Hey Friends!

“Eat the Rainbow”!

My family loves a good snack board! Especially one that offers both nutritionally dense foods (hello fruit) with a hint of sweetness. If you have followed along with my blog for long you know that my nutrition philosophy is really about balance! The board is primarily made of fruit and popcorn with a few M&M’s throw in along the way.

What equipment do you need to make this board?

• A medium-sized tray or platter – I used a large ceramic platter/plate
• Small dishes – I used a variety of shapes and sizes both ceramic and plastic. You could keep it simple and use circular dishes that are all the same size if you don’t happen to any shaped dishes in your cabinets.

What foods/candy do you need?

• Popcorn – I went with packaged pre-popped popcorn from TJ’s
• Red fruit – Strawberries, cherries, red apples
• Orange fruit – Oranges
• Yellow fruit – Bananas, gold kiwi
• Green fruit – pears, green apples, green grapes
• Blue(ash) fruit – blueberries
• Color coated candies – M&Ms

How to prepare board:

• Arrange smaller dishes on the board as desired in a diagonal shape
• Prepare any fruit – chop, peel, slice as needed (I added a few drops of lemon juice to the bananas and pears to avoid browning)
• Place fruit in desired dishes to form a rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue).
• Fill the remaining space of board with popcorn
• Sprinkle colored candies on top of popcorn – try to sprinkle near corresponding colored fruit
• This board could be made a few hours in advance, but its best enjoyed when served immediately.

How does this board offer a nutrition-packed snack for my family and friends?

Fruits and vegetables offer a variety of health benefits. Typically the color of a fruit or vegetable helps indicate the nutrients within the food, and thus the health benefits. Most fruits and vegetables of similar shades offer similar nutrition benefits. Therefore eating a variety of fruits and vegetables by “eating the rainbow” will help maximize your health benefits. Below is a chart to help guide you!

It should also be noted that both the popcorn and fruit sources offer high amounts of fiber. Fiber has many health benefits including improvement with bowel regularity, blood sugar control and enhanced satiety (thus hopefully decreasing portion sizes).

Enjoy this festive board!

The post Rainbow Fruit and Popcorn Snack Tray appeared first on 360 Family Nutrition.

Hi Friends!

I have been having so much fun creating snacks boards lately! You can really let your imagination go crazy when coming up with snack board ideas, which is what I did with this Family Friendly Valentines Snack Board! Although, I do have my 5-year-old to thank for the idea of arranging the crackers around the heart-shaped cheese.

This year I was pleasantly surprised by how many Valentine’s themed food and candy items I spotted at local grocery stores. I definitely saw lots of heart-shaped cookies, but I was most excited about the heart-shaped cheddar cheese I scored at Aldi. The one thing I couldn’t find in a grocery store (but did see online) are these heart-shaped crackers from Lavosh. These are absolutely adorable and would make a great addition to any cheese board.

Before I break down what I used to make the board above, I did want to share how I made the heart-shaped apple. I believe Meg, from Aint Too Proud To Meg invented the idea! Check out her tutorial here!

Ok, lets breakdown what’s on this board (and some similar items you could use)!

1. M&M’s Valentines edition
2. Cherry Shortbread cookies from Aldi
3. Yogurt covered raisins
4. Apple (instructions here)
5. Creme de Pirouline Cream Filled Wafers from Dollar Tree
6. Clancy’s White Chocolate heart-shaped pretzels from Aldi
7. Dark Chocolate Mini Heart cookies from Trader Joes
8. Market Pantry Heart Shapes gummy snacks from Target
9. Ritz crackers
10. Pita crackers from Trader Joes
11. Cheddar heart-shaped cheese from Aldi
12. Utz Valentines pretzel treat bags from Target
13. Strawberries and raspberries

Also make sure to check out this fun Back to School Snack Board!

Your Family’s Dietitian,

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Hi Friends!

Snack boards and trays are on fire right now! It seems like every day I am following a new account on Instagram that specializes in snack boards or cheese trays. Most of these accounts are amazingly creative!

I am a huge fan of snack boards because they offer another option (or tool) to present food to the kiddos. They are an easy way to offer a balanced snack option with a variety of food groups present. Often times, mixing up the presentation style can help excite kids about foods they weren’t previously excited about.

Snack boards also help promote the idea of division of responsibility. You (the parent) chose the what, when, and where of feeding. Your child determines the amount and whether they eat. Alleviating the pressure of eating can also help relax a child during mealtime, which may help establish the groundwork for a healthy relationship with food.

I especially love the idea of using mini- or regular sized muffin trays as a snack board option. Mini muffin trays are usually able to feed one to two kids at snack time, however, a 12-count standard muffin tray could serve as a snack for multiple children. Muffin snack trays are great because you can serve up a random variety of foods based on what you have in the fridge or pantry. For optimal balance, aim to include at least one food option from the following groups: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and dairy/protein.

In excitement for Valentine’s Day, I chose to include red and white-colored foods. Here are some red and white-colored food options I included:

Red-colored foods:

• Strawberries
• Tomatoes
• Heart-shaped gummies
• Could also include – watermelon, apples, beet chips, fruit roll-ups, pomegrante

White-colored foods:

• Popcorn
• White cheese
• Yogurt covered raisins
• Could also include – cheese puffs, cereal, cauliflower, banana

Your Family’s Dietitian,

Here is a fun breakfast board I created a few years ago (before boards were so hot).

The post Valentines Mini Muffin Snack Tray appeared first on 360 Family Nutrition.

Hi Friends!

Happy Back to School Season! Depending, on your location, your kiddos may have started school weeks ago (while some schools just start back last week). The crazy hot temperatures in Georgia make it hard to believe the kiddos are back to school. Nearly 100 degrees in September?! Fall please come!

Snack boards and platters have been blowing up my social media feeds lately! From gourmet cheese boards to super creative holiday-themed dessert platters, I have seen hundreds of different inspirations. I love seeing all the creative ways to serve up cheese, veggies, fruits, and even sweet treats (and often a combination of it all).

I decided to put my creativity to the test and come up with a seasonal snack tray for Back to School season! I had a lot of fun searching for festive snacks to include on the tray. Here is what I ended up with:

• Blueberries
• Apple slices
• Dried bananas
• Cheese cubes
• String cheese
• Goldfish crackers
• Cracker and cheese sandwiches
• Letter shaped cookies
• Graham crackers
• Star shaped iced sugar cookies
• Pencil iced sugar cookies

The sky is the limit when it comes to snack boards! I have seen a few other “Back to School” boards over the past month which have also included various veggies, pretzels, “ants on a log”, and more!

What would you like to see on a Back to School board?!

Your Family’s Dietitian,

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Hi Friends!

Do you enjoy festive heart-themed foods throughout the month of February? It excites my family to have some heart themed foods in the pantry to help celebrate Valentine’s Day. Currently, in our pantry, we have veggie heart chips, heart-shaped pasta, heart-shaped pretzels, heart gummy snacks, and heart fruit pouches. Okay, so we might be overly prepared for Valentine’s Day.

Because I get so excited about Valentine’s Day themed foods, the past two years I have signed up to host my son’s Valentine’s Day party at school. Since I don’t want to overload the kids with sugar and still offer them a festive option I served this Healthy Valentines Day popcorn snack mix at last years party. I plan to do the same this year.

The Healthy Valentine’s Day popcorn snack mix is made from Veggie heart chips, popcorn, freeze-dried strawberries, and chocolate cookie crisps. You could definitely get creative with what you add to the mix. Chex cereal, valentine themed pretzels, or other dark chocolate candies are a few other options. Below is another snack mix I also made last year around Valentine’s Day that contained a little more sugar due to the marshmallows and M&M candies included.

Here are some pictures from last year’s school Valentine’s Day party. In addition to the Healthy Valentine’s Day Popcorn Snack Mix, we also served heart cookies, heart-shaped cheese, and applesauce pouches. For an activity we had the children decorate heart wands. I will post pictures from this year’s Valentine’s Day party soon!

Your Family’s Dietitian,

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Hi Friends!

It was cold and rainy throughout the month of January, so finding indoor activities for my oldest son was important. Right after Christmas, I purchased a few bags of pretzel rings from Aldi in hopes of using them for a special project with my son. I kept telling my him we would use them for a special project, but in my mind wasn’t quite sure exactly what the special project would be. And then one day my husband came home with a gigantic bag of Hershey Kisses his mother had given him. I knew instantly the special project would include the pretzel rings and Hershey kisses.

These simple Valentine Pretzel Rings only require a few ingredients- pretzels, chocolate to fill rings, and candied chocolate (or heart candy) for the topping. I used two types of chocolates to fill the pretzel rings, both milk chocolate Hershey Kisses and dark chocolate Dove hearts. A variety of toppings were used for these Valentine Pretzel Rings such as Valentine M&M’s, heart candies, and heart marshmallows. The variety of combinations with the different chocolate bases and varying toppings can be a lot of fun. You can get incredibly creative with your combinations!

A highlight of the recipe – it only takes a few minutes to prepare. One of the most time-consuming steps to make the Valentine Pretzel rings is unwrapping the chocolate pieces. Once you place the chocolate inside the pretzel ring, you will only need to bake the rings for about 2-3 minutes. Note – Be careful not to overcook, or the milk chocolate will burn. After the chocolate melted you can quickly place the additional toppings.

My son had a blast making these festive Valentine snacks. He has actually helped me prepare several batches over the past few weeks. One of his main tasks was to unwrap the chocolate pieces. But he also enjoyed filling the pretzel rings with the chocolate and placing the topping pieces on the melted chocolate.

I took the Valentine Pretzel Rings to a recent girls night, and they were a huge hit. My friends’ feedback was they enjoyed the perfect combination of sweet and salty. Several of my friends left the girls night with plans to make the Valentines Pretzel Rings the following weekend with their kiddos.

Enjoy!

Your Family’s Dietitian,

The post Valentine Chocolate Pretzel Rings appeared first on 360 Family Nutrition.

I wrote this blog post several months ago at 38 weeks pregnant. 

Hi Friends!

I have been trying to put my words together for a post on Loving Your Body During Pregnancy for months now.  I recently posted this photo of me about 38 weeks pregnant on Instagram and mentioned how it can be difficult to find body kindness during pregnancy. I was blown away by the supportive comments I received on the post.

Some women truly enjoy the experience of being pregnant.  I would not consider myself one of those women.  I just try to get through pregnancy knowing the prize that awaits at the end.  During my first pregnancy, I was somewhat indifferent about the physical changes that accompanied my pregnancy.  I felt comfortable physically and mentally with my body throughout the pregnancy.

The changes my body has undergone this pregnancy have felt much different.  My feet are more swollen, I have more aches and pains, I developed a baby bump sooner, and overall gained more weight.  I have never struggled with negative body thoughts, but all these bodily changes during pregnancy have certainly made me less secure about my body.

Being pregnant can make you feel like your body is constantly “on display”.  For some reason, people feel its an appropriate time to make comments about your body.  At 38 weeks pregnant, I get a variety of comments ranging from “you look great” to “you must be due any day now”.  But the comments started early on during the pregnancy.  Most people offer positive and congratulatory comments, but others offer an uninvited assessment of how far along in your pregnancy you appear.  I have been rather surprised by the number of comments I received this pregnancy

Between the raging hormones, physical body changes, and comments made about your growing bump (or swelling legs) loving your body during pregnancy can certainly be a challenge. I know it has been for me during my current pregnancy.  If you are like me (and many other mammas out there) and struggling with body kindness during pregnancy, here are five tips I found to be helpful.

Tips for Loving your Body During Pregnancy:

1. Applaud yourself – Remember you are growing another human! Pregnancy is a pretty amazing thing most women’s bodies are able to experience.  Acknowledge this special season of your life and enjoy it while you can.  I often remind myself that there are women who struggle with infertility and would be ecstatic to have this experience.
2. Stop comparing yourself – In the age of social media its hard not to compare how your pregnant body looks compared to other people.  Several times throughout this pregnancy I have found myself making comparisons to other pregnant women, wondering why they had a smaller bump, didn’t have swollen feet or could do more physical activity than I could.  When I find myself comparing my body with others I remind myself that this is only a season of my life, and pregnancy looks and feels different for every single woman.
3. Practice plenty of self-care – Pregnancy is a time to love on yourself and body.  Make sure to take time to check in with yourself and assess what would help make you feel love and confidence.  Eat ample foods that nourish your body, find activities that help you relax, or surround yourself with people who offer positive energy.
4. Participate mindful movement – Pregnant or not, participating in physical activity can help relieve stress and make you feel empowered.  Physical activity can help decrease some common discomforts associated with pregnancy such as backaches, fatigue, and leg swelling.  Rather than participate in strenuous exercise, try to do physical activity you don’t find a chore and enjoy such as walking with a friend, dancing slowly, or swimming.
5. Wear clothes that make you feel confident – I know it sounds a little materialistic to mention clothing, but feeling comfortable and confident in your clothing can go a long way.  Consider purchasing a few clothing items that excite you and help you to feel comfortable in your pregnant body.   If you don’t want to spend too much money consider a clothing resale store or check out discount retailers such as Walmart.

There will definitely be a “loving your body after pregnancy” post coming soon!

Your Family’s Dietitian,

The post Loving Your Body During Pregnancy appeared first on 360 Family Nutrition.

Hi Friends!

Do you remember your favorite snack as a toddler? I don’t remember much from my early childhood, but I do happen to remember my favorite snack. I attended a daycare during my toddler years and I remember being served graham crackers with icing. A simple snack that probably wouldn’t be allowed in most daycare centers today due to the high sugar content.

The snack is incredibly easy to make – it is graham cracker squares topped with a basic glaze icing. The icing is made by mixing powdered sugar and water (or milk). When I had it as a child it never included any type of topping.

I decided to give the graham cracker with icing recipe (snack) a healthier makeover by including a few more nutritionally dense ingredients. I added plain Greek yogurt to the icing to help reduce the amount of added sugar and add a bit of protein. The Greek yogurt also helped to give the icing a creamier flavor (with a hint of cheesecake flavor). I wouldn’t recommend using fat-free Greek yogurt as it will result in a thinner icing. Try using whole fat or only partially reduced-fat Greek yogurt.

Toppings are also another fun addition to this snack (and way to add nutrition). For this recipe I included dried strawberries, but the options are limitless for topping choices. You could include other dried fruits, chocolate pieces, nuts, sprinkles etc.

This snack should not be made in advance. The graham crackers got a bit soggy about an hour after the icing was spread on them.

Enjoy!

Your Family’s Dietitian,

The post Graham Crackers with Greek Yogurt Icing appeared first on 360 Family Nutrition.

2018 has come and gone, but not without some major life changes. Honestly, at the start of last year I had no idea what the year would bring, but within a few months, I learned our family was expanding. While many exciting things happened throughout the year, without a doubt the birth of Baby B was the most exciting.

We welcomed this cutie in late fall, so I decided to take the rest of the year off on “maternity leave”.

Here are a few other highlights from the year:

MEDIA APPEARNCES

1)Interview at CNN on “healthy lunchbox ideas”.  

Going to the CNN studios to do an interview was on my bucket list, but not sure I had visioned doing it at 30 weeks pregnant. Perhaps it wasn’t my finest television interview, but regardless it was an exciting experience.

2) Interview for New York Post on “Carnivore Diet”

I chatted with the New York Post to discuss the latest fad diet, Carnivore Diet. Another fun interview in 2018! (Link to interview here).

3) Recipe featured on NBC News Better – “8 Creative Apple Recipes”

I was honored to have my Spiralized Apple Peanut Butter Salad featured on NBC News Better. (Link to article here).

POPULAR RECIPES

1)Three Ingredient Baked Veggie Donut

Yep, I did it – I added veggies to a baked chocolate donut recipe and it was absolutely delicious! (Link to recipe here).

2) Small Batch Lower Sugar Blueberry Basil Jam

I explored something new (to me) in 2018 by learning how to make my own jam. This super flavorful Lower Sugar Blueberry Basil Jam is delicious and contains a lesser amount of sugar compared to most jam recipes. (Link to recipe here).

3) Rainbow Veggie Pita Flatbread

One of my favorite types of recipes to include on the blog are food art and creative offerings for healthy eats. This vibrant colored flatbread is sure to entice the pickiest of eaters to eat a few more veggies. (Link to recipe here).

TRAVEL

1)Trip to the Beach

In June we headed to a beach off of the cost of Georgia. It was during this trip we announced we were expecting a baby boy!

2) Trip to NYC

In August we visited New York City for a mini “baby moon” and ate our way through the city. Its a tradition to make a trip to NYC before a baby comes.

3) Skiing in Colorado

Only a few days before we found out were expecting little man, we made a trip out west to ski in Colorado. We had an amazing time skiing during the day and enjoying spiked hot chocolate at night.

We also made several trips to my home state of Oklahoma and Tampa, Florida.

A FEW OTHER HIGHLIGHTS…

And thats a wrap for 2018!

The post 2018 Highlights appeared first on 360 Family Nutrition.

Hi Friends!

If you have followed my blog or social media accounts for any time, you know that one of my favorite type of blog posts to create are festive and creative snack offerings.  I find such fulfillment in creating creative snack offerings that will hopefully excite your little ones about nutrition-packed foods such as fruits and vegetables.  Specifically, I really enjoy coming up with festive ideas for Halloween and Christmas!  Check out some of my other holiday-themed posts here.

Today I was actually working on updating photos for this Carrot Peanut Butter Pumpkin snack, a recipe I created more than five years ago when I came up with the idea for this Carrot Hummus Jack O’Lantern English Muffin recipe. Both recipes are actually quite similar, but given one of the main ingredients is hummus (instead of peanut butter) I decided it was worth a new post.  Why didn’t I think of the carrot + hummus combo five years ago?!

This Carrot Hummus Jack O’Lantern English Muffin recipe can be served as part of a meal or a snack.  As with most of my food art recipes, the creation of this English Muffin recipe is an excellent way to get the kiddos involved in the kitchen.  Some children may be able to assemble the entire Jack O’Lantern English Muffin. While younger children could help out with one or two aspects of the assembly process such as spread the hummus, add the carrots, or place the raisins.

Don’t be afraid to serve this at your kiddos next Halloween party for a healthier option!  It allows you to provide a nutrition-packed option and help balance all the candy and sweet treats they will likely be offered.  All the parents will be thankful!

I would love to hear what festive foods you like to serve your kiddos!

Your Family’s Dietitian,

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