Mommy Goes Green

My daughter is a snacker – we always have to make sure to have them on hand, particularly on the go.  They are a great way to keep her energy up and an occasional great bribe.  Lately, I’ve seen snack-size organic snacks popping up at local coffee shops, like Starbucks, and packaged in multi-package containers at Costco.  While I traditionally like to buy in bulk and then pass them out in reusuable snack bags or containers, sometimes picking up snack-sized packs is what the situation calls for.

Here are several organic snacks my family has tried out and given the thumbs up:

Peeled Snacks- The snack bags are 110 – 150 calories per bag.  They have both an organic or 100% natural line – the organic line contains organic dried fruit ONLY – no added sugars, coloring or preservatives.  There are 5 organic flavors like Mango, Banana or Apricot. You can buy them online or in local Starbucks, Whole Foods or Nordstrom. One thing I don’t like about snack-sized packaging is that it typically cannot be recycled at the curb but Peeled Snacks will take all of their bags back for recycling – you just have to mail them back.

Funky Monkey Snacks - The snack bags have 1 serving of fruit and 50 calories or less per bag.  They contain organic dried fruit ONLY – no added sugars, coloring or preservatives.  I assume these are great because I never got to try them!  My husband and daughter ripped through several bags over a long road trip.   There are 7 flavors like Banana & Cinnamon or Pineapple & Lime Juice. You can buy them online at Amazon.com or in local Targets, Whole Foods or Kroger.

Annie’s Homegrown - Annie’s has a host of organic snacks including BunnyFruit snacks, CheddarBunnies, ClassicsCrackers, and SnackMix. Fruit snacks – the gummy kind – are my daughter’s favorite treat.  Most of them are made with high fructose corn syrup and a lot of other junk.  BunnyFruit still has syrups and sugars (organic cane sugar and organic tapioca syrup) but it also is made with real fruit juice and no artificial colors – so for an occasional fruit snack treat, it’s a better choice than conventional brands.  Organic CheddarBunnies are a great alternative to traditional “fishy crackers”, they are made with organic wheat flour and organic cheese – no sugar added.  Our Costco sells a pack of Annie’s snack-sized treats that is perfect for things like birthday party or classroom snacks.  You can also find them at Starbucks and at over 10,000 other stores.

Peter Rabbit Organics – A reader turned me on to these – thank you Sabrina!  They are fruit pouches made from 100% organic fruit ( no added sugar and preservatives) and use only certified organic suppliers, and local ones, when they can.  I love the pouches these are in, they are ’drinkable’ and would be great for older infants learning to eat solid foods and drinking from a straw.  My 3 year old sucked this down and told me it tasted like “fruity applesauce”.  They come in 3 flavors like Strawberry & Banana, Apple & Grape, and Mango & Banana & Orange.  I found them at Starbucks but they are also available online, at BuyBuy Baby and other retailers.

Occasionally, I have needed to supplement nursing with formula and have been researching organic options.  Surprisingly, there are several manufacturers of organic baby formula and it is not necessarily more expensive than conventional formula.

When picking out any formula – organic or conventional, here are some things to consider:

• can lining – some infant formula cans are known to be lined with metal that contains BPA 
• sweeteners – does it contain corn syrup or sugar?
• palm olein oil – studieshave shown infants absorb less fat and calcium from a formula containing palm olein oil
• hexane processed DHA/ARA – there is some concern that the processing of DHA/ARA may cause adverse reactions in infants – more details at The Smart Mama
• avoid liquid formula in metal cans – the cans are lined with an epoxy containing BPA and have tested to leach BPA

Nature’s One Baby’s Only Organic – In soy, dairy or lactose-free versions, Baby’s Only was the first organic formula on the market and is certified organic by OneCert.  It is labeled as a ‘toddler formula’ but that is because the company wants to encourage breastfeeding as it does meet the FDA nutrition requirements for infant formula. It does not contain DHA and ARA but does contain Alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA) and Linoleic Acid (LA) which are two essential fatty acids used by the body to make DHA and ARA.  Baby’s Only does not contain any sweeteners, palm olein oil or hexane processed DHA.  The canisters and lids are uncoated so they are BPA free however the metal top contains an epoxy-based interior coating that may contain trace amounts of unreacted BPA.   $9.92 per 12.7 oz can.

Similac Organic - Similac Organic is USDA certified organic and contains both DHA and ARA.  It doescontain organic sugar and hexane processed DHA but is free of palm olein oil.  Similac has both the traditional can of formula and the SimplePac, a plastic tub made with polypropylene which is BPA Free (although SafeMamareports that Similac couldn’t confirm that ALL parts of the container are BPA free, the powdered formula itself tested BPA free).  $29.99 per 23.2 oz SimplePac or $24.99 per 25.7 oz can.

I’ve confirmed that the following 4 organic infant formulas are all manufactured by PBM products.  According to Joan, a nutritional support specialist with PBM, “Each one is made for a specific retailer and while they are nutrientionally comparable, there may be slight differences in there formulations.”  In a separate email, “bisphenol-A (BPA) is a known functional component in the manufacturing process of the current packaging used for PBM infant formula products.”  They added that they are currently researching alternative packaging.

Earth’s Best Organic - In soy or dairy, Earth’s Best is USDA certified organic and contains both DHA and ARA.  It does not contain any sweeteners but doescontain palm olein oil and hexane processed DHA/ARA. $27.79 per 25.7 oz can.

Parent’s Choice Organic -  Sold at Wal-Mart, Parent’s Choice is USDA certified organic and contains both DHA and ARA.  It does not contain any sweeteners but doescontain palm olein oil.

Vermont Organics – In dairy or soy, Vermont Organics is USDA certified organic and contains both DHA and ARA. $24.99 per 25.7 oz can.

Bright Beginnings Organic – Bright Beginnings Organic is USDA certified organic and contains both DHA and ARA.  It does not contain any sweeteners but doescontain palm olein oil and hexane processed DHA/ARA.    $24.99 per 25.7 oz can.

If you use formula several times a week or more regularly, it may be a good idea to buy formula in 6 or 12 packs.  All of these formulas come in bulk and most with some cost savings over purchasing individual cans. 

NOTE: All the formulas listed above meet the FDA Nutrition requirements for infant formula.

Read more…

I don’t like most sports drinks – they have tons of sugar and calories, and it seems counter intuitive to me to drink something like that after I just worked out.  I usually just drink water but coconut water seems be all the craze in celebrity and athlete circles so I picked up a bottle.   

Coconut water is low in calories (just 60 calories!), fat free, cholesterol free and doesn’t have added sugar.  The bottle of Zico that I drank has more potassium than a banana – 15x more than most sports drinks.  It wasn’t overly sweet, it was just a splash of coconut added to water and it was definitely refreshing. It’s a great post workout drink for re-hydration.

PACKAGING: Most of the coconut water brands I’ve seen come in tetra paks which are BPA free and 100% recyclable.

WHERE TO BUY: Online or your local natural foods stores like Whole Foods.

It’s not new news that the tin cans used for canned food is lined with a resin containing bisphenol-A (BPA).  The only new news is that every week there seems to be new research warning of BPA’s dangerous effects.  Unfortunately, avoiding canned food altogether is just not feasible for every family.  There are ways, however, to minimize your use of canned foods and the effect that BPA may have on you and your family. 

1.  Buy tomato based products in glass or TetraPaks.  Acidity causes BPA leaching and tomatoes have a lot of it.  You can get glass tomato paste and strained tomatoes from Bionaturae and crushed and diced tomatoes from San Marzano.  Trader Joe’s carries an Italian Tomato Starter Sauce in a TetraPak and Pomihas both chopped and strained tomatoes, along with a marinara sauce in TetraPaks. 

2. Buy Eden Foods canned goods.   According to their website, “All 33 Eden Organic Beans including Chili, Rice & Beans, Refried, and Flavored, are cooked in steel cans coated with a baked on oleoresinous c-enamel that does not contain the endocrine disrupter chemical, bisphenol-A (BPA). Oleoresin is a non-toxic mixture of an oil and a resin extracted from various plants, such as pine or balsam fir. These cans cost 14% more than the industry standard cans that do contain BPA. The Ball Corporation tells us that Eden is the only U.S. food maker to date to use these BPA free cans and we have been since April 1999.”   Buy online and get 15% off with the coupon code ‘OCA’. 

3. Buy dried goods and cook them. Searching through my pantry, I find that many of my canned food purchases are beans – kidney, white, garbanzo or black.  I can buy dried beans and cook them for my meals, it takes about an hour in a saucepan or just minutes with a pressure cooker. 

4. Grow or pick your own.  Spring is around the corner so start thinking about planting a fruit and/or veggie garden.  I promise it’s not a lot of work – start small with a few easy to grow veggies this summer and keep adding year after year.  It feels good to walk outside each day and pick the fruit of your labor (literally).  What you don’t eat can be canned (in glass) for the winter.  If you don’t want to grow your own, go to a farm and pick them.  Last summer, we picked over 30 pounds of blueberries that lasted all winter and enough strawberries to make freezer jam for a year. 

5. Buy soups and broths in TetraPaks.  You can find a great variety of soups and broths in TetraPaks from brands like Pacific Foods, Imagine Foods, and Trader Joe’s. 

6. Buy frozen.  Frozen may not be quite as good as fresh, but it’s a better choice than canned. Frozen, organic fruits and veggies are not that more expensive than conventional choices and they are much healthier and contain less pesticides. 

What other kinds of canned foods do you buy and can you find an alternative?

My diet is not vegan or gluten-free and it’s definitely not sugar-free but I picked up this BabyCakes recipe book anyway.  The baked goods looked delicious and I am always looking for healthier ways to eat sweet treats. 

The author, Erin McKenna, was diagnosed with wheat and dairy allergies in 2004.  After uninspiring trips to the grocery store to find snacks that met her dietary needs, she decided to make her own.  Erin spent more than a year testing out all types of ingredients and recipes and eventually opened her bakery in New York City, BabyCakes NYC.

BabyCakes starts out with a comprehensive list of kitchen tools needed to bake the recipes and ingredients, complete with the reason behind the use of each ingredient.  For example, “xanthan gum is used in tiny amounts because it gives gluten-free batter viscosity and stickiness.  Without it, your cakes and cookies will fall apart into sad crumbles.”  It also gives advice on ingredient substitution, measurements (“never use clear measuring cups with a spout and handle”) and the difference between spelt and gluten-free.

The recipe book has 8 chapters filled with photos and recipes of delectable treats like chocolate shortbread scones, lemon-poppy teacake, volcanoes, red velvet cupcakes, triple-chocolate fat pants cake and healthy hostess – the healthy version of a Hostess cupcake. 

I’m a novice in the kitchen so I particularly appreciate all the tips woven between recipes such as ‘how to color frosting naturally’, ‘making applesauce and other purees’ and ‘advanced biscuitry’.  Tucked in at the end of the book is a page of resources listing a group of ingredients that BabyCakes NYC uses exclusively.  After all the testing Erin has done, she believes these are the highest quality ingredients to use in her recipes:

• Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour
• Omega Nutrition Coconut Oil
• Organic Nectars Agave Nectar
• Gluten-Free Oats
• Temptation Ice Cream
• India Tree
• Singing Dog

Whatever your diet, if you like to bake, this is a great recipe book to have in your kitchen.  You can make any recipe healthier by exchanging traditional ingredients for those recommended.  Erin takes you into her kitchen and shares all her secret tips for making yummy, healthy sweet treats.

Thank you to Jen from ‘Moore Than a Mom‘ for compiling and posting the best list of coupons for organic and eco-friendly items I’ve ever seen.  There are OVER 100 links for coupons that you can print to take to the grocery store.  What a great opportunity to try some new safe and healthy products!

School lunches are one of those places where it can be easy to “go green”.  Trade in plastic baggies for reusable cloth bags, pack cloth napkins, reusable utensils and bring along a stainless steel drink bottle.

There is one more step you can take to make your child’s lunch extra eco-friendly – choose a stainless steel lunch box.  Unlike many plastics, stainless steel is non-toxic and doesn’t leach, it can also be recycled.

The PlanetBox lunch box is the modern kid’s lunch box.  It has five individual compartments, one large enough for a sandwich and the others easily accommodate fruits and vegetables.  The smallest compartment is perfect for a small handful of your child’s favorite treat.  For messy foods like cottage cheese, you can put them in the Little or Big Dipper stainless steel container.  The lid is made with food-grade silicone rubber.

Sports Magnet Theme

One of my favorite features, and the most unique, is the magnet themes you can attach to the front of the PlanetBox.  This allows the lunch box to grow with your child – no more replacing it each year to go with your child’s latest whims.  With seven themes, you’re bound to find one that your child will dig.  I’m sure you can expect PlanetBox to add more themes each year.

If you’re looking for more padding, you can pick up a carry bag.  Made with recycled polyester, it has a pouch on the front that is perfect for a cloth napkin and utensils.  It also has a drink holder, great for a stainless steel bottle.

It’s obvious that PlanetBox was designed by parents and tested by kids because nothing was left out!

WHERE TO BUY: You can buy PlanetBox lunch boxes online.

WIN IT!

CONTEST CLOSED – Congratulations to Anne from British Columbia, Canada for winning!

1 lucky winner will get a PlanetBox lunch box with Retro Kitty magnets and a red carry bag! You can enter to win in any of the following ways:

• Leave a comment telling us what your favorite PlanetBox magnet theme is!
• Follow us on twitter @mommygoesgreen.
• Retweet this contest.
• Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link.

Leave your comment by Sunday, February 7, 2010 at 11:59pm PST. Contest open to all U.S. and Canadian residents, ages 18+. We will choose 1 winner, at random, and notify them by email. Privacy Policy.

Have you ever found a sippy cup stuffed in a corner somewhere with old milk in it?  I have and it wasn’t pretty.  I ended up tossing it because I couldn’t get it clean.  

Instead of tossing her cups, mom Jennifer Reyes decided to do something about it. The Sippy Straw Cleaner is made with nylon bristles and a flexible stainless steel rod.  Not only does it fit all sippy cup straws, you can use it for ANY straw cleaning – it works great on the straws used in our stainless steel water bottles. 

The pack comes with one cleaner with a polypropylene handle (BPA free) and one without a handle, depending on your needs.  At $3.98, it’s totally affordable and a great gift for new moms.

Every morning, my husband brews a cup of coffee and then dumps the used coffee grounds on a plant we have in our kitchen window.  The plant LOVES it.  It’s grows quickly and is a beautiful, rich green.

Whenever I am at Starbucks, I always look for their bin of FREE coffee grounds.  You can imagine that they have tons to give away and I am happy to take them.  I use them for any plant that likes acidic soil.  In the spring, they’ll go on our struggling blueberry plants.  My neighbor uses it change the color of the blooms on her hydrangea plants.  You can also add them to your compost or worm bin.

If you don’t have plants to add the grounds to, here are other suggestions from How To Do Things.com.

Here’s a great last minute gift – particularly for an out-of-town friend.  For $29.99, the Eco Wine Trio comes with three red wines from Boisset Family Estates:

1. Fog Mountain 2006 California Merlot: 100 percent Merlot sourced from prime growing areas throughout California result in black cherry, dusty chocolate and blackberry flavors finishing soft with ripe plum notes. This wine is packaged in the first 1 liter PET bottle for wine in the US. One liter offers 33 percent more wine than a standard 750ml bottle.
2. Louis Bernard 2007 Bonus Passus Côtes du Rhône AOC: a spicy, Grenache-based red from the Rhône Valley that is well-balanced with red-berry fruit flavors and a long finish.
3. Yellow Jersey 2007 Pinot Noir: a fruity red from the South of France with blackcurrant aromas, soft tannins and a silky finish.

What makes the Eco Wine Trio so ‘eco’ ?

• first wines available in PET* packaging – weigh 90% less and have a 50% less carbon footprint
• 10% of the sales price goes to EarthEra Renewable Energy Trust
• shipment of the Eco Wine Trio is carbon balanced
• gift box is made of 100% recycled packaging

*PET stands for “polyethylene terephthalate” and it is a thermoplastic polymer resin used in packaging applications. It is widely recognized by its recycling symbol identification – #1 PET. Lightweight and safe (BPA-free – now and always), PET weighs 90% less than traditional bottles, and conserves fuel, energy and greenhouse gases throughout its lifecycle, from production to transit to recycling. It is estimated to have a 50-60% smaller carbon footprint than a traditional bottle and is 100% recyclable into valuable end products from fleece to carpet fiber to polyester insulation.