These little peanut butter balls make for a great after school treat!  They have protein, good fat, and they are sweet as ever!  Equally awesome was the fact that my children have told me they don’t like coconut, yet they didn’t say a word as they ate these little coconut peanut butter balls.  In case you haven’t heard, people have been buzzing about coconut joining the healthy food family.   We are always experimenting with some healthy snack recipes, and this one was definitely a winner!

COCONUTTY BALLS

• 1 Cup all natural nut butter (I used peanut butter)
• 1/4-1/2 cup honey or agave
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup raisins (optional)
• Any other add-ins (seeds, nuts, etc.)
• Unsweetened Coconut

Mix peanut butter, sweetener, vanilla, and raisins.

Spread unsweetened coconut on wax paper.

Drop peanut butter mixture onto coconut and roll.  Chill for 1 hour or longer.

Just keep in mind, as with our Peanut Butter balls, if you use commercially sweetened peanut butter, these things are going to be super duper sweet!  Same with the coconut.  There is no reason to use sweetened coconut flakes.  The peanut butter balls are already sweet!

Caution:  If you are weak over anything peanut butter, you may want to cut this recipe in half.  They could be addicting   And don’t forget to save some for the kids.  Just because it’s healthy, doesn’t mean you should eat the whole batch!!

Whether you are a homeschooling family, or annoyed that your kids only get PE for a quarter of the school year, or PE has been cut entirely from your curriculum due to budget cuts, it becomes necessary to supplement their physical education at home!  There are 3 components of fitness that children should be involved in:

Strength: Using monkey bars, playing tug of war, climbing, sit ups, or handstands (At Erica’s soccer game on Saturday, she was apparently getting bored as the goalie.  The ball was coming down the field toward her goal, and we had to yell at her to stop doing handstands!  Real competitive one, that girl!)

Endurance: Playing tag, jumping on a trampoline, riding their bikes, soccer

Flexibility: tying their shoes, cartwheels.

The Utah education curriculum website has lesson plans and ideas for physical education.  I found two on there I thought were fun:

Scavenger hunt- it’s a website that pops up differnet things to search for in your house.  You can play with one or two players, click the button, and search for the item that it tells you.  You have to run to get the item and run back to the computer to see the next item.  Lot’s of running!

Fitness Challenge This one presents different challenges the kids can do like push ups, sit ups etc.

I wanted to introduce you to Annett Davis, an Olympic volleyball player that home schools her two children.  Her website is Fitmomsfitkids!

Anyway- I asked Annett about homeschooling and exercise.   I’ve pasted what she told me about how her family handles it:

I am a part of 2 homeschool support groups.  Both offer PE classes for homeschooled kids, both are better than our public school programs.  In CA the PE and music programs are being cut, cut, cut!  Both of my homeschool groups also have hiking clubs once a week.  We go on 1 1/2- 2 hour hikes with a guide whose climbed just about every major mountain in the world.  She is very knowledgeable, so they get exercise and are educated along the way.   Plus, homeschooled children can join sports teams in their cities just like any other child.  My kids do track, swimming, football, baseball, and dance throughout the year.  Last year my son via my homeschool group also took an 8 week fencing class!  We have about 15-20 homeschoolers in that class!  Homeschooling should not be an excuse, it actually should be a plus to get out and exercise as a family.

THANKS ANNETT!! Check out her website and take her challenge. to get fit!

Anytime I can find research supporting the benefits of fruits and vegetables, I feel compelled to share it!  This week from the American Association for Cancer Research, an article was published showing that a variety of fruits and vegetables can lower risk for lung cancer.  The study specifically concluded that variety was more protective that quantity of fruits and veggies. Even in smokers. Interesting, right?

The best way to ensure variety of fruits and vegetables is to eat from all the colors of the rainbow.

Each color in produce boasts specific nutrients related to that color.  For example

Red=beets, bell peppers, red apples, cherries, tomatoes, strawberries etc.  Strong in the phytonutrient lycopene and Anthocyanin, vitamins A and C. Known for controlling high blood pressure, reducing risk of cancer, and reducing risk of Alzheimers.

Dark Green/Green=Kale, Spinach, leafy greens, broccoli, Honeydew, peas, kiwi, collard greens, swiss chard,  Strong in Lutein and Indoles also fiber, potassium, folic acid and some B vitamins. Known for maintaining good vision, reducing risk of tumor growth in cancer patients.

Yellow/orange=Carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, apricots, oranges, grapefuruit, pears, pineapple.  Known for being high in Beta-carotene and bioflavonoids, fiber and vitamin A.  Benefits are boosts immunity, reduce heart attack risk, maintain strong bones and teeth, better skin.

Blue/Purple=Blueberries, blackberries, grapes, raisins, plums. High in Anthocyanin and phenolics.  Benefits are reduction of age related memory loss, controlling blood pressure, slowing the effects of aging (I like that one).

White=Garlic, potatoes, onions. High in allicin, fiber, potassium. Benefits are lowering cholesterol, reduces spread of cancer.

My niece, on her own, wanted to taste our Collard Greens we got from our neighbor Michelle.  So my sister and I watched for her reaction.

At first she said she liked it, then, not so much:

Oh well, maybe next time Doesn’t she know it will help protect her from lung cancer?  Apparently her mother hasn’t told her that yet.

I think this is good news for those with kids who don’t eat many fruits and vegetables.   It’s OK to get less, but focus on variety.  What do you think? Are you better with quantity or variety?  Does your child eat loads of broccoli, but won’t touch anything orange?

Swiss Chard is one of those Top 10 nutrient dense foods we had not tried in our family yet. Imagine my surprise when I got to the grocery store and saw this gorgeous Rainbow Chard!  I was in love right away.  The colors were so bright and pretty! Anyway- What I’ve learned about the Swiss Chard

• It’s season is from May-August.  Although with most produce these days you can get Swiss Chard all year long, however it tastes better and will be less expensive during May-Aug.
• When preparing your Chard, submerge the entire stalk and leaves in cold water to get the debris off.  Then dry with paper towels.
• Cut the stems away from the leaves.  Many people do not eat the stems.  You can eat both, but the stems need to be cooked longer than the leaves, so cutting them away makes this possible.

• Roll the leaves altogether and slice into thin strips.

• Swiss chard is the sweetest of all the leafy greens.
• If you don’t know how to use the leaves, use them much the same way you would spinach.

Here is how I cooked up our Swiss Chard!  It was super super super yummy! I hope you’ll try it ASAP! It got super approval from husband, neighbor, and semi-approval from children.

RAINBOW CHARD CHICKEN PIE

Prepare Swiss Chard by:

• Sautéing the chopped Chard stems in skillet with olive oil for 5 minutes.
• Add garlic and continue to sauté
• Add the leaves from the chard and sauté for another 3-4 minutes.
• Sprinkle salt over the entire mixture.
• Set aside.

Sprinkle and mix into swiss chard:

• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup cheddar cheese

Pour Swiss chard and cheese into prepared pie crust.  Then mix together separately:

• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk (mixed together)

Pour the eggs and milk over the greens.

I added chicken to the top of the greens. (optional)

Top with another pie crust.

     Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes, or until crust is cooked.

Readers also recommended these ways to cook Chard:

Beth.said Swiss chard is really good if you add it to soups, chopped up. It wilts a little, but still holds some shape. It’s part of the Olive Garden Zupa Tuscano soup recipe I have. But I’ve also heard you can saute it, like asparagus.

Marla said: Swiss Chard….toss it with some pasta & parm

Jeff  said: chard, cut away the center stem and cut to 1″ by 2″ or 3″ strips (they shrink during cooking). put in a touch of olive oil (easy though each spoonful is 120 empty fat calories) and saute for a while till they wilt, and even after that. it brings out the natural sugar in the veggies. you can add sea salt or kosher salt to taste/remove bitterness and italian seasoning or other seasoning your kids like. saute them with mushrooms, onions, garlic and/or eggplant for a nice side dish

Emily recommended this recipe that her family loves:  Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Swiss Chard and Pecornio Cheese

Thanks for all your great ideas!!

We did it! We tried Brussel Sprouts. I was so inspired by your comments on Friday because so many of your kids loved them.   Although my kids tried them ( I liked them by the way), the kids claimed they were gross.  But I’m not discouraged.  The Experts are always saying consistency is the key! OR  Something has to be presented 8-15 times before kids will accept a new food?

Heck, even I say that on my blog all the time.  So Here is where we will put it to the test.  Attempt #1: Nate and Erica ate one sprout.  Said they didn’t like it.  TJ didn’t even try.

I roasted them as suggested by Beth, Jen, and Morgan (just like we do with broccoli)

• Cut any stems off of the sprout
• Spread them on a baking sheet
• Drizzle olive oil
• Sprinkle with salt

Place in oven at 400 for 35-40 minutes

Wade boiled some, said he likes them that way- who knew?

• Cut stems off again.
• Place in boiling water for 5-10 minutes.  He added a little vinegar.

Other ideas readers had:

Natalie said:  I’ve roasted them with olive oil, and sautéed them with a little butter and garlic, then you can add toasted pine nuts – yummy! You can also sauté and add a little Dijon to the pan at the end

Jeff suggested sautéing with a little bacon

One last thought for all good intentioned parents, frustrated by your picky eaters:

 Karen Collens, RD, MS said, “Dislike of trying new foods, called “neophobia,” is very common in children ages two to five but can continue for years and is linked with low vegetable consumption. Parents help kids gradually outgrow this fear by continuing to serve a variety of foods. Studies show that parents often give up on a new food after three to five tries; experts recommend a minimum of 8 to 15 tries, and kids may still need to see and then try a food many times before they truly enjoy it. Very small portions make new foods less overwhelming.”

Thanks for all your great ideas!  I am committed to offering Brussel sprouts 8-15 more times

Has anyone else seen their kids change from Dislike, to Like of a food?

As more kids in this country become clinically obese, I find it increasingly more relevant to discuss obesity on my blog.  Recently I was sent the book, “Overweight- What Kids Say” to look through. The entire book contains discussions from this online chat site for overweight kids.  Reading through their stories is literally heartbreaking! The pain that these kids are going through makes me so sad! Some of them feel so hopeless.  

The reasons for childhood obesity are clearly multi-factorial. In fact the book outlines several reasons.  However, it makes me so sad to read stories where the parents are being hurtful like these:

(Amanda Age 15) I live with my mom, brother and grandparents…and my grandparents love junk food, not to mention theyre the ones going shopping.. so basically i have to choose to pic the sad carrot over the box of donuts or bag of chips… plus the soda.. i love soda, and i drink so much .. but thats all my parents buy… and they wont give up their junk food habits for me..so basically i wonder if i should just give up and eat myself into the grave..its like putting a drug addict in a drug house and telling them to stop the drug abuse.

(Rach Age 14) both of my parents are overweight (almost obese) and we have chips and stuff in the house that my dad likes to eat…all of.. my mom usually cooks fattier foods that i dont need.. i do have to get food somewhere. ya know? they’re not very active.. my question is this.. why can’t they start living healthier..for me?

It’s helpful when looking for solutions to get into the minds of these kids, through their own writings and discussions.  I highly recommend browsing the site (or checking out the book) if you have a child that suffers with obesity, or are in a position to help those kids who are.  There is also a blog from the Dr. Pretlow (based on the book) to check out.

For more help, one of the sponsors of Super Healthy Kids is 45pounds.com who specializes in helping kids lose weight.

Whew, that’s heavy stuff! Now onto lighter issues.

When people talk about the nutrient density of food, they are considering the amount of nutrients, divided by the total calories.  A food with excellent nutrient denseness would have loads of nutrients for very few calories.

Since our little ones don’t consume a large  number of calories, we should be sure the calories they are getting are dense with nutrients!  Of course the most nutrient dense foods are… VEGETABLES!  Each individual nutrient is packaged in a vegetable with other nutrients that allow them to work synergistically, giving us maximum benefits.

So, what are foods are the most nutrient dense? Here are the top 10 (from WHFoods)  Considering micronutrients to total calories (and eliminating calf liver.. cause I just didn’t want to count it …Bleehhhh)

• 1-Spinach  (We are good with this one… especially spinach salads we love)
• 2-Swiss Chard (Honestly, have not tried)
• 3-Crimini Mushrooms (I love all mushrooms… my kids won’t touch them…Yet)
• 4-Asparagus (My kids favorite way to eat Asparagus requires just a little brown sugar, but it’s so delicious!)

• 5-Broccoli (Check-they will all eat Broccoli now.  Cooked or raw)
• 6-Romaine Lettuce/ Salads (No problem)
• 7-Collard Greens (Haven’t given this a good try yet, but I’ve purchased it a few times- it ended up going bad)
• 8-Kale/ Mustard Greens (Ditto to Collard greens)
• 9-Tomatoes (The kids can be picky about tomatoes. They are limited to eating it as a dip like salsa, or other bean dips)
• 10-Brussel Sprouts (Haven’t tried these either)

Next week I’ll try to make something with the vegetables we’ve never tried for my kids.  We’ll see how they react.  I can already tell you Collard Greens might start a fight. 

When it comes right down to it, getting your kids to not only eat their vegetables, but like it too is going to give them a healthy advantage.

I’ve been wanting to spend more time on this blog diving into fruits and vegetables exclusively.  So, I was thrilled to find this site: Today I Ate A Rainbow! I love it!!!

We eat 6 out of the 10 (60%).  How is your family doing on the top 10? 

Zucchini has 36 calories per cup, yet 10% of your DV for nutrients such as; manganese, vitamin C, A, and fiber.  However, it is so much more beneficial than a vitamin supplement because squash has the ability to help you absorb other nutrients

Whether your garden is overflowing with zucchini, or picked some up at the grocery store, have your kids try these Stuffed zucchini pizza boats.

The process was simple, and the kids can help!

• We sliced a zucchini down the center, and scooped the seeds out of the middle to create a well for the toppings.
• We then placed the zucchini in a microwave safe dish.
• Filled it with a mixture containing

1. 1/3 cup cooked rice
2. 1/3 cup spaghetti sauce
3. (add any other vegetables you choose)
4. Topped with mozzarella cheese.

Then, we added a touch of water to the bottom of the dish and covered it with plastic wrap.  (like 1-2 TBL)

Then we microwaved on high for 8 minutes (or until zucchini is tender).  You can also choose to bake at 400 for about 15 minutes.

  This pizza is a great alternative to pizza for those kids sensitive to gluten!  Overall, it’s great for all kids.

Here are some other zucchini posts from the past:

• Fried Worm Sandwiches
• Chocolate zucchini cake
• Zucchini Bread
• Crookneck
• Breaded zucchini

One of the early reasons for the success of fast food, was the ability to eat an entire meal without a fork or spoon.  Our forkless breakfast solution: The Pocket Scramble.

My kids love this way to eat their scrambled eggs.  Once in a while, I can sneak some mushrooms, peppers, or carrots in their eggs, but they are much happier with more egg, less veggies.

Another benefit to our Pocket Scramble (especially on this first day of school), is the amazing benefits of eggs on young, developing brains.  Eggs are a great source of Choline, which is a component of Acetylcholine, a powerful neurotransmitter that carries messages from the brain to nerves.  The consumption of choline is critical during the first 6 years of life to ensure maximum development of the brain’s memory center. (source)

Pair the amazing benefits of eggs, with a steady source of glucose from the Whole Grain Pita, and we’ve got a perfect recipe for getting our kids from breakfast till lunch at school.  Without the dips and spikes in blood sugar white bread would provide.

So, we’ve paired, convenience, brain development, and energy and came up with the perfect first day of school breakfast: 

The Pocket Scramble

Nathan, eating his breakfast:

  Then, I returned to the kitchen later, to find Nate having a second breakfast (cheerios and milk).  This kid must be growing.  He can eat a ton of food all of a sudden.

Have fun at school kids! (and mom’s)

Inspired by iCarly (which I’ve only seen once… OK, Maybe twice) where T-Bo puts all his food on sticks, we skewered our lunch today.

I’ve actually never liked the classic peanut butter and jelly together.  But My kids love it! This sandwich is so easy to make a health superstar, or a dietary disaster!

According to Wikipidia, the average North American child will consume 1500 PB&J’s before graduating high school! LOL  This makes it even more important to healthify the classic sandwich!

• Replacing sugar infused, commercially prepared peanut butter with homemade nut butters may have the biggest impact on the overall nutrient density of this sandwich. So, how do you healthify this fave?
• Replace sugar added jam, with jam prepared with only fruit.
• Use whole wheat bread, or homemade bread.

And if you want to go beyond the normal.  Here are some other variations on the sandwich kids might like!

• Peanut Butter swirl sandwiches (made with whole wheat cinnamon bread, peanut butter and jelly)
• Peanut butter and sliced apples on whole wheat bread (Meal Makeover Mom’s)
• Peanut butter, raisins and banana on whole wheat pita (MMM)
• Peanut butter and honey (or agave). We eat these often!
• PB&J on a whole wheat waffle
• Nut butter and applesauce
• Grilled or toasted peanut butter and jelly
• Peanut butter and Jelly Truffles
• Peanut butter and Nutella
• Soy nut butter with berries
• A triple decker PB&J- Crust cut off, sliced into squares and skewered!
• And the weirdest way- My husband eats his Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in a bowl of milk, with a fork!

And for heaven sakes parents,  if the kids will only eat it with the crust cut off, just do it!  They grow out of it, I promise!

Do your kids like a “Beyond ordinary” Peanut butter and jelly?