Lunchbox Sandwich Kabobs

This weekend I had the pleasure of hosting Kid’s Club Lunchbox Kabob making at our local Whole Foods Market.  With the help of two incredible 9 year old assistants, we tackled the job of introducing kids to new, fresh foods by way of the Sandwich Kabob.  Empowered with a skewer, and trays upon trays of fresh, real ingredients, kids assembled and ate their creations – tasting, learning, enjoying.

There was one rule…

Try at least one new vegetable. (more…)

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Cookies for Santa

Santa will be popping down chimney’s across the world tomorrow night, greeted by plates, and plates…and plates of cookies.  Want to give Santa something a little healthier this year to help battle the bulge?  We’ve put together a list of a few of our healthier cookies to help keep Santa healthy and happy this Christmas eve.  Enjoy… (more…)

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52 New Foods for your Family – Guest Post

A New Year’s Food Challenge: 52 weeks, 52 new foods – Guest Post 

By Jennifer Tyler Lee

52 weeks, 52 new foods. How one family achieved the most frequently broken New Year’s resolution: to eat healthy.

Battles over broccoli and Brussels sprouts were fierce at our family table. Getting my kids, ages 3 and 6, to eat healthy was a terrible struggle. Over time, the diversity of dishes on our family table narrowed so much that even my husband and I weren’t eating very healthy anymore. I wanted our table to be a place of joy and fun for our family – a place where we could gather for great conversation and healthy food together. It all changed when I turned healthy eating into a game. (more…)

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Homemade Pop Tarts – With a Twist

I’ve seen quite a few homemade Pop Tart recipes on the internet.  They look delicious and fun, but for me they were still made with white flour, and well –  I wanted to find a way to bring them even further Out of the Box.  These homemade Pop Tarts are chock full of whole grain wheat, flax meal, and fresh fruit – Making them a win in both taste and nutrition. (more…)

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Kid-Friendly Vegan Mushroom Soup

First let me preface by saying that every recipe I post on Out of the Box Food must first be kid-tested by my own children.  Having said this, yes…this mushroom soup has been kid tested AND approved by two fairly particular nine year old boys.  Don’t be intimidated by the words “mushroom” and “vegan”.  In fact, for the kids’ sake let’s just call this soup: “Souper Mushroom Broth”…later you can fill them in on the rest.

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Meatless Monday Family Style: Nacho Usual Nachos

What do your kids think of when they hear the term “Nachos”?  When I was a kid, my idea of nachos was simply the compartmentalized plastic container filled with overly salted chip that I could dip haphazardly into a thick, oozy processed cheese sauce at a baseball game.   Unfortunately for me, that horrible, chemically created cheese sauce still evokes fond memories of the distinct sound of the crack of a bat as it connects with a ball, the smell of a well-worn mitt and time spent with my Dad.  But it’s time to take nachos out of the ballpark, and redefine them into a fun way to get fresh ingredients into our kids. (more…)

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Make it together: Fruit Kebabs

We are back to summer here in Los Angeles this October weekend. Temperatures are rising into the 90′s, warm winds are blowing and we’re heading to the farmers market to pick up lots of fruit! Getting kids involved in the kitchen is a sure way to get them trying new foods.   While our kids are little, we begin working to prepare them for life — we teach them strong study skills, the value of saving their allowance for a solid financial future, and  help them learn early on the value of healthy foods so that (hopefully) they won’t try to survive on Cheetos and Diet Coke in their college dorm room.  It may sound simple but we can start with something as easy and fun as Fruit Kebabs. Fruit Kebabs are simple way to allow kids to create their own healthy dish while giving them a fun activity. We lay out out a variety of fruit and skewers (or plastic coffee stirrers for younger children) and let them invent their own creations. Let’s get our kids creating in the kitchen!

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