Farmers Market: Cooking With What’s In Season
Parent & Child Class
September 19, 2-4 p.m.

The wide variety of fresh, local produce available at area farmers markets can be overwhelming. Make the most of these healthy foods by learning about what’s in season and available now and how to prepare some familiar and not-so familiar produce. This is part of a regular series throughout the summer and fall and will change depending upon what’s in season.
Cost: $55 per adult/child duo, each additional family member only $10 each. Includes all materials, including food and take-home recipes and tips.

Email classes@nourishfamily.com or call 410-370-0415

Planning is necessary for busy mornings! Make things ahead when you have a chance so all you have to do is grab something in the morning:

• Whole grain pancakes or waffles – make a double batch during the weekend and freeze extras, or buy whole grain options from the store. Try this yummy recipe for pumpkin pancakes.
• Boil some eggs to make hard boiled eggs for some quick protein. Here’s how to make the perfect eggs every time!
• Make up some whole grain muffins or quick bread (banana, etc) and freeze individual servings.

Whole grain cereal with some milk is an easy and healthy breakfast. Try dry cereals without lots of added sugar or artificial colors and with some fiber. Put individual servings in resealable plastic containers to take on the road with some milk if you need to eat on the run.

Quick microwave oatmeal is another easy option. Try this recipe for pumpkin oatmeal or this recipe for apple cinnamon oatmeal. Then use your imagination and add your favorite to the oatmeal. Be sure to let your child pick some of their favorites to add.

Breakfast doesn’t always have to be just “breakfast” foods. A sandwich and a piece of fresh fruit can be an easy way to get complex carbs and protein when you don’t have time to sit and eat a full meal.

Smoothies made with frozen fruit and milk can be a quick and easy way to get the nutrients you need before a busy day. Check out some of these recipes to get ideas.

Let’s hear some of your favorite quick & healthy breakfast ideas!

Think about it: your body goes without nourishment for many hours overnight. It is not unusual for there to be 12 hours between dinner the previous day and the time you wake up. You are literally running on empty when you wake up. You cannot function at your best, either physically or mentally when your body has no fuel. This is even more true for children, who not only need to do well in school but also need the energy for growth.

Not only does breakfast give you the energy you need to be your best, it also sets the tone for the rest of the day. If you and your family eat a nutritious breakfast you may be likely to make good food choices throughout the day. Eating breakfast can also prevent overeating later in the day because you are getting the nutrients you need, when you need them.

So what makes a good breakfast for a busy family? Here’s a hint: it’s generally not what the food advertisers are urging you to feed your kids! Sugary cereal, breakfast pastries, and convenience foods made from refined flour are loaded with simple carbohydrates and not much else. Just like a good snack, a good meal will contain both complex carbohydrates and protein. But how do you feed yourself and your family in a very limited time before everyone goes off to school or work?

Stay tuned for the next post in our back to school series for hints and recipes for the best breakfasts for busy mornings! In the meantime, enjoy this recipe for Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal (made oh-so-quickly in the microwave!) from our recipe files.

Lunchbox Love
Parent & Child Class
Sunday, September 12, 2-4p.m.

Would you like to learn how to pack healthy lunches that your child will actually eat? This unique parent and child class will allow children to participate in the food preparation. When children help with food preparation, they are much more willing to try new foods.
$55 per adult/child duo, each additional family member only $10 each. Includes all materials, including food and take-home recipes and tips.

To register: Email classes@nourishfamily.com or call 410-370-0415

1. Healthy. (As my daughters would say, “Duh”!)
2. Easy to put together. (Much better to spend your time with your family rather than preparing involved snack recipes)
3. Appealing to children. (Nothing worse than a healthy snack that goes uneaten!)
4. Indestructible. (Okay, not truly indestructible, but able to withstand being tossed around in a backpack for hours)

Putting together not just one, but an entire school-year’s worth of snacks that fit the bill can be quite difficult, as any parent knows who has tried to do this. The grocery store aisles are filled with snacks that are easy, appealing and indestructible but rarely healthy. Things like “fruit” snacks, 100-calorie packs of cookies and crackers, chips, pudding, etc. are loaded with preservatives, salt, sugar and are mostly simple carbohydrates. So let’s elaborate on the first requirement: Healthy.

A healthy snack should contain complex carbohydrates and protein. A complex carbohydrate is unrefined grain (whole wheat, oats, brown rice, etc.) or fruit/veggie and protein can come from many sources: meat, dairy, beans, soy, eggs. Most processed foods contain refined flour and sugar, which are short on nutrients and tend to give us that sugar high – lots of quick energy followed by a crash and quickly feeling hungry again. A good snack provides consistent energy over a longer period of time. By combining complex carbs and protein, blood sugar levels tend to be more consistent, which means you don’t get the sugar highs and lows. This also causes one to feel fuller for longer – a win/win!

And a word about the indestructible requirement. Invest in some good, smaller plastic reusable containers. The hard plastic will prevent things from becoming crushed, squished, bruised or smashed. Of course, they are also better for the environment since they are reusable. Also invest in some of those reusable freezer blocks that you can put in with your snack to keep it cold, if need be.

So what are some easy snack ideas that fit all 4 of the requirements above? Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Piece of fresh fruit and a string cheese
• Some whole grain crackers spread with peanut butter
• Trail mix made of dried fruit, nuts and whole grain cereal or pretzels (buy the separate ingredients so kids can make their own!)
• Yogurt and whole grain pretzels
• Raw veggies and hummus
• Whole grain granola bars. There is much discrepancy in the nutritional value of different brands/varieties of granola bars – some are more like candy bars than a healthy snack. Kashi makes many healthy and tasty varieties.
• Apple slices and peanut/almond/sunflower butter
• Edamame. You can buy edamame that is pre-cooked and frozen.
• Popcorn and milk (try a reusable drink bottle)

How about your ideas? What snacks do your kids enjoy that are healthy, easy and indestructible?

Yummy dinner!

Both of my girls are at sleep-away camp this week. While they’re off having fun in the great outdoors, I am enjoying a week of leisurely dinners. Tonight I decided to make fish chowder – a dish that would have been sorely underappreciated by my daughters. I had some frozen halibut pieces I got at Trader Joe’s and there was a handy recipe for fish chowder on the label. After a few additions and changes, I had a truly delicious (and healthy!) soup. I layered some tomatoes and basil from the garden with some roasted red peppers from a jar, drizzled with olive oil and sea salt, added a crusty Asiago  bread for sides and we had a delicious summer dinner that would have been so unappreciated by the kids.

I like this recipe because it utilizes a trick – nonfat milk powder – to make skim or lowfat milk taste richer and creamier without all the fat of a traditional chowder recipe that uses cream. Plus, you get the benefit of added calcium and protein. The combination of fresh thyme and Old Bay make this chowder taste much fancier than the ingredient list looks. A good addition (which I didn’t use) would be the addition of a couple tablespoons of sherry.

Enjoy the recipe for the fish chowder!

The wide variety of fresh, local produce available at area farmers markets can be overwhelming. Make the most of these healthy foods by learning about what’s in season and available now and how to prepare some familiar and not-so familiar produce. This is part of a regular series throughout the summer and fall and will change depending upon what’s in season.
Cost: $45 per adult/child duo, each additional family member only $10 each. Includes all materials, including food and take-home recipes and tips.

Email classes@nourishfamily.com or call 410-370-0415 to register. Space is limited!

Whether you love sushi and want to learn to make it at home or have never eaten sushi before, this class will introduce to making your own sushi at home – it’s easier than you may think!

$55 per adult/child duo, each additional family member only $10 each. Includes all materials, including food and take-home recipes and tips.

Email classes@nourishfamily.com or call 410-370-0415 to register. Space is limited!