The 12 Dirtiest Fruits and Vegetables!

When you go to the supermarket and you wonder if you should buy organic or not, sometimes we should! But you can save your money on some of the fruits and vegetables. The Dirty 12 are the ones you should buy organic because they have a thin layer and are sprayed a lot to look fresh and clean. So jsut buy them organic and clean them at home! On the other hand the clean 15 you can buy them regular and save your money because they already have a thick layer that covers the fruit or the vegetable. It is logic!

The Dirty 12:

1. Celery

2. Peaches

3. Strawberries

4. Apples

5. Blueberries

6. Nectarines

7. Bell Peppers

8. Spinach

9. Kale

10. Cherries

11. Potatoes

12. Imported grapes

All of these fruits and vegetables need a lot of cleaning because they have a thin layer and are crunched by insects. We call them naked fruits and vegetables.

The Clean 15:

1. Onions

2. Avocado

3. Sweet corn

4. Pineapple

5. Mangoes

6. Sweet peas

7. Asparagus

8. Kiwifruit

9. Cabbage

10. Eggplant

11. Cantaloupe

12. Watermelon

13. Grapefruit

14. Sweet Potato

15. Honeydew melon

These fruits and vegetables are clean because the peel is thick and insects and dirt cannot enter the inside of the fruit or the vegetable.

Stocking a Healthy Kitchen!

Make sure you have the following on your kitchen shelf:

Brown rice and/or couscous	Brown sugar
Pasta	Honey
Bulgur or barley	Cornstarch
Beans (dried or canned)	Baking powder and baking soda
Fat-free refried beans	Vinegar
Reduced-fat condensed cream soups (a variety)	Ketchup, mustard, light mayonnaise, and relish
Chicken or beef broth	Reduced-fat salad dressings
Salsa or picante sauce	Canned tuna or salmon (packed in water)
Pasta sauce	Peanut butter
Vegetable cooking spray	Ready-to-eat whole-grain cereals
Vegetable oil, such as olive oil	Oatmeal
Herbs and spices	Baking potatoes and/or yams
Flour	Dried fruit, such as apricots and raisins
Sugar	Bread crumbs

Try to have the following in your refrigerator:

Fresh fruit (variety)	Parmesan cheese
Fresh vegetables (variety)	Low-fat margarine or butter spray
100 percent fruit or vegetable juices	Eggs or egg substitute
Onions	Low-fat sliced cheese
Tortillas	Reduced-fat deli meat, such as turkey breast
Fat-free milk	Bottled lemon juice
Low-fat yogurt	Light soy sauce and teriyaki sauce
Low-fat cottage cheese	Fresh garlic

Try to have the following in your freezer:

Frozen vegetables	Lean meats (chicken breasts, lean beef, loin chops)
Frozen chopped onions	Fish
Shredded low-fat cheese (a variety)	Frozen yogurt, sherbet or sorbet; frozen juice bars

White vs. Wheat Bread

Most kids, even those who are picky eaters, like bread. And that’s good, because bread, and grains in general, make up a big part of the Food Guide Pyramid. In fact, younger children, aged 2-6, should eat 6 servings from the grain food group, while older children should eat 6-11 servings each day. But what kind of bread should you offer your child?

There are so many choices, including white bread, wheat bread, honey wheat bread, etc. For many kids, taste will be the determining factor of what bread they will eat. After that, you should look at the nutritional values of different breads when you decide which bread to buy for your family. Although many things are similar for different types of bread, such as: Calories – usually about 40-70 calories per slice Total Fat – 0.5-1g Cholesterol – 0mg Sodium – 90-130mg Protein – 1.5-3g Iron – 4-8% there can be big differences in the amount of fiber and calcium that different breads have. A

nd whole wheat breads usually have more vitamin B6, vitamin E, magnesium, folic acid, copper, zinc, and manganese. However, many white breads are fortified with these vitamins. In general, 100% whole wheat/whole grain breads have more fiber than white bread or other breads made with wheat flour, although some white breads, such as Iron Kids and Iron Kids Crustless bread, have almost as much fiber as many kinds of wheat bread. A high fiber diet is recommended for most people, and is especially helpful for children who are constipated.

Many different kinds of wheat bread are now fortified with calcium too. Bread as an extra source of calcium is good if your child doesn’t drink much milk or eat other dairy products. So what kind of bread should you choose? Whether it is white bread or wheat bread, find one that is high in calcium (at least 10-15% per slice), high in fiber (at least 1-1.5g per slice), and which tastes good. www.keepkidshealthy.com

The Lunch Box!

The Lunch Box is a project of the F3: Food Family Farming Foundation.

What They Believe!

We believe all children must have access to healthy food to grow their bodies, minds and future. We must feed their knowledge while also providing wholesome sustenance to their physical needs. The tools for feeding such change must be equally available to all schools no matter their geography, budget or situation. The relationship children have with food will evolve into a virtuous circle benefiting not just themselves but our society as a whole.

F3 is focusing its efforts on The Lunch Box: Healthy Tools To Help All Schools

The Lunch Box is a web-based portal that enables all schools and school districts to make a healthy difference for all children in America by providing relevant information and the pragmatic tools necessary to make good food available for all kids.

The Lunch Box is in beta mode. When fully functional, it will provide the multi-faceted approach necessary to transition any processed food based K-12 school meal program to a whole foods environment where food is procured regionally and prepared from scratch for the student population. As a free resource, The Lunch Box will provide the essential “tools” for examining, learning about, and implementing this type of healthy meal program. From the “why” to the “how to,” The Lunch Box will offer a complete menu of choices for those seeking to implement program change in their schools and distric

Please check out their website: www.thelunchbox.org

Make Healthy Drinks Instead!

Finding a healthy drink for your child on the supermarket shelves can be difficult. There are rows and rows of enticing bottles in many tempting flavors and bright colors, and children are drawn by these as well as by the familiar brands advertised on television.

Artificially sweetened drinks:

The alternative to sugary drinks are sugar free drinks, containing artificial sweeteners, but I would advise caution with these as well.

GET INTO THE HABIT OF READING LABELS BEFORE BUYING A PRODUCT.

– Fresh juice:

Fresh fruit juices are the best option

– the next best option is pure fruit juice made from concentrate.

– Avoid carton of drinks masquerading as fruit juice. if the carton says “drink”rather than “juice”then it will not be pure juice but will probably have added sugar and water and is best left on the shelf.

Tips for healthier drinks:

Make your child smoothies by blending fruit on its own, or adding a littloe milk.

– It is always best to offer juice after mealtimes. A small amount of fruit juice with meals also helps the iron in food to be absorbed because of the vitamin C the juice contains

– Offer water or milk rather than sugary drinks. if children insist on fruit juice, dilute it with water to makie it less sugary …same goes with soft drinks.

– get your child to brush his teeth after sugary drinks

– Children like drinking out of trendy sports type bottles, so try filling them with water.

Why should we eat Tuna Fish?

I have started eating tuna fish  every night, it is very healthy and i recommend it for everyone. It can be  a great lunch idea you can send with your kid to school and if you’re wondering what to eat at night Tuna fish is the answer, so why should you and your family eat tuna fish? remember choose tuna fish in water and not in oil…

Tuna fish:

• Help lower the risk of heart disease
• Help with the pain of arthritis
• Decrease the complications in asthma
• Fish is also commonly known as brain food and is a great source of nutrition for young children.

But the bottom line is the benefits of fish especially fish that are high in omega-3 like tuna. Canned tuna is not only rich in omega-3 but high in protein as well. Tuna has become so good for you that the American Heart Association recommends that people consume at least 2 servings a day. It doesn’t mean tuna fish only you can mix types of fish.

Tuna is a low cholesterol food but it can also help the body get rid of fats that come from other foods as well. Tuna can also lower the risk of having a stroke. Tuna is also a low fat food but the calories increase with tuna because people add mayonnaise. Tuna has a low amount of saturated fat and it has vitamins, minerals, which bring us to, the fact of the matter is that fish is a great protein and cholesterol food. 

Healthy Kids Lunch Recipes & Tips

Give kids the energy they need to make it through the day with a healthy lunch. Studies have shown that if you equip your children with healthy food to eat at school, they will be better prepared to study and learn. Although there are lots of convenience products available to make packing your kid’s lunchbox a snap, those products are often loaded with saturated fat, calories and sodium. Our collection of kid-friendly ideas take little time to prepare and will help keep lunches enjoyable and healthy. Fruits and vegetables add color and crunch while providing beneficial vitamins and minerals. Foods like wraps, smoothies and dips are fun to eat. Give your kids something to look forward to at lunch every day with a variety of options they won’t trade away!

 

Read the rest here: [LINK]

Zucchini Muffins

Note: You don’t have to peel the zucchini before shredding it for this recipe. It won’t affect the taste and the peel will provide some extra fiber.

Prep time: 30 minutes

What you need:

• 1½ c. shredded zucchini (about 2 small)
• 2 c. whole-grain pancake or biscuit mix
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 2 eggs
• ¾ c. brown sugar
• ¼ c. unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• powdered sugar (enough to dust the muffins)

Equipment and supplies:

• oven (you’ll need help from an adult assistant)
• bowls — one large, one medium
• grater — a plastic grater is safest for kids
• measuring cups and spoons
• muffin tin and paper liners

What to do:

1. Wash zucchini and remove ends.
2. Shred zucchini using largest holes on grater.
3. Wrap grated zucchini in a couple of paper towels and squeeze to remove water.
4. Measure 1½ cups of squeezed-dry zucchini.
5. Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit.
6. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
7. In a large bowl, mix whole-grain pancake mix (or biscuit mix) with spices.
8. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, brown sugar, applesauce, and lemon juice.
9. Fold the egg-sugar mixture and shredded zucchini into the pancake-spice mixture; do not overmix.
10. Fill each muffin cup 2/3 full with batter.
11. Bake 10-15 minutes or until golden.
12. Remove muffins from tin 

and cool on a wire rack.

Sprinkle muffins with a dusting of powdered sugar.

How much does this recipe make?
About a dozen muffins.

Taken from : www.kidshealth.org

Food items a family should always have in their fridge

We can all use a little extra help becoming organized in the kitchen and during meal planning. The best way to ease stress is to be prepared. Make a list of frequently used items and attach it to your refrigerator door. Every weekend, check for items that you’re running low on, and take a trip to the store to replace them. Here are some items to get you started:

In your refrigerator:

* Eggs (or egg substitute)
* Fat-free Parmesan cheese
* Fresh fruit
* Green onions
* Jar of minced garlic
* Low-fat shredded cheese
* Low-fat yogurt
* Low-sodium soy sauce
* Pre-washed and sliced veggies
* Reduced-calorie margarine
* Fat-free milk

In your freezer:

* Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
* Frozen pasta such as tortellini or ravioli
* Frozen vegetables
* Frozen yogurt
* Lean meat
* Leftovers!
* Salad-size shrimp

Thanks to Weight Watchers for the suggestion!

However some parents want their kids to have more fat then just get food that are not low in fat.

Fast Food As Addictive As Heroin, Study Confirms

Scientist have previously proven links between drug addiction and fast-food addiction, but now there is a growing body of research that is finding out how junk food is hard wiring our brains for cravings.

Read the rest HERE