Flavor

My husband was probably raised on MSG, monosodium glutamate. He was a latch key kid who would get home from school in the afternoons, microwave something from the freezer, inhale it, and tear off on his bicycle. He almost never got a home cooked meal and thought things like fresh fruits and vegetables were a myth. Today, however, he is well accustomed to all kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables prepared in a myriad of ways. As a teenager, he lived off tacos from Taco Bell, cheese burgers from McDonalds, and any other cheap fast food. Today, it literally makes him sick to eat at those places. We have come a long way, Baby.

MSG is often not labeled as such because of the negative reaction by many consumers. It is also labeled as hydrolyzed vegetable protein (sounds harmless, right), sodium caseinate, autolyzed yeast, and glutamic acid to name a few. Why is MSG bad? It's known as an excitotoxin, which should be a red flag because a toxin indicates that it is harmful to someone or something. Basically, what an excitotoxin does is excites a cell so much that it leads to cellular death. Excitotoxicity can lead to many neurological conditions such as MS, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and ALS. I believe that it can also cause ADHD and ADD in our kids.

It is an additive in most processed foods, which means any processed food that is canned, bottled, bagged, or frozen--scary, right? That means every item that is altered in some way before being sent to grocery stores, restaurants, or fast food establishments probably contains this "toxin". It is a flavor enhancer, and apparently stimulates the newly discovered umami taste buds. It satisfies your craving for a certain flavor, so it is an extremely popular food additive.

What is the answer then, besides banning all processed foods from grocery stores, restaurants, and fast food joints? Eat freshly prepared foods at home as much as possible. Look at the food labels, especially at so called convenience products. These have usually been processed in some way. You might be thinking that you don't have time. This is where I come in. I am going to try to help you by giving you time-saving tips, recipes, and good information that will hopefully make it a little easier, and make you aware of the dangers to avoid.

Tip #1: if a food is labeled all-natural, it should be free of any MSG additives because MSG is not a natural substance--it is created in a laboratory.
Tip #2: try to avoid ALL chemicals in your food, actually in any product that you put on or inside your body. I don't think it takes a lot imagination to figure out why cancer is so prevalent in our society. Look at the amount of chemicals that we consume, inhale, and lather our bodies with every day.
Tip #3: read my recipes, or any recipe for that matter, all the way through before you begin. This saves you time and frustration.
Tip #4: flavor does not have to come from "flavor enhancers". For example, the recipes below use techniques like roasting, acid from lemon juice, salt and pepper (which are very important in any recipe--not too much, not too little). These add lots of flavor that when combined appropriately make the food very satisfying.
Tip #5: start introducing new foods to kids. Sure fish sticks and broccoli and cheese is easy and your kids will probably eat them, but their flavor is sort of one-note. Kids need to develop their taste buds, so that they will enjoy all kinds of healthy food. If they only get five to ten rotated meals, that is all they will ever want. Tori and Brendan, my kids, will at least try something new because I introduce them to new foods all the time. Start with one new food preparation per meal, make them try it--or go hungry, it won't hurt them as long as they are not severely underweight--and after a few times of seeing it on their plate, they may decide they like it. It takes time; they may not love it, but at least you have them trying new things.
Tip #6: if you use tip #4 and #5, your kids may not eat a lot at first, but you are giving them such good nutrition in every bite that they can afford to eat a little less. In the long run, they will be much healthier for it.


The following recipes are an alternative to fish sticks and broccoli and cheese. Fish sticks have their place in a crunch, but are highly processed and most contain those unwanted artificial flavor enhancers as described above. Broccoli is usually boiled in water which dilutes its nutritional value and then drowned in processed (have many times have I used this word) cheese--lots of sodium and fat and very little nutritional content. Just try these recipes, even though you think they will hate them. You have to start somewhere, and the pay off is huge. Soon you will crave wonderfully nutritionally dense food, and balk at fat and salt laden processed fast food, and your kids will too. I cannot tell you the satisfaction I get out of just getting one broccoli spear in them. I know it is giving them a defense against all kinds of ailments.

Recipes:
I love, love, love roasted broccoli, and my kids like it--well Tori loves it and Brendan likes it. It is SO easy to make. I can make two bunches of it for our little family, and it will all be devoured. I even like it cold the next day--sounds weird, I know. To me, this beats potato chips any time. After you have had it once the following way, try adding parmesan cheese finely grated over it after you pull it from the oven or add minced garlic with the salt and pepper and toss with hands. It roasts with the broccoli and who doesn't love garlic?

Roasted Broccoli
2 bunches broccoli, stems removed but make the spears about 3 inches long
olive oil, preferably not EVOO or extra-virgin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preheat the oven to 425. Pile the broccoli up on a baking sheet and drizzle a couple of tablespoons of olive oil over it--you don't want it dripping from the broccoli, but you do want it coated with a thin layer. Sprinkle on the salt and pepper, and mix with your hands. Spread the broccoli out to a single layer on the baking sheet and roast in oven for 20 minutes or until the ends start to brown and carmelize. Delicious!



My kids love the lemon flavor in this fish. Chad, my husband, is not big on fish but likes this recipe. Try to find tilapia that is not farm-raised, so as to avoid issues with mercury toxicity, etc. The capers are like little berries that burst in your mouth with juicy goodness--love them, but you can leave them out if you want to.

Lemon and Caper Tilapia
¼ c. flour
2 to 4 tilapia fillets depending on size
½ to 1 teaspoon salt (I like sea salt, kosher salt is fine but use the 1/2 t. as it contributes a saltier flavor)
3 ½ tablespoon unsalted butter (divided)
1 tablespoon olive oil (not extra-virgin or it may burn in the pan)
¼ c. lemon
1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained

Place flour on a plate. Season the sole with salt and then coat in flour, shaking to remove any excess, set aside. Melt 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat, add fish--may have to do in batches, adding more oil and butter as needed. Saute 2 minutes or until sides start to become opaque (white). Flip and add lemon juice and zest. Keep warm in oven and fry other fish until done. Remove fish and add butter and capers to pan. Swirl pan until butter melts, pour over fish. Yummy!

My first...

I actually know a mom that gets her sons (two) fast food for lunch every day. She goes to their school, finds out what they want, goes and gets it--even if it is from two different places--and brings it back to them and leaves it with the secretary. If this describes you, I mean no offense, but I think there is a better way. I am not saying I have all of the answers, but I would like to share what I have learned.

There was a time when we ate a lot of fast food. We owned our own business which I ran, my husband worked approximately 60 hours a week, and we had a baby and a toddler. We were busy and exhausted. Then a wonderful thing happened which didn't seem wonderful at the time, but my husband quit his job because...well that may be too personal, but he did. He went back to school, and helped me with our store. Suddenly we had more time, and I was able to start cooking again which I love to do. Over time, I have figured out that cooking healthy meals for my family means more than just putting food on the table. It means they get a well balanced meal that they enjoy eating, we sit around the table together, we hold hands, my husband says a beautiful prayer from his heart, and we talk. These are precious times to all of us. My son has gone from a picky eater to trying things like Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan and Black-eyed Peas with Sausage. Dinner time for me use to be a frustrating struggle to get him to eat, but is now a pleasure, especially when they say things like, "Thank you for this wonderful food."

This did not happen overnight, but has been well worth the effort. My kids are hardly ever sick, and they are healthy, beautiful, smart kids in part due to good nutrition. I am not talking about wheat grass and tofu, although some really enjoy that kind of food. I am talking about well balanced, all-natural kind of food. Good sources of protein, fresh fruits and vegetables. I hardly ever worry about fat and calories. I think about antioxidant power, good protein sources, vitamins and minerals...and, of course, taste. If they won't eat it, what's the point.

That's enough for today, but remember the kid whose mom I described at the beginning? Fast forward thirty years, and you have a man with a wife completely frustrated because he requires her to go out and get him food for dinner everyday, but only from his favorite fast food establishment--this is another person I know. This is a man who has never eaten an enchilada and refuses to even try one because he has never been made to try anything new. Believe me there is a better way....