Happy almost-Thanksgiving, Mom’s Best Naturals fans! We love creative ways to use our favorite cereals, and are planning to make a big batch of this delicious sweet potato bake for a tasty Turkey Day side dish. This recipe is modified from a 2010 State Fair Recipe Contest winner, Susan Nekich of Milwaukee Wisconsin.
Toasted Cinnamon Squares® Sweet Potato Bake
First, make some Toasted Cinnamon Squares “Granola”:
2 cups coarsely crumbled Mom’s Best Naturals Toasted Cinnamon Squares cereal
1/2 cups melted butter
1/2 cups chopped pecans
1/2 cups shredded coconut
Then, assemble the Sweet Potato Bake:
4 sweet potatoes
2 ripe bananas, skins on
1/4 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup butter, divided
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups Malt-O-Meal Toasted Cinnamon Squares® cereal
1 small can crushed pineapple with juice
Combine all “granola” ingredients. Spread on parchment lined baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes until crispy; set aside. Pierce sweet potatoes with fork and bake at 350 degrees until tender (about 45 minutes to one hour, depending on your oven). Roast bananas with the skins on for the last 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel the potatoes and bananas. Mash (or puree) to desired consistency. Add syrup and 1/2 cup butter to mixture. Add cinnamon, pie spice and salt. Spread half of mixture into a casserole dish sprayed with cooking oil. Sprinkle half of granola mixture over potatoes. Spoon rest of sweet potato mixture over granola. Top with remaining granola mixture, and serve!
It’s certainly not getting easier to sit around the table with your family and a wholesome dinner. If you’re a working mom, you probably drive straight from work to pick your kids up from practice or another after-school activity. Grabbing a few burgers on the way home or eating sandwiches in front of the TV can be an inviting option when you’ve such had a long day. And, it’s hard to make kids themselves sit still for 30 minutes to share a little time around the dinner table. There are benefits to making the effort to have a family meal, however. Even if you can’t do it every night, consider making it a tradition two to three times a week.
Being Here Now: Sitting down to eat is a form of thoughtful meditation. It’s a time to relax and reflect on the day, in a conscious manner. Try it sometime—eating while standing in front of the fridge or while watching TV just isn’t the same. Sitting around a table lets everyone in your family have a little chill out time from work, from homework, from cell phones and other technology. It’s a type of relaxation that we don’t get enough of these days.
Create Stability: For kids, stability is created by events they can anticipate, that happen again and again. Making family dinner a usual occurrence in your household is one easy way to provide this stability, and to give your kids a sense of control in their lives. Several scientific studies have found a significant positive correlation between a family’s eating habits and the amount of conflict they experience. Families with healthy, stable eating habits had less turbulent relationships than those who ate junk in front of the TV.
My own family, while growing up, was not without problems. My older brother decided to drop out of high school and fought with my dad constantly. Through it all, we still had family dinner (although my brother didn’t always attend). As a younger kid, this stability helped me understand that we were going to get through the difficult period and that things were going to be okay.
Make Time to Talk: Especially as your kids move into their teen years, actually talking to them about anything of note can become difficult. They clam up, and respond to any questions with a head nod or a mumbling “uh huh.” Eating around a table naturally encourages talking; it’s a low-stress environment for sharing and communicating with one another. It’s a great opportunity to sneak meaningful discussions into your time with your preteen or teen, without them even noticing.
Eat Better: With nearly three quarters of the U.S. population overweight or obese, many people are doing all they can to stay healthy. Eating meals around a table is a simple step you can take for you and your family, to ensure that everyone eats better. Why? The more conscious you are of eating, the likelier you are to only eat the amount of food you actually need. Unlike eating in front of the TV, you won’t be shoveling food into your mouth without even noticing it.
And, meals served around a table are likelier themselves to be healthier. When is the last time you served a butter-laden bowl of instant mac and cheese for a family meal around the table? You’re more likely to put together a balanced dinner when it’s served in a bit more formal setting. So what’s the bottom line about family dinners? They help you relax, reconnect, eat, and feel better. They take a little more energy, but will certainly pay off over time for you and your family.
Although every parent wishes they could have a delicious, homemade meal waiting for their kids when they wake up or ready for dinner each evening, the reality is that most of us don’t have the time to squeeze in an hour of meal creation amidst all the other activities going on!
But, says dietitian Elizabeth Ward, that doesn’t mean that your kids can’t still enjoy healthy meals throughout the day. She suggests incorporating some simple staple foods for snacks and meals, such as fruit cups and salads, to ensure that your family is eating well even when pressed for time.
Check out the video below for more of Elizabeth’s tips on solving the convenience conundrum with healthy, quick meal ideas!
I won’t be making any New Year’s resolutions for 2011.
It’s not that I don’t need improvement: I could be more patient with my three children, organize my office so that I can actually find things without wasting time, and eat fewer sweets after dinner, and so on.
Like nearly 50% of Americans who pledge to make drastic lifestyle changes -including giving up all their favorite foods and going to the gym every day - I was once tempted to make unreasonable demands on myself with each new year.
One year, I resolved to stop resolving.
I still try to change for the better, however. Instead of making New Year’s resolutions, I look at every day as a clean slate.
I struggle with eating healthy and getting the exercise I need during the holidays, but I’ve found that doing my best to eat right and work out (in any way that I can) from Thanksgiving to December 31 is easier than resolving to do everything right, at all times, starting on January 1.
You can improve your lifestyle this minute in ways that could keep you from setting goals for 2011 that are too extreme to keep. Start working on eating better and moving around more during December, and you’ll feel better when all the seasonal eating madness ends. Here’s how:
Set reasonable goals
Don’t try for weight loss during the holiday season, but do strive for weight control by curbing calories whenever possible. Your exercise routine may suffer because you’re busy, but don’t be too hard on yourself. Try to move as much as possible. For example, purchase a pedometer and strive for 10,000 steps a day when you can’t make it to your pilates or spinning class.
Be mindful of your eating
Certain cues in the environment can prompt you to eat more, even when you’re not hungry. Keep portions (and calories) under control by using smaller plates, bowls, and glasses; you may save hundreds of calories a day and you’ll feel more satisfied.
Focus on what to include, not exclude
Don’t think about what you’re giving up for weight control this month, and beyond. Think about what healthy foods to include to help you feel your best.
Most adults need a total of five servings of fruits and vegetables every day, and at least three servings of whole grains, such as Mom’s Best Naturals Raisin Bran and Quick Oats. Focus on eating the nutrient-rich foods you need first before reaching for cookies and chips. Nutrient-rich foods in their most natural state, like a baked potato, tend to be lower in calories and higher in nutrients than processed foods, such as french fries.
Allow for structured cheating
Keep healthy eating on track by planning to “cheat.” You must make room for favorite foods, especially during the holidays. Why? Because feeling deprived will kill your resolve to eat better. Go ahead, include small portions of your all-time favorites, such as mashed potatoes with gravy, egg nog, and chocolate chip cookies, and improve your chances of eating a balanced diet for the rest of the year.
The chilly winter months leave many people craving warm, tasty comfort foods — but all those filling dishes can also pack on a few extra pounds. Check out Liz Ward’s tips for avoiding winter weight gain with suggestions for healthier comfort food alternatives.
We love giving back to our community. This month, we’re jumping into the fight against hunger and enlisting the help of our loyal fans to make an even bigger impact. For every new “like” on our Facebook page in the month of November, we’ll donate a serving of cereal to Second Harvest in honor of National Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week, Nov. 14-20.
It’s really that simple – just a few second of your time and the click of a mouse, and we’ll send cereal to those who need it most. This week, we’re demonstrating our commitment by doubling our donation. For every new fan, comment, or like on our Facebook page, we’ll donate double servings of cereal.
So this holiday season, join us in giving back by visiting our Facebook page and feedingthose in need.
Chances are, you know someone with diabetes. Nearly 24 million children and adults in the U.S. have the condition, and millions more people have diabetes and don’t know it.
November is American Diabetes Month. It’s a good time to acquaint yourself with diabetes, and how, with a healthy lifestyle and balanced diet, you can manage or prevent it.
The different types of diabetes
About 5-10% of people with diabetes have type 1, which is usually diagnosed in children and young adults. In type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin, a hormone necessary for ferrying glucose, the energy needed to survive and thrive, into your cells.
Most people who’ve been diagnosed with diabetes have type 2. In type 2 diabetes, the body may not produce enough insulin, or the cells can’t use the insulin the body produces. In many cases, type 2 diabetes is manageable with diet and exercise, and perhaps, pills that help control blood glucose levels.
Type 2 diabetes is no less serious than the type 1 variety. When glucose builds up in the blood instead of going into your cells, it causes problems, now and in the future. Cells become starved for energy. And, in the long run, you can do damage to your eyes, kidney, nerves, or heart.
More and more American children are developing type 2 diabetes. Children and adolescents diagnosed with the condition are typically between the ages of 10 and 19 and have a strong family history of type 2 diabetes. Experts say obesity and low levels of physical activity in young people are contributing to the rising rate of type 2 diabetes in our kids.
How can you prevent diabetes?
Experts are not sure what causes type 1 diabetes, so there’s little information about preventing it. However, healthy lifestyle habits and a balanced diet go a long way to keeping blood glucose levels on an even keel and heading off potential complications from type 1diabetes.
Preventing type 2 diabetes is a different story. You can help to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes in yourself and your family by living a healthy life. Here’s how:
• Practice girth control: Extra pounds raise your risk for type 2 diabetes. If you have prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, losing weight may reverse excessive blood glucose levels in the blood.
• Avoid sugary drinks: A recent study from Harvard researchers published in the November 2010 issue of Diabetes Care found that drinking a single 12-ounce serving of a sugary beverage, such as a soda or juice drink, a day increased the risk of type 2 diabetes by about 15%. What’s the connection? Higher soda consumption is linked to an unhealthy weight, which is related to a greater risk for type 2 diabetes. Drink water and low-fat milk instead of soda and juice-like drinks, and serve healthier beverages to your children, too.
• Reach for grains more often: In a study of more than 160,000 women whose health and dietary habits were followed for up to 18 years, those who ate an average of 2 to 3 servings of whole grains a day were 30% less likely to have developed type 2 diabetes than those who rarely ate whole grains. Start each day with a whole grain cereal, such as Mom’s Best Naturals Raisin Bran, Sweetened Wheatfuls, or Instant Oatmeal. Serve kids whole grain cereals for snacks, too.
• Stay active with your family: Physical activity lowers blood glucose levels, helping to keep them in a healthy range. Children need at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day, while adults require a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate activity.
• If you’re pregnant, manage your diabetes to the best of your ability. Thinking about having a child? Get a fasting blood glucose test to see if you have diabetes or are at risk for developing it. High levels of glucose in your blood before conception may translate into a greater chance for developing gestational diabetes during pregnancy. Getting blood glucose levels under better control before pregnancy reduces the chances of complications for mother and child later on.
To become involved in American Diabetes Month and the Stop Diabetes movement, visit www.stopdiabetes.com or call 800-DIABETES.
A few weeks ago, Elizabeth from A Nut in a Nutshell headed out to represent Mom’s Best at the 2010 Type A Mom Conference. Like BlogHer, Type A gives bloggers the chance to hone their skills and take part in interesting and thought-provoking seminars. Plus, they also have the opportunity to learn a little bit more about their favorite organizations. (Like Mom’s Best Naturals!)
Once again armed with her Mom’s Best Flip Cam, Elizabeth spent the weekend chatting with other bloggers about the annual conference, gathering insight on what they enjoyed most. Here are some of their responses:
My kids and I have always enjoyed making fun craft projects for the holidays and I am happy to share a few of our Halloween favorites with you!
Halloween Mural – Using tempera paint (and adding a little dishwasher detergent to it for easier cleanup later) let the kids paint a Halloween scene on your sliding glass doors for all to see and enjoy.
Halloween Body Tracing – Trace your child’s outline on a large sheet of butcher paper and then let them color it in and decorate it as a Halloween character. Maybe they’ll make themselves a scarecrow, a witch, or even a skeleton!
Halloween Placemats – Let the kids choose a placemat color in an 11×14-inch piece of construction paper. Then put an assortment of colored construction paper in the middle of the table along with glue and scissors. Let the kids use their own creativity as they cut out things to design and stick onto their placemat background. When their design is complete, use clear contact paper to laminate it for mealtime. (Try this for other holidays too!)
Halloween Art Book – Keep a stack of plain drawing paper along with markers, crayons, and colored pencils available in a little art center which the kids can use any time they feel inspired. Tell them that if they would like to draw any Halloween pictures, they can do so whenever they’d like. After a week or two, bind together all the pages into a book and the kids will have so much fun looking at all their Halloween drawings.
Mom’s Best Cinnamon Caramel Apples – Make caramel apples as you usually do, but when the caramel is still somewhat sticky, roll the apples in some crushed up Mom’s Best Naturals Toasted Cinnamon Squares cereal. The cinnamon, caramel, and apple sweetness combine to make a delicious fall treat!
The first rule of grocery shopping is don’t go when you’re hungry – everything looks better on an empty stomach, doesn’t it? According to dietitian Elizabeth Ward, there’s another important rule to follow when heading to the supermarket: plan your meals ahead of time and stick to your list to avoid making purchases that don’t fit into your usual budget.
Check out the video below for more of Elizabeth’s meal planning tips to ensure that you’re getting the most out of your foods – and your money!
