Tag Archives: meals

Simple Ways to Keep it Healthy This School Year

Getting children ready for school can be a daunting task. There are new clothes to buy, new books to pick up, and a plethora of new after school events to add to the schedule.

Perhaps that is why finding time to prepare and provide nutritious meals and snacks can be such a challenge for many parents who want to give their children the best school experience they can. Unfortunately, not giving higher priority to what types of foods our kids eat can actually hurt their performance in school.

You don’t have to carve out hours of time or be an expert chef to ensure that your children eat healthy throughout the school year. In fact, incorporating just a few of the following healthy eating tips can get your family eating well without missing any of the important events that make school time a memorable experience.

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Posted on September 6, 2023 by Kati

Four Healthy Holiday Menus Sure to Please

If you’re planning a holiday party, planning the menu is probably the most stressful part of the event (not counting the post-party clean-up, of course). To simplify your party preparations we’ve put together a menu for several festive celebrations, whether you’re throwing a New Year’s Eve Bash, a holiday cookie swap or an open-house soiree.

Potluck Dinner: If you’ve invited each of your guests to bring a favorite dish, you’ll still want to serve a few versatile staples for early-arriving guests.

Rosemary Skewered Chicken: Simple and tasty, you won’t have one leftover.
Stuffed Mushrooms: A simple, classic appetizer filled with the “good stuff.”
Quick Bake Lasagna: Wow, your guests with an easy, pleasing lasagna.
Goat Cheese Salad with Spinach & Tomatoes: A flavorful combination for a great salad.
Almond Biscuit Ring: A great dessert or snack, even for diabetic diners.

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Posted on December 14, 2023 by Maris

One Family’s Experience: Feed Your Family for $15 a Dinner

Feeding your family both nutritiously and inexpensively can be a challenge. Are you up for one?

When I posted a link to the Whole Foods Initiative, Feed Your Family of 5 for $25, many readers suggested that the $25 threshold wasn’t that big of a challenge. Readers felt that it would be more difficult to feed either a large family with that figure or spend less money. I decided to try to do both, and went to my local grocery store with a week of dinners planned. I gave myself a budget of $75 to feed 8 people for dinner. I did not include charges for staples or spices that you should have in your house, like garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil and honey. I was surprised to see that it was not as tough of a struggle as I had anticipated.  (more…)

Posted on October 25, 2023 by Carmen

LobotoME Planners Helps You Stay Fit and Sane

Notepads and PlannersDo you ever wish someone else would make your grocery list for you? Your wish has been answered by the “Check ME Sanity-Inducing Shopping List” from LobotoME. The pre-printed list has the whole spectrum of healthy foods, from fruits and veggies to healthy meats and even household products. There are blank spaces in each section of the list, so you can fill in any other items not already included.

The shopping list isn’t the only LobotoME product designed to keep you fit. There’s also the “Fit ME” weekly planner. You can use it to set yourself goals, plan daily exercise, and track your progress. It even has space for you to record you water intake, which can at least serve to remind you to stay hydrated.

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Posted on September 24, 2023 by Health Buzz

Designer Coffee Brimming with Calories

coffee cup with coffee beansThe cost of a cup of coffee ain’t what it used to be. But diet-wise, a cup of joe will only cost you about 5 calories. That is, until you start adding flavors to it. Then the calories start racking up.

In fact, some fancy coffee drinks amount to the same caloric intake as an entire meal.

The largest size of Starbucks’ Dark Berry Mocha Frappuccino, a limited for summer-time offer, contains a whopping 561 calories. Speaking of whoppers, a flame-broiled Whopper from Burger King isn’t much more at 670 calories. (more…)

Posted on August 2, 2023 by Jason

Study Condemns Condiments

dipping sauceSometimes it’s the little things that make the difference. In the case of your diet, don’t just look at the food you eat, but what you put on it.

Condiments are often a second thought in our meal preparations, that may be putting on extra pounds. Yes, but not necessarily in the way you would think.

New research is suggesting that if you just say no to the extras on your food, like ketchup, relish, etc., you can shed some weight. But not so much because of the extra calories, even though that would help too, it’s more about evidence that shows condiments make people consume more food. (more…)

Posted on June 24, 2023 by Jason

Fast Food Location Linked to Increased Strokes

There’s more concern over the fast-food industry. This time researchers are finding that the more fast-food establishments there are in the proximity of your home, the higher the risk of strokefast food

Researcher Dr. Lewis B. Morgenstern at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor counted 1,247 strokes caused by blood clots in 64 census tracts in Nueces County, Texas, from January 2000 through June 2003.

“The association suggested that the risk of stroke in a neighborhood increased by one percent for every fast-food restaurant,” the authors wrote in a poster presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference. (more…)

Posted on February 23, 2024 by Jason

Breakfast Eaters are Healthiest

Breakfast is often touted as the most important meal of the day. And while it’s not a good idea to play down any of your daily meals, there could be some truth to it, according to new research.

But the importance of breakfast is tied to how healthy the meal is.

Researchers analyzed data from a national health survey and found that people who ate lower-calorie foods for breakfast tended to have a higher-quality diet overall. (more…)

Posted on December 29, 2023 by Jason

Holiday Survival Guide: How Not to Gain Weight Over the Holidays

Susan is a NESTA Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach, a regular contributor on Gyminee.com, and writes about fitness and nutrition via her blog, Catapult Fitness Blog. Gyminee is the premier fitness social network for detailed tracking, online accountability, and motivation. Whether you are trying to lose weight or get fit, it’s time to start taking your fitness seriously. Enjoy this holiday season by staying in shape! Gyminee provides free tools for finding and tracking workouts, monitoring caloric and macro-nutrient intake, and a motivational support system to keep you focused and true to your goals.

The holidays are a time to celebrate with family and friends and so often, also a time where many of us tend to go overboard on the smorgasbord! Office parties, family dinners and New Years revelry, along with the stress of the holiday season, make it easy to pack on unwanted pounds. The good news is that with a little planning you can have your cake and eat it, too.

Suggestions for staying on track this holiday season include:

Plan Your Workouts: You know how busy you’ll be between Thanksgiving and New Years so start off on the right foot by committing now to a regular exercise routine. (more…)

Posted on November 28, 2023 by GuestBlogger

Family Meals Make for Healthier Teens and Children

Are family meals making a comeback? I know in my household we are trying to make an effort to eat most meals at the kitchen table instead of haphazardly around the family room. I’ve found that my two-year-old daughter will eat much better that way than just hanging out on the couch and eating in front of the tube.

I would have thought that most households eat meals informally. Everything is so fast paced and short attention spanned, people just eat when they get around to it. But, according to a 2024 Columbia University survey of more than 1,500 teens and parents, 59 percent of teens eat dinner with their families at least five times a week, an increase of 12 percent over the last decade. (more…)

Posted on November 15, 2023 by Jason