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Etouffee in honor of yesterday's Saints' victory. Not exactly typical. Not exactly health food. But it was a special occasion treat.
February 8, 2010
Jackson’s Lunch:
Okay, so this isn’t really a typical lunch menu. Yesterday was the Superbowl, and, seeing as we are New Orleans fans, we celebrated with New Orleans-inspired cuisine–gumbo and etouffee. We had leftovers, and Jackson liked the etouffee, so I sent it in his lunch in honor of the Saints and also because it was made and ready to go.
The etouffee was really, really good, but, I will admit, not exactly health food since it had a fair amount of butter in it. It was, however, made with whole ingredients and served with brown rice for a little fiber boost.
It took the Saints a long time to make it to the Superbowl, so we celebrated with a little decadence. And Jackson enjoyed every bite of his lunch (including all the veg and fruit).
Multigrain Cheerios are pretty sugary, but I can live with them being a treat since they contain fiber and whole grains.
February 5, 2010
I’m passionate about giving Jackson healthy food, and I avoid processed food as much as possible. I am not, however, a fanatic. If we go to a birthday party where hotdogs are served, he has a hotdog. If I stop at 7-Eleven for a newspaper, I will ocassionally buy him a mini-sized bag of Doritos. In other words, I’m a believer in moderation.
I also believe no one should feel deprived. Friends ask me how I plan to get Jackson to eat healthfully when I am no longer in charge of his meals. My answer is this: By teaching Jackson about healthy food now and why it’s important, I hope to instill in him a desire to eat healthfully throughout his life. Even now, with him being only five, it isn’t at all uncommon for he and I to have fairly meaningful conversations about the importance of fiber, the vitamins in fruits and veggies, or why too much sugar is not good…all said in way a five-year-old can understand and relate to.
When I was a child, my mom was part-owner of a health food store. We ate healthy food virtually all the time. She never allowed sugary cereal, junky snack foods, or soda in the house at all. When we were out, though, I was sometimes allowed to get what I considered a treat–a sweet snack cake, a small bag of chips, or maybe a can of soda. I never felt deprived, though that didn’t stop from begging for Fruit Loops when we were at a regular grocery store.
It’s the same with Jackson. I hate to always say no when he asks for items that aren’t the healthiest choice. I like to look at these situations as an opportunity for learning. We look at the nutrition label and list of ingredients together. If he notices an ingredient we typically avoid, he usually says something like, “That’s not good for me, is it?” In a case like this, it isn’t just me saying no. It’s him recognizing something unhealthy and knowing he should choose something else. It’s sort of like learning the difference between right and wrong and making the right choice, even if it’s a little difficult.
Teaching kids to make healthy choices is time consuming, difficult, and requires a lot of self-discipline on our part by setting good examples; however, I really hope it’ll pay off by Jackson making good choices for life. It worked for me. Thanks, Mom, for always making me eat right; it really did set me up for a lifetime of healthy eating.
And if Jackson goes the other way and completely rebels by eating Big Macs and french fries everyday, at least I’ll know I tried and he started off on the right foot. Hopefully, if it comes to that, he’ll be able to gain his footing before falling down completely.
February 3, 2010
The snow that fell over the weekend is finally melting off and the kids returned to school today after two uncharacteristic snowdays. Now it’s time to get back on track and get all of our schedules regular again.
First up was lunch. It’s still cold and snowy out, so I wanted to send a warm lunch for Jackson. He loves potstickers, so they seemed the perfect entree. I’ve made potstickers once before, and while they weren’t particularly difficult to make, they required a lot of bowls and pans, as well as a good amount of time. The end result was tasty; however, unlike the dishes that needed washing afterwards, the potstickers didn’t stick around for long at all.
What I’m trying to say is that I now buy pre-made, frozen potstickers in a bag. I’m not partial to any certain brand, but I read the labels obsessively.
In reality, I’m an obsessive label reader whenever it comes to buying prepackaged food. I like sticking to whole food for the most part, but the fact of the matter is most of us need a little help from time to time . My one rule is to read the label and allow the list of ingredients to guide my prepackaged purchases.
I look for items with short ingredients lists and ingredients I recognize. Ellie Krieger of the Food Network show Healthy Appetite has what she calls a “farm verses factory” test. Read the label and choose products with ingredients that can be found on a farm rather than made in a factory. Items I always avoid are partially hydrogenated oils and most anything that sounds like a chemical from science class. Typically, I stay away from highly processed or refined ingredients, as well.
So, yes, I buy and prepare some prepacked foods. But I do so after careful inspection of their labels. It takes a little time at the store, but the health of my family is worth it.
A tasty lunch. And I know because I ate it!
January 29, 2010
So this morning was one of those mornings when, even after my typically eye-opening cup of coffee, my head was still quite foggy. I’m not sure why. I had a decent night’s sleep (A good night’s sleep is something I haven’t had the pleasure of enjoying in years. Five years, actually. Jackson is five. You see the correlation.). I ate a nutritious breakfast. And, like I said, I had some caffeine. Nonetheless, I was having trouble staying focused.
I was pleased, though, that through the fog I was able to throw together a lunch for my son. I ran the menu past Jackson, and he was pleased, too. I drove Jackson to school (without getting lost) and even managed to get him and his lunch to his classroom.
After I dropped him off, I had some errands to run. My first stop was the grocery store. I parked the car, and, as I turned to reach for my purse, I saw it sitting there on the passenger seat nestled soundly beside my shopping bags. Jackson’s lunch bag!
After carrying his lunch into his classroom, I carried it right back out with me. Ugh! And being a good 20 minutes drive from his school at the grocery store, there was no way I was driving back. I kicked myself and cursed the fog that was clouding up my thinking.
When I picked Jackson up this afternoon, the first thing both he and his teacher asked me was if I had forgotten his lunch. No, I didn’t forget it. I just forgot to leave it for him. Oh well! Guess what I had for lunch today?
Appealing enough for Jackson to finish "every bite" even after a few days of amazing food in New Orleans.
January 26, 2010
It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything and for good (and oh-so-tasty) reason—we’ve just returned from a delicious few days in New Orleans.
New Orleans is a city drenched in decadence with delectable food at the forefront. We had the pleasure of living there for three years, and we just barely began to learn the culture of food for which the city is so well-known. When one thinks of New Orleans, gumbo, étouffée, red beans and rice, and jambalaya perhaps come to mind. But there’s so much more to experience in the Big Easy, culinarily speaking and otherwise.
Blackened Gulf shrimp was my very first meal in New Orleans when I arrived in my new home town a few months after Hurricane Katrina. I’ve always loved shrimp, but I had never really tasted shrimp in all its glory until I bit into that first charred morsel. It was sweet and tender with the perfect amount of brininess and fresher than you can ever imagine. I actually talked about it for days, and once we were settled into our NOLA home, shrimp became a dinner-time staple.
I learned to appreciate okra while living in Louisiana. My mom prepared fried okra when I was a kid, and I was less than thrilled to eat it then. But when both the temperature and humidity hover right below 100 and it only cools down to the mid-eighties at night, okra and weeds are about all that grow.
So, I grew to appreciate okra for its hardiness before I learned about its ability to thicken a pot of gumbo. The first time I made gumbo, the recipe said to cook the okra until all the “ropiness” disappeared. Ropiness? As I began cooking it, I realized “ropiness” was a less-disgusting term for stringy sliminess. But the thickening power of okra is undeniable, and I soon began to love the vegetable not only for its hardiness, but also for its thickening power and the way the seeds give a gumbo another layer of texture when they pop between your teeth—yum!
I have to say, though, that my most favorite thing to eat in New Orleans is the oysters. This is pretty remarkable since I wouldn’t touch them until about a year and a half ago. In fact, I despised their slimy bitterness with every fiber of my being. I can’t even tell you why I decided to eat one 18 months ago, but I’m so happy I did!
I first tried them charbroiled and to say they’re divine charbroiled is an understatement. It takes every ounce of willpower I have to not pick up the shells and lick them once the meat is gone. Once I discovered the ecstasy of charbroiled oysters, there was nothing that could stop me. I tried them breaded and fried, in oyster and artichoke soup, in stuffing, in a delectable seafood gumbo, on po’boys, and on salad, and I loved them every way I had them. My only regret is that I waited until a year before moving from New Orleans to try them. Now, we’re in Virginia, and believe me, the oysters here can’t hold a candle to sweet, creamy Gulf oysters.
So, what does all of this have to do with Jackson’s lunch? Well, while in New Orleans the last few days, we ate our way through the city and enjoyed every heavenly morsel. I believe I owe a great deal to New Orleans’ cuisine when it comes to all the foods Jackson eats and enjoys. Now we’re home, and I’m trying to convince Jackson that the food we eat at home is just as good as what we ate while in New Orleans (what I make is generally tasty, but it’s nowhere near New Orleans good—although I’m fairly certain our prepared-at-home meals are far healthier which is just as virtuous). I was pleased when I picked him up and today and he answered, “I ate every bite, and I LOVED that salad!” when I asked if he’d eaten his lunch.
A different take on Tuna Salad.
January 15, 2010
In our family, we love fish. Lately, however, there’s been trouble. Not with us liking it; as I said, we love it. The trouble is two-fold, though. I’ve been concerned about mercury contamination for some time, and more recently, I’ve fretted over sustainability.
While I was pregnant, I was told to limit my fish consumption to something like 4 oz. a week because of the fear of mercury contamination. But a few months into my pregnancy, the guidelines changed. Turned out, the benefits the fatty acids in some fish provided for a fetus’s brain development out-weighed the contamination fear, at least to some extent. It was still recommended that the consumption of some certain types of fish was still limited or off-limits completely, but now I could eat up to 12 oz. of salmon or tuna (or 6 oz. if it was albacore) weekly.
Once Jackson was born and began eating regular food, I discovered children, too, should stick within similar guidelines.
Still, eating fish regularly (two or more times a week) is recommended. So, my job became feeding my family “safe” fish twice weekly. No problem. We love fish, remember?
But about two years ago, I began reading more and more about some fish being over-fished. It seems our love for fish, our efficient ability to catch fish and our attempt to eat all that’s recommended have really put a strain on some fish populations. So what are good choices for people looking to eat the amount they should without eating too much of some?
I downloaded a pocket guide to use while shopping. It shows consumers what the best choices are when buying fish. It’s great, but I still fret. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve picked up a can of tuna at the grocery store and put it back on the shelf because I don’t know if the tuna was caught properly or is the “right” kind. It’s so confusing (and overwhelming for me – I don’t want to be even partially responsible for the endangerment of tuna fish let alone my family’s well-being!).
Enter the Fresh Tuna Salad I packed for Jackson today. I struggle with the canned tuna, so I defer to my pocket guide, buy the tuna steaks, and make a fresh salad. It’s quick and simple. Heat a grill pan. Brush some canola oil on the steaks. Season with salt and pepper and grill on high for only a minute or two on each side. Cut it into chunks and, once cool, make tuna salad (this one has avocado and a delicious wasabi-lime dressing — just cut back on the salt).
It’s a little harder than opening a can, but it tastes so much better, and I can sleep at night knowing my family has gotten a serving of healthy fish from a healthy fish population.
A picture's worth a thousand words.
January 13, 2010
When I first started this blog adventure, I did it for a couple of reasons. First off, I wanted to share my ideas and hear what you were doing as well. I also believed blogging about Jackson’s lunches daily would be motivating for me; if I were to write about what he took that day, I had to pack something.
Now that I’ve been doing it for several weeks, I’ve discovered an unexpected perk: The blog has become a kind of photographic food journal. When I’m stumped on what to pack, I look back to things I’ve already sent for inspiration. Once the food is packed and on its way to school with Jackson, I can look at the photo of the lunch and see it as a whole meal (many times when I’m packing a lunch I think in terms of protein, grains, veggies and fruit without really seeing the meal as a whole).
The photographs have been so much more than I ever thought they would be. I really believed they would simply be a quick view of the lunch for whomever was reading. But I’ve looked at them again and again for differents reasons.
Jackson came home a little early today, and he and I lounged on the couch. He had a book in his lap; I had my computer in mine. He was browsing through some pictures of T. Rex; I was browsing the pictures of his past lunches. When he saw what I was looking at, he asked, “Was that my lunch from yesterday?” and he was suddenly done with T. Rex.
So, together we started looking through and talking about all the lunches I have packed and posted. When we had gone through them all, I asked, “So what was your favorite lunch?”
“Hmm, let’s look at them again and then I’ll tell you,” he said. We started again from the beginning, and I was starting to see that he, too, was enjoying looking at the pictures and trying to remember each lunch and whether or not it was his favorite.
He had something to say for each day. Yesterday, he really liked the carrot and sandwich, but the banana was too smelly. The day before he loved the kiwi. Maybe the oatmeal was his favorite. “Mmmm, gumbo.” He loved the dipping the hamburger bites into the ketchup. “I forgot about the scrambled eggs; can you make that again sometime?”
Finally, I asked again what his favorite had been, and he happily replied, “They’re all my favorite!” It was music to my ears, and I have the pictures to thank for it. If the pictures hadn’t been there to visually remind him of what he’d eaten, I know he wouldn’t have remembered his lunches in such vivid detail.
The choices were slim in the fridge this morning, but lunch came together just fine.
January 12, 2010
A grocery shopping excursion is eminent. The fridge is looking pretty bare–no eggs, no lunch meat, nothing made ahead, no leftovers. When I opened the fridge this morning, a wave of worry hit me. What did we have for lunch? Not much. One English muffin, a few slices of Swiss cheese, some veggies, and only one container of Jackson’s favorite yogurt–this would be lunch!
Some of the best meals I’ve made have come from a little of this and a little of that during those times when the fridge is close to empty. I love using up veggies and cheese bits to make omelets or homemade pizza. Extra stock is a good excuse to make some kind of soup or something saucy. Leftovers have been known to reappear as something all together different (well, maybe not “all together different,” but different nonetheless). And really, really ripe fruit often gets used in muffins or quick jams.
Today was not one of those moments of inspiration, but Jackson’s lunch came together just fine. What meals have you been inspired to throw together when it seems there’s nothing but old baking soda in your fridge?
(Two things about Jackson’s lunch today. Notice the whole carrot stick. Jackson has recently begun watching Looney Tunes. Bugs Bunny must have inspired generations of children to eat carrots. I love it that Jackson comes into the kitchen and requests a carrot to eat! Plus, he only wants it whole, like Bugs’ carrot–peeled and rinsed with no chopping works for me. Hurray for Bugs Bunny!
Also, Jackson didn’t finish his lunch today. When I asked him why, he said it smelled funny. I smelled it, and it only smelled like bananas. “It just smells like bananas,” I said. “Yeah, don’t pack me bananas anymore,” was his response. So, I guess bananas are out now! Yesterday he loved them; today is a whole new ballgame.)
Chicken salad is a classic lunch item and a family favorite. This is one version we especially like.
January 11, 2010
Chicken salad is one of those things almost everyone seems to like. It’s simple. It’s versatile. What’s not to like? My family is no exception; we love it!
Curried Chicken Salad is a version we are particularly fond of. I use roasted chicken breast. Store-bought rotisserie chicken or canned chicken breast work, too (drain first if you use canned). Shred the chicken. Add plain yogurt to moisten. Sprinkle in a good amount of curry powder (for two large chicken breasts, I use about two tablespoons–we love curry, though). Mix in chopped cashews, a few chopped scallions, a small handful of raisins or dried cranberries and some cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.
It’s great on greens, which is how Jackson had it today. It’s also quite tasty on toast (we like it on rye) or by itself. It’s a nice alternative to classic chicken salad.
Comfort on a chilly day.
January 8, 2010
