Healthy Budget Meals

Healthy Budget Meals

By

Simon Staub

Published by Simon Staub at Smashwords

Copyright 2016 Simon Staub

Dedication

For my children, Jean and Trevor. Love of my life, inspiration and source of my strength.

Simon

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book, and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite eBook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

My eBook is presented to you, so we can share with you, the way I prepare our family meals, it is based on my own experiences, a chef and stay at home solo parent, living on a very low income. It contains the recipes I use so we can live comfortably within our budget limitations.

While every effort has been made by me the author to present accurate and up to date information within this document, new information and methods are always coming to hand. Therefore, I, the author reserve the right to update or change the contents and information as any changes are required.

I strongly advise everyone to do their own research into all aspects of budgeting and healthy nutritious meals. I, the author take no responsibility for any errors or discrepancies in this document or any actions taken by anyone whether monetary, legal or otherwise. It is the reader’s sole responsibility to seek additional information and satisfy themselves on the appropriate foods and methods of preparing and cooking foods for their own budget needs and healthy meals. Reader's results will vary according to their skill levels and individual perception of the contents.

You are welcome to contact me through my

Website; http://www.simonstaub.com

Or email: mailtosimon@simonstaub.com

Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/simon.staub.16

LINKEDIN https://ph.linkedin.com/pub/simon-staub/97/917/883

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1 Our Well Stocked Pantry, Budget Style

Chapter 2 Baby and Infant Foods

Mashed Avocado - Mashed Banana - Egg Yolk - Carrot

Sweet Potato or Pumpkin – Young Coconut Meat - Apple Sauce

Fresh Fish- Homemade Yoghurt – Homemade or Organic Cheese

Broccoli or Sunflower Seed Sprouts

Once your Baby is Eating

Baked Apple Raspberry & Cinnamon - Fruit Jelly - Macaroni

Homemade Pasta with Carrot, Broccoli, Cauliflower & Cheese

Homemade Kids Spaghetti – Grilled Fish

Chapter 3 Toddler and Children’s Meals

Fish Fingers – Chicken Schnitzel or Nuggets

Samosas – Fritters – Kids Pizza

Homemade Baked Beans - Healthy, Quick Noodles

Chapter 4 Breakfast Ideas

Omelets –Crepes – Pancakes – Pikelets

Burritos - Basic Porridge

Crockpot Spiced Porridge - Budget Muesli

Savory Sausage and Cheese Breakfast Bread – French Toast

Chapter 5 Vegetable Juices, Smoothies, Nut Milks and Beverages

Vegetable Juices – Fresh Fruit Smoothies - Sparkling Pineapple Soda

Watermelon Soda – Fermented Lemonade – Fermented Orangeade

Herb Tea – Nut Milk – Yoghurt Drinks

Homemade Chocolate Drink– Hot Cocoa Drink

Roasting and Brewing Fresh Coffee Beans

Chapter 6 Healthy Budget Snacks

Sausage Rolls – Budget Sausage Rolls – Pizza Pinwheels – Mini Pita Bread Pizzas

Fruity Oat Bars – Fruit and Nut Energy Bars – Pecan Nut & Chocolate Bars

Spicy Bar Nuts – Spicy Roasted Garbanzo Beans – Homemade Cheese Snacks

Healthy Oven Baked Spicy Sweet Potato Chips or Wedges

Coconut and Garlic Bread Sticks with Dipping Oil

Bliss Balls – Energy Bites–Popcorn – Herb Parmesan Popcorn - Popcorn Balls

Nut and Seed Butter – Nutella - Lemon Spread – Vegetable Pate - Hummus

Basil Pesto– Black Olive, Rosemary and Walnut Pesto- Blue Cheese Dip– Prawn Dip

Homemade Candies

Toffee Drops – Gummy Bears – Peppermints

Candied Fruit – Candied Citrus Peel

Healthy Homemade Chocolate – Homemade Marshmallow

Chapter 7 Healthy Homemade Pasta, Pasta Dishes and Pastries

Simple Wheat Pasta – Gluten Free Pasta

Lasagna – Lasagna Rolls – Chicken & Mango Fettuccine – Mushroom & Bacon Fettuccine

Spaghetti & Meat Balls – Spaghetti Bolognaise

Pasta and Vegetable Bake – Creamy Avocado Pasta

Simple Pizza Base – Gluten Free Pizza Base – Potato Basket Pizza Base

Gardeners Delight – Cornish Pasties

Chicken and Mushroom Pie

Chapter 8 Budget Salads

Tossed Salad – Garden Salad – Budget Caesar Salad

Carrot and Beet Salad – Celery, Apple, Nut and Raisin Salad

Budget Coleslaw – Coleslaw with Ginger, Peanut Dressing

Budget Potato Salad – Sweet Potato Salad

Rice and Bean Salad – Lentil and Rice Salad – Feta and Lentil Salad

Home Cultured or Fermented Vegetables

Chapter 9 Homemade Soups and Stocks

Beef Bone Stock – Chicken Stock – Vegetable Stock - Fish and Seafood Stock

Sweet Potato Soup (cold) – French Onion Soup – Chicken Noodle Soup

Hearty Beef Soup – Thick Vegetable Soup – Thai Seafood Soup

Chapter 10 Easy Budget Meals

Stir-fry’s – Vegetable Stir-fry – Chicken Chow Mein – Curried Coconut Stir-fry

Irish Stew – Goulash – Chicken, Corn Chili

Whole Chicken, Pressure Cooked – Beef Stew Crockpot or Slow Cooker

Sweet Potato Casserole – Vegetable Casserole - Pork Stuffed Capsicum with Tomato Sauce

Enchiladas – Mexican Style Stuffed Sweet Potatoes - Tex-Mex Mini Quiches

Meat Loaf – Chicken Meat Loaf - Nut Loaf – Lentil Loaf.– Veggie Loaf

Indian Style Veggie Loaf or Patties - Roasted Garlic, Silverbeet and Parmesan Casserole

Easy Meat Balls - Homemade Sausages – Won Tons

Chapter 11 Extending Meals and using Leftovers

Chapter 12 Home-Cured Meats

Home-cured Ham and Bacon– Corned Beef or Pickled Pork

Raw Fish- Marinated Mussels – Homemade Spanish Style Sardines

Chapter 13 Dessert Ideas

Homemade Ice-cream in a bag – Banana Ice-cream

Fruit Sorbet - Simple Kiwifruit Sorbet – Frozen Yoghurt Dessert

Custard Pudding- Fruit Crumble – Pumpkin Pie – Ricotta Cheesecake

Chocolate and Fruit Mousse – Fresh Apple Sauce

Chapter 14 Baked Goods

Basic Biscuits 3 Ingredient Cookies – Basic Chocolate Biscuits – Oat and Nut Cookies

Soda or Savory Crackers – Graham Crackers – Gluten Free Graham Crackers

Sweet Potato Biscuits – Shortbread – Basic Muffins – Simple Coconut Scones

Gluten Free Chocolate Scones – Carrot Cake – Fruit Cake – Chocolate Avocado Cake

Easy Whole-meal Bread – Wholesome Banana Bread – Coconut Bread

Soda Bread – Potato Bread – Flat Bread – Pita or Pocket Bread

Fuchsia Bread – Coconut, Garlic Banana Bread

Flour Tortillas – Tortillas, Corn - Croissants

Simple Sweet Potato or Pumpkin Bread – Flour-less Bread

Gluten Free Short Pastry – Puff Pastry – Pie Pastry

Chapter 15 Homemade Dairy

Homemade Butter – Mesophilic Culture/Starter

Sour Cream – Cream Cheese – Ricotta Cheese

Mozzarella Cheese – Feta Cheese – Blue Cheese

Homemade Yoghurt - Chili Stem Culture Yoghurt

Coconut Yoghurt

Chapter 16 Homemade Sauce

Basic White Sauce – Gluten Free White Sauce – Coconut Flour Gravy

Butter Sauce – Creamy Pepper Sauce – Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Sweet and Sour Sauce – Basic Stir-fry Sauce – Sweet and Sour Stir-fry Sauce

Hot and Spicy Stir-fry Sauce

Chapter 17 Homemade Condiments

Tomato Sauce – Tomato Salsa – Quick Tomato Paste

Hot Sauce – Mock Soy Sauce – Oyster Sauce – Fish Sauce - BBQ Sauce

Hot Sweet Chili Sauce – Worcestershire Sauce - Green Chili Sauce – Red Chili Sauce

Dijon Mustard - 1 Minute Mayonnaise - French Dressing – Simple Herb Vinaigrette

Chapter 18 Herb and Spice Blends/Seasonings

Cajun Seasoning – Pizza Blend – Italian Seasoning

Herb and Spice Blend, for Meats, Vegetables, Soups and Stews

Herb and Spice Blend for Red Meats and Game

Herb and Spice Blend/Seasoning for All foods especially Poultry

Fish and Seafood Herb and Spice Seasoning/Blend

5 Spice Powder, for Fruit and Desserts

Curry Seasoning/Powder for Curries and Spicy Dishes

Chapter 19 Pickles, Preserves and Vinegars

Pickled Vegetables – Corn Relish – Mango Chutney

Spicy Mango Chutney - Jam – Marmalade – Sugarless Marmalade

Marmalade with Raw Honey – Pineapple Vinegar – Apple Cider Vinegar

Chapter 20 Homemade Ingredients

Homemade Vegetable Flour - Nut and Seed Flours – Vegetable Starch - Self Raising Flour

Homemade Vegetable Powders – Simple Homemade Baking Powder – Vanilla Extract

Growing Broccoli and Sunflower Sprouts – Soaking Times for Various Nuts and Seeds

Drying Herbs, Nuts and Seeds

Cold Pressed Coconut Oil – Homemade Avocado - Mango Oil and Butter

Rendering Animal Fat into Lard for Cooking

Play Dough – Non-toxic Finger Paints – Non-Toxic Children’s Water Paints – Children’s Glue

Chapter 21 Cooking Methods

Sauté – Stir-frying – Blanching – Poaching – Pressure Cooking – Boiling

Steaming – Slow Cookers or Crockpots – Microwaving – Grilling or BBQ

Stewing Braising and Casseroling – Roasting and Baking - Frying and Deep Frying

Easy Methods to Prepare or used Different Foods

Chapter 22 Home Remedies and Cleaning Products

Homemade Bodycare Products – Home Cleaning Products

Toxic Chemicals included in Soaps, Shampoos and Body Lotions

Harmful Plastics

Chapter 23 Conversion Tables

Other books by this Author Simon Staub

About the Author

Contact the Author

Introduction

Being on a tight or restricted budget, does not necessarily mean meals have to be boring and unappetizing, budget meals and snacks can be super healthy and nutritious, as well as tasty with a bit of forward planning and an overall budget strategy, developed to suit your family’s tastes and nutritional needs. Some of the most common fresh food items are relatively inexpensive, potatoes, pumpkin, choko (chayote), cabbage, corn, peas, onions, carrots, parsnips, swedes, beets, oats, bananas, beans and lentils etc are often considered to be uninteresting and of less nutritional value than the more expensive varieties of vegetables, but they contain most of the nutritional food values we require for optimum health. The flavor and nutrients of fruits and vegetables is determined by the quality of the soil and farming conditions used to produce them. The methods used to store, process, prepare and cook foods, also makes a huge difference to the overall quality and nutritional values we can obtain from eating them. Almost all processed food is anything but healthy, because the methods used during their processing, usually destroys and changes many of the delicate live organisms and organic compounds they contain.

All the recipes in this book are made from fresh produce with a strong emphasize on organic, locally grown, homegrown or homemade produce where possible. For many people, to grow or make their own produce is not practical, or realistically affordable. Much of the available organic produce in the market is priced higher than many people on tight budgets can afford, but striving to get the best quality foods, with the least amount of processing and additives, as well as producing as much of your own food as you can, is a sensible budgeting strategy. Although, you may in some instances, be spending a little more money and time on some fresh produce, by doing so, you are getting much better value for the dollars spent and not wasting money on food items that have no, or very little nutritional value. This is not only for budgeting considerations, but also for your overall health, both in the short term and long term. Although, you can produce a very simple, cheap meal from a can of budget spaghetti, or similar with some simple artificial additives, plus white bread or rice, all you are really doing, is satisfying your taste buds and filling your stomach, but doing very little to nourish your body.

A realistic approach to budgeting, for people who wish to provide a diet with optimum nutritional value, as well as being tasty visually appealing meals, that cater for all members of your family, is to plan ahead, take the time to find the best selection of wholesome, healthy foods available, that are priced within your budget limitations, and then adding value to them. This need not be so expensive, but takes a bit of forethought and knowledge about the nutritional values of the foods that you select. My eBook Nutritional Food Values provides detailed information on the vitamin, mineral, protein, carbohydrate and health benefits of most common foods such as fruit and vegetables, herbs and spices, nuts, grains and seeds, meats and seafood’s and dairy produce. Instead of buying fresh organic broccoli, consider using cabbage, they are both from the same family of vegetables and contain very similar nutrients, but cabbage is usually much cheaper. With the money saved, you would then be able to buy sunflower or broccoli seeds. A kilo of organic broccoli seeds, usually costs about the same price as a kilo of fresh organic broccoli, from these seeds, you can grow approximately 50 servings of broccoli sprout greens, (full directions, on how to grow Sprouts and Sprout Greens at home, are in chapter 19 Homemade Ingredients). Sprouts are not only tasty and inexpensive, they contain all the goodness of the mature plant, are great in salads, stir-fry’s or just eaten on their own. Other, common vegetables can also be sprouted or cultured. Culturing or fermenting food not only preserves them, without the need for refrigeration, but significantly adds to their nutritional values, often increasing them by up to 30 times the levels they had when they were fresh. Culturing also has the added benefit of introducing billions of probiotics, or beneficial bacteria and other microorganisms to the gut, to help in digestion and gaining the best values from the foods eaten. This is a very inexpensive alternative to buying expensive probiotic supplements (Directions for making Cultured or Fermented Vegetables is in chapter 8).

One in five people in the western world will be affected by some form of cancer, of those people, 95% will not survive five years after they are first diagnosed with their condition, if they use conventional medical treatments. (The recovery rate from using alternative cancer treatments is much higher) See my eBook on Natural Cancer Prevention and Recovery. Conventional cancer treatments cost thousands of dollars; the average amount each person in the USA spends on cancer treatments is $50,000, with many people having to spend that each year. For many people these costs are prohibitive. It is far better to have a wholesome, healthy diet to start with. Almost all cancers are a result of the uncontrolled spread of malformed or defective cells, these are naturally, produced by our bodies along with the other billions of cells that our bodies make each day. These defective cells are normally removed or kept under control by our immune or other systems in our bodies. But these systems in our bodies, that have evolved, over thousands of years, using the natural compounds found in wholesome, fresh foods, cannot cope with the unnatural substances, toxic chemicals and compounds that are added to most processed foods, they block and disrupt our body’s ability to eradicate these abnormal cells, allowing them to multiply and form into tumors and cancer.

Many other people will be affected by some or several of the other chronic conditions that plague modern man, heart disease, high blood pressure, respiratory problems, arthritis, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, as well as having their immune system’s capacity to function being compromised or diminished. All these conditions are a direct result of the food choices we make and the pollutants contained in the things we use, as well as the many man-made environmental contaminants we come in contact with on a daily basis. Having a diet of healthy, wholesome, fresh foods and rejecting all processed and chemical laden foods where practical, as well as eliminating as many toxic substances in our environment, especially plastics, can not only save money in the short term but prevent many health problems and their related expenses.

Food manufacturers, try to make their food cheaper, by using the lowest priced ingredients available, as well as the cheapest processing methods. Unfortunately, most modern food production methods, remove, or destroy almost all the vital healthy components these foods contain. They then have artificial or low quality fillers, extenders and additives, such as artificial food conditioners, flavorings and colorings added to them, to cover up their poor quality and taste, in order to make them saleable. Many processed foods offered for sale, have no real nutritional food value left. They are for the most part harmful to our systems in one way or another, because our bodies have no way to deal with these unnatural added substances. Packaged breakfast cereals, most baked goods, jam’s and other types of spreads, soft drinks or soda, bottled fruit juices, flavored milk, potato chips, confectionery and ice cream all may give a temporary feeling of satisfaction, but soon leave you feeling hungry because they are empty of any nutritional substance or value.

One of the comments I often get, from supposedly intelligent people, if I try and suggest to them that the highly processed foods they and their children are eating is bad for their health is don’t tell me that, I’m enjoying eating this and you’re spoiling it for me. Another comment I also get when talking about healthy foods, with people suffering from cancer or other chronic illnesses is I wish I had known about this, years ago.

If you have ever seen what’s left in a container of ice cream if it’s left to thaw out, you would not want to eat it. Most popular brands of commercial ice cream are just simply chemical concoctions, dressed up in appealing packaging, designed to sell a product, which is totally unfit for human consumption. Real old fashioned wholesome ice cream is a great way to have a relatively inexpensive, refreshing snack or dessert, at the same time as being healthy, if made with raw organic fresh produce, such as real cow’s milk and cream, coconut or other nut milks and creams, free range organic eggs, raw honey or organic maple syrup, nuts, fresh fruit and organic unsweetened swiss bakers chocolate or cocoa powder etc.

The list of what goes into commercial ice creams, soft serve ice cream and many confectionery items, it is frightening. Some of the very common additives are;

Modified corn starch – This is treated with acid to lower its viscosity and give body to ice cream it is very hard to digest and usually contains maltodextrin, which is used in the food industry to hide the presence of MSG.

Sodium benzoate – This deprives cells of oxygen and it can cause a breakdown of the immune system and causes cancer, Parkinson’s disease, Neuro-degenerative diseases and premature aging. It is used as preservative.

Polysorbate 80 – A United Nations report stated that they are developing vaccines to damage fertility as a method of contraception using Polysorbate 80 or tween 80. It is used to resist melting.

Magnesium hydroxide – an inorganic compound used for smoke suppressing and fire retarding, it is also a common ingredient of antacids & laxatives, it interferes with the absorption of folic acid & iron.

Xanthan Gum – can precipitate migraine headaches and skin itchiness.

Potassium Sorbate – is known to be carcinogenic and have broad systemic and toxic effects on organs in animals. Is used as a preservative to inhibit yeast and mold and prolong shelf life.

Mono- and Diglycerides – Basically hydrogenated transfats with alcohol added to make an emulsifying agent that has no nutritional value, but converts good cholesterol into bad, causing oxidized cholesterol with its related problems.

Sodium Phosphate – Studies show that people with high phosphate levels have a higher mortality rate, it causes chronic kidney disease, increased risk of heart disease, accelerated aging and affects the way the body activates vitamin D.

Soybean lecithin – a waste product left after the degumming of crude soy oil, containing solvents and pesticides. Unfermented soy has been linked to digestive distress, immune system failure, PMS, endometriosis, reproductive problems, higher risk of heart disease and cancer and loss of libido.

Carrageenan – even at low doses it has been found to destroy human cells and is linked to various cancers and digestive disorders.

Butyraldehyde – a derivative of butane used in manufacturing of plasticizers, alcohols, solvents and polymers. It smells like almonds and is used as a food flavoring.

Amyl acetate – or banana oil, is a paint and lacquer solvent and used in the preparation of penicillin Used as a flavoring agent.

Diethyl glycol – used in the production of polyester resins and plasticizers and paint solvent Used as a cheap substitute for eggs in ice cream to thicken.

Aldehyde C-17 – An inflammable liquid used in dyes, plastics, rubber and food flavorings.

Piperonal - is a skin irritant, used to kill lice and as a cheap substitute vanilla flavoring.

Ethyl Acetate – is a solvent in coatings and inks, it is used for extraction of fatty materials during food processing. The vapor is known to cause chronic lung, liver and heart damage, it increases formaldehyde toxicity. Used as a substitute pineapple flavor.

A typical artificial strawberry flavor, like the kind found in a Burger King’s, strawberry milk shake, contains the following ingredients:

Amyl acetate, amyl butyrate, amyl valerate, anethol, anisylformate, benzyl acetate, benzyl isobutyrate, butyric acid, cinnamyl butyrate, cinnamylvalerate, cognac essential oil, diacetyl, dipropyl ketone, ethyl acetate, ethyl amyl ketone, ethyl butyrate, ethyl cinnamate, ethyl heptanoate, ethyl heptylate, ethyl lactate, ethyl methylphenylglycidate, ethyl nitrate, ethyl propionate, ethyl valerate, heliotropin, hydroxyphenyl-2-butanone (10 percent solution in alcohol), a-ionone, isobutyl anthranilate, isobutyl butyrate, lemon essential oil, maltol, 4-methylacetophenone, methyl anthranilate, methyl benzoate, methyl cinnamate, methyl heptine carbonate, methyl naphthyl ketone, methyl salicylate, mint essential oil, neroli essential oil, nerolin, nerylisobutyrate, orris butter, phenethyl alcohol, rose, rum ether, g-undecalactone, vanillin, and solvent. But no strawberries for the full story see this website http://www.rense.com/general7/whyy.htm

All live foods or foods in their natural state have a multitude of vitamins, minerals, proteins, complex carbohydrates, enzymes and other organisms, including, good bacteria that are very delicate, but essential for good health, the majority of these are destroyed, or removed during food processing procedures.

Even most of the more expensive processed food items, including organic varieties, also include a cocktail of chemical compounds, which should never be in our food. Large amounts of standard fresh vegetables are grown with fertilizers and other substances that prevent them from reaching their full potential. They are usually picked long before being ripe, so they can be stored for extended periods of time, shipped to their various markets and then artificially ripened just before they are presented for sale. Usually because many fruits and vegetables have not fully developed and ripened naturally, they are incomplete, their seeds are sterile, their flesh often tasteless, as well as lacking or missing many nutrients.

Where possible, it is best to buy produce grown or raised in your area, that is harvested when fully ripe, preferably organic varieties or from farmers markets, where you can talk with the growers. If you use only wholesome, preferably organic or locally grown, or produced natural foods and ingredients, you can satisfy your nutritional needs, with smaller portions of each item and use inexpensive wholesome accompaniments, or side dishes to complete your meals, leaving you feeling satisfied and full for longer, without the need for snacking on junk foods. This will help you to stay healthy and also leave you with some money in your pocket. There are sites on the internet, which can advise which fruits and vegetables in your area, have the least amount of introduced contaminants and which foods should only be eaten in their organic forms, because of the toxins they contain.

The basic list of fruit and vegetables that are best to only buy organic versions of, because of the toxins, mainly pesticides they contain are;

Apples, Capsicum or Sweet Bell Peppers, Celery, Cherries, Grapes, Lettuce, Mushrooms, Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Potatoes, Spinach and Strawberries

The safest, conventionally grown, standard fruits and vegetables to eat, because they have the lowest concentrations of pesticides are;

Asparagus, Aubergine (Eggplant), Avocado, Banana, Broccoli, Cabbage, Frozen Sweet corn, Frozen Peas, Kiwifruit, Mango, Onion, Pineapple

Every Sunday night, I read the local papers and check the internet, for food specials from the different places I do my shopping. I then make up a menu for our coming week’s food, based on the fresh produce available, taking advantage of the specials or sale priced produce I have located. I try to pick the widest assortment of foods possible that are within our budget, foods that contain the different nutrients we need each day, to give us a balanced diet and to provide interesting tasty meals. My eBook The Nutritional Value of Food has the details of the most commonly available foods, to help in choosing which available foods will give you the best nutritional value for your dollar.

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Chapter 1 Our well Stocked Pantry, Budget Style

Our pantry contains the basic food stuff we need to create and complement all our meals. There are no canned goods, plastic bottles of sauces or other condiments, instant mixes or prepackaged foods. Only jars filled with items such as raw honey, unprocessed sea salt, home grown or organic dried herbs & spices, nuts, seeds and grains, cold pressed coconut, palm and olive oils, homemade and cultured condiments such as tomato sauces, hot sauce, fish and oyster sauces, mock soy sauce (we do not use any soy or soy products), bbq sauce, worcestershire sauce, plum sauces, mustards, cultured vegetables, pesto’s and vinegars, home cured corned beef, homemade muesli and pasta etc. About the only processed items we buy are jars of organic olives in mineral water and occasionally a jar of organic anchovies in palm oil, organic dates and raisins, organic unsweetened swiss baker’s chocolate, cocoa powder and baking soda.

Our refrigerator contains only fresh fruits and vegetables, homemade or organic, unsalted butter and cheeses, yoghurt and meats. In our freezer, we have mainly items I have prepared, such as vegetable and nut flours, blanched vegetables, fresh frozen fruits, meats and seafood’s, soups and stocks as well as a verity of homemade meals and desserts, such as stews, casseroles, lasagnas, samosa’s, pies and other baked goods, cheesecakes, fruit crumbles, ice cream etc. We can always, quickly make a low cost nutritious meal or snack for our family, as well as cater for any visitors anytime we need to. All the recipes for the meals I make, and the methods to make the homemade ingredients we use in them, are in the following chapters.

Our condiments, and most of the other food I produce, look and taste similar or much better than the commercial varieties, they also cost much less, as well as being 100% wholesome and healthy, without the added, often toxic compounds included in processed foods. Even fussy eaters, who normally would not eat health foods, we have found have no problem with our foods and can be catered for with little extra expense or fuss.

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Chapter 2 Baby and Infant Foods

Without doubt, the best food for babies is mother’s milk, for at least the first 12 months. Usually, babies are ready to start eating semi-solids, when they can hold their heads up, without assistance, this starts happening from about 4 months old. It is important to introduce solid foods to babies slowly, just a little at a time, and it is a good idea to start introducing foods to them one type at a time and then waiting a few days between different foods, to watch for adverse reactions. It is also necessary to be careful about potential choking hazards. Once your baby seems interested in food, it is time to start making different foods available. Allowing your baby to explore and play with food, makes them interested in trying it, so it is important to make foods look interesting and appetizing.

It is very important to insure babies have a Wholesome Organic Diet (which also includes a nursing Mother’s diet, as many substances and compounds will be passed on in mother’s milk), as unnatural compounds and substances in their foods can retard babies and young children’s physical and mental development. I recommend it is best to use a pressure cooker or steamer to cook all baby foods that are not eaten raw and to warm baby’s milk in a food safe bowl (ceramic, glass or stainless not plastic) placed in another bowl of hot water and warmed to just body temperature, not over heated. Do not use a microwave oven, the reasons for not doing this are in chapter 19 Cooking Methods.

A baby’s digestive system is not fully developed; they do not have the enzymes necessary to break down the types of carbohydrates found in grains, like rice, wheat and other cereals. It is not recommended to feed these types of foods to babies until they have begun to eat full meals, and then to use them only sparingly, as all grains, especially refined grains are turned into simple sugars when eaten, this can lead to a lifelong craving for simple carbohydrates, obesity and other health problems. Many sites on the net and health advisors still recommend feeding babies commercially prepared, processed, substitute milk formulas and baby foods, such as baby rice and other preparations, which contain mainly simple processed carbohydrates and sugars. Their main argument for feeding these processed foods is because they are fortified with the necessary vitamins, minerals and compounds babies need for optimum health. What they are not telling you, is that the compounds used to fortify these foods are chemical imitations of the naturally occurring nutrients that were destroyed during the processing, that sugars, salts, flavoring, coloring and preservatives are also usually added. These foods are not only expensive, but detrimental to babies overall health, not only in the short term, but they contribute to physical and mental development difficulties and future health problems. 1 avocado, 1 banana and 1 organic egg, will provide enough healthy food to last for at least a week, for most babies, especially if they are also being breast fed.