Tag: healthy eating

Parenthood Uncensored: Real Confessions and Concessions – Infographic by UrbanSitter.com

Ever wonder if you’re the only parent who breaks from conventional thinking on a common parenting issue or speculate just how common today’s parenting practices really are? We surveyed families across the United States to get the inside scoop on popular parenting conundrums.

Wine while pregnant? 35 percent of moms surveyed said, “No way!” while the other 65 percent said they took sips or had a glass now and then.
Public or private school? Nearly 40 percent of parents surveyed prefer private schools, but only 1 in 3 of families surveyed can afford to send their children to private school.
The Real Housewives. One third of parents surveyed are stay-at-home parents. Of those, 80 percent stay at home by choice, 20 percent do so out of necessity.

Here are the true parenting confessions and concessions, uncensored:

Where do you stand on these and other hot parenting topics? Do you tow the line believing the experts know best or are you a bit of a trailblazer? UrbanSitter wants to know what you think!

Healthy Halloween Treats

Halloween usually means one thing to children — candy! Of course it also means costumes, trick-or-treating and spooky fun. But candy ranks up there as most kids’ favorite treat when October rolls around. Here are a few healthy indulgences that most little ones will enjoy — mummy and daddy, too.

1. Pumpkin bread. Mmmmm…baking a loaf of pumpkin bread makes your whole house smell like Fall. The cinnamon and cloves, the canned pumpkin — which is super high in Vitamins A and C, as well as beta carotenes — come together in a delectable way. Most supermarkets sell an easy mix, or if you’re inspired, make it from scratch. Throw in some chocolate chips to seriously up the yum factor.

2. Oranges with a celery stem. Easy as (pumpkin) pie. Peel oranges (or clementines) and stick a celery stalk on top. Voila! Mini pumpkins with an edible stem.

3. Pumpkin seeds. Roasting pumpkin seeds is a classic tradition for many families. Kids can help scoop out the mucky insides of a pumpkin and spread onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Add a little olive oil, toss with salt and bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees. Crunchy and filled with vitamins to boot, these little guys are sure to be gobbled up quickly. Change up your recipe by adding cinnamon sugar or garlic salt for a different taste altogether.

4. Hard boiled ghost eggs. These make a perfect breakfast for little ghouls and boys. Just boil a few eggs, let them cool, then make a jagged cut across and bottom and add eyes and mouth with black food coloring. Frightfully easy!

5. Spider web pizza. This one is a great take on a popular kid-friendly dinner. Take standard pizza crust, add tomato sauce, and then thinly peeled string cheese in the shape of a web. Other toppings can be added, too. Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes and dig in.

Whatever you choose to indulge in this Halloween, do it with gusto! Your little monsters are sure to enjoy the process as well as the result.

Search for babysitter and nannies online at UrbanSitter.com.

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How to Start Cooking with Your Kids

cooking_with_kids — flickr/D Sharon Pruitt

Little kids are known for their insistent plea, “I’m big enough to do it!” especially when it comes to helping out in the kitchen. While it’s often easier and just plain quicker to do it yourself, experts say kids benefit in many ways from helping to prepare food at an early age.

Why should I teach my child to cook?

Kids who help in the kitchen are more open to trying new foods
Have a greater appreciation for whole, fresh ingredients
Learn how to understand and follow a recipe
Enjoy the pride of contributing or creating something of their own
Build life-long healthy eating habits

If you’re sold on the idea of getting your kids to help in the kitchen, but not sure how to begin, read on for suggestions from the experts. You may find these are helpful guidelines for age-appropriate kitchen tasks:

Beginning Kitchen Tasks for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Tearing lettuce
Washing fruits and vegetables
Adding pre-measured wet and dry ingredients
Stirring ingredients
Inserting cupcake or muffin liners
Sprinkling cheese
Adding sprinkles
Frosting a muffin or cake
Flouring a pan

Kitchen Tasks for Bigger Kids

* In addition to the tasks for younger kids, and under adult supervision, especially when it comes to using sharp objects or hot stoves.

Measuring wet and dry ingredients
Scooping batter onto a waffle iron or dough onto baking sheets for cookies
Stirring over low heat
Cutting soft fruits and vegetables with supervision
Cracking eggs

Ready to Tackle a Recipe?

Keep these easy, starter ideas and recipes up your sleeve so you can respond to your child with a surprising and delightful, “I have just the thing for us to make!”

Super Simple Recipes for Wee Little Ones:

Smoothie – There’s no shortage of smoothie recipes out there and for good reason. Smoothies are the perfect recipes to tackle with a little helper. We love this Strawberry Peach recipe because it tastes great as is, and can be easily tweaked by adding more protein or other fruits and even some greens.

Strawberry Peach Smoothie via Weelicious

Cookie Cutter Fruit – When you need to really keep it simple, here ya go. Place sliced fruit on a baking sheet or cutting board and let kids use cookie cutters to create fun shapes that double as healthy snacks.

cookie-cutter-watermelon — cookie cutter watermelon via Kids Stuff World

Chocolate Dipped Frozen Fruit Pops – Slice fruit, such as kiwi and banana, insert sticks and freeze flat on a baking sheet. Once frozen, you and the kids can dip it into chocolate and various toppings to create this yummy summer treat.

Suitable Recipes For Bigger Kids:

Easy Homemade Bread – No need to wait around for yeast to rise with this no yeast, no oil bread made with whole wheat flour. It’s the perfect recipe for learning to bake.

bread_recipe — bread recipe via love food eat

Mini Apple Turnovers – Unroll crescent roll dough, brush with melted butter, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, fill with apple slices and bake. Yum!

Pad Thai – Yes, it’s a bit more ambitious than the other recipes, but it’s totally doable for kids to create with you (or a sitter) as the lead. And you’ll have dinner covered! Think how proud your kids will be!

Check out UrbanSitter’s Cooking with Kids Pinterest board for more inspiration, recipes and tips for getting your kids helping in the kitchen.

cooking with kids family health healthy eating healthy kid recipes

Simple Family Dinners for Busy Nights

If your house is anything like ours, the days start to get even more jam-packed as the weather starts to warm up.

To help you spend as little, precious Spring-time in the kitchen and yet still manage to fill your family’s bellies with good food, we’ve compiled a list:

10 super simple, kid-friendly dinners sure to please everyone (we’ve even included a new meal for the baby!):

White Bean Stew with Bacon and Vegetables – There are plenty of chilly Spring days, and when it’s cold outside, there’s nothing better than a warm bowl of goodness to end the day. Put a pot of this creamy stew on and head outside to play with the kids while it cooks. It’s a mild stew, like a warm blanket on a cold day, and perfect for dipping crusty, hearty bread.
Creamy White Bean Stew from The Cozy Apron
Black Bean Nacho Pizza – Turning anything into pizza is a sure-fire way to get your kids to chow down. You can make this simple and quick by using a store-bought pizza crust or dough (pick up a ball of whole wheat dough from Trader Joe’s).
One-Pot Pasta Dinner – Leave it to Martha to show us how to a delicious meal without breaking a sweat. Follow her formula for making the most of your pot and your time, such as cooking eggs or vegetables in the water with the pasta, and making a quick sauce while the pasta drains.
Quick and Easy Pork Fried Rice – So much better than take-out, but just as quick. You can leave out the pork if you prefer to go vegetarian, and even amp it up with more veggies.
Parmesan Chicken Cutlets – Oh how we drool for chicken cutlets, plain and simple or fancied up. This recipe creates a nice crispy crust on an all-time favorite. If you must, cut the cutlets into small chunks, and voila, you have nuggets.
Mini Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Tomato Soup – Turn grilled cheese sammies into hearts (a cookie cutter, of course) and you get big points with your kids. Add a bowl of creamy tomato soup (Whole Foods has a tasty one in a carton) for dunking, and you’ve got a respectable meal on the table in minutes.
Braised Pulled Pork with Apple Cabbage Slaw – Sounds too complicated to be called quick and easy, right? Throw it in a slow cooker after you drop the kids at school, and sometime during the day whip up the crunchy veggie slaw.
Chicken Pot Pie Cupcakes by Quick Dish Tablespoon

Chicken Pot Pie Cupcakes – Imagine the look on your kids’ little faces when you announce that you’re having cupcakes for dinner. Whoever invented the muffin tin is a genius. This is an awesome meal for several reasons – it’s made with short-cut ingredients, it’s good to make-ahead and if need be, it’s mobile. A yummy meal-on-the-go.
Quick Fish Tacos – Known to convert even the pickiest, non-fish eaters, these tacos remind ya that summer is on the way.
Southwestern Pasta Salad – Good for toddlers and big kids, too. No need to heat this well-balanced meal.

And, we haven’t forgotten about the littlest member of your family. Give’em a taste of something completely new. Sweet Potato Carrot Soup with Cheddar makes the most of fresh, early Spring vegetables, and is so delicious, you’ll want to make enough for the whole family family.

Bon Appétit!

Did you know some babysitters will cook dinner for the kids? Log in to UrbanSitter and look for “Cooking” listed under the “Other Services” section of a babysitter’s profile.

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Your Turn for Snack Duty!

Add up all the school classrooms and sport’s teams your children participate in and you’ll see that it’s likely you’ll be handed snack duty more than a few times.

Bringing a snack for the class or the team to enjoy at half-time is a chance to help out the teacher or coach, and to provide kids with a tasty pick-me-up.

Before you choose a snack to share, there are a few things to keep in mind:

Homemade is great for avoiding preservatives and other ingredients we either can’t pronounce or would rather not see our children consume, but your child’s school or team may have a policy against bringing homemade snacks. Some require snacks be store bought and pre-packaged. Make sure you check the rules.

If you’re bringing a half-time game snack, keep in mind your biggest objective is to keep the players hydrated and fueled. Water is key, as is avoiding overly sugary, salty or fatty foods.

Parents of kids with allergies often send a separate snack for their kids, but it’s nice to be considerate and not leave anyone out when choosing a group snack. Play it safe and ask parents if anyone has an allergy you should be aware of and check labels to accommodate them.

Younger siblings often attend their big brother or sister’s game, and love to join in on the snack. It’s nice to bring extras. Their parents will greatly appreciate not having to keep little ones away from the tasty temptations.

Keep it simple. Snacks are often eaten standing up and at lighting speed. Nothing fussy.

So what do you bring? Here’s a helpful round up of tasty, healthy food to feed a crowd:

Save your wallet and the planet by foregoing juice boxes and bottles of water. Instead, bring a large jug of water or a healthy sports drink made from a mix, and don’t forget a stack of reusable cups.
Fresh fruit. Go beyond orange slices (although they are popular for a reason!). Think apples, Cuties, grapes and bananas, or make it fun by serving frozen fruit cubes or melon balls on skewers.
Yogurt sticks. Choose the ones without high fructose corn syrup and other nasty stuff, and freeze them to turn them into satisfying popsicles.
Air-popped popcorn served in brown paper bags.
String cheese sticks.
Individual serving bags of pretzels, Pirate Booty or Apple Chips.
Mini boxes or raisins or craisins.
Fruit leathers or twists made with 100 percent fruit.
Unsweetened applesauce in the pouches.
Jello cups.
Mini cinnamon raisin or whole-grain bagels.
Popsicles – packed in a well-insulated cooler.
Healthy granola bars or other kid-sized energy bars.

Need a little extra help with snack duty? Hire a sitter to help at UrbanSitter.com.

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12 Ways to Avoid the Summer Junk Food Trap

Summer gives us a chance as parents to loosen up, take a break from routines and schedules, and live a little more spontaneously with our kids. But, according to a study recently released from the University of Texas, the lack of routine, decrease in activities, and disruptions in the way we eat during the summer are to blame for our kids gaining weight 2-3 times faster than they do during the school year.

There are simple ways to keep your family’s health and nutrition on track and still enjoy the carefree spirit of summer living:

1. Keep a consistent meal schedule, much like you do during the school year. Kids should eat three square meals with two snacks in between, and they should know that mindless eating throughout the day isn’t smart.

2. Rather than giving into the ease of convenience snacks that are often processed and loaded with sugar, transform ordinary foods into special summery treats by freezing them. Try frozen grapes, cups or sticks of yogurt, homemade juice pops, and fruit smoothies.

3. Prepare and keep meals in the fridge for the sitter to feed your kids or for you to pull out instead of hitting the fast food drive-through on your way home from the pool. Having simple meals ready to go means you won’t have to cut a fun day short so you can rush home to make dinner.

4. Teach your kids about balance. It’s okay to have an ice cream sundae, as long as it’s balanced with healthier choices and plenty of exercise.

5. Limit sedentary activities like TV and electronics, and get everyone active with activities that take advantage of summertime weather. Get outside to ride bikes, go swimming, and for the little ones take the ride-ons and push toys for a spin.

6. Together, search your own kitchen for foods to make an easy, healthy picnic to take on a day-trip or eat in your own backyard. You can build a meal without turning on the stove or pushing buttons on the microwave.

7. Give everyone in your family a personalized water bottle to stay hydrated and stay away from the sugary juices, sodas and energy drinks. Research shows that even very active kids never need sports or energy drinks.

8. Sign your kids up for mini sports camps to stay active and have fun.

9. Get your kids involved with good food. Take them on a trip to the farmer’s market and use the outing as an opportunity to talk about healthy choices. Show them the beautiful array of local produce and let them choose some to try at home.

10. Start a garden – even a small container garden for the patio or windowsill – to get kids involved with growing and caring for fruits and vegetables.

11. Research proves kids are more likely to eat foods they help select and prepare. Let your kids help make a grocery list, find items in the store, and help prepare a meal by cleaning, prepping and cooking with you. Make the tasks age-appropriate so they don’t get injured or overwhelmed.

12. Find indoor activities to keep your family active when it’s too hot to head outside. Living room dance parties work just as well as indoor inflatable play centers, and are even more fun if friends are invited to join in on the fun!

Search & find sitters who will help cook healthy and nutritious meals for your children on UrbanSitter.

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Summer Recipes for Kids

With summer just around the corner, kids will be pining for something new and different. Why not introduce them to the kitchen? Here are a few simple recipes that you or a trusted babysitter can tackle–just set up the ingredients before you leave the house!

Do-It-Yourself Pizza

This is a huge hit in my house. Buy the small Boboli pizza crusts, or if you’re really ambitious, roll and toss your own with pre-made dough at Trader Joe’s or your local pizza parlor, some tomato sauce (you can even use whatever pasta sauce you have on hand), and toppings galore. Some of our favorites include pepperoni, olives, broccoli, artichoke hearts, and bell peppers.

Line your table or counter with newspaper or use a plastic table cloth, and let the kids start by spreading the sauce with a spoon. Layer on the cheese and toppings and don’t stop them from making a mess–that’s part of the fun. A grown up should handle the oven part, but you’re sure to see plenty of smiles when the pizzas are done. Kids love to eat what they’ve created!

Lemonade

Whether you want to actually put up a stand is debatable, but making and tasting the lemonade is always fun. Depending on the number of children, you’ll need anywhere from four to 16 lemons. You can figure four per child. You’ll also need cold water, sugar, and a pitcher.

If you have a citrus squeezer, it’s much easier. Kids can do the squeezing on their own, though toddlers might need a little help. Once you’ve got an ample amount of juice in the pitcher, add some cold water and then start with spoonfuls of sugar. Have the kids taste the lemonade after each sugar addition. Note how much sugar it takes to make it palatable. (This could serve as a good lesson on the perils of juice in general.) Once it’s satisfactory, give everyone a cup full of ice, and enjoy the fruits of your labor! Lovely on a hot summer day.

Oatmeal Pancakes

More fun than ordinary pancakes–and healthier, too! Kids will love the pouring and mixing, and if you make enough to freeze, you’ll have a healthy breakfast on hand for those busy weekday mornings.

You’ll need:
1/3 cup quick oats
1/3 cup egg white
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
optional: 1/2 mashed bananas or 1/3 cup pumpkin puree

Directions:
1.Combine all ingredients and mix well.
2. Pour by 1/4 cupfuls into a skillet coated with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Flip after first side is firm.
4. Remove from skillet when ready, and experiment with toppings like nut butters, yogurt, cottage cheese, maple syrup, fruit.

Try UrbanSitter when you need a summer break! Connect with babysitters through people you know–and maybe even put your feet up for a while.

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