School Lunch Revolution & a Recipe for a Healthy Hero (Podcast #102)

Over the past few months, we’ve been absolutely wowed by the growing momentum behind school lunch reform. Both of us have spent time in the “trenches” working to improve the school lunch options in our children’s schools, so we understand the time and commitment it takes to bring positive change to the system. On this week’s Cooking with the Moms podcast, we dish about several of those efforts and chat about the role we see for ourselves in the movement.

If you watched the last episode of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution on ABC, you may recall his disappointment when some of the kids brought brown-bag lunches filled with candy, chips, and soft drinks. We were disappointed too, so from now on, we will be making a greater effort on our website and blog to provide our readers and listeners with tips and recipes for adding ease, nutrition, and fun flavors to kids’ lunches. Under the Mealtime Tips section of our main site, we have a fact sheet on Brown Bag Boredom Busters, and we have some helpful articles you may want to check out too: Think Outside the Lunchbox and Smart Snacking. Read on for a lunch box Healthy Hero recipe and links to some of our favorite school lunch reform websites.

Healthy Hero

Makes 4 Servings

  • 1 cup packed baby spinach or romaine lettuce
  • 1 tablespoon lite or regular Italian salad dressing
  • 4 teaspoons honey mustard
  • 4 whole wheat submarine rolls, halved
  • 4 ounces thinly sliced roast beef
  • 4 sandwich-cut dill pickles
  • 1 medium tomato, thinly sliced, optional
  • 4 ounces thinly sliced reduced-fat cheese (mozzarella, American, Swiss, or provolone)
  • 4 ounces thinly sliced low-sodium deli turkey

1. Combine the spinach and salad dressing in a bowl and mix well.

2. Spread 1 teaspoon of the mustard on one side of each roll. Layer evenly with the roast beef, spinach, pickle, tomato as desired, cheese, and turkey. Place the remaining roll halves firmly on top. Slice in half or pack whole.

Nutrition Information per Serving:  350 calories, 11g fat (4.5g saturated), 870mg sodium, 39g carbohydrate, 6g fiber, 28g protein, 15% vitamin A, 25% calcium, 15% iron

Print Recipe

We could spend all day going from website to website reading about the people and organizations working to improve what our kids eat in school. Here is just a brief overview of some of our favorites:

Two Angry Moms:  Two moms make a movie about their quest to improve their school lunch program and provide tools to help you bring change to your district.
Let’s Move: More than 31 million children participate in the national school lunch program, and Michelle Obama, through her Let’s Move initiative, wants to make it a whole lot healthier.
Chef Ann Cooper: As the self-described Renegade Lunch Lady, Chef Ann’s life work is to transform how we feed our children in school each day, from highly processed to highly nourishing food — one school lunch at a time.
Farm to School Initiative: The USDA encourages schools to buy produce from local farmers.
Fed Up with Lunch: Blogging anonymously under the pseudonym, Mrs. Q, this third-grade teacher from the Midwest is eating school lunch just like the kids every day in 2010. Her photos and insights are a real eye opener!
Moms Inc.: A group of concerned moms provides tips and tools for helping fellow parents approach school administrators and food service directors with the goal of improving the nutrition in school lunches.

What’s happening in your community? Do tell!

May 5, 2010 | Filed Under GivingBack, KiwiMagazine, Lunch, PickyEaters, Podcast, Website | 8 Comments 

Podcast 100: Show 100 Celebration & a Recipe for ‘Sushi’ Ham & Cheese Roll Up

Today marks the release of our 100th Cooking with the Moms podcast show. It’s hard to believe we made it this far … but we’re fired up and ready for the next 100.

When we look back, we can’t stop smiling as we remember our favorite episodes. For Liz, our Composting for Dummies show (Episode 73 on September 23, 2009) jumps out as one of the funniest ever. If you haven’t listened to it yet, be sure to tune in. Janice’s hubby, Don, was our guest,  and for a mild-mannered home inspector, he’s an absolute hoot! As for Janice, her favorite was Episode 83, Kitchen Stories with our Moms, which featured kitchen memories from Janice’s mom, Carol, and Liz’s mother-in-law, Joy. It’s hard to imagine life without a fridge or freezer, but that’s exactly how both women grew up.

Over the past two years, we’ve received some of the most heart-felt emails from our amazing listeners, and their feedback and encouragement have kept us going!

Dana says, “I listen to your podcast every week and make your recipes. It has been helping my family as well as others get on track (I share your tips and recipes with many other families). Thank you! Keep up the good work.”

Jessica H. says, “One of the most important things I do to keep my family eating healthy and nutritious meals is listen to this podcast. Seriously! With the craziness that goes along with being a two-working-parent family, being continuously inspired to get nutritional food on the table at dinner time is a challenge. Listening to this podcast inspires me weekly to remember nutrition and to try new recipes. Thanks for that!”

Dana W. says, “My daughter helps me cook and my son sits on my island and watches what we are making. We have made a lot of your recipes and the kids like to help and see what is in the recipe. My son is a picky eater and my daughter is the more adventurous type.  My husband just finished his last chemo treatment, so the kids and I are hoping he can start to eat with us again. I listen to your podcast every night. It gets my mind on making food. Wish you would do more than one podcast a week!”

We’d be remiss if we did not thank our podcast sponsor Eggland’s Best.  They have been with us from the beginning and we appreciate their support (and their delicious eggs)!  Finally, as a special thank you to our readers and listeners, we decided to share one of our newest recipes for ‘Sushi’ Ham & Cheese Roll Ups. We created this recipe for book #2 (scheduled for release in October 2010) but couldn’t resist posting it now!

‘Sushi’ Ham & Cheese Roll Up

Makes 2 Servings

  • One 9 x 11-inch soft Lavash bread
  • 2 tablespoons light cream cheese
  • 1 teaspoon honey mustard
  • 1 small carrot, shredded (about ¼ cup)
  • Two slices low-sodium deli ham, cut into 4 smaller slices (about 2 ounces)
  • One slice lowfat Swiss cheese, cut into 6 smaller slices (about 1 ounce)
  • 1 dill pickle sandwich stuffer, patted dry with paper towels and sliced into four, long pieces

1. Place the Lavash on a work surface. Spread the cream cheese and the honey mustard evenly over the entire Lavash, making sure it reaches all the outside edges (the cream cheese will be the “glue” that holds the rolls together).

2. Sprinkle the carrots over the Lavash. Cover, as evenly as possible, with the ham slices. Place two slices of the cheese, side by side, a third of the way up the Lavash. Repeat with the remaining cheese up the remaining two thirds of the bread.

3. Arrange two slices of the pickle, side by side, in the space between the bottom cheese slices and the remaining pickles between the top cheese slices.

4. Starting at the narrow end, roll up as tightly as you can to form a long “log.” Then, using a serrated knife, slice into 12, 3/4-inch-wide rounds. Arrange the pieces in two plastic containers and pack in your childrens’ lunch boxes.

Nutrition Information per Serving (6 ’sushi’ rolls): 220  calories, 4.5g fat (2g saturated), 670mg sodium, 28g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 14g protein, 50% vitamin A, 15% calcium, 10% iron

Print Recipe

As we move ahead to our 101st episode, feel free to share your best-ever ideas and advice. And if you have a topic you’d like us to tackle on a future show, please toss your suggestions our way.  As always, “Thanks for listening to Cooking with the Moms!”

April 14, 2010 | Filed Under Lunch, Podcast | 4 Comments 

Teen Nutrition Part 1: Meal Makeovers for Teenagers

For the past five years (or maybe six … we’ve lost count), we’ve participated in Project Wellness, a day-long series of workshops for 7th grade students and their parents at the R.J. Grey Junior High School in Acton, MA. The Meal Makeovers for Busy Families class that we teach features lots of tips for boosting the nutritional GPA of teen favorites — things like pizza, chips, soft drinks, and white bagels — and empowers teens to take charge of their diets by choosing lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. The class culminates in a Food Network style smoothie contest where teams of teens are given vanilla and fruited yogurt, 100% fruit juices, frozen fruit, and bananas and are challenged to create a delicious smoothie snack.

We begin the class with some silly icebreakers to get everyone thinking “nutrition.” From there, we dive into our makeover tips and the smoothie cook-off. For this post, we thought it would be fun to share our icebreaker activity and makeover tips.

Icebreaker: Name That Food

Q: This tiny vegetable comes in a variety of colors – white, black, brown, and cranberry. Though it is a vegetable it is sometimes referred to as the magical fruit.
A: Beans

Q: This super food gets a bad rap from some cardiologists. Despite its reputation, this incredible edible food is packed with nutrients that keep everything from your eyes to your brain healthy.
A: Eggs

Q: Only 40% of the world’s population has the enzyme needed to digest cow’s milk.  Thanks to this food, people who can’t drink milk can get the calcium and vitamin D they need to maintain strong bones.
A: Soymilk

Q: The average teenage boy consumes nearly four cups of this food each day. It’s packed with calories but zero nutrition, and research shows that consuming too much of it may leach calcium from your bones.
A: Soft drinks

Q: Anthocyanins and phenolics may not sound appetizing, but this fabulous food tastes great when added to a yogurt parfait, topped on pancakes, or blended into a smoothie.
A: Blueberries

When we ask teens what they eat for breakfast and snacks, bagels are often their number-one choice. Bagels are fine … but they’re not exactly nutritional superstars. Rather than tell middle and high school kids to give up their favorite foods, however, we prefer the more low-key makeover approach:

Teen Food Makeovers:

If you like BAGELS …

  • Choose a whole wheat bagel instead of the usual white, or try a mini whole wheat bagel (brands we like are Pepperidge Farm and Thomas‘).
  • Top with PB&J, a slice of lowfat cheese, or an egg omelet & cheese.
  • Switch to a homemade muffin, like our Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins, for a change of pace.

If you like TACOS …

  • Add black beans, shredded carrot, or corn to the meat mixture.
  • Use your own seasonings such as cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder instead of the usual salty taco seasoning packet.
  • Choose a healthy taco shell free of trans fats.

If you like PIZZA …

  • Choose healthy toppings such as sauteed mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, or broccoli instead of fatty/salty pepperoni, meatballs, or sausage.
  • When making your own at home, top with lowfat cheese versus full fat.
  • Opt for pizzas made with a whole wheat crust or a blend of whole wheat and white.

If you like HOT DOGS …

  • Look for an all-natural, nitrite-free brand (we like Coleman Natural and Applegate Farms).
  • Use a whole wheat bun.
  • Choose healthy side dishes including crunchy cut up veggies and sliced fresh fruit.

If you like MAC & CHEESE…

  • Choose a natural brand or one made with whole grains (we like Annie’s Homegrown).
  • When using a boxed mac & cheese, make it with 2 tablespoons canola oil vs. 4 tablespoons butter, and use lowfat milk.
  • Add fun mix-ins including petite peas, flaked tuna or salmon, cooked broccoli florets, leftover chicken.

If you like PEAS & CORN …

  • Expand your veggie repertoire with edamame, snow peas sautéed in oil and tossed with light teriyaki sauce, steamed broccoli drizzled with extra virgin olive oil & kosher salt, or sweet potato fries (we like Alexia).

If you like SOFT DRINKS …

  • Make your own fizzy drink by mixing together 100% fruit juice and seltzer or club soda.
  • Switch to water. If it’s boring, add a slice of lemon, orange, or lime.
  • Make a nutrient-packed smoothie or frosty with lots of fresh and/or frozen fruit.

Tell us what you’ve been doing to steer your teen toward healthier food choices. And be sure to check back on Wednesday for Part 2 of our Teen Nutrition series (we’ll be answering some of the most common questions from parents and teens).

March 29, 2010 | Filed Under CulinaryAdventures, Lunch, Misc., Snacks | 7 Comments 

Cuisinart Covered Casserole Giveaway & Piping-Hot Peanut Butter Soup Recipe

January is National Soup Month (no surprise there), and to celebrate we’re giving away a gorgeous Cuisinart 5 QT Round Covered Casserole, perfect for cooking savory soups and stews on cold winter days. To enter, all you have to do is post a comment here or to our Facebook Fan Page with your family’s favorite soup recipe (see below for more entry details).

We’ve also cooked up a steamy new recipe for Piping-Hot Peanut Butter Soup. This soup is a huge hit with our kids. Something magical happens when the flavors of the peanut butter and all those seasonings — cumin, curry, cinnamon — hit the taste buds. This soup has big-time kid appeal, so we hope you’ll give it a try.

Piping-Hot Peanut Butter Soup

Makes 7 Servings

The inspiration for this recipe came from Janice’s sister Lori who got the recipe from Apollo’s Pasta & Pizza restaurant in Olympia, WA. Her husband and kids absolutely love the soup which motivated us to give it a try. After a few Meal Makeover Mom tweaks, we created a soup that your family will gobble up, and that’s a promise.

  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped (about ¾ cup)
  • 1 large orange or red bell pepper, cut into ¼-inch dice (about 1 ¼ cups)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • One 32-ounce container all-natural chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
  • One 15-ounce can tomato sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup chopped cooked chicken (we cut the meat into ¼-inch pieces)
  • 3/4 cup instant brown rice
  • 2/3 cup creamy all-natural peanut butter
  • Unsalted, roasted peanuts, chopped, optional

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the bell pepper and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the peppers soften, an additional 5 minutes.

2. Stir in the broth, tomato sauce, curry powder, cumin, chili powder, cinnamon, celery salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer 30 to 60 minutes.

3. Whisk in the chicken, rice, and peanut butter until the peanut butter melts into the soup. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the rice is done, about 10 minutes.

4. Serve in individual bowls and top with peanuts as desired.

Nutrition Information per Serving (1 generous cup): 280 calories, 16g fat (3g saturated, 0.2 omega-3), 790 mg sodium, 22g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, 15g protein, 30% vitamin A, 70% vitamin C

Print Recipe

To Enter our Cuisinart 5 QT Round Covered Casserole Giveaway, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling us about your family’s favorite soup recipe. The more details on the ingredients and preparation the better! A link to your favorite recipe would also be great.

We Will Enter You into the Giveaway Multiple Times if you do any or all of the following (just be sure to leave us a new comment every time you do one of these things):

> Tweet about our giveaway on Twitter or tell your Facebook friends about it with a link back to this blog post.

> Become a Facebook Fan.

> Add one of our buttons/widgets to your blog or website. They are located in the upper left sidebar of our blog. We have three to choose from: Our blog post widget, our Recipe badge, and our Meal Makeover Moms’ Kitchen badge.

Our giveaway ends on Friday, February 5, 2010 at noon. As always, we’ll use Random.org to choose the winner. Good luck!

January 21, 2010 | Filed Under Dinner, Giveaways, Grains, Lunch, Poultry, Soups/Stews, Vegetables | 180 Comments 

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