Search Results for: blog how to pack a healthy cooler

Happy and Healthy Trails

Camping is one of the most affordable vacation options around. However, the idea of “roughing it” doesn’t appeal to all travelers, especially ones who are concerned about staying safe, healthy and happy while on holiday with their loved ones. Working with unpredictable elements can be intimidating for some folks; however, with a little planning, you can make the most of what Mother Nature doles out. For example, if you are worried that eating healthy may be out of the question during an outdoor camping trip, consider the following tips. For starters, you don’t have to limit your camping menu to … Continue reading →

The Pregnant Woman’s Packing List

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With summer in full swing, people are taking trips to visit family, relax on beaches, or go on new adventures. Depending on the destination, many people often choose to drive to their vacation spot. Riding in the car for an extended period of time, however, can put a damper on the fun, especially when you are pregnant. Let’s hope you have A/C in your car. Besides proper climate control, it’s a good idea to bring: 1. A comfy travel pillow. Whether it be a donut, boppy or overstuffed bed pillow, having something soft to lean your head against when you’re … Continue reading →

A Recipe for Healthy School Snacks

We are a brown bag family. When it comes to school lunches, we prefer to send our schol-age child with a homemade lunch, and he prefers that, too. Our reasons for providing him with a home made lunch are: it is less expensive, I can better control the nutrition and steer away from colors and preservatives, there is a short amount of time to eat lunch and he doesn’t want to spend part of it waiting in line, and he is always hungry after a school lunch–complaining that there is not enough food. A typical lunch brought from home may … Continue reading →

Have A Healthy Picnic

I love picnics. The fresh air, the sunshine… but you have to be really careful with your food. And I don’t just mean protecting your meal from scavenging ants and dive-bombing birds. I mean temperature and bacteria. According to the American Dietetic Association, the amount of bacteria in food kept between 60 and 120 degrees Fahrenheit can double within an hour. So how do you keep your picnic feast safe? Try these healthy tips. Store your food at temperatures of forty degrees or less. Don’t have a ton of extra space in your cooler? Frozen water bottles serve double duty … Continue reading →

How To Pack A Healthy Cooler

No, I’m not going to give you a rundown on what low fat foods you should pack for your next picnic (you can click here for that). This blog gives tips on how to pack a cooler properly so you can avoid getting food poisoning. Take it from me; nothing dampers a summer picnic faster than a bad case of the runs. So we’ve established that picnics are no fun when they cause illness and you likely know that warm weather combined with a lack of refrigeration can increase your chance of getting a food borne illness. But how can … Continue reading →

Mission Possible: Ode to the Cooler

Current BMI: 31 One of the reasons that I like journaling as a means to facilitate weight loss is that it helps me identify patterns. I don’t make a huge production of my journal. I just basically write down whether or not I drank enough water, whether or not I ate 5 to 8 servings of fruits and vegetables and how much if any sweets I ate. (Sweets are my huge weakness.) I might note if I had fast food as well. In any case, I’ve already discovered (or rather rediscovered) something that is going to be a pitfall for … Continue reading →

Frugal Tips for Summer Activities

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Summer vacation is a great time for families to go out and do things together. Visiting amusement parks, dining out, and staying in hotels can end up costing a lot of money. Travel expenses can quickly add up, too. Here are some frugal tips that will help your family enjoy summer vacation without having to go into a lot of debt. Pack some snacks. Make use of your child’s lunchbox this summer. It is the perfect container for easy to eat snacks that your family can bring along on car trips. Instead of stopping the car at the nearest fast … Continue reading →

Five Days to an Organized Pantry: Day 3

How are you doing with your pantry? Are you seeing some progress with getting it organized? Just remember that an organized pantry will make things much easier in the kitchen. During the first two days of our pantry organization plan, we covered a lot of ground. First, we figured out how to fine tune the pantry to reflect what we use. Then, on day two, we made even more progress when we used day one to build on day two, shopping to scale. Now, we will get into some of the more advanced ideas for an organized pantry. Day 3: … Continue reading →

Food For Thought

Packing school lunches, worst mom job EVER, in my opinion. I’ve been scarred after just a single year on the job. So yeah, me and school lunches—-packed or served-—far from friends. And just as I was reveling in the freedom from prepping and packing that summer affords me I see the Today show’s piece on kids, food poisoning and brown bag school lunches. Greeeeaaaat! Turns out that parents, who try so hard to pack healthy school lunches, are actually making their kids sick. According to new research published in the Journal of Pediatrics, only one measly percent of home lunches … Continue reading →

Whole vs Pre-Sliced Apples

Recently tedgar wrote about her family’s trip to the pumpkin patch and her look at what money is worth. Our time is worth something. Our efforts are worth something. We all have a threshold of what we are willing to spend. It is a lot cheaper to buy a bag of whole apples at the store and cut them up myself when I get home. It is easier, faster, and more convenient to buy a bag of pre-cut apples. The pre-cut apples are more expensive, but the toddler is more likely to eat them than the apples I cut myself … Continue reading →