Health

So moms are all about eating healthy right? Also, throw in that we have hardly no time during the day for lunch, so we need a quick meal! The only draw back though with quick meals is you usually have to go with a frozen meal. In those frozen meals, well let’s just say we really do not know what all goes in them.

I was so excited to hear the news that Healthy Choice is coming out with the new Healthy Choice Steam Entrees. Since you will be steam-cooking these meals, these particular meals are made with fewer and more identifiable ingredients. The vegetables are frozen at the peak of freshness and each meal is packed with generous cuts of white-meat chicken and even shrimp.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with taste so I just decided to jump right in and try a Steaming Entree. The fast preparedness of it all, is what amazed this busy mom.

Take the meal out of the package place in the microwave. Yes, it is that easy!

Take it out of the microwave and tada… we have a fresh and delicious lunch.

Now, the real truth comes out. Would it taste good?

I was actually amazed at the quality. It was delicious and you were actually tasting real quality food. It didn’t taste like a frozen meal. For some reason, I am not a fan of frozen meals because there is an aftertaste with the meal. I did not get that with the steaming meals. The only negative I can say about the meals, is to make sure you put a paper towel under the meal when you place it in the microwave. As I was taking the meal out when it was done, I noticed the meal had leaked out onto the microwave. Other than that, One Moms World gives the steaming entrees two thumbs up!

Healthy Choice has 8 different flavors to choose from such as Rosemary Chicken & Sweet Potatoes, Garlic Herb Shrimp and Portabella Parmesan Risotto. If you would like to try one of the steaming entrees, Healthy Choice has a coupon on their site to save $1 off of two entrees. Make sure to “Like” Healthy choice if you would like to stay up-to-date on all their healthy meals.

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Healthy Choice  and received samples of their new steaming entrées to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central also sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

As stated earlier in the week, I went on a Modern Egg Tour last week in Florida. I was invited by the United Egg Producers to attend along with other bloggers including Lauren from Mom Central.

Gene Gregory, President of the United Egg Producers, greeted us that evening when we arrived at the reception.

He informed us up front the tour was no sales pitch, it was a tour to get the real inside information. I can honestly say, that the tour was absolutely about factual information. The UEP did not try to persuade us in either direction. We walked away from the tour with a well-rounded informational load.

To say  the tour was a very eye opening is an understatement. I learned so much about egg farms and realized what type of eggs I will be buying in the future for my own family. I am going to split the coverage in two posts. This first post will be all about Modern Cage Egg Farms.

In the modern cage egg farms, there are four to six hens per cage. Each cage has roughly about 67 to 72 square inches of space. Then hens are allowed 24 hour access to food and water. I was just amazed at how clean the cages were and the hens were! The hens are protected from predators so that is one big positive in my eyes. The hen does not have to worry about going to sleep at night and wonder if a predator will attack them. Listen in on the video how they are protected.

Please take a moment to watch the insider video I have created. It is only 6 minutes long, but there are so many aspects of egg farming that is really so intriguing and will make you go really?

So why would one choose Modern Cage Eggs?

Studies state the facts.

• Hens raised in cage systems typically have fewer diseases and require less medication, only receiving drugs for therapeutic reasons.
• UEP Certified standards provide sufficient cage space requirements for each hen. These science-based standards have significantly increased the amount of space provided to each hen.
• Modern cage systems allow for daily inspection and monitoring of hens for illnesses and quick treatment. Modern cage systems provide for better overall bird health and welfare.
• Modern cage systems allow hens to stand comfortably, turn around, lie down, groom and stretch their wings. Hens protected in these modern housing systems tend to have fewer diseased and lower mortality rates.
• Eggs from modern cage production are considerably less expenisive than non-cage eggs.
• Modern cage systems allow for cleaner, safer eggs and provide a more stable supply to meet consumer demand.
• Modern cage systems provide hens with protection from soil and litter borne diseases, resulting in fewer health problems. Cages allow for immediate removal of feces, preventing exposure to parasites.
• Research shows that hens in modern cages do not have any greater levels of stress than free range hens.
• Research shows that eggs from modern cage systems have lower shell bacteria levels than eggs from cage-free or free range systems.

Are you worried about antibiotics and hormones in the eggs?

The Director of Food Safety in Florida was able to tell the specific date when antibiotics were last given to the chickens in the whole state of Florida. It was 2.5 years ago on a small outbreak of salmonella. A small group of chickens were given antibiotics for 7 days and their eggs were not used during that time in production. That is the last time in the whole state of Florida. The date is so far back meaning several years for Georgia and SC that the date was not available. All that worry that people put in our minds about antibiotics and hormones. The farmer said it best, if you take care of your chickens and treat them right, then antibiotics do not need to be used. Growth hormones do not need to be used as well as the chickens grown on a successful track.

Coming up next week… an insider look into a Caged Free Egg Farm!