Food Experts

7 Quick tips for packing healthy lunches for kids during the holidays

SheKnows Food & Recipe Editors — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 15:30:00 -0800

Studies show that kids who maintain a healthy diet do better in school. We know busy moms are always looking for simple ways to pack wholesome lunches for their children, especially when they’re surrounded by holiday treats this time of year. So, we have compiled seven simple tips that moms can use to create easy, delicious and nutritious lunches for their kids.

5 Fun ways to get kids to eat healthy foods

Terry Walters — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 01:59:00 -0700

Encouraging kids to eat healthy foods can be a struggle, especially when it comes to vegetables. Forget about the end result, and focus on making healthy eating fun and educational each day. The goal is to eat foods that naturally represent all of the colors of the rainbow , and foods that come from a plant .

Quick ways to sneak protein into a school meal

Michele Borboa, MS — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 08:59:00 -0700

Do you worry that your kids aren’t getting enough protein in their daily diet? Though some days it may seem that they eat nothing but fruit and pretzels, chances are your kids do actually consume enough of this important nutrient. Protein is found in obvious foods such as meat, poultry, and fish, but it also is available in eggs, beans, legumes, soy, nuts, nut butters, dairy, and even grain products. If you’re still concerned that your children’s diet is lacking, here are some quick ways to sneak protein into their school meals.

What's wrong with school meals?

Michele Borboa, MS — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 09:10:00 -0700

With 17 million children going hungry in the U.S., school breakfasts and lunches may be one of the only ways these children get well fed. However, the flip side is that 1 in 3 children in the U.S. are overweight or obese and a third of our nation’s children are at risk – or already have – type 2 diabetes. Are school lunches to blame for the rise of weight challenged children?

Easy nutrients to pack into a school lunch

Michele Borboa, MS — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 09:04:00 -0700

Regardless of age, kids can be picky eaters. Your first grader may not want to eat anything green while your middle schooler may eschew milk for soft drinks. An easy way to ensure that your kids are eating for optimal health and development is to pack their lunches with a variety of foods that include the following nutrients.

Gluten-free after school snacks

Michele Borboa, MS — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 09:16:00 -0700

Though a gluten-free diet poses dietary restrictions for popular snacks that contain gluten such as pretzels, crackers, nutrition bars, and other wheat based baked goods, your child’s after school snack selection doesn’t have to be boring, based only on packaged products labeled gluten-free. Here are some naturally gluten-free snack foods, and a few after school snack recipes, that are healthy, easy to make, and, yes, gluten-free.

Why food matters on Valentine's Day

Andrew Pappas — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 14:16:00 -0800

Valentine’s Day is a time for lovers to eat together and focus on each other. Throughout history many people have tried to create dinners with special aphrodisiac herbs and spices to lure their love into the bedroom.

Sunny Anderson's Super Bowl Recipes

Erica Sagon — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 15:44:00 -0800

Sunny Anderson, host of the Food Network show, “Cooking for Real,” doesn’t want to talk about the Super Bowl. “The Jets aren’t going, so I don’t want to discuss it,” the New Yorker says.

Make a perfect soufflé with Joanne Weir

Joanne Weir — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 10:27:00 -0800

People are frightened to make soufflés. It seems that whenever they see a soufflé recipe in a cookbook or online, they run in the opposite direction, but the reality is, they are simple if you know how to whip egg whites. Here are simple tips for a perfect soufflé from celebrity chef Joanne Weir.

Clean food: Healthy eating in the New Year

Terry Walters — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 13:40:00 -0800

A new year has started, and if you're like me, you over-indulged a bit too much over the holidays. But we all want to look better, feel better and be healthier in 2011. How can we reach that goal? As the author of two books, Clean Food and Clean Start, I've learned a lot about eating more nutritiously with ease and all the benefits you will enjoy, and I'd like to share some of my knowledge with you about how you can eat healthy this year.

5 Foods that are bad for your health

Michael S. Fenster, MD — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 09:59:00 -0800

We're all familiar with the tale of Jack Sprat who ate no fat, and we all know his wife who ate no lean. What I bet you didn’t know was that she was his cardiologist! Many of us physicians are guilty of the "do as I say, not as I do" food prescription. As a cardiologist, chef and self-admitted foodie, there are several foods that I will not consume for both taste and health reasons. Here are five foods that are bad for your health.

Expert holiday entertaining tips: Stress less and cut costs

Eddy Rocq — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 08:08:00 -0800

Want to approach your holiday gatherings like a pro? Be it your first time inviting holiday guests into your home or your annual holiday soiree, here are a few holiday entertaining tips and tricks that will help you stress less and cut costs.

Foodzie: Fab food finds

Sarah W. Caron — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 15:52:00 -0700

There are many fabulous artisan food producers out there, but unless you are a jet-setter heading across the country in search of them, you are probably limited to those in your local area. Or, you were—until now.

10 Tools (and foods) for making baby food

Maggie Marton — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 04:30:00 -0700

One of the things that makes homemade baby food seem so daunting is the need for kitchen tools and gadgets. There are many parents who may think that they need to go out and purchase many new kitchen tools and uber expensive food processors. Mind you, making your own baby food is a wonderful excuse to go out and buy some new gadgets if you have been looking for a reason! However, the simple truth is, there are no special gadgets needed to make homemade baby food. Here are the top 10 items needed, and I bet that you have at least 7 of them already in your kitchen!

Homemade baby food recipes for fall

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 06:09:00 -0700

Fall ushers in the harvest of pears, apples, and winter squash like butternut, hubbard, and acorn. These foods make some of the most beloved baby foods around. Not only are they packed full of nutrition with vitamin A, vitamin C, and even some calcium and iron, they also are quite tasty and easy to digest. If your baby is just beginning the journey into solid foods in the fall, she is truly lucky and in for a big treat! Here are a few recipes with a fall flair.

Healthy snacks and lunches for kids

Lisa Elaina Fontanesi — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 10:49:00 -0700

As part of a healthy diet, your child should eat 3 main meals and 2 to 3 snacks a day. Snacks are an important part of daily food intake, especially for children. They need to be nutritious, tasty, and quick and easy to prepare. Having small, regular meals and snacks by choosing from all food groups is a better approach than skipping meals and "binging" when hungry. The following snack ideas are suggestions for what to pack for school, or to prepare at home, between main meals.

Lunch box survival & recipes

Lisa Elaina Fontanesi — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 16:18:00 -0700

It can be a big challenge for parents to create lunches that are reasonably healthy and tasty. The more you involve your children in planning and preparing their school lunches, the more likely they will be to eat them. The place to begin is at the grocery store where you can involve your kids in the food selection, a process that may require a little compromise at first.

Tips for shopping with kids

Lisa Elaina Fontanesi — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 08:15:00 -0700

Despite what you might think, it really is possible to shop with kids and not go nuts. To paraphrase Honest Abe, “You can do it with all kids some of the time, some kids all of the time, but not all kids all of the time.” Here are a few tricks to maintain your sanity while shopping with kids.

10 Tips for cookie decorators

Gail Dosik — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 08:38:00 -0700

Don’t those cookie decorating tutorials in magazines and on television make it look like anyone could decorate cookies like a pro in 5 minutes? But, after you’ve decided to try your hand at it, your kitchen looks like a sugar bomb exploded in the middle of it, there are mountains of dirty dishes, and you haven’t even iced your first cookie yet.

Lunches that give your kids energy at school

Michelle Dudash — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 16:24:00 -0700

Kids need energy and brain power to perform well in school. However, despite your efforts of picking out fresh fruits and veggies with your child at the grocery store, they still may ask for junky packaged foods! If you’re looking for some more nutritious options, try out these fun tips with your kids to create your own healthy version.

4 Food label myths debunked

Michelle Dudash — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 10:30:00 -0700

While the front of packages and Nutrition Fact Panels on foods provide a wealth of information, the label lingo can get confusing. To help clear up the mistakes people commonly make when reading these labels, Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA, RD, CDN, the author of Read It Before You Eat It helps clear up the chaos.