Feb. 11: Little Lunch Boxes

I want my child to power through the school day, learning all she can learn, playing and exercising to increase her fitness, and smiling and laughing because she just feels so darned good. As the parents, we have the power to make this a reality for our school kids simply by providing them with the appropriate fuel.

It goes without saying to send them off with an energy boosting breakfast. Studies show that kids who eat breakfast have a lower Body Mass Index, higher levels of concentration, higher marks on standardized tests, and overall higher nutritional profiles. Breakfast will be another post - today we are talking about lunch!

My youngest daughter's school has a "balanced day." Instead of having "lunch" at 12 o'clock, they have two "nutrition breaks" evenly split up throughout the day. (I love it!)So we pack two small meals in the morning. Both meals contain protein and either a fruit or a vegetable. Luckily we have no nut allergies in our school, so many of the lunches here do contain nut products. Here are some examples of the meals I send for my daughter:

Homemade oatmeal pb bar and apple

Natural pb and banana on whole wheat bread

WW wrap with grilled chicken and veggies w/yogurt dip

Celery stuffed w/ nat pb, topped with raisins

Homemade trail mix

Yogurt, fruit and granola

Soup in a thermos

Pasta in a thermos

Apple, pear or orange, and almonds

Banana Dog(WW hot dog bun spread w/ almond butter and honey, w/a banana)

Sandwich on ww bread w/ thinly sliced meat (chicken, turkey, lean beef) spinach, tomatoes

Veggies and whole grain crackers w/ humms

Veggies and whole grain crackers w/ yogurt dip

Leftovers (Cold chicken and steamed veggies are a favorite)

DD9 carries a cool lunchbox that she picked out, and I try to find interesting containers to put her foods in (although we often use Tupperware and Zippie bags.) She brings her own water in a BHA-free stainless steel bottle. Needless to say, we rely heavily on pink and purple!

I send lunches instead of relying on the school lunch program for several reasons. First, I love providing the right nutrition for her. Secondly, she suffers from egg allergies and this way it's far easier to keep her away from trigger foods. Finally, she serves as an example of healthy eating for her classmates. Even her teachers have commented on her healthy and delicious lunches!!!

Jan. 26 ~ The Salad Bar Theory of Feeding Kids

As a mom, one of my biggest clean eating challenges is feeding my often-reluctant children.

To combat this I have developed what I like to call the salad bar theory. You know those huge salad bar/buffet restaurants with the "All You Can Eat" theme? Well, we have that at home quite frequently. We have a basic item and the kids get to add their toppings/add-ins. The only rule is that they must have one food from the protein section and one food from the veggie section. Aside from that, I try valiantly to keep my paws out of it.

This morning I was delighted when DD9 jumped right in to making her breakfast her own creation. It made me realize how easy it is to expand the salad bar theory to all three meals. Here are some examples:

BREAKFAST

Bases: Oatmeal, whole grain toast or English muffin

Proteins: Variety of Nut Butters, Yogurt cheese

Fruit: Thinly Sliced Apples, Smashed Strawberries, Blueberries, crushed pineapple, sliced banana

Toppings: Honey, Maple Syrup, Cinnamon, Chopped nuts

LUNCH

Bases: Wrap, pita or whole grain bread

Proteins: Hummus, Nut Butters, Thin Sliced Poultry or Steak

Veggies: Lettuce or Spinach, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Peppers, Onions, Grated Carrots

Toppings: Shredded Cheese, Oil & Vinegar Dressings, Mrs. Dash, Guacamole, Tzatziki

Salad:

Bases: Lettuce, Mixed greens, Baby Spinach

Proteins: Hard-boiled Eggs, Grilled sliced lean meat, kidney beans, chick peas, tuna

Veggies: Cold steamed broccoli or cauliflower, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, onions

Toppings: Clean croutons, Oil and Vinegar dressing, Yogurt dressing, lime juice, chopped almonds or walnuts, dried cranberries, feta cheese

DINNER

Pizza:

Bases: Fresh pizza dough, whole grain pitas, tortillas

Proteins: Refried Beans, Grilled Chicken, Seasoned Ground Meat

Veggies: Pizza sauce, Peppers, Onions, Mushrooms, Pineapple, Grated Carrot, Tomatoes, Spinach

Toppings: Shredded Cheese, Olives, Roasted Garlic, Feta Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, Salsa

Tacos or Quesadillas:

Bases: Soft tortillas, tostada shells, hard taco shells, Pita bread

Protein: Refried Beans, Grilled Chicken, Ground Meat

Veggies: Lettuce, Spinach, Tomatoes, Peppers, Onions, Salsa, Corn, Black Beans

Toppings: Shredded Cheese, Feta Cheese, Guacamole, Plain Yogurt

You could go a lot of different directions with this: stir fries, pasta dishes - the sky is the limit! This type of meal is pretty well the most popular way to go in our house. I often use this method when we have company too - other kids seem to think it is pretty fun to pick their own stuff.

Engage your creativity and try putting out a spread for the kids. If you chop up your veggies and proteins and put them in Rubbermaid containers, you can use the same basic ingredients for several meals.

Jan. 8 - Back with the Fruits and Veggies

Today was a lot better in the fruit and veggie department. I feel a lot more energetic too!

Today's eats:

M1: Whole wheat toast, peanut butter, banana
M2: Mixed green salad, tomato, grilled chicken, Newman's OV dressing
M3: Trail mix, banana
M4: Homemade chili, Triscuits
M5: Paper bag popcorn

Chili is so easy to make clean. I use the crock pot for mine and then I have a great family meal ready when I get home from work. (Love, love, love the crock pot!)

CLEAN CHILI

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground lean meat (beef, chicken or turkey)

large can of tomato juice (read your label!)

1 can of beans (black, pinto or kidney)

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 onion, finely chopped

2 tbs chili powder

to taste: garlic powder, crushed chili flakes (spicy alert), onion powder

Spray crock pot with cooking spray. (This makes for easy clean up). Crumble raw ground meat into crock pot. Add all other ingredients. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.

You can top with with yogurt or guacamole. My kids like shredded cheddar in their chili. I sometimes serve it with crackers or crusty whole wheat rolls. Leftovers will thicken up and make yummy burrito filling. Leftovers are also good when stirred into brown rice, topped with a little cheese and baked until warm and bubbly.

I love food that makes leftovers. My kids however, only like leftovers if they are presented differently. Thus the variations we have come up with.

I hope you enjoy it!

Jan. 3 - Clean "Junk"

I knew the day would come and today it did. We were out today and the plan was to go out to lunch. We were visiting a friend in the hospital and we were planning to stop near the hospital to grab a bite to eat. There was absolutely nothing around so we ended up heading home. During our drive home, the snowfall turned into a blizzard and there was no way I was driving anywhere but home. My oldest proceeded to get upset because I was "depriving" her from junk. She said, "I'm a kid!!! Kids eat junk!"

So I've put on my mom thinking hat and I'm coming up with some more clean food that will pass as junk. Here are some of the things I have come up with so fa:

PAPER BAG POPCORN

How about the ease of microwave popcorn without the chemistry project? All you need is a brown paper bag, 1/4 cup of popcorn kernels, some sea salt and some olive oil. Put the kernels in your bag and roll the top over twice, leaving plenty of room for your kernels to pop. Put this in the microwave for 1.5 - 2 minutes. When it's done add a splash of olive oil and sea salt to taste, close the bag and shake it to mix it up. POOF! Truly healthy microwave popcorn.

^ this recipe is thanks to "Natmo", a wonderful member of the toscareno.com forum.^

MEATBALL SUBS

Clean meatballs

Clean marinara sauce

2 cloves of roasted garlic

olive oil

low fat mozzarella or Parmesan

Clean bun

Heat up meatballs of your choice in marinara sauce - careful not to use too much sauce or the sandwiches will be too messy to eat. Slice the buns in half and brush or spray with olive oil. Spread roasted garlic on the buns. Toast these in the oven, then top with meatballs, sauce and cheese. Return to the oven until cheese is melted. I eat these sandwiches open-faced with a knife and fork. (only 1/2 a bun that way). You can also top them with onions and peppers.

BEAN DIP

Can of low-fat refried beans (check ingredients to make sure they're clean - we use President's Choice brand)

Shredded low fat cheese

Clean taco sauce or salsa

(I make this dip in a loaf pan - it's the perfect size)

Spread the beans in the pan. Top with salsa, then cheese. Bake at 350 until hot and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Serve with multigrain or other clean tortilla chips, or pita chips. Leftovers are great as burrito or pita filling.

I know these are not fancy cooking. They barely qualify as cooking - more as putting stuff together. I'm working on some other ideas that I will share with you after some experimentation. I want my kids to enjoy eating clean, not to feel deprived.

I felt a sense of urgency today, even though DD was just sulking because she wanted to eat out. The surest way to make this change fail is for the kids to feel like they are getting "ripped off." I feel so strongly about this way of life - I'm going to work as hard as I can to make it work for all of us.

Eats were a little weird today, what with being stuck in the car in a blizzard for 3 hours! Here they are:

M1: whole wheat toast w/ natural pb, apple

M2: Trail mix

M3: Bean dip and multigrain chips

M4: Open faced meatball sub

M5: Fruit

So, low on the fruits and veggies but nothing bad here!

Jan. 1 - My Pantry - Phase 1, GB&U

GB&U meaning Good, Bad and Ugly. Today I did Phase 1 of cleaning up the pantry. I am lucky enough to have a big bright walk-in pantry, but danger was lurking within. I got rid of the stuff that would tempt me, and left some items that I will just phase out as the kids eat them.

Top shelf: White sugar ( I decided to keep that bag for the occasions that we do bake-sale goodies for the school, etc.), aside from that the top shelf is storage for jars and containers, etc.
2nd shelf down: Some of this stuff is naughty. I had recently purchased a bunch of Nutrigrain stuff for the kids. I will dole it out in Lunchboxes until it is done. My steel-cut oats, box of sweetener for a diabetic friend, cornmeal, boxed potatoes (they will probably go during phase 2)8 boxes of whole grain, natural pasta
3rd shelf down: Green bin is baking items like, powder, soda, etc., box of granola bars (not clean),lentils, clean tomato sauce, water packed tuna, homemade spaghetti sauce canned last summer, whole wheat flour, pumpkin soup (not clean - kids will eat it one night when I work late) mixer, clean crackers
4th shelf down: natural pb (not opened yet), another bag of oats, can of chicken soup, (not clean)12 cans of beans, mixed grain oatmeal, canned pasta (not clean - for kids lunches), the last microwave popcorn we will ever buy, my beloved crockpot.
Bottom shelf is storage for baggies, foil, etc.

This is the stuff going to the food bank: 4 cans of cream of mushroom soup, 2 jars of jelly, 3 cans of baked beans, white pasta lasagna noodles.

In analysis, I know this can still improve. Like I mentioned before, I'm not in a financial position to just toss everything. I know the un-Clean stuff that remains will not tempt me. I'm planning another Clean-up in one month, and anything remaining will be donated.

Little steps all the way to a healthy home and family!!!

Jan. 1, 2010 - Happy Clean Year!

I always feel the itch of anticipation on January 1st. It is the day of the year that anything seems possible. I feel like I can make big changes on this day.

This year is different. This year, I did not wait for a particular day to change my life. I decided in one emotionally-wrought moment that life was going to change and I was going to be the force to make it happen.

I am going into this year with my fresh start already begun. My resolve is even stronger than when I began this lifestyle. I feel like a different person than I was just one short month ago.

So first: Results from the previous month:

STARTING WEIGHT: 210

ENDING WEIGHT: 199

CHEST: -2 inches

WAIST: -2.5 inches

HIPS: -3.5

~The jeans I was bursting out of fit me comfortably now and I don't have to do gymnastics maneuvers to get them up.

~ My depression and anxiety has greatly improved.

~ I am making good food choices because I want to, not because I have to.

~ I began an exercise program and am sticking with it.

~ I feel great - high energy, less tummy problems, and fewer aches and pains in my joints.

~ I submitted a magazine article.

I feel great when I look back on the previous month. I know there will be setbacks but I feel better equipped to handle them. The biggest difference between this and the million other times I have tried to diet is that I have been journaling. I am learning about myself and the connections I have made with food. I know now WHY I am fat, with a deeper understanding than "I eat too much."

I'm not making a big pile of resolutions this year. My only one is to set frequent goals. Achievement through small steps is lot easier than looking at the big picture - I still have 35 pounds to go.

So this week's goals:

1.)Continue working on the current article I am researching.

2.) Find some part time employment to help ends meet during the slow time of year at the store.

3.) Work on my patience - count to 10 before speaking.

4.) Keep it clean this week despite some personal issues that are going on - bingeing will NOT make me feel better.

5.) Clean out my pantry.

6.) Work on my fitness room.

JANUARY'S Goals:

1.) Submit at least one article

2.) Blog daily

3.) Lose 6-8 pounds

4.) Get fitness room up and running - I'll post pics - hold me to it, everyone!

5.) Continue converting my kids to the Eat-Clean lifestyle.

I'd love to hear your goals too!

What do you guys have planned?

Dec. 31 - New Year's Eve Party

Tonight is our annual New Year's Eve party. A few years ago I decided to make it a tradition to throw a NYE sleepover for my girls on this, the most dangerous driving night of the year. Hopefully they enjoy it so much that we continue it until they are adults (I know, overprotective mommy!)

We have around 5-6 girls expected for the sleepover, plus a couple of kids from the neighborhood that may drop in for some goodies and fun.

I'm getting rid of all the crappy food in my house today! Hooray - we will be squeaky clean after this party! I'm also offering some healthy options, because I don't want to feel like crap on the first day of the year! Clean(er) options are denoted by a *

PARTY MENU

Multigrain tortilla chips*

Commercial salsa

Guacamole*

Angus Meatballs in Honey Garlic sauce

Build your own pizza toppings bar*

Greek pitas for pizza bases

Potato Chips

Yogurt and onion soup mix dip

Pineapple cubes*

Fudge, Peanut Brittle and Christmas Cookies

Cherry tarts

Soda pop

Bottled water*

I think I can find enough healthy stuff to eat to avoid going totally off the wagon. I am having a pizza (despite the white flour base) with healthy toppings, a couple of meatballs, some chips, guacamole and tortilla chips and pineapple. I'll stick with my usual water bottle since I'm not much of a drinker. The toughest thing for me to avoid is the ships - I love salty foods. I'm going to lean on the guacamole and the tortillas to get me through it.

Wish me luck in staying up until midnight. I have a great quote for NYE that sums it up for me!

"Youth is when you are allowed to stay up late on New Year's Eve; middle age is when you are forced to." Bill Vaughan, American author and columnist, 1915-1977

Have a safe and wonderful New Year's Eve!

Tomorrow is a fresh new year!

Dec. 30: My Kids and Clean Eating

One of my priorities this year is changing the family diet. I want my kids eating clean also. We are having a last hurrah New Years Eve party, during which the residual junk in our house will be eaten or disposed off. Then that's it - I won't be replacing that junk with more junk.

At this point I would say my girls, ages 14 and 9, are eating about a 75% clean diet. There is still a little junk in my house. I have an evil plan to bring my kids over to the clean side, and here it is:

1.) I'm gradually making the switch. I've mentioned on my blog before that I did not do the big purge recommended in Tosca's Eat Clean Diet Recharged. http://eatcleandiet.com/splash/recharged/recharged_holder.html I think purging the house is a splendid idea in a perfect world, but as mine is imperfect I chose to go a different route. I purged my major temptations: chips, ice cream and cookies, and left the rest for the kids to thin down. This makes the changes more gradual. When the Skippy is gone, the only peanut butter option is my clean, all natural peanut butter. When the ketchup is gone it will be replaced either with the homemade version in the Eat Clean Diet for Family and Kids http://www.eatcleandiet.com/about_the_diet/the_books.aspx#The+Eat-Clean+Diet+for+Family+and+Kidsor with something organic and sugar free. The last lunch meat I ever intend to purchase was packed in a lunch box 2 weeks ago, and that has been replaced with thinly sliced turkey and chicken that I cooked myself. There are still some lunchbox goodies like Rice Krispie treats and Jello pudding cups. They will gradually be parceled out when school starts back up, mixed in with some homemade healthy muffins, bars and cookies. I feel that this method will forestall a potential mutiny!
2.) There is nothing else to eat. I am positive their sense of self-preservation will kick in long before starvation prevails, leaving them crawling weakly towards the pantry in search of a Twinkie. They may grumble and gripe, but they will eat an apple, some nuts or some tzatziki and pita chips before dying.
3.) Food is constantly prepped and ready to grab. It would rock their little fast-food worlds if they were required to prepare it as well as eat it. So when I come home from the grocery store I wash the fruit and put it in bowls on the counter or fridge. Veggies are sliced if they are to be eaten raw. There are jars of nuts, trail mix, and clean granola on the counter. Clean crackers and cheese are available. Pitas and tomato sauce are available for mini pizzas, and leftovers are immediately packaged in single serving containers for easy reheating, in the dire situation that a meal might be required.
4.) Clean up old favorites. I have come up with clean versions of many of their favorite "dirty" foods. Some of these are through recipes from clean eating books and websites. Others are trial, error and experimentation. A week's dinners might include:

Turkey burgers on whole wheat natural buns

Sweet potato fries

Steamed veggies

Chicken and broccoli stir fry with honey garlic sauce

"Fried" brown rice

Turkey tacos

with spinach, tomato,and low fat cheese

Guacamole

"Refried" beans

Whole wheat spaghetti

Turkey and spinach meatballs

Clean marinara sauce

Roasted chicken breasts

Roasted veggies: White potato, sweet potato, carrots, and cauliflower

Homemade pizza topped with

herbed tomato paste

grilled chicken and veggies

mix of feta and low fat mozzarella

There are a lot of recipes I am dying to throw into the mix from my Family and Kids Cook book that I just haven't gotten to yet.

And here is a quick list of the things I don't do.

1.) I don't restrict them when we are out. I hope that in time they will naturally make better choices.

2.) I don't preach to them about how "clean" something is.

3.) I don't cave on requests for "just this once" bringing unhealthy food into the house.

4.) I don't force them to have a completely clean menu on special occasions like birthday dinners, holiday meals and parties.

I'm seeing some progress. We have had a dozen cookies sitting in a canister on the counter since Christmas. There are 10 left but the fruit drawer is quickly depleting. When Dad took them to Wendy's last week my youngest ordered Mandarin Oranges for her side instead of french fries (yes, they are loaded with sugar but her head was in the right place.) My oldest has been looking through my cookbooks and Clean Eating Magazine http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/minisite/ce_index.htm and experimenting with some recipes. She was responsible for some spectacular sweet potato fries with dinner last night! By summer I expect to have more progress to report.

As I make these foods over the next week I will post some photos and some recipes.

Have a squeaky clean day!

Daisy