Category: kid friendly

Zoodle Bolognese

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zoodle bolognese pinDo you ever get stuck in a rut when it comes to coming up with fresh new ideas for healthy weeknight dinners? Me too! I think we all do sometimes, because it’s so easy to rely on the same “tried & true” dinners week after week. But I sure do love it when I find a moment of weeknight inspiration and end up with something super healthy and satisfying that the whole family enjoys! Sound like an impossible combination? Check out this recipe for Zoodle Bolognese. My husband loved it, my girls gobbled it up, and I smiled the whole time knowing that this dinner was made from 100% whole food ingredients, LOADED with veggies, low in carbs, high in protein, and only took me about 20 minutes to prepare. Zoodles for the WIN!

IMG_1730Oh, and one more super secret mom tip for you if you think your kids may turn their noses up at zucchini noodles…enlist their help with spiralizing the zucchini! Kids are much more likely to be excited about trying new things if they’ve helped to prepare them, especially if it involves the spiralizer! Spiralizing is super fun…just turn the crank and these gorgeous, long noodle shaped pieces come pouring out. My kids actually aren’t huge zucchini fans in general, but when we turn it into zoodles (zucchini noodles), I often catch them snacking on the raw zoodles while they’re helping me in the kitchen. And, they’re usually excited to see their creation in the final product as well, thus, more likely to try the dinner!

Don’t have a spiralizer yet? It has to be one of my most favorite kitchen tools (next to my blender), and is such a fun way to create healthier versions of some favorite comfort foods, like Spaghetti Bolognese! It is an inexpensive tool (about $30 on Amazon) that you will absolutely love!

Zoodle Bolognese
Cook and Prep Time: About 20 Min
Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 TBSP olive oil, divided

1 C diced yellow onion (about ½ med. onion)

4 cloves minced garlic, divided

1 lb ground turkey

1 pkg frozen chopped spinach (defrosted and squeezed dry)

4 medium zucchini

1 jar organic marinara sauce

Pink Himalayan Sea Salt & Black Pepper

Method:

  1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet
  2. Add diced onion and 2 cloves minced garlic and sauté until translucent
  3. Add ground turkey and season with salt and pepper. Cook this mixture until turkey is browned and cooked through.
  4. While turkey is browning (stirring occasionally), prepare zoodles by spiralizing all 4 zucchini, and set aside.
  5. When turkey is browned, add the spinach and mix to combine. Make sure the spinach has been squeezed dry before adding to the skillet.
  6. Pour marinara sauce into the turkey mixture and bring to a simmer
  7. In a separate skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and add remaining garlic.
  8. Add zoodles to the oil and garlic, and cook (using tongs to toss and coat the zoodles with the oil and garlic) for about 2-3 min, or until the zoodles are just tender.
  9. Season zoodles with salt and pepper
  10. Place zoodles in 4 pasta bowls, top with Bolognese sauce, and enjoy!IMG_1731IMG_1732IMG_1734

 

 

Healthy Chocolate Chip Protein Pancakes

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IMG_1533My kids love pancakes for breakfast, but I’m not a fan of filling them up with a plate full of carbs to start their day.  So, I love experimenting with protein pancake recipes!  Protein pancakes can pack a nutritional punch, give lasting energy, and they make my kiddos super happy.

Our favorite protein pancakes are pretty basic, and are made with ingredients I usually have on hand.  We love them because they are easy to whip up, they stay super moist, and because you can flavor them in so many ways.  Today, my kids asked for chocolate chip pancakes, so I let them add some Lily’s brand sugar free chocolate chips to the batter.  They thought they were getting a treat, and I knew it was guilt free…a total win/win!  Sometimes we add blueberries, or make a yummy berry & yogurt topping.  The possibilities are endless!

Quick & Easy Protein Pancake Recipe:
*makes approx 3 servings

1 Cup Rolled Oats
1 Cup Cottage Cheese (can sub Greek Yogurt) – we use low fat, but non-fat works as well
1 Cup Egg Whites
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Tsp Cinnamon
10-15 Drops Stevia

Optional Add Ins:
1/4C Sugar Free Chocolate Chips (we prefer Lily’s Brand), plus more for sprinkling on top
OR 1/2C Fresh blueberries
Sliced strawberries for garnish

Directions:
Place oats in blender and blend until it becomes like a coarse flour
Add in all other ingredients and blend until smooth
If your batter is too thick, add a tablespoon of almond milk and blend some more
Once blended, add any optional add-ins you like and stir with a spoon
Spray heated skillet with coconut oil, and cook pancakes as usual
Top with an extra sprinkle of chocolate chips and/or berries

Try these out and let me know how you like them!  They are definitely a staple breakfast item in our house, and a real crowd pleaser.  ENJOY!

Cheers to quick, clean cooking!

xoxo,
Malea

Nutritional Information Per Serving (recipe makes approx 3 servings)
Cal 259, Carbs 28g, Fat 6g, Protein 24g, Sugar 1g

 

Kale Chips to the Rescue!

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KALE CHIPS (1)
By Guest Blogger Erin Woodbury

Do your kids love chips? Sometimes kids (and adults) just need to “mindlessly munch.” It’s allowable if the snack is a super-food like kale. Kale is a form of cabbage. Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, and is reasonably rich in calcium. Kale, as with broccoli, contains sulforaphane, a chemical with potent anti-cancer properties. Go ahead and crunch-clean with the following recipe…

Recipe: Kale Chips

Ingredients:
1 bunch kale, washed and dried completely
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
Dash of Sea salt
Dash of Pepper
Dash of Mrs. Dash Lemon Pepper seasoning
Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Directions:

  1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Line a non-insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper, or spray olive oil spray onto a cookie sheet.
  2. Remove the leaves from the thick stems, and discard the stems; tear leaves into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Toss kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasonings, salt and cheese.
  3. Bake until the edges brown, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

Kale Chips

Huge thank you to my friend Erin Woodbury of Living Lean With Erin for contributing this delicious and healthy snack recipe.  You can find her and more of her delicious recipes at @livingleanwitherin on Facebook and Instagram, and also on her website www.livingleanwitherin.com

Solving the School Snack Situation

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Do you ever struggle to come up with healthy items to pack in your kids’ snacks and lunches that they’ll actually eat? I try my best to keep my kids away from processed foods and excess sugar, but when they’re seeing it in all the other kids’ lunch boxes, it can be tough!  My kids are pretty healthy, and understand the importance of choosing quality foods to fuel them through the day, but they also like to have things in their lunch boxes that seem like a treat.  So, my job becomes finding them something high in protein, low in sugar, and ALSO yummy (I know…does that even exist??) to pack for their morning recess snack.

My solution?

No Bake Protein Energy Bites!

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This recipe is so simple to make, and creates a bite sized “treat” that is perfect to pack for school, offer as an after school snack, or even as an after dinner treat!  My kids love taking them to school for their morning recess snack time, and I love knowing that their snack is filled with protein and other healthy ingredients, will give them lasting energy without a blood sugar crash in the middle of class!

Ingredients:*
– 2 scoops chocolate protein powder (I used Shakeology for the added healthy ingredients, but any good quality protein powder would work!)
– 1/3c organic peanut butter
– 1/4c raw organic honey
– 2 Tbsp. PB2 or other powdered peanut butter (optional)
– 1/2c quick cooking oats (I used rolled oats and put them in my magic bullet to make them a little more fine)
– 1/2c applesauce
Optional ingredients for rolling:
– Chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds…whatever you have on hand!)
– Hemp seeds
– Puffed rice cereal

The Method:
1. Thoroughly mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl.  The mixture should be VERY thick and sticky.  It needs to hold together completely, and should not stick to the sides of the bowl.
2. Once it is completely combined, and you’ve reached the desired consistency, roll into one inch balls and place on a tray or baking sheet.
3. At this point, I prefer to roll them in something to coat the outside of the ball, but this step is optional.  I find that coating the outside helps keep them a little less sticky by the time the kids eat them for snack.  For my most recent batch, I rolled 1/2 in puffed rice cereal and the other 1/2 in a combination of chopped walnuts and hemp seeds (for extra protein!)
4. Place tray in the freezer for 1 hour to allow them to harden separately.
5. Place frozen protein balls in a ziplock bag and store in the freezer until ready to pack or eat.  They should be frozen when you pack them in order to prevent them from getting too sticky.  They are also delicious eaten right from the freezer!

*I’m not big on measuring, so all measurements are approximate. For this recipe in particular, you really need to adjust as you go to ensure the right consistency, so feel free to play around with it. I’ve adapted this recipe from several similar recipes I’ve tried, and make it slightly different every time!