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Healthy lunch, snack ideas for back to school

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(BPT) – If schools and parents received report cards on the lunches they’re serving kids, most wouldn’t receive a passing score.
Many lunches, whether served at school or brought from home, are made with bleached flour, artificial sweeteners, food coloring, high-fructose corn syrup, artificial preservatives, hormones and trans fats.
Studies have shown that these ingredients are linked to weight gain, defects in insulin and lipid metabolism, hyperactivity, increased risk of tumors, cancer, digestive issues, asthma, premature heart attacks, diabetes, and overexposure and resistance to antibiotics. Some of these ingredients are even banned in other countries.
As a parent, what can you do to keep your child healthy? Life Time – The Healthy Way of Life Company, suggests checking in with your child’s school to learn where foods are sourced, the nutritional values and ingredients in order to make informed decisions.
“The more highly processed foods are, the more likely they are to contain the seven unsavory ingredients.
Meaning they are foods it’s best to find alternatives for,” says Laura Burbank, a registered dietitian with the Life Time Foundation.
“We encourage parents to speak with school nutrition directors and cafeteria managers about reducing the amount of highly processed and artificial items served in their lunch rooms, in favor of wholesome, real foods, and we’re able to help parents throughout that process,” Burbank says.
Until changes are made, Burbank advises actively engaging kids – starting when they’re young – in packing lunch at home. “Getting kids involved in packing their lunches makes them more likely to eat and enjoy them,” says Burbank. “They feel helpful and they’re learning along the way.” She says it’s important to include a protein, whole grains, fresh fruit, vegetables and healthy fats with every meal, and provides some ideas below.
Lunch box
option one:
• Lunch: turkey or ham sandwich with avocado and spinach on whole grain bread. Look for meat that is free of hormones, antibiotics, nitrates, artificial preservatives and other additives.
• Snack: orange slices and string cheese.
Lunch box
option two:
• Lunch: grilled chicken breast, avocado and roasted bell pepper or shredded carrots in a whole grain pita with a Greek yogurt based dressing or pesto.
• Snack: apple slices and almond butter. If your child’s school has a strict nut-free lunchroom guideline, include Greek yogurt with vanilla and/or honey.
Lunch box
option three:
• Lunch: a wholesome PB&J made with almond butter and 100 percent fruit preserves on whole grain bread.
• Snack: hard boiled eggs, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers with Greek yogurt based vegetable dipping sauce, or pita chips and peppers with hummus.
Healthier lunch
room choices
Burbank notes that sometimes making lunch at home isn’t a viable option.
If that’s the case, she suggests parents discuss healthy lunch room options with their kids, as studies have shown that in addition to nutritional benefits, healthier diets also associate with higher academic performance. Things to consider include:
• Choose a salad when available to include more vegetables in the meal.
• Choose white milk over chocolate milk to cut down on sugar intake.
• Choose 1 percent milk over skim or non-fat milk, the higher fat content is more satiating.
• Choose whole grain pasta over bread which may contain bleached flour and preservatives.
• Choose red pasta sauce (vegetable-based) over cream sauce (high in fat).
• Choose fresh fruit over canned fruit which may contain artificial colors, preservatives and sweeteners.
Parents should also be encouraged to talk to the nutrition directors and cafeteria managers about reducing the amount of highly processed and artificial items in the school meals. The Life Time Foundation is a great resource for more information on this.
The Life Time Foundation partners with schools to help them remove highly processed and artificial ingredients from school meals by providing resources and assisting with menu development. For more information on how your school can get involved, visit www.ltffoundation.org.

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EDIBLES

Smoke your Thanksgiving turkey for tasty twist on tradition

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(Culinary.net) Make room in the oven this Thanksgiving with a Spatchcock Smoked Turkey recipe that stays moist and tender. By relying on the smoker rather than a traditional baked bird, you can keep the oven freed up for savory sides and delectable desserts.

Visit Culinary.net to find more Thanksgiving recipes.

Spatchcock Smoked Turkey

Recipe courtesy of “Cookin’ Savvy”
Servings: 8-10

  • 1 stick melted butter
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons onion powder
  • 2 tablespoons thyme
  • 2 tablespoons lemon powder
  • 1 turkey (10 pounds)
  1. Heat smoker to 225 F.
  2. Mix melted butter, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme and lemon powder. Rub entire turkey front and back with butter mixture.
  3. Smoke turkey until it reaches internal temperature of 150 F. While turkey finishes smoking, heat grill to at least 450 F.
  4. Sear turkey on grill until internal temperature reaches 165 F, about 10-15 minutes. Flip turkey breast side down 30 seconds to crisp skin. Use pizza peel to remove from grill.


SOURCE:
Culinary.net

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EDIBLES

Find Comfort in a One-Pot Pie

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(Family Features) That first day of chilly weather always feels the coldest before you’re accustomed to it, and an easy, warm, filling meal can help hit the spot. Better yet, this rendition of Shepherd’s Pie is made with just one pot so cleanup can be a snap.

Visit Culinary.net for more one-dish meal ideas that bring comfort to cool days.

Shepherd’s Pie

Recipe courtesy of “Cookin’ Savvy”
Servings: 8-12

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 6 medium potatoes, peeled
  • 2 teaspoons thyme, divided
  • salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 bag (12 ounces) frozen mixed veggies
  1. Heat oven to 350 F.
  2. In Dutch oven, brown ground beef and drain fat.
  3. Boil potatoes until fork tender and mash them. Add 1 teaspoon thyme, salt and pepper, to taste, and set aside.
  4. Place ground beef back in Dutch oven and mix in onion powder, tomato paste, beef broth, garlic powder, cream and remaining thyme. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Mix in frozen veggies.
  5. Cover meat mixture with potatoes and bake 25-30 minutes.


SOURCE:
Culinary.net

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Homemade meals to tackle takeout cravings

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(Family Features) Many busy weeknights come down to one decision for frazzled families: cook at home or give in to takeout cravings. Instead of stressing over a decision, enjoy the best of both worlds and make Asian-inspired dishes from the comfort of your own kitchen.

Featuring a blend of chilled, freshly chopped vegetables; ready-to-eat, pre-cooked noodles; gourmet dressing sauce; and crispy toppings, Fresh Express Hot or Cold Salad and Noodle Meal Kits offer two meal options in every bag – hot or cold – so you can make your salad, your way. Available in Teriyaki, Asian Sweet Ginger and Korean Sesame flavors, they’re the perfect inspiration for making takeout-style dishes at home.

Consider this Marinated Teriyaki Steak with Teriyaki Noodle Salad recipe, which combines juicy steak with crisp vegetables and pre-cooked Udon noodles for the ultimate at-home comfort food in an effortless meal. For a quick and delicious solution that may just become a family go-to, these Teriyaki Tofu Bowls are jam-packed with flavor, noodles and fresh veggies.

These homemade favorites feature a delicious blend of broccoli, red and green cabbage, kale, shredded carrots, radish and green onions in Fresh Express’s Hot or Cold Teriyaki Salad and Noodle Meal Kit. The vegetable blend is tossed with pre-cooked Udon noodles, white sesame seeds and crunchy wontons then finished with a gourmet teriyaki dressing sauce for familiar Asian flavor.

Visit freshexpress.com/hot-or-cold to discover more than 300 fresh recipes and find a store near you.

Marinated Teriyaki Steak with Teriyaki Noodle Salad

Prep time: 1 hour
Cook time: 24 minutes
Servings: 4

  • 1/2 cup dark soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
  • 1/2 cup unsalted chicken stock
  • 1 pound flank steak
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 bag (16.9 ounces) Fresh Express Hot or Cold Teriyaki Salad and Noodle Meal Kit
  1. In saucepan, add soy sauce, brown sugar, Sriracha sauce and chicken stock; bring to simmer while whisking. Simmer 4 minutes.
  2. Cool mixture down until cool to touch, about 20 minutes.
  3. Slice steak into thin strips and place in bowl. Pour marinade over steak and marinate for 1 hour.
  4. In large pan over medium-high heat, stir-fry steak 2 minutes.
  5. Remove steak from pan and allow to rest.
  6. In same pan used for steak, add oil and cook hot or cold kit according to instructions on bag.
  7. Add steak back to pan and stir to incorporate.
  8. Garnish with toppings from hot or cold kit and serve.

Teriyaki Tofu Bowls

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4

  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 2 teaspoons white pepper
  • 2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice
  • 1/3 cup neutral oil
  • 1 package (16 ounces) extra-firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 bag (16.9 ounces) Fresh Express Teriyaki Hot or Cold Salad and Noodle Meal Kit
  1. In bowl, whisk vinegar, dark soy sauce, honey, ginger, garlic, white pepper and Chinese five-spice until combined.
  2. Slowly pour oil into mixture while whisking vigorously. Place cut tofu in mixture and allow to sit 15 minutes.
  3. Bring large saute pan to medium-high heat and place tofu in, turning when crust forms.
  4. When tofu is finished, set aside and prepare hot or cold salad and noodle meal kit.
  5. Serve with tofu on top of hot or cold salad and noodle meal kit.


SOURCE:
Fresh Express

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