B00AFU6252 EBOK (9 page)
Authors: Jessica Alba
W
E’VE COVERED THE
building blocks of every meal: produce, whole grains, and clean protein. But life is not just leafy greens and lentils, after all! Here are the other must-haves in my house for making life taste good.
Keep these natural ingredients on hand for cooking; that way, you can whip up quick, healthy meals without having to floor it to the grocery store. (Remember to buy certified organic whenever you can!)
- OILS: Olive, coconut, and grapeseed are my go-tos.
- CHICKEN, BEEF, AND VEGGIE BROTH. Great for sautéing with lots of flavor but not a lot of calories. Look for no-MSG, low-sodium varieties (or make your own! See “
Stock Up
”). - VINEGARS: Apple cider, balsamic, rice, and white wine vinegars are my faves.
- SALTS: I sprinkle Celtic sea salt and Himalayan pink salt on almost everything.
- HERBS AND SPICES: I live for cumin, coriander, rosemary, sage, basil, oregano, thyme . . . really, I have yet to meet an herb or spice I dislike!
- DRIED AND CANNED BEANS: Red, black, pinto, lentils, broad beans . . . they’re all good.
- WHOLE GRAINS: I keep everything on the previous list in steady supply (barley, bulgur, farro, oats, and quinoa) plus wheatberries.
- ORGANIC FLAXSEEDS. Add to meatballs, smoothies, muffins, pancakes, or pretty much anything that can use a boost of fiber and antioxidants.
- CHIA SEEDS. Runners swear by these—you have to soak them, and they form a kind of paste, but, like flax, they add fiber and antioxidants to smoothies, muffins, and pancakes.
- GLUTEN-FREE PANCAKE MIX. The pancakes taste normal, I swear—Cash loves to make pancakes or waffles and bacon on the weekend, so the King Arthur brand is a good go-to.
- ORGANIC MAPLE SYRUP. For pancakes, obviously, but also great for baking or drizzled on ice cream or oatmeal.
- WHOLE GRAIN FLOURS. I use organic wheat flour, rice flour, and tapioca flour for baking.
- ORGANIC SUGARS. We use brown or raw cane sugar for cakes and pies, and powdered for icing.
- ORGANIC HONEY. Raw honey is a great sugar substitute—it is crazy high in antioxidants! Be sure it’s 100 percent organic, because some industrial farmers feed their bees—get this—high-fructose corn syrup. No thanks.
- ORGANIC PASTA SAUCES. Great over spaghetti squash, quinoa, or farro.
- ORGANIC JARRED TOMATOES. Toss in anything from soups to sauces. In a jar, they’re BPA free.
(Again, organic is best for kids!)
- WHOLE GRAIN BREAD. Look for at least 3 grams of fiber per serving and no added sugars or additives.
- WHOLE GRAIN CEREALS. Watch the added sugar!
- NATURAL PEANUT BUTTER AND ALMOND BUTTER
- JAMS AND SPREADS. Look for no-sugar-added brands—I try to buy homemade preserves from the farmers’ market.
- ALMONDS. Honor is obsessed with all things almond!
- RAISINS, DRIED BLUEBERRIES, CRANBERRIES, AND APPLES. Great with the almonds; we also like freeze-dried fruit, which concentrates the antioxidants.
- GLUTEN-FREE PRETZELS. Honor adores Glutino’s pretzels because they’re so buttery tasting—and while she’s not gluten intolerant, I find her digestion works better when I minimize gluten in her diet.
- ORGANIC BABY FOOD. I love Plum Organics when we’re traveling and can’t do the homemade thing for Haven.
- GLUTEN-FREE WAFFLES. These frozen treats are great for weekends—or weekdays, for that matter! Van’s makes a good one.
- GLUTEN-FREE PIZZA CRUST. Honor loses her mind when we have pizza night, and this is the best way to cheat when you’re not going to do the full pizza oven experience. Glutino makes a crust with brown rice.
- ANNIE’S ORGANIC MAC & CHEESE. A favorite standby.
- GREEN & BLACK’S ORGANIC CHOCOLATE. Because, obviously.
Life isn’t just leafy greens and lentils. Here are other must-haves for making life taste good.
Whenever you roast a chicken (or a leg of lamb or any other big-boned cut of meat), save the bones (even better if they still have some meat on them!) to make your own stock. It’s so much more delicious and healthier than store bought (which can have too much salt and other additives). Plus you get points for wasting nothing.
WHAT TO DO:
- Place the leftover bones from 1 chicken into a large stockpot, along with a bunch of leftover veggies (say, a quartered onion and a couple roughly chopped carrots and celery ribs).
- Over medium heat, cook the contents for 3 to 5 minutes. Once the veggies begin to sweat, add 2 whole cloves garlic, plus 1 tablespoon salt and 2 teaspoons whole peppercorns.
- Add in enough water to cover the contents with an inch or so of water on top. Bring to a simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, or more. The longer you simmer, the more flavor you’ll get. Strain and store in an airtight container; can be frozen for up to six months.
S
O NOW THAT YOU KNOW
what to eat—how do you get your family to eat it, too? I see so many kids whose parents are always having to pack them special snacks with the rationale, “That’s just how my kid eats.” But in my house, we don’t have discussions or give the girls tons of options. It’s “Here’s what you’re eating.” If that sounds kind of old school, it is—that’s how my mom raised my brother Joshua and me, and I think she got this so right. There was no special children’s meal versus the adults’ meal. Whatever my mom made, we all ate it—and questioning it wasn’t an option.
The fact is, kids don’t need alternatives to what the adults are eating. With too much choice, they can get overwhelmed, and that makes them cranky and more prone to putting up a fight. In contrast, since Honor has been eating what we eat almost from day one (just age-appropriate versions, of course!), she’s pretty open to trying new things. When we go out for a family dinner, we don’t have to worry about the type of restaurant or what we’ll find on the menu for her. Of course, she’s still a kid—not a food critic—but I truly appreciate the ease of having a kid who’s not at all picky.
By showing the girls all the fun sides of cooking and trying new foods, we’re ensuring that they grow up loving food for all the right reasons.
We’ve always made sure that Honor has a vegetable with every meal—now she’s come to expect them!
Pediatricians often warn that kids shouldn’t drink too much juice—it’s full of sugar, particularly the sweetened “juice drink” kind, and can fill them up quickly. In our house, we love some great organic juices that aren’t too sweet, like Evolution Fresh cucumber and celery juice (try it with a splash of pear juice) or Honest Kids organic juices and teas. Soda is off-limits (except for Reed’s Original Ginger Brew mixed with sparkling water on special occasions!), but kids love bubbles, so we also drink a lot of seltzer. A great way to DIY your own seltzer is a Sodastream maker, which lets you fizz up a bottle in just a minute: so much better for your health than regular soda, and better for the planet than buying tons of the bottled stuff.
I like Honor’s snacks to come from two different food groups: usually a fruit or vegetable plus some protein or a complex carb. This way, I know she’s getting a good mix of nutrients—as well as a tasty flavor combination. Some good ones to try (that are also pretty portable):
- LOW-FAT GREEK YOGURT
(6-ounce container) and fruit - ALMONDS
(¼ cup) and preservative-free dried blueberries or other fruit (if you’re a nice mom, you can also throw in chocolate chips or something gummy—I’m a “mean” mom, so it’s just nuts and fruit!) - CORN TORTILLA QUESADILLA
with cheese and veggies - CARROTS AND HUMMUS
- ANTS ON A LOG
(celery with peanut butter and raisins) - SMOOTHIE
(milk or almond milk with ½ banana and frozen berries) - APPLE OR BANANA
with a tablespoon of peanut butter - AVOCADO
(¼ cup) and whole grain crackers - TURKEY BREAST SLICES
with sliced pear, apple, or peaches - CUCUMBER
with organic yogurt ranch dressing
