Helping Kids Eat Better

It's no surprise kids love fruit, but last week, when we spoke to a few hundred 7th graders and their parents from Acton, MA, we discovered that a staggering number don't come anywhere close to the recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables. The teens we talked to are no different from other kids across the country -- they're on the go, busy with homework and sports, and more likely to grab a bagel or a brownie than an apple.

To show them how easy it can be to incorporate fruit into their diets, we held a smoothie blend-off at our workshop. Two kid "chefs," each with an assistant, were given various ingredients to choose from including 100% orange, apple, mango, and strawberry/kiwi juices, frozen strawberries, blueberries, and mango, lowfat vanilla and strawberry yogurt and ripe bananas. They then all created their own signature smoothie which was judged by three of their peers. All the smoothies were delicious, proving you don't need to be a Food Network celebrity chef to whip up your own healthy recipes. Click here to watch a video of Janice and her daughter Leah making our Moms' Mango Smoothie. If you have a favorite smoothie recipe you'd like to share, please post it to our blog by clicking on the comments button below.

Juiced Over Jigglers

We recently received a blog post asking us if we had any makeover ideas for Jell-O Jigglers. We've had a lot of fun in the kitchen the past couple of weeks and wanted to share what we came up with. In case you don't know, traditional Jell-O Jigglers, according to the directions on the back of the box, are made with four packages of fruit-flavored Jell-O and water or apple juice. When you crunch the numbers, it turns out that each small, hand-held Jiggler square has 3 teaspoons of added sugar plus a laundry list of artificial colors. To make this recipe healthier and all natural, we used plain gelatine, real, 100% fruit juice, frozen fruit and just 1 tablespoon of sugar for the entire recipe (our squares have just 1/8 teaspoon of added sugar).

We made two versions: one with frozen mango and mango juice and the other with strawberry kiwi juice and frozen strawberries. Here's what our kids had to say about the recipe:

Leah: "Absolutely, super fab-u-lo-so. They're just too good."

Simon: "These are addicting. Can I have them for a snack in my lunch box tomorrow?"

If your kids love Jigglers you'll love this easy makeover. With real fruit in every squishy, squiggly, bite this is one recipe where you'll want your kids to ask for more!

Juicy Strawberry Jigglers

Makes 24 Jiggler Squares

1 1/2 cups strawberry kiwi juice, divided

1 cup frozen strawberries

2 envelopes unflavored gelatine

1 tablespoon sugar

In a blender, blend together 1 cup of juice and the frozen fruit until smooth. Pour into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir occasionally to break up any frothy bubbles. Meanwhile, place the remaining 1/2 cup juice in a large bowl. Sprinkle the gelatine over the juice and let stand 1 minute. Add the hot juice and stir until the gelatine completely dissolves, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sugar. Pour the mixture into an 8 X 8-inch pan. Refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours. To serve, cut into squares (use an off-set spatula).

Nutrition Information per Serving:
10 calories, 0g fat, 0mg sodium, 2g carbohydrate, 2g sugar, 1g protein, 10% vitamin C

Juicy Mango Jigglers

Makes 24 Jiggler Squares

1 1/2 cups tropical mango juice blend, divided

1 cup frozen mango

2 envelopes unflavored gelatine

1 to 2 tablespoons sugar

In a blender, blend together 1 cup of juice and the frozen fruit until smooth. Pour into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir occasionally to break up any frothy bubbles. Meanwhile, place the remaining 1/2 cup juice in a large bowl. Sprinkle the gelatine over the juice and let stand 1 minute. Add the hot juice and stir until the gelatine completely dissolves, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sugar. Pour the mixture into an 8 X 8-inch pan. Refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours. To serve, cut into squares (use an off-set spatula).

Nutrition Information per Serving:
15 calories, 0g fat, 0mg sodium, 4g carbohydrate, 3g sugar, 1g protein, 10% vitamin C

It's the Little Things in Life!

Now that our blog has been up and running for a year -- our anniversary was March 16th -- we decided it was high time we let you in on our number-one food obsession: avocados!

We love avocados so much that we split one whenever we're working together. We're happy when our avocados are pefectly ripe and have been driven almost to tears if we get a brown or mushy one. For those of you who "shun" avocados because they are high in fat, bear in mind that the type of fat is mostly the heart-healthy monounsaturated kind. As for our favorite way to eat this amazing fruit, sometimes we slice it and add it to a turkey sandwich on whole wheat ... or we simply dice it, add EVOO, kosher salt, a little lemon or lime juice and sometimes feta and sliced grape tomatoes. Today, that's exactly what we had ... along with steamed artichokes dipped in a mixture of EVOO, garlic, and butter.

It's amazing how the little things in life can bring so much joy. Of course, our families think we're nuts when we get excited over food but we just can't help ourselves. If you're a fellow foodie you'll know what we mean.Let us know what foods you're obsessed with.

Eating in Season

Janice returned last night from a 5-day trip to Orlando with her husband and two daughters. While there, they visited Disney World and Universal Studios ... ask her how her daughter Carolyn convinced her to take a death-defying ride on the Hulk rollercoaster! Let's just say it's not something she'll be doing again anytime soon...

After a few days of waiting in lines, going on rides, and eating theme park food, Janice took the advice of her dietitian pal, Carolyn O'Neil, and dragged the family to Seasons 52, a terrific restaurant featuring seasonally-inspired menu items, all with less than 475 calories. If you love fabulous food and want to eat a healthy diet, it's a great place to go. Janice couldn't resist a dish of carmelized sea scallops with roasted asparagus and pearl pasta (with a glass of Pinot Noir) along with tastes of her family's choices: appetizers of edamame with green tea salt and a garlic chicken flatbread, as well as chicken tortilla soup, striped bass over risotto balls, and grilled chicken tenders with roasted potatoes and carrots. As for dessert, they all sampled one of the restaurant's fun "mini indulgences" ... small 5-bite portions of classic desserts like tiramasu, key lime pie, and strawberry-mango cheesecake.

It's nice to know nutritious restaurant food can be so tempting! Let us know about some of your favorite healthy restaurants. We'd love to hear from you.

Pasta Envy

Last week, Liz stopped by her friend Didi's house for a quick visit. Didi (whose family owns the amazing Wilson Farms in Lexington, MA) was in the middle of making her family's favorite dinner: penne pasta with broccoli, chicken, and a creamy cheese sauce. Being the nosey neighbor that she is, Liz just "had to have the recipe."

Once Didi shared the recipe, we hit the kitchen and created our very own Meal Makeover Mom version (minus the cream of course). Our recipe is sure to be a huge hit with your kids because it features pasta (and who doesn’t love pasta), broccoli, and chicken pieces that look and taste like tenders. Given how much Josh, Simon, Carolyn and Leah (our clan) loved this dish, we're confident yours will love it too. If you're cooking for a crowd, you can easily double the recipe.

Cheesy Penne with Chicken & Broccoli

Makes 4 to 5 Servings

8 ounces dried penne pasta

4 to 5 cups medium-size broccoli florets

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 3/4-inch x 2-inch pieces

1/3 cup seasoned dried bread crumbs

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/2 tablespoon butter

1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup 1% lowfat milk

1/2 cup all-natural chicken broth

3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (about 2 ounces)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cook the pasta according to package directions. About two minutes before the pasta is done, add the broccoli and continue to cook until the pasta and broccoli are done (about 2 more minutes). Drain and return to the saucepan. While the pasta is cooking, coat the chicken in the bread crumbs. Place on a baking sheet and cook until golden and no longer pink in the middle, about 12 minutes. While the pasta is cooking and the chicken is in the oven, heat the canola oil and butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat until the butter melts. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Whisk the milk and broth slowly into the flour mixture. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and continue to simmer and stir gently until the mixture thickens, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the cheese, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the cooked pasta, broccoli, and chicken in a large serving bowl. Pour the cheese sauce on top and serve.

Nutrition Information per Serving:

450 calories, 11g total fat (3.5g saturated, 0.4g omega-3), 400mg sodium, 51g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, 34g protein, 30% vitamin A, 80% vitamin C, 20% calcium, 15% iron

Tip #1: Freeze any leftover chicken broth in ice cube trays or plastic zip-top bags.

Tip #2: Add even more nutrition by switching to a whole wheat blend pasta (we like Barilla Plus).

Food Network Challenge

Giant clams sculped out of watermelon, sailfish carved from daikon and palm trees made with oranges and grapefruit were just a few of the amazing food creations featured at a recent taping of the Food Network's hit show, Food Network Challenge. Liz was on vacation in Fort Lauderdale when the "Fantasy Fruit Sculpture" competition was taped, so she and her family got to sit in the audience as four chefs, James Parker, Lert Seeboonruang, Douglas St. Souver and Kacie Chatuparisoot created five-foot showpieces with a them of Tropical Treasures. The show's host, pastry chef Keegan Gerhard, was on the set along with more lights, cameras and action than you could ever imagine. The show is scheduled to air some time this summer, so you'll have to stay tuned to see the final outcome.

A Flavorful Lunch Box Idea

Packing a healthy school lunch your kids will actually want to eat can be a tall order, driving even the most dedicated moms (and dads) off the deep end! A few weeks ago, Liz's 7th grader, Josh, requested an Italian sub for lunch. His request came out of left field but Liz, being the dutiful mom that she is, stopped by the market for some all-natural luncheon meats ... and then got cooking. Her high-flavor creation was a hit ... not just with Josh but also with Carolyn, Janice's high school daughter.

A Sub to Love
Serves 1

One 6-inch whole wheat sub roll, halved
1 to 2 romaine lettuce leaves, trimmed and divided
2 thin slices deli salami
1 to 2 slices deli turkey
1 slice provolone cheese
1/2 teaspoon Italian dressing
Freshly ground black pepper, optional

Layer one side of the roll evenly with half the lettuce, the salami, turkey, cheese, dressing, pepper as desired, and the remaining lettuce. Place the remaining roll half firmly on top. Slice in half, wrap in plastic wrap or place in a zip-top bag and pack in your child's lunch box.

Nutrition Information:
320 calories, 13g fat (5g saturated), 920mg sodium, 36g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, 17g protein, 10% vitamin A, 20% calcium, 10% iron