Cooking with the Moms

September 29th is World Heart Day, so we decided to devote this week's show to easy tips for eating and savoring a heart-healthy diet. Back in the day, a heart-healthy diet was far from satisfying and quite restrictive. Eggs, nuts, and shrimp were often off limits, and people were urged to opt for fat-free fare. Today, research shows that a heart-healthy diet can and should include a wide array of mouth-watering and nutrient-rich foods: eggs, seafood and shellfish, canola oil (the lowest in saturated fat of all the popular cooking oils) and other good-for-you fats, nuts, fruits and veggies and so much more! On the show we feature two recipes; Bistro Chicken Salad and Quick Dark Chocolate Brownies. Both feature ingredients like canola oil, which research shows can help to reduce heart disease risk. For more information, visit the Moms' website and blog at http://www.mealmakeovermoms.com.

September 29th is World Heart Day, so we decided to devote this week's show to easy tips for eating and savoring a heart-healthy diet. Back in the day, a heart-healthy diet was far from satisfying and quite restrictive. Eggs, nuts, and shrimp were often off limits, and people were urged to opt for fat-free fare. Today, research shows that a heart-healthy diet can and should include a wide array of mouth-watering and nutrient-rich foods: eggs, seafood and shellfish, canola oil (the lowest in saturated fat of all the popular cooking oils) and other good-for-you fats, nuts, fruits and veggies and so much more! On the show we feature two recipes; Bistro Chicken Salad and Quick Dark Chocolate Brownies. Both feature ingredients like canola oil, which research shows can help to reduce heart disease risk. For more information, visit the Moms' website and blog at http://www.mealmakeovermoms.com.

A recent study on Temperature of Foods Sent by Parents of Preschool-aged Children found that most sack lunches are kept at unsafe temperatures, and researchers say this could lead to foodborne illness in kids. On this week's podcast, we share important tips for keeping school lunches out of the temperature "danger zone" of 40 degrees F to 140 degrees F where bacteria can grow. We also serve up a new recipe for Curry Chicken Salad Wraps and some exciting giveaway news. Oh, and hold onto your hats folks: September is National Food Safety Education Month, so there's no time like the present to give your lunch box-packing routine a food safety makeover! For more information, visit the Moms' website and blog at http://www.mealmakeovermoms.com.

A recent study on Temperature of Foods Sent by Parents of Preschool-aged Children found that most sack lunches are kept at unsafe temperatures, and researchers say this could lead to foodborne illness in kids. On this week's podcast, we share important tips for keeping school lunches out of the temperature "danger zone" of 40 degrees F to 140 degrees F where bacteria can grow. We also serve up a new recipe for Curry Chicken Salad Wraps and some exciting giveaway news. Oh, and hold onto your hats folks: September is National Food Safety Education Month, so there's no time like the present to give your lunch box-packing routine a food safety makeover! For more information, visit the Moms' website and blog at http://www.mealmakeovermoms.com.

How did summer fly by so quickly? Janice's daughter, Leah, went back to school yesterday; Liz's boys go back next Wednesday. As our families adjust to early morning alarm clocks, homework, and piano lessons we thought it would be fun to create a new back-to-school snack recipe our kids and yours would enjoy. Our latest recipe for Banana Peanut Butter Muffins hits the spot with our crew --- they're always starving when they get off the school bus --- and provides a boatload of great nutrition thanks to the peanuts and peanut butter. On the show, we share the recipe as well as favorite go-snack ideas from our Facebook fans and Twitter followers. For more information, visit the Moms' website and blog at http://www.mealmakeovermoms.com.

How did summer fly by so quickly? Janice's daughter, Leah, went back to school yesterday; Liz's boys go back next Wednesday. As our families adjust to early morning alarm clocks, homework, and piano lessons we thought it would be fun to create a new back-to-school snack recipe our kids and yours would enjoy. Our latest recipe for Banana Peanut Butter Muffins hits the spot with our crew --- they're always starving when they get off the school bus --- and provides a boatload of great nutrition thanks to the peanuts and peanut butter. On the show, we share the recipe as well as favorite go-snack ideas from our Facebook fans and Twitter followers. For more information, visit the Moms' website and blog at http://www.mealmakeovermoms.com.

For two long centuries, consumers have been preserving food by canning local and seasonal produce grown in backyard gardens and purchased at farmers' markets. Home canning, or "putting up" as it's often called, is growing in popularity --- sales of canning equipment are up 30% --- and now, we, The Meal Makeover Moms have taken the plunge and are jumping on the nationwide canning craze. On this week's show, we feature a recipe for Bread and Butter Pickles and an interview with home gardening and canning guru, Mo Gouin. Mo is a friend of Janice’s parents, and his New Hampshire vegetable garden will amaze you! For more information, visit the Moms' website and blog at http://www.mealmakeovermoms.com.

For two long centuries, consumers have been preserving food by canning local and seasonal produce grown in backyard gardens and purchased at farmers' markets. Home canning, or "putting up" as it's often called, is growing in popularity --- sales of canning equipment are up 30% --- and now, we, The Meal Makeover Moms have taken the plunge and are jumping on the nationwide canning craze. On this week's show, we feature a recipe for Bread and Butter Pickles and an interview with home gardening and canning guru, Mo Gouin. Mo is a friend of Janice’s parents, and his New Hampshire vegetable garden will amaze you! For more information, visit the Moms' website and blog at http://www.mealmakeovermoms.com.

Family dinners provides an opportunity for parents to role model good eating habits, and we know from recent research that when children and teens share family meals, they are more likely to maintain a healthy body weight and eat a healthy diet and less likely to engage in disordered eating practices. In the real world, however, even if you put a dynamite meal on the dinner table, in some households, finicky eaters may push their food away, active toddlers may prefer playing with toys to sitting still at the table, and busy teens who bounce from activity to activity may grab dinner and eat it on the run. Given those scenarios, we decided to conduct a comprehensive review of mealtime "games" designed to keep families (especially children) engaged at the dinner table. This week’s show offers a look of our favorite dinner games, conversation starter kits, placemats, and playful utensils. For more information, visit the Moms' website and blog at http://www.mealmakeovermoms.com.

Family dinners provides an opportunity for parents to role model good eating habits, and we know from recent research that when children and teens share family meals, they are more likely to maintain a healthy body weight and eat a healthy diet and less likely to engage in disordered eating practices. In the real world, however, even if you put a dynamite meal on the dinner table, in some households, finicky eaters may push their food away, active toddlers may prefer playing with toys to sitting still at the table, and busy teens who bounce from activity to activity may grab dinner and eat it on the run. Given those scenarios, we decided to conduct a comprehensive review of mealtime "games" designed to keep families (especially children) engaged at the dinner table. This week’s show offers a look of our favorite dinner games, conversation starter kits, placemats, and playful utensils. For more information, visit the Moms' website and blog at http://www.mealmakeovermoms.com.

If recipes for Four-Fruit Compote, Fabulously Fried Sweet Potatoes, and Very Veggie "Meat" Balls sound good to you, imagine how delicious they'll be when your baby or toddler tries them. On this week's show, we caught up with Tina Ruggiero, registered dietitian and author of the playful new cookbook, The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet. Filled with 200 recipes created for six to 23-month old children and helpful mealtime tips, Tina's book exposes babies and toddlers to a wide array of colorful and nutrient-rich foods. Tina believes that when babies are introduced to avocados, papaya, leeks, lentils and other super-healthy foods, they're more likely to eat and enjoy a varied diet when they grow up. For more information, visit the Moms' website and blog at http://www.mealmakeovermoms.com.

If recipes for Four-Fruit Compote, Fabulously Fried Sweet Potatoes, and Very Veggie "Meat" Balls sound good to you, imagine how delicious they'll be when your baby or toddler tries them. On this week's show, we caught up with Tina Ruggiero, registered dietitian and author of the playful new cookbook, The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet. Filled with 200 recipes created for six to 23-month old children and helpful mealtime tips, Tina's book exposes babies and toddlers to a wide array of colorful and nutrient-rich foods. Tina believes that when babies are introduced to avocados, papaya, leeks, lentils and other super-healthy foods, they're more likely to eat and enjoy a varied diet when they grow up. For more information, visit the Moms' website and blog at http://www.mealmakeovermoms.com.

Whole grains --- farro, wheat berries, quinoa, barley, bulgur --- are nutritious and their wide array of textures and flavors offer endless possibilities at the table. On this week's show, we talk to Maria Speck, author of the beautifully-illustrated new cookbook, Ancient Grains for Modern Meals about the benefits and culinary versatility of whole grains. We met up with Maria at her home and prepared a delicious lunch featuring recipes from her book: Mediterranean Mussels with Farro and White Wine, Bulgur with Butter-Roasted Almonds, and a wheat berry fool for dessert. For more information, visit the Moms' website and blog at http://www.mealmakeovermoms.com.

Whole grains --- farro, wheat berries, quinoa, barley, bulgur --- are nutritious and their wide array of textures and flavors offer endless possibilities at the table. On this week's show, we talk to Maria Speck, author of the beautifully-illustrated new cookbook, Ancient Grains for Modern Meals about the benefits and culinary versatility of whole grains. We met up with Maria at her home and prepared a delicious lunch featuring recipes from her book: Mediterranean Mussels with Farro and White Wine, Bulgur with Butter-Roasted Almonds, and a wheat berry fool for dessert. For more information, visit the Moms' website and blog at http://www.mealmakeovermoms.com.

Here in New England, we count the days until summer. Why? Because it's so darn cold and snowy the rest of the year! This summer has turned out to be warm and sunny, and the bounty of fresh produce has been something to celebrate. On this week's show, we share a new recipe for Sweet Carrot Ginger Soup, dish about Janice's July 4th visit to her parent's lake house in N.H., travel with Liz to Nantucket for some fresh, seasonal island nibbles, and reveal what's growing at our CSAs and in our backyard vegetable gardens. It's a fabulous show --- no, make that a terrific show --- and you definitely won't want to miss it. For more information, visit the Moms' website and blog at http://www.mealmakeovermoms.com.