Healthy Begins Here

Our guest blogger is Tara DelloIacono Thies, RD, LUNA Nutrition Strategist at Clif Bar & Company.

Micah Sittig / CC BY-SA 2.0

The first of the rains were coming down this morning. I couldn’t have asked for a cozier moment than when my three year old son crawled in to my bed, snuggled close, and said “cover” me. We were both enjoying the coziness that comes with the first signs of fall and winter. We continued our cozy morning with a hearty breakfast of oatmeal loaded with all kinds of goodies: raisins, almonds, honey, and a dollop of cream. This is the kind of food that warms the heart and the mind from the inside out. While my son is enjoying the flavor, I relish in knowing he is getting a nutritious start this cool fall day.

Ready or not hear comes winter. This is a good time to think about nutritious snacks that can warm you up from head to toe and keep you hydrated. It may come as a surprise that I should mention hydration during the winter, but believe it or not keeping ourselves and our kids hydrated during the winter months can be even more challenging than when the sun is beating down at high temperatures. One reason is because when it isn’t hot we tend to lose that thirst sensation. Ice cold water and sun tea just don’t sound as tantalizing as they did when sitting on the beach. Secondly, if we are participating in any cold weather sports we are losing water as we warm the air we breathe.

In the winter, for meal time, I am a big fan of soups, stews, and casseroles. There is an abundance of root vegetables this time of year that can accompany noodles, rice, and rolls to balance out a meal. I make it a habit to always have chicken or veggie broth on hand for a quick meal. Throw in some potatoes, carrots, shrimp, onions, and kale along with some seasoning and you have a hearty meal loaded with nutrients.

Snacking, however, is my order of business in this post and snacking on soups may sound appealing to some; but I am imagining your child on the way to flag foot ball practice with a bowl of soup sloshing around in his lap in the back seat of the car…not ideal.

Let’s face it, our tastes change when winter hits, and that goes for our kids too. The foods we crave may be a little hearty but they can still be good for us. I cannot resist a good eggnog latte. In fact, I anxiously anticipate their release around Thanksgiving. Hot chocolate and eggnog can be great snacks and good for us when made with low fat milk. Eggnog can be “cut” with fat free milk to balance out the heaviness. These drinks can be put into a thermos and brought along on a family hike or cross-country ski adventure.

Naturally you will want something to accompany your beverages. Try some of these out during your fall, family fun:

• Pumpkin muffins: take advantage of this seasonal favorite packed with beta carotene and dress up a muffin with some cinnamon.
• Popcorn mix: toss together popped popcorn, cranberries, raisins, and nuts
• All-natural graham crackers: always a great medium for almond butter, peanut butter, or try pumpkin butter and cream cheese.
• Organic apples: tis’ the season for apple picking . Step up these sliced morsels with peanut butter or caramel and marshmallow cream for a special treat.
• Organic crispy kale: lay kale on baking sheets, spray with olive oil, add a little salt or other seasonings, and bake at 350 degrees until crispy. Then load it up in to-go bags for easy carrying.
• Organic roasted pumpkin seeds: let you kids help you dig the seeds out , rinse them ,and place them on baking sheets to toast until crispy and lightly brown.

Related Topic:

• Organic Milk Does The Body Better
• Safer Food For A Healthier You
• Tackling the Toxic Table