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October 2022
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10/19/2022
Healthy Halloween & Fall snacksIt's Fall and pumpkin everything time! While I do love to use pumpkin in a lot of recipes, I have a lot of fun Fall/Halloween recipes that incorporate the fun and flavors of the season. During the month of October, I have been sharing some of my favorite Healthy Halloween and Fall snacks for kids in my nutrition classes. Can healthy and Halloween even be in the same sentence? Absolutely! Everyone loves candy and treats, but I always encourage eating the healthy stuff first (and try not to overdo the candy)! I thought I would create this post to have some of my favorite recipes and ideas in the same place! I hope you incorporate some of these into your family's menu for the season. I have been making some of these recipes with my son for years and have also created some new ones for my virtual nutrition classes for kids.
Pumpkin Smoothie Have you tried adding pumpkin to your smoothie? This is a delicious blend that tastes like pumpkin pie!
Guaca-monsters This is a fun, Halloween twist for Avocado toast! Set up a station for kids with different face parts and let them design (and eat) their own monster! I have included a few more healthy snacks below that my son and I have made together over the years! Banana Ghost Pops These banana ghost pops are super cute and fun to make! Cut banana in half, spread with yogurt (we love coconut milk yogurt), top with unsweetened coconut, add raisins or chocolate chips for eyes and mouth. Freeze until set. PB Spider Crackers Round ritz crackers, peanut butter (or sunflower seed butter), pretzels and raisins make for some pretty cute spider snacks! My son always loved making (and eating) these! Hope you all have a healthy month and experiment with some fun and seasonal recipes with your kids! Happy Healthy Halloween!! Visit my Instagram page for more healthy inspiration @lisacheplak.
4/26/2022
Summer Ideas: Kids in the KitchenSummer is here!! I don’t know about you, but I think this school year flew by! Time to keep the kids busy and plan some fun summer activities! If boredom strikes, which we all know it will, plan some fun days in the kitchen and experiment with some new recipes. Cooking with your kids will not only keep them busy, but it will keep them healthy too! Most of my recipes include produce that is growing seasonally in a school garden and in our own garden. If you don't have a garden, I would recommend visiting a local farmers market to find some of the freshest produce (another fun activity to do with the kids)! So gather your kids, aprons and chef hats and basic cooking utensils, and let’s have some fun in the kitchen! Cucumber Guacamole Boats This was one of my favorite recipes to teach! Avocados have over 20 vitamins and minerals! Probably one of the healthiest things kids can eat! A healthy fat that is good for brain health too! Make a batch of guacamole and add to cucumber "boats". Kids can add their favorite toppings: diced tomato, bell pepper, cilantro, onion and more! Find the recipe here: Cucumber Guacamole Boats
For more tips and suggestions on cooking with kids, check out my blog post "10 Ways to Get your Kids to Eat Healthier". For healthy snack ideas for kids, check out my blog post "Smart Snacking"
Hope you have a healthy, fun and safe summer! Please share with me any recipes that you try and photos of you cooking with your kids! For inspiration throughout the summer, visit me on Instagram @lisacheplak ! Happy Cooking and Happy Summer!
1/13/2020
A Healthy Game DayOur team didn't win the NFC Divisional Playoff game, but we can win with a healthy menu for the final upcoming playoff games and Super Bowl! Here are some of our simple, plant-based recipes ideas to incorporate into your menu.
For more recipes and ideas, check out our "Sides & Snacks" recipe section. Wishing you happy, healthy game days! Go team!
The photo above is a flashback to a favorite photo of a St. Patrick's Day breakfast for my son when he was around 5 years old! We loved making these special GREEN "treats"! We have the green covered for St. Patrick's Day with our Shamrock Smoothies, Leprechaun Sticks with Coconut Fruit Dip and Spinach Muffins! Now that he is 10, we thought we would remake them again to see if he was still a fan! Check out all the recipes below! Shamrock Smoothies Ingredients:
Click the button above to VIEW/PRINT this recipe on our RECIPES page! Coconut Fruit Dip Ingredients:
Directions:
For a St. Patrick's Day theme for kids, add your favorite green fruit to wooden skewers to make these fun Leprechaun Fruit Sticks. Leprechaun Fruit Sticks
Click the button above to VIEW/PRINT this recipe on our RECIPES page! Spinach Muffins Ingredients:
Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners. 2. Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl: flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside. 3. In a blender, add applesauce, non dairy milk, and spinach. Blend on high for about 30 seconds or until completely puréed. Add banana and vanilla; blend on low until combined. 4. Pour puréed mixture into dry mixture and fold together with a rubber spatula until completely combined. 5. Fill muffin cups about ⅔ full and bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Click the button above to VIEW/PRINT this recipe on our RECIPES page!
1/18/2019
Chunky Monkey SmoothieA Flash back to Valentines Day 2014: In the kitchen with my son and his friend making Valentine "treats" like this delicious smoothie! Chocolate, peanut butter and bananas are always a great combination. We have created this delicious smoothie that uses peanut butter, banana, and raw cacao powder, along with a few other healthy ingredients. Raw cacao powder is a 100% dark chocolate source of antioxidants, magnesium, iron and fiber and has the rich chocolate taste without the sugar and processing. This smoothie would be a perfect, healthy treat for a Valentine's Day breakfast. Chunky Monkey Smoothie Ingredients:
Directions: 1. Blend all in a blender until smooth. 2. Top with unsweetened coconut (optional) We hope you enjoy this chocolatey, delicious and nutritious smoothie! Click the button above to VIEW/PRINT this recipe on our RECIPES page!
12/29/2018
Maple Granola & Yogurt ParfaitsThere is nothing better than home-made granola, and it is so easy to make. You can add your favorite ingredients and customize it to your own taste. I prefer to bake the granola in my Excalibur Dehydrator, but you can make this recipe in an oven as well if you don’t have a dehydrator. Granola makes a perfect breakfast, lunch or snack. I love it with Almond Milk or in a Coconut Milk Yogurt Parfait, my new favorite (recipe below). It’s great for kids because you can add so many nutritious nuts, seeds and grains, and it’s low in sugar. We also like it for a topping for our frozen fruit “ice cream”. It’s easy to make and I always have the ingredients on hand. A basic recipe is below, but have fun adding YOUR favorite ingredients. Maple Granola and Coconut Milk Yogurt Parfaits Yield: About 5 cups of granola Ingredients:
Coconut Milk Yogurt Parfait Ingredients:
Click the button above to VIEW/PRINT this recipe on our RECIPES page! The photos below are of my son was little and was helping to make the granola. He has always loved granola! Kids can help by chopping the nuts with a chopper like this and mixing the ingredients together. We hope you enjoy these simple ideas for making and eating granola!
11/18/2017
Lettuce Boats With Black Bean SalsaMy son and I started our holiday baking this weekend which is one of our favorite traditions. Since I knew he would be sampling all the sweet treats, I thought we would make a healthy lunch before we started. We made lettuce boats filled with a fresh black bean salsa. They were so delicious that we just had to share the recipe on our blog! My son used to love tomatoes, but had stopped eating them a few months ago. This recipe has tomatoes and once again he likes them. Just a quick tip: Keep introducing and re-introducing different vegetables to your kids and different ways to eat them! Salsa is very flavorful and a fun way to eat veggies. Below is our delicious new recipe! Yield: About 3 cups of salsa Ingredients: Romaine Lettuce (Romaine lettuce works best for the "boats") Separate lettuce leaves, rinse and pat dry Black Bean Salsa
Directions:
Click the button above to VIEW/PRINT this recipe on our RECIPES page!
2/17/2017
Cauliflower RiceCauliflower seems to be pretty popular these days! From making pizza crust, buffalo wings, "rice" and eating it raw or cooked, cauliflower is pretty versatile. A cousin of broccoli, cauliflower is a member of the cruciferous group of vegetables. It contains a healthy range of minerals, vitamins and antioxidants that are beneficial for our overall health. These nutrients include vitamins C, K and B6, omega 3, protein, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus, folate, pantothenic acid, potassium, and manganese. Health benefits of cauliflower also include healthy digestion. A typical serving of cauliflower provides over 3 grams of dietary fiber, which is essential to maintain a healthy digestive system. It is low in calories so it makes for great vegetable to eat when dieting. Here is a simple Cauliflower Rice dish which would make a delicious and healthy, low carbohydrate and gluten free meal. Yield: approximately 4 servings Ingredients:
Directions:
We hope you enjoy this simple and delicious dish! "Make It Healthy and Make it Fun!" Click the button above to VIEW/PRINT this recipe on our RECIPES page!
12/1/2016
Holiday Endive BoatsIt's hard to believe that it's the Holiday season once again! I love cooking with my son, especially for the holidays! Our recipe this month, is a fun appetizer using endive! My son had endive for an appetizer at a restaurant recently and wanted to create his own version at home. Endive is a green leafy vegetable and a member of the chicory family, which includes radicchio, escarole, frisee and curly endive. It has a crisp texture and a sweet, nutty flavor with a pleasantly mild bitterness. It is great served raw or cooked. Endive is a great source of potassium, fiber and Vitamins A and C. Holiday Endive Boats Yield: Makes about 20
These Festive Holiday Endive Boats would make a perfect snack or appetizer to bring to a holiday party! Wishing everyone a Happy and Healthy Holiday Season!! Make It Healthy and Make It Fun! Click the button above to VIEW/PRINT this recipe on our RECIPES page!
10/13/2016
Making Pumpkin Hummus!October is always our favorite month! Cooler temperatures, Fall Festivals, Halloween and of course pumpkins! We will soon have our annual visit to the pumpkin patch and apple orchard. We are not overly crazy about pumpkin products, but definitely love our fair share of pumpkin during the season. There seems to be pumpkin products everywhere you look! Pumpkin chips, pumpkin granola, pumpkin coffee, pumpkin waffles, pumpkin cereal. You name it! I picked up a couple cans of organic pumpkin and made some hummus. It was really delicious and the pumpkin added a nice flavor to the hummus! With some fresh cut vegetables, it made a perfect appetizer! Yield: approx. 3 cups Ingredients:
Directions:
Click the button above to VIEW/PRINT this recipe on our RECIPES page!
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PLEASE NOTE: The information provided throughout my website pertaining to your health or wellness, is not intended to be a substitute for the professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment provided by your own physician or health care provider. It is intended to be provided for informational, educational, and self-empowerment purposes only. This information should not be used to diagnose, treat or cure any illness or health condition. If you have, or suspect that you have a medical problem, contact your physician or health care provider. A Health Coach is defined as a guide and mentor who empowers clients to take responsibility for their own health and supports them to implement and sustain lifestyle and behavior changes that will contribute to the achievement of their personal wellness goals. I became certified as a Health Coach because of my passion for health and wellness, and to work with others on incorporating positive and healthy changes in their lives.
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