Blog
Fueling for the College Life
As a college student at Iowa State University, life can get busy. Whether it’s back-to-back classes, hoping from job to job, nights studying at the library, or just time spent with friends, each day is filled. Quick easy meals become a priority to having fuel to make it through these days. I have come up with my top four tips for quick and easy meals in the college lifestyle.
Fuel for the Future
March is National Nutrition month! The theme this year is Fuel for the Future. At every phase of life, making healthful food and drink choices will provide your body with energy now and fuel for the future. Choosing recipes that appeal to kids and that they can help make is one way to get them excited about different foods. My 9 and 13-year-old children can be selective with what they want to eat but I have found that these Spend Smart. Eat Smart. recipes are a hit!
Homemade Taco Seasoning
A go-to meal at my house is tacos. I often have the ingredients on hand to make them, they are easy to make, and everybody in my family loves them. Something I keep on hand to make the tacos with is our Taco Seasoning Mix. The recipe makes the equivalent of 6 (1.25 ounce) envelopes from the grocery store.
We All Love Food
A few weeks ago, my 9-year-old daughter came home from school excited to show me a paper that she had been working on. It was titled “Food” and the first sentence was “We all love food.” Isn’t that the truth! She goes on to say that half your plate should be fruits and vegetables, and that you can have sugar once in a while. She talks about MyPlate and tells a little bit about each food group. On the back she made a list of foods for each of the food groups. As a mom and dietitian, her paper made me smile.
30 Days of Movement with Spend Smart. Eat Smart.
Being physically active is one of the most important things people of all ages can do to improve their health. Being active has many benefits, including:
The Comfort in Homemade Bread
Last week Katy shared about the comfort homemade soup brings to her and her family. As I thought about one of my comfort foods I thought of homemade bread. I come from a long line of bread bakers. Growing up I have memories of making whole wheat bread with one grandma and oatmeal bread with another grandma. And my kids know my mom almost always has some sort of quick bread made when we go to visit. Banana bread is a favorite. I find comfort in making homemade bread, smelling it bake in the oven, and eating it warm out of the oven with butter or peanut butter.
Beef Stew
Welcome to December! This time of year is busy, but I hope you can find a couple of hours to make our recipe of the month – Beef Stew. This recipe is hearty and it fills your home with a wonderful smell. Below I have some tips from my family on making this recipe.
Homemade vs Bought: Cheesy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
As colder weather arrives, I find myself drawn to a warm bowl of soup. My boyfriend’s favorite soup is broccoli cheddar, and we find ourselves craving it this time of year. The question becomes, do we go to the nearest restaurant and try theirs, grab a can from the store, or make from scratch? I recently tried all three and am here to share my thoughts!
Pumpkin Recipe Roundup
Pumpkin is a classic flavor that reminds me of the fall season. One 15 ounce can holds about 2 cups of pumpkin. Some pumpkin recipes on Spend Smart. Eat Smart. use the full can while others may use a smaller amount. What do you do with any leftover pumpkin?
Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes
Fall baking season is in full swing! If you are anything like me, you spend summer counting down the days until there’s a chill in the air and you can break out those sweatshirts. Whether you like it warm or cold, we can all agree that fall brings wonderful flavors with it. One of my favorite fall memories is cooking in the kitchen with my dad.
Soup…What’s Saving My Life Right Now
A co-worker asked on a recent meeting as an icebreaker question ‘what’s saving your life right now?’ My response was a good book. The more I thought about it though, soup should have been my answer. I’m in a real rut of meal planning right now. The thought of having to think about what to cook my family for supper makes my head hurt. Soup to the rescue! My family loves soup and I’m grateful for that. Here’s what I love about soup.
#WinterSquash
It’s fall so that means pumpkins, apples, and winter squash. I’m guessing that last one surprised you bit. In the fall we hear about all things pumpkin and apple. Based off social media posts, millions of people post about pumpkins and apples while only thousands post about winter squash. Even though winter squash isn’t talked about as much, it is a great fall vegetable to include in your meals.