Homemade Baby: Healthy Eating During the Holidays

Getting a meal on the table is a nightly challenge—throw in the extra commitments that come with the holiday season and it can seem impossible to feed the kids without turning to fast food. Luckily, there are great new options for quick-and-easy meals that are easier than loading up the car and heading to the drive-thru.

First, it’s time to reconsider that old staple: mac ‘n cheese. Today’s boxed, instant options can be found with organic cheese, low sodium and high-fiber pasta, and are incredibly easy to make—after all, who can’t boil water and open a box? Boost the meal’s nutritional impact by replacing saturated fat and whole milk with olive oil and 1% lowfat milk. Add some frozen vegetables such as peas, carrots and green beans. Dinner is served in less time than it takes to call for pizza delivery.

Most parents say that mornings are the most difficult time of all. After assembling backpacks and lunches, brushing teeth and hair, and making sure the shoes are on the right feet, a drive-thru breakfast can seem pretty appealing. A great alternative is a high-protein, high-fiber fruit smoothie. Simply add frozen bananas and strawberries or blueberries into a blender with equal parts organic milk (or soy milk) and organic yogurt, and throw in a tablespoon of organic powdered non-fat milk for an extra calcium boost. It’s a naturally sweet and yummy breakfast that sleepy kids can even take in the car.

Happy holidays!