B00AFU6252 EBOK by Jessica Alba Read Free Book Online

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ORGANIC HONEY. Raw honey is a great sugar substitute—it is crazy high in antioxidants! Be sure it’s 100 percent organic, because some industrial farmers feed their bees—get this—high-fructose corn syrup. No thanks.
ORGANIC PASTA SAUCES. Great over spaghetti squash, quinoa, or farro.
ORGANIC JARRED TOMATOES. Toss in anything from soups to sauces. In a jar, they’re BPA free.
FOR SNACKS AND QUICK MEALS
    (Again, organic is best for kids!)
WHOLE GRAIN BREAD. Look for at least 3 grams of fiber per serving and no added sugars or additives.
WHOLE GRAIN CEREALS. Watch the added sugar!
NATURAL PEANUT BUTTER AND ALMOND BUTTER
JAMS AND SPREADS. Look for no-sugar-added brands—I try to buy homemade preserves from the farmers’ market.
ALMONDS. Honor is obsessed with all things almond!
RAISINS, DRIED BLUEBERRIES, CRANBERRIES, AND APPLES. Great with the almonds; we also like freeze-dried fruit, which concentrates the antioxidants.
GLUTEN-FREE PRETZELS. Honor adores Glutino’s pretzels because they’re so buttery tasting—and while she’s not gluten intolerant, I find her digestion works better when I minimize gluten in her diet.
ORGANIC BABY FOOD. I love Plum Organics when we’re traveling and can’t do the homemade thing for Haven.
GLUTEN-FREE WAFFLES. These frozen treats are great for weekends—or weekdays, for that matter! Van’s makes a good one.
GLUTEN-FREE PIZZA CRUST. Honor loses her mind when we have pizza night, and this is the best way to cheat when you’re not going to do the full pizza oven experience. Glutino makes a crust with brown rice.
ANNIE’S ORGANIC MAC & CHEESE. A favorite standby.
GREEN & BLACK’S ORGANIC CHOCOLATE. Because, obviously.
    Life isn’t just leafy greens and lentils. Here are other must-haves for making life taste good.



STOCK UP
    Whenever you roast a chicken (or a leg of lamb or any other big-boned cut of meat), save the bones (even better if they still have some meat on them!) to make your own stock. It’s so much more delicious and healthier than store bought (which can have too much salt and other additives). Plus you get points for wasting nothing.
    WHAT TO DO:
Place the leftover bones from 1 chicken into a large stockpot, along with a bunch of leftover veggies (say, a quartered onion and a couple roughly chopped carrots and celery ribs).
Over medium heat, cook the contents for 3 to 5 minutes. Once the veggies begin to sweat, add 2 whole cloves garlic, plus 1 tablespoon salt and 2 teaspoons whole peppercorns.
Add in enough water to cover the contents with an inch or so of water on top. Bring to a simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, or more. The longer you simmer, the more flavor you’ll get. Strain and store in an airtight container; can be frozen for up to six months.

Honest Little Eaters
    S O NOW THAT YOU KNOW what to eat—how do you get your family to eat it, too? I see so many kids whose parents are always having to pack them special snacks with the rationale, “That’s just how my kid eats.” But in my house, we don’t have discussions or give the girls tons of options. It’s “Here’s what you’re eating.” If that sounds kind of old school, it is—that’s how my mom raised my brother Joshua and me, and I think she got this so right. There was no special children’s meal versus the adults’ meal. Whatever my mom made, we all ate it—and questioning it wasn’t an option.
    The fact is, kids don’t need alternatives to what the adults are eating. With too much choice, they can get overwhelmed, and that makes them cranky and more prone to putting up a fight. In contrast, since Honor has been eating what we eat almost from day one (just age-appropriate versions, of course!), she’s pretty open to trying new things. When we go out for a family dinner, we don’t have to worry about the type of restaurant or what we’ll find on the menu for her. Of course, she’s still a kid—not a food critic—but I truly appreciate the ease of having a kid who’s