Posted: 15 Sep 2011 09:44 AM PDT

Healthy snacks for your little scholars.

The do-it-yourself snack bar

When kids come home from anything – school, sports, or just plain playing outside – they need to refuel. The good news is that with just a little help, kids of all ages can be taught to take charge of their own snacking needs.

The following weekly regimen takes about 15 minutes to supervise. It will absolve you of all further responsibility, and ensure that your kids have delicious, nutritious snacks on hand, whenever hunger strikes.

1 – Shop the raw materials

Next time you're at the grocery store, pick up two blocks of a crowd-pleasing cheese, like a mild Canadian Cheddar or Mozzarella. Make a quick stop in the produce section for three different bite-sized vegetables, like baby carrots, radishes, cherry tomatoes, or sugar snap peas. Then, in the bulk section, pick up three small containers or bags of nuts and dried fruits. Walnuts, almonds, soy nuts, dried berries, figs, and dried tropical fruits all work great. Lastly, you'll need a box or two of sandwich bags.

2 – Set up the assembly line

Back at home, try to find 15 minutes of quality time to spend putting your kids to work for themselves. After dinner during the week, or after breakfast on the weekend can be good times. Find a spot in the fridge where you can store a quantity of pre-prepped snack bags – a drawer or self-contained compartment on the door is ideal. On a long counter or the kitchen table, set out the cheese, vegetables, bulk items, and plastic bags. You'll also need a knife and board, for cutting up the cheese.

3 – Bag your loot

While you cut the cheese into small cubes, have your kids assemble two kinds of snack bags – one with a mix of vegetables, the other with a mix of nuts and/or dried fruits. A small handful is enough – remember this is a snack, not a meal. Finally, make small bags of cheese cubes. The number of bags you make is up to you. One of each kind, per child, per day, is usually a good idea. When the bagging is done, haul your snacks to their assigned place in the fridge, and congratulate yourselves on a job well done!

Look what’s for lunch!

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 09:36 AM PDT

Looking for lunch solutions? Let these lunch box ideas make your mid-day meal the highlight of your day!

For many moms, back to school can mean back to wondering what to pack into lunchboxes. Your main concern is probably giving your kids a mid-day meal that will give them the nutrition they need to stay active and alert. On the other hand, kids are more concerned about taste, and having a lunch that looks at least as cool (if not way more cool) as the others around them. What goes into a lunch that's going to make everyone happy?

FUN

Instead of making sandwiches, try rolling favourite combos into a new kind of flatbread or a large leaf of Romaine, Boston or other lettuce for a fun new way to eat the same old favourites. Most supermarkets now stock a variety of flavourful pitas, tortillas and flatbreads, and a crisp green leaf adds colour and a sweet crunch to lunch.

FLAVOUR

It's easy to give classic lunch-box staples a flavour boost with a new cheese or two. Flavoured Canadian Havarti or Cheddar can transform a sliced meat sandwich, and a fresh cheese like Boursin or even a soft Canadian Blue will make any celery stick something special. Using a soft cheese instead of butter is also a great way to add flavour and interest to sandwiches.

CONTRAST

A big part of feeling satisfied by a meal is experiencing a variety of flavours and textures that complement each other. Kids especially enjoy the contrasts of sweet and salty, crunchy and soft. Sweet cherry tomatoes or sliced bell peppers with cubes of a mild cheese like Canadian Mozzarella or Monterey Jack provide a perfect flavour and texture combination that also packs a real nutritional punch. Toss them into a sandwich bag together, or into a sealable plastic container along with a light dressing to make an ultra-simple salad.

Kids can be picky. Whether you've got the kind that want something new every day, or the ones that are reluctant to try new things, one thing they're sure to have in common is that they'll love cheese for lunch.

Cooking Up Family Time, Together

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 09:29 AM PDT

Kids are healthier and perform better in school when the family eats together. Check out a few tips to help busy families find time around the table.

When families cook together

Cooking together strengthens bonds, passes on traditions, improves the family diet and gets meals on the table faster. What more could you ask?

The power of fun

When you turn meal preparation into family fun, the association of good food and good times lasts a lifetime. Treasured recipes are passed on and valuable kitchen skills learned. Kids are exposed to a great variety of different foods as the dishes are being assembled and cooked, and parents can slip nutrition information into the process naturally as they go along. And, when there's fun to be had, family members who often eat on their own are a lot more likely to eat with you.

What's so good about it?

Research reveals that kids (9 to 14 years old) who often eat dinner with their family consume more fruits, vegetables and milk products (foods Canadians don't usually get enough of), consume less pop, fried foods and fat, and are better nourished overall. They also do better socially, physically and academically. And parental oversight means that their chances of having eating disorders or being overweight are reduced too.

Role with it

Your power as a role model is awesome. Even rebellious teens admit that parents are their biggest influences. If you make fruits and vegetables available at all times and eat them with gusto, your kids are more likely to as well. If you serve and drink milk with meals and choose yogurt for snacking, your kids will likely follow suit. Good habits are contagious!

Pizza night!

Individual pizzas are fun to make together. Lay out toppings and condiments and encourage wild combinations. Overall, use whole-grain bases (lightly toasted first) and aim for four food groups on each pizza. For greens, go with a tossed salad on the side.

Cooking all over the World

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Dairy Goodness - Nourish your Day