Conscious Eating & Meal Planning

So I don't always watch the Oprah Winfrey Show but I usually DVR it so that I can watch it when I have time or there is something/one on that I want to see.  I was a day late watching Wedesday's episode that featured author Michael Pollan.  I've read all his books about how we, as Americans, should be more conscious about the foods we eat and aware of what we are buying.  The show also highlighted the documentary Food, Inc. that exposes the food industry and how the foods we are eating are actually made.

A few years ago I began doing my own research particularly as it related to the amount of high fructose corn syrup in our foods (it's in a lot more than you think!) and the pros and cons of eating more organic foods.  I made changes for several reasons and continue to do so.  Now, while we do eat more organic foods than ever before, our diets do not consist of only organic (it's just too expensive for our budgets right now).  But I have done the research and now feel more informed when I am shopping and can chose those foods that our family eats the most of to be healthier on many levels.

At the end of the show, they announced that Amazon.com has discounted the price of the documentary to only $9.99 through today, Friday, January 29, 2010 until midnight.  You can order a copy by clicking on the link below.  (*UPDATED on Saturday, January 30, 2010 to say it looks like it is still on sale so check the site to see if they're still offering the discounted price!)

In any case, I urge you to start learning more about the foods we eat and how where the food we feed and prepare for our families comes from and how it is produced.  The choice is yours but you may just learn a little something along the way and want to make a change.  I hope that through my blog you find that making our own foods from scratch really isn't that hard (if you're organized--which I help you with!) and the benefits are great.

Let me know your thoughts!

If you liked this post, you might also like:
Think It. Plan It. Make It. Eat It.
Happy Earth Day-Going Green in the Kitchen
Where's the Magic?

Giveaway! Supermarket Vegan cookbook!

Woo hoo! It's time for another giveaway! This time I'm giving away a copy of the book, Supermarket Vegan, that I just reviewed yesterday. The publisher has generously offered to send a copy of this book to the winner.

So, how do you enter? Just tell me in the comments section below what your New Year's Resolution is meal-planning-wise.  Just one thing that you want to do differently this year to help you meal plan more often and why.  And if you post about my giveaway on your blog or Facebook page or Twitter account, come back and post an extra comment to let me know and you've just upped your chances of winning!

I 'll choose the winner using Random.org. Contest ends on Monday, Feburary 2, 2010 at 12:00 a.m.. Sorry, this giveaway is for my U.S. readers only. Good luck!

POSTED: FEBRUARY 2, 2010, 12:00 a.m. THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

Cookbook Review: Supermarket Vegan

Last month I was contacted by the publisher of Supermarket Vegan to do a review (how exciting!) How timely it came because my family and I had just been talking about trying to incorporate more vegetarian options into our diet and even having at least one vegetarian meal a week. I even made it one of my New Year's Resolutions. Now this of course says vegan which, honestly, has always seemed even more intimidating to me than just vegetarianism. What? Eat only vegetables AND no dairy or eggs? That would be hard. Afterall, we do use a lot of dairy products in our home (lots of organic though!) I would have to look for all sorts of funky substitutions found at specialty or health food stores. Or so I thought. Enter this book.

The title says it all because every recipe in this book uses ingredients that are easy to find at most any grocery store making meal planning and prep just as easy and convenient as any other cooking I might be used to. With over 225 original recipes for every course, you'll have tons of variety to keep your tastebuds asking for more. Start off with an appetizer like Greek-Style Spinach Puffs then move on to a salad like Cucumber and Tomato Salad with Tahini. Then move on to the main dish with Tuscan-Style White Bean Quesadillas with Artichokes and Sun-Dried Tomatoes or Crimson Slaw with Cranberries. How about Blueberry-Oatmeal Bars or Cherry-Berry Crisp for dessert?

What I also like about this book is that each recipe has the nutrition facts And as an extra bonus, the author Donna Klein has included with each recipe a little fact or tip about the ingredients in the recipes. So, if you've been thinking of ways that you can incorporate more vegetarian or vegan options into your diet, Klein's book is a great start and soon you may find it is eaier than you thought!

Menu Plan Monday

I've got lots coming up this week and need to clean out the freezer so my freezer gold is coming in handy--gotta love that combo!  Here's what's on the menu this week:

Monday:  Cinncinati Chili, garden salad
Tuesday: Falafel Greek Tacos (my vegetarian meal--Week 2 of my New Year's Resolution.  I actually use a falafel mix to make mine and then add ingredients like diced cucumber and tomato, plain yogurt, feta cheese, etc. in flatbread.  But I've included the link in case you want to make your own from scratch (yeah right! ))
Wednesday: special occasion--out to eat
Thursday: Lemon Pepper Grilled Salmon; steamed rice, garden salad
Friday: leftovers
Saturday: special occasion--no cooking for me!
Sunday: leftovers

What's cooking in your kitchen this week?  Happy cooking!

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Who's the Pickiest Eater of Them All?

Probably the most frequent complaint I hear from parents either via email or in my workshops is that they wish their children weren't such picky eaters! Call it luck or by design, but I am thankful that my own children are not as picky as many of their friends or classmates. Sure, there's many a sandwich that has its crusts left behind or a turned up nose at the steamed peas on their plate. But in general, they eat a pretty wide variety of foods and I'm learning that that is not so much the norm. How many kids do you know under the age of ten that say Pad Thai or Pecan Crusted Salmon is one of their favorite dinners? Mine do!

How'd we do it? When my firstborn was a toddler I made her a lot of fish sticks and chicken nuggets. And a separate meal for my husband and me. I just wanted her to eat SOMETHING and I knew these would fit the bill. But when my next little one came along I found myself with far less time and the realization that I didn't have the time to make two meals. It didn't make sense either. My husband was a bit more of a stickler and we began the practice of everyone eating the same thing and that everyone needed to try at least a bite of each item (main entree, side, veggie, etc.) And if someone didn't want to eat dinner that night they would have a good breakfast. Sound drastic? Yep, it is and it's not for everyone. But for us I believe it has exposed our children to a greater variety of foods than their peers and they eat a more well-rounded diet too. Is it perfect? Certainly not. Is it balanced every day. Not necessarily. But looking at the big picture over each week, it is pretty much both of those.

But how do so many parents end up with picky eaters? I certainly don't believe to have all the answers and I'm no dietician or medical doctor (I realize sometimes there are underlying medical issues that lead children to not wanting/able to eat certain foods.  In that case you should see your doctor). But I am a mom and in teaching my workshops and visitsing with many of you, one thing I have seen over and over again is that when parents ask themselves how adventuresome they are with their own food choices, they may be surprised to find that they're not as adventursome they think. I know lots of people that SAY they eat many different things but when it comes time to making meals to share with them or go out to eat the limitations come in. "Oh, I don't like anything with tomato sauce." Or "Yes, I love dessert, but it's not if it has strawberries, chocolate or anything with nuts." Yes, we're all allowed to have preferences and favorites but when those limitations are happening more often than not, it maybe trickling down to your chilren too. Remember they learn as much (or more!) from our actions as they do from our words.  So taking a look at yourself might yield some more surprising results than you ever thought and may challenge you to broaden your taste buds a little too!

So, you say, that's all fine and well, but how to I change it NOW? Perhaps, you've gotten into the trap of making a separate meal for your child and he or she is now eight years old and you're not sure how to begin. It may be gradual but it can be done! You've probably heard that it takes something like ten or twenty times (or maybe more) to introduce a child to a new food before they might want to try it---and that's not twenty times in a row! That may be twenty times over a six-month period! One thing I have found that works when introducing new foods is what I call the Two-Thirds/One-Third Rule.  That means, of the selections on the plate, two-thirds should be foods that you know your child will eat and one-third the new food for them to try. That way you can feel good knowing that they might at least eat something and fill their tummies.

Picky eaters are a complicated thing and there's no simple answer. It's kind of a grey line between a meal-prep challenge and a parenting challenge. But I hope some of my tips help you develop eaters that learn to love a variety of foods and the many, many flavors and combinations they can try in their lifetime. Good luck and I'd love your feedback!

Cookbook Review: 30-Minute Meals for Dummies

I had to laugh when my daughter saw this book and said "Mom! 30-Minute Meals for Dummies? You're not a dummy!" So I explained that the "Dummies" series of books is written for people who want to learn more about a subject and the author basically assumes they are starting from scratch.

What I like about this book is not only does it provide tons of 30-minute (or less) meals you can make for your family but lots of tips on making mealtime matter. The author, a professional food writer, includes sections on Tools for Speed, Staples for Speed and Focusing on Efficiency--basically tips for helping you streamline your time in the kitchen. She describes the appliances you really need and why (although she does not recommend a slow cooker--something I think every smart cook should have who wants to have less stressful mealtime. She also talks about convenience products and why they may not be as great as they seem. For example, baby carrots are handy and easy but whole carrots take longer to spoil. Both might be a good option but it just depends on how you plan to use or cook with them.

More than the recipes that are included, the author includes TONS of tips on different ingredients or processes that will indeed save you time (and sometimes money!) in the kitchen. It's worth checking out!

Congratulations to Our Snack Bag Winner! (and a poll reminder!)

Congratulations to Kim for winning my recent Snack Bag Giveaway.  I used Random.org to generate the winning entry pick and it came up with #6 which was Kim's comment.  The cute little snack bags that will help keep all those plastic baggies out of our landfills will be on their way to her soon!  Kim, if you see this contact me via email so I can get your mailing info.  Everyone else, be on the look out for future giveaways.

And speaking of giveaways, be sure to VOTE in the poll on my blog to give me your opinion about future giveaways.  I moved the poll up so it is right there near the top on the left hand side.  You have until January 31st to let your opinion be counted!

Menu Plan Monday

We're back from vacation and my oven is finally working now (woohoo!) so it's time for me to start cooking again!  And the menu this week includes lots of veggies that my kids will be likely to eat because I'm including them in some tasty recipes with things I know they already like.  Here's what's on the menu this week:

Monday: frozen pizzas (back from vacation today--too tired to cook!)
Tuesday: Slowcooker Simple Turkey Soup, whole grain bread slices
Wednesday: Garlic Herb Pork Roast (grilled), Rosemary roasted potatoes (my daughter's favorite!), garden salad or steamed veggies
Thursday: Paella with seafood combo & shrimp (this is my vegetarian meal for the week--week one of my Meal Planning New Year's Resolution)
Friday: leftovers
Saturday: leftovers
Sunday: Baked Chinese Egg Rolls (I have some puff pastry to use up--these look easy, fun & tasty!), garden salad

What's cookin' at your house this week?  Happy cooking!

New Year's Resolutions--Meal Planning Magic Style!

So, I've been having a little writer's block lately and although I had great plans to get my New Year's resolutions up here sooner it just didn't happen.  But it's never too late to start! 

I'd already been thinking about what kind of changes I could make menu-wise for the new year and one of them is to try and eat at least one vegetarian meal a week.   Everyone has their own reasons for becoming vegetarian and I'm not saying we'll be going that way totally ourselves. but I figured by adding one meal a week, it would challenge me to try more new fruits and vegetables and introduce them to my family.  There are also some environmental reasons to go vegetarian but that is not the purpose of this blog so I'll let you do your own research on that!

Secondly, in looking over our menus for the last year or so I found that Sundays most often were our downfall.  By the end of the weekend we were all too tired from our activities or just the week in general no body wanted to cook (especially me!) and take out was often our meal of choice more than I'd like (now put in a Freezer meal and I'm there!)  Since I love catchy themes for the days of our week, I came up with Triple S Sunday--which means Sandwich, Soup or Salad.  These are all generally easy to prepare and would hopefully inspire me to try some new recipes too!

Those are the two changes I'm making to our menu this new year.  I challenge you to think of some too and share them with us all so we can be inspired!  Happy (belated) New Year!

Cookbook Review:Barbarians at the Plate-Taming and Feeding the Modern American Family

Honestly, I picked up this book because I thought the title sounded funny! And it delivered. In the chapter, "Family Meals: Why Bother?", the authors make the case for families who eat together stay together (and talk together!) among other things like healthier and cheaper eating.

Organized by strategy like Cooking Ahead, Food Fast (cooking meals at the last minute) or Feeding the Freezer, you'll find more than 100 kid-friendly recipes that will help you get dinner on the table in a jiffy! Fun things like Mexican pizza or Almost-Instant Mashed Potatoes are sure to please.

Sprinkled throughout are real-life stories from real-life families that motivate you to think "if they can do it, then I can do it!" There are also fun ideas for how to make mealtimes more special (and not just for the holidays).

What I liked best about this book were the tips and stories more so than the recipes. If you're looking for a little motivation to get your familly back to the table, then check out this book!

Eating the Alphabet: The Letter P

We're back on our Eating the Alphabet and this week we come to the letter P.  The kids have been asking and asking for me to get some Pomegranates.   I really learned to love these healthy, sweet fruits about a year ago when my mother-in-law had at her house for the holidays.  They're nearing the end of their season but you can often find them at your local grocery store on sale.  We slice them open, scoop out the seeds and eat them with a spoon (yes, seeds and pulp and all!) and just have them for a tasty snack.  Best of all pomegranates are full of antioxidants and vitamins like vitamin C and potassium and is a good source of fiber as well as being low in calories.  You can also sprinkle them on salads.

The letter P yields many other tasty fruits and vegetables like peaches, plums, papaya, pineapple, peas, peppers, potatoes and pumpkin.  Wow!  We may have to spend an extra week on the letter P for our adventures of Eating the Alphabet!  A close second runner-up for us this week was Potato.  My daughter was asking me to make one of her favorite side dishes, Roasted Rosemary Potatoes.  They are SO easy, I thought I could easily add them to our weekly menu.  Gotta love a healthy recipe like that when the kids love it too!

What are your favorite fruits and veggies with the letter "P"?

Snack Bag Giveaway Extended & Survey

I've put up a new poll on my blog to get your input about giveaways.  Some people love 'em, some people don't so let me know your thoughts so I can give my readers what you really want!  You can find the poll to the left there on the blog.

Secondly, I've got a lot going on this week and I want everyone to have a good opportunity to enter the contest for the resuable snack bags I'm giving away, so I'm extending the contest until midnight NEXT Tuesday, January 19, 2010.  Be sure to check out my post below for all the details and leave your comment on that post to enter!  Good luck!

A Little Snack Magic~Reusable Snack Bags Giveaway!

We've been using snack bags like these for over a year now and they've been so popular with my kids and their friends that I decided to make up a bunch to have on hand.  They're made out of 100% cotton and lined with moisture-resistant nylon.  They are washable and have a velcro closure to keep those snacks where they should be.  We use them most often for dry snacks like pretzels or Goldfish but I've also put grapes or orange segments in them.  At the end of the day I just shake the crumbs out, turn them inside out and wipe them out when I'm doing my dishes and let them dry.  You can use them for sandwiches too!  Got a messy PB&J?  No problem--just throw them in the washing machine and hang to dry.

Best of all, by using these bags you're saving the planet and your pennies by using fewer plastic bags.  I'll be making many more designs so stay tuned for info. on how you can get some of these bags for yourself in the near future!

But the good news now is that I'm giving these two bags away to one lucky reader!  They are my prototypes so I want your feedback too on how you like them.  How do you enter?  Just leave a comment on your efforts to "go green" on the go or at home.  I'm looking for a name for the bags, so if you have an idea for that, leave an extra comment and you'll get an extra entry!   I 'll choose the winner using Random.org.  Contest ends at midnight on Tuesday, January 12, 2010.

Sorry, this giveaway is for my U.S. and Canadian readers only.  Good luck!

Sneaky New Snack

So, earlier this week we stopped by our local wholesale club and the kids talked me into buying a big container of kiwi.  I thought "what am I going to do with all this kiwi?"  But knowing that my kids like kiwi and they are packed with vitamin C I decided to go along with it and figured I would find a way to use them.  Then I remembered the yogurt parfait idea I'd seen recently in a magazine.  I had vanilla yogurt in the fridge already so the next day I picked up some granola to add to it. (I actually thought about making some myself but since my oven is STILL not working that was not an option). 

So that day my kids came home from school asking for a snack.  "How about a kiwi parfait?" I asked.  "Ooh!  Parfait! That sounds fancy," they said!  I spooned in the yogurt, sprinkled on the granola and added the chopped kiwi and in a few minutes I had these fancy looking after-school snacks.  They gobbled them up and don't you know they had the THREE days in a row!  One day they even wanted seconds!  At one point I mentioned how it was almost like ice cream, huh? And they were all for that!  I think next time I may try strawberry yogurt--yum! 

Parfaits are not a new idea but I think I've it upon a great way to get a little fruit (you can use just about any kind of fruit), dairy and grains into the kids' diet and little do they know the snack they love is also good for them.  Gotta feel good about that!

Cookbook Review: Petit Appetit-Eat, Drink, and Be Merry

You want to eat right. You want your family to eat right. And maybe you'd like to eat with more organic ingredients too. But you also have picky eater and you're just trying to get by with anything your child will eat! And all of those things can seem so overwhelming that you just fall back on to your old standbys. And imagine trying to do all that and celebrate a special occasion too!

Enter Petit Appetit: Eat, Drink, and Be Merry: Easy, Organic Snacks, Beverages, and Party Foods for Kids of All Ages! The author focuses on the special celebrations in a child's life AND keeping them healthy and delicious.

The first several chapters provide a basic introduction to learning more about what's in our foods with Do You Know What They're Eating? or Choosing Organic: Why, When and How. Also included are chapters on Instilling Good Eating Habits at Home and Away and Having Fun with Food and Family. The author provides practical tips for making these goals a reality in a realistic way that makes it really do-able.

The recipe section is divided into three main categories--Eat, Drink & Be Merry, you can find recipes for Chicken-Mango Quesadillas, Baked "Zuke" Sticks or Cheese and Egg Roll as things to "Eat". Or Mango-Carrot Smoothie, Almond Milk or Pear White Tea are sure to quench anyone's thirst in the "Drink" section! "Be Merry" offers not only recipes but party ideas for birthdays like Baby Bundt Cakes, Pizza Parties with Pesto Pizza Dough, and Holidays like an early New Year's Eve or St. Patrick's Day with Spinach Hummus or even "any day" celebrations like a Picnic in the Park or First Day of Snow Chocolatey Cookies

But what makes this book especially good is that the recipes are really do-able! You don't have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen to provide healthy and tasty treats for those special celebrations (or just whenever!) The author makes choosing a recipe extra easy too with the symbols for each recipe--things like Egg-Free, Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free, Vegetarian, Wheat-Free, Group Pleasers, Perfect for Packing and more will tell you at a glance if the recipe that sounds good to you is just right.

If you have little ones in your life and you're looking for ways to make healthy meals that taste good, Petit Appetit is a great place to start!

Menu Plan Monday

So I'm back on track after the holidays and last night I actually planned out this month's worth of meals (yep, the whole month).  Here's what's on the menu:

Monday: Soy Ginger Flank Steak, Alfredo noodles, sliced avocados, garden salad
Tuesday: Deceptively Delicious Chicken Nuggets
Wednesday: Asian Pork Tenderloin with steamed rice and veggies
Thursday: Slowcooker Pot Roast with carrots and potatoes; garden salad
Friday: leftovers
Saturday: out to eat
Sunday: Carrot Lentil Soup and Chicken Noodle Soup (first one is a new recipe--not sure how it will go over)

What's on your menu this week?

Happy New Year from Meal Planning Magic!

Have you missed me?  I decided to take a little break over the holidays to enjoy all the fun activities with our family and friends.  Some travel included meant I was not cooking as much either!  But I have lots planned for 2010 and Meal Planning Magic included a few (or more!) contests and giveaways and a lot more organizing forms for you to use.  I'm also planning to finally update the pages on my site since the redesign so that it is easier for you to find relevant posts to help you on your meal planning journey.  If there's anything specific you'd like with this year to help you accomplish your goals, please let me know by posting a comment below!

Until then, I wish all of you a Happy New Year!