Lunchbox Lamentation

Don’t get me wrong: I’m *ecstatic* that the boys are off to school again on Monday. The Bear will be in third grade, and The Monkey will be joining him at the local elementary school as a brand spanking new Kindergartner. The downside to having two kids in full-time school is lunch. We are lunchbox packers for a few reasons: 1) it’s economical, 2) it’s a healthier choice, and 3) my kids like to choose what they eat.

Although The Bear would be perfectly happy with a PB&J on whole wheat with carrots and either grapes or a clementine every day, I think that variety in his diet is important. The Monkey hasn’t had to pack a lunch with any regularity so far, so we’ll see his preferences. At any rate, *I* have lunch rules: lunches must have a protein, a whole grain, and at least one fruit and at least one vegetable. They get water to drink. We avoid artificial colors, HFCS, and trans-fats. Thankfully, we have no peanut restrictions or allergies to work around. And if it isn’t already obvious, I’m way too lazy to do the Bento thing with any real commitment.

I wanted to involve the boys in our lunch planning. We sat down a their table in the kitchen, and each boy got a piece of paper. The Bear was in charge of listing out all the whole grains he could think of. The Monkey was charged with listing proteins. Then we all brainstormed other options for each list.

Whole grains: whole wheat bread, whole wheat tortilla/pita, multigrain crackers, popcorn, Veggie Booty, cereal (whole grain, high fiber), whole wheat or multigrain pasta, oatmeal, and granola

Proteins: greek yogurt, lowfat cheese (cubes or sticks), peanut butter, eggs (hard boiled, already peeled), deli meat (low-sodium, nitrate-free), beans (black, refried, garbanzo, kidney), hummus, nuts (cashews, almonds, pecans, walnuts, pistachios), lowfat cottage cheese, milk, tuna, lowfat cream cheese, turkey mini-meatloafs.

Fruit and vegetable choices can be made from whatever we have in the house. My kids are great fruit & veg eaters, so these lunch items are not a struggle in my house.

We also brainstormed some favorite combination foods: bean & cheese burritos, quesadillas, hummus & veggies, yogurt & granola, sandwiches/wraps, pesto pasta primavera, trail mix, cottage cheese with fruit, cereal & milk, pita cheese pizza, chicken salad (a modified waldorf style), homemade lunchables

Now my boys are ready to help pack their lunches. We have the lists posted in the kitchen, so they can use them for reference. I don’t need lunch to be fancy; I just need it to be healthy and easy.

I’m sharing the lists here, but I urge you to sit down with your kids and make your own. There are a lot of good conversations to be had about balanced meals, portion sizes, and healthy options. I’d love to hear about your favorite packed lunch menus.

Here’s to a happy, healthy school year!

Eat Cleanly

I’ll admit it. I don’t always eat organic produce. Sometimes my choice is motivated by availability, sometimes it’s due to finances, and sometimes I just forget which foods are really important to choose organic.

Today, the Environmental Working Group released an updated list of the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen. This list of fruits and vegetables is a ranking of the amount of pesticides and other chemicals that can be ingested even after careful washing. The report indicates that if you eat organically-grown produce on the Dirty Dozen, you can reduce your pesticide intake by over 90%. Now there’s a figure that gets my attention.

The Dirty Dozen
1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Strawberries
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines (imported)
7. Grapes (imported)
8. Sweet bell peppers
9. Potatoes
10. Blueberries
11. Lettuce
12. Kale/collard greens

The Clean Fifteen
1. Onions
2. Corn
3. Pineapples
4. Avocado
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet peas
7. Mangoes
8. Eggplant
9. Cantaloupe (domestic)
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermelon
13. Sweet potatoes
14. Grapefruit
15. Mushrooms

Summer is a good time to make an effort to eat more organic produce. Check out a Farmers Market near you, and patronize the vendors who grow organic foods in your area. This way, you can enjoy not only fresh, healthy foods but also shaking the hand and supporting the livelihood of the person who grew it.

Good health and great happiness to you.

What’s on your plate?

The food pyramid is gone. Despite a recent makeover from being stacked horizontally (like when I was a kid) to vertical banding, the USDA determined it still wasn’t clear enough or direct enough to convey the importance of healthy eating across the food groups. So the pyramid is no more, and in its place is My Plate. If you were a fan of mypyramid.gov (and I know there are some of you out there), Choose My Plate has many of the same surprisingly useful features.

The basic message remains the same:
Balancing Calories
● Enjoy your food, but eat less.
● Avoid oversized portions.

Foods to Increase
● Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
● Make at least half your grains whole grains.
● Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.

Foods to Reduce
● Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals ― and choose the foods with lower numbers.
● Drink water instead of sugary drinks.

There remain sections of the website for special populations, including pregnant and breastfeeding moms. From the website and its tools you can devise an eating plan ensuring that you meet caloric and nutritional needs.

Little about the distribution of how much one should eat from each food group is changed from the pyramid. From my point of view, the most unfortunate change from the vertical bands of the old food pyramid to my plate is the elimination of the activity element of overall nutrition. It’s one thing to tell people what to eat, but it’s absolutely necessary to keep banging the drum about calories in vs. calories out. Some people need the reminder that the simple mathematical equation really is the key to weight management.

A Soup Swap Primer

Looking forward to cool autumn weather and a bowl of warm, hearty soup? A soup swap is a great way to try new recipes, stock your fridge or freezer with efficient meals, and meet new people. One of my clients invited me to a soup swap last autumn, and it was such a success that I used the same format to host a soup swap today with several of my Balance Personal Fitness Training clients in attendance.

I gave very loose parameters for my soup swap: each person could choose to bring between six and ten single-quart servings of soup. Participants could bring as few or as many different types of soup as they wanted, so long as they were in the six-ten quarts range. I also asked people to bring the recipes for the soup(s) they made; in future swaps, I’ll ask folks to email them to me so every participant can get every soup recipe (and there’s no wasted paper!).

Soups were packaged in cheapy reusable plasticware, reused yogurt or cottage cheese containers, or in double-bagged ziplocks. People brought their soups in a cooler, which allowed them to have suitable storage and transport for their ‘new’ soups until they returned home. (A cooler was very important on a late October day with temps in the mid-80s.)

As people arrived, I had them fill in a chart I made indicating major soup ingredients. The categories were: beef, chicken/turkey, pork, fish, wheat, dairy, soy, vegetarian, and vegan. That way folks with food allergies or dietary preferences could know which soups met their criteria.

Each soup was thereby assigned a letter, and then people placed their soups on a picnic table next to a piece of masking tape labelled with the corresponding letter.

After organizing the soups, each person drew a number out of a bag to determine the swapping order.

We swapped in numerical order, one quart at a time per round. When a participant had selected as many soups as s/he brought, their number was simply skipped in the next round. For seven swappers, the whole swap took right at ten minutes.

Everyone left with a cooler full of yummy soupy goodness in a greater variety than they’d make on their own.

Other logistics:
–The swap works best with 10-15 swappers…any fewer, and choices are a bit limited; any more, and you’ll be swapping forever.
–I chose to hold the soup swap at a local park because a) the weather in late October is usually reliable, b) there would be a playground for kids to play on during the swap, and c) I wouldn’t need to clean my house. Oh, yeah. Picnic tables are really useful for setting out lots and lots of soup!
–We started the swap about 20 minutes after the posted start time—that gave everyone time to fill out the chart, organize their soups, plot their swapping strategy, and enjoy chatting over munchies like homemade banana bread and hummus & pita chips.
–As the swap hostess, I made a few extra quarts of soup in case we had soups with leakage or someone needed additional vegan/gluten-free choices. We didn’t have any such issues, so I came home with plenty of extra soup to freeze. I can’t complain about that!

Now go forth and swap soup!

Superfast Summer Salad

I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry these days. I also don’t really feel like heating up my kitchen here in the dog days of summer. To the rescue comes this superfast summer salad that is a great balance of protein, carbs, and pure yumminess!

Black Bean & Corn Salad

1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can no salt corn, rinsed
1 medium bell pepper (go crazy and choose red or orange), diced
1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
1 medium lime, for juicing

Combine the black beans, corn, and diced bell pepper into a medium bowl. Add in the cilantro (more or less to taste). Cut the lime in half and squeeze the juice onto the salad.

That’s it!

And the really great news is that it keeps in the refrigerator for a few days. It makes a fantastic snack or side dish for lunch. Who said tasty healthy cooking is difficult and time-consuming?

Good health and great happiness to you.

Ten Ways to Say: Happy Active Mother’s Day!

1. There are fun runs and road races all over the country dedicated to moms and families. It’s not too late to find one and join in the fun.

2. Tell your kids to take a hike…but go with them!

3. My Monkey’s preschool has a family campout on Mother’s Day weekend. The great outdoors, other kids to entertain yours, and other moms to chat with is a great combination.

4. If you’re in a warm climate, find yourself a raft and float in the pool. Let the kids splash and play while you envision yourself on the ocean in Hawaii.

5. Have your kids set up a backyard obstacle course. You can either join in the fun or act as the official timekeeper as they race.

6. Take a new-to-you class. Always wanted to try yoga, pilates, spinning, rowing, or running? Take some time for yourself to learn a new modality.

7. Skip the brunch and pack a healthy picnic. Bonus points if you go to a playground and challenge your kids to the monkey bars while you’re there!

8. Find a pick-your-own farm, and discover the fun of getting fresh food right from the source. Options depend on your location, but there’s something fresh near you!

9. Go on a family bike ride. It’s a classic family-friendly activity. And if you’re the one who pulls the little one(s) in a bike trailer (like I am in my family), it’s a great workout even at a kid-friendly pace.

10. Take a nap! Rest is a key component of any well-rounded fitness program. And let’s face it: You’ve earned it, Mama!

Time to Get Growing!

It’s high-time for planting gardens in Austin. This is one of my favorite annual rituals, as it is something that is healthy, fun, and involves the whole family. The above photo is from the very first garden I ever planted: that is to say, if someone who knew nothing about gardening can cultivate lush and prolific fruits and vegetables, you should try it, too! Having fresh food out of your own yard that you grew yourself is nourishing in so many ways.

There are a lot of great resources to learn about backyard gardening. One of the most useful for those looking to dip a toe into the experience is Square Foot Gardening. Whether you have a lot of land or just a tiny patch to devote to growing, their ideas can help you plan out a garden to maximize your yield.

Spend some time getting familiar with what will grow in your hardiness zone. As obvious as it may sound, you’ll have better results by growing crops well-suited to your climate. Also, pay attention to whether your crops are sun-loving or shade-loving, and base either your plot location or crop selection on that information.

A lot of people shy away from gardening because they think it is a lot of work. In my experience, you can do very little work after the bed-building and soil-preparation phase of the project. As one of Austin’s laziest gardeners, I can tell you that I have amazing productivity out of my garden, and I do nothing more than water it every few days, harvest crops when ripe, and smile genuinely when complimented on my hard work.

We chose to raise our bed fairly high off the ground (soil height is 24 inches, outer bed height is 30 inches) so that it would be kid-height. Gardening has been good for my kids in many ways: they’ve learned the life-cycle of the plants, they have an understanding of food sources, they know that (despite what I said above) hard work is required to provide us with food, and food that is grown is healthy for our bodies. Additionally, they also think that pulling weeds is fun….and I am happy to oblige them this delight. As kids get older, they may also like to track things like planting dates, germination time, and harvest dates. My big kid garden helper (a now-13-year-old I used to nanny when he was a toddler!) last year made a spreadsheet of our bounty. It’s amazing what kids will find fun when left to their own devices.

If you haven’t tried gardening with your kids, go for it. Is there anything better than when a kid can pick his own self-sized zucchini? I think not!

Talking to kids about exercise

That’s a page out of The Bear’s first grade journal. While my immediate reaction was to be proud of him for wanting to focus on being healthy this year, with more thought I became a bit worried. Part of my desire to raise my kids with an awareness of wellness was to take the pressure off of body image-related issues they may face later in life. But have I really gained anything if I’m raising a kid who is fitness obsessed, even for the right reasons?

It’s a tricky topic. Obviously, our home is filled with discussions of ‘healthy’ and ‘growing’ foods and encouragement to go outside and play. We hike together, play basketball, and swim together all summer. Along with my husband, it is our goal to have our kids *want* to exercise because they realize how good it makes them feel and how much fun it is.

Fortunately, there are some great programs to support our philosophy. Austin is home to the now nationwide Marathon Kids program. In this program, kids run the equivalent of a marathon (26.2 miles) over the course of several months. They are also encouraged to eat their fruits and vegetables in marathon amounts– five servings a day on 26.2 days of the month. They celebrate the first and final lap of their run in a big city-wide ceremony, complete with local celebrities and associated fanfare. As you can see, earning the Marathon Kids medal filled The Bear with pride:

I want to continue to think about this topic so we parents can better support our kids in their healthy endeavors. But I need your help!!

How do you talk to your kids about living well? Is it possible to over-emphasize this topic? What ways do you and your family integrate exercise into your together time? Are there other community events I should know about to help support growing healthy families?

I look forward to reading your ideas. Good health and great happiness to you.

Bread, Glorious Bread

Forget what the saying has taught us: I really do think man could live on bread alone. At least this (wo)man could.

But we all know about the nutritional emptiness of white-flour based breads. So so yummy, but so so unnecessary in our diets. And all that white flour does no favors to our intestines and greater digestive process. You know the drum that’s banging right now: Down with white flour! Eat more whole grains!

I can guess your reaction, because mine was similar: But whole grain bread is dense….heavy…unappetizing…an injustice to what bread tastes like!

Never fear, I have a solution: make your own. Really.

As a follow up to their highly successful book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, Jeff Hertzberg, MD and Zoe Francois released last fall Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day. I’ve been baking out of it only for a week, but I am really pleased with the results. If you’ve been intimidated by bread baking in the past, give their method a try. The hands-on time investment to make your own healthy bread really does amortize to about five minutes a day, and if you have little helpers around the house, bread baking is a great activity to do together. Also, if you’re used to paying $3, $4, or even $5 a loaf for yummy bread, think about the cost savings; Hertzberg and Francois estimate about forty cents per loaf plus energy costs for your oven. Huge savings!

It’s a good way to increase your whole grain consumption– the recipes run the gamut of wheat, spelt, rye, almond, corn, and pretty much any other grain you can think of– and gluten-free recipes are included as well. There is even more information and a continuously updated section of FAQs on the book’s website.

Who doesn’t like the smell and taste of fresh, light, healthy bread? Go for it!

Four Weeks Down, Two to Go

I wish I could say it’s getting easier. Life without sugar just isn’t that sweet.

(Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)

After four weeks without eating refined sugar– and staying away from as much of the fake stuff as possible– I still get sugar cravings. I’m taking this as confirmation of my humanity.

Although the cravings haven’t disappeared like I thought they would, I see a lot of positive changes in my body:

1) Like I mentioned in my last post, not eating my beloved baked goods leaves a lot more room in my diet for fruits and vegetables. I’m totally rocking my 7-9 servings of fruits/vegetables per day. But I can tell that once I go back to eating sugar, this challenge will become much more challenging.

2) Better skin. As someone who has been acne-prone since puberty, I’m finding my skin much more stable since eliminating sugar from my diet. I’m going to have to see if this decrease in skin inflammation reverses when I add small amounts of sugar back to my diet.

3) Weight loss. This may be a real D’OH! response, but it’s true. And for someone whose weight fluctuates very little, even a few pounds is noticeable. Eating junk calories– even in small amounts– adds up over time. Conversely, not eating those junk calories takes off a little weight without adding additional exercise. It’s comforting that the math works out reliably that way.

4) I can’t make an iron-clad connection, but in the time that I have been sugar-free, eating loads of fruits and vegetables, and staying well hydrated, I am the only member of my family not to fall ill. I’m always keen on staying healthy.

I have two more weeks of this self-imposed no sugar challenge. Let it be known that at that time I am going on my first vacation with my husband sans kids in 6.5 years. We’re going on a cruise, and I intend to enjoy myself totally guilt- (not sugar-) free.

Good health and great happiness to you.