It’s that time of year again! The newness of back-to- school is wearing off, and my grown children have started to complain about how hard it can be to pack healthy, tasty lunches for their own kids.I remember getting discouraged when my kids were young. At one point, all they wanted for their lunches was bagels and cream cheese…every single day!If you’re in a lunch rut, too, read on for
Recipes & Healthy Eating
Phthalates in Mac and Cheese: Should We Panic?
Did you guys catch me on The Dr. Oz Show yesterday? I was invited to speak about phthalates in macaroni and cheese. Whether or not you saw the segment, I thought you might want to hear my thoughts on the scary headlines. Real Quick: Here’s What Phthalates Even Are The chemical compounds know as phthalates (pronounced f-THAL- lates) are used to make plastics flexible and as lubricants in
Healthy Fruit Popsicle Guide
After staying with us for nearly a month this July, my grandkids left me three reminders of their visit: fingerprints smudged on the glass of my deck doors, jars of (dead) lightening bugs on the picnic table, and half-full boxes of popsicles in my freezer! That pretty well sums up the summertime, doesn't it?!Popsicles are a must-have on hot afternoons, and last month, Maia and I set out to
Plastic-Free Lunch Packing Supplies for School
Can you believe it's already time to start thinking about back-to-school? I think some of you have may have even already started?! Talk about waaaaah! In my kids' public school in Brooklyn, teachers collect money at the beginning of the year to pay for supplies, which makes life easier for sure. All I have to buy in anticipation of school this year (besides clothing) is lunch packing gear. Of
10 Ways to Get Your Kids Off Junk Food and Demanding Vegetables
A version of this post appears on our blog on The Huffington Post.--By Suzanne ("Nana"), Certified Holistic Health CoachMany of my health coaching clients are moms, and they often ask me about encouraging their kids to eat more healthfully—and in particular about the challenge of getting little ones to eat vegetables!As a mother and a grandmother, I have lived this challenge myself.
Healthy Yogurt Guide
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure page.When we polled our readers on which food they wanted us to review next, yogurt was the winner (olive oil was a close second, and we will be reviewing that in the fall).Finally, after more than a month of researching and testing yogurts, we can tell you who is Good, who is Bad, and who is Sneaky. We were surprised
10 Healthiest Packaged Snacks for Kids
My kids are big snackers, and they probably get it from me: I often skip dinner entirely (not good, I know!), and then spend the rest of the evening snacking---a bowl of cereal, some grapes, toast, or maybe if I'm feeling ambitious, a sliced cucumber with some feta cheese, drizzled with Olea Blue.I try to encourage my kids to sit down to three meals a day and keep snacking to a minimum, but
Healthy Bread Shopping Guide
1. Ezekiel / 2. Alvarado / 3. MannaBread has gotten a bad name in recent years due to the popularity of low-carbohydrate diets, grain-free diets, and gluten-free diets. While some of the criticism of wheat and bread is well deserved—I wouldn’t call most of what you see in the grocery store Good Stuff--I have found that for many people, totally giving up bread in order to be healthy is
Healthy Mayo Shopping Guide
To prepare this healthy mayonnaise shopping guide, I went to some local stores to check out the mayonnaise selection. I was amazed by the variety of mayo products—I found vegan mayo, Paleo mayo, light mayo, organic mayo, etc.The fact that mainstream brands like Hellmann’s are now offering organic "healthy" mayonnaise and versions prepared with higher-quality eggs and oils shows how much
My New Favorite Nutrition Marvel: Olea True Organic Olive Oil
As a health-conscious mom of two picky eaters, I sometimes resort to sneaky tricks to “get some nutrition” into my kids. I put chia seeds in their oatmeal, a single romaine leaf in their smoothies (they can always taste kale if I try that!), and pureed veggies in their pizza sauce. I wish they would just take down a big pile of steamed squash on their own, but until that day comes, I do what I
