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Spicy Mom Tip
Think Outside the Bread Box
Nearly six months into the school year, there’s a good chance your kids are getting bored with the same lunch box containing the same PB&J sandwich every day. While you could attempt a major lunch overhaul, I’ve found that just switching up the bread—while keeping the same protein-packed peanut butter with fruit spread—is all that’s needed to bring pizzazz back to lunch. Avoid bread boredom with these alternatives that will keep your kids from trading or trashing their lunch.
Whole grain hamburger buns–Use their favorite sandwich fillings on buns instead. Look for whole wheat or whole grain buns that average around 100 calories with 4g fiber.
Corn tortillas–Wrap a tortilla around a stick of string cheese, lettuce and tomato; pack two wrap-ups for older kids. Each tortilla has 50 calories, 1g fiber, 0 mg sodium.
Whole wheat pita bread–Stuff with egg salad mixed with Greek yogurt and seasoned with curry powder; add a few raisins or dried cranberries for sweetness. Half of a pita round has 90 calories, 1g fiber, 180 mg sodium;
Multigrain flat bread–This wrap bread can hold a whole bunch of veggies to jazz up roasted turkey or tuna salad. Flatout® brand Multigrain Wraps each have 100 calories, 8g fiber, 380 mg sodium.
Winter Fruit Winners
During these cold and dreary months, the color, smell and taste of oranges often give me a mini mood lift (maybe because I’m thinking about the warmer places where they grow). For additional “edible” rays of sunshine, check out these seasonal gems:
Clementine: A smaller version of a mandarin orange, these cuties are rich in antioxidants and are great for kids (small, portable and no seeds!) Eat on the go, toss into salads, add to chicken/shrimp stir-fry or pair with dark chocolate pieces for dessert.
Kiwifruit: Did you know kiwifruit have more potassium than a banana and more vitamin C than an orange? Great in smoothies, fruit salad, or on their own, kiwifruit are also terrific meat tenderizers!
Kumquat: About the size of a large grape tomato, these bright orange goodies are eaten whole – skin and all. The trick is to keep chewing so the tart tasting pulp doesn’t overpower the sweet flavored skin. Fun for adventurous kids!
Persimmon: Rich in vitamin A, C and fiber, Fuyu persimmons look like orange tomatoes and can be consumed when still firm. Hachiya are smaller and turn soft when ready to eat (otherwise they are too tart.) Enjoy as a whole fruit or cut and wrap with thin slices of prosciutto for a tasty snack.
Pink or Red Grapefruit: Both the pink and red pulp of this fruit contains lycopene, important for heart health. For a kid friendly treat, section and top with honey or brown sugar then broil for 5 minutes.
Click for Baby Feeding Basics
The other day in my kitchen, I was pleased to be serving thin, watery, rice gruel. Generally, gruel isn’t very exciting but as baby’s first solid food, rice cereal is probably one of the most photographed foods in America! When most moms begin spoon-feeding their babies around age six months, they start with a single-grain cereal. Introducing new foods after cereal gets a bit trickier.
Now on my third baby, I still need a refresher on when and which foods to start. There are many resources and some are better than others. As a dietitian and mom, here are two “clicks” that I’ve found helpful:
The Mayo Clinic website:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-baby/PR00029
Best advice: “Enjoy your baby's sloppy tray, gooey hands and sticky face. You're building the foundation for a lifetime of healthy eating.”
Don’t stress about: “Once your baby masters cereal, gradually introduce pureed meat.” I say wait until 9 months to introduce meats to baby.
Wholesome Baby Food website:
http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/solidfoodstages.htm
Best advice: “At 8-10 months, bring on some spices to softly mashed or chopped food.” Spices help babies learn that full flavor is a good thing and later on, it may make bland chicken nuggets and fries seem too boring!
Don’t stress about: Following the site’s recipes to make all your own baby food. If you purchase pureed food in jars, baby only eats it for around two months (from age 6.5 months to 8 months.) After that, he can move on to foods an adult prepares and he can pick up himself like Cheerios®, banana, avocado, cooked pasta, cracker pieces or even tofu.
Stuff Your Stocking…Not Yourself
Sure, the holidays are a time to splurge on gifts and calories but if you aren't mindful, your budget and your family's waistlines could become bigger than you bargained for. When I was a kid, I'd always find a couple of clementines in my stocking. They were simple but a special treat I looked forward to, even today! Here are a few other ideas for inexpensive, tasty and healthier stocking stuffers or Hanukkah gifts for kids, friends and even your favorite foodie (hint, hint)!
Snack Savvy-Toss together lightly salted nuts and dried fruit, then package with a pretty bow.
Tricky Treats- Wrap-up packs of sugarless gum, mints or special tea bags for an unexpected gift.
Spice Sampler-Pour your favorite spice into a pretty jar and attach a hand-written recipe.
Fitness Fun- Give a family member a pedometer with coupons for "walking time".
Kids Kitchen Gear-rolling pins, cookie cutters, aprons and chef hats invite children to spend time with you in the kitchen.
Drizzles and Dips Take Dilemma Out of Dinner
Research has shown that it can take up to 11 serving times before kids decide they like a new food. In the meantime, I let my kids top everything from roasted parsnips to lentil stew with a familiar topping. For them, drizzling dinner with ketchup or yogurt will familiarize any “foreign” dinner. Since young children may actually have a fear of new foods, offering them power over a ketchup bottle or a spoonful of yogurt gives them a sense of control in the new situation. Additionally, these “extras” don’t totally cover the taste of foods, thus children can get used to new flavors and textures.
While ketchup is high in sodium, it’s very familiar to children and they don’t need a lot to help them grow accustomed to new foods. As a rule of thumb, only a tablespoon or so of a dip should be drizzled. Just make sure to give the child control. Here are four other dips to add pizzazz to foods kids may find a bit scary:
- Hummus
- Low-fat sour cream
- Peanut butter thinned with low-fat milk (Heat peanut butter for a few seconds in the microwave then stir in milk.)
- Corn. Really! Since is sweet and recognizable, sprinkling a few kernels on the top of any dinner will get my kids to eat it.
The Lunch Box Blues
Has it hit you yet? This time of year often brings on the packing school lunch dilemma – which can range from “I wish they’d eat something else” to “I can’t face packing another lunch!” Even if your kid eats the same thing everyday, it’s not out of the question to change it up a bit now and then. Plus, the more variety in the lunch bag, the more nutrients your child is taking in. Here are some tips to beat the lunch box blues:
Beyond PB&J – If you are attempting a different lunch, try new options at home first – or better yet, offer a few selections and let the kids pick. This way, they’ll be less tempted to ditch or dump. Start with these sandwich switch-ups:
Instead of: Try:
White bread Whole wheat wraps, pitas, flatbreads
Lunchmeat Broiled chicken, leftover fish sticks, hard boiled egg
Mayonnaise Pesto, salsa, bean spread
Iceberg lettuce Avocado, zucchini strips, shredded carrots
Bonus tip: Cut sandwiches into strips to make “dippers” – pack with their favorite condiment on the side like ketchup, mustard or hummus.
All In One – Think about one-dish meals rolling over into a fulfilling lunch. Items such as hearty soups, pasta dishes, or last night’s favorite entrée make for easy packing and lunchtime satisfaction. Invest in a thermos to keep food warm.
Time Savers
One of the biggest drags is calculating how many school lunches you’ll make over your lifetime! Try these timesavers to avoid a long or drawn out process.
- Pack lunch the night before or as you are cleaning up after dinner – perfect use of leftovers!
- If you are packing the entire family’s lunch everyday, stop the “short order cook” mentality and make the same basic dish/sandwich for everyone.
- Or better yet, get the kids to help! Even little ones can choose from a few options that you select.
Self-Serve Suppers
Even as registered dietitian, two goals I’m always trying to accomplish are 1) getting my kids to eat more fruits and veggies and 2) getting dinner on the table quickly. One of my favorite secret weapons has turned into one of my kids’ favorite meals. “Self-Serve Suppers” are pretty straightforward – the kids get to serve themselves as many toppings as they want onto their own plate. Here are the basics:
- Think of a theme. For example, read a book about a family living in another country and try to figure out what sorts of food they may eat there. We talk about meat, produce, dairy, seasonings and eating utensils like chop sticks.
- Pick a creative canvas or base. This could be just a plate, but we usually use a food (see examples below.)
- Chop, chop. Kids can help with this step and when they do food preparation, they’re more likely to try a few bites of a food they’ve invested in chopping. We place the chopped foods in separate custard cups or small bowls for self-serving. Some delicious examples:
- Japanese: Base – bowl of rice. Toppings – cucumbers, radishes, crystallized ginger, tofu.
- Mexican: Base – tortilla. Toppings – red and green peppers, jalapenos, shredded carrots, cilantro, black olives, Hispanic cheese, black beans.
- Greek: Base – pita bread. Toppings – tomatoes, chickpeas, fresh oregano, feta cheese.
- Southern: Base – bowl of grits. Toppings – okra, black-eyed peas, corn.
- Hawaiian: Base – ring of pineapple. Toppings – coconut, ham, water chestnuts, bean sprouts.
Berry Delicious
Summer is easily the best time to introduce (and reintroduce) your kids (and perhaps your spouse) to fruits and veggies when they’re at the peak of flavor. This year, for the first time, we signed up for a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share. We receive a box of local Lancaster County fruit and vegetables each week – whatever is ripe is what we get – which challenges us to try something different while we also get to enjoy perennial favorites.
Currently, we are knee-deep in berries (namely raspberries, blueberries and blackberries.) For the most part, we polish them off on their own but for the times we have some extra cartons, here are a few other ways we like to savor their natural sweetness (who knew vitamins, fiber and antioxidants could be so tasty?)
- Toss into a leafy green or chilled pasta salad
- Add to chopped tomatoes, cucumbers and onions for a fruit salsa (great with fish!)
- Mix into a morning bowl of oatmeal, cold cereal or yogurt
- Freeze extra berries on cookie sheets then store in freezer bags for the winter months
- Make “Mia Berry Soup”
- Ask Mom for a small bowl of berries
- Ask Mom for a small cup of milk
- Pour milk into berries and then ask Mom for a spoon
- (Optional: add some whole-grain cereal or granola)
Veggie Ice Cream
While fruit-based ice creams have long been established, vegetable flavors aren’t exactly on the menu at your local Baskin Robbins. The idea occurred to me while scooping vanilla ice cream for my 2-year old - I saw some leftover mashed sweet potatoes in the fridge and decided to swirl a few spoonfuls into the bowl. She devoured it. The next week, I tried carrot puree – again, the bowl was licked clean. Sure, this isn’t the best/only way to get your kids to eat their veggies, but it’s certainly another approach to get them excited about eating them in the first place (the bright colored ice cream is another enticer!)
Tips on making veggie ice cream:
- Stick to sweeter veggies like carrot, pea, corn, beet or butternut squash
- Roast veggies first (for extra flavor), then puree
- Start with a few tablespoons of puree to mix in
- Use vanilla ice cream as base for best flavor…and color!
- Have kids pick their own flavors and mix in themselves