Quick & Easy Weeknight Dinner

Quick and easy. How does that sound on a busy weeknight? Personally, it makes me sing Hallelujah.

This one was really easy: throw it all in a skillet and let it cook. We all know my affinity for sauce-y dishes and this one doesn’t fail to impress my taste buds, even with a super light broth based sauce.  The sauce thickens as it cooks and with the addition of the Parmesan at the end, it thickens up a bit more and perfectly coats the pasta.

A few quick tips...
•    Dont rinse your pasta. Your sauce will slippery slope right off, never ever coating your noodles the way we love for it to- especially this kind of sauce.
•    Don’t season your mushroom/onion mixture until you’ve got your desired browning on your veggies -- salt will hinder that golden color on your mushrooms, so wait to do it until you add the broth.
•    The sauce will seem really liquid-y, but just be patient and wait for it to simmer down to reduce and thicken.  It will be worth the wait.
•    Fresh or frozen spinach can be subbed out in the recipe, but if using frozen be sure to drain that spinach as best you can to limit any additional liquid being added.

Macaroni and WHAT?!?

I consider myself a health-conscious person. I’ve been reading nutrition labels since the sixth grade; I eat more than the recommended serving of fruits and veggies on a daily basis; I always eat breakfast; water is my favorite beverage; etc. So when my children were born, I naturally ingrained in them to enjoy a balanced diet, and I always offer an abundance of healthy choices. Or so I thought.

I was particularly alarmed when I read a news article on two Moms who are bringing to light the harmful effects of artificial dyes in one of the foods my children enjoy – a well-known brand of macaroni and cheese.

I must disclose that pre-packaged foods aren’t a traditional food source in our household – and we do not eat fast food – but I have a weakness for mac and cheese. And the thought that I could be subjecting my precious children to a food product that could have negative effects on their health is alarming! What’s also concerning is that this particular brand does NOT include the artificial dyes in the mac and cheese they supply to other countries…hmmm.

A Healthy Love of Food

When my two-year-old son turned his head toward me while we were eating lunch the other day with a Cheeto stuck up each nostril, I did what any good mother would do. I grabbed my phone and took a picture.

I’m not sure this is normal. Most 2-year-olds play with their food, yes. But shouldn’t I have scolded him for playing with it, and told him, “No, no, Miles. We don’t play with our food at the table”?

I suppose I could have said that. But I would have been lying.

Fish Sticks. It’s What’s for Dinner.

I have tried more times than I can count to get my little guys to eat their veggies. I’ve hid carrots in macaroni and cheese, challenged them to veggie eating contests where the winner takes a prize, poured ranch dressing and/or ketchup on anything green and even tried to convince them that Special Agent Oso always eats his vegetables. But, I have failed.

Don’t Be Fooled by Common Nutrition Myths

As a registered dietitian, I find I spend a fair amount of time with clients debunking myths they’ve accumulated over the years. With so many “quick-fix” diet options out there many times people don’t know where to start and what information is correct. I’ve compiled some of the most common myths here:

Mom, can we eat out tonight?

For me, there’s nothing better than a good home-cooked meal and conversation with my family at the dinner table at the end of a very long day. So when my children began to ask me about eating out at restaurants immediately after I picked them up from school, I became a tad bit concerned. But when they started to name a long laundry list of restaurant chains, I became both concerned and annoyed with their request.

“Mom, how about that Mongolian grill restaurant,” my oldest daughter Sierra blurted out one day. And my five-year-old son Nathan, well he prefers rotisserie baked chicken, honey chicken and rice, and let’s not forget the old-time favorite –  chicken nuggets and fries (although I recently found out that he only wants the latter to collect a new toy).

Do our kids affect our waistlines?

Look for opportunities to be active outside.

Does having young kids make it harder for moms to eat well and exercise?

A new study out today found that new moms eat more unhealthy foods and exercise less compared to their childless counterparts.

According to the study, mothers ate more fatty foods and drank about seven sugary drinks weekly, versus about four among childless women. Moms got on average a little more than two hours of at least moderate activity weekly compared to three hours weekly among women without childern. Mothers also had a slightly higher average body-mass index than childless women — 27 versus 26. Healthy BMIs are in the 19-24 range.

"This isn't a study about blame," said co-author Jerica Berge, a University of Minnesota researcher, in an MSNBC article. "This is about identifying ... a very high-risk time period" for parents that doctors should be aware of so they can offer solutions, she said.

Does artificial food coloring cause hyperactivity?

Whole foods without additives and dyes are a good choice.

News stories this week mentioned the federal government is reassessing whether foods with bright artificial colors aggravate behavior problems like hyperactivity in some children.

Foods like Jell-O, Lucky Charms cereal and Minute Maid Lemonade were given as examples.

According to a story in The New York Times, Food and Drug Administration scientists suggested that problems linked to these additives could be similar to a peanut allergy, or “a unique intolerance to these substances and not to any inherent neurotoxic properties” of the dyes themselves. The F.D.A. already requires manufacturers to disclose on food labels the presence of artificial colorings, as it does for peanuts and other foods that can cause reactions.

A Heart Healthy Snack For Mom & the Kids!

Snacks can be tricky as many kids like bite-size foods that are typically high in sugar and low in nutrients.  However, snacking can be healthy if you choose the right ingredients!  In honor of National Heart Health Month, let us introduce you to peanut butter balls…a delicious, fast, on-the-go treat for you and your kids.  Whether for a mid-morning mom snack or a quick, healthy bite for the kids between school and practice, peanut butter balls will fill you up with quality nutrition and give you long-lasting energy.

Healthy Holiday Sides

Minimize the damage of your Thanksgiving calorie-fest by incorporating some of these healthy side dishes into the menu. Each provides less than 150 calories per serving.

Harvest Salad
5 cups apples, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup raisins
1 cup mandarin oranges, drained
1 cup walnuts or pecans
1 cup light mayonnaise
Mix all well. Chill at least 6 hours.
Nutrition info: 128 calories per ½ cup. Simple, nutritious, and a great source of fiber!