Our speaker this morning was Sarah Newman, a Dr. Sears Certified Health Coach. She provided a wealth of information on nutrition and healthful eating for ourselves and our families. Information included:
Foods that fight infections and are a natural antibiotic:
- Tomatoes
- Chickpeas
- Spinach
A vegetable that is high in protein and beneficial for diabetics:
Natural cough expectorants:
- Radishes
- Onions
- Chili peppers
Foods that fight against cancer-causing pollutants:
Overall top 3 fruits:
- Avocado (stabilizes blood sugar, high in vitamins D and A, and keeps you feeling fuller longer)
- Guava
- Papaya
Marketing can be confusing when trying to buy healthy foods for our families. Sarah suggests looking at the following numbers when reading labels: Dietary fiber should be at least 5g, (especially in cereals), sugar (less than 5g is ideal), and protein.
She also explained the concept of “traffic light eating”, which separates foods into 3 groups. Green foods are fruits and vegetables (eat as much as you want). Yellow foods are foods that you need but that should be eaten in moderation (examples include black beans, cheese, nuts, yogurt). Red foods are foods that you only eat every so often (e.g. desserts). You and your family should decide what’s right for you.
Our MOPS moms had some valuable input as well. One idea for getting your kids to try new foods is to put a cotton ball in a jar whenever they will try a new healthy food/make a healthy food choice and then provide a reward when the jar is full.
Organic foods can be expensive but one mom shared websites where coupons are available, including organicdeals.com and organicdealdiva.com. Another resource shared for “real food” eating is the blog 100daysofrealfood.com
Lastly, our speaker provided tasty recipes for smoothies containing vegetables, fruit, and protein.
Chocolate Shake
1 cup spinach
1-2 frozen bananas
3 Tbsp hemp seed (adds 10 g of protein)
1 Tbsp raw cacao
1 cup milk of choice
Blend well.
**I made this one for my kids after MOPS and they loved it!
Blueberry Smoothie
1 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 green apple
1/2 frozen banana
3 Tbsp hemp seed
1 cup milk of choice (suggested: coconut milk)
1 cup spinach
Blend well.
Mango Madness Smoothie
1 cup frozen mango
1 carrot
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 cup milk of choice
1 orange
3 Tbsp hemp seed
Blend well.
OFLC MOPS 