Peas & Carrots Podcast and Blog From Fresh Baby

Want America to be a Climate Leader?

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DINNER: Making the Most of Your Child's Day

Healthy, home cooked meals are best.  Here are tips to ease the stress of getting dinner on the table during the busy week:

• Set aside weekend time to make meals and freeze them. For meal variety, connect with a friend, choose two recipes and each of you make a double batch of one recipe. Split up the meals for both families.
• Buying pre-washed, fresh fruits/veggies saves prep time.
• Buy “no cook” fresh foods such as apples, pears, avocadoes, and tomatoes. A fruit plate or veggie salad makes a terrific side dish.
• Keep it simple. No need too strive for gourmet everyday. It is often the simpler dishes that have the best flavors.
• Buy a few cookbooks on subjects like 30 minute meals, 5 ingredients or less, or fast and easy weeknight menus.

 

To The Market with Baby

Whether you’re off to the supermarket or the local farm stand take your baby along for the trip and make it fun. Seeing colorful displays, smelling different fruits, or touching bumpy vegetables will bring your child closer to healthy foods and developing a positive attitude about them.

Tray Tip #5: Saving Leftovers

How many times have you thrown out 3/4 of a can of tomato paste, or ½ a bottle of wine because a recipe calls for a small amount? What do you do with all those egg whites when the recipe calls for just the yolks?

 

Now, there is no need to waste these leftovers, and you can always have them conveniently on hand. Using the So Easy Food Storage Trays, leftover ingredients can be frozen into cubes, and ready for the next time they are needed.

 

Simply spoon or pour any leftovers into the So Easy Food Storage Trays.  Freeze them over night.  Pop the cubes out into a dated and labeled freezer bag, and put it right back in the freezer. Next time a recipe calls for this ingredient, it right within reach in your freezer!

Common leftovers ingredients that can be frozen:

• Tomato paste
• Coconut Milk
• Wine
• Sherry
• Egg whites
• Chicken, beef or vegetable stock
• Chipotle Chili Peppers in adobo sauce

SNACKS: Making the Most of Your Child's Day

Don’t be surprised when your kid arrives home from school starving. Be prepared with plenty of healthy snack choices on hand.

Snacks are NOT junk food.  Healthy snacks provide the body with a boost of energy between meals.

For older children that read - Make list of snack choices and stick the list on the refrigerator. When they tell you they are starving, point them in the direction of the list.

For your littler ones, offer three choices and let them pick what they would like. If they want all three choices – give them a little of each one, or ask them to start with one choice and they can have another if they are still hungry.

Keep snack portions small.

You are the Role Model

Children as a rule copy behavior,not follow instructions. They learn through mimicking you and others around them. If you talk negatively about healthy foods (i.e. fruits and vegetables) or don’t eat them much yourself, your baby will have a tough time accepting them. Remember, your baby will respond to what you like.

 

Tray Tip #4: Cookie Dough Cubes

It is always nice to have something sweet on hand to offer unexpected guests or as treat for your kids.  But we all know too many sweets on hand is not a good thing - They either go to waste or to the waistline!

 

Using the So Easy Food Storage Trays to make cookie dough cubes makes it a breeze to have hot, fresh, homemade cookies in minutes!

 

Simply make your favorite cookie dough recipe. Press the cookie dough into the So Easy Food Storage Trays, cover the trays and freeze them overnight.  You can either leave them in the trays or pop the cubes out a store them in a freezer bag (labeled with the date and name of cookie recipe).

 

The next time company stops by, or your sweet tooth start talking to you, preheat the oven and grab a few cookie dough cubes from the freezer. Place them on a cookie sheet and right into the oven. No defrosting needed!

LUNCH: Making the Most of Your Child's Day

To Drink: Choose white milk or water.

Buying lunch at school:

Encourage your child to get on line quickly. If given a choice, teach your child to avoid chips and sugary items and to choose fruits and/or vegetables. If you are disappointed with the lunch options, consider limiting buying lunch to once per week.

Packing your child’s lunch:

A cool school lunch is not JUST about the food – it starts with the lunch box – along with an insulated bag with a freezer pack invest in colorful containers to pack food choices. They are better than plastic bags and less wasteful too. Also purchase a small thermos for soups, stews and smoothies.

Lunch Foods: 

Small servings, many choices are best - variety is a key to healthy eating. Many foods can be prepared, in advance. Buy pre-washed veggies, fruits, or healthy items. In the morning, simply fill small containers with different foods choices and stack the containers into the lunch bag.

10 Healthy Eating Habits

Healthy eating habits are important for your child’s development. It’s best to start early teaching your baby good eating habits, because bad habits can develop quickly and they are hard to break. This podcast summarizes Fresh Baby’s 10 healthy eating habits that can get your baby started on the right path. We’re planning more podcasts that will give details on each of them.

Tray Tip #3: Quick Gravy Cubes

How many times have you skipped making gravy or stews, because it is just to time consuming? Have you avoided making a stir-fry because it seems too hard? Using the So Easy Food Storage Trays, you can make simple gravy cubes and never feel rushed or overwhelmed when making gravy ever again.

 

For stews, roasted meats, and gravy:

• 8 Tbsp flour
• 8 Tbsp water

In a bowl, mix together the flour and water. Pour the mixture into the Fresh Baby Trays. Cover and freeze overnight. Make 12 quick gravy cubes

For Asian stir fries:

• 8 Tbsp cornstarch
• 8 Tbsp water

In a bowl, mix together the cornstarch and water. Pour the mixture into the Fresh Baby Trays. Cover and freeze overnight. Make 12 quick gravy cubes

 

Using Quick Gravy Cubes: Simply drop 1 or 2 cubes into your pan of juices. Wisk until the cube is thawed and Viola! a perfect gravy in minutes.