Target | Straight Talk about Eating Smart

August 11, 2010

5 Tips to Pack a Lunch Your Kids will Eat

My cousin is a kindergarten teacher and started school on Monday! It’s hard to believe that summer is almost over and school is back in session. That means it’s time to gear up and think about school lunches… ideas that won’t break the bank, are nutritious and that your kids won’t trade.

Check out this month’s Family Circle recipe for Maple Bran Muffins. Drizzle with maple icing and serve for breakfast or a snack.

Try these five tips to pack a lunch your kids will keep and eat:

For your sanity, think about cooking and preparing for the week to come on Sunday. Go over your schedule for the week and think about what you can fix ahead to make the week less hectic. Consider meals that will provide leftovers for lunch the next day. Kids love leftover pizza, lasagna and manicotti.
Get your children involved in the kitchen with you and bake oatmeal or peanut butter cookies.Cut up fruit, make trail mix with nuts, soy nuts, pumpkin seeds, a mixture of their favorite dried fruit, and even add some mini chocolate chunks.Or try one of my several favorite mixes from Target’s Archer Farms line, Sunny Cranberry. Many of you know that I partner with Target as their nutrition & health expert and have come to rely on their Archer Farms products for my day-to-day meals and snacks.
Kids love the power of choice so involve them in choosing from your healthy selections. Think about taking them to the grocery store at a time when you’re not rushed or tired…I know…when is that? You guide the decisions and choices but do allow them to pick an item or two.
This week on the podcast, Margit Ragland, Health Director at Family Circle magazine, joins me to talk more about lunches that will be keepers.

According to Family Circle, Meredith Corporation’s Motherboard surveyed moms and 84% were looking for new options to add to their children’s brown bag.

Rethink the sandwich…switch from bologna with cheese on white bread. Try a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread…add a slice of low fat cheese or soy cheese.
Try whole-wheat tortillas or whole grain wraps as an alternative to bread and in addition to turkey, stuff with lean ham or beef and low-fat cheese, tuna, chicken, hummus or egg salad, and top with sliced veggies such as red peppers and cucumber. Peanut butter, almond butter or sunflower butter with banana or raisins works well too.
Keep baskets in your pantry filled with healthy snack selections that your children like. Include whole-grain cereal bars (try blueberry almond flax), dried fruit such as cherries or blueberries, nuts, whole-grain crackers, peanut or almond butter, and pop-top cans or pouches of tuna.

Looking for a healthier chip alternative with less fat and calories? Margit suggests Pirate’s Booty as one option. Putting together a lunch is much easier when the choices are there.

For more ideas, listen to this week’s podcast.

Listen to this week’s podcast

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March 24, 2010

Opt for Organic without a Budget Bust

Do you buy organic items? Would you like to buy organic if you thought the price wouldn’t bust your budget? I would. Do you think pesticide levels in all produce are the same? Actually they’re not. Even when you wash fruit and vegetables, some still have higher levels of pesticides than others. The Environmental Working Group labeled these as the ‘dirty dozen’…the fruit and vegetables where it’s smart to buy organic. These include apples, cherries, imported grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, raspberries, strawberries, bell peppers, celery, potatoes and spinach.

You can then save money and buy conventional produce that has very low or no pesticide residue. Reach for bananas, pineapples, kiwi and mango as well as broccoli, cauliflower, corn, peas, onions and asparagus. Remember that all products labeled organic must go through the same process to become certified. How does this save you money? You can opt for the less expensive store brand. For example, I consult as Target’s nutrition and health expert. The Archer Farms premium brand, which is exclusive to Target, has over 100 organic products in its line including organic waffles and organic maple syrup at affordable prices. Affordable is the key word here and that’s why shopping for the store brands is a savvy move.

This week, Margit Ragland, Health Director at Family Circle joins me on my podcast with more idea to go organic on a budget. You will find the full article in the April 17th issue but a few of her noteworthy tips include:
Buy a share in a community-supported agriculture program (CSA). You pay part of a local farm’s operating expenses, and in return you receive a box of fruits and vegetables weekly for the duration of the growing season, which usually lasts 24 to 26 weeks. Don’t forget to ask if your CSA is certified organic. Checkout: localharvest.org.
Join a food co-op. All you have to do is sign up and pay modest dues, although some co-ops require volunteering. Go to coopdirectory.org/

Other sites for organic on a budget ideas: unitedbuyingclubs.com, mambosprouts.com and Amazon. I would love to know how you buy organic on a budget so email me your suggestions.

Each month Margit shares a recipe from the Family Circle kitchens and this month it’s a 20-minute Three-Bean Veggie Chili. You can find the recipe at the WDBO.com Nutrition & Health Center.