Here are some comments I received when I posted this on my Facebook page:
- "I saw that, disgusting, huh?? We banished all nuggets
- "OMGoodness...I'm going to be sick!! Any suggestions on what to feed Zack? He'a a picky eater with nut allergies and I've been giving him Mickey Mouse nuggets fro Costco with whole grain breading...thought they were decent..YIKES!!"
- Food Prude's Reply: "we usually make breaded chicken tenders at home, but for those nights
that you really need a quick dinner, try Ian's frozen Organic Nuggets http://www.iansnaturalfood
s.com/why_ians.html
Or Applegate Farms Organic Nuggets http://www.applegatefarms.com/Products/ProductDetail .aspx?id=402
They both claim to use NO byproducts, only pure white meat from organic chickens. They can be found at Sprouts, Market Street and Whole Foods. Occasionally you can find Ian's at Target. I know they are not as cheap as buying in bulk at Costco, but they are really good and make a great last minute meal.
I know he's a little young, but you might try getting Zach involved in making your own breaded chicken tenders. Kate loves to help dip them in the wet mixture and then the dry breading mixture and putting them on the cookie sheet. My kids are more likely to eat it if they helped make it, I guess it's fun to them. I hope that helps,
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I make a big batch of chicken one day a week. They freeze well and reheating is similar to what you'd do with the store brands we use to buy.
ReplyDeleteIt's easy to make little children squeamish. I'd like to know more about the additives and the resulting nutritional benefits or downside.
ReplyDeleteOne man’s by-product is another’s beloved chitlins or exalted haggis. (Blood sausage, tripe soup, or kidney pie, anyone?) Hehe.
ReplyDeleteI really couldn't find much information about chicken byproducts in human food, and I don't think it's because it's a non issue, but more so because it's a hushed issue. The FDA doesn't require manufacturers like Tyson to tell us if there are by products in their nuggets, and they certainly aren't going to volunteer that information. So, what I did find was information on byproducts in pet food:
"[Poultry by-product meal] consists of the dry, ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcass of slaughtered chicken, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, and intestines — exclusive of feathers except in such amounts as might occur unavoidably in good processing practices."
"Some people prefer to pass up animal by-products, which are proteins that have not been heat processed (unrendered) and may contain heads, feet, viscera and other animal parts not particularly appetizing. But protein quality of by-products sometimes is better than that from muscle meat, says Burkholder (CVM's pet food specialist, William Burkholder, D.V.M., Ph.D.)."
Obviously it's up to you whether you want to trust the mystery nuggets, or go with ones that purposely do NOT use by products. OR, just don't eat nuggets. The food prudes in my house eat the expensive ones that I trust, or a real chicken breast.
One more thing. I agree that it is easy to make kids squimish, which makes it even easier to teach them to choose healthy and nutritionally valuable foods to put into their bodies. Millions of children have been taught to eat what they are given without question, but I disagree with that theory. I think our children should be taught to question everything - and for good reason - not out of disrespect to the person 'feeding' them, but out of respect for themselves and genuine concern for the food, drugs, education, etc. that they are being 'fed'. But that's a whole 'nother soap box....
ReplyDeleteThat's a good Soap Box too Cassidy... I agree....I want my kiddos to be inquisitive and ask questions etc...it's my job to train them how to do that respectfully. :)
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