I let my three elementary school aged kids make their own lunches for a week and here’s what happened. Everyone packed a fresh and healthy lunch–and everyone ATE that fresh and healthy lunch. They felt totally proud of themselves. It wasn’t no-work on my end but I can see how this will eventually get them…
No-Sugar Strawberry Fudgsicles
These homemade popsicles have been the hit of our back-to-school week. And trust me, we kind of needed one. There are SO MANY FEELINGS about third grade, first grade and apparently kindergarten is no picnic either. When I see the rascals come home so stressed — and so very ready to rumble — I like…
Sheet Pan Lemon Chicken with Potatoes & Asparagus
We flew to Denver to visit my mom’s family when I was 10. My aunt made lemon chicken and I thought I’d never tasted anything so delicious. Juicy. Tangy. Since when do we put fruit on chicken? What is even happening? And why can’t I stop eating it? Today’s recipe is a riff on that…
Chocolate Graham Crackers
I made a double batch of these chocolate graham crackers for Birthday Season this year. One batch of chocolate graham crackers for Violet’s preschool party. One batch for George’s. Same school, different classes, different days. Since George’s celebration was a week later than Violet’s I just popped his whole batch into the freezer and brought…
Easy Little Lamb Cake
Decorating this little lamb cake was one of the easiest kids’ birthday cakes I’ve ever made. With just about the most adorable results. When I saw this lamb marshmallow cake I online, I had to wonder: Is it really as simple as it looks or am I going to end up with a whopper of a…
Cheesy Summer Squash Tart with Sun Dried Tomatoes
This cheesy summer squash tart with sun dried tomatoes is my eight-year-old’s favorite way to eat summer squash. Full of eggs, cheese, fresh basil and plenty of salt and pepper, the creamy filling pairs perfectly with puff pastry. (Because, what doesn’t, right?) Plus it’s a make-ahead dream. Put your cheesy summer squash tart together earlier…
Taco Squash Boats
If you’re looking for a way to get your kids eating more vegetables, boats are the thing. We’ve made Italian Zucchini Boats and I’m thrilled to say two things about it: They used a lot of zucchini (a perk because I love actually using produce from our overflowing garden). They were a huge hit with…
Fruity Lemonade Popsicles
You know how kids are experts at devouring fresh fruit in seconds flat? I’ve found a way to make a few slices of fruit go farther and last a little longer: Freeze the whole darn thing. Enter, fruity lemonade popsicles.Just fill a popsicle mold with fruit, then pour on enough lemonade to get ALMOST to…
Cheesy Zucchini Bites
There is so much zucchini bursting out of my garden right now! The only question I have is… How do I get the kids to enjoy zucchini? They’ll eat it, sure. My kids are pretty good sports about food. (And we’ve worked at this for a LONG TIME, at one point even posting the 6…
Homemade Sloppy Joes
When my soon to be 8-year-old asked for Homemade Sloppy Joes as her birthday dinner, I knew we had a hit! You know that very distinctive flavor of a good Sloppy Joe? The one I remember as a kid came out of a can, but man I loved that stuff. It turns out that you…
4 Ways to Make an Instant Meal Out of 1 Baguette
This may be one of my favorite school lunch ideas of all. Slice a baguette, then pile on the toppings to make instant open faced sandwiches the whole crowd loves. Not bad for about 2 minutes’ work. BROILED BAGUETTE MINI SANDWICHES Ham & Baby Swiss with Sliced Pickles Instructions: Fold a piece of ham (I…
Magic Muffins: The Healthy 5-Fruit & Vegetable Muffins Kids Love!
Who among us has ever said, “Yep, my kids get ALL the fruit and vegetables they need. And then some.” Not you? Me neither. To get the five recommended servings of vegetables and fruits into four kids every day, I serve veggies straight up but also add them into unsuspecting dishes: Eggs. Smoothies. Popsicles. And you better believe it,…
Your kids’ new favorite avocado toast is here: Egg + avocado on toast
When it comes to healthy breakfast ideas for kids, it’s hard to do better than avocado toast. Unless you put a hardboiled egg on top. Ta da! Our kids’ new favorite protein-packed breakfast: Egg & avocado toast. The whole thing comes together in minutes. I always use Dave’s Killer Bread because it’s so hearty. I’m…
Apple Cinnamon Oat Muffins
Do your kids love muffins? When it comes to muffins, my four rascals are all-in. That’s why I’m always trying new spins on healthy muffin ideas. After several recipe tests and tweaks, it’s unanimous: These apple cinnamon oat muffins are the winners. What’s the secret? Doubling up on the apples. Applesauce, meet your parents: Granny Smith…
Lemon-Lime Pound Cake Parfaits with Rainbow Fruit
These lemon-lime yogurt pound cake parfaits have the perfect topping to make anyone’s St. Patrick’s Day extra special: Rainbow fruit! And best of all, this major splash of color comes without any artificial food coloring at all. First, comes the better-for-you pound cake. This one’s full of zesty lemons and limes, Greek yogurt and to get that sweet green…
Easy Green Smoothie Recipe for Beginners
This easy green smoothie recipe is perfect for beginners. Also, it’s the most delicious smoothie I’ve ever had. Really. The mix of pineapple, coconut water and banana is JUST sweet enough to feel like a treat. And the spinach makes it good for you. So satisfying that I make one of these easy green smoothie…
The 2-ingredient chocolate frosting recipe that’ll become your new favorite
I love this 2-ingredient chocolate frosting recipe so much. It’s a variation of a recipe I saw in the New York Times but I gave it a Foodlets update (which always means it’s either faster, healthier or cuter and in this case, it’s the second one. #healthierfoodforkids) What you need to make 2-ingredient chocolate buttercream…
Rainbow Smoothies: A Fun Way for Kids to Eat More Fruit & Vegetables
Want an easy way to get your kids interested in eating more fruit and vegetables? Experts say kids need about 5 servings of fruit and vegetables every day, but it can be hard to do. That’s why I was so excited to see this rainbow smoothie idea on Super Healthy Kids a couple of years ago….
Simple sausage and peppers sliders: A wholesome 15-minute dinner kids love
I discovered these simple sausage and pepper sliders a few months ago when I was at the grocery store with two of my girls. They’re five and seven and this was a slow moving day. Unfortunately it turned out to be the kind where you suddenly notice that your kids’ hair isn’t really brushed until you’re…
Real school lunches: 5 days of healthy, fast lunches ideas for preschoolers and young kids
It’s time to pack school lunches again! This year I have two elementary aged girls plus two preschoolers and I’m packing healthy lunches for ALL of them. Which means things need to be quick. Packing for four also means the potential for a LOT of waste, so I’m sharing our kids’ favorites from the week. These…