http://www.fooditude.tvhttp://www.fooditude.tv/index.php/site/index/ en mollie@fooditude.tv Copyright 2013 2013-05-09T15:16:18+00:00 http://www.fooditude.tv/blog/healthy-snacks-for-after-school http://www.fooditude.tv/blog/healthy-snacks-for-after-school#When:15:16:18Z From being in middle school, I know that there are many different after school activities us kids could choose to participate in. When you’re running from one activity to another you have to fuel your body with the right foods so that you don’t get run down and you can stay fit. Some of the best snacks you can have are healthy foods packed with protein because you feel full with just a little bit. It’s easy to throw junk food snacks (chips, donuts, candy, etc.) in your backpack and snack on those to hold you over till dinner, but it’s just as easy to pack nutritious snack options.  You don’t have to completely give up junk foods but just remember everything in moderation.     Healthy foods also give you the nutrients that you need to stay healthy and keep your body moving in the right direction…up!  Some healthy snacks you could eat, include: nuts (nuts are a great source of protein!), fruits (fruits are a good source of vitamins), beef jerky or other types of dried meat (meat is a source of protein), and water which washes out the toxins in your body.     So, the next time you’re running between after school activities and dinner is hours away….make good choices in fueling your body!   2013-05-09T15:16:18+00:00 http://www.fooditude.tv/blog/empowering-our-kids-to-make-good-food-choices http://www.fooditude.tv/blog/empowering-our-kids-to-make-good-food-choices#When:20:32:55Z As a full-time working mom of 2, I’ve realized that the best gift we can give our children is self-reliance. If we empower them at an early age, they will have the tools necessary to be independent, fend for themselves, and be able to take care of themselves later in life. This applies to everything, even food!  Up until the last couple of years, I used to have all meals prepared for my family from start to finish. The only thing my family had to do was sit down and eat. I had heard for years that we should let our kids help us with meals so that by being a part of the process they would more willingly eat what they’ve produced. Well I was guilty of not doing that because it was just easier for me to do it myself.  When we discovered Fooditude and I saw how excited my daughter was by the cooking process - the ingredients that went into recipes, the steps taken to make meals, and then finally enjoying the meals that she helped to prepare -, the light bulb in my head went off! Aha, I HAD been doing it all wrong! Thanks to Fooditude my kids are now willing to help out in the kitchen, are more adventurous about trying new foods, and take pride in what they prepare. We’re even hooked on Food Network shows and try recipes we find there. They’ll search through the refrigerator and spice cabinet to add their own twists! It takes time and patience to teach them at a young age to be comfortable with different foods, but in the long run the rewards are well worth it! So next time you start preparing your family’s meal, make sure the whole family helps prepare it. After all, the family who cooks together stays together!   (Other great resources that promote family cook-time: Kid's Cook Monday) 2013-04-22T20:32:55+00:00 http://www.fooditude.tv/blog/easter-festivities http://www.fooditude.tv/blog/easter-festivities#When:14:55:16Z For Easter this year I got to wear a long pretty dress and an Easter bonnet. My Mom had me watch an old movie with her called Easter Parade, and all the ladies walking along at the end of the movie had their Easter bonnets on too. So pretty! The girl in the movie is actually the same actress who plays Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.   After, we went to my grandparents’ church for Easter services and then out for brunch. The Easter brunch they take us to is the most amazing buffet I’ve ever seen. There are all kinds of healthy fruit to start with, plus fancy pastries and even shrimp & crab!  Guys in tall chef hats are there to slice your ham and roast beef, or make an omelet with whatever you want in it. My brother, sister, and I got our picture taken with the Easter Bunny. Maybe I should call him An Easter Bunny…he was not nearly as cool as the boomerang-carrying bunny in the Rise of the Guardians movie!   After brunch we went to their house to find our Easter baskets... mine was on top of the grandfather clock! I got a cool disco light ball that beams different colored lights around my room in the dark and more! Finally, when we got home we made tuna salad using our hard boiled Easter eggs for me to take for lunch to school. Mmm… tuna salad!    Was your Easter yummy too? 2013-04-15T14:55:16+00:00 http://www.fooditude.tv/blog/on-the-road-again http://www.fooditude.tv/blog/on-the-road-again#When:14:27:23Z My work entails working on construction project sites far from home. The bad part of this is being away from home too much. On the up side, since a construction project lasts a while I am able to get an apartment rather than staying in hotels all the time. Lots of guys either eat at restaurants or carry food out from restaurants all the time, and I do mean ALL the time, even when they have apartments. Not that I’m opposed to eating in restaurants from time to time, but there are a number of reasons I marvel at others’ constant dining out: I don’t care to eat in a restaurant alone. Though I like my coworkers, I just spent 10-12 hours with them working…I don’t necessarily want to spend another hour or two having dinner with them every night. We’d end up talking about work, which we just finished doing all day. If I decide I’m going to get carry out, more likely than not I’ll settle for fast food. I can really only eat a Big Mac or Whopper once every two or three weeks, max; I just don’t come out of the experience feeling good if I eat such things more often. Since I have an apartment with a kitchen and time in the evening, I might as well cook for myself. I like cooking. I’m a cheapskate, anyway; groceries cost less than carry out!   In my most recent apartment I had two coworker roommates. One of them picked up food on the way from the site every day; I think he may have eaten Bob Evans every day. Don’t know what he ate, since he was even more of the opinion that he didn’t need to spend every evening with the guys he spent all day with. The only time I’d see him was when he came out of his room to run on the treadmill or to do laundry. He had his TV with the Sportsman Channel or something like that with hunting shows, a mini-fridge and a comfortable chair. You didn’t see him ‘til morning! The other was constantly on a diet, so he did cook his own food: plain chicken breast and fresh green beans, each day. Variety is evidently not the spice of that diet. Or he didn’t know how to make anything else, perhaps. We had two other coworkers living in the apartment downstairs. I figured out that they were genuinely only aware of two foods: Pizza Hut pan crust with pepperoni and extra cheese, and Kentucky Fried Chicken. If someone mentioned food other than these two options they looked baffled. I’d enjoy the occasional frozen pizza, of course!   There is one particular dish I loved to make. The recipe is similar to how some people make a chili, or a chutney, or a casserole… since it just struck me one day walking around the grocery store I don’t have a name for it. I just know it’s so good I have a hard time stopping eating it!     - 1 package cooked smoked sausage - 1 can corn - 1 can black beans - 1 package rice (the one you stick in the microwave for 90 seconds) - Salsa (1/2 a jar…whatever) - Grated cheese - Soft flour tortillas and/or corn chips   First, dice the sausage and throw it in the skillet for a bit to brown it. You can pour the salsa in the skillet with the sausage, or put it in a pot with the corn and black beans. Heat up the rice packet, then mix the rice and sausage in the pot with the other stuff. That’s it!     Eat it like a burrito with the cheese on the tortillas or with the corn chips.  Ooh, it’s good. You can expand on it by adding colorful bell peppers, diced onion and such. One of my roommates (treadmill and laundry guy) makes an awesome ‘pepper butter’, basically a salsa made from Hungarian wax peppers; a little of that gives it a lovely zing! It’s easy to make, tastes great, makes enough to share (if you’re inclined to share), and the kids love it too…when I’m inclined to share…      2013-04-01T14:27:23+00:00 http://www.fooditude.tv/blog/celebrating-passover http://www.fooditude.tv/blog/celebrating-passover#When:15:21:31Z The Banda Frey family is busy getting ready for the start of the Jewish holiday of Passover, which begins Monday, March 25th at Sundown. For those unaware, Passover commemorates the exodus of the Jews from Egypt and is celebrated for approximately 7 days. Our family will host a traditional Seder on the first night of Passover, and we will share the celebration with our extended family. My daughter Beca (Fooditude cast member) and I love menu planning, shopping and cooking together.  For me, being together is the best part of the holiday, and we have so much fun in the kitchen it never feels like work!    This year we are planning a fabulous menu.  Some of it we will make ourselves, some will be made by other family members, and a few items will be purchased (because no matter now good of a cook you are… some items are just better when made by a professional!). We are so looking forward to sharing this special family tradition with people we love.   Some of the many menu items we're looking forward to this year:   - Matzo - Chopped Liver - Gefilte Fish - Matzo Ball Soup - Baked Brisket - Grilled Salmon - Potatoes - Roasted Vegetables - Fresh Fruit ...And a variety of Kosher for Passover desserts!   Hoping everyone else enjoys celebrating the holidays with good food and family tradition! 2013-03-25T15:21:31+00:00 http://www.fooditude.tv/blog/healthy-travels http://www.fooditude.tv/blog/healthy-travels#When:18:05:36Z Most kids think that traveling means they can eat whatever they want. But vacation does not mean you can take a vacation from eating healthy foods. It seems like fun to eat dessert every night, but if you don’t watch what you eat you could start to feel sick. If that happens, it could end up ruining your trip.   Right now, I’m on vacation in Florida, and I’m doing traveling mostly by airplane and staying at hotels so there is no way to cook our own meals. Most of the time we’re eating in restaurants, and restaurant food can be really salty or buttery which tastes good but is not good for you. It is especially bad eating that way every day. But it can be hard to find healthy options, and being gluten free makes it even harder!   Here are some things that we do when we travel to make sure we are still being healthy:   1. On the plane, we packed a bag of trail mix filled with almonds, peanuts, raisins, dark chocolate chips and sunflower seeds. I munch on my trail mix whenever I get hungry, so I don’t have to eat the airport food or on the plane.   2. When we eat out at restaurants, I try to pick out some healthy stuff to go along with the not-so-healthy stuff. For example, we were at the hotel having a Shirley Temple (it’s a really sweet drink), but I also ordered veggies sticks with a little ranch dressing for dipping – it was yummy!   3. Besides ordering something healthy when you order something not-so-healthy, you can do other things to be good to your body. Make sure you get plenty of exercise and plenty of sleep. It’s good for you.   4. Also, you should drink lots of water. Normally, when you travel you can get dehydrated really easily. My lips can get all cracked and I start getting headaches.   Think: If it is good for you at home, it is good for you on your adventures.   So remember have fun, but eat smart. 2013-03-19T18:05:36+00:00 http://www.fooditude.tv/blog/pesco-lacto-ovotarian-ism-say-that-5-times-fast http://www.fooditude.tv/blog/pesco-lacto-ovotarian-ism-say-that-5-times-fast#When:18:04:12Z I’m a Pesco Lacto Ovotarian…   What does that mean??? Well, I consider myself a vegetarian. I don’t eat animals that walk or fly. But a lot of people will say I’m not a vegetarian because I eat fish. That makes me a pescetarianism... And while it is eggs and dairy that set vegans apart from vegetarians, some still find the need to list off that they do in fact eat eggs (ovo) and dairy (lacto).   I’ve been called a “vegaquariam” since I will eat swimming creatures and that seems a bit more fun. It’s always interesting to me, as an adult, to hear that kids are some type of vegetarian. As a kid I ate what my parents made me until I gave up red meat in high school for health reasons.  But we didn’t have the education, the farmer’s markets or the focus on organics.  Now, since that’s all more accessibe, kids seem to be making the decision to go veggie on their own at a younger age.  I can’t wait to see what my daughter does when its time for her to decide.     What kinda of “tarian” are you??   2013-03-18T18:04:12+00:00 http://www.fooditude.tv/blog/breakfast http://www.fooditude.tv/blog/breakfast#When:16:37:37Z When you wake up in the morning, do you eat breakfast before you leave for school? Studies have shown that if you don’t eat breakfast in the morning you won’t have all the nutrients that your body needs to function properly. Studies have also shown that kids do better on tests if they eat breakfast in the morning. When my mom would tell me about these studies I would always end up ignoring them.     In the morning getting ready for school I usually wasn’t hungry so I wouldn’t eat anything until lunchtime. My mom suggested I changed my eating patterns so I wake up hungry. Instead of having 2 servings at dinner, I now only have 1 serving so I wake up a little hungrier than before. Now I always make it a point of eating breakfast in the morning no matter how small it is because I’ve realized how important it is to have something in my stomach for the day whether I have a test or not. Some breakfast items you could consider in the morning are: a glass of milk, yogurt, cereal, waffles, bagels, English muffins, muffins, eggs, pancakes, and so much more. These aren’t the only items you could have for breakfast... there are so many other options, you just have to be creative! On of my favorites is a yogurt parfait. I take any flavored yogurt, add some fresh fruit - whatever you have on hand (my favorites are berries) -, then add some granola.    Yum!   When you eat breakfast - try to keep the food pyramid in mind, and if you have time in the morning try to make yourself a well balanced meal. Try to include protein, carbs, and dairy. With keeping those few food pyramid levels in mind you can make yourself a well balanced and healthy breakfast! Next time you wake up in the morning make sure you get something in your tummy, even if it’s something on the fly!   2013-03-13T16:37:37+00:00 http://www.fooditude.tv/blog/why-i-became-a-vegetarian http://www.fooditude.tv/blog/why-i-became-a-vegetarian#When:17:12:35Z Everybody loves meat, right?   ...Wrong. Well, kind of wrong.     I used to love meat, but now I don’t eat it. Why, you ask? I don’t eat meat because I don’t think it is nice to animals. Also I don’t eat meat because I don’t think it tastes very good. When I became a vegetarian in June of 2012, I had to find new ways to eat my protein. I've had to adjust my eating habits to include a lot of dairy. Another food i've added to my diet that has a lot of protein is couscous. I love the taste and texture, and it comes in many different flavors. I've also been adding many fruits and vegetables to my diet to make sure i get enough nutrients and fiber.   My favorite vegetable (which is new to my diet) is cauliflower.  We cut it up and bake it in the oven with garlic, salt, and olive oil... so delicious!  We also keep fresh fruits on the kitchen table, which encourages me to snack on them which in turn keeps me healthy. Sometimes I miss eating meat but then I just remember why I stopped eating it in the first place.   And, thats why I dont eat meat.   2013-03-08T17:12:35+00:00 http://www.fooditude.tv/blog/sneaky-way-to-introduce-new-veggies-to-the-dinner-table-spaghetti-squash http://www.fooditude.tv/blog/sneaky-way-to-introduce-new-veggies-to-the-dinner-table-spaghetti-squash#When:17:37:58Z As a busy college student, I’m always on the hunt for recipes that are quick and easy to make but are also nutritious, which is also a problem many busy families may face. My newest obsession is spaghetti squash; it’s easy to make, extremely portable (which is helpful when I’m on campus all day during the week and need to pack myself lunch!), and it lasts for days. The squash can substitute for pasta in any dish, but is also delicious alone with a bit of tomato sauce. Here's how you get started:   Cooking instructions:   - Preheat oven to 400 degrees F - Nuke the squash in the microwave for 2-3 minutes (*Stabbing the squash with a fork isn’t enough! I’ve found that you actually need to make a few decent holes in it in order to get it soft enough to cut*) - Slice the squash in half, length-wise (*I try to cut on a diagonal to avoid the stem, which is impossible to cut through*) - Remove the seeds and gunk (*Just like gutting a pumpkin! As a bonus snack, I’ll usually dry the seeds, cover them with cinnamon, and stick in the hot oven for 10 minutes after the squash is done cooking*) - Place both halves of the squash face-down on a cooking tray covered in tinfoil - Cook for 30 minutes, or until the edges of the squash start to brown - Remove the squash and let cool for a few minutes - Using a fork, scoop out the insides of the squash length-wise. You’ll end up with forkfuls of “spaghetti!”    I personally like to eat my squash with tomato sauce and microwavable turkey meatballs (my favorites are the lean ones from Target, which only have 130 calories for 6 meatballs!), but you could also dress it up with roasted veggies or different types of cheeses. This is a great family-friendly recipe perfect for all ages, and is also a sneaky way to introduce a new vegetable to the dinner table!    Enjoy!     Other great recipes via Simply Recipes , Whole Foods & Skinnytaste     **Image courtesy of Grasshoppers Distribution.     2013-03-04T17:37:58+00:00