Salad is delightfully flexible: it can start a meal, it can finish a meal, or it can be the entire meal. It's up to you! Salad greens are plentiful in spring from the grocery store, the farmer's market, or your backyard veggie garden. Rinse them well in cool tap water, gently shake off the excess water, pat them dry, and then pile them high as a starting point to your homemade salad. Salad in Layers Layer 1: Greens are a great layer to start with when making a salad. There are so many choices such as Romaine, iceberg, kale, arugula, watercress, or spinach. Layer 2: Colorful, … [Read more...] about Salad Season is Here!
A Healthier Picnic from the Grocery Store
Do you struggle to plan and pack a healthier picnic basket? A quick grocery store trip could be your new, best solution. A picnic in the fresh air is fun in the summer. Or, if it rains, an indoor picnic is fun, too. No matter if you picnic in a park, at the beach, in the mountains, in your backyard, or in your kitchen on a rainy day... there's help for packing up your picnic basket with healthier nutrition. For a more elaborate picnic feast, head over to the deli department with sides from the fruit & veggie department. For a simpler picnic, stroll through the aisles of your … [Read more...] about A Healthier Picnic from the Grocery Store
Grab and Go Healthier Snacks from the Grocery Store
A snack attack calls for a quick solution -- like the grocery store. When you need a healthier snack then take a quick dash into the closest grocery store. It's efficient and it can work beautifully in your home town or on a road trip out of town. Here are lots of options to choose from as you fill a hunger-gap between breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Dash to the Produce Department for these single serving choices: Bananas Apples Clementines or tangerines Baby carrots Cut-up melon, mango, or pineapple Cut-up carrots and celery Dash to the Deli for these creative … [Read more...] about Grab and Go Healthier Snacks from the Grocery Store
3 Nutrition Labels Kids Can Learn to Read
When the kids come along on a grocery trip there is so much to learn, including how to choose a healthy boxed food. In the fall, children need good nutrition more than ever because they are fueling their brains along with their bodies for success in school. My earlier blog about back-to-school and healthier eating is here. The age of a child matters as far as how much she/he is ready to learn. From about 6-8 years old, depending on reading level, it can be a perfect time to work on food and nutrition label skills. With a wide variety of food products in every grocery store, here are 3 … [Read more...] about 3 Nutrition Labels Kids Can Learn to Read
Mealtime Traditions Sprinkled with Good Nutrition
Most of us have meals or recipes that we consider traditions, but what we forget is that they don't have to be difficult and time consuming. The best sprinkled-with-good-nutrition traditions are ones that can be repeated and enjoyed. So, please keep it simple. Making time to cook isn't always easy so do your best to choose a tradition that's meaningful and also quick to fix. Will something below be your 'spark' to a delicious, new food tradition? I hope so. Quick-to-Fix Breakfast Traditions The morning meal is wide open for creative and satisfying nibbles. Here are a few new ideas … [Read more...] about Mealtime Traditions Sprinkled with Good Nutrition
Pumpkin is a Top Choice for Fall
Pumpkin has a lot going for it -- a bright orange color, a healthy nutrition resume, and a flavor that is truly delicious. Most people that I know, including nutrition professionals, are enthusiastic about eating pumpkin during the fall. Here is a short list of why? Pumpkin is a Top Choice - Nutrition The big nutrient in pumpkin is vitamin A which we know by its color. The exact name for what makes it orange is beta-carotene which readily converts to vitamin A. This healthy vitamin is also found in carrots and many other yellow-orange colored vegetables. Along with vitamin C, vitamin A is a … [Read more...] about Pumpkin is a Top Choice for Fall