It's Not Easy Being Green...Edamame

My boys LOVE peas.  Peas with rice, peas with macaroni, peas on their own.  They're healthy, full of fibre and an easy side dish to any meal.  We always have a bag of frozen peas in the freezer, ready to be gobbled up.  But it's time for something different.

We've recently introduced soybeans (edamame) to our diet.  They have added variety to our diet bringing a different flavour and nutritional value to our meals.  Below is a quick nutritional comparison of green peas and soybeans.  

1 CUP GREEN PEAS	DAILY VALUE
Vitamin K	51%
Vitamin C	38%
Vitamin B1	27%
Protein	17%
Manganese	42%
Iron	14%
Folate	25%
Dietary Fibre	35%
1 CUP SOYBEANS	DAILY VALUE
Manganese	71%
Protein	57%
Iron	49%
Omega 3	42%
Dietary Fibre	41%
Vitamin K	41%
Folate	29%

Both options are very healthy.  Change things up each week; soybeans for a boost of protein, green peas for a boost of Vitamin K (essential for blood and bone health).

Boiled and salted whole soybean (in the pod) are called edamame (often served in Japanese restaurants).  You can buy soybeans frozen, in the pod or out.  I like to microwave the podded beans for 6 minutes and serve warm with bit of butter.

Adding new, healthy foods to your family's daily meals doesn't have to be complicated.  Switching from green peas to soybeans was a very simple, affordable change for us.  It's something different from the norm, and I'm happy with that!

Snack - Granola Bars

Total Prep Time: Less than 1 minute

Canada's Food Guide Servings: 

1 Grain Products (1 26g granola bar)

When thinking of a quick school snack for Big-A, granola bars are one of the first things that come to mind.  They're easy to eat, no-mess and perfectly portable.  They're also very handy as an on-the-go snack for kids and parents.  The trickiest thing about purchasing granola bars is figuring out which brand to buy.  Not all are made the same...

We all know the number one school safety rule - NO NUTS!  This eliminates many brands from your shopping list.  You're best to avoid such brands as Kashi, Nature Valley and Fibre One when following this important rule.  These brands do not have a 'nut-free' label on their packaging, and most of the options within each of these brands contain nuts.

My family loves granola bars.  I break little pieces off for Lil-J to snack on and Big-A loves them with a cold glass of milk.  There are many different flavours to choose from, with ingredients such as fruit, chocolate chips and marshmallows.  I only purchase Quaker and President's Choice granola bars, due to the 'nut-free' symbol on the packaging.  I can then send one with Aidan for snack without concern.

Here is a comparison of these two popular brands:

QUAKER	Cal/bar	Fat	Fibre	Sugar	Nut-Free
Chewy Chocolate Chip	110	3g	1g	6g	Yes
Chewy Bumble Berry	100	2g	1g	5g	Yes
Dipps Chocolate Chip	140	5g	1g	14g	No

PRESIDENT'S CHOICE	Cal/bar	Fat	Fibre	Sugar	Nut-Free
Rich & Chewy Chocolate Chip	110	2.5g	1g	9g	Yes
Blue Menu Cranberry Apple	100	2g	1g	9g	Yes
Dipped Chocolate Chip	140	5g	1g	12g	Yes

Quaker and PC brands are very similar, with the same calories, fat and unimpressive amounts of fibre.  One important detail to look at is Quaker Dipps granola bars - they are not nut-free.  I'm very careful with purchasing store-bought school snacks that are nut-free, but I honestly didn't notice that Quaker Dipps are not until Big-A pointed it out (due to the lack of the 'nut-free' symbol on the box).  I now stick to PC granola bars for Big-A's school snacks.  I find that they also taste better and are chewier than Quaker brand.

Canada's Food Guide recognizes a single 26g granola bar as 1 Grain Product.  The guide also suggests limiting granola bars in your diet due to the high amount of sugar per serving.  Pair a granola bar with a piece of fruit or a container of yogurt for delicious, healthy school snack for your child.

Offering low-fat, high-fibre foods to your child most of the time will allow room for 'treats' like granola bars once in a while.  Use common sense and your own moderation rules when choosing snacks for your children.

It's Not Easy Being Green!

It's not easy being green...

I like to think that my family eats healthy most of the time.  When I tell people that Big-A's favourite vegetable is broccoli, and that both my boys will happily devour steak, ribs and pork tenderloin at dinner time, I’m sure they either don’t believe me or think that I’m adding an addictive substance to their food.  They simply LOVE food!  My husband and I know that in the future, they’ll both eat us out of house & home during their teenager years.  But we’d take that over daily fights at the kitchen table, begging them to eat the food on their plate!

Although we eat healthy, balanced meals most of the time, we do know that we can do better.  Less bread and potatoes, more greens and fish.  It sounds easy, doesn’t it?  But we all know that it’s not.  I am a VERY picky eater.  I didn’t touch asparagus (and many other foods) until I met my husband.  How can I expect my kids to try the foods that terrify me?

Will we let that stand in our way of eating healthier?  No!  My family has made a conscious decision to add a new (preferably green) vegetable to our diet each week.  We know that it may take 20 tries to get our kids (and myself) to eat and enjoy these new veggies, but we are determined.

Week 1: Rapini

• Other names: Broccoli Rabe; Broccoletti; Broccolini; Grelos
• Has long stems, thin leaves and small florets, all parts are edible
• Cruciferous vegetable containing the same cancer-fighting properties as broccoli and cauliflower
• An excellent source of vitamin C and folic acid
• Also contains vitamin A, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc and fibre

So off I go to my local grocery store.  I know exactly which area in the produce section to visit - the area full of leafy greens with red and white stems, the area that I always ignore.  Usually, I fill a bag with green beans, grab some peppers and quickly pass the leafy area, continuing my shopping at the broccoli section.  But not this time!  I take a look at all of the different vegetables.  There are so many to choose from!  And I LOVE that most are Ontario grown!  I decide to start with rapini.  It looks like baby broccoli.  We eat broccoli…how bad could this be?

My husband’s eyes light up when he sees the bag of bright green rapini.  He loves all vegetables and can’t wait to try a new one.  I scour online recipes to find the most appealing one.  Most recipes instruct you to slather on melted cheese.  I'll avoid the cheesy recipes for now.  After carefully cleaning the rapini and trimming away the non-perfect leaves, I boil it for 6 minutes and toss in a frying pan with olive oil, fresh garlic and salt.

Dinner’s ready!

We all sit down to a meal of grilled pork chops, rice and rapini (I did make sure to steam some peas as a back-up for the boys and I).  My husband loves it!  Success!  Big-A agrees to take a bite of a floret and likes it!  The leaves, not so much.  Lil-J devours the first bite.  The second bite is quickly spit out into his bib.

Now it’s my turn and I feel all eyes on me.  I start to feel anxious, not sure about this.  I feel like Survivorman eating random green plants to stave off starvation.  I put on a brave face and take a bite…not bad!  Pretty good, actually!  I’m really not a fan of the bitter leaves, but I’d eat it again.

I’m proud that my family has added one new super healthy vegetable to our diet, a vegetable that none of us have eaten before.  I know that if I keep serving it to my boys, I will eventually be able to drop the back-up veggie and they may even ask for seconds.  I might even treat them by slathering on melted cheese one night!

Making small changes to the food that your family eats will result in big changes to their health.  Introduce your children to the massive variety of vegetables in the produce section of your local store.  Let them choose one to try.  Start by asking them which one looks the most like a monster, or which one most resembles Daddy!  If you’re ‘picky’ like me, conquer your own food fears and set a great example for your children.   

Your children will thank you...someday!

Desperate Mornings Call For Desperate Measures...Praeventia!

I think we can all relate to this scenario…

It’s a weeknight and your favourite tv show is on.  You stay up way too late watching your show, and fall asleep on the couch.  You crawl into bed at an ungodly hour.  You sleep through your snooze and wake up to your little one standing over you asking if it’s time for school yet.  Panic sets in.  You dress yourself and your child, barely managing to get your clothes on the right way.  On your way out the door, something hits you.  You know you’re forgetting something.  School snack!!!  No time to butter a muffin, no time to prepare cheese and crackers.  What to do?

Although homemade is almost always the better choice, there are very good nut-free store bought options for school snack time.

Introducing...Praeventia, by Leclerc.

A little history ~ Leclerc first launched in Quebec City in 1905, by François Leclerc.  To date, they run 4 Canadian plants (three in Quebec, one in Ontario) and 2 US plants.  Leclerc was the Winner of the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix New Products Award.

The Leclerc Research and Development Team works closely with Laval University’s Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods Institute (INAF).  INAF researchers study the effects of neutraceuticals (food products that provide health and medical benefits) on preventing chronic diseases such as heart disease and various types of cancer.

Praeventia products have the following benefits:

• Certified Nut Free (CAC)
• Contains inulin, a prebiotic dietary fibre (from chicory root)
• Contains a high proportion of whole grain oats, a soluble fibre that helps lower blood cholesterol
• A single snack-pack contains 3-4 grams of fibre, offering numerous health benefits and helping you to feel full (reducing further snacking between meals)
• Contains fruit such as cranberry, pomegranate and apple
• Contains polyphenols, a common antioxidant.  These are supplied by green tea, cocoa and red wine extract.

Leclerc makes many different Praeventia products:

Cookies with Inulin

-dark chocolate chip with 70% cocoa and red wine extract

-orange zest with green tea extract

Junior Cookies

-70% dark chocolate chip

-double chocolate

Bars with Inulin

-almond & apple with green tea extract

-cranberry & pomegranate with green tea extract

So you now know that Praeventia snacks are good for you and your children.  But they’re also DELICIOUS!  Our favourite cookies are the dark chocolate chip with 70% cocoa and red wine extract.  The small heart-shaped cookies are crisp and have the perfect amount of sweetness.  Both my sons love them!

When you are having one those desperate mornings, grab a snack-pack of Praeventia cookies to throw into your little one’s backpack, and grab one for yourself!

Snack - Pop Pop Pop Popcorn!

Score major parent points by sending your child to school with a small bag of popcorn for snack time!  It's a high fibre, nut-free snack that they will ask for again and again.  Just make sure that they are able to eat it safely without choking, and remind them to take their time while eating it!

• Air-popped popcorn has only 31 calories and 1/2 gram of fat per cup
• Popcorn is a whole-grain snack that is high in dietary fibre
• Studies are being done to measure the levels of antioxidants in whole grains, including popcorn, comparing the health benefits to fruits and vegetables
• Fun fact: A single kernel can pop up to 3 feet in the air!

An air popper is one of those single-use appliances that I just can't live without!  We used to make microwave popcorn, but since receiving our air popper as a gift (thx sis!), we have yet to go back to the microwave version.  We make it a family occasion, but are always cautious of flying hot kernels.  The kids don't get too close.  It's the most exciting part of our weekend movie night!

While Big-A can devour a large bowl of popcorn (I'm constantly telling him to eat only a couple of pieces at a time!), we don't allow Lil-J to eat it yet.  It is a major choking hazard in young children and at 18-months old, he's just too young.

One of my favourite things about popcorn is that it's a blank canvas - you can add your favourite spicy or sweet flavours to it to make it even yummier!  Here are some delicious recipes, all based on 8 cups of air popped popcorn.

Parmesan Popcorn
Melt 1 tbsp unsalted butter or margarine, pour over popcorn and mix well.  Sprinkle 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese over popcorn and mix well to coat.

Spicy Popcorn
Melt 1 tbsp unsalted butter or margarine, pour over popcorn and mix well.  Sprinkle 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp paprika and 1 tsp chili powder over popcorn and mix well to coat.

Cajun Popcorn
Pour 1/4 cup melted butter over popcorn, mix well.  Sprinkle 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper and 1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning over popcorn and mix well to coat.

Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn (a yummy weekend treat!)
Ingredients: 1/4 cup vegetable oil; 1/2 cup popcorn kernels; 1/4 cup sugar; 1 tsp coarse salt
Directions: In a large pot with a tight-fitting lid, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the popcorn.  When the oil sizzles, sprinkle the sugar over the kernels.  Cover and shake the pot until the popping slows down, about 3 minutes.  Remove from the heat and toss with salt.  Serve.


*TIP*
Movie theatre employees may not approve of this, but the extremely fattening, unhealthy popcorn available at theatres has left me with no other option.  Pop some popcorn, use any of the recipes above, and fill sandwich bags with the finished product.  Homemade popcorn is a much healthier movie snack!


Pop some popcorn for your kiddies tonight and have a little dance-a-thon to "Popcorn" by Hot Butter!.

Have fun :)


Click here for a printable version of this recipe!