Think Outside of the Sandwich

Are you tired of packing the same old lunch? Add the ingredients to your next grocery shopping list for these simple and delicious lunch ideas.

Parfait in a Bag: Pack a single serve cup of Chobani Greek Yogurt, 1/4 cup whole grain cereal (like low fat granola or Cherrios), and 1/2 cup fresh sliced fruit (like berries). Pack a bowl or cup and then at lunch combine the three containers for a delicious on the go parfait. Add in a piece of fruit (like a pear or apple) and 1 ounce of almonds to snack on later in the day. To drink: bring along a water bottle with unsweetened Passion Tea!

Mediterranean Platter: Pack a container with 1/2 cup of roasted red pepper hummus, a container with assorted chopped vegetables (red peppers, green beans, broccoli, carrots), 1/2 piece of whole wheat flat bread, and a baggie with one-ounce of Cabot 50% Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese diced into cubes. At lunch dip the veggies & flat bread into the hummus and grab a serving of dairy and extra protein with the cheese. To drink: bring along a water bottle with unsweetened Zen Green Tea.

Spinach Salad Bowl: In a bowl combine 1 cup of baby spinach, 1/2 cup chopped veggies, and then pack a bag with one-ounce (small handful) of walnuts and 1/4 cup dried cranberries. At lunch add the walnuts and cranberries to the salad. Try topping your salad with 1/4 cup of cottage cheese in place of salad dressing (this may sound crazy but is totally delicious), it will add 7 grams of protein plus a creamy flavor to the salad. To drink: bring along a water bottle filled with ice cold water and cucumber slices.

Snack Attack: Packing a bunch of little things can fuel you up at lunch time! Fill your lunch container with the following five items: a pack of Justin's Almond Butter, a bag of whole wheat crackers (5 or so), a bag of frozen grapes (will still be nice and chilled at lunch), a bag of sliced red peppers, and a container of Chobani Greek Yogurt. Eat these items all at lunch time or spread throughout the day as you are hungry! To drink: bring along a water bottle filled with ice cold water and lemon slices.

Disclosure: The products mentioned in this email are products that Molly Morgan suggests based on taste and nutrition profile and Creative Nutrition Solutions did not recieve funding from the mentioned products for placement in this blog post!

Refreshing Summer Drinks

On average Americans swallow down over a 5-pound bag worth of sugar per month! That breaks down to about 23 teaspoons of sugar per day. A majority of sugar intake comes from what we drink. Here is a watch out: a 16-ounce sweetened iced tea has about 16 teaspoons of sugar!

Shake up what you're sipping on this summer with these refreshing options:

1. Unsweetened Tea: Sip on green tea, passion tea, or ginger peach tea instead of sugar heavy weights. When grocery shopping look for unsweetened bottled teas and for at home made a pitcher of your favorite type to keep on hand.


2. Mineral Water: A personal favorite type of mineral water is Gerolsteiner. Look for mineral water varieties that have fresh flavors added like lemon, lime, or other citrus fruits. Mineral water offers light carbonation without any added calories. Look for these on restaurant menus and in the grocery store too!

3. Add Fresh Flavor: What do cucumber, lemon, lime, raspberries, and strawberries have in common? They all can add refreshing fresh flavors to a glass of water without adding virtually any calories. Keep an assortment on hand and it is a perfect solution for effortless entertaining.

4. 120 or less: Help your waist line with light drink options like: red wine, white wine, champagne, light beer, or vodka & club soda... all weighing in at 120 calories or less.




Check out a segment that I did this week on the 10! Show in Philadelphia:

View more videos at: http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/?__source=embedCode.

Simple Toddler Snacks

Planning balanced snacks is a key strategy to your toddlers taste development! After age one your toddler can eat most foods as long as they are not allergic to them and that their chewing and swallowing are well developed. Here are some toddler approved snack ideas that are a little out of the ordinary, which are toddler approved by our little guys.

• PB Sliders: 1/4 slice whole wheat bread with light spread of peanut butter, topped with slice of banana
  


• Mediterranean Platter: 3 - 4 cucumber slices with a tablespoon of hummus for dipping



• Toddler Trail Mix: 1/4 cup of whole grain cereal (like Cheerios), raisins, and craisins
  


• Fruit Slices: 1/2 of a pear sliced (or other fruit, the favorite in our house: mango)
  


• Yogurt Cup: 1/4 cup plain yogurt mixed with 1/4 cup berries
  


• Nutty Snack: 1/4 cup pistachios (mom or dad remove the shells)

Reminder: According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, portion sizes for toddlers should be 1/4 that of an adults so be careful not to over do it with portions at snack otherwise it could interfere with food intake at meals.

The Scoop: Coconut Water

What is coconut water? It is the water that pools in whole green coconuts. In general plain coconut water is not very sweet (even though it has sugar) and naturally has sodium and potassium, which are electrolytes which help maintain fluid balance.

The type that I prefer to drink occasionally is Peach Mango Coconut Water which is flavored with fruit puree (check the photo in my recent Facebook post). It has 60 calories, 30 mg sodium, 500 mg potassium, and 15 grams of sugar in 8.5 ounces. What I like about fruit puree flavored coconut water is: it is flavored with fruit puree and it is nutrient rich!

Coconut water can be a stand-in for a sports drink but keep in mind a sports drink is only needed when a work out is going to be one hour of continuous (and vigorous) activity or longer. For light workouts or short workouts a sports drink is not needed and plain water will do.

The bottom line: coconut water is a great alternative to higher calorie beverages and look for vartities that are sweetened with fruit puree and do not have added sugar. But as with anything, some is good, more is not better!

What to Choose at the Grocery Store?

Over the weekend I did a Facebook post that included a picture of items that I picked up at the grocery store. It was cool to see what my friends comments were! The posts inspired me to write these tips to help you with your next shopping trip... 1. Make a list! Without a list in the grocery store, it's nearly impossible to leave the store with everything you need. 2. Try something new! There are so many awesome food choices at the grocery store, there is no need to feel bored or tired of what you're eating. Every trip, seek out something new! A new product I tried this week is a spaghetti sauce called Dave's Gourmet! (I'll report back on how it tastes) 3. Fill up on nutrient rich foods! Start filling your basket with mostly nutrient rich foods like: fruits, vegetables, low fat milk & yogurt, lean meat/ poultry/ fish, whole grain breads, whole grain cereals. This will help you to leave the store with the base of a healthy eating plan. 4. Splurge! Pick one item as a "splurge" like cookies, chips, ice cream and have that on hand to satisfy your cravings throughout the week. Believe it or not, if you plan in a splurge most everyday you're more likely to keep your portions in check! Pick up a copy of my book, The Skinny Rules for more simple strategies for cooking, shopping, and fitness too!

St.Patrick's Day Guacamole

Making guacamole is a great thing to do with little ones on St. Patrick's Day! Today I went to our son's preschool and made guacamole with his class. And I am happy to report, most of the children loved it!!! We did it 'cup cooking' style, where each child had their own cup to mash the avocado and stir their very own guacamole. Here is the recipe for the big batch (See below). Happy St. Patrick's Day!

St. Patrick's Day Guacamole
Yield: 4 cups

Ingredients:
3 avocados (skin and pits removed)
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
salt to taste

Directions:
1. Mash the avocado until smooth.
2. Stir in lime juice and garlic. Add a pinch of salt (you don't need much!).

Serve with: baked pita chips, tortilla chips, or vegetable slices.

Eat Right With Color

Happy National Nutrition Month! The theme of this month long event is "Eat Right With Color"... which I personally think is an awesome message. We know that people are not eating enough fruits and vegetables yet they provide important nutrients like: vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber! Plus fruit and veggies are filling and have a relatively low calorie price tag (many are only 50 calories or less per serving). Check out these simple ways to add more color to your eating routine:

• Top blackened salmon with mango salsa.
  


• Add sliced avocado, tomatoes, onions, or dark leafy green lettuce to your sandwich.
  


• For snack: grab a small handful of walnuts and dried cranberries.
  


• Fill the bottom of your cereal bowl with sliced fruit like strawberries or bananas, this will help your bowl to seem full while keeping your portion of cereal in check.



• Instead of crackers, choose apple slices with low-fat cheese.
  


• Great side for lunch: red pepper slices with hummus (personal hummus favorite: roasted red pepper).
  


• Mix in fresh fruit to yogurt.



• Add a side of fruit at dinner like: applesauce, fresh berries, or sliced mango.
  


• Fill at least half of your plate at dinner with fruit and/or veggies!



• Add a handful of frozen veggies to prepared soups to up the veggie content!