Blog
Totally Tomatoes
What ripens to red, orange, purple, or yellow, has seeds, and is bursting with the fresh flavor of summer? Tomatoes come in a rainbow of colors; the most common is red, of course. Tomatoes add color, nutrients, and interest to our meals. Not only can we chop, slice, and eat them fresh, but they serve as the base for recipes and sauces in many cultures. If you want to find new recipes from cultures around the world there are some ideas below, or you can check out Oldways.
What’s for Breakfast at Anna’s?
Breakfast at my apartment is my favorite meal of the day. I have always been a big fan of all things breakfast food, so planning what I am going to eat to start my day is important to me. As a senior year dietetics student, breakfast most days needs to be quick and portable as I am off to work or class. I also need something filling to sustain me through my morning classes until I have time for lunch.
Go to Quick Meals
Recently my neighbor asked me what my go-to meals are for supper. I was quick to reply tacos and scrambled eggs. I keep the ingredients on hand for both, they come together quickly, and everyone likes them. In the summer, I like to spend time outside after work and not in the kitchen. And I’d rather not turn on the oven and heat up my house. Tacos and scrambled eggs allow me to do both.
What’s for Breakfast at the Gatewood’s?
Breakfast at our house it low key and includes lots of easy to prepare options. I don’t plan breakfast like I do our evening meal but I make sure there are a variety of options on hand for us to choose from. Some of our go-to items include pancakes, toast with peanut butter, smoothies, eggs, oatmeal, and muffins.
It’s Time for Asparagus!
It’s Spring! And that means asparagus is in season. I remember growing up on the farm and cutting wild asparagus in the ditch by our house. Now I buy it in the grocery store. My husband loves asparagus so he gets excited for me to make it when it’s in season. His favorite way to have it is roasted. I also like to grill it.
What to cook when all I have is a microwave??
Even though we would like to roast, broil, and bake; sometimes we just do not have the time nor energy to set aside for it. This is when a microwave comes in handy. A microwave has great potential and can be used to do so much more than just heat up leftovers.
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.
