As a new mom, I worried constantly that my daughter was eating too much or not enough vegetables, having too many snacks or developing an unhealthy attitude toward snacks. All that fretting was exhausting. And it turns out there’s another really good reason for not obsessing about her meals: it actually made her a better eater.
Here’s what I learned along the way. Trust me — you, too, can go from neurotic to normal when it comes to your toddler’s diet.
What’s the worst-case scenario when that 3 p.m. post-lunch slump hits? Heading to the vending machine? Pulling out that stale candy bar? We get it. To avoid such dire situations, we’ve taken to keeping good-for-you snacks on hand. Any of these 12 snacks will quell your hunger pangs and keep you from ending up hangry, so the rest of your afternoon goes smoothly.
Making scrambled eggs in the wok means I have to throw out all the best advice about cooking scrambled eggs. Don’t use high heat, they say; pull them off the heat before they overcook, they say. But I say crank that heat all the way up and don’t pull out an extra bowl for whisking.
If the months of the year are guests at a dinner party, January is the friend who can’t stop talking about how great she feels now that she doesn’t do [insert most enjoyable things here] anymore. It’s admirable, but also kind of annoying. Of course you’d like to be your best self (her words, not yours), but do you have to give up so much in the process? Can’t the whole thing be a little more enjoyable?
Thankfully your down-to-earth buddy February is around to keep things real. When January makes you feel like a failure, February steps in to say it’s okay to take smaller steps towards your personal betterment, and it’s also okay to buy a little something to help you along the way. (He’s such a good guy to shop with!) With that in mind, here are five small things to buy for your kitchen next month to keep you moving positively and pleasantly through the new year.
A year ago, I made what I called Bananas Foster Puddings — individual puddings in which the bananas had been lightly caramelized in butter, brown sugar and rum before being layered with vanilla custard and kind of mediocre homemade vanilla wafers before being topped with a tuft of broiled meringue. The evening I made them, I managed to spill a pint glass of water (full, I mean, of course) right next to my laptop, which led to all sorts of drama including the loss of the photos and recipe, in case you’re wondering why nobody’s going to be mistaking me for a lifestyle guru anytime soon.
I was crushed and promised a redo but for the life of me, couldn’t get enthusiastic enough about it to make them again. I chalked it up to lingering morning sickness, to the fact that maybe banana pudding wasn’t my thing, but it wasn’t until last week, when curiosity about what everyone else likes in banana pudding took me on a field trip to my old neighborhood where the bakery downstairs from my old apartment is rather beloved for theirs when I realize that the problem was me: I had attempted to upend a classic that wasn’t necessarily improved by it. Or more succinctly: It wasn’t broken so I didn’t need to fix it. Rookie mistake!
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Let’s be honest — when it comes to popcorn, the plain stuff is kind of boring. I’m not saying I’d turn it down, but it just feels a little lackluster. Sure, it has the crunch factor going for it (I’ll give it that), but there’s no flavor or pizzazz.
Let’s call popcorn what it really is: a bite-sized vessel waiting to get loaded up with all of your favorite flavors and toppings.
Sure, breakfast for dinner is a thing, but it’s rare that the concept gets switched around. Who says you can’t do dinner for breakfast?
Does your grocery store have a nutritionist on staff? The answer may very well be yes. As shoppers are becoming increasingly interested in improving their diets, more and more supermarkets are hiring in-store registered dietitians to help educate customers, answer nutrition-related questions, and even provide one-on-one consultations. They are the resident experts on all the good-for-you foods in the supermarket.
I turned to one of them, Amanda Barnes, RD, LDN, an in-store nutritionist for the Mid-Atlantic supermarket chain Giant Food, for some advice on shopping for healthier foods on a budget.
You’ll almost never find our kitchens without a can or two of black beans stocked in the pantry. This versatile ingredient can be used in so many different ways. From soups and chilis to enchiladas and salads, the recipes are seemingly endless. We chose our 11 favorite black bean recipes to get you started with something new.
This slow-cooker mac and cheese is so easy that it feels like it can’t possibly be right. Dry pasta, milk, and cheese go in, and a few hours later, you’re scooping warm macaroni and cheese onto your plate.
Ready for a little magic in your dinner? Let’s take a look at how this macaroni and cheese can be yours.
