Preparing Healthy Meals For Your Kids

t is always a challenge for parents to provide healthy meals for their children. As the kids grow and become more active, they need all the nutrients they can get. As healthy meals are not a popular choice among kids, planning a nutritious meal is as important as preparing something that they will actually want to eat.

Facing the Challenge

Whether you are working in an office or just at home most of the day, your responsibility as a parent simply does not change. Fortunately, there are several healthy meal recipes that you can easily follow. A Crock Pot and a collection of good Crock Pot recipes are all you need and you’re good to go.

You may even be amazed with how many different kinds of meals you can prepare with the use of your Crock Pot at home. You can prepare tasty beef stew, glazed chicken, pork roast, macaroni and cheese, lasagna and mashed veggies. Since these are the foods that your kids can also find in their favorite dining stop, they will be more than pleased to have them on your dining table at home.

Adding onions, mushrooms, carrots, potatoes and other vegetables can greatly improve not only the taste and aroma of the food, but also the nutritional value. One important feature of crack pots is its ability to retain the nutrients in the meal.

Making Fun Meals

To encourage your kids to eat what you serve them, you need to make a little more effort on the appearance of the food. Try forming faces using vegetables on their plate, or serving the vegetables as pizza toppings. You can also top salads with cheese and chocolate.

Do not force children to eat the meals you have prepared. By pressuring them, you only push them to dislike the food more. They need to be encouraged, not bullied into eating the right meals.

You may also want to involve your kids in the process of meal preparation so they develop better interest on their food. The fun in preparing the meal makes the eating part enjoyable, too.

Make Every Meal a Family Event

Experts always say that setting a good example is the best way to teach kids. This also applies with having meals. Showing them that you are a healthy eater is the best way to train them. Kids always look at their parents as their role models. You will never be able to convince them to eat what you don’t eat.

Also, be sure that the family is complete during meals so the kids can look forward to every meal as a special family gathering. Put the TV off while eating as this can distract you and your kids from sharing the perfect meal together.

No one said parenting is easy. Cooking healthy meals and making sure your kids eat them may sound like a struggle, but when you have the right strategies going, your kids will not only eat what you serve them, but they will even come back for seconds and thirds.

Finding Top Restaurants In Madrid

ringing tapas back to their "purest state"

Sure, Madrid’s smoky tapas bars filled with old men have their appeal. But for some really posh tapas, check out the new spot in the NH Hotel Paseo de Prado. Paco Roncero, winner of the 2006 Best Future Chef award from the International Gastronomy Academy and chef at La Terraza del Casino in Madrid, has opened Estado Puro to bring tapas back to their "purest state." Roncero, who studied with Ferran Adrià and is considered the most outstanding of the famous chef’s protégés, opened Estado Puro to combine classic tapas using the highest-quality ingredients and his signature creative touch. He hopes to open more, similar bars throughout Spain and internationally.

The place is decked out with upscale, cosmopolitan décor from architects and designers James & Mau featuring 1,000 kitschy white peinetas, decorative hair combs, covering the ceiling and a wall, adding a bit of an ironic twist to touristy tapas traps. Estado Puro also features an area where patrons can see the chefs cooking, a merchandising area with cookbooks from Roncero and aprons along with a selection sauces from the tapas to take home. There’s even a terrace with a tree surrounded by a small garden of tomatoes, lettuce and cucumbers. The menu features cold and hot tapas such as croquettes, potatoes with alioli sauce and mini hamburgers as well as sandwiches, salads, desserts and some bigger dishes of rice, meat and fish.

Dinner with a side of celebrity

Javier Bardem, Hollywood's latest It Boy, comes from a very talented family of directors, producers, artists and actors. But what they should be most famous for are their croquettes. That's right, La Bardemcilla, owned by the venerable acting7/producing/directing family, cooks some of the best melt-in-your-mouth, falling-apart-at-the-touch croquettes in Madrid. Aptly named "Jamón, Jamón," a plateful of these will cheer you up on the coldest of Madrid winter days.

The cozy place also offers delicious entrees such as Huevos de Oro, scrambled eggs with chorizo and potatoes, and Entre Las Piernas, scrambled eggs with morcilla. The grilled vegetable plate is also scrumptious. On a weekend night, it's best to call ahead for a reservation. The menu del día is a cheaper alternative to enjoy some of their house specialties. Make sure to bring your camera, it's a great place for celebrity spotting!

A Taste of Home

Burger bars don’t necessarily mean junk food -- something that’s abundantly clear at Home Burger Bar. The wood-paneled diner boasts booths, little frilly lamps at each table, authentic chunky cutlery, and menus printed on brown-paper grocery bags, like the ones you see in American movies -- all that’s missing are waitresses in gingham aprons. The menu features creative choices such as La Especial, with cream cheese, nuts and onions and the Caprese, with sun-dried tomatoes and parmesan cheese as well as staples such as La Clásica, a burger served with lettuce, tomato, pickles, bacon and cheese.

The 100 percent organic meat is fantastic, and is perfectly accompanied by the extras. This month, they are expanding from Malasaña into Chueca with a second location. Good thing, too, because during lunchtime the place is bursting with hungry diners.

Get your just desserts

It’s a venerable Madrid tradition: stay up all night dancing, then refuel with some sickly sweet churros con chocolate. There’s no better place than the Chocolatería San Ginés, where madrileños have been going since 1894, right in the center and open all night. Order a few cups of the thick, rich chocolate to share among a group and a few plates of churros, which are basically sticks of fried dough, and lean back in the plush green velvet chairs to watch the hordes come in about 4am when the clubs close. Chocolatería San Ginés, Pasadizo de San Ginés 5, (Metro: Sol)

Brunch in Style

Madrileños are just now catching on to the amazing concept that is brunch. And though it’s taken a while to catch on, new spots are springing up all over the city and established restaurants are moving away from the traditional to try something new. Some of the best options include Bristol Bar, (c/Almirante, 20), which is a hip gin bar by night but a relaxing brunch spot on Saturdays and Sundays, when you can choose from a traditional English breakfast to an American-style brunch, complete with eggs, sausage, toast and mimosas. Or head over to Toma, (c/Conde Duqe, 14) where American owner Mack Kern certainly knows what he’s doing.

It’s often cited as the best brunch in Madrid, because it combines tasty Spanish ingredients with classic brunch recipes. Try eggs Benedict, or omelets stuffed with your choice of delicacies ranging from asparagus to goat cheese. Wash it all down with a tasty Bloody Mary. For a buffet-style brunch, try Nina (c/Manuela Malasaña, 10) which offers bagels alongside classics like bacon and eggs.

This and lots more are among the hundreds of restaurants that madrid has to offer, its often said, to test it, you have to visit the spanish capital!

Healthy Meals Without the Fuss

Most of us cannot afford to have personal chefs who do nothing else but plan and prepare our meals. Most of the time, we have to think of meals in addition to the million and one other things we have to do each day. And if you are a mom, you probably need to take all that and multiply it by three.

No Need To Do It Alone

Sometimes it can be tempting to just call the nearest pizza place and order in. While this is good for a movie night once a month, it is unhealthy to let this become a habit. If you are a working mom, turn meal planning into something interactive and fun. This way, you are actually hitting two birds with one stone. You get help with the menu and you do away with the frustration of scrunched up faces when you serve something your family doesn’t like.

Set a day of the week for meal planning and grocery shopping. Younger kids would probably find being allowed to say what they want to eat on certain days as a treat. Planning ahead will not only allow you to save by buying only what you need, it will also allow you to organize your meal preparations, and you get things done in half the time.

Prepare, Prepare, Prepare

Getting things done ahead will save you a lot of time. Check your work schedule and identify which days you have more free time. Use these days to prepare for multiple meals. You can cook some meals through and just store while others can be half-done then finished on the day the meal is to be had.

Still, you can use this time to do all the chopping and the slicing you need for the other dishes you have planned for the week. Do you need chopped carrots for a stew and grated ones for carrot soup? Prepare them all at one time, storing the chopped ones in the refrigerator for later. If you take this route, make sure that you have plastic containers in a variety of sizes on hand to use for storing your food or prepared ingredients.

Make Technology Work for You

On days when you simply do not have the time or the energy to get it all done, make your kitchen equipment work for you. Your best bet would be to have a Crock Pot on hand. When used correctly, a Crock Pot can be a safe and convenient way to prepare healthy, wholesome, home-cooked meals that will stay warm and be ready for you and your family when it is time to eat.

Since Crock Pots use slow cooking technology at lower temperatures, it will allow you to simply prepare the food in the morning and leave it in the Crock Pot, ready for you by dinner time. Once the cooking is done, it will automatically reset itself to just keep your food warm until you are ready to eat.

There are recipes for chicken, beef and vegetable dishes and even desserts that can be cooked in a Crock Pot. You can incorporate ‘Crock Pot’ days in your meal planning and let your family choose their ‘Crock Pot’ meal for the day. Eating healthy never sounded so easy!

What Are "Food Miles" And How Does it Affect You?

s more and more people are taking a hard look at the effects that pollution is having on our planet, new terminology is emerging.

The term sustainable development encompasses the concept of using our resources wisely so that we can enjoy them, but they will also be available for future generations.

Another term that has been showing up in the worldwide lexicon is “food miles”. Before the industrial revolution, food was grown and consumed locally. What food wasn’t grown at home was obtained at local farmers markets, or using the barter system.

As the world is becoming globalized, the ease in which food can be transported is having a major impact on the environment. The transportation of that food can use a tremendous amount of fossil fuel. “Food miles” is the total distance that food goods are transported from the field or source of manufacture to the consumer. This term has become an indicator of sustainability, and has sparked a movement towards using foods produced and consumed locally.

Recent studies are showing that the globalization within the food industry has resulted in more and more products being imported from foreign companies. This has greatly increased the “food miles“ a product travels, and substantially increases the amount of pollution that is generated.

In an effort to supply consumers with fresh food, the use of the airplane to transport that food has greatly increased. Since air transportation produces far greater greenhouse gasses than ships, this also has a negative effect on our environment.

Long distance transportation also requires more packaging since consumers will not buy bruised foods. Packaging made from cardboard, paper and plastics use more of our natural resources such as trees and fossil fuels. The increased packaging also requires that more trees be cut down, destroying wildlife habitat. Then the packaging ends up in our landfills when it is discarded. This creates a vicious course that harms the environment.

Consumers need to be aware of where their food originates. Packing will often tell what country produced the product you are planning to purchase. Buying fruits and vegetables that are “in season” often means that that they are locally produced and travel less miles to get to market. Choosing apples from New York State is preferred over buying them from New Zealand.

Buying locally is part of the key. It not only helps the economy by supporting our local growers, it is better for the environment. The trend is to buy “organic” but if that food comes from South America, the benefit to the environment is minimized.

The other benefit of purchasing locally is that the produce is fresher, so you are getting healthier food that contains fewer preservatives. Often the cost is less because we are not paying for the cost of transportation, packaging, advertising and all the chemical additives.

If as a consumer you wish to lower your carbon footprint, your best option is to purchase most products that have been produced within a thirty mile radius, choose products that are not damaging to the environment and purchase products from the areas where they grow best.

During World Wars I and II, citizens were asked to plant victory gardens. These gardens produced over one third of all the vegetables consumed in the country. Maybe it’s time to go back to the “good old days” and consider planting gardens to grow our own vegetables to help the environment.

In time, as technology improves, buying from overseas will not hurt the environment. Many countries rely heavily on the exportation of food goods to other countries, so a shift to purchasing locally grown food could be devastating to these countries.

Water! Cool, Clear Water!

I know, you have heard it before - drink plenty of water. You may think, how boring. This is sound advice, yet how many of us consciously pay attention to the amount of water we drink each day? Do you know if you are getting enough?

When we think of dehydration, we visualize someone collapsing due to sun exposure or from heat exhaustion after vigorous physical activity. But in actuality, dehydration is an insidious condition that can creep up on a person unaware. You may be dehydrated and not even realize it. Thirst or a dry mouth does not show up until the body is actually dehydrated. When we are dehydrated the thirst sensation diminishes and we may be seriously in need of fluid and not even be thirsty.

Over the past few days, you may have been like me; low energy, a little irritable and just not as focused as you would like to feel. Science tells us that these are all markers of mild dehydration. By the time we are actually aware that we are thirsty, attention, memory and mental performance have deteriorated by as much as 10%. Doctors advise us that as we age our body’s ability to convey a sense of thirst diminishes, so dehydration is a frequent problem in older persons.

Men with prostate problems or persons with bladder control issues often try to manage frequent urination by drinking less fluid. This can be a dangerous mistake. If we fail to provide our system with enough water we are literally poisoning ourselves with our own waste.

Dehydration occurs when the body loses water faster than it is being replaced. The body normally loses between a half gallon to a gallon of water each day through our breath, perspiration, bowel movements and urination. This amount is dramatically increased by a raise in body temperature and or by exercising strenuously.

Virtually every system in our body requires hydration. Without sufficient water, our bodies do not function optimally. Water is the principle chemical component in the human body and accounts for 60-75% of our bodies weight. Most humans are about 25% solids and 75% water. That is rather remarkable when you think about it. Our brains, blood, muscles and lungs all contain water. The brain is said to be 85% water.

The body utilizes water to regulate temperature, transport nutrients and flush toxins and waste from vital organs. Water is also necessary to maintaining a moist environment for the ear, eye, nose and throat tissue. Water lubricates our joints. Next to oxygen, water is the second most important element needed to support life. We can go for weeks without food but a person can't survive for more than a few days without life-giving water.

Deprive the body of adequate hydration and all kinds of unpleasant symptoms show up; repeated urinary infections, nose bleeds, unproductive hacking coughs, sinus pressure, constant sneezing, headaches and constipation. Dry and itchy skin, chronic joint or muscle pain, fatigue and hair loss are all signs of prolonged mild dehydration. Scientific studies have shown that a sedentary lifestyle combined with a lack of hydration is one of the major contributing factors in the formation of kidney stones. Just the thought of passing a kidney stone has me reaching for my water glass.

Prolonged mild dehydration also leads to weight gain, loss of muscle mass, chronic digestive upsets, fluid retention, acne, dull skin, excessive wrinkles, baldness and bad breath; totally unattractive qualities. Yuck! Drinking more water is actually a fine beauty treatment and compared with all the lotions and potions, I really like the price.

I wonder how many people endure many of these symptoms, or attempt to treat them with drugs or diet, when the problem may simply be a lack of water. Water heals!

How much water should you drink each day? — It would seem like a a simple question, but there are no pat answers. Medical studies have produced varying recommendations; however, your hydration needs are dependent on several factors. Your overall health, how physically active you are and the climate you inhabit all affect how much water your body requires.

There isn’t a single formula that fits everyone. Many medical professionals suggest you drink 50% of your body weight in ounces of water. If you are very active or in a dry climate, it is suggested that you up that about to 75% of your body weight in ounces of water. For every 25 pounds that a person is over their ideal weight, it is suggested that an additional 8 ounces be added to the daily consumption.

If you are aware of your body’s need for fluids and how a shortage makes you feel, you will be more likely to pay attention to your body’s signals. If adequately hydrated, urine output will be colorless or pale yellow in color. Urine that is a strong color or has a strong odor is an indication that the body is lacking in the amount of water needed to flush toxins and function properly.

We obtain needed fluids from more than just the water we drink. All beverages including milk, sodas, juice, coffee, tea or energy drinks contain water. However, many drink products contain high levels of caffeine which dehydrate. Alcoholic drinks also require additional water to process. If one drinks alcohol, it is a good idea to drink an offsetting amount of water. Medical experts say that sodas, alcohol and caffeine drinks should not be considered in our daily water requirements as many of them deplete more fluid than they add to our systems. To truly meet your water requirement, natural water is the drink of choice as water has no caffeine, fat or calories and is inexpensive and readily available.

Water is most abundant in many of the foods we eat. Think about biting into a ripe, juicy orange and how the liquid runs down your chin. Fresh fruits and vegetables are a prime source of water. Cucumbers, watermelons and grapes are almost totally made up of water. For most people, water in food contributes about 20% of the water we ingest daily.

I have tried to find ways to incorporate more water into my daily routine. What are your suggestions?

For optimum health, consider how much water you drink. For a healthier, leaner body, I know I want more ~ cool, clear water.

Fast Dinner Recipes

e all know that we need fast dinner recipes to get dinner on the table quick. Very seldom do any of us have time to make everything from scratch and spend hours in the kitchen. Here are some of my favorite fast dinner recipes to get dinner on the table in a jiffy!

Salisbury Steak

This recipe doesn’t take much prep time, but it does take a bit of time to bake, so plan ahead for that. The sauce has a nice zip to it, thanks to the barbecue sauce and the stuffing mix adds a nice flavor to the patties and helps to make this a quick fix dinner. To make this recipe even faster, substitute dehydrated onion flakes for the chopped onion.

Ingredients:

1 ½ lb ground beef
1 package stuffing mix for chicken
1 ½ cup water, divided
¾ c chopped onion (or 1 tablespoon dehydrated onion flakes)
8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
½ c barbecue sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together then ground beef, stuffing mix, 1 ¼ cup water and the onion. Pat into ½ inch thick oval shaped patties. Put in a large baking dish and bake for 25 minutes.

While patties are baking, spray a skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Sauté mushrooms for 5 minutes, stirring every once in a while. Add remaining water and the barbecue sauce. Turn heat down to low and cook 1-2 minutes or until the sauce is heated.

Serve sauce over patties.

To round out this meal, serve with green beans and potatoes baked in the microwave while the patties are baking.

Zippy Chicken & Pasta

This is a fun and colorful fast dinner recipe that kids and adults love. It’s a great way to get kids to enjoy eating their veggies. This is a complete dinner on its own so it’s especially fast. Since it’s fairly light, dessert would be a good addition to this dinner.

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz) package fusilli or rotini pasta
½ c Italian salad dressing, divided
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
2 cups broccoli florets
1 large red pepper, chopped
1 small onion, sliced thin
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (or 1 teaspoon dried)
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Follow directions on package for cooking pasta.

While pasta is cooking, in a large skillet, heat ¼ cup of the dressing over medium-high heat. Add chicken chunks and cook about 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Stir occasionally. Add vegetables and parsley to the pan and cook 5 minutes longer.

Drain pasta. Add to chicken mixture and stir well. Add remaining ¼ cup of Italian dressing and toss to coat. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

A fun twist on this dinner would be to substitute shrimp for the chicken. If you make this substitution, you should reduce the cooking time to about 2 minutes or just until the shrimp turns pink. Shrimp will turn rubbery if overcooked, so it’s important to watch your cooking time.

Since this fast dinner recipe is a complete meal in one bowl, there really isn’t anything to be added to round out this meal. But since it’s nice and light, a quick dessert would be fabulous. I would suggest a pudding parfait. Just take your favorite flavor of pudding, layer it with cool whip and some graham cracker crumbs in a pretty glass and there you have an easy but fancy looking dessert.

What You Should Remember When You First Start Barbequing

f you were asked to name a true American tradition, it is most likely you will answer: barbequing. There comes a stage in our life that every American finds themselves with a grill for the first time. If you have a good experience the first time, there sure will folow more and more.

Planning Ahead

Barbequing exists sine early caveman found out that their food tasted better after it was cooked on an open fire. Maybe one of the main memories attached to a family barbeque is what was on the menu that day. When you barbeque, you open a whole array of types of foods available. What type of food you will serve, should depend on the people you invite and the event you are celebrating. Because of the wide range of possibilities you will always find something that pleases your crowd.

There is one potential issue when barbequing: the weather. You can't guarantee that the weather will be nice for your barbeque event, but with a certain amount of planning you will be able to avoid the days in which barbequing is just simply out of the picture. Check online for your weekly forecast or watch the weather channel, if it's going to be cold or rainy on the day you were thinking about planning your barbeque, it might be better to wait for a better forecast.

Start the preparations for your barbeque ahead of time. About 12 to 24 hours before your party starts, you need to make sure that you thaw, prepare and marinate the meat you will be serving. Once the meat is stored away, marinating, then you should start thinking about your side dishes. If you want a traditional barbeque, you should stick to traditional side dishes. The traditional barbeque sides include potatoes, potato salad, baked beans and coleslaw.

Maintenance

When it is time to clean your barbeque grill, you will need to have some common household items on hand.

Brass wire grill brush
Steel wool pads, preferably that contains soap already.
Mild dish soap
Sponge or dishcloth
Spray cooking oil
Dry baking soda
Aluminum foil

The first thing that should always be done to your grill is a routine brushing. Using your brass wire grill brush (or other brush suitable to your type of grill) you should brush off all the surfaces. By routinely brushing your barbeque grill, you will prevent any type of buildup. If buildup from food is left to long, it can become increasingly difficult to remove. Once you have cleaned the surfaces of your grill, then you must focus on its racks. The racks in your grill are especially important as this is where the food touches when it is cooking. You will have to use the wire brush to remove as much buildup as possible. Once you remove as much as possible, start washing the racks with dish soap. If the racks are really dirty, you may also want to use the steel wool pads. Be sure to completely rinse off all soap and residue before cooking on these racks again.

This process should be completed each and every time you cook on your barbeque grill. If these steps are not taken, you may find it increasingly difficult to clean your grill, and may find that damage will occur.

The majority of problems that arise from barbeque grills comes from lack of cleaning and maintenance. That means if you notice something does not seem quite right with your barbeque grill, chances are it can be fixed with just a simple cleaning. Even if you clean it, and still find that it is having problems, at least you saved yourself the potential embarrassment of taking it to a professional only to find out all it needed was to be cleaned.

Finally, one method of preventing problems with your barbeque grill is protecting it from the outdoors. Covers are available for grills in all shapes and sizes, so chances are, you will find one that fits your grill. If you have a cover for your barbeque grill, then all you will ever need to do is do the regular maintenance listed above.