The Musings of a Working Mom

My kids love fish sticks - but they aren't the healthiest and quite honestly I would rather my kids eat fish that was prepared in a healthier, less greasy manner.  I wanted to maintain the crunch since that is what the kids love, so I looked for a recipe with panko bread crumbs.  The Whole Foods website had a wonderful, easy and tasty recipe that I had all the ingredients for.  My kids loved not only the crunchy topping but also the lemon zest in the topping - truth be told they love lemony anything.  Matter of fact, I served the tilapia with steamed broccoli dressed with olive oil, fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Survey says: 2 out of 3 kids loved it (the 3rd liked it but not loved it), and I loved it.  This easy peasy meal has earned it's spot in our healthy dinner rotation . Ingredients:  2/3 cup panko bread crumbs 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan 2 teaspoons dried basil 1/...

The holidays are here and that means HOLIDAY PARTIES!!  That also means oodles of eating and drinking and countless hours spent in the gym trying to work them off.  Here's a great little article breaking down the calories in those holiday libations that I came across in the December 2012 issue of Everyday Food.  I hope that this little calorie guide helps you to keep those excess holiday LBS from making their way to your midsection!  Enjoy and Be Merry...

My creative juices have been flowing lately thinking of new ideas for snacks for the kids after they come home from school.  Here is a great article I came across in my e-mail inbox. I love me some Food Network!!! http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes-and-cooking/50-after-school-snacks/index.html

I was spoiled - up until now, my twins had been in a full day preschool program that provided breakfasts, snacks and lunches.  Now that they are in Kindergarten, I have found that being creative makes all the difference in if your child eats lunch or not.  But I am always looking for creative ideas - Here is a great article I stumbled across with loads of great sandwich ideas to add to your child's lunch rotation. http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/everydaycooking/family/kids-lunch-ideas

Like most families that are full of hungry kids - I am a member of Costco and every month I get their magazine called The Costco Connection.  Each month I look forward to the seasonal recipes and some of the featured articles.  This month, they have a great article on Bob Harper - you might recognize him as the hunky, tatted up trainer on The Biggest Loser.  He has just written a cookbook called The Skinny Rules: The Simple, Nonnegotiable Principles for Getting to Thin.   In this cookbook, Bob lists his "nonnegotiable rules" that can lead to successful weight loss.  Oddly enough, these are the same "rules" that I give to my clients when I'm coaching them for successful, healthy weight loss too!  These rules are easy to follow and can lead to healthy, attainable weight loss without trying too hard (but don't forget to add in some sort of physical activity daily to make the weight come off faster!). The Skinny Rules What's In: ...

I know that I'm guilty for doing this - mindlessly grazing.  We all do this while we are making a meal for the family - we taste a little here, take a bite there.  And then of course you sit down and eat your meal with your family but you don't realize that all of those tastings and little bites while meal prep has led you to consume more calories than you probably need for the day.  And we question why we haven't lost those last 5lbs!  Well there is a free app available on iPhones (check if your phone has this app for free) called My Fitness Pal .  This app helps you to keep track of the calories you consume with each meal/snack giving you a tally for the day, week, etc.  You start out by answering a few questions regarding your height, current weight, goal weight, activity level, etc.  All you do is enter in the foods that you eat, meal by meal and then submit your entries at the end of the day.  This app has a very extensive food databas...

As the mother of 3 young children, I always want to make sure that I am feeding them the cleanest, purest and healthiest foods that I can.  I try to buy organic when I can but that is not always financially feasible.  I always buy organic milk and yogurt for my kids and I know exactly where to go to purchase it at the cheapest prices.  I also try to keep my eyes open for good sales on organic produce (especially the ones listed below) and other food items.  I'm sure you've heard of the "Dirty Dozen" - 12 common fruits and vegetables that have tested positive for the highest concentrations of pesticides.  If buying all organic food is not an option for you, that's completely understandable but these 12  items are the items that you should try to buy organic.  Look for them on sale or find the store that carries them at the cheapest prices.  Another alternative is to buy from a local farmers market - these farmers tend to us...

I love to eat granola in my plain Greek yogurt but most store bought granola can be high in calories and fat.  But I found a great and healthy (and easy) recipe in the December 2011 issue of Everyday Food.  You can tweak the recipe to add the goodies you like - I added pumpkin seeds (pepitas), sunflower seeds, almonds and flax seeds to give me that extra boost of healthy Omega 3 FA's and protein.  I also added mini chocolate chips (the regular size chips were a bit overwhelming in the mix) but you can add whatever you like - just mind your portions and keep it healthy!  Added bonus - the kids love to eat this granola on their yogurt at breakfast or as a snack.  Enjoy... Granola with Pecans and Dried Fruit Everyday Food, 12 December 2011 Yield Makes 8 cups Ingredients Nonstick cooking spray 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar 1/2 cup honey 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 3/4 teaspoon groun...

I cant believe how fast time flies!  So 2011 is almost behind us, which means it's time to make your 2012 New Year's resolutions.  Every year we make many resolutions with every intention to keep them, but as per the norm, we eventually (some faster that others) give them up.  Why do we give up on our resolutions?  My thought is that most people either make too many resolutions or they make resolutions that are unrealistic from the beginning.  If you want to start out 2012 with a resolution that you can keep, one that will help you lose weight (and keep it off), one that will stimulate your metabolism, one that will give you more energy, one that will relieve headaches and migraines, one that will stave off cravings, one that will make you feel on the whole better - then all you need to do is be good to your body and have just one resolution.  What is this resolution you ask??   Eat 5-6 small meals every 3-4 hours with each...

Being that I am a Registered Dietitian, I do have some pretty valuable tips to help you from gaining unnecessary weight during the holidays (and all year round).  The holidays are a time for enjoying all of the festivities but that doesn't mean you have to starve yourself.  Tip #1 - It is perfectly acceptable to enjoy all of the food of the holidays - but in moderation!  That is the key - PORTION CONTROL!!  Try a bite of all that you want to try, but only a bite and try to avoid a second plate/helping.  Otherwise your caloric intake will gradually increase leading to some extra LBS after the New Year.  Tip #2 - Exercise/Physical Activity.  Everyone knows that the weight gain equation is this:                                 Calories In - Calories Out = Your Weight. In other words...