A Healthy Snack Before Bedtime
Posted by: Elizabeth Friscia on: May 13, 2009
Kids, as well as parents, need consistent sleep. My first 2 children were wonderful sleepers from the start. They both go to sleep no later then 8pm and sleep till the morning. My third child was another story. As a baby, she was on a decent schedule. As she was approaching her 2nd birthday, I found she was still waking 2-3 times a night! Every night we’d wonder, would this be the night she would sleep???! Finally, after I could not deal with the lack of sleep any longer, I decided to give my 2 younger children a small, healthy snack right before going to bed. That night the whole family received a good 7-8 hours of straight sleep, it was a miracle! We haven’t missed a “before bed snack” ever since. The snacks consist of simple items such as a small yogurt, apple slices with low fat peanut butter, 1/2 of a peanut butter sandwich, or a banana and a small glass of milk. These snacks are not large enough to be a meal but are enough to hold their little tummies through the night. As parents, we are always learning new tricks. This is a great trick for anyone to try if you need a good nights sleep!
Sushi for Kids!
Posted by: Elizabeth Friscia on: April 28, 2009
As an adult, sushi is one of my favorite meals. On the other hand, the kids are a little more difficult to convince. My family discovered that you can eat “sushi” without eating Sushi. Making “sushi” for lunch is a favorite in our house. We use white bread with fiber, lite mayo, and low fat cheese. The kids love the way it looks and they don’t even realize it’s good for them! We serve this with a veggie or a fruit and lunch is not only fun to eat but easy to make. Try it today!
Kid “Sushi”
White bread
Lite mayo
Cheddar cheese stick (lite, preferred)
Deli ham
Cut the crust off of the bread. Spread a small amount of lite mayo on one side of the bread. Place the bread mayo side down on top of 1 slice of ham. Place 1 cheese stick on top of bread. Carefully roll together and cut into slices.
Enjoy!
April Fool’s Recipe For Kids
Posted by: Elizabeth Friscia on: April 2, 2009
On any given day, my kids feel the need to point out every McDonald’s we drive by. McDonald’s is a rare treat for us but when we do the children always want french fries. Who doesn’t love french fries? I found this recipe a few years back in a magazine and just recently re-found it in my “secret” pile. Today being April Fools Day, I wanted to find a way to treat them as well as fool them and this was the perfect answer. These french fries are super simple and a fun dessert for aall ages. The instructions are easy and I’m sure you’ll love it too! Enjoy!
April Fool’s Fries
Ingredients:
1 package of plain prepared breadstick dough
Sugar
White envelopes
Seedless strawberry jelly
Unroll the dough and seperate the breaksticks. Cut the dough into 1/4 inch-wide sticks. Roll all the sticks in sugar and place on a non-stick baking sheet. Bake according to the package directions. (ours took 8 minutes) Leave them on the tray until they’re cool. Cut off the end of a sealed envelope and fill with fries. In a small bowl, wisk the jam with a fork to a smooth consistency. Serve the “fries” with the “ketchup” and enjoy!
Feeling the Flu?
Posted by: Elizabeth Friscia on: March 24, 2009
For the past week my family has been going through the stomach flu. Unfortunately, sickness never stops at just the 1st person no matter how much you quarantine them and spray Lysol. Once it’s in the house, most likely everyone will get their turn. The stomach flu is never fun, although like any busy mother and business owner I am always concerned I am not getting enough done at any given time no matter how sick I am. I’ve had to come to terms with taking a few days off and allowing myself to rest. My mom always tells me “Rest” is what everyone needs to get past an illness no matter how chaotic your life is. As usual, she was right. I took a few days off, rested a lot and everything in my everyday and business life survived my absence. Luckily sicknesses of these extreme only come around once a year. Lesson learned, rest is good for you, not just the children. Take the time out, business will go on when your better.
Any Exercise Is Good Exercise
Posted by: Elizabeth Friscia on: March 16, 2009
As a mother of 3 living in a city environment it can be challenging to ensure my kids are getting the exercise they need. I like to think I can plan far enough ahead to ensure my children have scheduled outdoor time each day that will last for an hour or more, but realistically that doesn’t always happen. Exercise for your children can come in a variety of different ways at all different times of the day. While I straighten the house, rather then turning on cartoons I turn on the music channel. My kids love to hear and dance to the music. If your unable to plan an entire week of physical activity for your children, take even 5 minutes during the day to offer any opportunity you can. Any exercise is good exercise.
A Healthy Dessert Your Kids Will Love!
Posted by: Elizabeth Friscia on: March 11, 2009
This recipe is a handed down family favorite that is not only delicious, but healthy! Your child will get a fruit and a dairy out of this great tasting, low fat dessert. Our family makes this recipe for holidays, picnics, and just for fun. Not only is it delicious but it’s super easy to make, enjoy!
Orange Gelatin Fruit Salad
Ingredients:
1 Can Pineapple Chunks
1 Can Mandarin Oranges
1 Large Container of Low-Fat Cottage Cheese
1 4oz package of Sugar-Free Orange Gelatin
1 Regular Size Tub of Low-Fat Cool Whip
Drain the cottage cheese in a strainer. Add all ingredients to a large bowl. Gently fold together. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Indoor Exercise For Kids!
Posted by: Elizabeth Friscia on: March 5, 2009
During winter months we probably do not exercise as much as we should. The weather is cold, the sun sets at dinner time, and the flu is running rampid through our households. Although we cannot put the children in the stroller and go for a nice after dinner family walk, exercise is still a necessity. Excercise for children can be done in several different ways. I’ve listed a few of my families favorite activities that are not only games, but exercise too!
1) Duck, Duck, Goose! If your not already familiar, here is how you play:
In this game, kids sit down in a circle facing each other. One person is “it” and walks around the circle. As they walk around, they tap people’s heads and say whether they are a “duck” or a “goose”. Once someone is the “goose” they get up and try to chase “it” around the circle. The goal is to tap that person before they are able sit down in the “goose’s” spot. If the goose is not able to do this, they become “it” for the next round and play continues. If they do tap the “it” person, the person tagged has to sit in the center of the circle. Then the goose become it for the next round. The person in the middle can’t leave until another person is tagged and they are replaced.
2) Freeze Dance – this is simple, yet fun for all ages!
Turn on any music you like, let the kids dance. Instruct the children once the music stops, they have to freeze. Repeat.
3) “Twister” - This game is fun for everyone! “Twister” is not only an active game, but it’s also a great game for motor skills, patterns and color recognition. I recently purchased this game for less then $20 at Walmart.
These games are fun and provide quality family time as well as exercise. Try it today!
Quick healthy pasta salad for any meal!
Posted by: Elizabeth Friscia on: March 2, 2009
- In: Recipes
- 2 Comments
Tonight we were looking for a quick, side dish that’s not only nutritious but easy to make. My 9 year old daughter helped put the salad together and in less then 20 minutes, we had a terrific side dish that all the kids ate and enjoyed. Luckily, we had leftovers and will enjoy them for days to come. This pasta salad is low fat, colorful, and includes veggies! Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 lb rainbow pasta of your choice
1 jar marinated artichoke hearts (quartered)
Green onions (diced)
1 small can sliced or diced black olives (drained)
Boil pasta until cooked. Drain, run cold water over pasta while draining. Place cooked, drained, pasta in large bowl. Add entire jar of marinated artichokes (including juice), black olives, and green onions. Mix gently. Serve and enjoy.
Healthy Kids Need Routines
Posted by: Elizabeth Friscia on: February 26, 2009
One of the biggest and best methods to getting your kids to eat fruits and veggies, as well as everything else, is to put them on a consistent eating schedule. It’s easy to give your children small snacks thru out the day when the children ask for them, as they watch tv, or play. Until children are school aged their normal eating habits should be similar to this schedule: breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, and dinner. Having your children sit down at designated times for each meal or snack forms a habit. It also teaches your child that eating only happens in one particular spot and only at certain designated times each day. It’s important to include a fruit or vegetable option with each meal or snack. It may take your child a few days to fall into this habit but if you stick to a routine you will find your child will be more willing to eat the fruit and vegetable options when it’s time to eat because they will be hungry. If your child snacks all day long, they are less likely to finish meals because they have been eating all day. Filling your child with fruits and veggies is a healthy start to a life of good eating habits.
Kids eating green food, really?!
Posted by: Elizabeth Friscia on: February 22, 2009
Except for green fruit snacks, some kids refuse to eat foods that are green in color. What is it about the color green that they don’t like? Who knows! I’ve found by always having green snacks in the house my kids they will eventually eat them once they get hungry enough, even if it’s green. It was a slow progression, but now my kids don’t even bat an eye at the idea of a green snack. These are our favorite green snacks:
1) Most favorite, edamame. Edamame are soy beans, you can buy then in the shell or already shelled. I found the easiest way to buy them is in the shell, precooked and presalted, which I find at Trader Joe’s . A bag of precooked edamame runs less then $2.00 and all you have to do is stick them in a container and put them in your fridge. I serve them as a snack or with meals. They’re also a great snack to give the kids while your making dinner so they have something to eat but don’t get to full!
2) Bugs on a log. Bugs on a log are celery sticks filled with low-fat peanut butter and raisins on top. These are always a favorite!
3) Salad with fat-free Raspberry vinegarette dressing. I know what your thinking, there is no way your kids will eat salad. I found that if I cut up the lettuce into small enough pieces and put on the dressing, the kids loved it! I’m sure it was the dressing they loved, but who cares!
The key to making this work is to always have these items in the house. These suggestions also travel well and can be packed easily. Give green a try today!
