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I'm a mother who cares about what my family is eating. It's not always easy to keep up with teenagers and the alluring meals out there in the public places. They learn to love fast foods, pizza, and junk food. They do like home cooked meals though, and to their benefit some ingredients are added to meals for even more nutrition...and they never knew. Do you ever wonder what kinds of things are put in the fast foods? One time my brother told me one of the ingrediance in a milk shake: the same stuff they put in diapers. I don't know if that's true or not, but I do know that things like MSG's put in certain foods can be damaging. I'm just trying to make a point that the things I put in meals are good for them and not detrimental to their health.

What goes into the Chili at our house? The first thing besides the beans, meat and tomato soup and crushed tomatos is the spice cumin. I learned through reading the magazine "Healthy Solutions" that cumin inhibits enzymes that help cancer cells invade healthy tissue. Along with chili powder, I shake in some garlic. This spice works as an antioxidant and also is said to lower cholosterol. Most people so not add cinnamon, but it's something my mother always did. I learned that cinnamon helps lower blood sugar. What wonderful health advantages! One special ingredient that I add is wheat germ...just a couple of tablespoons. Wheat germ is very high in vitamin B 12.

My husband likes white bread. I don't know why he doesn't like the nutritious darker colored breads, but I'm not about to start fights over it. I found a bread called "White Wheat" that has a higher fiber content than most white breads. He likes it

When it comes to meats, our family would prefer it at every meal. Because of my health and because of the expense, I've changed some things. Because I'm a B positive blood type. red meats are hard to digest. When it comes to hamburger, I add ground turkey. No one around our house cares when it is mixed together. At times we even substitute it totally. I've also found ground turkey much cheaper than ground chuck.

Son number two has a distaste for vegetables. I don't know where he got it from because everyone else in the family will eat just about any type. I save juices from canned vegetables, or from cooked fresh or frozen vegetables. This "power water" goes into the soup or the gravy or in the sauce for beef stroganoff. Blenders work wonders disguising vegetables too. My cousin told me she pureed the green beans and put it in the gravy. No one knew. Shredded carrots and peppers are my favorite add ins for meat loaf.

When I make cookies, pancakes,or pizza dough, a different types of flour is used along with the white flour. Spelt flour is one kind that I buy from the local health store. I'm told this flour is good for digestion. It's a little pricey, but I'm buying health. I may put in half of each type of flour for what the recipe calls for.

Our family likes jello. We usually add fruit like bananas or mandarin oranges. Sometimes we add fruit cocktail. Instead of adding water like the recipe instructs, I add the fruit juices.

These additions that are added are great benefits for my family health. I continue to be on the lookout for new ways to add nutrition without causing a fuss.

Learn more about this author, Mary Beth.
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