Cinnamonhuskies:

 Dh prefers i buy a nonhomogenized organic local milk in glass jars that are about $3.29 a half gallon plus $1.50 bottle deposit. Needless to say, our milk consumption goes way down at those times!

Nonhomogenized milk is much healthier than homogenized, from what I read some time back. It seems that homogenized milk particles are made small enough to pass through the intestine walls without first being digested, so it goes directly into your system. Don't ask for details because I can't remember, but homogenization involves whirling the milk very fast to break it down and allow the cream molecules to mix with the milk molecules in such a way that they don't separate again.

I can only drink organic milk. If I try any other kind, it upsets my stomach.

In another discussion, I commented that we are having issues with my daughter eating properly. I became concerned about her health and eating habits. We have been trying to improve this by supplying her with foods that are good for her instead of eating at work or stopping at a fast food place.

Some of the things I have gotten are shelf stable milk in individual cartons, shelf stable individual fruit cups, applesauce, V-8 in the small cans. I am looking for other ideas and hopefully something that is cheaper that I can alternate with pricier stuff.

And if I have not mentioned it before..one of my challenges with food is storage. I have a camper size fridge for the five of us. While I am on that note, I cook with a George Foreman grill, a microwave and a inadequate stove.

Brandy, I hope you have read about how to combine minerals. For example, iron and calcium taken at the same time bind each other and you don't absorb as much of either one. You absorb iron better if you take it with something acetic. Orange juice is perfect.

Your three year old looks like the biggest challenge to me. She is at an age where calcium is extremely important, and can't use the most convenient form of calcium, dairy products, and with all the other things she is sensitive to it must be very hard to provide her with complete nutrition. You must almost need to cook special just for her. This must be difficult.

My biggest challenge is getting off my duff and away from the computer long enough to make dinner. I love to cook, and when I had a family dinner was always on the table about 6:30. Now that kids are grown my meals are kind of haphazard. I try to drink about three cups of milk a day, and figure if I do that I have covered minerals and protein pretty well. I keep a few frozen entrées (either bought or leftovers that I put in one serving size containers) for the times I really can't get motivated to cook.

Sharon

Yep, I knew about the orange juice. But thank you for mentioning it, I know it's not info that is readily available. After my last little one, I stayed a point away from needing a blood transfusion for awhile. I saw a nutritionist weekly when I went in for a blood test. She helped me to figure out where the problem was. I don't absorb iron properly so I need all the help with that I can get. I also searched the net for any other tips.

Through trial and error and with the guidance of the nutritionist, we found that the three year old does best with powdered milk. And how convenient of her, it's cheaper than fluid milk and all the other special stuff. We did keep her on infant formula for a long time because she was able to handle it and needed the fats the powdered milk and other options did not offer. The problem I have now is that she has tasted  the 2% we drink and even some whole and she prefers it. She can't handle her daily intake of milk with 2% though. She can't take more than a small glass of whole and that's it for the day.

I actually prepare multiple courses so everyone gets a full and balanced meal.

I had a problem finding milk that my youngest could tolerate. I got pregnant right away after she was born (miscarried) and was not producing enough milk for her. I tried formulas and found one that removed the cream from milk and added back vegetable oil for the calories a baby needs. It was the only one she could keep down and that did not give her diarrhea. I kept her on it for a long time because she could not tolerate any milk I tried. Then a store where I shopped started selling something that the called "Imitation Milk". It was, again, skim milk that had vegetable oil added. It seems like it was reconstituted dry milk, but I can't remember for sure, it was almost 40 years ago. I know the Imitation label was because of a law that they couldn't call something milk if it has other things added. Anyhow, she did outgrow the extreme intolerance of milk with cream but still has problems from time to time. You need a little fat to aid calcium absorption, but usually there is enough fat in our meals that it is not a concern except for very young children.

I had a problem with anemia also. I had to take iron supplements for years. One of the pluses of being post menopausal is that is no longer a problem. LOL.

Brandy, I would think your kitchen limitations would be at least as big a challenge for you as the dietary requirements of your family. I have a large side by side fridge/freezer so I can buy ahead some and store leftovers. I cook on a two burner hotplate, toaster oven and microwave. I also have two crockpots, an air corn popper and a hot pot that warms soup and chili in about a minute. I do have a convection oven that holds a 9" x 13" pan, but I don't use that very often because it is in a storage area and a hassle to bring out to use. I usually make one dish meals like casseroles, home made soups and scrambles. (Anything mixed into scrambled eggs.) What I really need is a food prep area. I mix and cut things on the divider between the sinks and put the dishes of ingredients in the sink until I am ready for them. I use the top of my washing machine as a counter when doing a more complicated recipe. It is also where I set a crock pot when using it.

Sharon 

Yes, the kitchen issues pose problems. I don't cook difficult to prepare meals any more. Many meals consist of grilled meat, a veggie, sometimes a pasta/rice/potato or bread side for those who can have it and a salad.

Pasta does not come out well at all in this kitchen so we don't use it often. I have to microwave the rice and that's rather pricey and not as healthy.  Potatoes are easily roasted or baked but my husband and teen can't eat them often unless it's sweet potatoes.

Brandy- sounds like you have a lot going on!  Have you thought of getting a few more nutrional snacks- ie rice cakes, cheese cubes, fruit, veggies, raisins and peanuts, almonds, kashi crackers, etc, and baggies them up for dh?  I sometimes spend a good half hour after shopping doing a little snack prep for lunches and snacks for school and work- I wrap up string cheese, buy some individual yogurts, and stack up apples, bananas, and tangerines.  I don't buy beverages anymore for lunches, I tell the kids to drink some water at school.  They don't seem to miss it.  How much water do you think we need?  Surely not eight glasses. 

Also, sometimes for good tasting dry milk I use 5 cups of dry to a gallon, add a can of evaporated milk- this is great and full of protein for baking too- I make crock pot rice pudding sometimes with this.  

I know when I was low iron after a bad miscarriage, my friend the chiropractor said to take iron tabs from there college- there was something different about them- twice at day, at morning and night- it brought up my iron by the time I was six months out. Does anyone know what would be different?

There is a distinctive link between the homonogized milk and the rise in cholesterol for the nation- we should be thinking about the non-homogonized, it is very expensive though-

Tracy 

Great idea to make up healthy snacks - I think convenience is a big attraction of junk food.

I've heard that about homogenized milk too. The other big thing is oil - hydrogenated vegetable oils are in virtually every processed product you buy (cookies etc).

 My big grocery challenge is finding organic products that are affordable - they are all grossly overpriced. So I only buy a few organic products, such as pasta, canned tomatoes, and some fruit. And I probably shouldn't buy the canned things as they are imported. :( For a small bag of organic spelt pasta it was $7 ! Daylight robbery.

We have a farmer's market once a month so I'll be hot-footing it down there next month. I would love to live in a more rural community where I could buy eggs off a neighbor.

 My kids are homeschooled so I am not packing lunches for that, thankfully. My husband and daughter need work lunches. My daughter has access to a small space in the fridge at work and a microwave which is why we have been focused on foods that I don't have to find space to refrigerate and she can just take off the shelf here and put in the fridge at work to eat later. My husband does not have access to this but we are looking at lunch bags and thermoses.

I was buying three blocks of cheese a week but cut back to one or two because it's not being eaten. If I cut the cheese into cubes and offer it then it's eaten so I actually offer that with dinner and on salads more than anything else. But you gave me an idea, it wouldn't take any more space to keep some cubed cheese on hand at all times. It also would really take no time to do this if I lay the cheese out when I am cutting up other things to freeze, ect after shopping. Thanks.

As for the fruit and veggies, it's one of the reasons my food budget is high. I am spending $ 96 a month on fresh produce. I was finally able to get a firm number on that. My husband likes to have a fruit as a snack in the evening and sometimes takes one to work as part of lunch as do my two younger kids. The younger two actually view veggies as desirable foods too and will snack on broccoli and carrots.  My teen insists on being an issue with this as well, she will only eat citrus fruits and the only veggies that are really healthy for her that she will eat is corn.

Colland:

I know what you are going to say but my grocery challenge is time. I work full-time and have two kids and a husband. I am also part of the PTO and I teach Religious Ed. I do crock pot meals once a week but many times it's six or six thirty before I can even begin to start dinner. I have gotten into the habit of giving the kids a snack at five fifteen when we get home but trying to make a good, healthy dinner and have it on the table by six thirty or seven is often very hard. Convience foods make it easier but are not healthy. I have a friend who is going to come over this weekend and we are going to make meals for the week for both of us to see if we can get more healthy foods that are quick to put on the table. (That our kids will actually eat!!!) I will let you know how it goes!

You need to utilize Frozen Assetts--cook for a day and eat for a month.  I mentioned this already in a different post but it is a great way to cook.  The other suggestion I would have is to make your dinner menu for M-F, cook it all up on the weekend, package and refriegerate.  Then all you have to do is nuke it and dinner is served.  While it will take some time on the weekend, it will certainly make your week easier.