Blog
It’s Not Just School Lunch. It’s Bigger Than That.
This year my daughter started kindergarten. And honestly one of my biggest concerns was if she was going to be hungry throughout the day. Going from daycare and preschool to kindergarten is a huge adjustment for various reasons. I was particularly concerned about the change in foods available to her and how much time she would have to eat. The thought of her having fifteen minutes to eat lunch and no snacks was a little scary!
Let’s Party!
Let’s party! What’s the first thing that comes to your mind?
Homemade Baby Food Using Fall Produce – Yum!
I enjoyed making baby food for both of my children, and I made most of it in the fall – a great time of year to make homemade baby food. Here are some reasons to give homemade baby food a try (especially in the fall):
Get your Kitchen Organized for the Holidays
I am positive that one of the reasons for food waste is crowded, unorganized refrigerators. Just purchased food, as well as leftovers, get lost behind and under other items and spoil before they get used. Crowded, messy refrigerators can be discouraging and make us want to throw in the dish towel and head for the first drive-thru we can find.
Homemade Salad Dressing … Easy as 1, 2, 3
Homemade salad dressing adds wonderful flavor to salads of all kinds – lettuce, fruit, and pasta salads. You can even add dressing to roasted veggies to add extra flavor. The thing I like best about homemade salad dressing is that it can be made quickly and easily by keeping some basic ingredients in your pantry – vinegar and oil plus whatever add-ins taste great to you, such as herbs, spices, mustard, fruit juice, sugar, salt, pepper.
Challenge Accepted: Eating on $28 for a Week
Occasionally I see articles on the news or social media about a politician or celebrity taking “the SNAP challenge.” It sounds like a new reality show, but it’s actually a fascinating process. During the SNAP challenge participants limit their food budget to what they would receive if they participated in SNAP (formerly known as food stamps). I’ve always been interested in people’s motivations for doing this and the realizations they come to while trying to eat well on a very tight budget.
A Week in Someone Else’s Shoes
Last week I wrote about my experience with the SNAP Challenge. I limited my food budget to what I would receive if I participated in SNAP (formerly known as food stamps). I learned a lot and put my cooking and shopping skills to the test! Dr. Ruth Litchfield is a friend and colleague of mine who is a dietitian and teaches nutrition courses at our university. She took the SNAP challenge as well. I was fascinated to learn about her family’s experience.
The Rhoads’ SNAP Challenge
Vickie Rhoads decided to do the SNAP challenge with her family and share their experience to call attention the fact that nearly 13 % of Iowans are food insecure, meaning they do not have the ability to acquire nutritionally adequate and safe foods in socially acceptable ways. Vickie shared, “We have had friends and family whose income has been reduced due to job layoffs or family deaths”. A one-week challenge certainly does not replicate the complexities of poverty, but it is one way to better-understand the reality many Iowans face.
SNAP Challenge Meals
Following our SNAP challenge blogs throughout the month of March, I received some requests for details about the foods I purchased and how I put them together into meals. I allowed myself $28 and I spent $25.01 so that I could use a few things from home (cooking spray, margarine, salt and pepper).
Seasonal Produce – The time has come!
Warm weather has finally arrived here in Iowa and locally grown produce is starting to become available. Summer is my favorite time of year to cook because my favorite ingredients like tomatoes, fresh green beans and bell peppers are in season. When fruits and vegetables are in season they are often available at a lower price and fresh-picked produce tastes great.
Drive Thru vs. Homemade Breakfast: Time, Cost and Nutrition
It’s 7:00 on Tuesday and I have about ten minutes to make breakfast, eat and get out the door. I’m tired and rushed, but I know I feel much better when I eat breakfast. Cooking in the morning when I’m in a hurry can be a real pain. It is tempting to just head out the door and swing past the drive thru for a breakfast sandwich on my way to work, but I wonder if that would really save me time. It is certainly convenient to have someone else make my breakfast, but I decided to do a little experiment. I wanted to learn if I could make something that was inexpensive, fast and healthy that also tasted just as good as the drive thru breakfast (or maybe even better!).
Take-out vs. Homemade Lunch: Time, Cost and Nutrition
Fast food is expensive and most options are not as healthy as homemade meals. As a recent college graduate entering the workforce I’m learning there is a “life” aspect that can’t be ignored. I, like you, value my time, health and money so I wondered – is take-out lunch really more expensive, less nutritious and quicker than a homemade version? The Spend Smart Eat Smart Team sent me on a mission and here is what I found: