Peas are one of those under-estimated vegetables. You think they need to stay in the frozen section and only come out for a chicken pot pie. Peas actually have more protein than a whole egg or a tablespoon of peanut butter. Not only that, peas are a source of vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, thiamine (B1), iron and phosphorus.Getting peas into your diet can be a little challenging, so I decided to try my hand at roasting them as an alternative to steaming. I've made roasted chickpeas in the past … [Read more...]
Homemade Nutri-Grain-Style Cereal Bars (with a gluten-free option!)
Cereal bars and granola bars are such an easy grab-and-go snack, but most store brands come with a whole host of ingredients that you didn't bargain for. It seems like it should just be made of some grains and fruit, right? Check out the ingredient list of Kellogg's Strawberry Nutri-Grain Bars: CRUST: WHOLE GRAIN OATS, ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, VITAMIN B1 [THIAMIN MONONITRATE], VITAMIN B2 [RIBOFLAVIN], FOLIC ACID), WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, SOYBEAN AND/OR CANOLA OIL, SOLUBLE … [Read more...]
6 Alternatives to the Standard Sandwich for Your Kids’ Lunchboxes
We are just over a month into the school year and lunches have already turned into a major chore. It seems that every morning, a few minutes before we are supposed to be leaving for the bus, I am frantically trying to throw together a nutritious lunch for my daughter- racking my brain as to what I should include. All the while, she is standing beside me telling me that she is bored with what I am packing for her. Does this sound familiar? If so, don't despair, I have a few tips for you to … [Read more...]
Healthy Snacking: Simple Plantain Chips and Guacamole
I've mentioned here before that the family and I are making an attempt to eat healthier this year. (A cliche, I know, but I've got three kids aged 6 and under, I'm too tired to be original. Especially with the baby currently teething and up all hours of the night.) What I've noticed lately is that the hardest part, my downfall really, is snack time. Our whole family can eat the same breakfast day-in-and-day-out pretty much without complaint (steel cut oats and strawberries for me, … [Read more...]
{In the Kitchen} No-Bake & Peanut-Free Dark Chocolate Energy Bites
Great news friends - we've brought a new food contributor to the MPMK team and she's got TONS of healthy family-friendly recipes she's ready to let us in on. Jen's not just about food, though. Over on her own space, The Chronicles of Home, she shares all aspects of her life as a self-described wife, mom, cook, DIYer, and decorato, turning our house into a home one day and one project at a time. Today she's sharing with us a tasty new way to get the kids in the kitchen AND to help keep … [Read more...]
{In the Kitchen} Three Dips to Get Kids to Eat More Vegetables
Having my kids home for the summer means constant grazing. Sure we eat regular meals, but when the kids are swimming and playing hard they need an extra snack or two. I like to cut up all my vegetables at the beginning of the week and then mix it up with a few dips. Let's face it, vegetables alone are a hard sell. I've perfected three dips that I know my kids will enjoy. And the more the dip, the more vegetables they eat! The first is similar to ranch dip, but a little … [Read more...]
23 Healthy Homemade Kid Snacks
I was looking through our archives recently and realized we have a whole bunch of really awesome recipes for homemade healthy kid snacks. And what do we do when we have a plethora of something wonderful? We make a super helpful roundup so that you can access them all in one place (of course). Today I present to you no less than 23 of our all-time favorite healthy snack ideas for kids. Enjoy! Fruit and Veggie Rainbow Gummies Oatmeal To-Go Bars 4 Healthy Smoothie Recipes Kid … [Read more...]
Healthy Homemade Crackers (Plus a Giveaway)
Sugar. Sometimes it's my arch nemesis, sometimes it's my best friend, most of the time it's somewhere in between. I've been on a personal journey for a few years to reduce the amount of sugar and processed foods that my family and I consume. I also recently attempted the 21 Day Sugar Detox (we made it to about day 18, nobody's perfect!). When Steph asked if I might review a recipe from Sarah Wilson's book, I Quit Sugar, I was glad to skim the pages and see what she had to say. Plus I … [Read more...]
A Rainbow of Healthy Homemade Gummy Snacks
Most of us busy parents are on the look out for new ways to squeeze extra nutrition into our growing kids. Around here, we love using our juicer and enjoying fresh fruit and veggie juice, but it's not really something you can grab-and-go (well you can.. but not without cleaning out a clogged-up juicer later on in the day). Fruit and veggie gummies are our latest solution for getting good nutrition in small, portable doses. Not only are the fruits and veggies filled with vitamins, minerals … [Read more...]