Healthy Holiday Break Snacks
On Tuesday, December 15, I was lucky enough to travel to Ridge Park Charter Academy to tape a fun segment for Where You Live with Miss Feyen’s second grade classroom. The school was celebrating Christmas around the world and this class focused on Japan. The children were very excited to have us there and greeted us in their handmade costumes and decorated room. My job was to talk about healthy eating – which is not easy during this season full of holiday cookies and candy. I reminded the kids that it’s important to eat healthy most of time so we can stay strong and enjoy all the fun winter activities. We then worked together to create some good-for-you snacks that were colorful, seasonal and delicious!
Fruit Kabob Tree
Cut the top and one inch off the bottom of a fresh pineapple so it stands up. Make approximately 25 kabobs on 4-inch skewers or toothpicks using red and green fruit. We used kiwi and strawberries. Stick skewers in the sides of the pineapple to form your tree. Decorate the top of the tree with a Star Fruit skewer. When the kabobs are gone you can cup up the pineapple to eat!
Red and Green Pepper “Sushi”
Spread a thin layer of low fat vegetable cream cheese on spinach and tomato wraps. Sprinkle diced red and green pepper on top of cream cheese and roll up tightly. Cut into ½-inch “sushi” pieces.
It has become a tradition in our home to have a Christmas brunch. After the presents are opened we all gather around the table to share family time over a delicious meal. But the last thing I want to do Christmas morning is make multiple, time-consuming recipes. My easy menu below allows you to get some of the prep done ahead of time so you can have a relaxing morning while still putting out a delicious, home-baked brunch. (And by the way. it’s pretty healthy too!)
Giving a gift from the kitchen in a fun and economical way to let someone know you are thinking of them during this time of year. The time and love that go into creating your special treat is really appreciated by the receiver. My daughters and I will have our official holiday baking day this weekend. Here are a couple of our favorite recipes for gift-giving.
This is the time of year when we have family gatherings, holiday parties and impromptu gatherings with friends. Whether you have to take an appetizer to someone’s house or you’re planning your own party, you’ll appreciate these simple, tasty appetizer recipes. I’ve tried them all and they meet my criteria of easy, affordable, healthy and delicious! Try a few and let me know what you think.
I’m not sure how November got here so quickly, let alone Thanksgiving! I asked several people what sort of recipes they wanted for the big day, and most of them told me the same thing. They wanted a delicious meal that didn’t take a lot of work. Also, it had to be somewhat affordable. With that in mind, I put together this delicious, easy-on-the-wallet Thanksgiving menu (with a few healthy “Shari” touches).
You know those people that every time you’re around them you’re inspired to try something new, live a little better, parent smarter or enjoy life more? I am blessed to have several of these kind of people in my life and now you can meet and get to know them too! They are joining us here with weekly blog posts that I hope you and your family find informative, insightful and inspirational.
I always had an interest in food and nutrition and attended Central Michigan University to earn a Bachelors Degree in Dietetics. Several years later, I went back to college to obtain my Masters degree in Human Nutrition from Andrews University. I have been a Registered Dietitian for 27 years and have spent the last 20 years working with Supermarkets. I discovered years ago that grocery stores were a great place to reach consumers and help them obtain accurate nutrition information. I also realized that busy families are looking for quick, affordable, and healthy ideas for meals. In my position as Healthy Living Manager at Meijer I spend a lot of time working with food manufacturers and commodity groups to search out and create easy recipes that can become part of family-pleasing menus. Although my two daughters are now grown and married, my husband and I continue to enjoy cooking together and creating new recipes with nutritious ingredients. I hope my information provides you and your family with easy ideas to live a healthy life!