One of my friends contacted me yesterday wanting to know if I could help her eliminate artificial colors from her child’s diet. She was having a lot of trouble and feeling a bit overwhelmed, which is completely natural when given this undertaking. I remember being totally stressed when I first put Matthew on a Gluten Free Casein Free diet. Then when we tried the Specific Carbohydrate Diet! Yikes was I a mess. Going Artificial Free can be tough, but it doesn’t have to be. I want to make going artificial free a lot easier for you.
But the one thing that Lori mentioned was that she would love to see, in pictures, what was in my pantry. That it would help her organize her own thoughts. So I decided to give you a peek into what we eat on a daily basis. Here is a snippet of the foods I keep around.
A typical day for us could contain:
Breakfast:
- eggs
- organic gluten free waffles with organic maple syrup
- homemade Paleo pumpkin pancakes with GFCF Enjoy life chocolate chips sprinkled in
- Boars Head deli meat which is Feingold Diet approved (no artificial stuff)
- Sausage we get from our local butcher
- water or rice milk
- smoothie made with organic strawberries, protein powder, bananas, cherries, ice, carrots, spinach and filtered water (we use a Zero Water pitcher)
Lunch:
- nut butter and organic jelly sandwich on Udi GF bread
- Boars Head deli meat which is Feingold Diet approved
- leftover pumpkin pancakes from breakfast
- tons of fresh fruit
- water
Dinner:
- roasted or grilled meat
- GFCF spaghetti with homemade sauce
- Wild Caught fish or seafood
- organic vegetables
It can seem daunting at first, I know, I was there. But it is do-able. You just need to read ingredients and really take food down to its most basic form. Try not to use foods or products that have more than 5 ingredients. It isn’t always possible, but it is easier than you might originally think.
So here are some of my favorite products.
French’s Mustard
Boar’s Head EverRoast Chicken Breast
Tribe Hummus
So Delicious Coconut Milk Creamer
Earth Balance Coconut Spread
Crofter’s Jelly
We’ve ditched all the artificial stuff also! No preservatives either
Meghan @JaMonkey recently posted..Pinterest’s New Look & Analytics (Finally!)
I’ve only gone about 50%…I need to go the rest of the way. Thanks for the pics of products you use.
Sarah recently posted..New Alphabet Video App from ABCmouse.com
I love Crofter’s. 🙂
HilLesha @To the Motherhood recently posted..National Nutrition Month Campaign with the Mushroom Council
I love Annie’s mac n cheese!
Crystal @ Simply Being Mommy recently posted..Chocolate Kingdom Factory Adventure Tour in Kissimmee
whoa that’s a lot of organic and natural-ness. I buy what I can but not nearly as much as your family.
Jennifer, that happened gradually. I have been at this for over 5 years now. It all started when we noticed Matthew improved mentally and physically when we went gluten and casein free. Then I started learning about toxins and how they get trapped inside the body. Kids like Matthew can’t get rid of these toxins very efficiently and that means they load up in his tissues, including his brain. His body can’t function with this stuff in it and he was totally over loaded. We started cleaning up his food supply, removing toxins from our home and household products and he keeps improving. We were told to institutionalize him as he got older. Now he is on grade level and expected to go to college. This stuff really, really works.
Thank you so much for doing this! It really does help me get a visual on what I need to do!
you got it Lori! I am happy to help. This is truly my passion. I know what can happen when you clean up your diet and get rid of toxins. The less processed you can get, the more real food you can eat, the better you will be.
I was wondering if you were the Lori she mentioned! 🙂
Rachel @ Following In My Shoes recently posted..At The End of a Long Day, I Have Chocolate. Is There Anything Better?
I use processed convenience stuff occasionally, but mostly for myself. My daughter is happiest chomping on raw fruits & veggies.
Robin Gagnon {Mom Foodie} recently posted..Dijon Thyme Roasted Potatoes
I really try hard to get more natural things. Last year I threw out everything and started buying only organic foods and it was SO expensive. I need to give it another try and visual aids like this help. Thanks!
Mellisa recently posted..Saving Now For Retirement Later
I don’t always buy organic because of the size of my family. I would go broke feeding four children! haha I try to make all of our meals myself, with ‘clean’ ingredients. I enjoy buying local, seasonal produce and prefer eating at home. I’m considering going GF because I honestly believe by body cannot process gluten appropriately anymore. I won’t miss gluten at all, the GF products on the market now are pretty delicious.
Jennifer The Quirky Momma recently posted..Wordless Wednesday – 3/13/2013 County Donegal
That was a much large selection than I anticipated. Great job. Thanks for sharing.
LyndaS recently posted..How to have a Garden in March
Love this Maryann! I’ll have to check out some of these brands. Thank you so much!
Theresa recently posted..Whole Fruit Sorbet is Mmmmm Good!
Thank you for such a great guide!
Lisa recently posted..Wednesday’s Hero
Love Udi’s!
Virginia @thatbaldchick recently posted..Baby Shower Bonanza Giveaway
Oh, I need to try that bacon.
We have been slowly removing most processed foods from our diet. I find that it is easy for the most part – but we still have some things that I can’t find a healthier alternative to. One day at a time!
Jenn @therebelchick recently posted..Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread Recipe
I’ve been trying to get rid of the junk, but it’s hard when my husband keeps bring it back in.
Anne – Mommy Has to Work recently posted..Jacksonville Firefighters Battle Over Food
That’s great! We are slowly making transitions to do this in our home as well.
Kathleen recently posted..My Boys Can Finally Wear White Again Thanks to #TideVividWhite
This is a great list of items! We use many of them!
A Time Out for Mommy- Elaina recently posted..Dress Up Time Isn’t Just for Girls With My 1st Career Gear (Giveaway)
I wouldn’t mind having all those products in my pantry and fridge.
Stefani recently posted..VTech Cordless Answering System Review & Giveaway
love seeing the types of products u use thanks for sharing
Night owl mama recently posted..When you Try to Play with the Big Boys You get Benched
My fiancee works for Boar’s Head so I have to say thanks for mentioning how awesome they are! Since he’s worked there we’ve realized how bad other deli meats all are- even if he doesn’t work there later in life, I will still only buy their products.
Shell Fruscione recently posted..Our Mini Disneyland Vacation
We have great difficulty finding these stuff here…
Mumseword recently posted..FTWM—Celebrate motherhood, life & work
I am SO proud to see that so many products currently in our refrigerator and pantry are ones you have posted here. That makes me feel like I’m doing it right. I will be trying that delicious jelly next!
Marcie W. recently posted..Parent University – App Review
I see the bacon is from wegmans! Miss having them so close – we’re trying to go all natural too – especially for baby!
Courtney recently posted..GHD Professional Hair Straightener Review
Crofter’s spread is so good! I just discovered it a few weeks ago.
Kiersten @ OMV recently posted..What I Ate This Week | Cauliflower & Kalamata Olives, Two Ways!
I am trying to use less artificial stuff, but it is hard. My husband does not cooperate!
Anne recently posted..Spicy Stuffed Spaghetti Squash Recipe
thanks for the tips. We are Udi’s fans in our house.
Katie recently posted..Will St. Patrick’s Day cost you your pot o’ gold?
A friend of mine is allergic to color dies, so she has to be very careful about what she eats.
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