Pigs in a Blanket: Fun Kid Food The Healthier Way
Kids Food / Lunch Box / Snacks

Pigs in a Blanket: Fun Kid Food The Healthier Way

I’m not suggesting that what your about to read is about health food.  It doesn’t follow a raw diet, vegetarian or vegan diet, or even a fresh-fruit-and-veggie diet.  But we all know kids like fun food and I’m a believer that “Fun Food” does not have to be synonymous with “Junk Food”.   If we make smart choices about the ingredients we use, we can make fun “kid food” without all the chemicals, food dyes, refined sugars and well…junk. (more…)

3 Comments
01/22/2011
Granola Bars: Grab-and-Go Chemicals or Nourishment?
Kids Food / Lunch Box / On the Go / Snacks

Granola Bars: Grab-and-Go Chemicals or Nourishment?

Granola bars stir up quite the controversy at our house.  My kids want to bring them to school for snack, but a nut-free school means no granola bars with nuts of any sort.  That rules out a lot of the granola bars on the market.  Then when we look at what’s left and examine what ingredients are actually in the remaining granola bars things really start to get interesting.  Let’s just say we’re left with…well, not much. (more…)

11 Comments
01/16/2011
Granola: The “Sometimes” Healthy Snack
Breakfast Table / Kids Food / Snacks

Granola: The “Sometimes” Healthy Snack

homemade granola for kids

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Granola.  What image does the word “Granola” evoke for you?  I’ve always felt the word “Granola” was synonymous with “health”.  For me growing up, the word Granola evoked images of health food markets where you could barely fit down the aisle but you could find things like Wheat Grass and Hemp seed.  But now Granola is common, good food and chances are you can find a healthy, minimally processed granola at the average supermarket.  But not all Granola is the same and this is a perfect opportunity to discuss the importance (and ease) of reading labels.

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6 Comments
01/09/2011
New Years Resolution Number One: Eat Apple Pie for Dinner
Dinner Table / Kids Food / Sweet Treats

New Years Resolution Number One: Eat Apple Pie for Dinner

Well, 2011 is officially here and we are now faced with endless possibilities for the upcoming year.  In previous years my New Year’s resolutions had been pretty consistent, but this year they have finally changed.  They used to include, “lose five pounds”, “exercise more” and “fit into those old jeans again”. This year, though I’ll keep my “exercise more” resolution, the purpose and direction of the rest of my resolutions directly follow the path I’ve been taking on this Out of the Box Food journey.  These resolutions won’t necessarily get me to my old “lose five pounds” goal, but they will provide my family and I a healthier way of treating our bodies. (more…)

1 Comment
01/02/2011
Kids Food / Snacks / Sweet Treats

The Holidays and Marshmallows – The Final Chapter “Hot Cocoa”

A few nights ago we took our boys to see the holiday light displays on “Candy Cane Lane”.  As we rolled our minivan slowly through the streets behind the rest of Los Angeles, we spotted a neighbor selling hot cocoa to benefit the Eagle Scouts.  What’s more festive than a cup of hot cocoa, brightly colored light displays and holiday music on the radio, right?  We bought each of the boys a cup and as they sat cozy in the back, sipping the warm drink and slurping the marshmallows out one-by-one, I realized that it was probably time to take a deconstructed look at instant hot cocoa.  I was pretty sure those drink packets weren’t as innocent and idyllic as they seemed.  Turns out I was right.
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1 Comment
12/26/2010
Kids Food / Sweet Treats

The Holidays and Marshmallows – Part 2 “Rice Crispy Treats”

Last week I mentioned that we’d delve into a couple of well-known holiday marshmallow traditions.  Rice Crispy Treats are definitely up there on the list of the go-to recipes for cookie exchanges, school holiday parties, and as a treat for Santa after he’s made it down a few chimneys.  But I’d bet that if Santa knew those treats contained a chemical banned in eleven countries and an additive suspected to cause abnormalities in the brain, hyperactivity in children and cancer, he’d probably pass.  Just a hunch. (more…)

2 Comments
12/19/2010
Kids Food / Sweet Treats

The Holidays and Marshmallows – Part 1

A couple weeks ago my son pulled an old bag of marshmallows from the pantry.  With a look of pleading on his face, he asked if he could “Puhleeez have one” of the stale puffs of corn syrup.  I found myself staring at that bag I’d had in the pantry since the first summer campfire more than eight months ago and realized that in addition to being an integral ingredient in summertime s’mores, marshmallows also play a big role during the holidays.  They top sweet potato casseroles on Thanksgiving, are mixed into holiday fudge and cookie recipes and make a fun dreidel craft/dessert when pierced with a pretzel and dipped in chocolate.  They also top our cups of hot cocoa as we wait for Santa to come, and are an important ingredient in the ever-present rice crispy treats that grace our school bake sales and holiday parties. (more…)

6 Comments
12/12/2010
Dinner Table / Kids Food / Lunch Box

MmmmMac & Cheese

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What kid (or adult for that matter) doesn’t love macaroni and cheese?  It’s warm, gooey deliciousness screams “comfort food” –  especially on a cold winter day.  But a boxed product we’ve come to know as macaroni and cheese doesn’t even contain “cheese” in the pure sense of the word.  In fact, the word “cheese” is only found on the last line of a long list of ingredients.  So what do we do when our kids only want “the orange macaroni and cheese”?  And what if your kids cringe at the site of…ready…gasp…bread crumbs on top of baked macaroni and cheese?  Is this sounding familiar? (more…)

7 Comments
12/05/2010
Kids Food / Sweet Treats

Thanksgiving

As the sun rises on Thanksgiving day, I will reflect on my life’s blessings.  Above all else I am thankful for my husband and children who bring constant moments of clarity to a sometimes unclear world.  I am thankful for the support of my family, the laughter and comfort of my friends, and those special moments of peace, when I can center myself, breathe, and appreciate all these gifts in my life. (more…)

0 Comments
11/19/2010
Kids Food / Lunch Box / Snacks / Sweet Treats

J-E-L-L-Oh No!

Watch it wiggle, see them jiggle…and squirm, and meltdown, and bounce off the walls.  Yup.  I’ve seen it.  My kids love jello, at least they did the two times I made it for them.  But both times I cringed as I poured hot water over that neon colored powder, the overly sweet smell wafting up through the steam.  But who am I to deprive my kids of that fun, jiggling food product that makes them giggle?  I don’t have to. (more…)

0 Comments
11/14/2010