Top Five Nutrients For Your Growing Kids

Figuring out how best to feed your child can be quite a daunting and confusing task; it seems that every week there's a new study proving that your child should eat more of this and cut out that, it's enough to make your head spin.  But have no fear, Peas of Mind is here and we've made an easy to follow list of “must eat” nutrients, how to get them and how to make your kiddos enjoy them.  We’re going to make nurturing your child as easy as Peas of Pie!

Vitamin A is important when it comes to bone and vision growth.  It also helps boost the immune system.  Vitamin A can be found in orange and green veggies (think carrots, butternut squash, cantaloupe and sweet potatoes).  If your child is a picky eater, load her plate with Carrot Veggie Wedgies and know that she’s getting 70% of her Vitamin A.

Vitamin C is like a band-aide for your insides. It helps repair bones, red blood cells and tissue.  It also keeps the immune system up, reduces bruising and is good for growing gums, not to mention that it can help the body absorb iron (ie: lemon on your leafy greens or orange juice with dinner).  Vitamin C can be found in fruit  (think oranges, kiwis, strawberries) as well as green veggies like broccoli.  If your child has a hard time with the above-mentioned produce, cook up some Broccoli Veggie Wedgies and know that your kiddo is getting 35% of his daily Vitamin C needs!

Fat. Yes you heard that right you want your kids to get their daily dose of fat, or to be more specific, Essential Fatty Acids.  EFAs are very important for growing kids as they are vital for healthy brain function; not to mention that they strengthen the cardiovascular system, regulate the nervous system and help the body absorb nutrients.  Healthy Fats can be found in flax seed oil, fish, olive oil, eggs and tofu.  If your child turns up her nose at tofu sneak some into her dinner with our Garden Grown Nuggets which contain tofu AND olive oil.

Calcium not only helps build strong bones and teeth it also assists with healthy muscle and nerve function as well as supports the body convert food into energy. Calcium can be found in the following foods: leafy greens, hummus (with tahini in the ingredients), cheese and yogurt.  Ensure your child gets calcium in his after school snack by preparing some Pizza Pull-a-Parts, not only will they get a good dose of calcium you’ll also be fueling them with Vitamin A and Iron.

The Iron in Popeye’s canned spinach is what made him the muscled super hero that saved Olive Oyl, episode after episode.  Popeye was as fit as a fiddle because Iron makes hemoglobin and myoglobin which carry’s and stores oxygen in the blood.  Not to mention the fact that Iron supports brain development in growing kids. Pack your kids with Iron by feeding them spinach and other leafy greens, tofu, beans, salmon and seeds.  Make sure that you pair the above foods with vitamin C to ensure absorption.   If you’re dealing with a picky eater, pop a Peas of Pie in the oven and know that your child is getting 60% of her daily dose of Iron.

Peas of Pie vs The Competition

After such a great response to last week's comparison post, we wanted an encore! 

Lets see how our pizza stacks up against the competition (store bought frozen pizza and fast food pizza).

Imagine us taking a bow.

Our Brand New Product: A Veggie Pizza That Looks Like Plain Cheese!

Meet Peas of Pie, a cheese pizza made with real carrots, broccoli and cauliflower kneaded right into the dough! See the specks of broccoli?
Although more traditional veggies used on pizza (like mushrooms, canned black olives and onions) are certainly delicious, we chose three of the most nutrient-rich vegetables and hid 1.5 servings of these vegetables inside our pizza crust. And yet, Peas of Pie appears to be just a cheese pizza!

Great for anyone who could stand to eat more veggies, growing kids and adults alike.

Share your thoughts with us the Peas of Mind Facebook page!

Tales of Homemade Pizza

We were recently invited to an extraordinary evening of pizza-making. Hosted by Cooking for Geeks, we were in pursuit of ways to achieve the crispiest pizza crust at home.

Here at Peas, we often make pizza from scratch at home. Making your own pizza is a great way to get kids into the kitchen where they can experiment and create a combination all their own. It makes for a darn fun dinner party as well. Making pizza together is a joyous experience, and its incredibly economical to boot.

Mmmmmm... heirloom tomato.


Producing a crackly crust can be tough to achieve at home, even when using a pizza stone in an oven at the highest temperature setting.

On this particular evening, our insanely curious friend hacked the lock on his home oven so he could effectively bake with the oven in cleaning mode. Yikes!!! At a temperatures nearing 900 degrees at times, one pizza cooked in a mere 45 seconds! Do not try this at home!!!


That gadget in hand is an infrared thermometer. Yes, it says 845 degrees F!



Now that's crrrrispy!


Here's a safer way to imitate this crazy hack.

The "Cast Iron Skillet + Broiler" Method:

Crank your oven to its hottest (approved) setting with a rack in the central position. Heat a cast iron skillet on the stove top, giving it time to get super hot.

2 minutes before you bake, switch the oven to the broiler setting.

When you're pizza is topped and ready to bake, invert the cast iron skillet and slide your raw pizza onto the scorching hot base of the skillet. Carefully (!) transfer the skillet to the oven (now on broil). Keep an eye on that pizza because it will cook faster than imaginable!


What's your spin on homemade pizza? Tips to share?

Thanks for hosting, Jeff!!!

Who's Responsible for Food Safety?

Food Companies Are Placing the Onus for Safety on Consumers

We are especially concerned about food safety here at Peas of Mind because there are so many families, especially those with children, that are suffering from food related allergies. That's why we created our Peas of Mind FDA Food Recall widget that monitors all food recalls that occur and helps parents stay even more proactive in the concerns of potential health hazards. Download for free here: www.peasofmind.com/widget

A good friend of ours who owns Healthy Living in Burlington, VT passed this interesting article along to us. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/15/business/15ingredients.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1242918383-UCOWGykW9KUQ80zMUBUb4w

The article states that the consumer still has to be sure to closely follow cooking directions especially with frozen foods, because even though most frozen meals are already cooked, there is still a "kill step" that should occur once the meal is taken home. (The kill step is when you cook food to a certain degree to kill harmful food borne bacteria.)

Although it's debatable at times to know exactly where to place blame concerning food safety issues, it was very interesting to read this part of the article:

"General Mills, which recalled about five million frozen pizzas in 2007 after an E. coli outbreak, now advises consumers to avoid microwaves and cook only with conventional ovens. "

After some research, I was unable to find any information that would indicate that there would be any reason why cooking in the oven vs. the microwave would make food more safe to eat. In fact, there are sources saying that microwave cooking isn't as bad as we thought, it doesn't deplete vitamin levels as much as previously indicated for example.

So, why is General Mills asking you to bake your pizza in the oven vs. the microwave? Here's my theory... It's all consumer psychology, General Mills knows that the general consumer, once told that they have to put something into the oven is going to have their expectations set to be waiting longer for their meal. This means they'll take more time to be sure that the food is cooked all the way through. If a consumer is putting something into the microwave, they want it to be quick and may consider eating it before it's really fully cooked.

Another quote from the article:
"The problem is particularly acute with frozen foods, in which unwitting consumers who buy these products for their convenience mistakenly think that their cooking is a matter of taste and not safety."

If you have an opinion, let us know!!

Pizza Sandwiches!

We've combined America's favorites!

This bread smells just like pizza! It's super easy, low in fat, and makes for a great substitute when the kids want pizza for the 3rd night in a row. It slices up great and is perfect as sandwich bread. Skip the mayo and try our Spinny Tomato Sauce; it's full of Vitamins K and A for strong bones, smart brains, and healthy immune systems!

Pizza Bread:

• 3/4 cup shredded cheese (cheddar or mozzarella)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup of your favorite pizza sauce (smooth not chuncky)
• 2 Tbl olive oil
• 1 large-sized garlic close, chopped
• 1 tsp fried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano

Preheat over to 375F. In a large bowl combine the cheese, flour, baking powder and baking soda; set aside. In a medium bowl lightly beat the eggs then add pizza sauce, olive oil, garlic, basil, oregano and mix together. Add the sauce mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir only until the dry ingedients are moist. Generously grease a bread pan and pour batter into pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. When finished, turn onto cooling rack.

Spinny Tomato Sauce:

• 1 cup of frozen spinach (or for added protein, grind up 1 Eat Your Greens Puffet instead)
• 1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
• 3 Tbl organic ketchup
• 1/2 tsp salt

Puree all the ingredients using a food processor or blender. When bread is cool; slice bread and spread Spinny Tomato Sauce instead of mayo. Add lettuce, tomato, cheese, and veggie pepperoni. Cut in half, and your kids will love your new Pizza Sandwich creation!