Posts from — August 2009

Get those kiddos off to a terrific start for the school year!  Include delicious, healthful, allergy-safe goodies from Indigo Rabbit in their lunch boxes.  The convenient grab n’ go pouches are great for the backpacks, sports bags, even those cute little pencil cases!

Leave those preservative-laden ”100 calorie packs” on the shelves and pick up some scrumptious Indigo Rabbit cookies so your kids get the taste they want and the nutrition they need to make the most of their school day.

If you’ve got college students in your brood, send along a care package they’ll LOVE filled with their favorite varieties of Indigo Rabbit cookies!  They AND their roommates will be the hit of the dorm.

NO high fructose corn syrup

NO hydrogenated oils

NOTHING artificial

You can PRONOUNCE every item in the ingredient list

Make sure you try every delicious flavor

Heavenly Chocolate Pillows, Seriously Cinnamon Almond, Gingerlicious, Luscious Lemon Chewies, Perfectly Peanut Butter

Summer means lots of different things for people.  For many of us, it means fresh from the farm corn on the cob.  If you’re lucky enough to still be enjoying it, take a look at the Mother Nature Network for yummy ways to munch it up!

School will soon to be back in session and that means that the lunch-packing marathon will once again be part of the daily routine.

This year make sure you get the kids involved (that is, if your kids aren’t already completely astute in the self-initiated lunch-packing arena).  They’re far more likely to eat what gets packed if they had a hand in putting it together.

Take the opportunity to try new twists on old favorites.  Try different breads for sandwiches (wheat, pita, bagels), a new fruit or veggie, a new color or shape of pasta, or even a fun dip.

Then, of course, tell us what the kids come up with.  Maybe I can get my kids to exercise their initiative and give your idea a try at my house!

I love munching my way through a summer farmers’ market.  Take a look at this wonderful recipe for Cherry Borscht in the New York Times!  Who knew cherries could make such a grand soup?

Make sure those kiddos get off to a great start at school this year.  Leave those preservative-laden “100 calorie” packs on the shelf and include delicious, healthful, allergy-safe Indigo Rabbit cookies in their lunch boxes instead.

Get yourselves over to Donelan’s Market in Littleton for $1 off on each box of Indigo Rabbit cookies!  The promotion is running through the beginning of school.

I have a friend who is pregnant now and is REALLY concerned about preventing her little one from developing food allergies. Alas, avoiding the big 8 allergens during those 9 months doesn’t make a significant difference.

The American Academy of Pediatrics makes the following recommendations for infants with strong family history of food allergy:

1) Exclusive breast-feeding for 6  months

2) Use of hypoallergenic formulas when not breast-feeding

3) Maternal dietary avoidance of peanuts and tree nuts during lactation and consideration of avoiding eggs, cow’s milk, and fish

4) Delayed introduction of cow’s milk until 12 months of age, eggs until 24 months of age, and peanuts, tree nuts, and fish until the age of 3

5) No maternal dietary restriction during pregnancy, with the possible exception of peanuts.

To read more, visit http://foodallergies.about.com/od/foodallergybasics/f/infantallergies.htm

Have you heard of carotenoids?  They are the pigments in red, orange, yellow and dark green fruits and vegetables.  They have anti-oxidant properties that have been determined to reduce cancer risk.

Carotenoids are fat soluble, so the next time you enjoy a colorful plate of produce, make sure you drizzle on a little fat (olive oil would be a terrific choice) in order to help your body absorb all those nutrients.

Summer fruit is like candy (especially when frozen!).  Pick up some raspberries, boysenberries, blackberries, blueberries and strawberries.  They’re packed with fiber, vitamin C and potassium.  Color!  Color!  Color!

Have you ever wondered how to pick out a terrific melon?  When picking out a cantaloupe, make sure the spot where the stem was is smooth, slightly soft, and yummy smelling.  Watermelon should be round and smooth and make a hollow sound when you tap on it.

When I think of cranberries I think of 2 things – Thanksgiving and warding off urinary tract infections.  I think those are the only associations I’ve ever really learned about the little red gem.

Cranberries are actually quite unique.  Scientists believe they have antiadhesion properties that prevent bacteria from adhering to our cells.  This notion sheds light on the cranberry’s success rate against UTI’s as well as its lesser known advantages in regard to oral health.

Try tossing dried or frozen cranberries in your baked goods (breads, muffins, scones), on a fresh salad or on your breakfast cereal in the morning.

A word of caution: cranberry juice cocktail is more sugar than cranberries!

How many of you have been tuned in to the latest season of “The Next Food Network Star”.  I’m a bit spent on the ‘life-as-a-contest’ programming as of late, but this result bears mentioning.

Check out cafemom.com to see how Melissa, the newest winner, manages new foods and the mouths of her 4 little ones.