Wednesday 13 April 2011

TrueFood Guide for Kids

Do your kids already eat their vegies? Do you get up early on the weekend just to roam the local food market looking for that one magic vegetable that has all the goodness of broccoli but tastes like chocolate? Do you count how many peas your little angel has left on their plate and then mentally calculate how much EXTRA vegetable you're going to have to cram into their reluctant mouths at the next meal?

In case you weren't doing enough already, now you need to be on the look-out for sneaky genetically modified food entering your kitchen. But wait, some helpful person has compiled a downloadable PDF that with some very handy information for a GMO-wary parent.

I just found this little number tucked away on the web and I thought I'd share it with you.

Here's the link: http://www.truefood.org.au/truefoodguide/

Personally, I think the best way for my family to avoid genetically modified food is to eat organic meat & dairy products and avoid processed food, i.e. anything that comes in a packet with a list of ingredients.  This isn't always possible though and, if you are worried about genetically modified food, hopefully the little booklet will help. The website is also worth looking at. I found it comforting to know that in Australia no genetically-modified fresh fruit and vegetables are sold for human consumption, yet.

I am increasingly confused with the information around the place about healthy food, extra-healthy food, super-food, not-very-healthy food, extra-super-healthy food, etc.  I have just found out that not all branded 'organic' eggs in the super-market are free-range. Who'd have thought? It pays to read the fine print. I'd rather eat non-organic free-range eggs then non-free-range organic eggs. And never 'vegetarian' eggs. Chooks need protein. Unfortunately vegetarian chickens are fed soy protein to make up for the lack in their diets. My chooks would be offended if they were offered soy instead of a healthy, fat slug. They are quite selective in what they'll put in their beaks and they know exactly what to eat to produce lovely eggs with bright orange yolks. We provide them with a selection of (non-GMO) organic grains that are mixed up with fish-meal, and they forage for the rest.

I really wish feeding children was that easy and I know it'll be a constant learning process for me.  I only hope I get it right before they're too old for it to matter!

Lord, please help me.

1 comment:

  1. The only way they can guarantee that chooks are fed a vegetarian diet is if the chooks are caged or in a barn. You can't have a free-range chook and tell me that it's never eaten a worm! And yes, chooks need protein - and soy is wasteful.

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