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Healthy in a hurry.
February 23, 2010
Jackson’s Lunch:
We’ve been busy around here lately with school, violin lessons and practice, hockey, and a weekend trip to Washington, D.C. When we’re busy, I’ve learned it’s really important to have healthy, easy food ready to go.
I’m betting you’ve already been told that a time or two, but it’s so true. It’s easy to get into bad eating habits when things get hectic because so much of what is fast and easy can be unhealthy–fast food restaurant drive-thrus, fried dinner-in-box at the supermarket, grab ‘n’ go-sized bags of chips and a soda at the 7-Eleven. For our family, I’ve learned to do some planning ahead so that when things get crazy our eating habits don’t have to suffer.
For one thing, I always have whole pieces of fruit in a bowl on the table in plain sight. Having fruit available and ready to go makes choosing healthy quick and convenient.
When I have five minutes to spare, I wash and cut up veggies to keep on hand in the fridge for quick grab and go snacking. I love having veggies ready to go for two reasons: One, if I have to clean and cut something up for either Jackson or me when we’re hungry or rushed, it won’t happen; and two, if they’re there staring at me when I open the fridge, there’s no excuse not to eat them.
Also, when I grocery shop, I think in terms of how I plan a meal–whole grains, veggies, lean proteins–to help guide my purchasing. For example, I buy whole grain breads, but I also buy whole grain tortillas, bagels, crackers and English muffins (grains) and then use them as substitutes for bread when I make sandwiches. It keeps lunch interesting, plus it’s easy to throw together a “sandwich” quickly even if we’re out of bread.
This morning I used a wheat tortilla for Jackson’s lunch. I basically rolled cream cheese, greens and chicken in a wheat tortilla and cut it into little wheels. It took less than two minutes; a quarter of that time was cutting the roll into pieces to make it more fun and appealing for little fingers. The veggies were prepped and waiting in the fridge. The grapes had been washed and were in a bowl on the counter. And the treats were quick to toss into Jackson’s lunchbox. Lunch was ready and the kitchen was cleaned up in about seven minutes. Quick is great and can be healthy if I plan ahead–something so important when life has you running.
*Here’s a little food for thought. When we’re busy, it’s easy, convenient and often very welcoming to dine out. We all do it; we all enjoy it. You might, however, want to skip ordering this item for your kids. Check out not just the calories, but the amount of saturated fat as well. According to the American Heart Association, people over two years old should limit saturated fat to less than 7% of their total daily calories. That would be a maximum of about 10 grams of saturated fat daily for a child Jackson’s age. Wow!
Sandwiches are a very popular lunch item. They are easy, versatile, portable and can be so nutritious.
February 9, 2010
No doubt about it, sandwiches are popular lunch items. In fact, most parents I’ve talked to say they send peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to school with their children on a pretty regular basis. I have nothing against a good* pb & j, but they’re out of the question for Jackson’s packed lunch since his school is peanut free. No matter, the sandwich possibilities are endless.
Marketresearch.com says it best when they declare that if an American thinks up something to eat, it will eventually be tucked between two slices of bread. That’s great news for us folks who pack lunches daily and like variety. Apparently, anything goes!
Sandwiches are easy, versatile, extremely portable and can be very nutritious; however, I tend to get stuck in sandwich ruts now and then. And judging from the amount of pb & j sandwiches I’ve heard are being sent, I’m not the only one.
When I’m feeling stuck, I try to challenge myself a little. I often try to re-do something common like fresh tuna salad instead of canned, curried chicken salad instead of traditional, or biscuits or English muffins instead of sliced bread. I have peanut butter on hand, but I also keep almond and sunflower seed butters in the fridge for a subtle change (Jackson likes almond butter and raisin sandwiches which is a fun twist on pb & j).
For today’s sandwich, I stepped only slightly off the path by using spinach instead of lettuce on Jackson’s sandwich, but I’m always excited to try something new when it comes to what is tucked between the bread slices.
Yesterday on the blog’s Facebook fan page, Kristen Danek mentioned loving peanut butter and chocolate chip sandwiches. I love rethinking the common; it can make lunch so much more interesting and fun. And when it comes to feeding kids, interesting and fun are almost always winners!
* Many peanut butter brands have partially hydrogenated oils (trans fats) and sugar added to them. So make sure to read the ingredient lists and opt for brands made with only peanuts and maybe a little salt if plain peanuts are too bland.
Better yet, make your own nut butters. All you need is a food processor and roasted nuts of any variety. Dump the nuts into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and let it rip! Scrape down the bowl every now and then. It may take a few minutes, but you’ll soon have nut butter, and fresh is so good (and almost always cheaper)! Store in the fridge.
February 3, 2010
The snow that fell over the weekend is finally melting off and the kids returned to school today after two uncharacteristic snowdays. Now it’s time to get back on track and get all of our schedules regular again.
First up was lunch. It’s still cold and snowy out, so I wanted to send a warm lunch for Jackson. He loves potstickers, so they seemed the perfect entree. I’ve made potstickers once before, and while they weren’t particularly difficult to make, they required a lot of bowls and pans, as well as a good amount of time. The end result was tasty; however, unlike the dishes that needed washing afterwards, the potstickers didn’t stick around for long at all.
What I’m trying to say is that I now buy pre-made, frozen potstickers in a bag. I’m not partial to any certain brand, but I read the labels obsessively.
In reality, I’m an obsessive label reader whenever it comes to buying prepackaged food. I like sticking to whole food for the most part, but the fact of the matter is most of us need a little help from time to time . My one rule is to read the label and allow the list of ingredients to guide my prepackaged purchases.
I look for items with short ingredients lists and ingredients I recognize. Ellie Krieger of the Food Network show Healthy Appetite has what she calls a “farm verses factory” test. Read the label and choose products with ingredients that can be found on a farm rather than made in a factory. Items I always avoid are partially hydrogenated oils and most anything that sounds like a chemical from science class. Typically, I stay away from highly processed or refined ingredients, as well.
So, yes, I buy and prepare some prepacked foods. But I do so after careful inspection of their labels. It takes a little time at the store, but the health of my family is worth it.
Appealing enough for Jackson to finish "every bite" even after a few days of amazing food in New Orleans.
January 26, 2010
It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything and for good (and oh-so-tasty) reason—we’ve just returned from a delicious few days in New Orleans.
New Orleans is a city drenched in decadence with delectable food at the forefront. We had the pleasure of living there for three years, and we just barely began to learn the culture of food for which the city is so well-known. When one thinks of New Orleans, gumbo, étouffée, red beans and rice, and jambalaya perhaps come to mind. But there’s so much more to experience in the Big Easy, culinarily speaking and otherwise.
Blackened Gulf shrimp was my very first meal in New Orleans when I arrived in my new home town a few months after Hurricane Katrina. I’ve always loved shrimp, but I had never really tasted shrimp in all its glory until I bit into that first charred morsel. It was sweet and tender with the perfect amount of brininess and fresher than you can ever imagine. I actually talked about it for days, and once we were settled into our NOLA home, shrimp became a dinner-time staple.
I learned to appreciate okra while living in Louisiana. My mom prepared fried okra when I was a kid, and I was less than thrilled to eat it then. But when both the temperature and humidity hover right below 100 and it only cools down to the mid-eighties at night, okra and weeds are about all that grow.
So, I grew to appreciate okra for its hardiness before I learned about its ability to thicken a pot of gumbo. The first time I made gumbo, the recipe said to cook the okra until all the “ropiness” disappeared. Ropiness? As I began cooking it, I realized “ropiness” was a less-disgusting term for stringy sliminess. But the thickening power of okra is undeniable, and I soon began to love the vegetable not only for its hardiness, but also for its thickening power and the way the seeds give a gumbo another layer of texture when they pop between your teeth—yum!
I have to say, though, that my most favorite thing to eat in New Orleans is the oysters. This is pretty remarkable since I wouldn’t touch them until about a year and a half ago. In fact, I despised their slimy bitterness with every fiber of my being. I can’t even tell you why I decided to eat one 18 months ago, but I’m so happy I did!
I first tried them charbroiled and to say they’re divine charbroiled is an understatement. It takes every ounce of willpower I have to not pick up the shells and lick them once the meat is gone. Once I discovered the ecstasy of charbroiled oysters, there was nothing that could stop me. I tried them breaded and fried, in oyster and artichoke soup, in stuffing, in a delectable seafood gumbo, on po’boys, and on salad, and I loved them every way I had them. My only regret is that I waited until a year before moving from New Orleans to try them. Now, we’re in Virginia, and believe me, the oysters here can’t hold a candle to sweet, creamy Gulf oysters.
So, what does all of this have to do with Jackson’s lunch? Well, while in New Orleans the last few days, we ate our way through the city and enjoyed every heavenly morsel. I believe I owe a great deal to New Orleans’ cuisine when it comes to all the foods Jackson eats and enjoys. Now we’re home, and I’m trying to convince Jackson that the food we eat at home is just as good as what we ate while in New Orleans (what I make is generally tasty, but it’s nowhere near New Orleans good—although I’m fairly certain our prepared-at-home meals are far healthier which is just as virtuous). I was pleased when I picked him up and today and he answered, “I ate every bite, and I LOVED that salad!” when I asked if he’d eaten his lunch.
Chicken salad is a classic lunch item and a family favorite. This is one version we especially like.
January 11, 2010
Chicken salad is one of those things almost everyone seems to like. It’s simple. It’s versatile. What’s not to like? My family is no exception; we love it!
Curried Chicken Salad is a version we are particularly fond of. I use roasted chicken breast. Store-bought rotisserie chicken or canned chicken breast work, too (drain first if you use canned). Shred the chicken. Add plain yogurt to moisten. Sprinkle in a good amount of curry powder (for two large chicken breasts, I use about two tablespoons–we love curry, though). Mix in chopped cashews, a few chopped scallions, a small handful of raisins or dried cranberries and some cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.
It’s great on greens, which is how Jackson had it today. It’s also quite tasty on toast (we like it on rye) or by itself. It’s a nice alternative to classic chicken salad.
