Watch Videos on FoodNetwork.com to Learn About Fun, Healthy Dishes for Kids

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FoodNetwork.com  provides culinary help for momprenurs and dads with an array of healthy, easy, kid-friendly recipes and a new “cooking for kids” video series.

For some cooks, the arrival of fall means trading tomatoes, corn and lemonade for squash, sweet potatoes and apple cider. But for mom and dad cooks, the changing of the leaves means trading the relaxation of summer for harried meal preparation. Luckily, FoodNetwork.com, the top food and cooking site on the Web is here to help, with an array of healthy, easy, kid-friendly recipes.

With FoodNetwork.com’s great ideas, you’ll never have to coax your kids to the table. Start the day off right with Whole Grain Waffles, then spice up your child’s lunchbox with the simple and fun Take-to-School Taco Bar featuring easy and healthy recipes for guacamole and salsa. After school, watch your kids go ape over Frozen Chocolate Bananas, then fill them up at dinner with Mini Meat Loaves with Mac & Three Cheeses.

For more simple kid-meal ideas – with step-by-step instruction to boot – check out FoodNetwork.com’s “Cooking for Kids” videos (http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/lf_kids), hosted by kid-food expert Cricket Azima. The food editor for Kiwi Magazine and author of Everybody Eats Lunch, Azima offers the how-to for five great meals and snacks ranging from Breakfast Pizza to Tortellini Totem Poles. Her relaxed style and clear, easy instructions will make you look forward to cooking for the kids.

FoodNetwork.com even helps you make sure your kids are staying healthy with tips from dietician Shirley Fan. Check out some of Shirley’s ideas:

  • Set a good example: Food attitudes of parents are the strongest predictors of food likes and dislikes for children.
  • Create a regular meal schedule: Kids will snack less when there are set meals.
  • Have sit-down meals together. Designate family dinner nights to encourage connectedness and conversation.

For all you busy mompreneurs, next time you’re looking for a meal that will make everyone happy (and healthy!) be sure to consult FoodNetwork.com for all the inspiration and instruction you need in one easy place!

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Elaine H., September 7th 2008 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Fun Stuff, Video

Earth Day: You Are What You Eat

CSAThe saying, “You are what you eat” by Ludwig A. Feuerbach is so true!  Don’t you feel sluggish and yucky when you’ve eaten processed foods all day and no fruits or veggies?  I know I do.

Last year one of my friends convinced me to join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture).  It was the best decision I could have made.  The food was so fresh: the strawberries were so sweet and flavorful, the carrots were tasty and not watery, and I even discovered I LOVED fresh peas.  I always thought I hated peas.

What is Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)?

CSA is a movement to bring local farmers and community members into a more direct and cooperative relationship.  The CSA concept was started in the mid-1980s and has grown to about 1,000 farms across the USA and Canada.  To find your local CSA please visit GreenPeople.org.

Community “members” subscribe to a weekly share of produce from a local farm.  It is then delivered to a convenient “site” in the member’s neighborhood.  This relationships is symbiotic because members financially support small farms and in return they receive fresh and unique produce.

Why join a CSA?

You receive very fresh produce.  Most produce is delivered within 24 hours of harvest.  Produce is more nutritious and delicious when it’s picked close to harvest time.  Plus, CSA produce is kept on the plant or tree until right before it’s at its peak of ripeness.  The average food item in a supermarket has traveled 1,300 miles since harvest.  Large-scale farms and supermarkets are more concerned with shelf life and not flavor or nutrition.  Even local produce may be shipped to central warehouse facilities before it arrives in a neighborhood grocery store.

By joining a CSA you will be introduced to new varieties of seasonal produce that are not available at huge grocery outlets.  Your family will get to try new, healthy produce they never thought they would be eating. 

Also, many CSAs are organic or farms that are concerned about not using synthetic pesticides.  By joining a CSA you know where, how and by whom your food is grown.

If you do not have a CSA in your area, you might want to find your local farmer’s market to find the freshest and tastiest produce in your area.  Visit FarmersMarket.com for more information.

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Elaine H., April 18th 2008 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Earth Day 2008