Every autumn I anxiously anticipate when the stores set out the bright orange and yellow bags of candy corn. Oh those sweet little nuggets of sugar. I fully believe I survived on those one quarter in college. But not this year. Two weeks ago we dramatically changed our diet. While we were on vacation our sweet little two year old threw the worst tantrums we had ever seen. I don’t even want to describe them. But the fits included inflicting pain on herself which crushed my heart. I was determined to do whatever need be to keep her from doing that ever again.
Two of the parties we had gone to that week handed out handfuls of candy. One through a piñata and the other had a candy table. Both times our toddler ate and ate and ate. Stuffing her cheeks and pockets with chocolates and sugar candies. So I am convinced that was the main source of her horrific outbursts.
I got online and began looking for healthy eating tips. Years ago we had begun The Makers Diet. I still swear by that diet but it’s a little rough for a toddler. I then came across 100 Days of Real Food. Honestly, it’s very much along the same lines as The Maker’s Diet. Take out the sugars and eat the foods that God created, not the foods man has created. Keep all the nutrition that was created for our bodies.
I was pleased to discover that this blogger lives in the same city as us and shops at the sames markets. Not only that, she gives meal plans that even walk you through the grocery stores AND gives you the total price you’ll spend at the end of your trip. That was all I needed to hear. I was sold.
And so two weeks ago we began our journey with 100 Days to Real Food. To my great surprise my children loved most every single meal! They enjoyed the grocery trips and the drives to the farmers market. Their favorite, I believe, is all the fresh fruits. My favorite is that I only have to make one meal. No peanut butter and jelly ‘if-you-don’t-like-it’ meals.
So occasionally I’ll be posting our review of her recipes. First up is the Granola Cereal.
I was hesitant to try it only because the word ‘granola’ makes me think of Grape Nuts for some crazy reason. The first batch I made….ruined. Please, be wise and read all of the instructions in any given recipe. I thought the oven was supposed to be set at 475 and it was supposed to be set at 250. I was thinking of a different recipe at the time. So fifteen minutes into the baking smoke was filling my kitchen. The house smelled distasteful for a good day or two.
When I remade the recipe it was the sweetest autumn smell. The look of the granola was just as tantalizing. We’ve eaten just out of the bag. We’ve had it as cereal with vanilla almond milk. And my favorite, we paired it with plain greek yogurt and honey. I honestly did not want to eat it at first because plain yogurt is so…bleh. But it was delicious! A treat for the taste buds!
Follow this link to view the recipe: Granola Cereal
I look forward to sharing more recipes and even some of our own ‘real’ recipes. Consider trying this new/old way of eating. It’s saved us lots of money! It’s saved us many fights at the dinner table. And we’re able to teach our children how to eat correctly and to support local farmers. We’ve just begun but I believe we’re on the right path to health.
Blessings!
