Monthly Archives: May 2009

Tips for preparing nutritious snacks for your kids

An estimated 22 million students will attend today’s opening of classes in the public elementary and high schools nationwide.

I wonder how many moms are beating the “back to school blues” especially in preparing packed lunch or ‘baon’ for their kids every single day.

Most moms wouldn’t settle for less when it comes to preparing healthy meals for their children. I stumble these tips from the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) of the Department of Science and Technology, long ago. I refer to these tips every time I run out of ideas to perk up the meals I prepare for my own school-age kids.

* Think about you child’s ‘baon’ ahead. Healthy school lunches can be easy when you plan ahead. Plan your kids’ baon a week in advance and give them lots of healthy selections to choose from. This will teach them to develop the habit of making choices for themselves

* Packed lunches should have three or four food groups represented to fuel them through a lot of the school day’s activities, for example,

rice + fried chicken + buttered or boiled vegetables + fruits in season

* Prepare easy-to-pack and carry dishes like fried fish, chicken or pork, or pork adobo, beef tapa, fish/meat omelette, etcetera. Include vegetable or fruit as side dish.

* Use a different sandwich filling each day (tuna, cheese, egg, or chicken). Preferably use whole grain breads and low fat mayonnaise or dressing. Add cut up vegetables like lettuce, tomatoes, pipino (cucumber) for added fiber. Prepare sandwich fillings the day or night before to save time in the busy morning.

* Include milk and fruit juices for beverages. This will help assure your children of a nutritious drink and also save you needless expenses on carbonated beverages. If you include tetra pack fruit juice, keep it in the freezer then put directly in the lunch box – it will have thawed by lunchtime and will keep the rest of the food cool.

* Make sure your child is drinking safe, clean, and enough water.

* Be concerned with food safety when packing lunches. Use thermal/insulated lunch box to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. With a good thermal/insulated lunch box, there is no limit to the delicious, nutritious and safe packed lunches for your kids.

Monday
Fried Longganisa
Lettuce-Cucumber-Tomato Salad
Boiled Rice
Banana Fruit
Snack – Fried Banana/Camote

Tuesday
Chicken/Pork Adobo
Sauteed Abitsuelas
Boiled Rice
Fruit in Season
Snack – Egg Sandwich

Wednesday
Fish/Meat Omelette
Atsara
Boiled Rice
Orange Juice
Snack – Boiled Peanuts

Thursday
Beef Tapa
Fresh Tomatoes
Boiled Rice
Pineapple Juice
Snack -Chicken Sandwich

Friday
Fried Chicken/Breaded Pork chop
Buttered Vegetables
Boiled Rice
Fruit in Season
Snack – Fruit in Season

Photohunt # 5 : BOOKS

This week’s Photohunt theme (Books) gives me the opportunity to feature some of my kids’ book collections. Their love for books amuses me.


Khalil’s collections: The Magic Mirror; The Adventure of Tom Sawyer; Hardy Boys (1)The Ghost at Skeleton Rock, (2)Murder at the Mall; Jack Stalwart; Magic Tree House #10 & 27; Room For One More.


Naomi’s book picks: Nancy Drew (1) Dress Rehearsal, (2)The Secret of the Wooden Lady; Witch Graphic Novel; Roald Dahl’s Matilda; The Voyage of the Dawn Treader; How I Survived Middle School; The Princess of Bamarre; Callie For President; Disney Fairies Silvermist and the Lady Bug Curse; Alice the Brave; Witch (100 Bewitching Ways to Survive at School); Witch (100 Bewitching Ways to Make Lots of Friends); Black Beauty; Ann M. Martin’s Main Street Welcome to Camden Falls, American Girl Meet Kaya (not in photo).

Visit tnchick.com for other Photohunt entries this week.

Mommy Moments: Khalil’s nth haircut

My son usually sports a semi-bald hairdo when he was younger. We keep it short because he is prone to prickly heat especially during summer. But since he’s already nine years old, he chooses his own hairstyle. His Dad usually accompanies him to the Barber Shop.

Other interesting Mommy Moments are found here.