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Archive for October, 2009

Beyond the Brown Bag
Monday, October 26th, 2009

ModZebraRedDepending on your age, you might be familiar with the saying “brown baggin’ it.” Might not. Regardless, it’s a good bet you’re not bringing your lunch to work or school in a brown paper bag, as was the custom when that saying was coined. There are a lot of great options out there for bringing your lunch, so we thought we’d write a bit about some that might fit with your personality.

For Stylin’ Women and Girls

We found Haute Lunch recently, and really love the chic style of their lunch totes. These lunch totes are designed in the U.S.A., and they also give back: on their web site, Haute Lunch say they’re proud to support Commit 2B Fit, a not-for-profit working to combat childhood obesity and promote overall wellness. Haute Lunch has a really nice collection online, and at the time of this writing you can get their Modern Zebra collection (pictured at right, with included charm below) through their web site or from a retailer listed on their “Find Us” page. Check them out! (more…)

Tags: bag, lunchbox, tote, wine
Posted in Lunch Gear | No Comments »

Freezing Sandwiches
Thursday, October 22nd, 2009
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It takes only minutes each morning to whip up a sandwich, yet when you add the lunch packing job to everything else you have to do each morning, sometimes it just feels easier to buy lunch!

While you can freeze sandwiches for up to two months, we find it’s manageable to freeze one week’s worth of sandwiches at a time. In the morning, it’s “grab and go!”

Keep these quick tips in mind.

  • If you like mayo on your sandwich, we found that Miracle Whip freezes better.  It doesn’t get grainy when it thaws like mayonnaise can.
  • Never freeze lettuce, pickles, tomatoes or other veggie toppings. Pack them separately just like you would for a freshly-made sandwich.
  • Freezing works best for basic lunch meat and cheese sandwiches, or things like tuna salad or ham salad.
  • Yes you can freeze peanut butter and jelly!
    You need not shop in the freezer section of your grocery store for fresh tasting pre-made PB & J; it is so easy to freeze them at home.  The tip: spread BOTH sides of the bread with peanut butter, and put the jelly in the middle.

Benefits (and downsides) to freezing

  • It is great for using up leftovers, and to add variety!  If you buy several different things and want to enjoy them spaced out over a week or 2, you can freeze 3 or 4 varieties of sandwiches and then just pull out what you are in the mood for each day.
  • (more…)

Tags: freeze, sandwiches
Posted in Techniques | No Comments »

Help! Which bread is best?
Tuesday, October 20th, 2009

Wegmans Lite Hamburger BunsYou’ll see a dizzying array of bread choices at your local grocery store. Some claim of having “double fiber”, while others masquerade as healthy and sprinkle nutritional claims all over their packaging. How does one choose from all the options? A couple of things we keep in mind while shopping for our family…

  • Price matters, but so does nutrition.
    Bread freezes well and sale items rotate frequently. When you find a bread filled with fiber on sale, stock up and freeze it.
  • So what’s the fiber threshold?
    Look for at least 2 grams of fiber per slice, preferably 3 or 4.  Younger children only need 1/2 sandwich, so if you settle for a bread with 2 grams of fiber, your son or daughter could end up with only 1 gram at lunch. *To find the current minimum recommended fiber intake for kids, add 5 grams to their age. So, a 4 year old will need at least 9 grams while his 9 year-old sister should aim for 14 grams or more. For adults, aim for 20-25 grams of fiber.  A quick rule of thumb is 1 gram of fiber per 100 calories consumed.
  • (more…)

Tags: bread, fiber, hfcs
Posted in Nutrition | No Comments »

Help me understand the new Food Pyramid
Monday, October 5th, 2009
USDA Food Pyramid

USDA MyPyramid (2005)

The USDA food pyramid was originally published in 1992 to help guide people in selecting a variety of food in their diets. Updated approximately every 5 years, the current MyPyramid guideline was published 2005. It’s still a pyramid, but has some new features worth explaining. In short, here are the main daily components of the pyramid, pictured at right. (more…)

Tags: pyramid, rda, usda
Posted in Dietary Guidelines, Education, Nutrition | No Comments »

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