Kids lunch boxes can be the worst offenders when it comes to waste. But a few simple changes can help you green your lunchbox. Swap disposable plastic baggies for BPA-free, reuseable lunch containers. Use cloth napkins instead of paper. Only pack what you really think your kids will eat to minimize food waste.
Did you know...
On average, Americans use 20 million plastic baggies a day.
100,000 sea turtles (and other marine life) die each year by ingesting plastic bags.
According to the EPA, each child generates 67 pounds of waste each year.
Packing a bag free lunch saves over $2000 per year.
You and your kids can make a difference with a few easy changes and by keeping the 3 Rs in mind: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!
As a busy mom, I'm always looking for easy tips and tricks to make healthy cooking a breeze. In honor of Jamie Oliver's Global Food Revolution Day, I brought together a few close friends to swap healthy cooking tips and share in the joy of cooking together. Amy The Family Chef generously donated her time and served as our guide in this fantastic food adventure. Here’s a few of the recipes we made:
A school garden is a true treasure. At its best, it is a wonderfully integrated classroom. Children experience the full life cycle of our food, planting-growing-harvesting-cooking-eating-composting-planting, and they literally step inside the world of living math, science and literature. It surrounds them. For our family, the school garden has an additional benefit – an opportunity to try new foods.
“Today we tried cauliflower from the garden! I loved it!” my daughter declared with pride. My heart smiled a big smile. I had been trying to get her to try cauliflower for months, to no avail. “How did you prepare the cauliflower?” I inquired. “We just picked it and ate it!” she replied, enthusiastically. In that spirit, this week we focused on the simple ways to enjoy cauliflower. I taught my daughter how to prepare cauliflower after it is harvested and we enjoyed it both raw and lightly roasted – simple pleasures.
Step 1: Pull off the outer
leaves and trim the stem.
Step 2: Turn the cauliflower
upside down, stem facing up. Using a paring knife, cut around the core to
remove it. Remind kids to always cut away from themselves and down.
Step 3: Cut the florets from the inner stem.
Step 4: Cut the florets in half.
Step 5: Enjoy raw or lightly
roasted.
To roast cauliflower, simply toss in a little olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. You can do this right on the baking pan. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes, tossing frequently to ensure even roasting. Remove from the oven and add a squeeze of lemon juice. Enjoy!
What we liked: The simple preparation of this garden fresh veggie was our favorite part of this week’s adventure.
How do you like to prepare cauliflower? Share your tips and recipes!
Next up: Heirloom tomatoes caught our eye at the market this week. We’re experimenting with a few different recipes. Tune in next week when we share our favorite!
Craving more new recipes to try? Catch up on last week’s recipe: Simple cherry compote.
About the author: Jennifer Tyler Lee is a mom of two children and the creator of Crunch a Color™ -- the award-winning game that makes healthy eating fun. Like most parents, she struggled to get her kids to eat healthy, balanced meals, so she decided to make it into a healthy eating game and she’s giving back to support non-profit children’s nutrition programs including Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution and FoodCorps. Watch her picky eaters tell the story of how they turned into healthy eaters playing the game. Follow @crunchacolor on Facebook and Twitter to tune into Crunch a Color's healthy eating adventure and Jennifer’s tips and kid-friendly, easy recipes.
A cherry pitter may be a convenient gadget when it comes to making cherry pie, but in the service of clutter control it's a kitchen tool that I can live without. Instead, when cherry season is in full swing we use a simple tool that's already in our kitchen: a pastry tip. My kids love this pitting project -- but be warned, it can get messy! Be sure to wear clothes that can handle a stain or two.
Step 1: Wash the cherries. Find a pastry tip, preferably star shaped.
Step 2: Remove the stems.
Step 3: Place the cherry, stem side down, on top of the pastry tip. Press gently and presto, out pops the pit!
Step 4: Enjoy!
Do you have a trick for how to pit cherries without a pitter? Share your tips!
On an early morning stroll my daughter spotted a cherry tree. Gazing at the branches, hanging heavy with bright red beauties, she wondered, “Can we try cherries this week?”
It is impossible for me to resist a summer roadside stand calling out, “Fresh, local cherries!” Faced with an overflowing basket of beautiful, bright red gems, we had ample opportunity to experiment with this simple summer fruit. One of our favorite treats is to drizzle warm berry compote over homemade vanilla ice cream or yogurt. Why not give it a whirl with cherry compote?
Adapted from Small Kitchen College
Prep time: 10
minutes
Cook time:
about 12 minutes
Makes 4 to 6
servings
Ingredients:
1-pint fresh
cherries
1 Tbsp honey
½ cup water
Directions:
1) Wash and pit the cherries. See this easy trick for how to pit cherries without a pitter. This part is a little messy, but great fun for the kids!
2) Add the water and honey to small saucepan. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until thin syrup forms. About 7 minutes.
3) Add the cherries. Cook an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook longer for a more jam-like texture.
4) Serve warm over homemade vanilla ice cream, or cool completely and add to your favorite yogurt parfait.
Crunch a Color Kids Vote: Sweet!
What we liked: Pitting the cherries was the best (and messiest) part of this adventure. Be sure to wear clothes that can handle a stain or two! We also reserved a portion of our cherries for the freezer. Cherry frozen yogurt, anyone?
What is your favorite way to prepare cherries? Share your tips and recipes!
Next up: Our local farmers’ market is back in full swing! Can’t wait to see what our friends have in store for us this week. Stay tuned!
Craving more new recipes to try? Catch up on last week’s recipe: Steamed artichokes.
About the author: Jennifer Tyler Lee is a mom of two children and the creator of Crunch a Color™ -- the award-winning game that makes healthy eating fun. Like most parents, she struggled to get her kids to eat healthy, balanced meals, so she decided to make it into a healthy eating game and she’s giving back to support non-profit children’s nutrition programs including Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution and FoodCorps. Watch her picky eaters tell the story of how they turned into healthy eaters playing the game. Follow @crunchacolor on Facebook and Twitter to tune into Crunch a Color's healthy eating adventure and Jennifer’s tips and kid-friendly, easy recipes.
