Having trouble getting your kids to eat their veggies? A fun way to get kids involved
in the process and at the same time perhaps try new things is to take them with you
to shop (hard sometimes I know, and often not fun!) and take a spin through the
veggie aisle. Now before you lose your mind, have them point to a few veggies of
their choice. Make sure it’s one they have already tried and one that is new.

Now you might want to steer them toward ones you think they like, and if they
choose something you question, try adding it to a pasta sauce or buried in a salad.
Whatever works!

Be careful in case it backfires on you! I tried this when my kids were younger and
they first chose brussel sprouts…which I hate. But honestly they loved them! Of
course I had to eat them with a straight face or it would have given the wrong
impression.

What tricks do you have to get kids to eat their veggies?

Looking for after school snacks that are easy to make and so delicious?  I am always looking for something easy that is not straight out of the box.  After a hard day at school they love a little something homemade.  Try these Mott’s recipes and let us know how much the kids enjoy them!

Apple Sauce Energy Bars

Combine quick oats, dried fruits, and Mott’s applesauce to make a snack bar they will love

Healthy Kids’ Smoothie

Mix Mott’s Apple-Grape juice, yogurt and berries and watch them drool.  There is nothing like a healthy smoothie on a hot day after school.

The Big Dipper

With Mott’s Healthy Harvest Applesauces combined with yogurt, you get a quick and yummy dip for skewered fruits.  Choose their favorites…apples, grapes, bananas or strawberries!  It’s like their own “fondue”.

Have a recipe you love?   Share it in the comments.

When I think of traditional comfort food I think of biscuits smothered in gravy, fried chicken and cake. I think that’s the southern girl in me. But in the summer I don’t want to spend all day in a hot kitchen cooking those meals and I don’t want to run to fast food when we are on the go all day. I need a few healthy (or at least a little healthier) alternatives and ones that won’t keep me tied to the house. We are a family on the go just like you! I’ve compiled a list of what I would substitute for comfort in the summer.

1. Smoothies are at the top of the list. Whether you make your own with fresh fruit or use a prepared mix these are a healthier option than the milk shakes I grew up with.
2. Salad greens with feta cheese and bacon. Nothing says comfort like bacon and you can spruce up a salad like cool, creamy feta cheese and crisp bacon crumbled.
3. No bake cookies. We all need a sweet treat! Look for options that don’t require you to be in the kitchen for hours. Chocolate Balls and many Oatmeal Cookie varieties may require only a saucepan.
4. Grilled Hot Dogs and Hamburgers. Nothing says comfort like good American foods and you’ll get outdoors while enjoying the smell of the grill. Skip the fries and substitute some grilled veggies!
5. Crockpot Anything. Put your favorite casserole ingredients in the slow cooker, hit the pool and dinner is done when you get home. use my slow cooker all summer long because it is so much easier for families on the go. Then I can add a simple side dish like salad or fruit and I have an easy meal any day of the week.

What does comfort food mean to you and how are you stay cool in the kitchen this summer?

This week, my son came home with information and a permission slip to receive the H1N1 vaccine in his school. I threw it in the trash. Before you think this will be a post about why you shouldn’t vaccinate your kids, stay with me because I have a different point to make here.

Whether or not your child should be vaccinated is entirely up to you. And for many parents who can’t get their children the vaccine because they can’t get time off to take their children or because they don’t have health insurance and can’t afford it, these school programs may seem like a godsend. However, I’m grateful that parents are being notified and the decision is being left to them.

In light of what I just read, however, I’m not sure giving vaccines during school hours is the best approach:

New York City’s Health Department said nurses at schools in Brooklyn and Staten Island mistakenly gave the vaccine to two children whose parents hadn’t signed a consent form. The same thing happened Monday at an elementary school in the town of Oregon, Ohio, where a 7-year-old got the vaccine even though her mother had marked “no consent” on a form, then circled it to emphasize her point.

Wow! If I were the parents of one of these children, I would be livid. Luckily, no harm has come as a result, although one of the girls is epileptic and had to be hospitalized to ensure an allergic reaction did not take place. Continue reading…

It’s not everyday that a celebrity cooking show host makes your lunch, but for children in the New York City public school system, it may become a regular thing. In fact, just last week, about 400,000 students enjoyed a Rachael Ray-created chicken taco lunch. The initiative was launched by Ray’s nonprofit Yum-o!, which contacted the Department of Education to work together in serving up healthier fare.

Getting kids to eat healthy is becoming more of a priority these days, but I can tell you from experience, it’s a challenge when you have a picky eater on your hands. Programs like this that introduce fun, healthy foods are a great step toward getting children to eat things other than fat-laden chicken nuggets and french fries. We try to apply the same ideas at home, trying approaches like cutting the food in  fun shapes or offering dipping sauces to get them to eat their veggies, but for school, it’s a tad more challenging.

Because my son is only in kindergartenI have to pack lunch, and there’s not much he’ll eat. For the last two weeks it’s been bagels with butter. I know, I know… not the best choice, but at least it’s something. He just won’t do sandwiches, and the teachers don’t want us sending in “complicated” lunches so things like soup are out. We tried rolled up turkey, diced cheese, and crackers for a while, but he left 90 percent of it. The only thing healthy I can sneak in occasionally is sliced apples, applesauce cups, or when he’s in the mood, carrot sticks.

I think he will do better with hot lunch options (which he’ll get next year). I can’t wait! And how cool will it be if he gets to try out recipes from Rachael Ray?

Lunch packers, how do you get your kids to eat healthy at school (or eat at all!)?

Missy Chase Lapine, aka the Sneaky Chef, provided her favorite back-to-school simple recipes featuring Mott’s applesauce and juice. Mott’s products are Missy’s super sneaky ingredient because they’re an easy way to get kids servings of real fruit. Check out the video!

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As if having a picky eater isn’t tough enough, I also have to be more label conscious when packing snacks and lunches for school since my son’s kindergarten class is officially a “peanut-free environment.” While some parents find it annoying to be prohibited from putting PB&J sandwiches into the rotation, I have no problem doing my part. I had the chance to meet the mom whose severely allergic son will be in J.J.’s class this year, and I truly feel for her.

Imagine having to send an EpiPen to school with your child? Or worry every time someone sends cupcakes into class, or there’s a school bake sale, that your child will take a bite and have an anaphylactic reaction?

Good tip: My mom-friend keeps peanut-free baked goods in her freezer to send to school with her son when there’s a class party.

The thing is, it’s not just peanut butter sandwiches that’ll cause harm. There are so many processed foods that are made with peanut oil, and many others that are simply not on our radar as possibly having nut products in them. Cereal bars, granola bars, some cake mixes, chocolate candy, and even some packaged pretzels are surprising culprits.

Having an allergy-free child is something most of us take for granted. I recently read about a minor league baseball team that had a “peanut free” game night to raise awareness. For one family in attendance, it was the very first time they were able to attend a ball game without being afraid of sitting next to someone tossing peanut shells.

These are things most parents never have to worry about (on top of all our other worries). So. if taking five seconds to check a label to make sure it doesn’t say “may contain peanuts” will keep my friend’s son safe, then I’m on board. Plus, it’ll encourage me to avoid all of the processed chips and snack cake options, and include healthy fruit cups, applesauce, cut-up veggies, and string cheese instead. We’ll just make PB&J an after-school treat. Food for thought…

Moms: What’s your take on peanut-free environments? Share in the comments below!

-Dawn Papandrea