Archive for kids

American Heart Association Takes on Our Drug of Choice

August 31, 2010 · Filed under 411, kids · Tagged , , ,

This picture is a photo of my drug of choice.  I don’t smoke, I don’t drink a lot, I don’t do drugs.  Right now I can say I have the white stuff pretty much under control…but even just the other day as my Daughter celebrated her 4th Birthday I had to fend off the sugar demons.  I don’t know how to have one bite of cake, or one bite of a big pink frosted cup-cake.  I don’t know how to have 1 bite of pasta.  When sugar hits my bloodstream my endorphins kick in.  I feel good.  I get a rush.  I want more.

Now that said I am working hard to learn how to take a bite, or try something “bad for me” without shoveling the whole thing down…but it takes great control, great thought, and I have to live with addiction in a world where my drug of choice is abundant and available at all times.

So yesterday was “Back to School” in this neck of the woods, but My Son is actually not back to school, instead he is home sick:(  The whole deal, fever, trip to the hospital…never fun.  But it has made me think as they “Push fluids” and I watch one Gatorade, Sunny D, ginger ale, popsicle, slurpee after another hit his lips. ( I don’t care, he is sick.)  Yet it leaves you thinking how crazy it is that some kids eat/drink like this all day every day, and we as a Country wonder why we are so unhealthy. 

I was at a friends house just the other day and her Son had 2 cokes, and I have no idea how many glasses of fruit punch before dinner, and then she was bummed he didn’t want to eat:(  I don’t know, it seems so obvious to me, but I understand saying NO, is no fun. 

The AHA, American Heart Association released new guidelines (last year) for how much sugar they NOW feel it is safe for us to consume.  Guess what?  They cut it in half.  That’s right, it seems that the medical field is now directly correlating sugar consumption to our health (we already knew, right?).

I warn you, reading this will make your job as a Mom, and a healthy eater, even harder, but I am pretty sure no one ever said being a Mom is easy, and I am pretty sure if you want to look good and feel good as a human being, that takes some work too.

Educate yourself, feed your soul, and teach those babies how to eat right so they can lead long, healthy, productive lives without being plagued by unnecessary illness. (Again, this does not just mean being fat)  There are plenty of thin, or too thin, kids out there running on empty.

PS…Guess where the most sugar we consume comes from?  Yes, the before mentioned sugar-sweetened drinks!

Remember we are talking about ADDED Sugar, not the sugar in an orange or an apple.

-Women should consume no more than 100 calories, and men no more than 150 calories, of added sugar. These numbers average out to about 6 to 9 teaspoons, or 25 to 37.5 grams, of sugar a day.

(-1 12 ounce can of soda has 130 calories, 8 TEASPOONS of sugar, zero nutrients.  So 1 regular soda and women are over their daily limit and men are done.)

- Children ages 4-8 with a daily caloric intake of 1,600 calories should consume no more than 130 calories, or about 3 teaspoons a day.*********

- Pre-teen and teen years, and caloric range increases to 1,800 to 2,000 a day, the maximum amount of added sugar included in his daily diet should be 5 to 8 teaspoons.  (NOW THEY CAN HAVE A CAN OF SODA every day, but nothing else.)

They also claim that most 4-8 year olds in this country already consume 21 teaspoons of ADDED sugar a day & TIMES WHAT IS RECOMMENDED!!!!!

Foods your kids may eat now…just to give you an idea.

-1 whole Gogurt (2 1/2 servings in one Gogurt by the way) 25g sugar or 5.3 Teaspoons

-Horizon Organic, Chocolate Reduced Fat Milk Box 27g Sugar or 5.7 Teaspoons

-Honey Bunches of Oats (healthy but still kind of fun, right?) 14g sugar or 3 Teaspoons in 2/3rd Cup

-The apple juice box at McDonalds has 22g Sugar or 4.6 Teaspoons

I will post another one tomorrow on how to figure out how much ADDED sugar is in your foods, and how I tackle the sugary drink battle in our home.

Meanwhile, look for those snacks that are yummy, and healthy, all on their own!

Leave a comment »

Peanut Butter Noodles

June 8, 2010 · Filed under Chicken, Recipes, Trader Joe's, kids · Tagged , ,

From the Trader Joe’s Cookbook

PB Moodoos! (Peanut Butter Noodles)

Posted in Eating In
10/08/09

“Here are my ingredients.  I usually just use cucumber and carrots but I saw broccoli slaw today and decided to change it up a little bit.

IMG_0650

2. Cook the noodles, grill the chicken breast ( I dont put salt or pepper on it since the sauce is salty already), cut the cucumber into discs and then sliver, cut the green onion.

3. The SAUCE –

1/4 cups of peanut butter (I like unsalted TJ’s peanut butter)

1/4 cups Trader Joes soyaki ( the island version works too)

1/4 cups water

2 teaspoons of sesame oil

whisk together!

4.  Put the noodles in a bowl, chicken, cucumbers, carrots, sesame seeds and the sauce on top!”

photo

 

Thanks Christina for sharing that!  I didn’t have all the fresh veggies and I went more a Hot Thai dish route, but it was yummy and gobbled up by all!

I made the sauce in the bowl, tinkered with it a bit til the taste was where I liked it, (added a splash of soy milk, a bit more PB and a splash of soy)

(I also poured a little of the sauce over the raw chicken pieces before cooking.)

Strained the noodles and threw them into the sauce bowl hot and all, got all the noodles covered in sauce and then placed the coated noodles in a pretty serving bowl and added the chicken on top with some green onion.

 

So as you can see a cold/veggie/summer salad version and a warm, Thai dish all in one!  The adults all added red pepper flakes to ours for the full HOT & SPICY deal!

Comments (2) »

Cookies.

June 2, 2010 · Filed under Baked Goods, kids · Tagged , ,

I don’t bake, honestly because between the dough and the hot baked goods I would weigh 400 lbs!  But there are so many “clean and healthy” versions of old favorites out there that I started keeping recipes I would like to try.  Then my friend Amy emailed me asking for tips on how to satisfy her sweet tooth.  Eating healthy is not Amy’s problem, that she has always done pretty well…but the sweets call her name and she loves to bake!

So I asked Amy to start testing some of these recipes and to let us know when she finds a good one!

This recipe came from my friend Jennifer and has been stamped “Approved” by Amy!

Clean Eating Chocolate Spiked Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

Two cookies=200 calories/5g of protein/4g of fiber

Amy’s actual feedback:

“So I made the cookies, and while the recipe doesn’t make a lot and I did share them-  they were good they lasted two days.  The recipe was pretty easy and except for the flax meal, I had everything.  The dough was good (I know, I know salmonella) but that is part of the fun of baking cookies.  They were of course best straight from the oven, but I saved two for Betsy and a friend for after school and they stopped playing at the park to eat the cookies and two almost 5 year-olds gave them a definite thumbs up.  I thought they might be dry the next day, but my mom sampled them (and kids) and they were still very good.  I think next time I will try putting some dried cranberries in there too.   I won’t say they will replace regular old chocolate chip cookies all the time, but they most definitely could satisfy my cravings, and of course being that they are “cleaner” it’s better. ”

Leave a comment »

Kid Tip: The “No Thank You Bite”

May 20, 2010 · Filed under Advice from the Experts, Kid Tip, kids · Tagged , , , ,

This post is to address the age-long question, “How do I get my kids to eat?”

I believe all parents have two goals in common when it comes to our kids and food:

1) You want your kids to eat what you cook?

2) You want your kids to try new foods.

I have the solution for both!  You need to sit down as a family, not at meal time, but find a different space and time, and explain to your kids that you will be introducing a new rule that applies to the WHOLE family.

Explain that beginning at your next meal you will all be practicing the “No Thank You Bite” rule.  What this means is that no matter what is served to eat, every person at the table has to take at least one bite, this is their “No Thank You Bite”.  If after that bite they do not want to eat any more of that dish they simply can say “No Thank You”.

My Sister is the Director of a Childcare Center, she taught me this practice and it has works like a charm!  No matter what I serve the kids have to taste one bit, then they can say “No Thank You.” 

Making it Work

1)  Hold up your end of the bargain, even if it is a food you know they like, or have eaten in the past-once they say “No Thank you”, they are done.

2) Do not remove the food they have said “No Thank You” to from their plates, explain that they need to leave the food on their plate, but they do not have to eat any more. (You are not a waitress who is going to start busing plates before you have eaten, and who knows, they might decide on their own to try another taste).

 3)  Enforce the rule even when you cook for friends and family, eat at a friends house, or in a restaurant.  I always state the rule, and remind MY KIDS that they will be trying everything.  I find more often than not the other Moms go along with it, but if they don’t (which is their right) just explain to your kids that every family has different rules, this is your rule, and they need to try a bite.

4)  When your kids say “I am not eating that” or “Yuck” (always embarrassing when a friend has cooked your kids dinner) simply say, “That is fine, and after your “No Thank You Bite” you don’t have to eat it, but you are going to try it!(smile smile)”

We all know kids’ taste-buds change rapidly, as does their tolerance for different flavors, textures and temperatures.  But the one thing that has been proven OVER AND OVER is it can take a child up to 16 exposures to a certain food before they decide they like it!  Can you imagine if you throw in the towel after one or two tries…you have REMOVED an entire food or food group from their diet.  Instead experts tell us to just keep serving those veggies, fruits, & healthy proteins and odds are after enough “No Thank You Bites” your kids will like the food.  In our house tomatoes, pickles, milk, eggs, green beans, hummus, and peanut butter are just a few of the foods my kids LOVE and guess what, they were all “No Thank You Bite” items at one time or another.

If you are consistent and the rule NEVER fluctuates you won’t run into any problems.

I tell you that Quinoa (Keen-Wa) in this photo (the one Ellie helped herself to yesterday) got me two little noses in the air, and lots of GROSS and YUCKS!  But guess what, it tastes so good that right after their “No Thank You Bites” they both smiled and asked for more!

Leave a comment »

“Quinoa Mamma!”

May 19, 2010 · Filed under 411, kids · Tagged

Could I be any prouder?

I was actually just typing a post on how to get your kids to try new foods (coming later) when my Daughter 3 1/2, walked into the office holding a container of Quinoa (keen-wa).  She had pulled a chair over the fridge and of all the food in there went for the Quinoa I picked up at the co-op last night.

She said, “Quinoa Mamma!”

I am going to take a break and go eat Quinoa with Ellie!

Comments (2) »

Perfect Transition to Summer

May 13, 2010 · Filed under Chicken, Recipes, kids · Tagged , ,

If you are looking for the perfect “The Sun’s Out” recipe, but are not quite ready to give up a little of the warmth I have the recipe for you!  

This is also a VERY kid friendly recipe, not only for eating, but for HELPING!  Measure out the spices, and put them in different little dishes.  Then dice up the veggies and put in different bowls, same with chicken and raisins.   

As the dish comes together let your kids take turns dumping in the ingredients!  My Daughter took off with the raisins, so keep an eye on those! LOL!  

Remember the chicken is already cooked, so make it the day before, or use leftovers from another recipe, like the chicken you make on Sunday nights!  

Chicken Picadillo by Tosca Reno is DELICIOUS!  My kids inhaled it and maybe part of that was they helped me make it!  I will say I had skipped over this one a few times because it has raisins in it.  Now I LOVE raisins, but in a chicken dish with spices like cumin????  But I was WRONG!  Please don’t let the raisins scare you, and use them…they add a little somethin’ somethin’!  

Chicken Picadillo

by Tosca Reno (makes 8, 1 cup servings)

Voila! Dinner is served!

 

Ingredients:  

  • 4 T olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 1/2 t chili powder
  • 2 cups tomatoes or can of diced tomatoes
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 t cumin
  • 1 t dried oregano
  • 1 t salt
  • 2 chicken breasts cooked, diced up
  • 1/2 c raisins
  • Pinch of pepper
  • 1 bunch of green onion for garnish
  • Fresh cilantro for garnish

Directions:  

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and add onion and pepper. Cook until onion is soft for 5 minutes.  

2. Add chili powder, tomatoes, garlic, cumin, oregano and salt. Cook for several minutes until mix becomes fragrant.  

3. Add chicken and raisins. Heat for 10 minutes and season with salt and pepper.  

4. Serve over rice or beans. Garnish with cilantro and green onions.  

I served mine over a bunch of mixed greens and added lots of hot sauce because I like my food HOT HOT!  Michael and the kids ate theirs over brown rice, everyone wanted 2nd’s and given the calories per 1 cup, we all could have a HUGE amount and still be in a healthy range for dinner.  

The 411 on Chicken Picadillo: Calories 151/ Protein 8g/ Fat 8g/ Fiber 2g/ Sodium 237mg  

Comments (1) »

Family Style.

April 27, 2010 · Filed under 411, Kid Tip, Red Meat, Veggies, kids, side dishes · Tagged , , , ,

Eating family style has so many benefits.  First, and foremost, your kids want to be like you.  If they see you heaping loads of fresh, yummy veggies onto your plate, they will want to do the same (maybe not at first, but trust me-it will come).  Secondly, I think kids can get immediately turned off by thinking they HAVE to eat something simply because it is on their plate.  On the other hand if I serve fruit and veggies on a platter in the middle of the table it takes the immediate “I’m not eating that” out of the equation, and instead the kids become curious as to what is for dinner.

Even if I make a meal that maybe does not lend to being served “Family Style” I try to find a way to present it that way.

Other benefits:

  • Teaches your children fine motor skills as they pass bowls, use tongs and other serving pieces
  • Teaches manners as they say “please” and “thank you”
  • Teaches sharing and the concept of taking turns
  • Slows down eating for the whole family
  • Lends to the “art of conversation”, as food is passed and people settle in there is time to talk (learning to wait your turn to talk, not interrupting)
  • Teaches children social skills and the etiquette of eating in a group setting (patience, waiting while everyone gets food on their plates)
  • People (adults and kids) learn to take what they feel they are hungry for, and learn to gauge how much food they need on their plates
  • People also tend to take less as they want to be sure there is enough for everyone at the table

If your family is not eating at least one meal per day together reevaluate.  Study after study has shown that kids who eat dinner with their families

  1. Are better adjusted
  2. Perform better academically
  3. Have improved nutrition, and overall healthier eating habits
  4. Communicate more openly

Putting it all together:

Dinner a few nights ago was the Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce and Grilled Asparagus with Lemon and Garlic

After the asparagus were marinated for a bit I took the marinade and tossed some chopped tomatoes and cucumbers in it.  I then layed those veggies over a bed of lettuce and gently tossed it with my hands.  That acted as a bit of dressing for the greens, adding very few calories, but lots of flavor.  The sliced steak and grilled asparagus were then put on the bed of greens, and a dinner I could have served separately on each plate was served Family Style!  Perfect!

Another evening our main course was taking a bit longer that I had anticipated.  I served the fruit and veggies for that evening as an appetizer, and the kids gobbled it down.  Presentation is so important when trying to teach your kids to like fruit and veggies.

Comments (1) »

Magical Breakfast Blaster

April 19, 2010 · Filed under Breakfast, Shake It Up!!!, kids · Tagged , , ,

Reposting per a discussion I had today.  Really, I know many Mom’s reading this blog can tell you NO ONE in your home will complain when you make this for breakfast!  And you will love rinsing the blender out and being all done with meal one!  Add a healthy piece of toast like (Mack’s Flax-buy it at Costco and freeze it, remember real food will go bad), with some peanut butter and you have served a pretty well-rounded, healthy breakfast..with little effort. 

 At our house we set the alarm so we are downstairs early enough to all eat breakfast together and chat about the day ahead !  NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Seriously, mornings are chaos at our house.  Ideally the kids have oatmeal, high-fiber cereal with fresh fruit or yogurt, or maybe eggs and toast.  But MOST mornings we are on the run so the cereal gets inhaled, or breakfast barely gets finished and we throw fruit or a snack bar at them in the car. 

Doctor Oz shared the shake he and his wife serve their kids for breakfast and it looked like a winner.  Sure enough both kids SUCKED it down! 

So blend it up and throw it in some to-go cups if you feel like the kids didn’t get enough to eat!  Check out the protein, they will be ready to hit the books FOR SURE! 

The Magical Breakfast Blaster

Magical Breakfast Blaster

 

Ingredients

Makes 2 servings so double for 4 ppl 

1/2 large ripe banana, broken into chunks (or other fruit of your choice)
1 scoop (1/3 cup) Soy Protein (like Nature’s Plus Spiru-Tein)
1/2 tablespoon flaxseed oil
1/4 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 tablespoon apple juice concentrate or honey
1 teaspoon psyllium seed husks
8 ounces water 

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Optional: Add a few cubes of ice, as well as powdered vitamins. Cover; blend until fairly smooth. 

PS.: Don’t forget to the MAGICAL, that part is VERY important! 

The 411 on Magical Breakfast Blaster: | 136 calories per serving/Healthy fats: 2.4g/Fiber: 6.3/Protein: 29g

Leave a comment »

Yummy Peanut Butter,Yucky Peanut Butter!

March 1, 2010 · Filed under 411, Costco, Organics, Products I can't live without, kids · Tagged ,

 

 Organic Creamy Peanut Butter

2 Tbsp

(Costco Kirkland Brand)

   Regular Creamy Peanut Butter

2 Tbsp

(Jif Brand)
Calories 200 Calories 200
Protein 9 grams Protein 7 grams
Total Fat 16 grams Total Fat 16 grams
Saturated Fat 3 grams Saturated Fat 3 grams
Trans Fat 0 grams Trans Fat 0 grams (umm, not really see below)
Cholesterol 0 mg Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 45 mg Sodium 150mg
Total Carbs 7 g Total Carbs 7g
Dietary Fiber 2 grams Dietary Fiber 2 grams
Sugars 2 grams Sugars 3 grams
   
   
IngredientsDry roasted organic peanuts and salt. IngredientsMADE FROM ROASTED PEANUTS AND SUGAR. CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: MOLASSES, FULLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS (RAPESEED AND SOYBEAN), MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, SALT.
   

 

Ounce for Ounce these 2 Peanut Butters look pretty similar?  Yep, that is the kicker.  The only glaring difference is that Jif has 3 times more salt!  But this is America, land of the loopholes.  The 2% or less (per serving, not jar) allows companies to post 0 trans fats as long as there is less than half a gram in a serving.  A serving is two tablespoons. Two percent would be 9 grams of trans fat per 454 gram jar.

Does peanut butter REALLY need to be Organic?  Pesticides and the peanuts: Peanuts are one of the most highly sprayed crops out there.  You decide.  My kids eat so much of the stuff it is a no-brainer for me.

If your peanut butter is SOLID when you put the knife in it has trans fat, that is why an oil that should not be solid is!  Period. 

Tips for dealing with the oil:

The oil in peanuts is monounsaturated, and diets high in this type of fat have been shown to lower levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol while preserving levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol. Peanut oil also contains beta-sitosterol, a plant sterol that studies show can inhibit cancer growth.

Sure, you could dump the oil, but I say keep it! So here is how to have less mess

  • Store the PB upside down before opening it!  The oil will rise to the bottom of the jar and then you can sir it back in with less mess.
  • If you just want to dump it, try dumping half
  • Dump all the oil out mix PB by adding it back in a bit at a time

*I would also like to note my girlfriend told me she didn’t buy organic peanut butter because she has no room in her fridge!  I thought “Oh crud, I have never put it in the fridge!”  I promptly came home and checked and Costco’s Organic PB does not need to be refrigerated!

 

Comments (1) »

Q and A for Tracy!

February 17, 2010 · Filed under 411, Costco, Food, Fruit, Organics, Quick Dinner Ideas, Reference/Books/Help, Trader Joe's, kids · Tagged

My friend Tracy watched Food Inc. a few days ago and I am so impressed!  Instead of burying her head in the sand she is being PROACTIVE!  Go GIRL!

She emailed me some Q & A, so here is my 411!

Do you buy all organic?  

I do not buy all organic.  If I am not sure whether or not something needs to be organic I google it and do some reasearch.  I try to buy organic when it is something my kids consume a lot of.  I also go by the rule of buying organic when the “skin is thin”. 

Go organic: apples, peaches, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, cherries, grapes, pears, nectarines, peppers, celery, potatoes, and carrots

Save your cash: avocados, eggplants, pineapples, bananas, corn, kiwi, mangoes, papaya, sweet peas, oranges, grapefruit, and squash

Go organic: all lettuces and greens such as kale, collards, mustard, swiss chard, and spinach

Save your cash: broccoli, cabbage, asparagus, cauliflower, eggplant, melons, and sweet potatoes 

Go organic: milk, yogurt, and cheese (milk and yogurt I am firm on.  String cheese I also buy organic because my kids eat a lot of it.  I buy regular cheese for sprinkling on chili or a quesadilla because we eat soooo little of it.)

You can also buy a lot of organic berries frozen, and I use those in shakes every day!

Eating organic seems really expensive?

I thought so too at first, but if you pay attention it really isn’t that much more.  Given that eating cleaner also led us to eating at home more, we have saved tons of money (and calories)!  Also when you are conscious of what you are eating you buy foods you know you will eat, verses a lot of stuff I just tossed out in the past.

The one thing you realize very quickly is if you eat IN SEASON you will save money.  I bought two spaghetti squashes at Trader Joe’s the other day for $1.75 each.  They keep forever in a cold, dark place and allow me to feed 4 of us, plus leftovers for about $5 (when I add the pasta sauce and a salad). 

Winter has forced me to explore new foods (squash, leeks, carrots, and lentils) that I use to stay away from.  I love summer.  The farmer markets around here make eating organic, and clean, so EASY! 

We don’t eat a lot of meat and that is what gets pricey if you are buying grass-fed (the GMO Corn is as concerning to me as the hormones and antibiotics (we were not raised with these things) being put into our bodies in the amounts our kids are exposed to.  We feed this to the cattle, but it is also in almost all of our processed foods).

We eat lots of seafood.  Frozen tilapia, and wild Alaskan salmon are pretty inexpensive at Costco.

Join the PCC (or any local co-op).  You are supporting local growers, and your local economy, and you know you are getting good stuff!  It was a $65 fee to join, and I get a coupon for 10% off every month and you also get 5% off every 15th and 16th of the month and a newsletter with great recipes for eating in season.

Also, I view it as an investment.  I would rather spend a bit more up front and keep us all as healthy as possible, than pay downstream in medical bills.

I went to Trader Joe’s today and did pretty good-just paying more attention to labels.

They say to watch the first 3 ingredients, I try to watch the 1st five.  Watch for sugar, corn syrup, high-fructose corn-syrup.  A clean, clear label with words you can pronounce is a GOOD THING!  I think the best book you could read to learn about all of this is Michael Pollan’s, In Defense of Food.  He also has a great explanation (cliff notes if you will) in Food Rules, for why and how to eat healthier.

Good rules to follow (when you can)

No sugar.  

No high fructose corn syrup.  

No trans fats.  (hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated)

No saturated fats.

Nothing enriched.  

Words you don’t know or cannot pronounce. (Mono- dyglicerides for example)

And extra words, like “added”!

Do you cook every night?  If you do, what kind of meals do you make? 

I do.  If we eat out or do take out as a family it is sushi, subway, taco time or Indian food.  Or occasionally we order Zeeks and I get half- no cheese loaded with veggies and sauce (you would be surprised)!  It is just easier for me to know what I am putting in my mouth, and to know where it came from and what has been done to it.

We eat lots of lentils (a million ways to cook these and Trader Joe’s has them pre-cooked so you can just add them to a recipe), chili (vegetarian, or turkey-homemade or bought), salmon, tilapia, shrimp, tofu (don’t knock it til you have tried it), soups, salads (oil and vinegar, or a variation….no more ranch or other sugar and fat dressings), and whole grains. Whole grain pastas, wild rice, brown rice, quinoa, and tabouleh (this one takes 30 minutes and just hot water).  And I do cook chicken, and red meat, just not often, and I do buy it from the PCC or Whole Foods.

The kids love chili night, my tortilla soup, and we make pizzas all the time-their FAV!  It is amazing what kids will put on their pizza if they help put it in the topping bowls, and then we just throw them on the BBQ.  (Whole foods and TJ both sell pizza dough for under $3.00). 

We bought some crab for Valentine’s Day, so tonight was crab cakes, shrimp and a salad – YUMMERS!

What do you send with your kids for lunch?

What is tough about lunches is being creative, and making it fun enough that they don’t harp on wanting all the crud the kid next to them has!  The first day of school this year James came home asking when he could have a gogurt?  So we had a chat about food, verses fun food, verses sugar, chemicals and food coloring masquerading as yogurt.  It is impossible to ask your kids to eat healthy if you do not.  I have found my kids are pretty cool about it because they want to be like Mom and Dad.  Some day that will change, and then I will focus on how those “fun foods” make us feel (tired, lethargic, thristy…so on).

There is no peanut butter allowed at his school so it is turkey cheese, sunbutter, cream cheese and jelly.  The key is the bread, this is where I try to make it as nutritious as possible.  We also do wraps and he likes hummus, turkey,cream cheese, cucumbers.  I do send a juice box, Hansen’s 100% juice (Costco).  I wish he would drink water…but lets be real.  We then send a fruit-seasonal, so right now it is small tangerines, apple slices, or pear slices.  We also send hummus and chips. He loves cucumber slices with lemon pepper on them (so do I)).

The junk food/treat is either stretch island fruit leather, kids cliff bar (Costco), dried mango slices (Costco), or a cookie (they might be organic, or vegan, he doesn’t know nor care).  I look for things that maybe aren’t perfect, but better than the alternative.  Last week the kid next to him got 8 OREOS, a chocolate milk, and some Cheeze-Its for lunch.  I sware, people have lost their minds!

I will post my Costco and Trader Joe’s Grocery lists, the staples that I always pick up.  I still hit Safeway for basics, and their organic brand is pretty good.  I have not been down any of the middle aisles at Safeway in ages.

Comments (2) »

« Previous entries
Next Page »