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Healthy Eating

10 Healthy And Tasty After School Snacks

by Amanda Foust August 16, 2018

The first weeks of school are right around the corner! There are so many things to prepare and plan before school begins. One of the harder things that’s often overlooked is the after school snacks. Most kids want to reach for a bag of chips or cookies, but although we love the convenience, most of us would prefer our children to also choose healthy snacks! We want to help you prepare for easy, HEALTHY after school snacks to keep on hand for your children to enjoy after a long day at school. Here are 10 simple and healthy after school snack ideas:

healthy after school snacks

Source: gimmesomeoven.com

1. Hummus and chips

Almost every grocery store these days sells hummus — for good reason! It’s a great go-to healthy snack option! It is filling yet also light. Hummus comes in different flavors and is full of protein! Combine with veggies, pretzels or chips for a delicious snack everyone will love. Do you want to make sure it tastes fresh? Then, make your own! You can find a hummus recipe and more at gimmesomeoven.com.

healthy after school snacks

Source: natashaskitchen.com

2. Fruit salad

Ever since my kids started watching the children’s show The Wiggles, they have been obsessed with the idea of fruit salad! I have made this dish with a variety of fruits. You can pretty much never go wrong. Grab what fruits you have in your fridge, chop them up, and place together for a colorful, healthy after-school snack! For a fancier version of fruit salad with an orange, poppy seed syrup, check out natashaskitchen.com. There you will also find classic Ukrainian food and easy step-by-step photos and recipes!

Remember, one great thing about fruit salad is that you can save the leftovers for an easy, morning smoothie!

Source: kraftrecipes.com

3. Avocado, turkey, and cheese on crackers

During the summer, avocado, turkey, and cheese on crackers is one of our regular lunch combos. But during the school year, it makes a wonderful after-school snack! Try different combos of cheese until you find the right one for each child! Then have that cheese on hand, ready-to-make!

Check out kraftrecipes.com for tips and ideas to use Kraft cheese in simple recipes.

Food Food Hacks Healthy Eating

7 Creative Ways to Get Your Kids to Eat Their Veggies

by Guest Post July 31, 2018

written by Guest Post

You know the struggle—dinner time rolls around, and all of a sudden there is unstoppable complaining, crying, and a complete meltdown at the table. What happened? You had the nerve to serve your kids some vegetables. How dare you! No one wants to fight this battle night after night—it’s exhausting. So, spare yourself the fight and get your kids the nutrition they need with these tricks to help sneak veggies into everyday meals.

1. Blend Up Some Smoothies

Many kids love juice. Smoothies or juices are a great way to sneak in some extra veggies. First, choose a selection of fruits your child enjoys, like strawberries, banana or melon, so it has a familiar, sweet taste. Then add veggies for extra nutrients. Spinach is easy to add to a smoothie and doesn’t change the flavor much. Also, consider frozen cauliflower or even some avocado for a creamy texture.

2. Give a Boost to Mac and Cheese

Mac and cheese is a childhood favorite. It’s also an easy place to sneak in an extra helping of veggies by mixing in peas, broccoli florets, or spinach. Also, consider adding purees to the mix. Butternut squash can be cooked and pureed, then blended in. Since it’s orange, when the noodles are covered with cheese, the kids won’t even notice!

3. Dip it

Kids love to dip, especially raw veggies. Set out several different sliced raw veggies, such as cucumbers, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, or bell peppers. Serve them with a dip such as hummus, ranch, cream cheese, or another favorite salad dressing.

4. Set Up a DIY “Bar”

Create a “bar” style meal where kids can choose toppings and create their own meal. For example, try a pizza bar with various veggie toppings, or a taco bar with loads of veggies such as lettuce, tomato, olives, and avocado. Or, try a soup bar, where you give them a base and let them add various veggies. This idea works great with tomato soup as a starter. Whenever children are in control of their food, it’s more likely they will eat what’s in front of them.

5. Flip Out Over Quesadillas

Most kids love quesadillas, and they’re another great option for hidden veggies. Add in a few diced tomatoes, avocados, or spinach. They won’t change the taste much because of the strong flavor of the cheese, and kids might just love the added textures.

6. Serve Up Some Skewers

Allow kids to make their own skewers. Start with chicken, steak, or a hearty fish, then lay out several vegetables to skewer. A few veggies that grill well includes zucchini, tomato, and peppers. Kids can also dip the skewer into a favorite sauce, such as teriyaki, tzatziki, or honey mustard.

7. Consider Foods with Veggies Added

There are many prepared foods that have vegetable purees added, particularly kid-friendly foods like pasta, chips, and crackers. The purees bring additional nutrition when compared to the standard version. Although these will not replace the need for vegetables in your child’s diet, they can be a first step for picky eaters to get in a few extra nutrients.

Sneaking in veggies can be a great place to start getting kids used to new flavors. But, a little patience will also help. It can take some kids up to 20 exposures to a new food for them to want to try it. So, keep putting the veggies on their plate (and slipping them into their favorite foods) and give them some time to become veggie lovers.

Author Bio

Ana Reisdorf, registered dietician, enjoys helping parents find ways to get their kids to eat healthier throughout the day. She also writes for Walgreens, where you can find a variety of vitamins and supplements for the whole family.

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Food Healthy Eating

These Summer Salads Will Make Your Next Picnic Perfect

by Guest Post July 12, 2018

written by Guest Post

The word salad persists as the bane of childhood existence, along with the words broccoli and spinach. Later, you find out salads flow with the seasons and can mean the inclusion of all sorts of delicious goodness.

That said, don’t discount the power of a salad when it comes to packing for a picnic. A salad stays fresh and offers a variety of delights for the taste buds. These summer salads will make your next picnic perfect.

summer salad recipes

Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar Pasta Salad

You’ve got an entire meal here with chicken, pasta, strawberries and healthy greens tossed with a homemade strawberry vinaigretteand balsamic glaze. For the dressing, pulse balsamic vinegar, olive oil and strawberries in a food processor until the consistency is smooth. Add salt, pepper and honey to taste.

Toss pasta, spinach, strawberries, chicken, walnuts and feta together in a bowl. Add homemade vinaigrette. Garnish with fresh basil.

Mojito Fruit Salad

This fruit salad tastes exactly like a mojito, but you could always leave the rum out. Mix blueberries, red grapes, honeydew, cantaloupe and watermelon together — or whatever fruit you prefer. Add chopped mint and powdered sugar, and drizzle a few squeezes of lime with the rum over the top.

Refrigerate until you’re ready to eat your cocktail. No one will be the wiser you’re boozing it up.

Summer Vegetable and Sunflower Panzanella

Seeded croutons and rich walnut oil vinaigrette punch up fresh greens from your summer garden. Savor the zest with a bite of asparagus, English peas and cucumbers. To make the dressing, mix walnut oil with vinegar, shallot and dill, seasoned with salt and pepper. Save half the dressing.

Bake the bread for croutons in the oven until golden. Blanch beans in boiling water until tender and cool in ice water. Pat them dry.

Combine croutons, peas, asparagus and cucumbers in the dressing. Add seeds and sunflower sprouts. Add a spoonful of labneh, and serve with additional dressing on the side.

Cucumber Tomato Salad

Put those summer tomatoes to work with this cucumber tomato salad that also adds a kick with whole cumin seed. Place thinly sliced red onion in a bowl. Cook mustard seeds and coriander over medium heat in a larger saucepan, stirring until seeds pop. Add cumin seeds until fragrant. Add in salt, sugar, vinegar and water. Simmer until salt and sugar dissolve.

Pour the mixture over the onion, and let it stand until it reaches room temperature. Refrigerate the mix for at least an hour or until needed. Drain the bowl, sitting aside one-quarter cup of the juice. Arrange onion, cucumber and tomatoes on a place, and drizzle with the saved vinegar juice and oil. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Barbecue Ranch Pasta Salad

Tired of regular pasta salad? Add corn chips with honey barbecue sauce with a protein for a unique picnic dish.

Boil pasta and rinse with cold water until cool. In a big bowl, mix black beans, green onions and corn with the pasta. In a separate bowl, mix barbecue sauce and ranch dressing together. Coat the salad with the dressing. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for an hour or overnight.

Garnish with sliced avocado before serving. Sprinkle the avocados with lime juice so they don’t brown. Mix fresh summer tomatoes in for extra oomph.

Chicken Salad Stuffed Avocados

Avocados are the toast of the town, and they taste even better as a part of a salad. Stuff avocados with chicken salad for a new twist on two picnic sweethearts. No one will be able to resist this recipe.

Scoop out the avocados but leave a thin border. Dice the avocado you scooped. Mix chicken, Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, onion, mustard and lemon juice to make the chicken salad. Fold in the cubes of avocado. Season the salad with salt and pepper. Serve in the avocado bowls with parsley on top.

Old-Fashioned Potato Salad

You can’t beat the classics when it comes to cravings. Boil potatoes in a pot of salted water until tender but firm— around 15 minutes. Leaving the peel on or off is completely up to you. Put eggs in a pan and cover in cold water. Heat to boiling, cover, remove from heat and let rest for about 12 minutes. Cool, peel and chop. In a bowl, mix eggs, potatoes, onion, celery, celery salt, garlic salt, mustard, mayonnaise and pepper.

If you want to get extra creative but still invoke your inner Southerner, mix in sea-salted potato chips for more crunch.

Unsure of what to bring to the next summer picnic? Toss together one of these unique creations instead of the same old boring Caesar salad. Turn to other classics, like an old-fashioned potato salad, or get inventive with a mojito fruit salad.

The summer season brings a bounty of delicious fruits and vegetables to the picnic table. Salads have gotten more diverse from childhood, and there’s a salad choice to please every palate. Dive in!

Author Bio

Jennifer Landis is a 29-year-old healthy living blogger who loves yoga, running, and dancing it out with her toddler! You can find more from Jennifer at her blog, Mindfulness Mama, or by following her on Twitter: @jenniferelandis.

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Food Healthy Eating

6 Healthy Greek Yogurt Desserts That Will Make You Feel Less Guilty

by Karly Wood April 23, 2018

written by Karly Wood

Eating healthy is a constant chore. Meal planning, label reading and being conscientious about food choices can be so hard! But you don’t have to completely cut yourself off from enjoying the sweeter things in life, like dessert. We’ve rounded up some delicious greek yogurt desserts that will satisfy your sweet tooth, but won’t impact your waist line.

yogurt desserts

Source: Listotic.com

1. 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Fluff

Light and fluffy and with just three ingredients, you don’t have to feel guilty when eating this Peanut Butter Fluff. Combine greek yogurt, honey and peanut butter and enjoy with fruit or crackers for a snack or appetizer that won’t make you feel so bad when you eat half the bowl.

Head to Listotic.com for the full recipe and a few more healthy ideas!

yogurt desserts

Source: AmysHealthyBaking.com

2. Healthy Greek Yogurt Raspberry Almond Pound Cake

Just because you want to eat healthy doesn’t mean you have to avoid sweets and bread all together. You just need to get creative with how you make them! This pound cake recipe has a fraction of eggs and butter, and no refined sugar or oils. It’s sweetened with Stevia and made moist and delicious with greek yogurt! Enjoy the comfort of this sweet cake, without the guilt that usually goes along with it.

Find great baking alternatives like this one at AmysHealthyBaking.com.

yogurt desserts

Source: BakerByNature.com

3. Greek Yogurt Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yep, there’s greek yogurt in these chocolate chip cookies! Large and in charge, these double-sized cookies are made with NO butter, but coconut oil and greek yogurt as a healthier alternative. While they definitely take more time to put together, involving a minimum of a three hour chill time before baking, you can rest easy knowing these are probably the “healthiest” cookie around.

Get the baking tips for this recipe at BakerByNature.com.

yogurt desserts

Source: EvolvingTable.com

4. Lemon & Blueberry Greek Yogurt Bites

Honey, vanilla, plain and lemon greek yogurt with fresh blueberries–– these are all you need to create healthy and refreshing yogurt bites! These frozen treats are perfect as an after school snack or a refreshment on a hot day. So healthy and so easy!

See how easy this recipe is by visiting EvolvingTable.com.

yogurt desserts

Source: SmilingNotes.com

5. Greek Yogurt Chocolate Mousse

Enjoy the creamy consistency of chocolate mousse, but without all the extras in this recipe. With just 5 ingredients, you’ll be whipping up mousse in no time (Get it? Whipping?) and enjoying it as a delicious dessert.

Snag the entire recipe at SmilingNotes.com.

yogurt desserts

Source: BackForSeconds.com

6. Greek Yogurt Fudge Brownies

Cocoa, greek yogurt and coconut oil put these homemade brownies a step ahead in the “healthy” department. While they are obviously a sweet treat, you can definitely feel less guilty enjoying these brownies which are more on the ooey, gooey side. Enjoy with a glass of milk!

Head to BackForSeconds.com to see how this recipe is put together, then start baking.

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Healthy Eating

Cut the Sweets! The Best Low-Sugar Protein Bars Out There

by Karly Wood April 18, 2018

written by Karly Wood

If you’re a busy mom trying to lose weight, get fit and stay healthy, it can feel like an uphill battle. It’s super easy to run out of time for breakfast, forget to eat lunch or find yourself starving while playing taxi driver all day. Many women look to protein or energy bars to provide nutrients and skip larger meals, but did you know that many of them are actually UNhealthy? That’s right, those little bars that tie you over can actually be loaded with sugars, be low in fiber and pack tons of calories without the added bonus of fiber. We’ve done our research and found some healthy options for grabbing that bar and heading out the door.

As a rule of thumb, always check your protein or energy bars and make sure they have 13 grams or less of sugar, 7 grams of protein (or more), 3+ grams of fiber and between 150-250 calories. Avoid products that have tons of processed foods, opting for whole ingredients (that you can pronounce. Now, on to the list!

low-sugar protein bars

Source: Amazon

1. Health Warrior Superfood Protein Bar- Mint Chocolate

Protein: 11g (plant-based)

Sugar: 9g

Fiber: 5g

Fat: 8g

Calories: 200

Enjoying this mint chocolate bar will feel more a treat than fueling your body with organic quinoa, chia seeds and oats. Dark chocolate and mint make this protein bar go down easy, all while giving you 20% of your fiber intake for the day.

low-sugar protein bars

Source: Amazon

2. RxBar- Chocolate Sea Salt

Protein: 12g (egg-white protein)

Sugar: 13g

Fiber: 6g

Fat: 9g

Calories: 210

Egg white proteins, dates and nuts really add up the protein in this coffee and chocolate combo bar. This gluten-free, dairy-free and soy-free bar is to the point, with “no B.S..”

low-sugar protein bars

Source: Target

3. Oatmega Omega-3 Protein Bar – Chocolate Peanut Crisp

Protein: 14g (grass-fed whey protein)

Sugar: 5g

Fiber: 7g

Fat: 7g

Calories: 200

This gluten-free and NON-GMO protein bar packs a lot of punch with some of the smallest amount of sugar. Despite being low in added sugar, the bar is flavored with monkfruit extract, so you won’t miss the sweet taste that’s more wholesome than refined sugars.

low-sugar protein bars

Source: Costco

4. Kirkland Protein Bars- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Protein: 21g (whey & milk protein)

Sugar: 1g

Fiber: 15g

Fat: 7g

Calories: 190

In a shocking turn of events, Costco’s signature brand, Kirkland powers to the top of protein bars. Made with no artificial flavors, gluten-free and packing 21 grams of protein makes this an affordable, tasty AND healthy option for packing protein. Did we mentioned there’s only ONE gram of sugar, too? Oh, and you can actually read the list of ingredients that include real chocolate.

low-sugar protein bars

Source: Amazon

5. Kind Madagascar Vanilla

Protein: 7g