Author Archive

Eat Healthy, Grow Strong: Packing Kids’ Lunches

Mar 8th, 12 / 0 Comments
eat-healthy-grow-strong-packing-kids%e2%80%99-lunches

By justJENN

When it comes to school lunches, I like to make sure the kids get a well-rounded meal. Packing the same sandwich day in and day out can be dull — even for an adult. That doesn’t mean you have to go overboard and make crazy bento boxes … but a little fun here and there, coupled with nutritious things, can give life to a mundane lunch!

Leftovers make good lunches. I pack deconstructed versions of tacos so that the kids can assemble them, or just eat the parts separately. Chicken and rice with a side of fruit is easy to pack the night before, and I always add cold packs to the lunchboxes to make sure the meals stay fresh until it’s time to eat. (Learn more about packing a bacteria-free lunch here.)

Speaking of keeping things cold — I freeze juice boxes, yogurt and grapes, which not only defrost in time for lunch, but also act as an additional cooler to the lunchboxes.

Fresh fruit: whole or sliced, as well as carrots and celery, make quick snacks to grab and go when the kids would rather play at recess.

I also like to pack are snack bars. While I like to make my own, even purchased ones make great vehicles for adding ‘reminder notes’ to the kids!

Getting your kids to eat healthy can be easy when you add a little fun and change up the meals throughout the week!

If you like justJENN’s kid-friendly recipes here, or you like creative cooking, design or geeky things (both kid-related and not) in general, be sure to check out her website http://justjennrecipes.com.

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Through April, our Eat Healthy, Grow Strong campaign will feature blog entries about nutritious eating, along with recipes, tips and resources for you to help your family Eat Healthy, Grow Strong! Be sure to visit www.ReadySetGrowLA.org/EatHealthy for even more ways to make good eating a part of your life, including upcoming events and a Nutrition Quiz to win great prizes.
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Health and Nutrition, Preschool, Recipes and Cooking, Safety, Uncategorized

Eat Healthy, Grow Strong: Lettuce Wraps

Feb 29th, 12 / 0 Comments
eat-healthy-grow-strong-lettuce-wraps

By justJENN

These lettuce wraps are full of flavor with healthy turkey and lots of fresh vegetables.

This makes a quick and easy mid-week meal!

Ingredients:
16 large lettuce leaves
1 pound ground turkey
1 tbsp. light soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
1 cup carrots, grated
2 stalks green onions, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, sliced

Sauce Ingredients:
1/3 cup light soy sauce
1/3 cup water
3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp. ginger, minced
1 tsp. sugar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meat mixture:

In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground turkey and add the 1 tablespoon soy sauce, garlic and ginger. Add the carrots, green onions and mushrooms until the turkey is cooked through and no longer pink.

Sauce:

In a small bowl combine the soy sauce, water, lemon juice, garlic, ginger and sugar.

To serve, spoon the meat mixture into the lettuce leaves and add a spoonful of the sauce.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you like justJENN’s kid-friendly recipes here, or you like creative cooking, design or geeky things (both kid-related and not) in general, be sure to check out her website http://justjennrecipes.com.

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Through April, our Eat Healthy, Grow Strong campaign will feature blog entries about nutritious eating, along with recipes, tips and resources for you to help your family Eat Healthy, Grow Strong! Be sure to visit www.ReadySetGrowLA.org/EatHealthy for even more ways to make good eating a part of your life, including upcoming events and a Nutrition Quiz to win great prizes.

 

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Health and Nutrition, Recipes and Cooking, Uncategorized

Eat Healthy, Grow Strong: Inspiring Healthy Eating at Famers’ Markets

Feb 22nd, 12 / 0 Comments
eat-healthy-grow-strong-inspiring-healthy-eating-at-famers-markets

By justJENN

With spring on the way, the kids and I are starting to get back into our weekly farmers’ market routine. Taking the kids along creates a great dialogue for healthy eating and meal planning.

There’s nothing quite like walking the stalls and seeing all the seasonal vegetables and fruits. The kids and I talk about different colors and textures and how we can cook a variety of dishes for the week.

In addition to our regular purchases, I also let the kids pick out one item. Whether it’s something they’ve tried before or something new, it’s always a challenge to see how we can incorporate that seasonal item into our weekly meals.

The weekly trip gets the kids involved in choosing and purchasing. Then, at home, they help prep and cook. By showing the kids all the different varieties of locally-grown food, they get more interested in trying new healthy flavors!

If you like justJENN’s kid-friendly recipes here, or you like creative cooking, design or geeky things (both kid-related and not) in general, be sure to check out her website http://justjennrecipes.com.

*  *  *
Through April, our Eat Healthy, Grow Strong campaign will feature blog entries about nutritious eating, along with recipes, tips and resources for you to help your family Eat Healthy, Grow Strong! Be sure to visit www.ReadySetGrowLA.org/EatHealthy for even more ways to make good eating a part of your life, including upcoming events and a Nutrition Quiz to win great prizes.
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Health and Nutrition, Uncategorized

Eat Healthy, Grow Strong: Rainbow Snack Tray

Feb 14th, 12 / 0 Comments
eat-healthy-grow-strong-rainbow-snack-tray

By justJENN

Getting kids involved in meal planning allows them to become more interested in different types of food and flavors. The kids and I sat down and talked about various foods and their colors.

We talked about the flavors and textures and whether things were healthy or not. Let’s just say that Gummi bears, while colorful, did not make it into the snack tray.

Once we wrote down all the foods by colors, I used a muffin tin to keep everything separated and keep the tasting portions small. Having the kids fill the tin made them more interested in trying things they hadn’t tasted before.

The kids seem more inclined to try strange foods or textures just because the colors catch their eyes. It’s also a lot of fun to hear what other things could fill the “rainbow!”

This rainbow snack tray is an interesting project and is great fun to serve at playdates with friends!

If you like justJENN’s kid-friendly recipes here, or you like creative cooking, design or geeky things (both kid-related and not) in general, be sure to check out her website http://justjennrecipes.com.

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Through April, our Eat Healthy, Grow Strong campaign will feature blog entries about nutritious eating, along with recipes, tips and resources for you to help your family Eat Healthy, Grow Strong! Be sure to visit www.ReadySetGrowLA.org/EatHealthy for even more ways to make good eating a part of your life, including upcoming events and a Nutrition Quiz to win great prizes.

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Health and Nutrition, Recipes and Cooking, Uncategorized

Eat Healthy, Grow Strong: Carrot Penne

Feb 6th, 12 / 0 Comments
eat-healthy-grow-strong-carrot-penne

By justJENN

I’m not one to hide vegetables in food. Instead I like to talk to the kids about how to incorporate veggies to make dishes healthy and tasty.

Carrots added to this pasta dish make it even heartier … and flavorful!

Ingredients:

2 tbs. olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 carrots, diced small

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce

2 tbs. tomato paste

1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes

2 tsp. oregano

2 tsp. basil

½ tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. ground black pepper

1 package penne pasta

 

 

 

 

 

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sauté the onions, carrots and garlic until soft.

Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste and crushed tomatoes.

 

 

 

 

 

Stir in the oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes.

While the sauce is simmering, boil the pasta according to package directions. Drain — do not rinse — the pasta.

Toss the penne with the sauce and serve!

 

 

 

 

If you like justJENN’s kid-friendly recipes here, or you like creative cooking, design or geeky things (both kid-related and not) in general, be sure to check out her website http://justjennrecipes.com.

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Welcome to the first Ready. Set. Grow! blog entry of our newest campaign, Eat Healthy, Grow Strong. Through April, we will feature blog entries about the  nutritious eating, along with recipes, tips and resources for you to help your family Eat Healthy, Grow Strong! Be sure to visit www.ReadySetGrowLA.org/EatHealthy for even more ways to make good eating a part of your life, including upcoming events and a Nutrition Quiz to win great prizes.

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Uncategorized

Bacon Frittata Your Kids Will Love

Aug 29th, 11 / 2 Comments
bacon-frittata-your-kids-will-love

By justJENN

My kids love breakfast – even for dinner! This meal is quick and easy on a weeknight and oh so comforting!

Ingredients:

  • 4-6 slices bacon
  • 6 eggs
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheese

Chop the bacon into small pieces and cook on medium hight until crispy. Set aside to drain.

Wipe out the same pan and set it back on medium-high heat. Put the bacon back in the pan.

In a bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, garlic powder and season with salt and pepper.

Pour the egg mixture into the hot pan over the sausage. Let the egg mixture cook until the edges of the egg start to firm up. The middle will still be runny.

Add cheese to the top of the egg mixture. Turn on your oven broiler and place the pan in the hot broiler (make sure it’s an oven proof fry pan!) Let the eggs cook under the broiler until the center of the frittata is cooked through, about five to seven minutes.

Take it out of the oven and the frittata will slide right onto a serving plate. Cut into slices and serve!

If you like justJENN’s kid-friendly recipes here, or you like creative cooking, design or geeky things (both kid-related and not) in general, be sure to check out her website http://justjennrecipes.com.

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Recipes and Cooking

Getting Jiggly with Fruit Juice Jigglers

Aug 19th, 11 / 0 Comments
getting-jiggly-with-fruit-juice-jigglers

By justJENN

If you want to get the kids involved in the kitchen this is a great place to start. Just mixing and pouring – with the big fun finale of cutting out jiggly shapes and eating them!

Ingredients:

1 cup cold grape juice

3 cups grape juice – brought to a boil.

4 envelopes powdered gelatin

2 tablespoons sugar

In a bowl, sprinkle the gelatin and the sugar over the one cup of cold grape juice. Stir.

Add the boiling grape juice and stir well until the gelatin and sugar have dissolved.

Pour the mixture into a 9×13 pan and chill until firm.

When the mixture has set, use cookie cutters to cut out shapes.

A cold, healthy snack – perfect for summer!

If you like justJENN’s kid-friendly recipes here, or you like creative cooking, design or geeky things (both kid-related and not) in general, be sure to check out her website justJENN rants & raves.

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Health and Nutrition, Just for Fun, Recipes and Cooking

Frozen Banana Bites

Jul 6th, 11 / 0 Comments
frozen-banana-bites

Frozen bananas are a fun treat, but in the hot summer sun – they’re also kind of a mess. Cutting up the banana into little pops is an alternative that the kids can eat on the go  all day long in the summer.

 

Ingredients:

1 banana
6 ounces chocolate chips
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

lollipop sticks

 

In a small saucepan over medium heat – combine the chocolate chips, heavy cream and the vanilla. When it starts to melt, work fast and whisk it together. Keep whisking while the chocolate keeps melting and magically in a matter of seconds you will have a beautiful silky ganache. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

 

Cut the banana into slices and pop them onto the ends of the stick like little lollipops. Dip the pops  into the ganache, then add some sprinkles.

 

Place them on a parchment lined plate and put them in the freezer to set. Eat them at will!

 

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Health and Nutrition, Just for Fun, Recipes and Cooking

Shakey Pudding

Jun 16th, 11 / 0 Comments
shakey-pudding

The best way to get kids to eat is to get them involved. Whether it’s baking, veggies, or full meals – just make it fun! Start off easy with a fun snack that is made totally on ‘kid power.’

The kids will work up an appetite and be rewarded for their hard work by eating what they’ve “made!”

Ingredients:
1 screw top jar
2 Tablespoons instant pudding
5 Tablespoons milk

 

 

Use any screw tops jars, clean large baby food jars work well too.

 

Fill the jar with the instant pudding, then add the milk. Close the lid tightly then hand it over to your children and let them go crazy! Shake it. Move it. Just…make sure the cap is on tight. No one needs pudding all over the kitchen.

 

Once the pudding has thickened, carefully unscrew the top and let the kids eat!

 

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Health and Nutrition, Just for Fun, Recipes and Cooking

Slushies

Apr 21st, 11 / 3 Comments
slushies

by justJENN

You know how it goes – you get that dreaded call in the middle of the day, right when you’re about to settle in and get some work done: “Please pick up your child, he has a fever.” Yikes. Fever = at LEAST two days out of school. Not fun.

Your child is miserable but needs to be hydrated – water, juice, Gatorade – it can get dull after a while. When they are on the upswing near the end of the sickness but still need nourishment – add a little fun!

 


Turn on your ice cream maker and pour in a bottle of flavored water. In just 20 minutes you’ll have a cold, flavorful slush! No ice cream maker? Just place the juice in a plastic container in the freezer, stirring every 10 minutes and you’ll get the same effect!

A fun, tasty way to keep your kids spirits up while they are on the road to recovery!

 

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Health and Nutrition, Recipes and Cooking