My daughter likes oatmeal but prefers the flavored kinds, especially the apple-cinnamon variety. I like the convenience of instant, but I generally choose whole foods over packaged. In addition, instant oatmeal averages 10 grams of sugar per serving; Quaker makes low-sugar varieties, but I decided I wanted to do even better.
Sure, I write healthy recipes for a living, and over the past few years, I’ve created quite a collection at GuidingStars.com. But like you, I’m always on the lookout for new things to prepare for my family and find inspiration for my work.
Last month, I developed a healthy menu for one of several Guest Chef days at a local school, and I needed an easy, cheap, and appealing side dish to satisfy the fruit and vegetable requirement in the meal. It was important that I created something that would be received well by fourth and fifth graders because I wanted to ensure they had a positive experience with healthy food.
When people find out I develop recipes for Guiding Stars, their first question is, “Why is it so hard to make healthy food taste good?” Well, my answer to that question hinges upon the basic premise that food can only convey health benefits if a person is willing to consume it. I’m not going to publish a recipe unless I’m sure someone will want to eat it; if they don’t, we’re all wasting our time.
We’ve all seen those 100 calorie packs of snack foods in the grocery store and thought to ourselves, “Well, maybe I CAN have Oreos on my diet plan.” Invariably, we buy a box, open them up and one of two things happens: we eat one pack and feel like it wasn’t worth the tease–that such a small amount of something so tasty does more harm than good to our delicate dietary psyches–or we eat three packs, effectively destroying any chance of benefiting from the portion control these items try to impose.
Earlier this week, the Huffington Post published an article outlining seven healthy foods to relax your stressed-out mind and body. I didn’t even bother to click, figuring I would see the same old suspects. But for whatever reason, I checked it out today was so impressed with the suggestions that I thought I would share some of them with you.
We often talk about how to get enough fruits and vegetables into kids, but I have to say that I struggle to get enough protein into mine. I know I’m not alone, as I’ve heard the same complaints from friends and readers, who know that the protein in a meal or snack is what keeps tummies full and supports healthy bone and muscle growth.
