Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in houston, TX

Healthy (and fast and easy) lunch ideas for back to school days

August 11, 2009

The other day I was listening to some moms talk about ideas for lunches once school begins again.

That conversation presented two issues for me: (1) fresh ideas for fresh and healthy lunches and (2) fresh ideas for fresh and healthy lunch packing containers.

I do all right when it comes to healthy lunches for my kids. I always send a protein, a dairy, a whole grain, a fruit and a vegetable. The challenge lies in what to send and getting the kids to eat it, especially when they are surrounded by less healthy lunches. That's when it occurred to me that the solution to problem 2 might also help problem 1.

Maybe my husband was right: it's all about the presentation.

fresh ideas for fresh and healthy lunches --striking a healthy balance with the time crunch

Here are my top tips and favorites for easy but healthy lunches that go beyond the standard sandwich fare.

Entrees:

1. Tex-Mex wraps

Mix black beans, corn, tomato (and any other ingredient you might like) and cook until warm. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top. Each morning, add some to a whole wheat tortilla dn wrap. Your kids -- if they are like mine -- might enjoy soem whole grain rice on the side or in the wrap.

2. Bagel pizzas

Add tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese on top of mini-bagels and toast until the cheese is melted. Let cool. Once these are cool, you can add them to the lunch or store in the refrigerator.

3. Egg salad pita

Make egg salad (I like to add in zucchini or cucumber for a vegetable) and stuff in a whole grain pita. You can make a big batch of egg salad, and, if storied properly, it should last a few days.

Sides:

1. Fresh steamed green beans

2. Cucumber, tomato and mozzarella salad (with ranch)

3. Carrot sticks and pea pods

4. Yogurt

5. Cottage cheese with a dollop of fruit or jam on top

6. Cheese sticks

Fruit/Dessert

1. Melon ball fruit salad (my kids love cantaloupe and all the better if it is served in fun balls or combined with honey dew or watermelon)

2. Red delicious apples slices and cheddar cheese slices

3.  Mixed grapes

4. Bananas and strawberries

5. A fresh fruit smoothie mixed with yogurt and milk (or kefir) and served in a thermos

fresh ideas for fresh and healthy lunch packing containers

The conversation with fellow moms about back to school lunches segued to how horrible plastic is; it's unhealthy, they said, and bad for the environment. I cringed inside. I think I am a plastic-a-holic. My kids' lunch kits -- the slightly expensive ones from Whole Foods that are made from recycled materials and are supposedly safe and green -- are filled with plastic food containers and utensils. These items frequently don't make it home, so they need to be cheap and easily replaced.I also need things that little fingers can easily open on their own. I've found that many food containers are too challenging for preschoolers to open.

That's when I found bento boxes for kids, and other moms have assured me that kids love the bento boxes.

You can quickly and easily handwash them, and many even come in stainless steel if you want to 100% avoid plastic.

Laptop Lunches was a good resource with quite a few choices, as well as some good bento box lunch ideas.Their site says, "Laptop Lunches are American-style bento boxes designed to help families pack nutritious, environment-friendly lunches for school, work, and travel. Our sustainable lunch containers--which come with a book of healthy lunch ideas and lunchmaking recipes--are reusable, recyclable, and dishwasher safe. Our lunchboxes, recently featured in both Parents and O Magazine, do not contain phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), or lead."

Although it didn't pop in my search, I checked Ikea anyway. I've gotten good lunch kit items from them (cheaply) in the past, and many of the bento boxes are fairly pricey. Ikea, it turns out, does not specifically offer bento boxes., However, they have some storage containers you could use. Just Bento suggested some Ikea bento items and I found the same on the Ikea site.

There are some stores in Houston that offer bento box supplies.

1. Fit Japanese Household Items

2. Cooking Cute offers a list of suggestions and styles.

Healthy (and fast and easy) breakfast ideas for back to school days

August 10, 2009

Back to school, back to the daily routine, back to hurried mornings and the rush to beat the clock and make the schedule...it's just around the corner. As much as we welcome the return of school and routines, it's a transition time that can present challenges. Even if your preschooler only attends a part-time program a couple or so days a week, it's worth it to have some great time saving tricks and ideas up your sleeve to make any "Go Morning" that much less complicated.

One of the best and most important start you and your kids can have to the day is a healthy breakfast. There are plenty of fast breakfast products on the market -- from toaster pastries to cereal bars that claim to have milk in them already! The idea seems to be eat on the run. Unfortunately, fast food designed for on the run often isn't very healthy or tends to include a lot of sugar.

In our family, we think meals are pretty important -- important enough to sit down for rather than do on the run as often as possible. We find a healthy breakfast gives us that necessary time to finish waking our minds and bodies before the rush to get ready and leave. Plus, with this healthy start, the kids and I tend to get so much more from our day (and give much more to it, too).

The last thing we tend to have time for in the morning, though, are complicated meals. It makes it very tempting to grab that fast food. But there are some healthy alternatives!

Recently, at TheMotherhood.com, during a chat, we began discussing favorite tips and tricks for healthy but speedy breakfasts. Here are a few of those best quick and easy healthy breakfast recipe ideas:

Mom Beenie said, "We've been digging on vanilla yogurt with berries, granola and nuts mixed in. Current fave mix is blueberries/almonds/Kashi."

Kashi is a nice brand for healthy yet quick foods. Their cereals, frozen waffles, pizzas, and so forth tend to be whole grain, organic, and high in protein but low in sugar. Creativity aside, some days it's just yogurt and cereal here. We do like the high-protein granola sorts because they seem to last longer in the belly. Other times it's frozen waffles. I like the Kashi brand or the Van's gluten-free. I add peanut butter on top, and the kids like grape jam sometimes or honey on the side to dip. Now and again they'll let me add bananas on top of the peanut butter.

Mom Velma suggested, "Breakfast pizzas! English muffins with pizza sauce and shredded mozzarella, done in the toaster oven in a minute or two. My kids LOVE telling people they had "pizza for breakfast!"

That's a fantastic idea from Velma. Kids like checking boundaries,and this is a fun one to play with: dinner foods for breakfast and breakfast foods for dinner. If you think about it, some days it makes a lot of sense to have a hearty yet healthy meal at the beginning of the day and a smaller, lighter meal at the end. Imagine how soothing and enjoyable, for example, a bowl of warm oatmeal might be on a winter's evening. On the flip side, imagine how much energy and vitality you'll have from a hearty English muffic pizza for breakfast. Also try making it with mini-bagels!

I also suggest quick "crepes." On the weekend, use Bisquick to make a batch of "crepes." Use these proportions: 2 cups bisquick 1 1/2 cup milk 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 large eggs. Cook in a pan like pancakes. Then refrigerate or freeze. At breakfast time, pull them out, microwave about 1 minute, then stuff with cream cheese and orange slices! Fruit is wonderful for the body in the morning and oranges will provide a good dose of Vitamin C to help with those back to school and fall viruses.

Freezing or refrigerating is something you can do with a lot of food. You don't need to make it fresh every day. Make a batch of homemade on the weekend, and store for the week. You can even freeze eggs, such as for breakfast tacos, which proved a very popular breakfast choice by many moms!

I love breakfast tacos: scrambled eggs with a 'secret veggie' (usually tomato and squash or zucchini, or maybe spinach), cheese, and black beans in a whole grain tortilla. I can make a batch and refrigerate or freeze them, then reheat in the morning!

Be creative, plan in advance, and take inspiration from teh fast food and freezer aisles of the grocery store. You can make most of these fast food items at home in healthier (and cheaper) ways, and store them for use all week long.

Also, cooking in advance means you aren't preparing meals during the big morning hurry, so you can even involve the kids in the cooking.

Happy eating!

Cupcake Tour: indoor fun with kids and friends

June 01, 2009

This weekend we joined the Houston Cupcake Tour to check out the Dessert Gallery on Kirby. Once a month, a nice group gathers to check out different dessert shops. I'm personally on a quest for the perfect Red Velvet Cupcake. (Dessert Gallery made a nice one that was quite tasty but a little on the light and fluffy side for my red velvet preference.)

It got me thinking about a fun idea for parents and kids this summer: a progressive treat tour with friends.

For example:

Start at a sandwich place and get a tray of assorted sandwiches. Cut in fourths and share, so everyone can try different flavors. Move on to a fruit and vegetable spot, such as Whole Foods, and get some snacks there. (If you do go to Whole Foods off Kirby, you could take a break across the street at Borders and do a little book read time with the kids).Then finish up at one of the great dessert spots in your area. We enjoyed sharing bites so everyone got a little taste of something different. (If you do the Kirby area, Dessert Gallery and Sugarbaby's Cupcake Boutique are really fun spots. Dessert Gallery even has a shelf of toys.)

Kids love buffets and trying out new places, this is a neat way to try new foods, and a fun way to spend time indoors---not too long at one spot---with kids.

Enjoy!

2 experts share their 4 favorite tips for healthy, happy eating

April 28, 2009

One of the biggest misconceptions about eating healthy is that if the label says organic or natural, then it's good for you. Not so, says MeMe Roth, CHC, President, National Action Against Obesity.

"My greatest wish is that parents would get their kids off the white stuff," she said.

By white stuff, Ms. Roth means non whole grain carbohydrates. But every parent knows that kids love carbs, and sometimes, ti feels as if carbs are the only thing available, possible, and allowed.

Ms. Roth acknowledges this, "Seriously, look at the list of suggested "healthy snacks" sent out by better preschools, and it's chock full of organic animal crackers, low-salt pretzels and cheddar bunnies. It's great to avoid the toxic trash, but these refined-carb foods spike a child's blood-sugar and readies him for future insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes."

She explained the risks and costs associated with diabetes, "1 out of 3 children is expected to develop type 2 diabetes--a disease almost entirely avoidable 9 times out of 10. Yet 24 million Americans already have diabetes, with 57 million more on their way. The annual price tag for diabetes in America is $175 Billion. Diabetes comprises constant pricking to check blood-sugar levels, cardio-vascular disease, immobility, and the threat of amputation and blindness."

Instead of grabbing the quick and easy processed, carb-laden foods, of foods or drinks that prompt sugar spikes and increase the risk of diabetes, Ms. Roth has some other, healthier, but also easy suggestions:

• Fresh snacks!

"If the preschool has snack, make it veggies, whole fruits or berries, and maybe a little lean protein like chick peas," she said.

• Avoid juice boxes, even if they are organic!

"Juice is all the sugar without the fiber! There's as much sugar in a serving of juice as there is in the average soft drink," she said.

• Less is more in milk!

"If your child is otherwise healthy, over age 2 and drinks milk, make it 1/2 % or skim," she said.

• Water does a body good!

"Do your child the greatest favor of his or her life: get your precious preschooler hooked on water. It's the body's favorite drink, doesn't spike blood-sugar and doesn't pack on dangerous belly fat. The average American male drinks 341 calories a day in soft drinks. If he gives up nothing else other than those soft drinks, he'll drop 30 pounds in a year," she said.

"Every child in America deserves the chance to grow up healthy. Without health, there is no pursuit of happiness," Ms. Roth said.

Marcia Conner, a mom dedicated to healthy eating for her family, just as Ms. Roth describes, has some more great tips for moms who want good food that's do-able. She shared her best tip for helping kids eat healthy food:

• Keep fresh food cut and ready to eat!

"Fill your freezer with frozen fruit cut into little pieces. While my friends reach for a box of packaged snacks (often organic, but still quite processed), I always have available delicious, nutritious snacks," she said.

• No limits on fresh food!

She also suggests not tying food to rewards, or limiting healthy foods, "In our house, there is no produce limit. Any amount, any time. It's helped foster an environment where eating something isn't a reward or a privilege, it's a healthy part of every day."

• Let them add their favorite flavor!

Adding a healthy topping or bit of splash or spice to a food might also be a good way to entice kids to healthy eating or trying a new food, Ms. Conner said.

"When we realized our son enjoyed garlic, we began making garlic powder (with a little parsley flakes for color) available on the kitchen booth table. If he's slow to try something new, he can add a little "seasoning" (his word) and he's willing to try it. Often, he's also then wiling to eat more," she said.

• Keep it simple!

"We're more into simple seasoned foods rather than complicated dishes that take time we don't have. I think that's also helped us eat healthy. There's no expectation something needs to be fixed or beautiful," Ms. Conner said.

You can read more from MeMe Roth at National Action Against Obesity and Integrative Nutrition.

You can read more about Marcia Conner's healthy food philosophy at her blog.

healthy eating the happy and savvy way

April 27, 2009

If your children eat healthy, you know they'll be healthier. We're constantly told we need to feed our children better---reports about obesity, studies say that more vegetables will make kids smarter, and so forth.

But kids like those unhealthy foods. And they don't always like what we're eating. So how do you work it out? Today on Savvy Source, you can read "A Savvy Guide to Happy, Healthy Eating for Families." This includes an expert overview of what eating means to us and to our children, how important modeling is, and tips and ideas for health (and happy!) meal times.

I have my own ideas to add to those great ones---a few things I do to make sure I can lay down at night feeling fairly confident my kids ate pretty well during the day, and enjoyed it.

Fast, easy, healthy breakfast

We get wonderful farm fresh eggs from our CSA every week, so we always have plenty. The kids like egg cups (poached eggs) with whole grain bagels and cream cheese, and some fruit (oranges right now) on the side. I know fresh fresh fresh food is the best best best, but I confess my hands are full just trying to get kids ready, lunches made, pets cared for and everything else done in time to leave for school. So I buy a package of bagels from the store, and sometimes we swap that out for frozen Kashi waffles. It's my happy compromise between "pretty healthy" and "realistic." On rushed days, I've even been known to microwave the eggs in the cups. The bottom line is that balance---what I can do, what's healthy, and what the kids like. And this works.

Lunches

I usually send lunches to school. My daughter likes to buy every now and again, but the school and I have really different ideas of what's healthy. So we compromise. She buys one day a week, and I send lunches the other days. Sandwiches get old fast, and my kids aren't big fans. My daughter is in a peanut-free class, too. So we get creative.

Some days I send whole wheat tortillas with melted cheese (quesadillas). My kids also love black beans, so if I fill a cup with black beans, cheese, and some cream cheese (makes it easier for little ones to eat because it sticks together better!) the kids love it. They also like chopped hard boiled egg with shredded cheese and carrots in a pita. 

On the side, I sometimes throw in a yogurt, but I always include a fruit. The vegetable I either include in the main dish or have on the side. Right now my kids are crazy for "carrot sticks" which are really just shredded carrots.

Fun snacking in a jiffy

One of our favorite afterschool snacks that is quick, easy, filling and healthy is what we call Smorgasbord Biscuits. I keep whole grain biscuit dough in the refrigerator that will usually stretch to cover 3-4 days.  The kids love to put the dough balls on the tray to cook. We usually through in some counting and measuring, too! While the biscuits cook, we fill the plates. We have some great plates that are divided into six pieces. I add peanut butter (just peanuts!) to one slot, sliced fruit (strawberries right now) to another, shredded cheese in another, shredded carrots in another, and honey in anothe. Sometimes I vary this, but these are the kids favorites. They pile the different "toppings" on the biscuits and have a lot of fun and eat a healthy snack.

Dinner

Why is it that dinner always seems hardest? We're all tired, it's the end of the day, we're worrying about bed time---especially if it includes bath time---and so on. Dinner seems more likely to bring out the pickies and the inner feeling of UGH in a parent. I've caught myself telling my kids I'm not a short order cook or waitress, and that's when I know we've reached power struggle instead of happy eating. So what have I done when it's gone right?

I keep in mind the division of responsibility and make decisions about what I'm willing to do before we sit down. My four year old loves to make demands of needs as soon as I sit down. I've learned to tell myself it's okay to tell her that she can wait a moment for more (whatever). I've also learned it's okay to tell her to get some things herself, such as a refill of water.

And I try to have meals that everyone will like at least something served, but I respect that children are unpredictable, so as long as I've presented a healthy and reasonable meal.

Last week's hit was cream chicken crepes, with spinach salad with carrots on the side. The kids also love non spicy turkey sloppy joes with green beans on the side. Like most kids, mine love pasta. I'll add baked chicken and some cubed vegetables in for a full meal.

There are so many different foods, and I do believe in  variety. Our rule is try it, and be polite. But I try to introduce different foods as the exception, and stick to foods that work as the rule.

In our family, it's always the balance.

What does your family like to eat?

going green on a budget: buying fresh, local produce at a farmer's market

April 13, 2009

Earth Day is just 10 days away! So this week I'll continue my series about ways your family can incorporate earth-friendly activities into your lifestyle.

Today, I asked a fantastic lady and lovely friend, Tiffany Tyler, who is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Central City Co-op, for her best ideas and suggestions about "going green on a budget."

She had some great ideas about how you can eat green and be frugal:

Green doesn't have to be expensive. In fact, a gradual adaptation of a green lifestyle can be both relatively painless and cost-saving. Here are a few ways being green saves you money:

• Buy in season. Most of us have grown up being able to get grapes and apples year round. Our kids love them, and it's easy to put them in the basket every week without thinking about whether it's the best produce for the money that week. Re-learn what seasonality means, and you'll make your produce dollar go further. I learned this year that both my kids love asparagus and sugar snap peas, and it's been cheaper than grapes.

• If you are worried your kids might not like an in-season food, take them to the farmer's market and let them meet the farmer and taste the different fruits and vegetables. Let them meet the egg vendor and see pictures of his chickens. Let the kids ask questions! If they are curious about new food even before they taste it, it makes the eating so much more fun!

• Be positive and encouraging, and be ready to be surprised. From my summer running the market last year, I can tell you from direct observation that your child does model your behavior. If you say, "Well, I don't know...you probably won't like that..." Then they won't, even if it's the sweetest blueberry.  If you say, "Wow. I don't know if you'll like that. You've never had it before. Want to try it together and see what it's like?" Kids will often surprise you. Mine will eat kale, and I learned that by tasting with them. (Hint- Dinosaur Kale is awesome to look at and talk about. Bake it in the oven and call it homemade Veggie Booty.)

• Buy local where you can. This is important for so many reasons. Food that travels less is fresher and in better condition. It tastes better. From a carbon perspective, food that travels less is also significantly greener. Think about how far those Chilean grapes come, and how much fossil fuel it takes to get them here.

  Then think about the blueberries at the local farmer's market this June...that farmer lives in our community. He buys things here. He sends his kids to school here. He employs not only farm labor, but a bookkeeper, an accountant, a mechanic for his truck, and a vet for his farm animals (if he keeps any). Your grocery dollar supports him and a bunch of other people, not a corporate bottom line.

Tiffany had some other great suggestions of things to consider when trying to balance green living and your checkbook:

• Remember that here in Texas, produce from Mexico travels less distance than food from California or Florida. Bananas from Honduras are closer than apples from Washington State. That helps with your carbon footprint.

• Buy only what you will actually consume. That warehouse pack of cantaloupe really looks good, and per melon it's cheap, but it's not cheap if the last melon rots before you can eat it.

• Processed food is convenient, but it's expensive, and it's teaching your kids that food comes in a box, not fresh. And all that packaging isn't Green at all, even if you recycle it.

• Serve smaller portions of meat. Being a vegetarian is the greenest thing to do, but it's not for everyone. And kids know naturally that they don't need as much meat as you might be giving them. Give them lots of veggies and fruit they like at every meal and make the meat an accent. Yes, fresh veggies are expensive, but not as expensive as meat.

• Go organic where you can. It's better for the earth, cutting all those synthetic fertilizers that run off into streams and pesticides that kill butterflies and other beneficial insects. Organics in season, especially at your farmer's market, don't have to be expensive. Organic local fruit in season is cheaper than imported conventional fruit out of season.

So many of us dread grocery store trips with kids because it can be stressful, especially with kids begging for food we don't want to buy. Not to mention, I'm sure we've all had to deal with those tantrums.

But a Farmer's Market is a interesting and entertaining place. You can have an enjoyable and fun---even educational!---time with your kids, experimenting with food and supplying your family with what you need to eat. Buying in season will help you be green, healthy and save money.

Many thanks to Tiffany for her great ideas and tips! Her group manages Green Market, the Farmer's Market at Discovery Green in Downtown Houston on Sundays from noon to 4 pm. 

In conclusion, she said, "We invite you to come see what Green can mean in your life! We also run a co-op storefront in Montrose on Wednesdays featuring both local and nationally distributed organic produce. We are volunteer run (a great way to get involved with your kids!  Come work with us!) to help keep prices as low as possible. Each market day, we donate remainder produce to kitchens supporting Houston's homeless, because we believe that everyone in the community should have access to fresh, organic produce."

Sweet Treats: Houston's Candy Stores

by Rachel Mosteller

July 14, 2008

I have to admit, I have a bit of a sweet tooth. I love candy, what can I say? So, recently, when I had to go to a candy store to get birthday treats, I became overwhelmed by all the choices. In fact...I felt like a kid in a candy store! While most of us probably go out of our way to make sure our kids have healthy, balanced diets, it is fun to bring them to a candy store to pick out  Read more...

Pretty, Pretty Peacocks

by Rachel Mosteller

May 26, 2008

When it comes to wildlife in Houston , I can definitely say that it is varied. You've got squirrels, deer, alligators andpeacocks. Yes, I said peacocks. If you ever want to have a parent/child 'special day, bring your little one to Vargos Restaurant to see the peacocks. While this is definitely not your average kid's restaurant, bringing your child here for  Read more...