Lesson 1: Pantry staples, breakfast (plus Meal Plan #1)

Welcome to THRIVE! Thanks for being here.

Lesson 1 is actually a bit of a blend of topics. We have our breakfast inspiration to start you off, then a meal plan to get prepared for your week and a comprehensive list of pantry and produce staples. Then we have of course our first interview.

Here's what we'll cover:

THRIVING starts by having the tools in the kitchen to cook in a way that will help you all thrive more and more over time. So in this topic, we tackle those tools, whether they be food or what utensils are handy to have at your fingertips.

This e-Course is not about steering you to eat a particular type of way other than the real food way. Bio-individuality, genes, enzymes, gut health, personal beliefs, religious beliefs and more will dictate whether some foods work really well for you and others don’t. There’s also a wide range of availability from the supermarket, to the online store to local health shop. Our focus is whole, real food, whatever it is that works for you within that realm. Does it mean freaking out about a piece of cake at a party that may have something dubious on or in it? NO. Consistency is everything in the healthy eating game. It's what you do MOST of the time that matters, not what you do every now and again. It's time to ditch the shame, guilt and 'fallen off the wagon' sentiments. This isn't a part of thriving by the very nature of the negativity.

ARE WE DEFINING OUR CHILDREN BY WHAT THEY DO AND DON'T DO and therefore preventing them from exploring? 

We all get caught defining our kids by what they do and don't do, like and don't like. Tastes change. Attitudes change. Approaches change. Our knowledge grows. So to say little Johnny "can't stand broccoli" repeatedly in front of him when out and about or in front of guests, AND he's not tasted broccoli in 2 years, well... You see the point we're making here. The challenge is to raise our level of consciousness of the things we might be doing and saying to sabotage our kids' enjoyment of a wide variety of foods. It's no one's fault. Culture and 'it is the way it is' plays a much bigger role than we realise. Pop in your journal each night a few lines about the day's 'food chat'. Was it positive? Stressful? Did you raise your voice? Bribe? Insist? Get tense? Or was it cruisy, happy and fun? And by the way, the latter isn't 'superior', it's just about figuring out what's going on for you with food and kids and what the communication is like in general each day.

How freeing is that?!

This pantry staples list is, therefore, an all-encompassing list to help you start to stock up on the good stuff over time. We recognise that some staples might be a little new to some people who may be just new on the road to a whole food approach, so we’ve put together this list to help the newbies as well as perhaps a few seasoned veterans to find a new discovery or two. It will be useful, especially if you are going to use our meal plans. We’ve suggested a few brands (it’s by no means the ‘only’ safe brands, but suggestions if you feel like exploring). If you have any questions, our Facebook group is the place to ask!

Enviro tip: From a packaging perspective, if you live near a bulk food shop like The Source Bulk Foods or Naked Foods

Or you could also consider getting a Wholefood Collective Membership as we talk about below - one of the best things either of us has done to keep the organic staples costs down.

PANTRY STAPLES LIST

Here's a list of the basics that you might like to keep in the pantry.

We've created a downloadable PDF version of the list here if you fancy for easy printing and shopping / note taking

So THRIVING starts by having the tools in the kitchen to cook in a way that will help you all thrive more and more over time. This e-course is not about steering you to eat a particular type of way other than embracing the real, whole foods way and within that, whatever works for you. Bio-individuality, genes, enzymes, gut health and more will dictate whether some foods work really well for you and others don’t. There’s also a wide range of availability from supermarket to local health shops and online stores.

This pantry staples list is, therefore, an all-encompassing list to help you start to, over time, stock up - we recognise that this might be a little new to some people on the road to a whole food approach, so we’ve put together this list to help the newbies as well as perhaps a few seasoned veterans find a new discovery or two. It will be useful, especially if you are going to use our meal plans. We’ve suggested a few brands (it’s by no means the ‘only’ safe brands, but suggestions if you fancy exploring) and ways to make/use but of course, if you have any questions, our Facebook group is the place to ask!

Enviro tip: From a packaging perspective, if you live near a food shop like The Source Wholefoods or Naked Foods, bulk up there.

Busy/Remote or Regional Tip: Live in a remote area or country where these whole food pantry staples aren't always easy to come by? Or maybe you like to order online and plan more easily that way. No1 is to always just do the best you can. That is enough. There's always going to be something from each section that's available so focus on what you CAN access, rather than worrying about what you can't. This is also where online shopping is handy with something like what The Wholefood Collective have created to be able to support people with more affordable pantry staples, and a community of like minds. 

SPECIAL OFFER!!!

Many of the ingredients in the pantry staples list can be sourced from one of our favourite organic wholefood online stores, The Wholefood Collective (TWC). It’s run by two Aussie mums who offer socially impactful, premium whole foods saving an average 30% off retail for every order. Here’s what they are committed to:

Highly vetted foods

No more trying to understand food labels. We dig deeper than the label so you don't need to. A robust panel of experts on nutrition, additives, toxins and gut health screen every product at TWC. Nobody checks like we check. 

Home delivered, pronto.

We wave goodbye to 90% of orders the very next day after you’ve ordered them!

Home compostable packing 

On all TWC-branded products. Because it matters.

You happen to save a bit too 

Most people save around $62 each time they do a monthly pantry order. Healthy food should be accessible to every Australian family and you can put that $62 towards sustainable seafood, regenerative organic meats or other things you need for the family!

Community

Not just an online shop. Incredible community support and wellness experts at your fingertips.

Good feels

Your membership triggers the gifting of a free membership to a family in need. Subsidised shopping for those same families is on its way so that more people can access whole foods.

Our friends at The Wholefood Collective have created a special Thrive Pantry Essentials category and are offering an extra 10% off all ingredients for all our Thrive members, alumni included, in this category! 

Note: You can use this code whether you sign up to a free trial with them, or not. However, you will get around 35-40% off RRP if you get the trial first, which is pretty fabulous for our Thrivers!

Directions:

  1. Snag a free 14-day trial here.
  2. Add your fave organic whole foods to cart from the ‘Thrive Pantry Essentials List’: To see products in the Thrive Pantry Essentials list, click here.
  3. Add code ThriveExtra10 at checkout, to get an extra 10% off already great members prices.
  4. Kick back and wait for your friendly delivery person to bring the goods to your door.

Conditions:

First time orders only, min $70 spend, offer ends midnight 13th July, not be used with any other savings code, 1 use per person.

 

PANTRY, FRIDGE AND FREEZER STAPLES LIST

 

PANTRY STAPLES

Fats & Oils

  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Nolan's Road, Alto, Toscana, Cobram Estate and Macro from Woolies)
  • Coconut oil – cold pressed (Loving Earth, Spiral, Melrose, Absolute Organics, NUI Life, Macro from Woolies)
  • Macadamia Oil – Pressed Purity (Woollies or health shops)
  • Avocado Oil
  • Unrefined sesame oil (Spiral) – keep in the fridge, for cold use only
  • Hemp Seed Oil – keep in fridge, for cold use only
  • Flaxseed oil – keep in fridge, for cold use only
  • Animal Fats such as tallow and lard from pasture-raised animals *

* The most heat stable for cooking are animal fats tallow / lard. For medium heats cooking and roasting - coconut, avocado, macadamia and certain olive oils with good acidity that are Extra Virgin Olive Oil (no risk of blended cheap seed oils contaminating it, or weaker 2nd presses that aren't as heat stable) are great too. In Australia's case Alto, Cobram Estate and Nolan's Road.

 

Vinegar

  • Balsamic vinegar, (Spiral)
  • Apple cider vinegar (Braggs)
  • Brown rice vinegar (Spiral)
  • NB: Natural traditional vinegars - vinegars from overseas often contain preservatives or excess sugars so they can survive the long journey to different countries. So make sure to check the label to see if it contains  '202', '220' or '223'.

 

Sauces

  • Wheat-free tamari soy sauce (Spiral)
  • Mirin (Spiral brand)
  • Fish sauce (Golden boy or Squid brand or Red Boat - ingredients list should be only fish and salt with only 1% sugar, it’s fermented and good food Megachef is ok too from Essential Ingredient)
  • Sweet chilli (Australian Harvest)
  • Tomato passata (always buy in glass - Spiral brand or Divella brand as has no acidity regulator)
  • Tinned tomatoes (we don’t recommend if you can help it as even if the tin is BPA free, it’s still aluminium and therefore leeches because of the tomatoes being high in acidity - use passata as mentioned above)
  • Tomato paste (buy in jar, Global Organics brand from health food store is great)
  • Thai Gourmet Red & Green Curry Paste  (no nasties, gluten free)
  • Mae Ploy brand of Thai curry pastes (no oil or other nasties)
  • Tabasco - the whole range is additive free

 

Flour and Baking

  • White spelt flour (Demeter Mills & Kialla Pure Foods brands, Macro also have a range in Woolies)
  • Unbleached plain flour (Kialla)
  • Wholemeal spelt flour (Four Leaf brand, Bob’s Red Mill)
  • Buckwheat flour (Kialla or Four Leaf brand)
  • Brown rice flour (Four Leaf brand)
  • Almond meal (best to refrigerate or freeze)
  • Baking powder (Gluten and aluminium free - Lotus, Honest to Goodness, Bob’s Red Mill)
  • Bicarbonate of soda (Bob’s Red Mill)
  • Desiccated coconut (look for sulphur-free or '220 free' - Honest to Goodness, Macro sulphur free)
  • Shredded coconut (sulphur free - Macro Brand from Woolies)
  • Natural vanilla extract (Chef’s choice or make your own)
  • Dark chocolate chips (Lotus or Enjoy Life)
  • Cacao powder or cocoa powder (Power Super Foods / Honest To Goodness or 'Dutch processed' cocoa powder)
  • Medjool dates (Organic Macro brand or buy in bulk from Wholefood Collective or Honest to Goodness)

 

Sweetener

  • Raw honey (Ambrosia brand, Maya, Common Ground, Miellerie, Absolute Organics or any local raw honey)
  • Canadian maple syrup (Keejo, Absolute Organic, Planet Organic... there are quite a few more)
  • Brown Rice Syrup (Spiral brand or Pure Harvest from Woolies)
  • Coconut sugar (Niulife, The Wholefood Pantry, Organic Road in Woollies)
  • Rapadura/Panela sugar (Organic Mountain from Woolies, Lotus)
  • Billingtons range (certain supermarkets and Harris Farm)
  • Pure green powdered stevia leaf (Ovvio organics for example. The white processed stevia is nasty)

 

Thickeners

  • True arrowroot (Gluten Free Company, Pure Food, Honest to Goodness. Bob's Red Mill. Watch out for preservative 220 in arrowroot. It’s not in every brand, but it’s lurking around in some such as McKenzies.)
  • Cornstarch (always buy organic to avoid risk of genetically modified corn from overseas)
  • Tapioca flour (Bob’s Red Mill)
  • Chia seeds (A great way to add fibre and thicken things up. These little guys are PACKED capital P with goodness. Go easy though and drink lots of water to erm, keep things moving!)

 

Grains and pasta

  • Brown rice (buy organic and local Australian where possible and avoid China origin due to arsenic levels in the soils)
  • Basmati rice (buy organic and local where possible)
  • Rolled oats (Lotus, Bob's Red Mill, Macro, uncontaminated “gluten free”. If you are coeliac, keep in mind the Coeliac’s Association claims that GF oats are still a risk, so chat to your health professional before diving into oats!)
  • Quinoa (technically a seed, buy Australian - Kindred Organics, Honest to Goodness)
  • Quinoa & Rice pasta or Amaranth & Rice pasta (Olive Green Organics) or Spelt pasta or good quality wheat pasta
  • Buckwheat pasta or noodles (Orgran, Spiral - be sure it’s the 100% buckwheat one for gluten free families)
  • Rice Noodles (thick & thin - Bifun)
  • Rice Paper (Asian Grocer or Spiral as they are sturdy and thick)
  • Brown Rice crackers (Eatrite brand - tamari and seaweed only, Spiral brand, Ceres)
  • Rice Crackers - Sakata Plain have no nasties but watch other brands for 'yeast extract' and other 'natural flavour' both of which are glutamates and can contribute to hyperactivity. Ceres Organics is another good one.
  • Buckwheat cruskits (Orgran, Pain des Fleurs)
  • Mary's Gone Crackers range of seeded crackers.
  • AMISA GF range. Delicious crispbreads.
  • Mountain Bread (spelt is best, if you eat grains it's good to rotate the types of grains you eat to prevent intolerance from over exposure to just one grain, You can buy MB online in bulk for cheaper)
  • Gluten free wraps (Old Time Bakery, BFree Wholegrain and Primal Alternative) are good options
  • Sourdough bread (Sonoma, Iggy's if based in Sydney, Bills in supermarkets, or a good local traditional baker that lets dough fully prove before baking - this enhances bioavailability AND digestibility)

 

Dried herbs and spices

When it comes to herbs and spices, prioritise organic as they are heavily sprayed. Gourmet Organics or Simply Organic are great brands.

  • Damp grey sea salt – fine & coarse / grey Celtic sea salt (Lotus)
  • Murray River salt
  • Himalayan rock salt
  • French fleur de sel
  • Fresh ground black pepper
  • Cinnamon
  • Vanilla extract
  • Oregano
  • Rosemary
  • Sage
  • Thyme
  • Cumin
  • Coriander
  • Paprika
  • Turmeric
  • Ground ginger
  • Herbamare (a salt and herb seasoning mix)
  • Dulse Flakes (Eden foods brand)

 

Canned

When it comes to legumes, we suggest Eden Organic as it’s BPA-free and they are soaked in kombu, which aids in digestibility. Really impressive brand but unfortunately hard to get in Australia these days. You can try online. Otherwise go for Ceres or other organic brands.

  • Chickpeas
  • Lentils
  • Red kidney beans
  • Black beans
  • Cannellini
  • Tuna (Safcol and Greenseas sustainable, most other brands have become so - and still have low level bpa, Fish 4 Ever are sustainable and BPA free. Eat tuna no more than 1 - 2 small serves per week due to mercury levels, and stick to small oily fish such as mackerel and sardines to avoid mercury bio-accumulation)
  • Salmon (Wild Alaskan, Smoked Sockeye Salmon from Costco’s, Paramount Brand - BPA free from Woolies or Canadian Way online, otherwise avoid as almost all other salmon is farmed)
  • Coconut milk and cream (full cream – Ayam Brand, Honest to Goodness and Banaban, have no gums and cans are BPA free )
  • NOTE: For tomatoes. Opt for a passata - smooth or chunky - in a glass bottle, over canned, as the acidity in the tomatoes can cause metal leaching. So tomatoes in glass are always best. 

 

Fresh Legumes

Buy organic where possible – and do your best to prepare properly - READ HERE.

  • Chickpeas
  • Adzuki
  • Red Kidney
  • Cannellini
  • Brown and green lentils
  • Mung-dahl
  • Pinto

 

Bottled goods

  • Mustard (Eden, Biona and Global Organics)
  • Mayonnaise - Good Fat (made with olive oil and free range eggs)
  • Worcestershire sauce (Melrose - we like this brand because it only uses organic molasses and apple juice concentrate as the sweetener)
  • Jam (St Dalfours from supermarket, Super Jam, Absolute Organics, make own, local farmer’s market makers)
  • Olives (Loving Earth, Absolute Organic, Toscana, Macro. We like these olives because they have no caramel colour or additives commonly found in commercial olive brands)
  • Capers (Absolute Organic)
  • Apple puree (Organiks)
  • Fermented vegetables ( Byron Bay Company, Kehoe’s, Peace love and Vegetables OR make your own)
  • Nut butter (ABC blend, Ceres, Absolute Organic, Planet Organic or make your own)
  • Hulled Tahini (McAyvers in supermarket. Just look for additive-free options)

 

Other staples

  • Dried fruit (sulphur and sugar free - Macro have a good range)
  • Sea Vegetables (dulse flakes, arame, wakame - Power brand, Eden - Canadian origin is best)
  • Tea (Tulsi, Pukka, Ovvio, Tea Amo, try to go for organic options of tea , as tea is often heavily sprayed with chemicals)
  • Dried shitake mushrooms
  • Dried porcini mushrooms
  • Gelatin (Great Lakes, Bernard Jansen, GoBio you can get from Kehoe’s Kitchen and is made from pig skins and hide and certified organic, Vital Proteins - grass fed beef)
  • BeFree gluten free wraps (not totally additive free but for the odd needs to be met, are not too disastrous)
  • Coffee (Republica – fair trade organic and carbon neutral)
  • Hot chocolate (Republica, Sacred Ground, Green & Blacks)

 

FRIDGE STAPLES

This is where we focus on produce, not products - While the brands we’re mentioning here are predominantly Australian, if you find a health grocer near you or an online ordering system, you will easily find your country’s equivalent. Obviously avoid anything you have an intolerance or allergy to. If your children have constant congestion or inflammation, which will come up in further interviews and topics in the course, you might want to trial the removal of dairy, gluten and eggs for 3 months and see how that might impact their health as those are the 'big three' most likely to aggravate.

Dairy

  • Organic and grass-fed milk (Barambah, Ivy Home, Country Valley, Made by Cow, Mungalli Creek or your local milk)
  • Goat's Milk / Dairy products (Generally easier for humans to digest than cow's milk)
  • Yoghurt – look for  non-homogenised and no milk-solids if possible (Paris Creek, Marook farms, Schulz, Country Valley, Mungalli Creek, Meredith Sheep’s/Goat's yoghurt - sheep's yoghurt is easier to digest but may be an acquired taste, Shaw River, Barambah, Mungalli Creek have milk solids but still great)
  • Cheese (Barambah cheddar, Parmesan Regianno because it’s a raw cheese, imported Gruyere because it’s a raw cheese, sheep’s feta, Meredith Goats Cheese, Shaw River buffalo cheese, Paris Creek Camembert or Brie, Aussie raw milk cheese Bruny Island Cheese Raw Milk C2 ) If you can't do Organic go with the additive-free Nimbin Valley brand in supermarkets)
  • Unsalted Butter (Paris Creek, Organic Times unsalted, Pepa Seya is cultured butter, Western Star Cultured butter from Woolies though grassfed, the cows diet is supplemented with small amounts of grain during milking, Westgold ) You can add your salt which will be good quality salt with a couple of pinches to the meal you're preparing, rather than the processed salt in most butters.
  • Ghee (organic where possible)

 

Other

  • Dips (best to make your own otherwise Pilpel hummus is good, SSS foods hummus - both stocked Woolies, health food stores who make their own can have some good options also)
  • Seafood (ask for line-caught and wild. Get to know your fishmonger. Stick to small fish such as sardines, mackerel for your most sustainable options and calamari also being super sustainable)
  • Pastured meat (our favourite local Sydney butcher is The Ethical Farmers that deliver and you'll find a local one near you after a bit of digging who's along the same lines with a few more listed below, also in Sydney is Kingsmore Meats, Sam the Butcher in Bondi, Shiralee Meats on the Northside and Feather and Bone in the inner west)
  • Unpasteurised Brown Rice Miso Paste (Imported by Muso at health food stores or Byron Bay brand)

 

FREEZER STAPLES

  • Grass-fed meat (remember: Buy less meat but better quality and embrace slow cooking, sausages and mince for cheaper options to be able to trade up to the Omega 3 rich stuff!)
  • Organic frozen berries (Eg: supermarket have Organic B brand of blueberries or Elgin from health food stores)
  • Ripe Bananas
  • Avocado (avocado freezes beautifully. Just scoop chunks into a jar, pop lid on and freeze or you can freeze whole with skin on, )
  • Frozen organic vegetables - even frozen conventional veggies in rural/remote areas when it's all you can get.
  • Nuts, seeds, flour (have a tendency to go rancid in hot weather,  prevent this by popping them into the freezer)
  • Fish – line caught (see above)

 

KITCHEN APPLIANCES

  • Blender (for smoothies)
  • Food processor
  • Measuring cups & spoons
  • Thermomix / Thermo cooker (steer clear of Teflon / PFOA / PTFE coatings and opt for a ceramic or stainless bowl)
  • Slow cooker with enamel or ceramic interior (Cuisinart and Kitchenaid rate best in efficiency and materials for us)
  • Stainless steel trays, muffin tins and cake tins found in hospitality shops, not in department stores. If you have Teflon / shiny "non stick" ones, simply line with baking paper or muffin tins/cases to protect the food.
  • The little Kenwood triblade with mixer, masher and food processor - best value for versatility.

 

PAPER PRODUCTS

  • Baking paper (unbleached and chlorine-free – If You Care brand)
  • Muffin paper (unbleached and chlorine-free – If You Care brand)

 

NSW BUTCHERS

The below sell grass-fed chicken wings, meat and free range pork. Please feel free to share your go to's in other locations so we can add to the list.

  • Ethical Farmers
  • Feather and Bone
  • Sam the Butcher
  • Hudson’s Meat
  • Kingsmore Meats
  • The Australian Meat Emporium
  • Shiralee Meats
  • The Meat Store

So there you have a few staples - start investigating in your area and online and please DO NOT PANIC or attempt to make loads of changes in a couple of days or even in 3 weeks. If this is a big shift for you, take it slow. Do a couple of things a week and enjoy the process. Instead of thinking "How am I going to do this!?" and not attempting any changes because it's "all too much". We took about 2 years to build a confident arsenal of options in our own lives. It takes time!

The main thing to remember is that this is a journey. We're moving from being PRODUCT based to PRODUCE based. It doesn't have to be all done today and it will never be 100% produce but we CAN move the needle over time towards more fresh foods in our day to days.

Fancy a little bit of Breakfast inspiration?

HERE'S YOUR BREAKFAST INSPIRATION PDF - You have so many ideas in here to help you out of any breakfast rut you might be experiencing. Fancy making something you don't see there? This is NOT a course that holds you to the recipes within it. Recipes provided are purely for inspiration and by no means an exhaustive list. Go hunting, discover blogs, get trialling. Our websites have many more recipes than are provided here if you fancy going hunting there also. 

 

Interview with Georgia Harding

Today's expert interview is the wonderful naturopath Georgia Harding of Well Nourished. SO MUCH KNOWLEDGE SHARED and we hope you enjoy it!

Or catch the sound-only interview here if bandwidth is an issue for you or you fancy going for a walk with it!

Transcript for this chat is here.

Georgia has a wonderful eBook too you might want to check out if you're impatient for lunchbox inspiration and can't wait for that topic down the track... We have a special code for you - THRIVE10 to give you 10% off. A little something can go a long way, right?

 

Following on from Georgia's interview, here's a list of calcium and iron-rich foods:

Iron
Liver, red meat, poultry, eggs, clams, mussels, oysters, sardines, wholegrain, green leafy vegetables, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, blackstrap molasses, herbs like parsley, baked potato.

Calcium
Good quality dairy products that are full fat, nuts (especially almonds), seeds, canned fish with bones like wild-caught salmon and sardines, dark green vegetables like broccoli, rocket, kale, dandelion leaves, bok choy.

Food nutrient tables from a nutritionist

We've also got for you a handy set of tables for you to get an idea of what certain foods are high or low in certain nutrients, thanks to naturopath/nutritionist, Kate Johnston from KORE WELLBEING.

DOWNLOAD YOUR NUTRIENT TABLES HERE 

 

Kate has shared a few extra words of wisdom with us here...

"I would strongly advise not getting that caught up in the numbers side of things with your kids. Everyone has individual requirements based on their therapeutic needs/constitution etc, plus when they are setting the RDI it is based on a population average in order to find the minimum amount required to prevent deficiency symptoms. Deficiencies aren't always overt, and similarly, some people function totally fine with really differing levels of certain nutrients.

Just eating real, whole food with plenty of variety is the way to go. And listening to your appetite and other signals from your body. BUT should people want to have a look this is the document the government issues - it is lengthy, and I would never use it to build a diet around, but totally understand people like to be informed 🙂

https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/guidelines-publications/n35-n36-n37

Just another point - the food behaviours that parents would be passing on to their kids by being super calculated about getting 'enough' nutrients would have variable and questionable effects on the child long term. Food should be fun! Not a maths equation so while it's great for you to be informed, translate it as the enjoyment of wonderful, whole food!"

 

Love that...

Which specific foods are good for certain parts of the body (a fun one for kids to know and start to think in a healthy way that "eat variety = strong, clever, happy"!)

Here are some ideas of which specific foods are good for certain parts of the body which kids love to know. It helps them get a better grasp on what this whole 'healthy food thing' is all about. Remember to talk to them in terms that they will understand and relate to and get excited by!

  • Meat, fish, chicken, eggs, beans (legumes) and nuts give your child iron, zinc, vitamin B12, omega-3 fatty acids and protein for growth and muscle development.
  • Milk, cheese and yoghurt are high in protein and calcium, which helps build strong bones and teeth.
  • Egg yolks and corn are great for the eyes due to the carotenoids.
  • Wild caught salmon, sustainable tuna, sardines are great for the brain due to the Omega 3 fatty acids.
  • Oats are also great for brain health as they are also an excellent source of vitamins E, B complex, and zinc to help kids' brains work their best.
  • Potato is good for the heart due to the potassium.
  • Beans, in particular red kidney beans, are good for the heart. They are also good for kid's brains since they have energy from protein, complex carbohydrates, fibre, and vitamins and minerals. Kidney and pinto beans contain more omega-3 fatty acids than other bean varieties, important for brain growth and function. They can keep energy levels high for all their activities too.
  • Fruits and vegetables keep skin healthy and beautiful because of all the antioxidants.
  • Citrus fruits, tomatoes, green leafy vegetables, parsley, cabbage, asparagus, avocados, cantaloupe, currants, mangos, kiwi, papaya, peppers, pineapple, and strawberries help with energy, stop you from getting sick, help wounds heal, help with healthy gums and glowing skin, beautiful hair due to the levels of Vitamin C.
  • Brazil nuts containing selenium, and almonds, avocado, hazelnuts and pine nuts containing Vitamin E, protect your skin from skin cancer and sun damage and promote healthy skin growth.
  • Carrots, apricots, sweet potatoes, yellow squash, pumpkin, watercress, Swiss chard, greens, eggs, milk, and cheese help their skin and hair look beautiful and also help to keep infections at bay due to the Vitamin A levels.

Another great one to teach kids, which they marvel at, is how certain foods look like the body part that it's good for. Examples of this are:

  • A sliced carrot looks like the human eye and science shows that eating carrots enhances blood flow to the eyes.
  • A sliced tomato has four chambers, just like the heart. Tomatoes contain lycopine which is great for heart health.
  • A walnut looks like a little brain, and science shows that walnuts boost our brain cells.
  • Kidney beans are shaped exactly like our kidneys. And guess what? You guessed it, kidney beans help maintain kidney function.
  • Bananas look like a smile if it's the right way up : ) and they actually contain tryptophan which helps to enhance our moods and keep us happy.
  • A sliced mushroom looks like an ear and mushrooms improve hearing ability.

Meal Plan #1

 You'll also get your first meal plan

We've kept it rustic - real photos, simple food that's yummy. A few flavour twists for excitement. We hope you enjoy the recipes this next week and please start sharing pictures with your kids in the topic threads or on instagram if you're there.

#thrivekids @LowToxLife and @brendajanschek to say hi on instagram.

 

MEAL PLAN OVERVIEW FOR WEEK 1 

 

(download your PDF)

 

DOWNLOAD YOUR MEAL PLAN RECIPE BOOKLETS BELOW AND SAVE THEM TO YOUR COMPUTER:

Note: The ebooks above contain recipes for the entire three weeks worth of meal plans - think of them as your master files and the meal plans as a week's snapshot of suggestions. We've released ALL the recipes at once so that if you do want to follow the meal plan and your family has food allergies you need to work around, feel free to look ahead in the books to find something that inspires and works for you.

DO I NEED TO COOK EVERYTHING FROM THE MEAL PLAN AND FOLLOW IT?

In short, no. Use these recipes as inspiration as we move through the topics of the course. You don't 'have to' cook from them, but sometimes forcing yourself to explore new recipes can help get the whole family discussing new flavours, preferences, favourites and get us out of the all-too-easy cooking rut.

Here’s to thriving and enjoying the first day's interview and chats in the group - feel free to share interstate and international resources so that we can update and pad out the things like the butcher section - We'd love to do that throughout the course so don't hold back.

THRIVING HAPPY PEOPLE

Alexx & Brenda x

Disclaimer: This eCourse contains the educated opinions of the authors and does not substitute for medical advice from your healthcare professional. It is your responsibility to consult your medical provider before making any changes to your diet. The author, therefore, assumes no responsibility for the decisions you take based upon the information contained in this eCourse.

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33 Comments

  1. Emma Black on May 9, 2018 at 9:01 am

    Could you direct me to any fab infographics for kids related to the nutrition? I’d love to stick it to the fridge and talk to the kids about it!

    • admin on May 9, 2018 at 11:00 am

      Wonderful idea – will source some and add to the course for fascillitating kid’s discussions x

      • Emma Black on May 11, 2018 at 12:49 pm

        how lovely, thank you!

  2. Emma Black on May 9, 2018 at 9:34 am

    Hello, I’d love some recommendations for banana bread (I can do traditional and thermo cooker recipes) and also raisin toast (I have a bread machine and a thermo cooker) recipes for breakfast, or suggestions of what to AVOID and LOOK FOR in the recipes. I am fairly sure what I need as a general rule (whole grains, lower amounts of refined sugar) but youve been more stringent than I have on this so your advice would be fantastic! (My kids still have a taste for sugar so I can’t be one of those thermomix recipe commenters that says ‘I cut the sugar by 90% and it was delicions! all the kids ate it!’ . I am more of the ‘it looked brown due to the 50/50 wholemeal/plain bakers flour mix but Mr 4 still ate it because it was still sweet PRAISE THE LORD! – or I could put honey on it as the additional sweetness. Hope you follow me.

    • admin on May 9, 2018 at 11:02 am

      Here’s my banana bread Emma – the most popular recipe on the whole low tox website! https://www.lowtoxlife.com/gluten-free-banana-bread/ All good. We find it best to wean them off the super sweet stuff over time. Something familiar “banana bread” but something new “a little less sugar”. Trust me when I say I will be shocked if they don’t like my one. It’s always a winner… Raisin Toast, let me think on that one x

      • Emma Black on May 11, 2018 at 12:50 pm

        thank you so much!

      • Babsie Pattinson on May 13, 2018 at 8:00 pm

        Thanks Alexx – this looks delicious! I will try this week

  3. Emma Black on May 9, 2018 at 9:39 am

    Finally a really, really big heartfelt THANK YOU for trying to be ETHICAL as well as nutritious. It really upsets me to see that while things are going very much more vegan, wholefoods, quinoa, teff flour, etc (which by itself is largely great for the planet and us) etc people are not understanding that there’s an impact around the globe of our fashionable, middle class, privileged choices to have these things. (just saw your comment in the quinoa porridge recipe about buying Australian grown quinoa). (I am a white, middle class, Bondi-inhabiting, privileged person myself albeit on a stricter budget than the average!). Hopefully there is fair trade Peruvian quinoa out there too perhaps. Anyway – thank you for raising that as part of your mission – it’s often lacking xxx

    • admin on May 9, 2018 at 11:04 am

      You’re welcome Emma. It’s a core pillar of Low Tox Life’s and Brenda is super passionate about it too so we’re totally on your page there as advocates and educators. x

  4. Kim roberts on May 9, 2018 at 12:00 pm

    Hey this might seem a bit lazy on my part (or maybe I missed it?) but a shopping list to accompany the meal plan would be awesome – means I can just print and head straight to the shops! Often I find that’s the mental stumbling block with getting myself sorted for the week (having to sit down and figure out what to buy/how much etc). The resources here are fantastic and I really enjoyed the first interview. Looking forward to the rest!

    • admin on May 9, 2018 at 12:53 pm

      Hi Kim, so glad you are enjoying Thrive so far. We treat the meal plans as kind of a bonus to the education component of this course. We are mindful that we don’t want the meal plans to be prescriptive, but rather just as inspiration for parents in the kitchen., as such we haven’t provided the shopping lists. It’s something we can definitely look into for the future however.

  5. Kendall Muster on May 9, 2018 at 2:34 pm

    Hi –
    Thank you for a great first topic.
    Just wondering if this lesson is able to be downloaded as a PDF?

    thank you
    Kendall

    • admin on May 9, 2018 at 2:52 pm

      You’re welcome Kendall. Yes, the lesson is available as a PDF but not until the end of the course. You can download the pantry PDF within the lesson for making notes / easy shopping x

  6. Allisha Spooner on May 9, 2018 at 7:25 pm

    What supermarket brands of rice do u recommend?

    • admin on May 11, 2018 at 11:28 am

      Woolworths has the Macro brand Allisha. Otherwise look out for other organic brands.

  7. Jennifer Barry on May 9, 2018 at 9:04 pm

    I highly recommend Shiralee Meats (Manly and Brookvale). The sell grass fed and organic chicken, free range pork and organic beef. My kids love their biltong too.

    • admin on May 11, 2018 at 11:27 am

      Yes! I’ve heard they are fantastic Jennifer!

  8. Narelle Krack on May 10, 2018 at 1:05 pm

    A friend put me on to “Paleo Beef Direct” (search Facebook) and we are loving their meat. Grass fed and finished beef, they also do pastured pork and lamb. The sausages just taste like .. well, meat! their naturally smoked ham was delicious too. They deliver to SE Qld, and I think maybe into northern NSW as well.

    Also for anyone near Brisbane, check out “Rawsome Produce” (Facebook, or website) for spray-free / organic produce.

    • admin on May 10, 2018 at 2:51 pm

      Thanks so much for this wonderful information Narelle. We really appreciate it as it helps others.

    • Ioulia De vos on May 22, 2019 at 1:53 pm

      As I have a 15 month old who doesn’t like many of the foods on the menu plus is still hand fed doesn’t fees himself how would I adjust this weeks menu to suit our situation??

      • thrivinghappykids on May 30, 2019 at 10:39 am

        Hi Loulia, I replied to this in the other spot you posted it ?

  9. Kylie Gorzalka on May 12, 2018 at 7:01 pm

    Thanks to Georgia Harding’s interview I added pepitas to chicken, bacon & spinach pizza’s For lunch (spelt bases) – zinc win!

    • admin on May 14, 2018 at 8:43 am

      Awesome Kylie!

  10. Diahann Butler-Smith on May 16, 2018 at 11:04 am

    Loved the interview with Georgia, thank you! Wondering if anyone can recommend a great naturopath especially for children on the Gold Coast please? 🙂

    • admin on May 16, 2018 at 11:46 am

      I’ll ask my community for you Diahann. Where exactly are you based? Otherwise, perhaps post the question in the Thrive group? Bren x

      • Diahann Butler-Smith on May 19, 2018 at 2:21 pm

        Thanks Bren, I’m on the Gold Coast. I’ll post in the Thrive group as suggested 🙂

      • Diahann Butler-Smith on May 19, 2018 at 2:46 pm

        Thanks so much Bren! I’m on the southern end of the Gold Coast. I’ll post in the Thrive group also x

        • admin on May 19, 2018 at 5:06 pm

          Please do x

          • Ioulia De vos on May 22, 2019 at 1:58 pm

            My son is only 15 months so is still hand fed most meals, he is extremely fussy and the menu included will be thrown on the floor most of the part. Any suggestions on how to customize the menu to suit our situation??



          • thrivinghappykids on May 30, 2019 at 10:33 am

            Hi Loulia, the menus really are only supposed the support act to the information, which is the main menu! Given he’s fussy, at this it’s more important that you focus on starting to consistently implement the strategies we suggest.Hold onto the recipes for when your son is more of an advanced eater, and/or in the meantime perhaps think of ways you can adapt the recipes to suit his personal tastes. The nutrient density module will likely prove helpful on the food front too.



        • admin on May 20, 2018 at 9:01 am

          Tanya, I asked Georgia Harding and a couple of other people from the area and they recommend Tanya Golding. Good luck! https://www.facebook.com/tanya.goldienaturopath/

  11. Stacey Doak on May 25, 2019 at 1:53 pm

    Love the fish oil supliment tip for kids food blow outs!

    • thrivinghappykids on May 30, 2019 at 10:30 am

      So good right!

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