Kids Eat Right Fourth of July

Fire up the barbecue and enjoy the Fourth of July with kids and family, but make sure to follow some precautions before you put that burger on the grill. Read the Kids Eat Right Article here.

Why not pack a picnic cooler ahead of time for that 4th of July family outing? Keep it simple, safe, and savory. Check out these Hot Tips.

Liven up your 4th of July festivities with a nice cold fruit snow cone! Any berry or fruit will do! Recipe Link

Don’t spend hours over a hot stove this 4th of July! Use your pressure cooker to make this Pulled Mexican Pork dish and enjoy it as a taco or burrito filling; or serve on a whole grain bun. Recipe Video

Monday Message - Chicken Soup

In spite of all your efforts to stay healthy, your child has caught the bug – a mild cold, but nonetheless a nagging one. Chicken soup can help!


Read the entire Kids Eat Right Article for tips on getting your little one back to running around and laughing in no time. Click Here.

Monday Message - Recipe of the Week

Quinoa StirFry

Recipe By:  Stacy Antine, MS RD

Our favorite whole grain is quinoa because it smells so good when it's cooking. It's a complete protein (contains lysine, an amino acid missing in most grains), and is a good source of riboflavin, vitamin E, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, copper and fiber (which we all don't get enough of!). Quinoa is so fun and versatile to cook with as you creatively mix and match seasonal vegetables and taste preferences with this nutrient-packed base that the whole family will enjoy. Move over rice, we're all about quinoa — try it, you'll love it! Serve this yummy recipe warm or cold.

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups water (or use low sodium vegetable or chicken broth)
6 ounces fresh baby spinach
1 cup grape tomatoes
½ cup walnut pieces, raw
½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly grated
Torn fresh basil leaves (optional garnish)

Directions

1. Place quinoa in a small bowl, add water to cover, and swish to rinse. Pour into a fine mesh strainer and drain well (it's important to rinse quinoa).
2. Heat oil in medium skillet. Add quinoa. Toast, stirring, over medium heat until golden, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook, constantly stirring for 1 minute. Add water and heat to a boil. Cover over medium heat and let cook until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
3. When quinoa is cooked, add spinach and tomatoes directly to skillet. Stir-fry over medium heat until spinach is almost wilted and tomatoes are warmed, about 1 minute. Stir in walnuts and cheese. Garnish with basil leaves. Serve warm.

Nutrition Facts:  Recipe Link

Monday Message - Recipe of the Week

Everyone will love this comfort food with a fun new twist! Delight your diners with creamy Chicken Pot Pie Bundles, perfect for a winter night.

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 ½ tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice (about 1 cup)
½ small onion, cut into ¼-inch dice (about ½ cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into ½-inch dice
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon or ½ teaspoon dried tarragon
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch of black pepper
1 cup all-natural chicken broth
4 teaspoons cornstarch
¾ cup frozen petite peas, thawed
¾ cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
12 egg roll wraps (NOT the smaller wonton wrappers)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrot and onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook 1 minute more.
2. Stir in the chicken, tarragon, salt and pepper. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
3. Place the broth and cornstarch in a bowl and whisk until well combined. Add to the skillet along with the peas and corn, and bring the liquid to a simmer, stirring constantly. Continue to simmer and stir gently until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.
4. To prepare the bundles, use a muffin pan with 12 medium-size cups (do not coat with nonstick cooking spray). Gently place 1 egg roll wrap into each cup, letting it extend over the sides.
5. Place a generous 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture into each wrap, and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top. Fold the corners up and over the top of the filling and press to seal the edges (it doesn’t have to be perfect!). Brush the remaining oil on top of each bundle.
6. Bake until golden and crisp,12 to 15 minutes. Cool slightly before eating.

Nutrition Facts

Monday Message - Feeding Baby

My 5 month old is getting ready to start her first real foods.  Even though this will only consist of homemade organic brown rice cereal in a liquid form....I am not sure if I am ready!

The choices we make in feeding our baby can have a lifetime impact on the child’s health and weight. The goal is nutrition, not a diet.  View the full Kids Eat Right Article here.

During the first two years, children move from exclusive breast or bottle feeding to eating table foods with the rest of the family. There are two important parts of this process:

• What specific foods and textures to introduce at each age
• How best to feed babies so they develop a healthy relationship with food.

Read more on introducing solid foods here.

What were your baby's first foods?

Monday Message - New Year

Ring in a healthy new year by teaching kids the importance of food, nutrition and eating skills to fuel busy, successful lives.



A few tips.....

• Serve regular, balanced meals and snacks with a variety of nutrient-rich foods
• Provide calm, pleasant meal times where adults and children can talk together
• Allow children to use their internal signals to decide how much and what to eat
• Explore a variety of flavors and foods from different cultures and cuisines
• Share an appreciation for healthful food, lovingly prepared and shared with others
• Make simple food safety, like washing hands, part of every eating occasion. Teach basic skills for making positive food choices away from home.
• Find credible food and nutrition resources when you don't know the answer.

Read the full Kids Eat Right Article.

Monday Message - Recipe of the Week

Slow Cooker Chili

Use the slow cooker to make this chili that your kids will love and that won’t keep you in the kitchen for hours. Serves 8.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ pounds ground turkey
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 14 ½-ounce can low-sodium diced tomatoes with chilies
1 15-ounce can pizza sauce
1 10.75-ounce can reduced-sodium tomato soup
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon ground pepper

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat
2. Add onion and garlic.
3. Cook about 2 minutes until golden brown.
4. Add turkey; cook until broken up and browned, about 5 minutes.
5. Transfer turkey mixture to a slow-cooker.
6. Stir in the rest of the ingredients.
7. Cook on low heat for about 8 hours or on high heat for 4 hours

Nutrition Facts: Click Here

Mars Candy Commitment

With the new year upon us, every where I look I see people working to get healthy and making a commitment to a new lifestyle. The gym is packed, Facebook is exploding with weight loss and healthy eating commitments and The Biggest Loser just started a new season to motivate and inspire people to get moving through their heart wrenching stories (we all know that the ridiculous workouts aren't exactly motivating us to get off the couch!) but I was very excited to see the email I pasted below in my inbox on New Years Day! This looks to me like a step in the right direction for food manufacturers. Let me know what you think.

Registered Dietitian,

At Mars, we know that our consumers care about the food choices they make and we are proud of all the products we produce, from snacks and chewing gum to family meals and pet food.

As a leading global foods company, we want to help our consumers live healthy lives while still enjoying the small moments of joy that are among the hallmarks of our company.

Providing Options for a Healthier Lifestyle
We've enhanced our portfolio of popular products to create a broader range of options.

- Smaller portion sizes: Mars makes it easier to enjoy your favorite treats with our minis and fun size products.

- Lower calorie density options: Sometimes enjoying a full size bar or bag is part of the chocolate eating experience. Three Musketeers Whips and Pretzel M&Ms offer fewer calories in a familiar package size.

- Sharing Sizes: Mars has made the switch from the former King Size bar to a multi-piece format - '2toGo', '4toGo' and 'Sharing Size' – to encourage sharing or saving a piece for later.

- 250 Calorie Commitment: By the end of 2013, Mars has committed that none of our products will exceed 250 calories per serving.

To learn more about Mars, visit our award winning website, Marshealtyliving.com and follow us.



Best – Kathleen Griffith, MBA, RD
On behalf of Mars, Incorporated
KGriffith@talktocurrent.com

Potassium in the New Year

Looking for a New Year's Resolution?! Just face it - Diet and Exercise are popular choices. We can all attest to setting a resolution with Diet and Exercise in mind at some point. For 2013, let us take a different spin on our Diet Resolutions this year by Focusing on improving our Nutrition through the foods we choose on a daily basis.

In 2010, Americans were only getting in 1,755 mg of Potassium per day, fast forward two years and the awareness is present but our intake is still low. We need at least 4,700 mg per day!

Potassium offers cardiovascular protection by lowering blood pressure, prevents muscle wasting and preserves bone mass as well as reducing the risk of kidney stones.

Food First is our motto for increasing intakes of this vital micronutrient. Potassium sources include meat, fish, beans, dairy and lots of fruits and vegetables.

Try two servings a day of the following potassium sources pictured to increase your Potassium intake for 2013.