Photo: Great grandparents at their farm in Blandinsville, IL, with five of their six children .. my grandpa was yet a twinkle in grandma's eye. Stable boy and governess also pictured. Hodges farm, circa 1903-4

Friday, January 31, 2014

The Boy's Breakfast & Lunch Meals

Our son must be kept on a good nutritious diet .. or else.  Else what?  He feigns headaches, low grade fevers, low white blood count, rashes and lethargy (I believe from a leaky gut).  Grains exacerbate his health and are kept to a minimum.
Age 12

Our morning routine begins with a shot glass full of berry or citrus kefir.  He's afraid of 'shots' .. but this one he downs like a pro in one gulp.

You will find no boxes of cereal or frozen packages of waffles on our kitchen counter (unless I'm away and the Mr. is in a bind).

Farm fresh eggs are fixed most mornings in a variety of ways:  Veggie or apple pancakes (grain free), scrambled with spinach and a little grated cheese, fried .. or baked frittata style.  Endless ways really.

Some mornings he gets sausage patties.  And .. for good measure .. a banana in hand on the way to the bus stop.
Age 16

While he's enjoying his hot breakfast, I am busy whipping up a hot lunch: 
  • Spaghetti sauce over green beans (in place of noodles), packed in his trusty stainless steel thermos .. or,
  • Freshly made bone broth soup (keeping homemade stock on hand in the freezer and shelf stable in the pantry makes this easy peasy).  I add to the stock any left over meat and veggies from the previous night's dinner, dried herbs, sea salt and pepper.  One day he'll have chicken, turkey or beef based stock in his soup.
  • Every day he gets a green salad that includes lettuce, cucumbers, carrots & red pepper, along with a little (tiny) bottle of homemade salad dressing.  This is made in batches every few days and may include: balsamic-olive oil vinaigrette, homemade ranch style or Italian dressing.
  • Fruit:  banana, small apple, orange slices, tangerine, or a small cup of diced peaches or applesauce.  The peaches and applesauce are canned in our kitchen during the summer and stored away for those days we don't have fresh fruit.
  • Once a week I give him a treat and make French bread pizza.  This is simply made from a few slices of sourdough style bread I bake a few time a week.  The bread is buttered and spread with a little marinara sauce and topped with grated cheese .. placed on a baking sheet in a 350 F oven until it's a little bubbly and starting to brown.
  • Each lunch contains a small container with a fermented sour pickle.  Fermented foods aid in digestion and help boost immunity.
I don't believe in all of the disposable packaging .. so limit its use.  He gets a cloth napkin and thrift store utensils .. and his food is packed in reusable lidded containers.  Usually my husband will comment that it looks like a b0mb went off in the kitchen .. but that's the price for eating healthy .. it's certainly not 'convenient' food (LOL).  Really .. how convenient is illness?  Food for thought.




4 comments:

Crown of Beauty said...

Mrs. Mac, I have been reading your various blogs off and on the past five years or so... and I have learned many valuable things from you. You are also very generous in sharing with us your blog friends how to keep ourselves healthy. Thank you.

Sandy Livesay said...

Mrs. Mac,

Eating the right food, not prepackaged stuff makes for a healthy happy person. I have to agree with everything you've mentioned. Your son is adorable, and he appreciates all that you do for him.

Anonymous said...

I'm on my way to the store to buy some kefir. I've never tried it before. I'm guessing it might be an acquired taste. I've been buying the organic eggs Costco sells, but I would love to know your source for farm fresh eggs. Sausage too for that matter. I have a feeling I'm going to need to invest in a big freezer. -Kim

Mrs. Mac said...

@ Kim .. think of kefir as drinkable yogurt .. only packed with more power.

@ Lidia .. you are a blog friend I've had the privilege of actually meeting (Kim too :) ) You really started something when you gave out bags of dried mango strips to all the Scar Sisters last October.

@ Sandy .. I know you keep to a healthy diet for your family. As homemakers, we have to set the 'mark' for the direction of health our families take.