I love a challenge, and although you wouldn’t know it if you visited my house, I can organize an event like nobody’s business (just not the piles of paper that infiltrate my kitchen). What is the best food to serve for a party…with a few hundred people…on a budget? Who needs to pay a caterer […]
Head Back to School Sustainably in 2024 It’s the time of year when school supplies seem to have taken over my house and I’m scouring…
Welcome Back to School: Sustainability, Lunch Ideas, and More! Read More »
When I started planning the graduation party for my oldest, my college roommate came to mind. When she graduated high school, she lived in a…
I’m so committed to healthy snacks for kids, including after team sports, that I simply can’t just go with the flow and buy single-serve processed foods for the team. Every time it’s our turn to bring the after-game snack, I give my kids choices for healthy after-game snack ideas. Last baseball season, my 8-year-old, Gabe,
It seems inevitable that if your kids are in sports, they’re going to be served snacks by other kids’ parents. It also feels inevitable that the majority will be unhealthy snacks. It’s something that drives me crazy, and I know I’m not alone–because, as I’ve mentioned before, every time I bring this up on social
Apparently, we grow our kids short and slim, so when my very skinny freshman son decided to join the high-school wrestling team, he was quite…
5 Surprising Ways for a High-Schooler to Cut Weight for Wrestling (That No One Is Using) Read More »
When I think about easy school lunches to pack, I know the world would tell me to buy a Lunchable. Not my style. I’d rather go easy by using up leftovers, and I often wish I could just take someone’s dinner plate and serve it to them for lunch. That’s harder to do with packed
Use Your Leftovers: 30+ Dinner Recipes to Use for Easy School Lunches Read More »
“My husband thinks food and treats are going to get some child killed someday,” says the wife of a school principal. He thinks that lawsuits over birthday cupcakes are too big of a risk and cites liability as the most important reason to ban classroom celebration food in schools: “A child with food allergies that
45 Easy Non Food Birthday Celebration Ideas for School Read More »
We live in a frighteningly litigious society, don’t you think? I’m looking at you, burglars who sue homeowners because they got injured during a B&E…and so many more! I’m curious if you can imagine a situation where you would want to sue your child’s elementary school or preschool. As you turn over possible scenarios in
Why Treats at School Should Have Been Banned Decades Ago Read More »
I get really tired of the sugar fest that is Valentine’s Day, the Hallmark holiday co-opted by the sugar and flower industries. Why can’t Valentine’s Day cards exchanged at school be candy-free? We know our kids don’t need more sugar…but “it’s a special occasion,” is the excuse, so we give them lots. #facepalm Sometimes I volunteer
Fed up with the school birthday treats? Me too. Here’s everything you’ll need for a quick and easy NO SUGAR kid Halloween party idea. Games, activities, and healthy food plan for school Halloween treats are done for you! Are you in charge of planning a kids’ Halloween party for your child’s elementary school classroom this
Quick and Easy {NO SUGAR} Elementary School Halloween Party! Read More »
I feel like I’m always looking for more easy lunch packing ideas for my kids! I don’t want to make special lunch recipes – I just want those boxes packed up and ready for school in the morning, without stress. Amen? My history with both observing and packing school lunches is pretty extensive (as is
If you’ve followed me for a while, you probably already know how I feel about school birthday treats and sugar (not to mention kids’ sports snacks!). It means a lot to my kids when I volunteer in their classrooms, and as a former teacher myself (now running a cooking class for kids online), I know
Healthy School Christmas Party Ideas – Fun Games and Food for Kids but NO Sugar! Read More »
The anchors asked us yesterday on live TV, “What is something you like to eat that’s more fun? Do you ever want things in your lunch that you see in other kids’ lunches?” Of course my poor kids weren’t ready for the question, so after some silence I jumped in and mentioned homemade granola bars
There’s nothing better than a kid messing up and earning a consequence. Don’t believe me? I didn’t pack my 5th grader’s lunch almost the entire year, and I barely had to remind him that it was now his responsibility. Why? Because he earned it as a consequence for messing up. I can’t even remember the
School is right around the corner (I said it…don’t throw tomatoes). Depending on where you live it could be a month, a couple weeks or even days away! Of course that means school lunches are coming too. When you have to manage food allergies, your choices are limited. No more pb&j. No crackers and cheese.
The Best Real Food Allergy Friendly Lunches {Portable & Easy} Read More »
We feed our kids all day long in this country. And then we wonder why child obesity is becoming a problem, why picky eaters are increasingly common, and why behavior issues are ramping up in our schools and homes. As I mentioned in this kid-friendly soup recipe, in France, children get one snack a day,
This post is from KS contributing writer Mary Voogt of Just Take A Bite. Warning. You may want to cover your ears. I’m going to use the dreaded L word – LUNCHES. There. I said it. As much as I don’t like to think about it, before we know it we’ll be packing school lunches again.
There will be some who will say that I’m trying to ruin birthdays, that I’m an out-of-season Grinch, my heart clearly two sizes too small (likely from lack of sugar and white flour, they’ll snidely surmise). There will be plenty who will point fingers at me and inquire why I think I should have the
As a former elementary school teacher, anything having to do with kids and healthy food grabs my interest and I get pretty passionate about it. Over the past few years, more and more schools are moving to a “no homemade” rule for community snacks, birthday treats, and parties. The reason isn’t to support the food
Healthy School Treat Ideas when You’re Not Allowed to Make “Homemade” Read More »
