It’s been a great long while since I posted anything about kids and exercise.  Getting them off the couch in winter (or any cold weather) is more of a challenge, than when the sun is shining.  Lets be honest though, its usually not their fault. They would be happy running around in their underwear in a snowstorm, if I would let them.  I however was meant to live in Southern California, where you can play comfortably outside all year long.   Then OF COURSE I would be outside with my kids more often.

But yesterday, I had a reason to get moving.  We got a coupon for a free family day at our rec center pool (indoor pool that is). It expires soon, so we headed out.  The great thing about swimming  in a public pool during fall and winter, is you have the pool to yourself.  Even on Saturday afternoon.

I wish I could say I swam with them. That’s what a good mother would do.  But as soon as I get wet, I get so cold that I want to go home.  I like to blame that on my thyroid.  So instead, I brought my big, awful GRE study guide, and hung out on the side of the pool, book open, pretending to study, but really people watching.

Something is stuck UNDER my crappy camera lens.  I took the whole camera apart thinking I could somehow get access in between the lenses, but all I got was shocked!  And the lens never came off.   Anyone have ideas on how to fix this?

Every picture I take has a “soft focus” edge on the bottom of the picture. I don’t know what to do. I’d get a new camera for Christmas, but I already got this laptop for Christmas.  So, I’m out of luck until next year!

Anyway, I’m in some sort of root vegetable craze.  Not only do I love Russet Potatoes, and red potatoes, but I really love Sweet potatoes!  For any meal, they are so filling.  My kids really don’t need to eat anything else.  So here is a little potato 101.

Our grocery store sells two varieties of sweet potatoes.  Although BOTH are technically sweet potatoes, they call one a sweet potato, and the other a yam.

Have you ever noticed a difference?  Here is how we use each:

SWEET  POTATOES:  (with white flesh)

• Just like a baked potato (butter, salt etc.)
• As Sweet Potato salad.

YAMS: With the orange flesh

• Sweet potato fries
• In a casserole with brown sugar.
• As a baked potato with sweet stuff on it like cinnamon and brown sugar.

Is one healthier than the other?  YES! Yams, with its rich orange color has more vitamins.  The more colorful your fruits or vegetables are, the more nutrients they have.

Rumor has it that some of you (you know who you are) don’t like reading my blog because it makes you feel guilty for not doing more to keep your kids healthy!  First, let me be totally honest and set the record straight about a few things.

• My 8 year old daughter (Erica) says EVERY SINGLE NIGHT, “Why do you have to make gross things for dinner every night”.

• My 6 year old son (TJ) subsists on granola bars, string cheese, apples, and ketchup (he even dips his apples in ketchup).

• My 11 year old son (Nate) tells people his favorite food is candy. And just yesterday he said his 5th grade teacher is The Best because she is always giving them candy!

So, with that said, to ease the guilt, lets change our intentions to SMALL CHANGES! That’s right! Small changes can make huge differences.  You don’t have to use every idea on this blog.  Of course not.  But one in 50 may speak to you and inspire you to try it with your kids.  So, here are some small changes.

• Make your kids smoothies once a week.  On that day they will be getting more fruits and vegetables than 98% of the rest of the kids in America!

• Go outside this weekend instead of going to a movie.  Plan a family walk, hike, swim, bike ride, anything!!

• Substitute!  When baking use applesauce instead of oil.  Light sour cream instead of full fat.  Light cream cheese, instead of regular.  Whole wheat flour instead of white.
• Sneak it in!  Follow the Sneaky Chef, or Jessica Seinfeld and puree some veggies to include with your creamy, cheesy casseroles.  Or, sneak in the beans.
• Replace the white bread in your house with whole wheat bread.
• Teach them something about nutrition.  Angee is doing a nutrition segment this week on preschool nutrition ideas.

So, for the love of all that is healthy and good, Please keep visiting my blog. Don’t get scared away!

Post note edit: I forgot to add: Throw out the Little Debbies.  No one needs them. And while you are at it, Toss the Lorna Doones Beth. Obama said so.

Do you love to plan your menu’s?  Traditionally on a quiet Sunday afternoon, I like to take cookbooks in my room and write our meals for the week.   So, for now on I’m going to start posting my menu plans for you all!

On Friday’s I’ll post a menu plan and shopping list, with a printable version on my sidebar, labeled with the date.  In the shopping list, if I know the best price for something, I will certainly list that too.

To kick off menu planning, I want to share a cookbook with you that I love!!

The Vegetarian Family Cookbook is having their 5th Anniversary Blog Tour!  I love this book!  I highly recommend this book!  Not only does it have great recipes, but tons of great ideas.

Right away I wanted to try the Homemade Nut Butter! I love peanut butter and almond butter, but the healthy versions can be super expensive!

This homemade version was sweet, salty, and so delicious, I had to stop myself from eating the entire bowl with a spoon.

And with permission, I get to share this  recipe. (with my photo’s embedded to show you how easy it was)

Honey/Vegan option

Homemade Nut Butter

Makes about 1 cup

Making fresh nut butter isn’t hard to do, and is a great kitchen project to do with young children, who actually enjoy the process of shelling peanuts. Ideally, use organic nuts. Conventional brands of peanut butter (far and away the most commonly consumed nut butter) almost always contain partially hydrogenated fats and high fructose corn syrup, two unhealthy ingredients. Some brands also contain cottonseed oil, which comes from one of the most heavily sprayed crops on earth. Natural-style nut butters contain the nuts only, and are obviously a better choice, but their flavor and texture are often too intense for younger children.

This homemade version is a perfect compromise, both for flavor and health. For another great peanut butter alternative, see Silken Peanut Spread, page 000).

1 cup shelled roasted peanuts, almonds, or cashews

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon honey, maple syrup, or brown rice syrup

1. Place the nuts in a food processor. Process until the nuts begin to hold together.

2. Add the oil, salt, and honey, and continue to process. Scrape the sides of the container from time to time, and continue to process until the nut butter is at the desired consistency.

3. Transfer the nut butter to a lidded container and keep refrigerated. For easier spreading, microwave for a few seconds before using.

Per tablespoon:

Calories: 64 Total fat: 5  g Protein: 2 g Fiber: .8 g

Carbohydrates: 3  g Cholesterol: 0 g Sodium: 35 mg

TIPS:

• For peanut butter, dry-roasted peanuts from a jar work just fine, but using freshly shelled roasted peanuts results in a more vivid flavor.

• If children other than your own will be partaking of this snack, make sure that none are allergic to peanuts—it’s a more common allergy than you’d think, and can be quite serious.

• This won’t work in a blender—a food processor is a must.

Isn’t that a great recipe!  All her recipes are easy and family friendly.  So, now the giveaway!

One reader will get their own copy of The Vegetarian Family Cookbook!  Leave a comment and I’ll choose a winner this weekend!

MONDAY: Fruits and Vegetables

It has been proposed that it may not be meat and cheese that is causing high cholesterol and obesity, it could just be that meat and cheese is pushing the fruits and vegetables off of your plates!!  PARENTS? Is this true? Has a grilled ham and cheese sandwhich replaced your vegetables?  Is it because you don’t know how to make your vegetables taste good? Do you overcook? Are they bitter? Do you not know what complements a good veggie dish? 

Your family will eat something if it tastes good!  Food is more than the nutrients they provide. Food is also for pleasure and enjoyment (that was for you Tia:) )  Learn to prepare these foods!  Make it your goal to get better at preparing vegetables so they are palatable to your little guys.

You say you already know this? You say,  “But Amy, I’ve tried! My kids won’t eat their veggies!” 

I KNOW, I KNOW! I’ve had much rebellion this past two weeks.  We have slowly moved in the last two years from a 20% plant based diet, to a 50% plant based diet… Slowly, but with much success.

However in the last two weeks I’ve gone a little nuts and tried to bring my family up to 80% plant based diet. (My ultimate goal).  But the resistence has been frustrating. The weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth has caused me to relent and return to 50%.

However, one vegetable that is easy to make tastes delicious is Broccoli.  My family actually does like broccoli raw, sauteed or steamed.  But when I read my sister-in-law Beth’s blog about how they roasted their broccoli, it looked great.  And it WAS! It has the perfect mix of tender, yet crispy.  Click here for directions. I’ve probably made it 4 times in one week.

Your goal for the week!  Find one snack or meal that you will add broccoli to this week. Here are some ideas from other Broccoli Posts:

• Broccoli Salad Makeover
• NRG
• Pile it High, its Broccoli Pot Pie
• Slaw-vania
• Chompin Broccoli

MONDAY: Fruits and Vegetables

A few days ago my 3 year old niece was over playing.  We had a bowl of baby spinach leaves on the table for snacking.  She insisted (and of course very stubbornly) that the bowl should be outside for the bugs! 

“No!” I explained. “The bowl of spinach is for PEOPLE.” 

She would not let it die.  “The Bugs! The bugs!”

So my kids thought it was funny to eat the spinach leaves in front of her while she was mortified they would be eating bug food.

Getting familiar with the tastes, textures, and look of different vegetables while they are young sets them up to continue eating those foods later in life. 

My favorite nutrition author, Joel Fuhrman recommends in his latest book Eat For Health to

“Make a bowl of one-half pound of cut up raw vegetables, and one-half pound of low-calorie fruits, and eat it slowly each day…. Eating slowly is the only way to gain all the nutrients that you want from the food. You can access the full nutrient-load from the food by breaking open every single plant cell.”

This is a great exercise to get your kids comfortable and familiar with the basic tastes of vegetables.  No dips or dressings, salts or sugars, to dilute the natural flavor of the food.  I buy the big boxes or bags of the baby spinach and its an instant base for snacking or making a big salad without chopping involved.

WEDNESDAY: Proteins

Why do your kids need protein?

1. Builds and repairs tissue.
2. Fights infections through antibody formation.
3. supplies energy.
4. Forms enzymes and hormones.

What is a good source of protein?  SESAME SEEDS!!  1/4 cup has 6.5 grams of protein.  That’s a great source.  Plus it is high in fiber and other essential nutrients.  So, what do you do with Sesame seeds besides make a bird house?

• We usually add them to granola bars!
• Add them to Breads or muffins
• Sprinkle on salads
• Puree for adding flavor
• Add to stir-fry veggies
• Blend with light mayonnaise for a sandwhich spread
• Add to cookie doughs
• Sprinkle over steamed broccoli

Can’t find them in the store?  They are with the spices.

THURSDAY: Health Issues and Ideas

I’ve always been a skeptic to research suggesting chocolate will improve your health.  I don’t care much for it, and have assumed most people will use the information as an excuse to cut back on veggies and add more chocolate!  HOWEVER…. I may be changing my tune:

My father-in-law has Macular Degeneration.  He is about 99.5% blind, and has been for more than 30 years.  Recently during a doctor’s visit he asked for advice for keeping his memory.  His doctor suggested some patients were trying dark chocolate.  So for two weeks he ate dark chocolate every day. At this point he told us for the first time in over 30 years the spot in front of his eyes preventing him from seeing anything was starting to shrink!  I will definitely keep you updated if anything comes from this, but it was enough to make me look into it a lit further.

According to David Grotto’s new book 101 Foods that Can Save Your Life, Chocolate can:

• Give you healthier skin (increased hydration and decreased roughness and scaling)..this dispels a common myth.
• Flavonoids in cocoa beans can combat diarrhea (who wants kids with diarrhea?)
• Improves heart health by reducing LDL and lowering blood pressure.
• Improved insulun sensitivity (vital for diabetics)
• Theobromine (found in chocolate) was nearly a third more effective in stopping coughs compared to codeine!!!
• One antioxidant found in cocoa may be effective in supressing genes that trigger colon cancer cell growth.
• Verbal and visual memory were significantly higher in subjects who consumed milk chocolate!

Are you as surprised as I am?  Clearly the antioxidants in cocoa are responsible for the benefits.  With most of the chocolate we eat, there is a small amount of cocoa, and a large amount of milk, sugars, and fats.   The so-called dark choclate bars that claim 70% cocoa are expensive too. 

Solution:  How many of you have a tub of baking cocoa in your cupboards?  Mine is 100% cocoa!  Use that in your next recipe or smoothie.

For Recipe ideas using 100% baking cocoa, go here. 

 Last day to enter to win some free Peanut Butter Coupons.

TUESDAY: Whole Grains

When your kids give you trouble about eating healthy food, the next alternative is to make it look/ taste/ feel different.

This is what I have to do with granola.  I love granola, but have never been able to get my kids to try some (out of the box that is).  My sister in law makes her own homemade granola that her kids eat for breakfast almost daily.  This is a great whole-grain way to start the day.

Although my kids won’t eat it like cereal, there are other ways they will eat it.  Here are some granola ideas.

• Mixed it with yogurt
• Use as a topping for a baked apple!!
• Add to muffins
• Bake it in bread
• Make granola bars
• Roll bananas in granola and freeze
• Top a salad with it.
• Toss it with oatmeal for a cruchy twist
• Add it to smoothies
• Soften it up with heated milk and let sit. Then eat.
• Use instead of bread crumbs for stuffing
• Crush and roll chicken in it before baking for some crispy chicken.
• Eat it straight with various nuts and seeds as add-ins.  Try sunflower seeds, almonds, raisins, craisins, pecans, m&m’s, cashews, dried apricots, dried apples, dried pineapple.
• Makes a great neighbor gift.  Pour granola in decorative cellophane bag and tie with ribbon.

What do you do with granola?

We recently tried  Bear Naked Granola.  If you don’t have time to make your own, this is the next best thing. With all natural ingredients, no preservatives, no HFCS, no hyrdrogenated oils, no trans fats, no cholesterol, and No artificial flavors.  Plus it tasted really good!  We  tried a recipe on their site for Pumpkin Muffins!! These were really great! Everyone loved them.

Do you want to try some Bear Naked Granola??  They are offering a blog reader two bags of granola. For your chance to be chosen, comment today. I’ll choose a winner on Thursday.

MONDAY: Fruits and Vegetables

I’ve got two kids who will only eat broccoli raw, and one that claims she only likes it cooked.  Usually, I can’t please them all, but with this salad, I did.

What I love about Broccoli Salad is you can be creative and choose different add-ins depending on what you have on hand.  I had very few things on hand, so it was simply broccoli, raisins, and pecans, with this dressing.

You can also include:

• Craisins
• Red onions
• Bacon bits
• slivered almonds
• grapes
• cheddar cheese
• sunflower seeds

Then, inspired by My Year Without (Nicole cut refined sugars out of her diet in favor of natural, unprocessed sweeteners), I decided instead of the traditional white sugar in the dressing, I was replacing it with honey. I also like the tang of mayonnaise, so I replace half of it with plain yogurt, and the other half with some light mayonnaise.  Here was the final recipe.

Why should your kids (and you) eat broccoli?  Its full of good stuff like Vitamin C, A, folic acid, calcium, and chromium.  Plus, it contains both protein and fiber.