Defeating Your Kid's Snack Attack

There are 2 basic categories when it comes to kids and snack time – on the go or portable snacks for the kids with sports or other busy activity schedules, and the routine, at-home or after-school snack.

Here are some things to consider for the on-the-go-sportster kiddos:

Hydration.  I’m always pushing water to keep kids hydrated, but there are going to be times (track, cross country, extended practices, etc.) when a bit more is required to keep them hydrated.  So when choosing a sports drink, it’s a good idea to make a natural choice and Bodyarmor fits that bill.  It is a natural sports drink with no artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners.  It is coconut water based, full of vitamins, potassium and electrolytes without all the excess sodium you sometimes find in sports drinks.  

To round out the sporty-snack, go with a half sandwich and a piece of quick fruit – grapes, apple slices or a banana.  Using some whole grain bread, some cheese or nut butter on the sandwich adds a touch of protein and the fruit will provide great nutrition along with some readily available energy. 

For the at-home snack, you’ve got a bit more creative leeway.  As always, the goal is that every time you eat, half should be plants – fruits and veggies.  Here are some examples of healthful snack combos:

·           cheese and crackers plus a carrot or clementine 

·           yogurt parfait with some berries or drained, canned fruit and a little granola for crunch

·           bowl of cereal (the ultimate simple snack) –just be sure to add some sliced banana or an apple.

·           homemade smoothies made of yogurt or tofu, a banana and some frozen fruit

·           chips and salsa with some frozen grapes

·          popcorn with apple slices dipped in peanut butter

Keeping it varied and keeping your kids involved in choosing and selecting their favorite fruits and veggies will be the key to not only a happy, but a healthful snack time.

Sprouting Safely: Enjoy Sprouts Without the Risk

With at least 30 reported outbreaks of food borne illness during the past 20 years coming from sprouts, it's understandable that we are wary about enjoying those delicious little nutrient packed spouts.  Since most contamination comes from the seed itself, rinsing will not be enough to eliminate the risk.  And since most sprouts are meant to be eaten raw, cooking them isn't always a palatable option either.

So what is a sprout-lover to do?  Consider growing your own sprouts, but please do so safely.  And remember that individuals with compromised immune systems are better off avoiding sprouts.

Here's the easy how-to for growing delicious, pathogen-free sprouts at home:

Sprouting in a Jar

Equipment for Growing Sprouts in a Jar

• Wide mouth jar canning-type jar with a screw on ring. Sanitize well in dishwasher.Path
• Sprouting seeds (more on this below.)
• 3% Hydrogen Peroxide Solution for cleaning seeds
• Fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth
• Bowl with lid or plastic storage bag for storing sprouts

Seeds and Varieties

The important thing to note about buying seeds for sprouting is that you should look for seeds specifically labeled as "sprouting seeds" or "for sprouting." The reason behind this is that they have been cleaned well and are pathogen-free. Sometimes you can find packets of sprouting seeds in garden centers, but if not, check your favorite seed catalog or health food store – most now sell sprouting seeds.

As far as varieties go, you may be surprised at how many types of veggies you can eat as sprouts. Most of us are familiar with alfalfa sprouts and bean sprouts, but consider radish sprouts, beet sprouts, pea sprouts, and sunflower. In general, any plant from which you might eat the stems and leaves is a good option for sprouting. Plants from which you only eat the fruits (such as tomatoes and peppers) won't work.

How to Grow Sprouts in a Jar

Growing sprouts in a jar is easy. Here's how to do it:

1.     To ensure pathogen-free sprouts, heat some 3% hydrogen peroxide solution to 140° F and allow the seeds to soak for 5 minutes.  Then remove, drain and rinse under running water for 1 minute.

2.    Place one to two tablespoons of seeds in your jar, and cover with approximately two inches of warm water. Skim off any floaters – they often can be the source of potential contamination.  Change the water and let soak overnight.

3.    Drain the water, by placing a couple layers of cheesecloth over the jar opening and screwing the ring on.  Lay jar on its side and cover with a dishtowel (germination likes darkness)

4.    Twice daily, rinse the seeds by adding water the jar (pour water in and out of jar through cheesecloth – no need to remove the ring), swishing the seeds around, and draining.

5.    Once your sprouts are the desired size - this takes anywhere from 3-7 days - depending on the variety of sprout you're growing,  place them in a bowl and cover with water.  The seed coats will float to the top. Skim them off, and drain the remaining sprouts.  Place in a clear plastic bag in the sunlight for them to “green up”.

6.    Store your sprouts in the refrigerator in a covered bowl or food storage bag with a paper towel inside to absorb excess moisture. Use the sprouts within a week.

Road-Trip Nutrition

Last summer, my family and I took what we termed the “Big Kahuna” of road trips.  In 16 days we hit 23 states, drove over 7,000 miles and spent 138 hours in the car.  That made for some very long days and some hungry bellies in the minivan. 

Approximately 76% of vacationers travel by car and as spring break approaches, we start looking towards planning that next great road-trip.  How will you plan to make it through Nevada or Nebraska without binging on high calorie, high-processed snack foods? 

Here are a few tips to avoid the typical “garbage-gut” feeling that often accompanies a long day in the car. 

1.     Hydrate with water.  Keep water bottles filled and handy for all your passengers.  Between the car snack and the inevitable eating out that is part of the road-trip experience, you don’t need to drink your calories.  

2.     Involve all passengers in planning their own snack mixes. Combining their choice of dry cereal, dried fruit and nuts or seeds makes for a more nutritious and successful snack that won’t leave you feeling garbage-gut-ish.  High fiber cereals provide a great crunch, the dried fruits give a little sweet/tart flavor plus you get added fiber and vitamins with that change-in-texture addition.  Nuts are a great way to get a little salt-fix with some powerhouse nutrition.  The protein, fiber and beneficial fats will help keep your car mates satisfied for the miles to go that lay ahead. 

3.     Even without a cooler, think produce. Bananas, apples, oranges, nectarines, clementines, avocados and cherry tomatoes are just a few produce items that don’t need refrigeration.  And while dried pineapple and homemade fruit leather are a staple for our car-trips, it is refreshing to have a fresh fruit as a snack or some avocado slices on that sandwich at lunch.  Whole fruits will help keep everyone hydrated and help keep tummies happy and regular during a vacation when routines go out the window. 

4.     When possible, avoid eating out.  Grabbing some fruit, toast and yogurt at your hotel for breakfast, picnicking out of your cooler or food-stash for lunch and then eating at a restaurant at night is a good way to not only trim your calorie consumption, but your budget as well. 

Planning your foods as well as you plan your destination will ensure that everyone will feel happy and healthy enough to enjoy the view once you get there.

Choosing a Smart Granola Bar

Ranging from borderline-candy-bar to super high in nutrition, granola bars can be a tricky choice at the supermarket.  Factor in you’re family’s personal tastes, and you might think it’s impossible to find the right granola bar.  Here are a few tips to shop smarter when it comes to granola bars. 

Look past the name or label.  Granola bars, snack bars, energy bars, cereal bars, breakfast and power bars may all run together in one's mind and while a lot of the naming is driven by marketing, there are a few differences:  Granola bars are generally composed of oats, snack bars more often contain more fruit and nuts and other grains, energy bars are generally higher in calories and are more processed.  For example breakfast bars generally are in the 200-220 calorie range while traditional granola bars tend to have about 100-140.  Don’t let things like “cookie” or “organic” make you think it is a more nutritious choice. 

Short Label.  Ingredient list should be your first stop when choosing any food and granola bars are no exception.  Whole grain should top the list and looking for a list as short and understandable as possible will reduce the degree of processing and unnecessary fillers.  

Fiber Dilemma.  Since American’s get about 50% of the recommended daily fiber intake, looking for a good source of fiber is helpful.  Fiber keeps not only helps with regulating digestion, but it keeps your fuller longer.  But beware – there is another side to unusually high fiber granola bars.  Often the isolated fibers that are added can bring unwanted side effects.  Chicory root or chicory root fiber is a source of inulin - an undigestible fiber that can help feed the bacteria in our colon - but it can also cause a lot more gas and bloating in certain individuals.  It is commonly used in  granola bars and other low-calorie foods since it is a calorie free filler that adds bulk.  If you tend to have similar digestive problems, you might want to stay away from the high fiber granola bars. 

Protein pros and cons. Americans are far from deficient in protein, so protein doesn’t need to be a driving force in shopping for a granola bar.  However, if you are looking for a little extra protein at snack time, then make sure that your proteins are coming from understandable food sources (nuts for example).  Keep in mind that the high protein granola bars are generally higher in calories (usually the fat from nuts) and often fall into the chicory root fiber trap.  

Don’t overlook the option of making your own.  You could involve your kids in the process which not only gives them some cooking skills, but it also puts them more in control of healthful eating.

Simple No-bake Granola bar:

1 cup dates – chopped to a paste in food processor

¼ cup nut butter

¼ cup honey

1 cup nuts chopped (I love cashews and almonds)

1 ½ cups rolled oats – toasted

½ cup dried fruit (I love dried cherries and blueberries)

Melt the nut butter and honey together in the microwave for a minute until soft and easily combined. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, then press into an 8x8 baking dish that is lined with parchment or plastic wrap.  Chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.  Cut into 12 bars and store in air tight container – can individually wrap and freeze for longer storage. 

1 bar: 195 calories, 26 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 6 g protein

Convenience & Nutrition Can Coexist

Often times our busy schedules make the siren-song of the drive thru seem irresistible.  But with less time than it takes to wait in that line of cars, you can enjoy a meal with your family at home – the way it should be – around the dinner table. 

Here are some overlooked convenience foods that you can have on-hand for a quick go to meal or snack. 

 First off is a quick fix from the protein category. 

Often, it is cooking the protein that takes up a lot of our time.  Tofu.  It’s been a bit misunderstood lately, but I’ve chosen one of my favorites: House Foods Organic Tofu is non-GMO, grown in the U.S. , and full of health benefits.  Cholesterol free, low in saturated fat and is a complete protein containing all 9 essential amino acids. With the new dietary guidelines emphasizing vegetable protein sources, tofu makes for a convenient quick way to go meatless.  I’ve used a soft tofu in this strawberry orange smoothie and a firm tofu in this manicotti.  I’ll have links to the recipes on my website.

http://www.house-foods.com/recipe/Strawberry+Sunshine+Tofu+Smoothie/

http://www.house-foods.com/recipe/Italian+Stuffed+Tofu+Manicotti/

Next, don’t overlook the freezer-section.  

Frozen produce is harvested and flash-frozen at peak ripeness, so you’ve got all the great nutrition of seasonal produce anytime of the year. The benefit of frozen is that it is real food,  frozen for convenience in preparation plus you have single servings that cut down on food waste and that always helps your food budget.  In the time it takes to round up the family and set the table, you can have your entrée and sides ready to go.  Now more than ever, there are more global-ethnic flavors to choose from that helps cut back on takeout. 

 http://easyhomemeals.com

Lastly, don’t forget the whole-grains.  

My favorite convenience whole-grain is minute or quick-cooking brown rice.  You may be able to throw together a stirfry in a matter of minutes, but if often is the rice that slows you down getting dinner on the table.  So try a quick-cooking whole grain, or cook a batch ahead of time and freeze it.  You can pull out a bag of frozen brown rice and heat it in the microwave while you stirfry those frozen veggies and tofu.  Better than takeout any day! 

What about the inevitable convenience store stop?

On the road, if my car wasn’t stocked with some good go-to snacks and I were to go into a gas-station convenience store for a snack, I’d buy a bottle of water, nuts or trail mix.  With a little thought, good nutrition and convenience can coexist.