What’s hip? What’s hot? What’s green and lean on the wallet?
Well moms…we have five trending essentials to get the local moms looking to you for your “Mom IQ”! You can be the hippest, most nutrition savvy mom while saving the earth along with your money.
Farm to Table
For starters, join your local Community Supported Agriculture group. Basically, CSA is the purchase of farm shares or a farm membership that will supply you with seasonal produce and eggs – an ideal way to have a garden without the work or the yard space. I like to think of it as a farm fresh, food delivery service.
You don’t get to pick out what’s in your delivery, but you do know exactly where your greens are grown and precisely how the chickens that laid your eggs were treated. Some farms even allow your kids to come for a visit too. It’s one of the best ways to support the farm to table movement, be green and stay healthy. Your money is going directly to the farmer rather than to packaging, marketing and the grocery store.
Canvas Carriers
Want to save even more money? Get on the canvas bag train! Buy canvas bags for grocery shopping along with lunch and sandwich bags. Instead of throwing money away on plastic sandwich bags, purchase each of your children and yourself a set of reusable lunch bags. Typically, you can buy some pretty hip bags individually or as sets of three.
I wipe the bags clean at night and refill them in the morning. Much to my amazement, the kids bring them home each day; they never forget them on the lunch table. Perhaps this is because they look so cool with their jazzy patterns and outrageous colors.
Go a step further and gather all of your canvas bags from workshops, clothing stores, and even school functions. Use these bags when shopping for groceries. I never thought I had a real use for mine, but now I have ten free and environmentally friendly grocery bags. Just be sure to wash them after each market shopping trip and don’t ever put raw meat in them.
Soda Streamer
All moms know soda is out and water is in! This goes for parents as much as kids. And what mother doesn’t drink seltzer or water from a plastic bottle? But now, we really must stop contributing to the landfills and the recycling bins.
Instead, make the one-time purchase of a soda streamer. No more three-dollar seltzers at the deli or highway rest stop…or the supermarket for that matter. Now you just need water from your faucet, your soda streamer and a glass. Add lemon, lime or orange slices to your fizzy water for flavor…and a small bit of nutrition.
Nutritious Snack Packs
One of the hot food and nutrition trends you’ll see in 2013 is healthy convenience food. That’s right! Nut packs and fruit packs for your children’s lunch boxes, or even better, organic apple slices sealed and ready to throw in mommy’s bag.
Food manufactures know families need easy, high quality, healthy foods. Stores like Trader Joe’s offer snack-sized packs at reasonable prices. I would bet we’ll very soon see these petite packs hit the bulk stores like Costco and BJ’s. Though these snack packs may not always be the most economical, they do save you money in the long run. When the fruit slices don’t come back home because they have been eaten versus the apple slices coming back home browned and mushy, you will have saved money and prevented food waste. Moms, be on the lookout for more sophisticated snack packs such as olives to pair with flax crackers! A great snack for après ski.
The New Milks
Almond milk, coconut milk, hemp milk, oat milk and now, sunflower milk. Whether you have food allergies, are vegan, must stay lactose free or are just trying to budget, you now have many options. Whatever trending milk you choose, just be sure to read the nutrition label. Many of my clients are drinking different forms of milk. When I ask them why or if their milk has protein, they are unsure.
When choosing from these yummy, sustainably grown, dairy free options, make sure your choice is fortified with calcium and Vitamin D. You’ll want to confirm that the calcium and Vitamin D contents are equivalent to that in cow’s milk. Look for 20-30% calcium and approximately 25% Vitamin D. When possible, choose the unsweetened versions rather than those with added sugars. Look to see if the milk contains protein. If you’re considering the milk as an exchange for dairy milk, you’ll need to choose a vegetarian milk source with added protein.
Now you’re all set! Fill your canvas lunch bag with hemp milk, an olive snack pack, and some surprise greens from your CSA. Keep your soda streamer easily accessible. Enjoy being in the 2013 nutrition know!
