthier children, a diet high in whole grains and veggies is vital. Baby Bites: Transforming a Picky Eater into a Healthy Eater incorporates multi-sensory learning during mealtimes. Even a picky eater will be voluntarily eat previously refused whole foods in only a few days, when the Baby Bite steps are implemented.

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When the demand for organic foods rose, more items became available. You vote with your pocketbook.

Today, you can find organics in just about every grocery store. Some have entire sections just for organic foods. Some, like Vitamin Cottage Natural Grocers, everything in their store is organic.

Surprisingly, Jada has a craving for  pumpkin pudding.

Even Costco and other big box stores are stocking more organics. Click Here for My Unofficial Costco Organic Foods List. I’m always adding items as I spot them in the store. (If you purchase an organic food item from Costco and it’s not on my list, let me know.)

Whole foods have only a few ingredients and you should be able to pronounce them. Food should be free of artificial colors and flavors, MSG, nitrates, trans fat and other altered fats. If a loaf of bread has an ingredient list as long as your arm, it’s not natural. Bread should contain: a whole grain, salt, yeast, and maybe a little oil.

Turns out that some food manufactures are listening. They are jumping on the natural bandwagon with new labeling indicating fewer ingredients. This is certainly a step in the right direction.

Haaagen-Dazs launched a new ice cream line with only five ingredients: milk, cream, sugar, eggs and one natural flavor. They named the line “Five.” Even with only five ingredients, ice cream is still loaded with sugar. It’s nice to know that when you splurge with a treat that it doesn’t contain artificial ingredients.

It’s autumn and the weather is cooler. We begin to think about warm food. Quaker Oats airs a TV commercial emphasizing the benefits of eating their product for breakfast. Two Quaker Oats round cardboard containers are used as a jet pack and you see the person taking off into space. Right on! Whole grains are powered with long lasting energy. There’s a little problem that pops up at the end of the commercial. Instead of focusing on the oatmeal made from scratch (the kind packaged in round cardboard containers used in the jet pack), they highlight their highly sugared instant packages. In an half a second, we went from a whole food to a highly-processed-sugared food product.

Oatmeal is healthful and one of the most economical breakfasts you can make… yet the instant variety is expensive. You can make your own flavored oatmeal at a fraction of the cost without all the sugars and artificial ingredients. Click Here for two yummy oatmeal recipes.

Pumpkin pudding can be a yummy, healthful dessert, if it’s made from whole ingredients. You’ll want to try my Blender Pumpkin Pudding and eat it while it’s still warm. YUM!

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This change is to begin in August. YEA! Consumer backlash, refusing to purchase even .5 grams of trans fat was instrumental in its removal. That’s the American way. Supply in demand. Capitalism at it’s best. Whoopee.

Trans fats has been found to cause a host of health problems as they:

>Raise your LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and lower HDL (good) cholesterol levels

>Are believed to contribute to auto-immune disease, cancer, heart disease, fertility problems, and bone degeneration

>Inhibit insulin receptors in your cell membranes and cause type 2 diabetes, characterized by high levels of insulin and glucose in your blood.

Katelyn celebrates her first birthday with cake, although this cake is trans and interesterified fat free and free from artificial flavors and colors.

Party Pooper
Just as I was getting ready to do a happy dance around the kitchen table, I came to the next to last paragraph, “Unilever will replace the partially hydrogenated oils (trans fats) with a mixture of palm oil and interesterified fat.”

POP…You could hear my illusions (that this would be a healthy change) bursting. Interesterified fats have been an ingredient in foods in the U.S. since the 1950s. They were introduced in Europe in the 1920s. Interesterified fats have recently become widespread as a substitute for partially hydrogenated oils (trans fats) in the U.S. A package may boast “No trans fat”, but it’s hard to purchase crackers or bakery products without interesterified fats.

Interesterified fats are chemically altered fats. They are hydrogenated and then rearranged on a molecular level. Although technically not the same as partially hydrogenated oils, the unnatural manipulation of lipid molecules in interesterified fats raises the very same health concerns as trans fats.

Research findings published in Nutrition and Metabolism confirmed previous studies indicating that interesterified fats also negatively affect LDL and HDL cholesterol, although weaker than trans fat.

We’re No Better Off
Ah, but there is another concern about the effect interesterified fat has on blood sugar levels of healthy people. Studies found that interesterified fat raises blood glucose levels by 20 percent within a month! This is MUCH WORSE than trans fat. We’re not any better off, in fact we’re worse off. We’re jumping from the frying pan into the fire, as most people are unaware of the dangers of interesterified fats. Interesterified fats come in many disguises. On nutrition lables look for high stearate or stearic rich fats these are interesterified fats as well.

Don’t be fooled into believing the “No Trans Fat” claim on the package means a healthier product. Read labels and REFUSE TO PURCHASE interesterified fats, as they’re worse than the trans fats they are replacing…that’s the American way.  Supply in demand. Capitalism at it’s best. Whoopee.

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What’s wrong with people food? For the most part it doesn’t support health. The sad truth is that most of America’s children don’t eat as well as their pets. That’s saying a lot, because most pet food is highly processed. At least pet food has measured amounts of nutrients for animals.

Only two percent of children meet the U.S. Food Guide Pyramid’s recommendations for a healthy diet. One quarter of children ages 5 to 10 years old have early warning signs for heart disease, such as elevated blood cholesterol or high blood pressure. Type 2 diabetes used to be called adult onset diabetes.

Angel loves fruit!

“Adult onset” has been dropped from type 2 diabetes label, because up to 45 percent of children with newly diagnosed diabetes do NOT have type one, but type 2. Type 2 diabetes is directly connected to the processed sugary foods kids eat and is avoidable. Today, people eat one hundred and fifty pounds of sugar in a year. Yikes, that’s two-and-a-half pounds of sugar each week! Kids consume more sugar than their parents.

We have picky kids because we fill our pantries with highly processed food items and we regularly take toddlers to fast food places. We purchase snack items, lacking nutrients, because we don’t think of snacks as food. Chips, cookies, crackers, and candy take the place of healthful fruit and veggies.

I’ve heard moms say that fruit is too expensive, yet they find the money to purchase junk foods. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average cost of a serving of fruit or vegetable is 25 cents per serving. I stopped in Safeway today to compare the price of organic fruit (fruit is a cheaper if you don’t purchase organic) to junk foods. Veggies, like carrots, celery and snap peas, would be less expensive than fruit. I didn’t see any savings when purchasing junky snack items.

This is what I found:
One organic banana is about 35 cents.
Two ounces of organic raisins is about 40 cents.
One organic apple from a 3 pound bag is about 55 cents.

A candy bar costs about 80 cents.
A single-serving bag of chips is about 70 cents.
One oatmeal cookie from a box containing a dozen is about 25 cents.
One vanilla ice cream bar from a box of 6 is about 45 cents.

Last year, I researched purchasing whole foods on a food stamp budget. I found that it’s possible on a very limited income to eat whole foods, including fruit and veggies. Obviously, costly processed snacks (chips, cookies, candy) were not included in my budget. Whole foods, like fresh produce, whole grains, and dairy, satisfy hunger and pack a lot of nutrition into a few bites. Each calorie is nutrient-dense with vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and essential amino and fatty acids. Whole foods take longer to digest, warding off food cravings between meals.

Your children, even picky eaters, will eat healthy snacks, when all you have in your kitchen are whole foods. Instead of processed snack foods, purchase fruit and veggies. Make hot-air popcorn and smoothie or fruit juice Popsicles. YUMMY! Healthy snack ideas are limitless: Pumpkin or sunflower seeds, edamame, plain yogurt mixed with a mashed banana and topped with granola, apple slices dipped in peanut or almond butter. I could go on, but you get the idea.

For info about the free Baby Bites Ezine, Click Here.

Listen to today’s podcast, Click Here.

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

How much sugar is there in processed foods?

1) Carnation Instant Breakfast has 20 grams or 4¼ teaspoons of sugar in one serving!

2) Cereals usually give one cup as a serving size. Children’s cereals like Lucky Charms, Trix or Fruit Loops have the same amount of added sugars: 13-15 grams or 3 teaspoons of sugar at one sitting! MultiGrain Cheerios is a little better at 6 grams or 1½ teaspoons of sugar. A warm breakfast sound nutritious, doesn’t it?

But what about…
3) Instant Oatmeal: All flavors have between 12 -13 grams or 3 teaspoons of sugar, not any better than the cereals.

4) The last item in our list is Nutella. This has taken the place of wholesome peanut or almond butter in many homes. Can you guess what’s the first ingredient? Yes, Sugar! 2 tablespoons of Nutella, has a whooping 20 grams of sugar or over 4 teaspoons. Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.

CLICK HERE for ordering information for Baby Bites: Transforming a Picky Eater into a Healthy Eater and The Forest Feast: Baby Bites Mealtime Adventures.

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After a long night of sleep, your child’s engine is on empty. A healthy breakfast, containing protein and fiber, will get his engine going. Protein and fiber will satisfy your child’s hunger and keep him feeling full until lunchtime. In fact, studies show children who eat breakfast do better in school.

Mornings are when even picky eaters are hungry. Don’t miss this opportunity to fill your child’s tank with whole foods instead of processed foods. Unfortunately, the most important meal of the day, usually consists of highly processed foods, stripped of their nutritional value.

Most kids begin the day with sugared cereals, toaster tarts, instant oatmeal, or liquid breakfast drinks. Whole grain boxed breakfast cereals have been heated to the point most of the nutrients have been destroyed. Pancakes and waffles are usually made with white flour and topped with some form of sugar. Even ”health” bars often contain lots of sugar.

“Top of the mornin’,” quips Flynn.

For those mornings when sausage or bacon is on the menu, you can add nitrates to the list of unhealthy ingredients consumed. All cured meats, including breakfast sausage, bacon, luncheon meats, and hot dogs, contain nitrites and nitrates. Once inside the body, they can form nitrosamines, a cancer-causing chemical. These carcinogenic compounds have been associated with cancer. They have also been linked with leukemia and ADD/ADHD in children.

Children, who have small tummies, and the picky eater, who is consuming limited foods, shouldn’t eat meats containing nitrates. Always look for nitrate-free meats. In addition, these products usually are high in fat, and the fat is where contaminates are stored.

So What Can You Make For Breakfast?
A healthful breakfast doesn’t have to take a lot of time. In fact, most breakfasts take only five minutes to prepare. Make rolled oats, not the instant kind. My favorite is with apples and walnuts, but add any dried fruit or mash a soft fruit like a banana into your oatmeal. Prepare enough for two mornings and refrigerate half for later in the week. All you have to do is add a little more liquid, heat, and stir. Hard-boiled eggs are another breakfast item that can be made in advance of your busy morning. Toast is great, when it’s whole grain. Spread a little butter or fruit-only jelly and you have some sticking power. Left-over brown rice from last night’s dinner can be warmed with milk or chicken broth for a nutritious start to the day.  Add a piece of fruit or yogurt. Fruit smoothies come together in a flash right in your blender. And it takes only a minute to scramble a few eggs. French toast made with whole wheat bread and top with applesauce. Don’t forget blueberries, a super way to start your morning.

Grab and Go
Don’t have time to cook? Then grab and go: Hard-boiled egg or cheese with piece of fruit. Who says that you have to have “breakfast” food? Make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat bread. How about an egg salad sandwich or a piece of chicken from last night’s dinner? A handful of nuts, sliced fruit, and a oatmeal cookie (only if you made the cookie yourself with whole grains and honey) will be more nutritious than boxed kids’ cereal.

Click Here for the blog, “What’s Breakfast without Bacon?”

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CLICK HERE for ordering information for Baby Bites: Transforming a Picky Eater into a Healthy Eater and The Forest Feast: Baby Bites Mealtime Adventures.

For info about the free Baby Bites Ezine, CLICK HERE.

Yes, preparing healthy meals may take a little time, especially in the beginning. It’s essential to shop for the best nutritional value and then have a resource of healthy easy-to-make recipes.

Nicole doubts I can purchase whole foods on a food budget of only $300 a month!

Whole foods, like fresh produce, whole grains, and dairy, satisfy hunger and pack a lot of nutrition into a few bites. Each calorie is nutrient-dense and packed with vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and essential amino and fatty acids. Whole foods take longer to digest, warding off food cravings between meals.

Last Spring, I talked with a group of parents from the Colorado Homeless Families in Jefferson County. These are parents who are attending school, receiving job training, and education to better care for their families. Most are temporarily on food stamps. Jefferson County allows a maximum of $298 a month for two people. It’s a sliding scale, larger families receive more and food stamps are adjusted to the family’s income. Also, it’s expected that each family will supplement their food stamps with their income.

For the purpose of my demonstration, I went to a Super WalMart to purchase two week’s groceries for two people. I used $300 as my monthly food budget. You’ll be happy to know that I purchased more than enough food for two people and I only purchased whole foods. Sometimes, I even purchased organic foods! I refused to purchase expensive processed junk foods, which don’t contain any nutrients.   CLICK HERE to print off a FREE helpful grocery list.

This is how I spent my food budget for one week, $75. To economize larger size items were purchased with $25 of the next week’s food budget and used for the second week’s groceries. (I spent $100) . Prices reflect Spring 2008:

I shopped using the recipes found in Baby Bites for dinner which serve 4. I planned to freeze ½ for a second meal. Of course, I included items like flour for pancakes, oatmeal, and eggs for breakfast, lunch items and even food for snacking in my grocery shopping. CLICK HERE for Nonna’s Favorite Pancakes.

1) Spanish Rice & Beans, pg 121

2) Cheesy Salmon Casserole, pg 125

3) Spinach & Tomato Medley, pg 121

4) Lentil Pilaf, pg 128

5) Gilled chicken breasts, salad, lentils.

$34      Dairy, Poultry & Bread:

2.30     Butter, 1 pound

3.40*   Organic eggs, 1 dozen ($1.63 less if not organic)

5.30*   Organic milk, 1 gallon ($1.22 less if not organic)

2.50*   Dannon plain yogurt

2.25     Mozzarella cheese, 8 ounces

4.00     Cheddar cheese, 16 ounces

3.55*   Organic bread

10.00   3 lb.(6) Tyson chicken breasts without hormones & antibiotics

$16*    Produce:

0.70     1 lb carrots

1.40     1 lb celery

1.85     2 green bell peppers

1.00     1 pound onions

4.40     Clemintine oranges, bag of 7

0.30     Garlic

0.90     Frozen spinach

0.65     2 small tomatoes

2.70     4 pounds of bananas (8)

1.50     1 head lettuce

.50     Avocado

*Weekly purchases

$11 Canned Goods:

3.30     2 cans 14 ounces salmon (1.65)

1.80     3 cans tomatoes (60 each)

1.30     2 cans black beans (60 each)

1.20     2 cans pinto beans

3.00     32 ounces organic chicken broth

1.20     2 cans of 6 ounce light tuna

$36      Staples:

This section is divided: $18 weekly

1.85     Red wine vinegar (or balsamic)

1.85     1 10 ounce jar green olives

3.00     Smuckers Strawberry Jelly 15 ounce, Low Sugar, No High Fructose Corn Syrup

1.70     Popping corn, 2 pounds

5.15     Extra virgin olive oil, 15 ounces

2.20     Best Foods mayo, 15 ounces, No High Fructose Corn Syrup

1.90     Applesauce, 3 pounds, No Sugars

1.80     Raisins, 1 pound

2.15     Wheat flour, 5 pounds

2.60     Smucker’s peanut butter, 1 pound, No Sugars

2.00     Rolled oats, 2 pounds, 10 ounces

2.50     Pace Salsa, 1 pound, No Sugars

0.75     Lentils, 1 pound

3.00     Brown rice, 28 ounces

.35     Baking Soda

.85     Baking Powder

2.50    Honey

1.25     Cinnamon

Sub-Total          97.00

Taxes              +3.00

Total Bill           100.00

-25.00 for 2^nd week*

1 Week Total   $75.00

CLICK HERE for ordering information for Baby Bites: Transforming a Picky Eater into a Healthy Eater and The Forest Feast: Baby Bites Mealtime Adventures.

For info about the free Baby Bites Ezine, CLICK HERE.

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.