They went from Junk Food to Real Food and now swear by it. One boy was 16 and always “starving.”  The other was an overweight college kid.  And they have a dad with Type 2 diabetes.  Mom thought she was feeding her family good food but after a dinner with me, she realized Jello and other processed foods she was serving were counter-nourishing her family. Her turnaround story is brilliant. A first bit of advice is, “You can’t tell them. You must show them.”  If you want to be inspired and learn how overnight everyone of them voluntarily bought into her changes, listen to Vickie Peaire tell her story.  Go to www. BetterFoodChoicesRadio.com (date: Jan 27, 2012) and listen or find it on iTunes, Podcast, Better Food Choices.  You will be SO glad your did!

… for the health of your family,
ellen

Save money and Win a Case of Classic Macaroni and Cheese by Annie’s Homegrown.  Go to www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes before Sunday night.

There are cookies and then there are cookies!  Snackimals are made with your children’s health  in mind.  No artificial colors, flavors, preservatives or trans fats.  Full of natural, organic and non-GMO ingredients.  Also full of flavor! The animals are so well carved you can easily identify them providing major kid appeal. They come in lunch box sizes for travel snacks.  Healthier Recipe Moms have used cookies in parfaits and as pie crusts… take a look at some of their recipes, www.KidKritics.com. When it is time for treats, Snackimals are a great choice.

… for the health of your family,
ellen

What would you do with a whole case of Classic Macaroni and Cheese by Annie’s Homegrown? Enter to win and then let us know!  Go to www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes today and tomorrow… until Sunday night.

Reminder: After products and recipes meet our Family Food Experts Ingredient Standards set by our board of noted health professionals, kids blind taste test them and decide which ones to award their Kid Kritics Approved Seal.  Because they are now deemed healthier and kids like them, we feel compelled to share this news with you.  Now you can serve your family healthier foods odds are they will love.

How to Choose Nut Butters:
ADDRESS ALLERGENS by reading for peanut butter ingredients or exposure during processing.  This helps those with and without PB allergies.
ORGANIC or NATURAL: Certified Organic means fields, plants/trees and processing meet strict organic standards… as good as it gets.  Natural may or may not mean void of unhealthy ingredients.  Know your source.
READ INGREDIENTS: one or two ingredients is enough for good nut butters. Avoid added stabilizers, sweeteners and oils.
RAW or ROASTED: Raw means no heat application which alters nutrients such as essential fatty acids – essential for your body’s cellular production.  Roasted uses heat for this adjusted flavor.  The less the better which is why Lightly Roasted is a good choice.
NUT VARIETIES: Almond, Cashew, Walnut, Pecan, Macadamia and even Coconut are alternatives to Peanut Butter. Those taste tested by the Kid Kritics were big hits!

This and so much more was shared by today’s radio guest, Co-Founder and President of the Artisana brand, Santiago Cuenca-Romero.  Listen to all he had to say, www.iTunes, Podcast, “Better Food Choices.” Very interesting guy!

… for the health of your family,
ellen

Be the one who Wins the Case of Chocolate Energy Bites by Greens+.  Enter by going to www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes. They are perfect for kids… just ask the Kid Kritics.

Easy and super tasty! All you add is a little milk of choice, butter and Parmesan cheese to this Alfredo Sauce Mix (Simply Organic).  Stir and done.  Their added flavorings make this the ideal sauce to quickly spruce up a dinner.  Make Alfredo pasta, beans, broccoli, peas, carrots, eggplant, potatoes, chicken, turkey, fish, even pizza.  When you get home from a busy day, grab your basics and add this sauce mix, cook and serve.  You’ll even impress yourself!

…  for the health of families,
ellen

Will I be calling you next week to say, “You Won a case of Chocolate Energy Bites (Greens+)!”  These are nutrient packed superfoods disguised so well with their chocolate coating that kids think they’re treats.  Enter to win, www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes today.  Enter more than once to up your odds!

Thank you Andrea for your Healthier Moms Recipe: Alfredo Fettuccine with Jumbo Prawns and Carrots.  I made it yesterday and boy, is it delicious – really delicious!  Andrea, mother of four, says, “The Simply Organic Alfredo mix is so versatile! You can substitute prawns with chicken or make it a completely vegetarian dish by using only vegetables!”  Simply Organic does have a delectable flavor formula for Alfredo Sauce.  For details, please go to www.KidKritics.com and find this recipe Featured on the home page.  You will be so glad you did!

… for the health of your family,
ellen

New Sweepstakes Prize!  Win a Case of Chocolate Energy Bites by Greens+.  They are loaded with nutrient-packed Superfoods and are well coated with quality chocolate so your kid will gobble them up!  The Kid Kritics begged for more.  Go to www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes and enter today.

From fat to thin, from sick to healthy, from True Body Age of 67 back to 42 in 3 years! It took Celeste only  21 days to shed her illnesses including IBS. All by eating “real food”, raw fruits and vegetables. This is common sense simple, saves money and time.  Both Celeste and her husband have maintained their youthful weight and health for 5 years.  They are the testimonial you need to believe you can so this.  And, the food is delicious.  Listen to the podcast of this interview to learn more on www.BetterFoodChoicesRadio.com, Or you can go to iTunes, Podcast, Better Food Choices and listen. Their book, filled with recipes, is a must read for anyone who wants to become Wonderfully Well.

… for the health of your family.
ellen … Yes, I pulled out my juicer and plugged it in – back to juicing in my house!

Time to enter to Win a Case or Yummi Bears Immunity Shield by Hero Nutritionals, AND, a clever children’s book, Battle with the Bugs, by Dr. Heather Manley.  Keep your kids healthy all winter with this combo prize. Go to www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes today!  (Prize changes on Monday.)

It just makes me mad.  Plain yogurt is healthy.  It is what many food companies do to it that makes it unhealthy. You think yogurt with fruit on the bottom is healthy – too many have more sugar than a candy bar.  Watch for the amount of sugar and ingredients in all flavored yogurts. Better to buy plain and add your own fresh or frozen fruit.  Bottled drinkable yogurts/smoothies may have as many calories as an ice cream dessert.  Again, it is all the added ingredients used to make it that are collectively unhealthy.  Instead, make you own yogurt smoothies with fresh fruit.  Frozen yogurt is mostly misleading as to its health benefits.  By the time it is flavored and sprinkled with toppings, you are really looking at an ice cream sundae.  Please watch out for sugar and fat-free versions.  Artificial ingredients are the worst!  Now you know not to be fooled by some food companies.  Outsmart them with your knowledge – Buy Smart.

… for the health of your family,
ellen

Today, enter to win a book and a case of supplements, both for your children. Battle with the Bugs, written by Dr. Heather Manley is part of her Human Detective Series – it’s a brilliant educational story.  Yummi Bears Organic Immunity Shield by Hero Nutritionals are created to help protect cold and flu bugs from your children.  Perfect time of year for these prizes.  Go to www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes.  Enter more than once to up your odds!

Thank you Nutrition Babes,  Lauren Harris-Pincus,MS,RD & Kathleen Siegel, RD,CDN, for this recipe. It is so easy, extra nutritious and delicious! Using the what I call “meal in a chip” gluten-free organic  Falafel Chips to coat the chicken takes the flavors and nutrient value to a whole new level.  The Original Falafel Chips were used by The Nutrition Babes.  For those who love the taste of hot, the Spicy Falafel Chips are recommended.  All you do is crush the chips, press on the chicken until coated, then lightly cover with olive oil spray and bake.  For details, please go to www.KidKritics.com as it is featured on the home page.  Jump on this Kid Kritics Approved recipe idea.

… for the health of your family,
ellen

Win both a Children’s Book and a Case of Supplements! Battle with the Bugs by Dr. Heather Manley, and, Yummi Bears Organic Immunity Shield by Hero Nutritionals are this week’s sweepstakes prizes.  The theme, keep your kids from catching colds and the flu this winter.  Go to www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes and enter today.

You only need to do two things to make yours a healthier happier 2012 per Dr. Jonny Bowden.  1. TREAT YOURSELF BETTER… make good decisions about how to feed and care for yourself. 2. TREAT OTHERS BETTER… this makes you feel better as it stimulates the release of up beat hormones such as serotonin and dopamine.  That’s it.  The result is everything works better when your follow these two tips.  You can do this! Rather than wasting your body, stimulate yours to function optimally.  To listen for more, please go to www.BetterFoodChoicesRadio.com or www.iTunes.com, podcast, Better Food Choices.

(Also, you may want to check our Dr. Jonny’s new “Unleash Your Thin” program. Simply Google Unleash Your Thin.)

… for the health of your family,
ellen

Two and a half  more days left to enter to Win a Case of  Organic Lightly Roasted Almond Butter by Artisana.  What a great budget saver!  Go to. www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes.  Enter more than once to up your odds!

When peeling a potato, have you ever noticed a green coating under the surface of the skin? I did last week when I was making a stew.  Unbeknown to me, that green is toxic.  It occurs when the potatoes are exposed to too much light.  After buying potatoes, I always keep them in a dark cool place.  So this leads me to think my potatoes had not been stored properly before I bought them.  I am also reminded to pick potatoes that are buried under their store display.  The good news is that this green toxin, Solanine, can be scraped away leaving a perfectly fine white portion for safe consumption.  Our stew was superb and devoured by 10 without any side affects – proof that simply cutting away the green works.  Stew is one of our favorite winter meals that is cost efficient with or without white potatoes.  Enjoy it a few times a  month.

… for the health of your family,
ellen

Do you love Almond Butter? Enter to win a whole case of Organic Lightly Roasted by Artisana – smooth to the palate and taste! Go to www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes to day and every day until the end of Sunday.