July is a wonderful month for eating whole, fresh, delicious fruits and vegetables. I remember as a child growing up on Cape Cod, my mom would take all of us to the back roads of Truro early in the morning so that we could pick wild, ripening blueberries off the bush to eat for breakfast. My mom always made an adventure out of it! We had the music cranked up with some rock and roll song, we would be singing along, bee bopping as my mom drove the car to the infamous spot where we were sure to find a plentiful supply of blueberries! We would all jump out of the car and run for the bushes and start picking. Of course, we couldn’t help but eat some along the way as we each filled our buckets! When my mom decided we had enough for what she had in mind to bake, we then piled back into the car and away we went back home so that my mom could start making fresh blueberry pancakes, muffins and the classic blueberry pie for my dad, his favorite!!
Those are some of my sweetest memories as a child. We all need sweet memories and it helps to form good nutritional habits to incorporate into those sweet memories with healthful, great tasting natural and wholesome real food! Today, there is a whole new movement in our country for sustainability, growing local, going organic, from Farm to Table! It is a wonderful trend and our kids will greatly benefit from the colorful fresh fruits and veggies that growing bodies need to develop well for the long term. So as you go about your days this summer, and especially on vacation, try one adventure with your kids that is fun, fresh, wholesome and creates great memories with super foods like blueberries!
Five Ideas for Wholesome Adventures with your kids:
1. Go picking at a berry farm (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries) and make a berry breakfast bowl out of it.
2. Make a trail mix from organic almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and great chocolate bits and then go for a hike!
3. Make your own peanut butter or almond butter using whole organic almonds or peanuts with a food processor or blender. Then create ants on a log by spreading the peanut or almond butter on a celery stick and top off with raisins or craisins!
4. Make a dish for dinner called the Enchanted Broccoli Forest, a Mollie Katzen special-this was a favorite of my daughter when she was in elementary school. We would gently cook the broccoli just until it was bright green and then cut the stalks lengthwise to make trees out of them and stick them into a rice foundation in a casserole dish. The rice can be white, jasmine or brown rice mixed with mozzarella cheese and an beaten egg. Add spices to taste and bake in the oven @325 for half an hour. It is great way to add fun to cooking and to put a positive spin on broccoli (loaded with phytonutrients such as the antioxidants lutein and sulforaphane as well as magnesium, phosphorus, iron and zinc!
5. Go to a Farmers Market and gather vegetables and fruit such as carrots, beets and apples as well as many others you would enjoy! Come home and make your own juicer or smoothie in a Blender, NutriBullet or Vitamix (or similar product). This is a great way for kids to get their nutrients without realizing the veggies inside! Another favorite of my daughter’s was the carrot, beet, apple juicer on saturday morning! Have a toast to “Peter Rabbit” when done and drink up!!
So here is to your Good, Better, Best Life through W.E.L.L.N.E.S.S.!!!!