The 5 Best Tasting Organic Food Products: A Kids Perspective

My children and I were fortunate to attend the 12th Annual San Francisco Green Festival several weeks ago and although I planned to write this review soon after, life with kids got ahead of me!  At the event, I set a task for both my kids, to choose 5-10 things they would consider buying after the festival.  With pen and paper in hand, my 8 year old son and 12 year old daughter were off on their mission. I really wanted to show my kids how a community comes together to support local and national green businesses and they were enthusiastic to learn about and try new products.  We brought 3 canned goods to trade in for free admission to the festival. My son really enjoyed getting a Henna Blessing Design and my daughter loved buying a dress from Lobos Del Mar which is a hand loomed home-crafted Organic fair-trade clothing company (see below for photos).

Here are the top 5 food products that made it on my son and daughters lists:

1.  RAAW Pure Juice Blends: Strawberry Purple Carrot (Gluten Free, Vegan, Kosher, Non-GMO verified) http://raawfoods.com/

2.  COCO-ROONS: Brownie and Lemon Pie (Raw, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Low Glycemic) http://mycocoroons.com/

3.  Vegan Gourmet Shreds (Dairy Free, Non-GMO verified, Gluten Free, Non-GMO, Soy Free, Cholesterol Free, Kosher) 

http://followyourheart.com/vegangourmetshreds/

4.  Mama Chia (USDA Organic, Gluten Free, Vegan)

 http://www.mammachia.com/

5.  Organic Millet and Brown Rice Ramen (USDA Organic, Kosher, Non-GMO  Verified) http://www.lotusfoods.com

Caleb getting his Henna design

Kyra's favorite Mamma Chia

Kyra's Lobos Del Mar dress

Coco-Roons- We were at this table
for a while...lots of samples=)

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Daily Juicing: The Key to Nutritional Absorption

If you are reading this it is likely you have at some point in your life been intrigued by juicing.  I mean the idea of throwing a bunch of vegetables and fruits into a juicer and getting a cup of pure nutrient based juice is very appealing to those interested in supporting healthy cellular functioning.

Well, I started to juice about a year ago.  I was pretty good with it for a few weeks then stopped.  I recently met a few friends who juice everyday.  They look younger, they feel awesome, and they have TONS of energy. This alone was enough reason to bring the juicer back for round 2.

I did some research, and found that.....

"The use of high hydrostatic pressure in food processing is of great interest because of its ability to inactivate food borne micro-organisms and enzymes, at low temperature, without the need for chemical preservatives. Pressure-treated foods have sensory properties similar to fresh products, which is a major advantage in juice processing as it matches consumer demand for healthy, nutritious and “natural” products."

I also found that juicing is thought to be better than eating whole fruits because the body absorbs the nutrients better. However, to make sure you are getting the fiber provided when you consume whole fruits and vegetables, you need to make sure there is some pulp in the juice. 

Although juicing does not seem to be a 'better' alternative to eating whole fruits and vegetables it does seem to complement a healthy lifestyle and can reduce your risk of cancer, boost your immune system, help you remove toxins from your body, aid digestion, and help you lose weight. This, along with the energy my juicing friends bring to the table is enough for me to keep the juicer out as a permanent fixture in my home.

Click here for some starter recipes

Happy Juicing Everyone!

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/juicing/AN02107

Deliza, R., et al. "Application of high pressure technology in the fruit juice processing: benefits perceived by consumers." Journal of Food Engineering67.1 (2005): 241-246.
Calbom, Cherie, and Maureen Keane. Juicing for life. B. Jain Publishers (P) Limited, 2004.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/13/benefits-of-juicing.aspx