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You are here: Home / Archives for healthy school lunches

healthy school lunches

PBfit Review: Healthy and Delicious for the Whole Family

October 4, 2018 By Joi Sigers

PBfit

Delicious PBfit – All Natural, Vegan, and Gluten-Free

While I’m normally the class clown, I want to be somewhat serious for a minute.

I guess that’s somewhat of a benefit to being the person who’s never serious, when you ARE serious, people know it’s… well… serious.

Think back to when you were in grade school. If you’re a parent or grandparent, odds are you have trouble thinking of overweight kids or even teachers. I can, honestly, remember the names of the overweight kids because they were so few.

Today, sadly, things are much, much different. You cannot go to the store, it seems, without seeing precious children who are already dealing with weight as an issue – at an age when they’re only “issue” should be homework or keeping their little brother from snitching on them!

I don’t have to tell you how unhealthy and dangerous carrying extra weight is. I won’t insult your intelligence with any diabetes statistics. You know that there is an epidemic in our country – with children and adults. An epidemic that HAS to be confronted head-on with better nutrition.

PBfit Smoothie

Chocolate PBfit Smoothie with Apple and Banana

The problem is… kids have incredible appetites! They’re growing and busier than any self-respecting Type A bee, so that’s only natural. Starving them is most certainly NOT the answer. Fun activities and healthy food are the answers needed and, fortunately, healthy food couldn’t be easier.

I’ll let you in on a little secret, too. It’s delicious! In fact, eating healthy is so delicious – and makes you feel so much better – that the entire family will benefit.

PBfit is one of my family’s newest obsessions and it will surely become one of your family’s as well.  With 87% less fat than traditional peanut butter and 1/3 the calories, all natural PBfit makes meals and snacks healthier and even more delicious than ever.

You simply mix a little water with the PBfit mixture and… badabing!… delicious and creamy peanut butter. You only make the amount you need for the moment, so it’s always fresh and fantastic. If you want to add a little chopped peanuts or even a mashed banana, have at it. While the options are endless, it’s never better than when it is in its simplest form – good old fashioned peanut butter. PBfit Chocolate Peanut Butter

Chocolate PBfit Peanut Butter

It’s wonderful spread on bread, toast, or English muffins (with or without banana slices – YUM!) but I actually prefer dipping apple slices into the peanut butter. I also love making smoothies with the traditional PBfit as well as the Chocolate PBfit (it makes outstanding peanut butter, too… very reminiscent of Nutella).

When making your favorite smoothie, simply toss in some PBfit for extra protein and flavor. It is absolutely perfect in chocolate and banana smoothies. I usually throw an apple in, too, for good measure.

After all, an apple a day and all that…

There are a lot of excellent sounding PBfit recipes on the official website. I’m slowly but surely going to workmy way through each of them. Seriously, this is outstanding – you are going to love each of these – Chocolate PBfit, Organic PBfit, and the Original PBfit.

Kids will get a huge kick out of “making” their own peanut butter and you’ll never have to let them know how much healthier it is for them. Heck, even I get a kick out of “making” my own peanut butter and my qualification for “kid” expired quite a while back!

PBfit Smoothie

 

Each of the three varieties is IDEAL for smoothies and even milkshakes. They smoothly incorporate into the other ingredients – seemingly even better than traditional peanut butter does. I’ve actually been surprised just how smooth and creamy my smoothies are.

Below is a recipe from PBfit that’s a perfect example of the options when it comes to smoothies.

 PBfit and Jelly SmoothiePBfit & Jelly Smoothie

1 cup frozen blue berries
4 tbsp pbfit
1 scoop vanilla protein
1 tsp low carb sweetener, monk fruit
3/4 cup milk of choice
*** optional, 1 tsp goji berry powder for color added nutrients

Blend and enjoy!

Find more recipes, nutrition information, and a lot more on PBfit.com.

PBfit sent me the samples in the picture above in exchange for telling my readers about their product. They also graciously shared the PBfit & Jelly Smoothie recipe and picture with us. The raving words and opinions are all my own, of course (as are the rest of the pictures). I was blown away by PBfit – I honestly had no idea how delicious it would be, for one thing, or how many different ways it could be used for another.

You can find PBfit in most grocery stores as well as on Amazon. I hope you’ll check it out – you and your family will absolutely love this!

Filed Under: Cooking for Kids, Gluten Free, Gluten Free Food Reviews, Health Food Reviews, Reviews, Smoothie Recipes Tagged With: healthy after school snacks, healthy school lunches, PBfit Review

Healthy School Lunch and After School Snacking Ideas

August 25, 2014 By Joi Sigers

Lady Alice Apples
It’s that time of year again autumn, winter, and back to school! It’s that  last word that keeps kids (and teachers, I’d imagine) from loving autumn and winter as much as some of us do. When I was in school, this certainly wan’t my favorite time of year!

With kids headed back to school, parents are on the lookout for healthy lunches and after school snacks.

Children’s health advocate, health industry veteran and two-time fitness champion, Merilee Kern, is the creator of the ground-breaking “Kids Making Healthy Choices” APP for children, parents/caregivers and educators (available on iTunes), which is based on her award-winning, illustrated fictional children’s book, “Making Healthy Choices – A Story to Inspire Fit, Weight-Wise Kids.” (Boys’ Edition or Girls’ Edition)

Below is a round-up of some of Kern’s best advice for healthy lunches and after school snacks.

Here are a few great ideas to assure a happy school day is also a healthy school day:

  • Lean meat, such as shaved ham or turkey, on whole grain bread or in a wheat wrap with some lettuce, low/fat free cheese, and a touch of low-fat/fat-free mayonnaise or mustard is sure to please…and nourish.
  • Even the quintessential children’s sandwich, PB&J, can be made in a healthy way these days. Many peanut butter brands now offer low-fat and low-sodium versions.  That, coupled with an all-fruit, sugar-free jelly on whole grain bread makes this school cafeteria staple a guiltless pleasure.
  • Tuna fish is jam packed with oh-so-beneficial Omega-3 fatty acids.  When mixed with low-fat mayonnaise, diced apple, and, if your child likes, a bit of onion and served in a wheat pita  it’s nothing short of delish and a healthy home run!
  • BLTs can also be healthy!  Simply swap regular bacon for the turkey bacon variety (in moderation due to high-sodium levels) and layer with lettuce, tomato, and fat-free mayonnaise. Sandwich in whole grain bread or roll into a pita wrap – your child will nary know the difference between this healthy version versus its fat-packed counterpart.
  • What to serve on the side of the main school lunch item?  Options abound!  Low-salt pretzels; fat- and sugar-free yogurt or cottage cheese; celery sticks filed with low-fat/low-sodium peanut butter; any kind of pre-washed fresh fruit (nature’s gift to humanity); dried or dehydrated fruit, such as raisins; apricots, pears, apples, roasted or raw almonds, walnuts or peanuts (not oiled or candied); low-fat string cheese or chunked low-fat cheese; and even baked chips or healthy pita chips in moderation are all great choices.
  • Skip the sugary juice box and send along a bottle of water instead to get your child in the habit of working toward his/her optimal fluid intake (experts recommend one consume about .5 ounces of water per pound of body weight).

It’s common knowledge that after school is prime time for snacking, and it is also a time when many kids make, shall we say, less than nutritious food and beverage choices.  Ms. Kern offers these waistline-friendly after school snack alternatives your kids are sure to love:

  • Potato Chips/Fries – Cut the potato in the desired shape (round, rectangular, oblong, etc.).  Fully coat with egg whites.  Season with a touch of salt or other herbs as desired. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown.  Serve with sugar-free catsup.
  • Popcorn: Air pop popcorn and on it drizzle a moderate amount of powdered butter substitute, light parmesan cheese, or even honey for a tasty twist.
  • Pizza: On a fat-free/low-calorie/low-carb whole grain tortilla (or whole grain bagel), smear tomato paste or sauce and top with fat-free cheese, whatever veggies the child likes, and even lean meats like ham or turkey dices.  Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is melted with a few brown spots on top.
  • Tortilla Chips:  Cut Chinese wonton squares (usually found in the produce aisle) in half diagonally so they become triangles.  Spread out evenly on a baking sheet, lightly spray with cooking spray, and sprinkle on a dash of salt.  Bake at 350 degrees until crunchy.  Eat alone or serve with fat-free salsa or the below-described Mexican bean dip.
  • Mexican Bean Dip:  Drain and food process two 14-ounce cans of black beans.  Add 3/4 cup of fat-free salsa and 1/2 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce and blend until completely smooth.  Top with a dab of fat-free sour cream, fat-free cheese, diced tomatoes, chopped green onions, etc. as desired.
  • Fruit Smoothies: These are a warm weather staple that can, and should, be enjoyed year-round.  While fruit smoothie recipes abound, it need not be a complex process.  Simply blend, in amounts to your personal liking, either plain or flavored fat-free/sugar-free yogurt with skim milk, ice cubes, and either fresh or frozen fruit chunks. For added sweetness, you can add a touch of honey or an artificial sweetener, such as stevia. Blend and enjoy!
  • Healthy Ice Cream Sandwiches: These are a snap – and always a crowd pleaser!  Purchase any type of round fat-free/sugar-free cookie on the market (preferably the new whole grain varieties) or bake any low-fat/low-calorie cookie recipe from scratch.  Sandwich waistline-friendly sherbet, sorbet, or gelato between two cookies and press to make a sandwich. For added excitement, flavor, and visual interest, you can also roll the outside edge of the “sandwich” in chopped unsalted nuts, shredded coconut, raisins or finely diced fresh or dried fruit.
  • Parfait: While the word “parfait” may not be in your child’s vocabulary, (s)he will love making – and eating – this snack layered with goodness.  In a cup or bowl, simply create thin, alternating layers of non-fat yogurt, low-fat granola (or other heart-healthy cereal product), and fruit slices or whole berries. Make as many layers of each as you like and then dig in!
  • Jell-O®: Let’s not forget how much colorful, jiggly Jell-O® can delight, especially when it is jam-packed with diced fruit.

Find more information online at: www.KidsMakingHealthyChoices.com.

Healthy Sandwich

Filed Under: Cooking and Recipe Apps, Health and Fitness Tagged With: healthy after school snacks, healthy school lunches

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