Some children do not feel hungry in the mornings.
I can see that in my son. He would eat breakfast during the week because he doesn’t want to get hungry before lunch break, but on weekends he wouldn’t eat breakfast until one or two hours after he woke up.
To fill the gap with some nutrients I would occasionally prepare a homemade vanilla milk until he feels ready for breakfast. My son likes vanilla milk, but this recipe can be easily converted into chocolate milk by simply adding cacao powder to the ingredients.
Let’s explore the nutritional value of my vanilla milk compared to a store-bought ready-to-drink vanilla milk.
You can use dairy or non-dairy milk for this recipe. I use cashews for the milk because it is easy to make. Even if you don’t have the latest fancy high-speed blender – cashew milk does not require straining. That means, it is made quickly and the cashew milk isn’t stripped of its fiber and nutrients. Cashews will produce a nice creamy texture and a pleasant, less nutty, sweet taste.
⇒ Cashews
are rich in copper, phosphorus, manganese, magnesium, and zinc.
Copper is an essential component of many enzymes involved in iron utilization, free radical defense, development and elasticity of bone, connective tissue and blood vessels, as well as the production of the skin and hair pigment, called melanin. Inadequate copper intake can lead to many health problems, such as anemia, brain disturbances, joint problems and increased susceptibility to infections.
Magnesium is also a vital mineral to health. By balancing calcium, it helps regulate nerve and muscle tone. With too little magnesium, calcium can access nerve cells uncontrolled and by sending too many messages it can over-activate the nerve cell.
Zinc participates directly in the activity of enzymes. It is important for immune function, skin health, sensory organs and male reproductive health. Acute depletion of zinc can cause loss of the senses of taste and appetite.
⇒ Dates
have powerful healing properties. Besides containing nutrients like iron, fiber, vitamin A, potassium, and B-vitamins, research shows how incredible health benefits dates have to offer by providing information which induces biochemical interactions. These benefits can’t be simply listed like minerals and vitamins.
⇒ Egg Yolk
contains the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Healthy omega 3 for brain health and the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin essential for vision. Folate, choline, and B12 are very well known for their important role in brain development and a healthy nervous system. According to Ph.D. Chris Masterjohn, eating egg yolks may even be an ideal way to resolve common nutrient deficiencies, including vitamins A, E, and B6, copper, calcium, and folate.
⇒ Vanilla beans
contain antioxidants, which are known to prevent cell and tissue breakdown, stimulate the body’s natural regrowth and eliminate free radicals. Vanilla isn’t just an aroma, it actually enhances immune health, decreases stress and supports faster recovery. You don’t get these benefits from artificial aromas or flavors.
⇒ Cacao powder
is rich in antioxidants, calcium, fiber and many more phytochemicals that have incredible health benefits throughout the body. Studies have shown that dark chocolate affects our emotions, mood and brain function by raising serotonin levels, a neurotransmitter which is known to influence mood, social behavior, and many other mental processes.
Let’s have a look at the ingredients of a popular, store-bought vanilla milk for children.
Nesquik Vanilla Ready-to-drink beverage ingredients:
LOWFAT MILK WITH VITAMIN A PALMITATE AND VITAMIN D3 ADDED, SUGAR, AND LESS THAN 2% OF MODIFIED CORN STARCH, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, CALCIUM CARBONATE, CELLULOSE GEL, POTASSIUM CITRATE, GELLAN GUM, CELLULOSE GUM, CARRAGEENAN.
Fortified milk often contains synthetic forms of vitamins. Vitamin A palmitate is a synthetic version of the essential nutrient vitamin A.
“In virtually every study on vitamin A toxicity, it is isolated, synthetic supplements that are associated with adverse effects, not foods….”
You can read more about it here: http://naturalsociety.com/why-synthetic-vitamins-should-b…/…
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These synthetic vitamins often come attached to other chemicals. vitamin A palmitate in a carrier can consist of a combination of any of the following: corn oil, water, polysorbate 80, propylene glycol and glycerol monooleate.
Refined sugar might be GMO and is stripped of its minerals, causing depletion of your body’s own minerals in order to get synthesized and eliminated. The label of a 14 oz bottle shows 22g of sugar, but don’t get fooled by serving sizes. The 14oz bottle is supposed to be 2 servings which ups the sugar content to a total of 44g.
Corn starch is GMO if not labeled as organic and might cause blood sugar imbalances due to its fast conversion into glucose.
The term “natural” isn’t regulated. Natural flavor doesn’t really tell you what it is and how it is made. Artificial vanillin is made either from guaiacol or lignin.
Guaiacol is a fragrant liquid obtained by distilling wood-tar creosote or guaiac (resin from the guaiacum tree)
Lignin is a class of complex polymers that give woody plants their structure.
Calcium carbonate is a mineral naturally derived from the earth’s limestone, marble or sedimentation of crushed marine shells.
It is used by the food industry to control acidity, as a white food colour, firming agent, nutrient for yeast or an additional calcium source. Due to the acidity-lowering effect calcium carbonate might decrease stomach acid and thus lead to digestive upset, constipation, and gas. Too much calcium or impaired calcium metabolism can cause calcification of soft tissue.
Cellulose is an indigestible carbohydrate. It has no caloric value. For this reason, cellulose has become a popular bulking agent in foods. The gelling action of cellulose, when combined with water, provides both thickening and stabilizing qualities. The fact that this product contains both cellulose gel and gum (AND Gellan Gum and Carrageenan), makes me wonder if it is split into multiple ingredients to simply keep the “bulking agents” visually lower in the list even though it is an ingredient of a higher amount.
Potassium Citrate is used to regulate acidity (ph) in a product.
Gellan Gum is a food additive produced by bacterial fermentation. It adds creaminess and might be a good vegan alternative to gelatine, but it also might alter our own bacterial intestinal health and cause digestive disturbances.
Carrageenan is made from red algae and used as a thickener. The history of carrageenan is quite controversial because its inflammatory potential and the fact to create gastrointestinal issues.
If you have made it so far through this post it will be clear why to stick with natural whole foods!
No question, the convenience of processed foods are very tempting, but taking a look at the ingredients will help to understand that convenience in regards to foods often is not worth the health issues.
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