Green Options

We are big on green smoothies in our house. We usually make them once or twice a day at least and I load them full of healthy, leafy greens and veggies. So even if my kids don’t want to finish the veggies on their plate at dinner I do not worry because they already have two to three servings in their bodies already thanks to green smoothies.

But since we are trying to get away from eating meat for environmental and health reasons, I find the need to get even more protein rich greens into their diet every day. With summer around the corner it seemed a no brainer to accomplish this with delicious warm weather treats. Our green smoothies become green Popsicles in just a few hours!

Oh, the joys and delights of that perfect food… pizza.  Just looking at this picture is making me drool, how about you?

Takeout pizza always seems to taste better than homemade, doesn’t it?  It’s partly because of their specialty pizza ovens, but it’s mostly the excessive amounts of grease and salt.  Frozen pizzas are often full of MSG and artificial flavours.  Not to mention the potential risk of PFC’s in the boxes!

For those of us trying to save a little money, and keep our families healthy, here are a few tips on making your homemade pizzas super-yummy.

My kids and I are crazy about green smoothies. We make them a couple times daily usually. Never before has it been so easy to get my kids to eat plenty of those all important leafy greens! Just check out my daughter’s green smoothie moustache (left).

You may be wondering what a green smoothie is exactly. Or maybe not, they seem to be getting really popular in healthier living circles everywhere lately. A green smoothie does not refer to being “green” in the eco sense of the word. Although they can be that too. The green in a green smoothie refers to what is in the smoothie and usually the color as well. Quite simply, green smoothies are blended beverages that combine fresh or frozen fruit and leafy greens like Kale, collard, spinach, or wild edibles. Veggies like carrots may make a cameo appearance in green smoothies as well. The genius of a green smoothie is that they are jam packed with nutritional goodness, usually in its raw life living form, and they taste absolutely fantastic! When was the last time your kids begged you for fresh spinach? Well, mine ask me daily for some.

When the weather turns cold, I want soup; however, my children are not big soup fans. There is one recipe they always eat heartily, and it resembles chicken soup. This recipe is very easy to follow and adapt to whatever vegetables you have on hand. My personal favorites to add to the pot are kale, peas, and carrots. This simple, vegan kid-friendly soup is also a great way to use up leftover rice, and it is quick to make. Of course, organic ingredients are a must!

Simple, Vegan Kid-Friendly Soup:

Saute 1 onion in 3 Tablespoons of oil (you can use butter for added flavor if you aren’t vegan). Add to the cooked onion:

• 5 cups water
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. celery seed
• 1/4 cup dried TVP
• 1 tsp. soy sauce (I prefer Bragg’s Liquid Aminos)
• Vegetables of your choice (kale, carrots, and peas)

When I was young, I was a very picky eater. There were three foods I would fight my parents about tooth and nail: tuna noodle casserole, bratwurst and sauerkraut, and canned green beans. I hated green beans: their dullish grey/green color, their smell, the way a little green bean juice squirted into your mouth when you bit into them. I swore green beans and I would be lifelong foes.

Until, as an adult, I tried fresh green beans, which I liked, and the following green beans recipes, which I love. Their french-fry-like salty sweet goodness is irresistable as a finger food or snack, and they’re so simple, your kid can make them (except that oven part) . Try making them with garlic-infused olive oil for an extra treat.