The “Corn Dog” Days of Summer
Dinner Table / Kids Food / Lunch Box / On the Go

The “Corn Dog” Days of Summer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s summer!  Across the country, state and county fairs are offering loads of delicious processed foods on sticks.  Foods that kids love (and I hate to admit, some of us adults too).  Today as my boys and I strolled through the brightly colored booths at the Ventura County Fair, we inhaled the decadence of fried fair treats, creating memories of summer.  These are the memories we will eventually go back to on cold November afternoons, encouraging us to take out a box of frozen corn dogs in order to recapture the experience.  Hey, why not?   Frozen corn dogs are easy, inexpensive, delicious, and some brands are even made with healthy turkey dogs, right?  But it’s what lies within the box, underneath the list of thirty seven, no thirty eight ingredients that should snap us back from our sweet memories of summer and encourage us to look for food outside of the box.

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81 Comments
06/30/2011
Can Yogurt Actually Be Unhealthy?
Breakfast Table / Kids Food / Lunch Box / Snacks

Can Yogurt Actually Be Unhealthy?

We know how important it is to read labels on snack foods, boxed dinners and cereals but do we actually need to read the labels on yogurt?  YES.  If I’m learning anything during this journey it’s that you have to read the labels on everything. Yogurt should contain only milk, live yogurt cultures and any natural fruit they might add.  Should.  But many of the fruit flavored yogurts on the market contain a lot more than that.  I’ve seen some that contain carrageenan, others that contain high fructose corn syrup and artificial colors, and some fruit yogurts that contain no fruit whatsoever.  So how do you find yogurt that contains simply fruit, milk and yogurt cultures?  Two ways:  read the labels or mix up your own. (more…)

10 Comments
01/30/2011
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
Kids Food / Lunch Box / On the Go / Sweet Treats

…Jam.

Last week we deconstructed peanut butter.  This week we had to top it with a quick, healthy jam!  Making jam is a summer routine for my family but it requires a few pieces of special equipment, quite a bit of time, and in my case, a couple of scorching burns (none of which make for a fast Out of the Box Food alternative).   But since fresh, homemade jam can be such a treat, I knew we had to explore a quick and easy alternative for Out of the Box Food. (more…)

2 Comments
10/17/2010
Breakfast Table / Kids Food / On the Go / Snacks

Breakfast Bars – Amp Up or Fuel Up?

Last week a friend suggested we take a deconstructed look at breakfast bars.  As a working mother of two under four, her mornings are busy and rushed yet she wants to provide a healthy start to her kids’ day.  One day in a pinch, she picked up a nationally recognized brand bar for the following morning’s breakfast.  Ten minutes after eating the bar, her son was bouncing off the walls.  That little self-proclaimed “health” bar, had turned a quiet morning into a wild, stress-filled kickoff to the day.

Aren’t school mornings challenging enough? (more…)

20 Comments
09/26/2010
Corn Syrup Roll-up – Where’s the Fruit?
Kids Food / Lunch Box / On the Go / Snacks / Sweet Treats

Corn Syrup Roll-up – Where’s the Fruit?

You know ’em, those long, sticky, peel-and-eat rolls of sweet chemicals your kids love?  I just can’t bring myself to call them what they do on the package; “fruit” is just too far off what they actually are.  Corn Syrup Roll-up could work.  Or how about Artificial Color roll-up?  To make matters worse, my kids don’t even want regular roll-ups in their lunch boxes anymore, they want the ones that stretch to nearly a foot long!  So is it possible to make foot long real fruit roll-ups?  You bet. (more…)

55 Comments
09/12/2010
Popsicle Perfection
Kids Food / Snacks / Sweet Treats

Popsicle Perfection

It’s August and it’s hot.  For me, August weekends are traditionally days for sprinklers and popsicles, sparkling pools and chilled watermelon.  In fact, life feels pretty close to perfect from the perspective of a shady chaise lounge in August; watching my children play and  listening as their laughter echo’s the joy of summer.  Ahhh, the sweet month of August. (more…)

6 Comments
08/08/2010
On the Road Again…Healthy Road Trip Snacks
Kids Food / On the Go / Snacks

On the Road Again…Healthy Road Trip Snacks

As I was preparing for a summer road trip this past week I caught myself humming the old Willie Nelson classic, “On the Road Again” and realized that before my family starting thinking Out of the Box about our food, “on the road” meant stops at fast food restaurants and mini marts for meals and snacks.  But now that we’ve turned a “nu”tritious-leaf, I knew I needed to give some thought to what I would provide for my kids who would inevitably mark the hours with shouts of “Are we there yet?” and “I’m hungry.”  Hmmm…gotta be prepared.  Snacks.

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3 Comments
08/01/2010
Chocolate: 72% Love
Kids Food / Sweet Treats

Chocolate: 72% Love

Chocolate has been making a statement in my life a lot lately.  No, it’s not by way of Rocky Road in front of The Bachelorette on Monday nights or through Fudge Pops out by the pool in the July heat.  Chocolate is continuing to come up both in conversation and in articles I have come across about it’s many health benefits.  I have added some articles of interest to the Relevant Reads page which I encourage you to check out.  Chocolate in it’s purest form has loads of nutritional benefits.  It’s bad rap has been handed to it by impersonators offering hints of chocolate flavor wrapped in corn syrup and sugar.

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6 Comments
07/25/2010