So let's talk about food and eating issues

Julia, if you're reading - no email address came through on your comment so I couldn't send you the link. Email me on marcia @ the123blog dot com and I'll sort you out :)

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There are two parts to this post - my views on the eating thing and then how these views seem to offend 90% of the population.

Let's start with my views, shall we?

I have very clear ideas (no kidding!) about what my kids can and can't eat.

• No sugar
• No added salt
• No sweets - will allow the very occasional biscuit (cookie), cake (without icing) or muffin
• No chocolates
• No cooldrinks - juices diluted 1:3 and only about 100 ml a day. Water the rest of the time. (K actually flings the juice away - yes, we're working on the manners - because she prefers water like I do)
  

I know they technically can eat these things from a year onwards (and some people do even before that) but I'm of the opinion that if they don't know what they're missing, why mess with that?!

They're perfectly happy living in their sugar-free lives and I am living proof that sugar is very addictive. Once you start, it's hard to stop.

And God has provided lots of natural sugar in fruits. I still maintain there is nothing quite as good as a Granny Smith apple - seriously. Yummy! Or a juicy orange, mango or pineapple. Yum! And they eat plenty of fruits and raisins as snacks.

I also am not going to be a short-order cook whipping up many different meals so I have a rule for the babies - you can eat what I provide (and there are always choices within that meal - like carbs, protein, vegetables and fruit) or have a dry Provita.

Life is about choices, after all.

Sometimes they choose the Provita and happily eat carrots and some Provita instead of my (lovingly cooked) meal, which is fine with me. Honestly. There are some nights I also only want a slice of toast with a cup of soup, so I get it.

Also, you all know there is an obesity problem the world over due to overeating/ eating incorrect foods and lack of exercise. There is also a rise in childhood obesity and I just don't think that current trends of bad eating will help that problem go away.

I'm not entirely happy about my weight (those last 3 kg have to go next year - watch this space!) but mostly it doesn't define who I am - I know that that's about 5% of who Marcia is. And I don't talk about weight in front of the kids or much in front of D either. I don't think I have issues in this area besides the "who wouldn't love thinner thighs?" thing. LOL

Besides all that, a you just feel better when you eat better. Again, I'm living proof of that. I was on weigh-less in 2006 to lose a few kgs and never felt better. I still eat mostly the same (except for the odd cake now and again) and when we're away and are eating more junk than usual, I feel more sluggish and blah. That's why I tell everyone, go to Thailand for a holiday - the food is fantastic, healthy and you will look and feel great.

So that's all the background.

I'm fully aware that I'm unusual being so vigilant about what my babies eat and that 90% of those reading probably disagree with me. Have at it!

But I'm their mother and I honestly know this is best for them.

So I get really ticked off when...

• people sneak "fun" food to the kids thinking it's cute
• go on and on and on about how "deprived" the kids are
• give me The Look and shake their heads
  

I do make different choices from a lot of people for my life and I don't tell them, "what you're doing is wrong for your life or kids" so why do they feel the need to tell me how wrong I am to feed my kids only healthy, nutrititious food.

I don't rip that sweet from your child's hand and give them an apple slice instead. Don't sneak chips and sweets to my kids.

Maybe it's that they think I'm depriving the kids of fun?

In the writing of this post, I just realised that I now have good answers ready when people ask me food questions or give me The Look.

"Don't say "shame" - they eat healthy, nutritious food 99% of the time. They are BLESSED!" :)

I realise I'm extreme but I'm very comfortable living on the edge of normal. But where on the spectrum do you fall?

I just made these delicious muffins for the babies

Now that the babies eat so much real food, I like to keep things with me (not just fruit) that they can eat if they're starving and we're still cooking their real food or waiting at a coffee shop.

I've made sweetcorn fritters for them before which I love, D is so-so about them and similarly, Connor loves but Kendra could take it or leave it. Oh well, more for us :)

Lately I've been carrying plain Provita with me - very boring. Poor children :)

I have always made muffins (they are one of my favourite foods in the world) but I must confess that lately they've been from a Golden Cloud or Snowflake mix.

I haven't been enjoying them that much and I don't know exactly what's in there so this morning I decided to whip up a batch of "proper" muffins. And it only took about 10 minutes to prepare and get ready for the oven.

So here is my favourite recipe exactly as it's supposed to be done and then I'll tell you how I made it healthier for the babies.

1 cup oats
1 cup yoghurt (any kind but if you use a strong flavour, your muffins will taste the same) - I used plain unsweetened

mix those two together and leave in fridge for half an hour - it looks horrible but it will turn out fine later...

then add in

1 egg
1/2 cup oil - I used homemade applesauce, you could use a jar of Purity apple and a 1/4 cup of oil
1/2 cup sugar - I used more apple and only 1/4 cup of brown sugar
any combination of fruit, spices, etc. (I used apple and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, a spice straight from heaven! I've used banana in the past, pumpkin, ANYTHING works)
1 1/4 cup self-raising flour OR plain cake flour plus 1 teaspoon baking powder

In total I used about a cup of cooked apple... you can't really go wrong with muffins though :)

Don't overmix the flour. With muffins, always mix until "just combined" otherwise they are hard as a rock.

Spoon into muffin trays and bake in a preheated oven at 22o degrees Celsius for 20 minutes. If you have a hot oven like mine, only bake for 15 minutes or at least check it at the 15-minute mark with a toothpick.

They should be golden brown on top.

I used two trays - one with 6 normal-sized muffins and 12 tiny ones which are supposed to be for the babies but I've already had two. Just to test that they were okay ;)

Enjoy!

What kind of snacks do you carry around with you?

P.S. If you make these muffins, please let me know if you like them.
P.P.S. after the success of these, I decided to never buy a mix again, unless I'm really desperate :)