Ten steps to a pantry makeover
Recently I have had quite a few parents ask about our diet for C and how we manage the expense of his dietary restrictions. When C was diagnosed, a blood test revealed that he had an egg and wheat allergy. Though he does not have an anaphylactic reaction to the allergy, it is clear that it affects his body. He will start to stim more, he starts to use jargon, and his pupil's even dilate. Though the allergist said these are not common symptoms of an allergic reaction, we have learned to expect the uncommon with C.So, we moved forward with not only changing the way C eats, but have revamped our entire family's eating habits. Though we don't all follow a gluten free diet, we have removed many food items containing wheat or egg. We have also eliminated all dyes, all foods containing GMO's, have moved to primarily organic meat and produce, no longer eat processed foods, and limit sugar intake.
Before you decide that you need to do a complete overhaul of your pantry, I have a few suggestions to make the transition easier, and ease the burden on your pockets.
1. Don't eliminate everything at once! Take it one step at a time, one ingredient at a time. If you just stocked your pantry with cereal, bread, pasta, etc., try eliminating processed foods first. I have found that making things from scratch takes as much time as prepared foods, and can be a fun teaching moment for kids (and husbands too)
2. When purchasing organic produce, start with the "Dirty Dozen", as shown by Organic.org. These foods are listed based on the previous years pesticide residue testing and then placed in the "Dirty Dozen" category as foods recommended to purchase organic.
3. If you are eliminating foods to see if there are any behavioral effects on your child (or yourself for that matter), ensure that you only eliminate one food at a time, and give it a minimum of 2-3 weeks to ensure that it is completely removed from your system. This way you will be able to pinpoint any culprits of unwanted behavior.
4. Check with your butcher to find out where your meat comes from. Ideally you want to eat meat that comes from farms that grass feed their animals, allow them to free roam, and are free from added hormones and antibiotics.
5. Natural doesn't necessarily mean organic. This is confusing because there are strict regulations that come with the FDA Approved Organic label, whereas "Natural" does not have the same criteria. With that being said, local and small farmers don't necessarily have the means required to pay for the FDA to approve them as organic. Check with your local farmers. KI Farmer's Market farmers are very open about their farming practices. Farmer's Markets are also a great way to support your local economy!
6. Shop the sales! I only buy meat when it is on sale. I usually only buy from Whole Foods, however Trader Joe's has great prices on Ground Beef and Frozen Chicken Breasts. I find out what is on sale and try to base my meals around those meats. This is where planning ahead is key!
7. Plan Ahead!! I always look online at Whole Foods and take a look at their weekly flyer. They also have deals of the day, and Facebook will usually update you on the good ones. Once I know what is on sale that I need, I plan out my meals for the month... Yep a month. I don't necessarily have a specific day in mind when I will cook a particular meal, but I have a plan for everything I buy. This helps deter me from overbuying and sometimes I can even stretch my meat over 6 weeks.
8. Know your staple pantry items and stock up when they are on sale. C Loves Z Bars, but they don't often go on sale. When they do, I ensure I stock up. I have found them as low as $.50/ bar, which is a steal! I also know that my kids like the same basic things in their lunch. We always have a fruit, a protein, a snack, and a sweet. Chips at Trader Joes are just $1.99 per bag!! There is no other chain store that has chip prices that low, and my favorite part... The ingredients are just potatoes, salt and sunflower oil. I can pronounce all of those ingredients!
9. Try making things from scratch. You pay for someone else to process your food, and I think it is a waste of money (in my personal opinion). I bread my own nuggets, cut my own french fries, mix my own pancake batter, etc. These are kid staples that can be costly. When I make my nuggets, I make a Gluten Free Batch, and a Panko Batch. Everyone can enjoy them, and they literally take 10 minutes more to cook than oven baking processed nuggets. The very best part... I know what's in them. There is no mystery meat!
10. Don't beat yourself up. If you can't afford organic, if you can't make your own nuggets, if you don't have time to shop in 3 different stores, don't get discouraged. By slowly changing your pantry over, slowly changing your eating and cooking habits, you are making a difference for the better.
We saw a difference in C's behavior within the first two months of changing his diet. I encourage you to speak with your pediatrician or family doctor, and take it slow. It is a hard change for parents and kids. We all get stuck in our habits, and routines, and changing a child's favorite foods, especially if they have special needs, can be a daunting task. I repeat... Don't make the changes all at once!
Some great resources for Gluten Free recipes and healthy eating are:
Trusted Table
Eating Right
Gluten Free Goddess
Whole Foods
Trader Joe's
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