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FlyLady Olympics Menu Mailer!
Dear Friends,
I hope you enjoy this crockpot menu from SavingDinner.com. This menu is designed to give you 6 days of crockpot dinners (even God took the 7th day off!), with delicious, family-friendly recipes with serving suggestions as well as nutritional information. The sweet spot on this menu is the shopping list--it's all completely done for you! Itemized, categorized and EASY, easy being the keyword!
This week, take the week off from breaking your brain over menu planning and trying to figure out dinner. It's all here, just print it out and go shopping! If you'd like more, come on over to SavingDinner.com...there's plenty where this came from!
Love,
Leanne
CLICK HERE for the Crock Cooker Menu mailer
Food For Thought - SoupSip-athon
Dear Friends,
What is it about chicken soup that is so wonderful? This is the stuff that your mother made for you, the stuff that makes a cold go away and grants instantaneous health if we all believed our grandmothers.
There is, believe it or not, some science behind the goodness of chicken soup. Seriously! Researchers at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha found this out via the kitchen first, not the laboratory. Here's how it played out: they made up a big batch of chicken soup, gathered up some volunteers, collected the neutrophils from their blood (neutrophils are a type of white blood cell important to the immune system for fighting infection; neutrophils actually seek out germs and kill them) and mixed them together with the chicken soup. No eating allowed; this was science in action.
Guess what? The experiment was a success and they found that the soup does help stop inflammation - even when chicken soup is in a test tube! Grandma was right all along; soup is good for whatever ails you.
When your little champions are feeling a little puny (as we say in the South), there's nothing like a bowl of soup to fix them up. Here's a chicken soup recipe that is as good for the soul as it is for whatever ails you. You've seen this recipe before - it's my Basic Veggie Soup, but what it is, is basic chicken soup. The liquid is chicken broth and that is the "medicinal" part of this recipe; the veggies and their phytochemical properties will help boost your immune system as well.
Basic Veggie Soup
Serves 12
2 cans diced tomatoes -- undrained
1 large onion -- chopped
4 cloves garlic -- pressed
2 tablespoons olive oil -- divided
2 large carrots -- chopped
2 small celery stalks -- chopped
1 medium turnip -- chopped
2 cups green beans -- cut in 1" pieces
6 cups chicken broth
1/4 head cabbage -- chopped
1/2 teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper to taste
2 small russet potatoes -- peeled and chopped
In a large soup pot, heat the one tablespoon of the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook till nearly translucent, now add the garlic. Don't let the garlic brown and saute another couple of minutes.
Add the rest of the chopped veggies, sauteing for just a minute or two. You're not cooking them just sauteing for the wonderful flavor this quick step will infuse in your soup. Add the thyme and salt and pepper while sauteing.
Now put the veggies in the crock-pot, add the tomatoes and broth. Cook on low 7-9 hours (depending on your crock-pot) or high 4-6 hours (but all crock-pots are different, depending on size, age, brand etc. Remember, your mileage may vary). Just before serving, gently mash some of the potato chunks against the side of the crock-pot to thicken the soup, give it a stir and serve.
Per serving: 88 Calories; 4g Total Fat; 5g Protein; 2g Dietary Fiber; 9g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 658mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 0 Grain (Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates
SERVING SUGGESTIONS FOR THOSE WHO AREN'T SICK: Grilled cheese sandwiches on whole grain bread and a spinach salad.
Quick Fixes for Variations on the Basic Veggie Soup:
Now remember, don't do this to the whole pot of soup! Just the little bit you pull out to fix yourself for lunch, etc.
Quick Fix #1: Tex Mex Veggie Soup. Add some (eyeball it - how much do you want?) canned black beans (drained and rinsed), a little bit of cumin and chopped cilantro. Top with some tortilla chips and cheese, or serve with a quesadilla.
Quick Fix #2: Tuscan Veggie Soup. Add some (eyeball it again) canned cannellini (white kidney beans) or white beans (drained and rinse), a little bit of Italian seasoning and some chopped kale. Cook till heated through and the kale is tender.
Quick Fix #3: Minestrone Veggie Soup. Add some cooked pasta, a little dried basil and top with a fresh grating of Parmesan cheese.
Quick Fix #4: Autumn Veggie Soup. Add some diced acorn squash or butternut squash, some cooked brown nice, a sprinkling of nutmeg and some chopped parsley.
Love,
Leanne
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Food For Thought - SQUASH The Competition
Dear Friends,
When my kids were home, I used to never be able to go to the grocery store alone. I mean, I'd have to sneak out or lie and say I am going somewhere else if I want to go alone. For some reason, my teenaged children thought going to the market was a great adventure.
A couple of years ago, I was in the produce section with my then 18-year-old daughter, rounding up the usual suspects for the week's menu, when she spied butternut squash on sale. "Oh Mom look! Butternut!" Sure enough, the butternuts were bountiful, as were the acorn squashes and turbans. We dutifully bought two and my daughter prattled on how she wanted them prepared.
Isn't that the coolest?? Having a child who actually LIKES veggies and picks them out herself and then TALKS about them? Sure, she'd dive head first into a bag of Doritos like no one's business, but my kids were brought up going to the market, learning to pick out produce and having a say-so in what we brought home (after I trained them of course). This is one the keys to preventing picky eatersâif you've listened to my show, you've heard that more than once!
Anyway, back to those mysterious winter squashes. I have actually had cashiers at the grocery store ask me what I planned to do with the ones I buy because they have no earthly idea that there is a vitamin packed, delicious food in those hard casings!
Here's how to prepare any winter squash, plus a recipe I happen to love. The markets seem to be bursting at the seams with so many great squashes. 'Tis the season!
It's really not that hard to make delicious winter squash. First off, wash your winter squash and stab it a few times. (No Norman Bates imitations. Go easy.)
Next, put your stabbed darling into a preheated (350 degree oven) for about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size. Throw it right on the rackâno pan necessary.
When the time is up, pull the squash from the oven and set it aside. Now futz with your salad or whatever else you need to do to get dinner ready. When the squash is cool enough to handle, proceed with the peeling and deseeding and cubing of your gourd. Place in a baking dish and bake till tender. You can add a little orange juice, water, brothâanything to give it a little moisture. Top with a little bit of herbs, too. If you used orange juice, try some cinnamon or nutmeg. If you added water, go with just about anything. If you used broth, a little sage or thyme works well. When the squash is tender, it's done. Use a fork to smush it into a puree, add a little honey or maple syrup if you cooked it with cinnamon and nutmeg and enjoyâyou've earned that delicious squash!
Now for a wonderful recipe from my first Saving Dinner book. I LOVE this dish. It might seem a little different, but it really is deliciousâ
Butternut Ravioli Stew
Serves 6
2 tablespoons butter
2 onions -- chopped
3 pounds butternut squash-- stab, microwave to soften, peel, deseed and cube
1/2 cup white wine
3 cans chicken broth (try low sodium)
1 pinch nutmeg
1 pinch cinnamon
1 pinch ginger
1 pound ravioli, cheese-filled -- frozen or fresh
3/4 cup neufchatel cheese (also known as low fat cream cheese)
salt and pepper
3/4 cup half and half
In a soup pot, heat butter over medium high heat. When hot and melted, add onions and saute till translucent. Add the squash, wine, and chicken broth. Add the spices. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook ravioli according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
In a blender, blend HALF the stew and all the Neufchatel cheese to a smooth consistency, add back to the stew. Now add raviolis and carefully incorporate in. Add half and half, heat till almost a simmer, correct seasoning if necessary and serve.
Per Serving: PER SERVING:
431 Calories; 17g Fat; 14g Protein; 58g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 132mg Cholesterol; 710mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 3 1/2 Grain (starch); 1 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 2 1/2 Fat.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS: A big spinach salad would round this off nicely.
This is a rich, delicious, creamy pasta dish that is a big favorite around hereâenjoy!
Love,
Leanne
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Food For Thought - Small Plate Event
Dear Friends,
I wrote the following Food for Thought a few years ago, but the principles still apply. Let's call this Olympic event the SmallPlate event. Read on and you'll see why:
Tonight I ate too much and my reasons for doing so were all rationalized. I had a conversation in my head that gave me permission to overeat. Have you ever been there? There is truly no good reason why I did that: I had a good breakfast, I had my snacks, I had a good lunch. But I was still hungry come dinnertime (and truth be told, we were eating late due to driver's ed!).
To tide me over till dinnertime, I made some cocktail sauce and thawed a few cooked shrimp. I called my son downstairs to enjoy them with me, but he only ate a few. I ate the rest; probably around 8 good-sized shrimp. Previous to that, I ate a slice of low fat cheese and about 10 little crackers. All of this was portioned out; it wasn't too bad. The crackers and cheese were my planned snack anyway.
I intended to eat maybe 3 shrimp?instead I ate almost three times what I meant to eat. Now shrimp is low fat, high protein and the cocktail sauce (I make it more horseradish-y and less ketchup-y) isn't too many calories or carbs. But this was an EXTRA snack and I intended to cut back on the rest of the meal.
I didn't. Instead, I ate my baked potato (an occasional treat for me, but I could have saved it for lunch tomorrow), I ate all my green beans (could have saved half of them) and ate about 6 ounces of steak (I should have only eaten half?I was already getting full).
The bad thing is I didn't stop at full; I stopped at a clean plate! Even though I deliberately chose less steak than I would have probably eaten, I didn't need as much, could have waited on the baked potato and half the amount of green beans would have satisfied me just fine.
Instead, I'm way past full and I feel sick. Here are four things I could have done or thought of that could have kept me from overeating--
1)Portioned the shrimp out and bagged up the rest. If my son didn't want to eat his portion, I could have bagged the leftovers up instead of eating them.
2)Left food on my plate. I still struggle with this especially when it's food I like. I love my garlicky green beans, I love the treat of a baked potato and a perfectly done, medium rare steak is a favorite, too. But I didn't need all that food!
3)Quit lying to myself. No, I don't "deserve" it, no, it's not just this once or I wouldn't struggle with my body clutter and no, it doesn't matter how "good" I've been with my eating lately. The definition for being "good" means taking care of myself. Overeating isn't taking care of my body, it's abusing it.
4)I can start over tomorrow. This is not my undoing; it's a slip up and a mistake. I can fix it! Tomorrow, I'll make a huge pot of veggie soup and enjoy a lot of it while portioning out my meals a little smaller and drinking my water.
I don't live in a perfect world and neither do you. We make mistakes, we fall down, we skin our knees. But in order to get through to the other side, we need to be willing to admit our mistakes, get up off the floor, clean up our messes or scraped knees and start walking all over again.
Dealing with your body clutter is a journey?let's walk it together!
Love,
Leanne
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Food For Thought - Casserole-athon
Dear Friends,
As many of you know, when it's not summer, Menu-Mailer will often feature a delectable casserole without a can of soup to make it happen. We all love casseroles, but it's hard to cook a good one without that goopy can of soup. But we do it all the time!
There's something else that's great about casseroles?they freeze well and they sure "gift" well! Having an extra casserole in the freezer could very well be a true Godsend in a friend's life at the time of gifting it.
I remember after I had both children, ladies from my church would bring dinner over to the house. Having a fabulous dinner all prepared and ready to cook was just what I needed in that transitory time!
So here's an Olympic event for you?the Frozen Casserole-a-thon! It's easy to compete; just double your favorite casserole recipe, freeze it then gift it to a friend in need! You can do that! If you need a good recipe, I can do that for you! Check it out and keep reading for some great info on freezing your casserole.
Chicken and Artichoke Casserole (from the Low Carb Menu-Mailer)
Serves 4
5 boneless skinless chicken breast halves -- cut in 1" strips
4 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic -- pressed (OPTIONAL?check to see if garlic bothers the baby)
1 cup mushrooms -- sliced
1 jar marinated artichoke hearts -- drained
2 tablespoons flour
1 can chicken broth
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet over medium heat, brown chicken lightly in 2 tablespoons butter, add the garlic and mushrooms and keep cooking till chicken mixture is smelling very garlicky.
Transfer browned chicken strips to a baking dish (for your extra casserole, use an aluminum pan that can be tossed after use); arrange artichoke hearts on top.
In the skillet, melt remaining butter and add the flour, whisking to blend (no lumps!). Add broth and cook until thickened then pour over chicken mixture.
Bake the casserole, uncovered, at 350 degrees for about 30 to 45 minutes.
Per Serving: 527 Calories; 17g Fat; 84g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 236mg Cholesterol; 560mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 11 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 2 1/2 Fat.
LOW CARB SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Steamed broccoli, a big green salad (watch the carb count on your salad dressings. Higher fat dressings usually have lower carb counts)
SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Follow LC Suggestion above and add brown rice.
After casserole has totally cooled, carefully place your casserole in a zipper-topped plastic FREEZER bag and remove all air before sealing. You can huge 1 1/2 to 2 gallon bags that are perfect for this. (IMPORTANT note about freezer bags: this will aid in the casserole tasting fresh. Those bags are designed to take the cold and regular bags are more permeable and will not keep your food as fresh)
Next, mark the bag with what you made (Cathy's Cheesy Casserole, for example) and the DATE. Also, add the heating instructions?like Preheat oven to 350 degrees and cook for 35 minutes or until hot and bubbling, etc. Use a Sharpie pen for this task (it's the only one that will hold up to the freezer without running. To keep your Sharpie from running off with the nearest child, hide your Sharpie in the freezer bag box?that's what I'd do or I'd never see it again. Remember: this hiding place you will take to your grave?tell no one).
To cook the casserole, remove from the freezer the night before and place in the fridge to thaw overnight. By the time cooking time comes, it may not be completely thawed but that's okay. You will most likely need to cook the casserole longer to reheat, but an easy way to do that is give the original cooking time and add the caveat, OR until hot and bubbly. That's saved me more than once?LOL!
So let's make an extra casserole and show our Olympic prowess! A comforting casserole warms the tummy and the soul. This is a way that God can use you mightily in someone else's life. Who knew a casserole could be so powerful?
Let the games begin!
Love,
Leanne Ely
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Food For Thought - Tri-Snackathon - Part Three
Dear Athletes,
It's time for the Double Duty Produce Event! This even it divided into two categories: Fruit and Vegetables.
PLACE: your nearest grocery store.
WHAT YOU WILL DO: For the Fruit Event, I want you to pick up something seasonal, delicious and that works for your budget. Buy enough to give everyone in the house a serving for the next week.
For the Vegetable Event, I want you to do the two things: pick up enough salad for the week and have a fresh salad once a day. Iceberg lettuce doesn't count (about a 1 on a scale of 1 to 10 nutritionally). And second, pick up a fresh vegetable (at least one) from the produce section. If you don't know how to prepare the fresh vegetable in question, here is an easy tip: go to google.com and type in "how to cook broccoli" or whatever the vegetable is that you buy and you can make a choice on its preparation.
This is a double medal event; it's time to GO FOR THE GOLD!
Love,
Leanne Ely
www.savingdinner.com
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Food For Thought - Tri-Snackathon - Part Two
Dear Friends,
Here is leg two of our Tri-Snack-Athon. You might want to print these lists out for your control journal!
One more thing: please don't email me telling me that all children can't eat nuts, etc. or that younger children can't eat certain foods. Use your motherly discretion and wisdom when using these snacks. If you're unsure about the safety or appropriateness of a food, instead of emailing me, please contact your healthcare provider and don't serve it until you have an answer from him/her. :-)
1.Here in sunny Florida one of our favorite summer treats is a frozen orange
juice slush. Just add ice to orange juice and blend in the blender. The
kids love these and it is a healthy version of the Slurpee they are craving
throughout the summer. We also make fruit kabobs anad store them in the
refrigerator. This gives the children something to help with in the kitchen
and provides a great snack and dessert for the summer. I find that the
neighborhood kids love them as they are a change of pace from the slice or
bowl of just one fruit.
2.Let the kids eat their snacks with toothpicks! My son always loved to do this when he was little. I always kept the trays that come with cookies that have at least 3 sections and washed them out and used these for snacks. I would fill the 3 sections with different finger foods like raisins, marshmallows, grapes, banana slices, apple chunks, etc. and give him a toothpick. He ate his snack at his play table while I did chores in the kitchen and talked to him. I noticed he would eat snacks with the toothpicks that he did not normally want to try. Sometimes I filled one of the sections with peanut butter and he dipped his fruit into that.
3.My DS is on a special diet that eliminates some natural foods and artificial
dyes and flavorings. Sometimes it is a challenge to find "approved" foods
that he likes that are good for snacking. I have also found that if I don't
make sure he gets protein snacks he can get very cranky. I'm the same way.
Here are some of our favorite protein snacks:
Cream cheese dip - slightly warm cream cheese in the microwave. Whip in a
little milk to keep it soft. I have a tiny little whisk that works great. Add
spices and herbs your child likes. Mine wants garlic powder, onion powder, and
cumin - kind of a Mexican dip. Use this dip for tortilla chips, crackers,
pretzels and veggies.
Meat sticks - my 10 yr. old LOVES the meat sticks for babies as a snack. We
buy Gerber meat sticks. They are like tiny little hotdogs with a soft texture.
Great protein snack!
Meat - leftover meat, cut up into finger sized peices. Whenever I have a meat
dish (like a roast beef or chicken), I cut up the remaining meat and store in
the fridge. We just eat it with our fingers, sometimes we add a favorite
creamy salad dressing or some kind of sauce for flavor.
Nuts - keep a jar or can of nuts available. I like to mix a few different
kinds together for variety. We put a small handful in a tiny bowl and that's
a serving.
4.I always keep a big plastic bowl on the counter filled with apples and my
kids (4 & 7) can help themselves whenever they want "a little something".
This is they way I grew up and I thought everybody did this.
A couple of years ago, when Hurricane Floyd threatened Jacksonville, FL, my
sister-in-law evacuated to our house (on the other coast) with her 3 kids.
Her kids almost immediately found the apple bowl and spent the next two days
happily munching on apples. She was amazed because her kids never ate
apples at home! I remember her telling me that maybe it was because she
kept them in the drawer of the fridge. When we went to her house for
Thanksgiving that year, I noticed a large plastic bowl on the counter filled
with apples!
5.My young daughters say "a spoonful of peanut butter keeps the whinys away!" Even at their age, they know when their blood sugar starts dipping and that's when they will ask for a block of cheese or a "peanut butter popsicle"...literally a scoop of peanut butter on the spoon. Add those little baby carrots and some celery sticks to those apples and peanut butter--even veggie haters might like them.
6.We like to put nutritional yeast on our popcorn. It has a very interesting, almost cheesy taste, and is high in protein and B vitamins. Also with a little butter, salt, and my favorite, curry powder! That is, if your kids ( or you, for that matter!) like it spicy! Mine does! (nutritional yeast is also known as brewer's yeast and is available in health food stores)
7.Use a muffin tin for younger children. In one "muffin hole" goes yogurt and cottage cheese, mostly for dipping. Sometimes she just eats it with a spoon but who cares. In the other "muffin holes" go little pieces of fruit, cooked veggies like little pieces of broccoli, cheese, leftover meat, cooked pasta, or dry cereal, or I guess you could do peanut butter and crackers, etc. The tin sits inside the fridge, where she can reach it. The only rules are she must sit at the table, and nothing else is available. This way she makes a choice about what on the tin to eat, but of course, it is all healthy. (I do fill the empty holes sometimes with more of what was her favorite :+)
8.Soymilk! Yum! We can make our own fudgesicles (sp) out of Silk Chocolate Soymilk.; Before widespread distribution of soymilk, I used to eat whole grain organic cereal flakes with fruit juice. It's nice to have the option to use vanilla soymilk now.
9.Peanut Butter Mud is another good snack. Use 2 parts peanut butter --the
natural kind--2 parts non-instant milk powder and 1 part
honey. Mix it all together, and roll into balls, or a log, or just eat it
out of the bowl!
10.I like to serve edamame (soybeans) for snacks. My daughter loves to pop
them in her mouth and they're very nutritious. I buy them frozen and
cook only a small amount at a time in boiling salted water. Also, try frozen peas as a snack. They love them frozenâno need to cook.
We're only half way around the snack track! Here are more snacks with my comments in parenthesis:
1.How about a yummy yogurt sundae, yogurt with
strawberries on top and a little granola to top it off!
2.I buy grapes when they are on sale, wash and pick from the stems put them in the snack size bags and pile them in big ol' freezer bags. They last at least a month as we pile through them in the heat and are much better than those frozen tubes of colored sugar water! Fiber included :-)
3.Fruit dip: Make yogurt cheese by taking 1 cup of plain or vanilla yogurt and placing it in a strainer, lined with a paper towel or coffee filter, over a bowl for drainage. Refrigerate for several hours and discard the whey (watery stuff) that collects in the bowl. You'll be left with the yogurt cheese, which is about the consistency of thick sour cream. Put the yogurt cheese in a small bowl and add 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 2-3 tablespoons low-fat or fat-free cream cheese, 1 teaspoon vanilla and blend with a mixer until blended. Add more powdered sugar to thicken, if needed. Use this yummy dip with fruit. We like grapes, pineapple, strawberries and bananas. (or use honey to sweeten)
4.Monkey sandwich - a hot dog bun spread w/peanut butter with banana (use whole wheat buns)
5.pb (health-food store natural, no sugar) on a mini or regular rice cake with raisins on top instead of jam/jelly (a little extra iron and fiber)
6.My kids will eat almost any veggie as long as it is grated and mixed into mini muffins. Carrots, zucchini and broccoli just to name a few. Don't forget to use applesauce instead of oil!!! (I use half oil and half applesauceâless "bouncy" of a muffin and moister)
7.I have enjoyed using your week of meals. Thank you for your work. I do the
Ranch Dip with veggies. I wish there was not any MSG. How about another
healthy tasty dip recipe? (see the end of this list for my easy black bean dip)
8.One more idea: protein. Hard-boiled eggs, sunflower seeds, and
soy nuts go over well here.
9.One of our favorite snacks is air-popped popcorn with
a fresh lemon juice squeezed over it, and sprinkled
with hot sauce (like Tabasco). Much better than those
"flaming-hot" things in a bag, and no added fat or
sodium!
10.Tofu cut in cubes, toss with olive oil and tamari and bake for 15 minutes turning once.
Almost Instant Black Bean Dip
I 15 oz. can black beans (don't drain or rinse)
1/2 cup mild salsa
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin
(you can adjust the seasonings to your own taste or even add some hot stuff if you like it, like cayenne pepper)
Dump everything into a blender and blend like crazy! Plop your instant dip into a bowl (or their own bowls if you have double dippers at home) and let them dip away.
Food For Thought - Tri-Snackathon - Part One
Dear Friends,
Several summers ago, I asked what you did for snacks in your house and compiled the healthy ones in several lists. This is the first of the Tri-Snack-Athon. If you are training children at home whether it be in athletics are loading a dishwasher, they need fuel.
Kids need snacks, but not constant grazing. You need to make sure the snacks are healthy and are going to do them some good, nutritionally. Just giving them the junk that they clamor for from watching too much TV is going to keep them eating continually. It makes sense, if you think about it. When your children (or you for that matter) don't get the nutrition necessary, their bodies are still craving those nutrients and will keep signaling that it's time to eat?even after downing a bag of Doritos and drinking a whole liter of Pepsi. They might be temporarily full?but never satisfied because the body was never fed. See why good nutrition is so important?
So let's get a grip on this snack food issue. Not having a plan (as we well know!) is a recipe for disaster. You know how to make a grocery list?how about adding some of these items on your list this week?
Veggie Ranch. I think my son will eat anything with ranch dressing on it. It's not my very favorite thing in the world nutritionally, but if you blend it up with some non-fat cottage, you've got a fairly decent dip (plus you can get MSG free ranch mixes at the health food store). Add baby carrots, celery sticks, broccoli flowerettes and even some cherry tomatoes and you have a veggie platter they'll love. Keep your ready-to-go veggies (separated in big plastic zip-top bags) and dip (in a container) within easy reach and let that be your first answer when they ask. Remind your children to pour their dip into their own bowls?you just KNOW they're going to double dip!
Favor Fruit. Fresh or frozen works, just make sure there's no added sugar. If you cup up seasonal fruit, sprinkle some frozen berries over the top, you'll have a handy snack available. My troops love this treat and grab the plastic bowl and help themselves when it's in the fridge. And don't forget the perennial favorite: apple slices dipped in peanut butter.
Pop up. I am a huge fan of popcorn. Lots of roughage (like your grandma used to say) and a fun snack that won't take major bites out of your budget, too. Use an air popper (way cheaper than the microwave kind and none of those nasty hydrogenated fats either) and add a teeny bit of butter. We also add a little grated romano cheese. My kids love this!
Nuts to you. I keep raw almonds in the fridge and will mix some almonds with dried apricots. Talk about your fiber count?yee haw! Plus the added bonus of all those nutrients. Great snack for kids and adults alike!
Cheese Whiz! Not that icky stuff you squirt out on a cracker. But string cheese and cheddar cubes, for starters. Skip American cheese?it's not cheese but cheese "product". That should be enough to scare you away!
Here is the first leg of the triathalon:
1.our favorite is celery sticks with peanut butter. Put
a few raisins on top and you have "ants on a log"
2. I am one of those moms always in the dilemma of looking for healthy food that the kids will eat and like! Here are a few my two enjoy (besides some of the ones you already mentioned):
1. yogurt
2. popsicles or jello made with fruit juice (Vit. C & Calcium fortified)
3. bananas with peanut butter (this actually makes a pretty good meal!)
4. homemade quick bread/muffins - I always use at least half whole wheat flour, and try to sneak in some other good-for-you ingredients like wheat germ, flax seed meal, etc.
3.I found the best microwave popper at the grocery store. It is basically a bowl with a slightly raised lid. Just scoop the popcorn in and put in the microwave. No oil or anything. It works better than stand alone air poppers since it can go directly in the dishwasher. We spray some "I can't believe it's not butter" on it or sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and good to go. My main thing was to mention the popper though - we found ours at Krogers.
4.my son loves homemade granola bars and even brags to his friends about how
good they are. I use the recipe from Quaker oats (on the box). Quaker has
lots of granola recipes at http://quakeroats.com/qfb_Recipes/index.cfm and
just use the keyword granola.
We add dried cranberries, dried cherries, raisins, and chocolate chips. His
teacher even asked for the recipe!
The other snack I bake a lot is banana bread, from scratch, not a mix.
Applesauce can replace the butter.
5. This homemade microwave popcorn is easy for those that don't have an air popper.
1/4 cup popcorn kernels
1 lunch-size brown paper bag
piece of tape
1/4 tsp salt (if desired)
1 tbsp. butter (if desired)
Put popcorn in the bag. Fold the top over twice and secure with tape. Microwave for 2-5 minutes on high, until you hear the kernels finish popping. Transfer to a large bowl and drizzle with melted butter. Stir well. Add salt.
NOTE FROM LEANNE: Since running this tip, I've had several people tell me that paper bags were unsanitary and that this is unsafe. I only leave it because you are grown ups and can discern whether or not this is something you want to try. I have personally never tried this.
6. cube an eating apple, add some blueberries and lightly sprinkle with cinnamon. Stir to mix the cinnamon. That's it! You just can't believe how good this is.
7. Hummus and pita bread, or veggies. You can make your own hummus, but many packaged brands are available and some are tasty and healthy. Kids love to dip things!
Cold pasta. Twists, bowties, etc. Use whole wheat pasta, toss it with a little extra virgin olive oil and even some grated parmesan cheese and take it along in zip lock baggies.
8. I keep two small storage containers in the back of my mini van. One contains snacks for the kids, like above, that don't melt or spoil. I also keep sports drink pouches (in the summer) and fruit juice boxes in the winter (they freeze well). ;)The other contains snacks that I can eat, like dried fruit and nuts, lo-carb/protein bars and drinks(for when I'm too busy to eat) and bottles of water. I always keep a bunch of water bottles in the front area, under a seat, so my children and their friends have water at all times. You could also keep a container with baby wipes, paper towels, trash bags, 1st aid kit, extra socks and mittens in the winter and sunscreen, bug spray, and hats in the summer, but that is another topic.
9. Spread cream cheese with a variety of toppings (Ham & cucumbers. Salsa and shredded cheddar, etc...) on a whole wheat tortilla and either eat it like a rolled sandwich - or slice into "appetizer" bite-sizes
Thanks for your great ideas for summer snacks. I have three kids and two are on a major growth spurt - our household is a constant feeding machine!!!!
10. Homemade popsicles - the investment for the
plastic do-it-yourself ones is well worth it. I have
three sets so at least one set is always be in the
freezer. Any 100% juice or combination of two works
well. Or try bananas blended with yogurt or orange
juice. Yogurt with unsweetened crushed pineapple is
good too (no need to drain). You get the idea, use
your imagination here!
There's more coming, stay tuned!
Love,
Leanne Ely
www.savingdinner.com
Tweet me, www.twitter.com/savingdinner
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