All posts tagged healthy

Vegetarian Fruit Snacks

by Vanessa Brady on 31 January 2013 in Food, Kids with 27 Comments

Vegetarian Fruit Snacks | A Tried & True Project

 

Gelatin is one of those sneaky non-vegetarian things. That’s a huge bummer since it’s in fun things like tons of candy, marshmallows, Jell-O and fruit snacks. That last one is especially dire if you’re the parent of two crazy little boys who just happen to LOVE fruit snacks. I mean, really. What kid doesn’t?! Luckily, pectin based fruit snacks are becoming easier to find. Annie’s Fruit Snacks are some of our favorites but we can easily finish an entire box in one sitting! That’s ok if it’s the only way your kids will chill out and let you walk around Target for a bit but they definitely can get expensive as a daily snack. But…

Vegetarian Fruit Snacks | A Tried & True Project

<cue the fanfare> Agar Agar to the rescue! It’s a plant based thickening agent that is often used in Asian cuisine and a vegetarian mother’s best friend. You can find Agar Agar flakes in the Asian section of most grocery stores. This recipe calls for Agar Agar powder which is a bit more difficult to get your hands on. I suggest checking out your local Asian grocery store. I love that place!

I hope you and, more importantly, your kids enjoy these! Even if you’re not vegetarian/vegan, if you’ve got agar agar and some fruit juice, you’re halfway there to a super quick and healthy snack. Any mother can appreciate that! :)

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Whole Wheat Honey Cookies

by Vanessa Brady on 9 March 2012 in Food, Kids with 1 Comment

Does a healthy cookie shaped like Darth Vader taste better? Probably so but you don’t have to worry about convincing your kid that these somewhat healthy cookies are good because they really are good! The sturdiness of the whole wheat is offset by the wonderful sweetness of the honey. Perfectly appealing to both children (who gobbled them up with a cup of almond milk) and adults (who enjoyed them with a cup of tea) alike.

I adapted these cookies from A Chow Life’s Easy Honey Wheat Cookies recipe. I highly suggest you try her recipe. Absolutely delicious cookies! Using more sugar and white flour makes for more of a sugar cookie that’s healthier than most. I made the original recipe first and seriously had to restrain myself from engorging on them during nap. They only reason I changed the recipe (half the sugar and whole wheat pastry flour) was because I knew there was no way I was going to keep Jacks crafty little fingers away from these!

Just in case you were wondering, we got the Star Wars cookie cutters from Williams Sonoma last year. I believe they’re still available. Edit: Yup, here they are!

Whole Wheat Honey Cookies
adapted from A Chow Life

- 1 3/4 cup of whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/3 cup wheat germ
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 stick unsalted butter at room temp
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 large egg

1. Combine flour, wheat germ, baking powder, and salt in a medium sized bowl.
2. Mix sugar and lemon juice in your stand mixer bowl (or any other large bowl).
3. Add butter and mix on medium speed for a couple minutes.
4. Add egg and honey, mix for a couple more minutes until fluffy and creamy.
5. Slowly add the flour mixture.
6. Transfer and wrap mixture in plastic wrap. Let chill in fridge for 2+ hours.
7. Remove from fridge and roll out to about 1/4 inch. (My dough was still pretty sticky so I had to use a good amount of flour to prevent it from sticking to the board and rolling pin.)
8. Bake on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon sheet at 350 on the center rack for 10-13 minutes.

Jack is usually so eager to help me in the kitchen but today he was much more interested in the Star Wars cookie cutters. I can’t say I fault him. They are ridiculously fun. Max…not so much. He was more interested in my large bottle of olive oil. Can’t say I fault him either. ;)

I can’t remember what cooking without two crazy little boys feels like. One day, I know, I ‘ll blink and be alone in the kitchen again, remembering my sweet little helpers.

Raw Tacos

by Vanessa Brady on 7 October 2009 in Food with 2 Comments

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In an effort to cut back on our cheese usage (and believe me, it was much needed!), I gave these Fresh Taco Wraps a shot. Oh. My. Goodness. They were amazing!

I’ve grown up around great Mexican food so to say I’m a bit particular with this type of cuisine is to put it lightly. Seriously, there isn’t a restaurant on Earth that can beat my Mom’s enchiladas. I’m sorry, it’s just a fact. So when I saw this recipe, I was interested but almost certain that would just be so-so. The cashew “cheese” sauce really does satisfy that queso craving you get every once and a while (or if you’re me, every other minute) and the walnut “meat?” Can you even tell it’s not ground beef in the picture? I didn’t think so.

I only had time to make a quick one before JackJack woke up and I’m surprised how full I felt. The article said something about raw foods filling you quicker since cooking breaks down the water and fiber in foods. I believe it!

I definitely recommend you give this a shot. It’s a great stand alone snack or part of a meal and with all those nuts in there, sure to pack a protein punch. A great recipe to start giving raw foods a try!

 
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