Week 2 Challenge would be to eat more whole grains. If you have read my research, Strictly Whole Grains, this would be easy for anyone shopping for foods.
To be on the safe side, I shopped familiar items which we normally consume with an exception that I made sure they were whole grains. Hold your expectations though coz these were not much of what one might expect. But, it was a huge transition for us because the list went for our children. If you look at my lists, you'd understand what I'm saying.
- Corn kernels and corn on the cob for side dishes.
- Pop corns for snacks instead of tortilla chips.
- Whole grain cold cereals for children's breakfast.
- Whole wheat breads and burger buns instead of white.
- Unbleached whole wheat flour for cakes and cookies instead of all-purpose white.
- Whole wheat bread crumbs instead of regular bread crumbs.
- Whole wheat flour tortilla for quesadillas instead of regular flour tortillas.
I tried to explore more on other whole grain products (i.e. quinoa, brown rice), but kids aren't that accepting yet. I would have to introduce it to them one grain at a time. The kids have been consuming white bread because of its better taste over wheat. But it was quite a success that they're willing to switch for wellness-sake. 2 thumbs-up for that!
These were the school lunches I packed for my 3rd-grader. He's a fan of Healthy Eats' September Brown Bag Challenge. So it was quite a breeze to send him anything when he knew I signed him up for a challenge. Little did everyone know that the family is in it too :)
This is chicken nuggets breaded with whole wheat bread crumbs and a smidget of BBQ sauce. Corn kernels on a side with blueberries and oranges.
My home-made garlic and herb hamburger on a whole wheat bun with lettuce, ketchup and pickle relish. Sides were strawberries and carrot slices.
My home-made shumai on a whole wheat wrapper, corn kernels and strawberries. These didn't look appetizing on pictures. I think the lettuce ruined it :( I should have not cut the lettuce. It looked too busy. Anyway the wrapper was a pain to make but once you get the hang of it, it was like magic.
Home-made eggrolls wrapped in a whole wheat wrapper. Had too much wrapper from yesterday's shumai. So I have to experiment on how I could incorporate whole grains in the foods we love. It was hard work, but worth the try. I also found out that the whole wheat wrapper didn't alter the taste significantly. Diced kiwi and carrots chips on the side. Ketchup and Ranch on smidgets.
This was by special request. Home-made Sushi, my children's favorite meal ever. I know there's nothing whole wheat about this meal. Truth to be told, I was tempted to use brown rice or quinoa, but I don't wanna ruin it for the kids. I know it wouldn't taste the same. I threw in carrots and diced plums on the side, with ranch on smidget.
But they've been doing their healthy job. They've been eating breakfast regularly. And these cold cereals are part of it. Not on a daily basis though coz these are packed with too much sugar which made it partly unhealthy. On other days, they eat eggs, hotdogs, corn kernels, and quesadillas.
And POPCORN is a regular in our pantry. We pop a bag or two anytime of the day to fill up a craving when it's not even mealtime yet.
Enjoy eating, and make it healthy.
See you next week
Marie c",)
We’re teaming up with fellow food bloggers and healthy eating advocates to host aHealthy Every Week Challenge, a month-long initiative to develop healthy eating habits. The plan is to develop a manageable healthy habit each week that will carry through the new year. Join us here and share what you’re eating on Facebook andTwitter with the hashtag #gethealthy.http://blog.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats/2011/12/18/join-us-for-a-healthy-january-challenge/
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