One way to eat healthier is to pack your own lunches. We do this for work and when we travel (if traveling by car, we always pack a cooler for picnics along the way). Whether you are packing a lunch for yourself or school lunches for your kids, here are a couple of websites with some great ideas. These sites mainly focus on kids, but the food is nutritious for all. The cute prep is optional, esp. for adults, but why not have some fun with it occassionally?
Laptop Lunches
Weelicious
Friday, August 27, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
New Food Link
The other day I was reading some of the discussions on the Simpleliving.net discussion boards and someone mentioned this site: Cook for Good. I have heard several stories of individuals trying to eat a healthy diet on a food stamp allowance. However, I was surprised to hear of a food stamp allowance of $1.99 per meal per person (for a family of four). I don't know how that varies across the country, but I am impressed to see her presentation of eating well on an even smaller budget.
The more we read and learn, the more our household has moved towards a more local and organic diet. Based on a presentation I saw by a financial manager, we have a grocery budget of $150 per person per 4 weeks. That's just $1.79/meal. (disclaimer: we do eat out occasionally, but I also end up throwing away more food than I care to admit.) I hear all the time how expensive it is to eat locally and organically. However, as we have made this adjustment, we have not altered our budget. Not only that, but our grocery budget includes cleaning supplies and any over the counter medications we use (ibuprofen, loratidine, etc.) What surprised me the most this summer was when we provided dinner for 12 at church one evening, we didn't go over budget at all that week.
What we have changed is that we eat more grains (barley, quinoa, brown rice, etc.) and we use a lot of dried beans. I also frequent the bulk foods section of our local Whole Foods. We've always eaten a lot of legumes, but we've switched to dried beans instead of canned. I usually make up a two pound batch of beans in the crockpot and freeze the leftovers in three-cup containers (it's the size we happen to have). We are also substituting ground beef for lentils in meals. A couple of favorite recipes are Taco Style Lentils and Rice and Cincinnati Chili with Lentils. We're also eating more in-season produce, which, pound for pound, is healthier and cheaper than meat. Through our CSA subscription, we have really enjoyed relearning when produce is "in season". At the grocery store, most produce appears to be "in season" all year because it is shipped from all over the world. When you get your produce locally, you find out when foods are naturally available in your area. For example, in the Spring we enjoyed a variety of lettuces and other greens. Now it is too hot for those, so we've moved on to corn, cream and purple hull peas (new items for us), and peppers. The zucchini, yellow squash, and cucumbers have been available most of the summer. This isn't produce, but I've also learned that, like us, the chickens aren't very fond of the heat either and they seem to have gone on strike when it comes to laying eggs.
We do still eat meat. We just stretch it. For example, we love what we call Mexican Chicken. I'll post the recipe later, but in essence, you put two chicken breasts, a chopped onion, two diced bell peppers (be colorful!), and a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes into a crockpot and let it cook on low 8-10 hrs. When it is done, shred the chicken and serve it with rice, pintos, salsa and shredded cheese in burritos, tacos, or as a burrito bowl (burrito without the tortilla). The leftovers from this last for days in our house. Add some Italian Seasoning, serve over pasta and you have Chicken Cacciatore. Today I boiled a couple of chicken breasts, chopped them up and added them to some orzo with pesto. Yummy! Last weekend, I grilled some fish and shrimp flavored with Southwest Seasoning and served it in tacos. Anyway, aside from our love of Southwestern foods, you should get the idea.
I hope you will find that you can eat locally and organic without breaking the bank. I have added the Cook for Good site to the Food Links list. I hope you enjoy it as much as I am!
The more we read and learn, the more our household has moved towards a more local and organic diet. Based on a presentation I saw by a financial manager, we have a grocery budget of $150 per person per 4 weeks. That's just $1.79/meal. (disclaimer: we do eat out occasionally, but I also end up throwing away more food than I care to admit.) I hear all the time how expensive it is to eat locally and organically. However, as we have made this adjustment, we have not altered our budget. Not only that, but our grocery budget includes cleaning supplies and any over the counter medications we use (ibuprofen, loratidine, etc.) What surprised me the most this summer was when we provided dinner for 12 at church one evening, we didn't go over budget at all that week.
What we have changed is that we eat more grains (barley, quinoa, brown rice, etc.) and we use a lot of dried beans. I also frequent the bulk foods section of our local Whole Foods. We've always eaten a lot of legumes, but we've switched to dried beans instead of canned. I usually make up a two pound batch of beans in the crockpot and freeze the leftovers in three-cup containers (it's the size we happen to have). We are also substituting ground beef for lentils in meals. A couple of favorite recipes are Taco Style Lentils and Rice and Cincinnati Chili with Lentils. We're also eating more in-season produce, which, pound for pound, is healthier and cheaper than meat. Through our CSA subscription, we have really enjoyed relearning when produce is "in season". At the grocery store, most produce appears to be "in season" all year because it is shipped from all over the world. When you get your produce locally, you find out when foods are naturally available in your area. For example, in the Spring we enjoyed a variety of lettuces and other greens. Now it is too hot for those, so we've moved on to corn, cream and purple hull peas (new items for us), and peppers. The zucchini, yellow squash, and cucumbers have been available most of the summer. This isn't produce, but I've also learned that, like us, the chickens aren't very fond of the heat either and they seem to have gone on strike when it comes to laying eggs.
We do still eat meat. We just stretch it. For example, we love what we call Mexican Chicken. I'll post the recipe later, but in essence, you put two chicken breasts, a chopped onion, two diced bell peppers (be colorful!), and a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes into a crockpot and let it cook on low 8-10 hrs. When it is done, shred the chicken and serve it with rice, pintos, salsa and shredded cheese in burritos, tacos, or as a burrito bowl (burrito without the tortilla). The leftovers from this last for days in our house. Add some Italian Seasoning, serve over pasta and you have Chicken Cacciatore. Today I boiled a couple of chicken breasts, chopped them up and added them to some orzo with pesto. Yummy! Last weekend, I grilled some fish and shrimp flavored with Southwest Seasoning and served it in tacos. Anyway, aside from our love of Southwestern foods, you should get the idea.
I hope you will find that you can eat locally and organic without breaking the bank. I have added the Cook for Good site to the Food Links list. I hope you enjoy it as much as I am!
Taco Style Lentils and Rice
This recipe is from my friend Laura. We tried it for the first time this week and it was a huge hit! I hope you enjoy it as well. Thanks Laura!
Taco Style Lentils and Rice
3/4 c. dry lentils
3/4 c. brown rice
4 broth
2 t. chili powder
1/2 t. cumin
1 t. onion powder
1.4 t. garlic powder
Bring water to a boil and then add all. Bring back to a boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer with lid on for 45-50 minutes. Fill tortillas with lentil rice mixture and top with sour cream, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, etc.
Notes:
1. You can add a can of diced tomatoes
2. This would be good with a little "kick"--like a dash of cayenne. It's up to you! Without it, it is more kid-friendly.
3. I used homemade bison broth instead of water and bouillon cubes.
4. I used 1/4 of a large onion and a clove of garlic, chopped instead of the onion and garlic powders
5. We blended this with an immersion blender for a refried bean-like texture.
Taco Style Lentils and Rice
3/4 c. dry lentils
3/4 c. brown rice
4 broth
2 t. chili powder
1/2 t. cumin
1 t. onion powder
1.4 t. garlic powder
Bring water to a boil and then add all. Bring back to a boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer with lid on for 45-50 minutes. Fill tortillas with lentil rice mixture and top with sour cream, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, etc.
Notes:
1. You can add a can of diced tomatoes
2. This would be good with a little "kick"--like a dash of cayenne. It's up to you! Without it, it is more kid-friendly.
3. I used homemade bison broth instead of water and bouillon cubes.
4. I used 1/4 of a large onion and a clove of garlic, chopped instead of the onion and garlic powders
5. We blended this with an immersion blender for a refried bean-like texture.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
In The News
Nutritional Value of Fruits, Veggies is Dwindling
It's worth it to read the comments by other readers, especially those who travel abroad, for their experience with produce in other countries compared to here.
It's worth it to read the comments by other readers, especially those who travel abroad, for their experience with produce in other countries compared to here.
Monday, July 5, 2010
New Gardening Links
I have added the following gardening links to my side menu under "Nature". I hope they help you in your gardening endeavors.
National Gardening Association
kidsgardening.org
National Gardening Association
kidsgardening.org
Friday, June 25, 2010
Dinner
I am so excited about dinner tonight. This week we ordered a whole chicken from our CSA. This morning I put it in my crock pot with some onions from my in-laws' garden, red potatoes and celery from our CSA, and baby carrots. I added some salt and pepper, put it on low and walked away. Okay, we really left to go to spend three hours at the pool (rough life, I know. I love my job!). Anyway, dinner smells SO good! I’m looking forward to opening the crock pot to see how it cooked. I’m looking for the differences between our relatively organic CSA chicken and conventional ones I’ve cooked from the store. I already noticed that this one seemed a bit leaner, esp. the skin. It reminds me of bison vs. conventional beef. We’ll see. I also just shucked a bunch of corn from our CSA and I’m debating what else (if anything) to prepare for dinner. I still have some tabbouleh in the fridge from the other day. I also thought of cooking some barley, but we already have a grain with the corn. I also thought of quinoa, but it’s high in protein and we already have protein with the chicken. I may just leave things as is with the crock pot meal and corn.
Speaking of quinoa, I added a link on the side bar to a website about quinoa. I have a friend who cooks it for her family, but I didn't pay much attention until my sister mentioned it a couple of weeks ago. It is now one of my favorite sides and has renewed our interest in other grains, such as barley and kasha. It's very quick and easy to prepare, takes on the flavor of whatever you pair it with, and is very healthy. I'd love to hear about your experiences with it.
Speaking of quinoa, I added a link on the side bar to a website about quinoa. I have a friend who cooks it for her family, but I didn't pay much attention until my sister mentioned it a couple of weeks ago. It is now one of my favorite sides and has renewed our interest in other grains, such as barley and kasha. It's very quick and easy to prepare, takes on the flavor of whatever you pair it with, and is very healthy. I'd love to hear about your experiences with it.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
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