Tag Archives: healthy eating

Vegas Women Who Rock : Stephanie Springel

22 Monday Apr 2013

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RockStarMoms are always looking for ways instill healthy eating habits amongst their little entourage. As a parent of four, I know how challenging it is to ensure my kids will make good choices when it comes to the foods they put into their bodies. We work on it at the grocery store, at home, and when we eat out for meals. However, once they leave the confines of my little healthy eating bubble, I can only hope they have learned something. Especially when headed to school. They eat five meals a week without me, and though I force their hand a bit about taking a sack lunch 4 out of those 5 days, I am confident my oldest son conveniently “forgets” his all-natural PB&J, organic apple slices and gluten-free veggie chips in exchange for the Taco Bowl Chalupa served at school that day. Fortunately, my twins attend a private pre-school, where I willingly purchase hot lunch for them every day. It is a healthy alternative, and I know the food is fresh and organic as much as possible. During Summit Ridge Day Camp summer camp, at Henderson International, my oldest children also get to buy their lunch through the meal program for the same reasons.

Why the sudden change of attitude when it comes to allowing hot lunch at the pre-school and summer camp vs the CCSD? A very smart, RockStarMom herself, Stephanie Springel, had the same concerns for her children, and introduced a new business into the Las Vegas Valley offering healthy meal options to area schools. That business? Wholesome Tummies. If your children attend some of the local private schools like Las Vegas Day School or St. Anne’s Elementary, you may already be familiar with Stephanie Springel and Wholesome Tummies.

RSMLV: Hi Stephanie, so great to meet you! Tell us a little about yourself, and how you happened upon moving to Las Vegas.

SS: I moved to Las Vegas from Southern California in 2002 with my family (husband and 2 kids). We had opened a law firm in 1997 in Orange County that had expanded to Las Vegas and was becoming very busy. We moved here to further expand our office in Las Vegas.

RSMLV: Love Orange County. Definitely a change in scenery here in the desert. What are some of your favorite ways to spend your time?

SS: I love spending time with my family and friends, I enjoy exercise, reading, traveling, the beach and cooking (of course)!

RSMLV: How did you get involved or learn about the Wholesome Tummies program?

SS: In 2010 I left the law firm and began volunteering at Three Square Food Bank. The most enjoyable volunteer position for me was working in the kitchen, preparing and packaging the meals for children. After seeing the amazing meals being prepared for the kids, I started doing research on children meal programs (specifically lunch programs) and found Wholesome Tummies in Orlando Florida!

Wholesome_tummies_las_vegas

RSMLV: Yes, I believe Three Square has been a huge asset for those in need of assistance in Las Vegas. They have done so much for our community, and a very respectable and reputable organization. Wholesome Tummies- great name. What is the main idea behind the program?

SS: Wholesome Tummies (WT Cafe) is a woman owned company in Las Vegas. We are very passionate about what we do and want to have a positive impact on the children in our community. We provide a feel good product to kids who really enjoy our product and service! Parents and school administrators are very appreciative of what we are trying to do for these kids.

RSMLV: That is awesome. What is your specific role within the organization?

SS: On any given day I can be serving meals to kids at a school or meeting with school administrators discussing meal programs for their kids. I am in my office and kitchen daily, meeting with vendors, tasting new recipes or helping with the portioning of our meals!

Smoothie in a Blender

RSMLV: I noticed that the Wholesome Tummies program is only available in private schools and specific summer camp programs. Any plans to expand or work with the Clark County School District to provide an alternative to those who want it?

SS: Since this is a market I have not yet targeted, I have very little information; however, I feel that there is a demand from many parents whose children are in the CCSD (me included) to be able to purchase WT lunches for their children.

RSMLV: What are some of the ways Wholesome Tummies gives back to the Las Vegas community?

SS: Although we are a for profit company, we support many charitable organizations in Las Vegas. We sponsor a monthly birthday party for all kids living at Safe Nest. Additionally we support Joy Prom, Extra Life and Autism Speaks.

wholesome_tummies_plate

RSMLV: Do you have an overall goal for Wholesome Tummies Las Vegas? What is something you would want to share with the Las Vegas community about Wholesome Tummies?

SS: I would love to see all children eating our food each day, regardless of which school they attend. All children deserve to eat nutritious, delicious food! Our company employees individuals with diverse backgrounds and levels of culinary experience. We recognize that ALL of our employees are our organizations strongest asset, and EVERY employee contributes to the success of our company.

Wholesome Tummies is a for-profit business, providing healthy meal alternatives to local area schools. The meal prices range from $4.50-$5.50 per day, depending on grade level for portion size. If you love this idea and would like to see the Wholesome Tummies concept brought to your children’s school, complete this form and help get the ball rolling! Keep up to date with Wholesome Tummies on their website or Facebook page.

This is not a sponsored post.

RockStar Mommies: Process of Elimination-Advocating a Diet Free of Fakes by Lelhani Morris-Pouessel (Top 5's)

06 Monday Jun 2011

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This is a 3-part series based on the personal experiences witnessed by Lelhani in her journey to improve her daughter’s health and struggles with hyper-activity and behavior issues.  Lelhani is not an expert, nor does she consider herself one.  Please consult with your own healthcare professional before you make any changes that may affect the well-being of your child.

If you missed the prior posts, you can find them here: Part 1 Part 2

RSM: So, tell us, what have you found in your research that you couldn’t live without and are excited to share with the readers?

LMP: Sure!  For starters, I came across a very informative website that correlates a lot of what our story is about.  Great link that comes from Dr. Sears:

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/t041800.asp

Also, I never thought to Google “echolalia and food intolerances”, but it seems as if there are people out there who find that the echolalia is diminished when their child is on a Gluten Free and Casein Free diet also known as a GFCF Diet or the Feingold Elimination Diet (the ADHD Diet).  I have never fully implemented these two diets but I have attempted modified versions of them.  A lot of people familiar with these diets might strongly disagree with my shortcutting, and although I don’t follow them to a “T”, I still find the information provided, to be wonderful.

http://www.gfcfdiet.com/TheBigFAQ%27S.htm

http://www.feingold.org/

I also get some of my information from Dr. Mercola.

Finally, my #5 pick for websites is one called Food Facts.  They also have an iPhone/iPad app.  What is so great about it is that it will break down the ingredients in the foods so you can make an informed decision on whether or not you want to buy it or eat it, and helps you find the ingredients you are looking for or want to avoid.  It’s a great reference tool to have.

My Top 5 favorite buys at the grocery store, the places I like to shop and the brands I like to buy:

I have 3 or 4 stores that I do most of my shopping at nowadays.  I am a very regular customer at Fresh & Easy which is currently my favorite place.  They offer all of the basics and some great little gems as well. I have a lot of confidence in their branded items, as they make the claim of having No Artificial Flavors, No Artificial Colors, and No Artificial Preservatives. That alone makes shopping lots easier and also helps not to complicate things when I send my husband on the occasional grocery run.  Trader Joe’s is also a go-to store for us.  We love having their frozen pizza on hand for those nights that we are just too pooped from running around or the kids are just having a craving.  I can also count on Trader Joe’s not to use GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) ingredients in their branded foods.  And finally Whole Foods. This is where we buy our vitamins at the moment and where I can get amazing body products for my girls.  We really try hard to stay away from parabens and laurel sulfates and instead opt for plant based ingredients in our body wash, lotions and hair care products. I also get yummy treats for the girls there, like cotton candy without the bad food dyes and amazing chocolate bars from Green and Blacks! And of course, no list is complete without mentioning Costco, for a variety of organic items they have on offer, and for the grass fed ground beef we use .

So here are some of the things I love:

1. Green Things from Fresh & Easy: they make a great lavender scented laundry detergent that cleans well, is super concentrated ans smells divine. All plant based. I also love the dish detergent for hand washing dishes.

2. Goodness for Kids from Fresh & Easy. They make some seriously fun stuff for the kids, like snack bags of Kettle Corn and Baked Multigrain Chips, perfectly sized for lunch bags and a whole grain mini pizza that packs a protein punch, also perfectly sized for lunch sacks. Check out their kid friendly cereals which look deceptively like all the other fun stuff on the shelves but with less than half of the added sugars, and 2-3 times the protein and fiber. These are the kinds of things that make this new food journey bearable for my kids and frankly, me!

3. Trader Joe’s Almond Milk with Vanilla (preferably unsweetened): I was able to get my youngest off of her morning milk with out a single bit of fuss with this product. Milk had always put her little tummy into knots, so I was jumping for joy when I did a side by side comparison of almond milk vs. cow’s milk and found the Vitamin D and other vitamins and minerals to be even better than the traditional cow’s milk. The fact that she actually loves it is the real testament! I must say, although she never drank much cow’s milk, I really wasn’t sure if I’d made the right decision, but that hesitation has gone!  She still consumes dairy products like ice cream and cheese, and Greek yogurt.

4. Trader Joe’s Whole Chicken: I generally only purchase organic chicken when it is on sale. The one I currently have on hand is NOT organic, but it is a chicken that has not been fed hormones and has been minimally processed.  I keep a whole chicken around in my fridge or freezer at all times. 

5. Nordic Naturals Omega Fatty Acids: These I get from Whole Foods. My kids have been great sports about adopting the taking of an Omega 3 6 9 vitamin. The oldest takes the Nordic Naturals Omega 3 6 9 Juniors and the youngest takes hers in a gummy form.

So many more things to share, but I will stop there. Whew!

Do you have some favorite websites or products to share?  I would love to hear about them! I love learning about new things! Comment here, or on my FaceBook Page.

 

RockStar Series: What's Cooking?

24 Tuesday May 2011

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A few days ago, I received a frantic text from my girlfriend very concerned about the eating habits of her almost 1 year old daughter.  This is her first child and she is doing everything in her power to be a RockStar Mommy, and she is, of course!  She is still nursing, which I find to be quite an accomplishment, but apparently, she is having some difficulty getting her to eat new foods, or any food for that matter, when they eat at home. Additionally, she is struggling with the balance of being able to cook healthy meals for her, her husband and the baby in a timely manner, without the thought being overwhelming in itself, and avoiding the dreaded, but convenient, take-out menus.

Being a mommy of four, and now 8 month old twin babies who also want to eat what we eat when we are eating, I, too, am faced with the struggle of the balancing act.  Even with lots of help, you still have to be organized in order to accomplish anything that makes you feel good.  After some thought, here is what I told her.   Since she is still nursing, the baby doesn’t need any additional food supply, so there really is no need for concern that she isn’t eating at home.  However, as a mom, I totally get how difficult it is to introduce new foods to your kids, especially the healthy, veggie kind.  But if she wants to start creating habits at home now introducing routine so when the baby is older it’s not as difficult to get a home cooked meal on the table, here are my thoughts:

1. Plan your meals for the week.  Know what activities you have planned during the evenings (sports, dance class, cub scouts, piano, etc.), how many dinners will you need to cook that week?  Plan a menu, and stick to it.

2.  Grocery shop for everything on a Monday.  I prefer Monday because it is less busy and I can navigate through the store quickly, plus it’s my husband’s day off so I don’t have to cart the kids with me.  I have a list, I am focused, I get what I need (not what they want) and go home.

Beaba Baby Food Maker

3.  Buy healthy, but buy conveniently. Trader Joe’s is one of my most favorite stores for this exact reason.  I make my babies food using the Beaba Baby Food Maker. Trader Joe’s has an abundance of veggies in steam ready bags-cut and clean-that I just throw in the Beaba, steam and puree.  So easy!  But the beauty is that, you can eat them, too!

4.  Start your cooking in advance. Think back to the days where our grandmothers all stayed at home and started cooking dinner at like 3 or 4 in the afternoon.  There was a reason for this.  Not only did our grandfathers literally have a 9-5 job, but it’s also so much better for you to eat before 7pm.  Not to mention, I’ve been up-ing my kids bed time from 8:30, to 8, and guess what, starting in the fall, they are hitting the hay at 7:30pm.  If you know what you are already cooking for that day, you can start prepping in the morning during a baby’s nap or while the kids are school, do a little more in the afternoon when you have some downtime, and finish it up before you set it on the table hot.  My other favorite thing is the Slow Cooker…dump it all in when you wake up, turn it on, eat when you are ready!

Ingredients in a jar of Rao's sauce: Imported Italian Tomatoes, Imported Olive Oil, Fresh Onions, Salt, Fresh Garlic, Fresh Basil, Black Pepper, Oregano

5. Puree.  It’s not just for babies. I made a wonderful discovery the other day after making food for the twins…puree!  I don’t know how many times I have read blogs, websites, books, etc., telling me to a “hide” vegetables in my kids’ food.  I never had to do this before.  Crazy enough, they always ate the random and strange vegetables I would put on their plate. Now that they are older, they are not so willing.  One night I made the twins beets and kale.  I knew I had planned on making spaghetti for our dinner that night.  Instead of saving all the beets and kale for the babies, I dumped it into my RAO’s Marinara sauce, and served it up.  They thought it was absolutely delicious!  And guess what, I did it again tonight with the mini-pizzas I made for them.  And you know what, the recipes may be simple, but they are getting their needed nutrients, and I really do feel like a better mama for it.

What are your suggestions?  Do you have something to share that would be life changing and time saving for busy moms?  That’s such an oxymoron…all moms are busy!  But, you know what I mean!

Leave a comment here or post it on my FaceBook page!