One of the perks of my job is I have access to lots of experts in the food industry.  While I am talking to them about work related projects, I often learn so many great things that I can apply to my own life, my diet and how I feed my family.  

Last week I was talking to Elizabeth Ward, a nationally recognized registered dietitian and author of several books about nutrition for children.  We were discussing a recent national study on Kids and Seafood, which is what I was planning to share with you today.  But as I sit here writing I am finding myself more interested in sharing my talk with Elizabeth than the study.  She was just so knowledgeable about childhood nutrition.  As a new mom I was totally fascinated with what she had to say about getting kids into healthy eating habits.

Elizabeth told me that on average kids get 25% of their daily calories from snacks.  I guess I never thought about how much snacking can add up!  The real gem of an idea I got from her was that since kids get so many calories from snacking we need to make sure that the snacks aren’t “meal wreckers”.   She said the best way to prevent this is to make each snack a nutritionally rich “mini meal”.  This way if your child fills up on after school snacks and barely nibbles at dinner, you don’t have to stress because you know he or she received good balanced nutrition throughout the day. 

So how do we achieve mini meals instead of just serving a snack?  Well snacks tend to be carb-rich but nutritionally lacking – think chips or crackers or even sweet treats like ice cream bars.  Mini meals go beyond carbohydrates and add protein and hopefully even a fruit or vegetable.  In other words we need to think outside the popcorn bag and cracker box when serving up snacks to our little ones.  Below is my take on a good after school mini meal.  I would love to hear from you.  What are some of the nutritionally complete after school mini meals that your kids go for?

The Ranch Dipper Plate

• SeaPak Popcorn Shrimp
• Mixed vegetable sticks (red and green bell peppers, carrots sticks, cucumber or other favorite veggies)
• Low calorie ranch dressing

Just pop some SeaPak popcorn shrimp in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes.  While those shrimp are getting toasty, cut up some vegetable sticks and pour some low cal ranch into a little ramekin.  Balanced mini meal accomplished!   And if cutting up vegetables seems like more than you have time to do on a weekday afternoon, try cutting up a bunch on Sunday and portioning them into resealable bags so kids can grab and go each day after school.

Are you a ragin’ football fanatic or a lukewarm occasional fan?  I must confess I am really more of the later.  Actually just between you and me, my interest in football pretty much starts and stops at Super Bowl commercials.   However just because I am not a huge football fan doesn’t mean I want to sit the whole season out.  I mean there is a lot of socializing that goes on these next few months that will center around this sport and I don’t want to be sitting on the sides lines while my friends are in the game.

If you can’t beat them join them I always say, so I am hosting my first football Sunday this weekend.  And let me tell you for a football novice I can really throw a killer football party…..as soon as I clarify who exactly is playing that is.  Of course the key to any football gathering is a TV, some comfortable seating and good eats.  And whether I am paying attention to the game or not, I don’t want to be trapped in the kitchen all afternoon while friends are in the living room cheering on their teams.  So the game plan for Sunday’s buffet of tasty bits is to keep it simple.  I have got the usually just open-and-pour nibbles like chips and salsa, mixed nuts and veggies with dip.  But I feel like I am just phoning it in if I don’t have one hot prepared dish to offer up to my friends turned rabid football fans.  Now you know since it is me throwing this get together I am going to have to have something seafood.  Well I can’t disappoint my fans.

This Sunday’s wow dish is going to be SeaPak Coconut Shrimp with Thai Coconut Curry Sauce .  I absolutely love this sauce because it combines the sweetness of coconut with savory peanut butter and just a touch of spicy hot pepper sauce.  And since I am making the sauce myself I can turn the heat up or down by adjusting the amount of hot pepper sauce I add.  As a time saver on game day, I like to make the sauce a head of time and then use one of the commercial breaks to pop those tasty coconut shrimp in the oven.  With in just a few plays I will have sizzling golden shrimp sprinkled with sweet delicate coconut flakes perfect for dipping in the savory coconut curry sauce.   Mmmmmmm!  It is making my mouth water just thinking about those shrimp.   Hmmmm….maybe I need to take those coconut shrimp out for a practice scrimmage before the big game on Sunday!  Now I am really liking that idea!!

So how about you?  Any game plans this weekend?  And if you are hosting a football get together what are you favorite dish to eat while you cheer on your team?

It is official – summer is over and today is the first day of fall.   Before you start getting all misty eyed about those fading fun summer memories lets talk about all the great things that are coming with this new season.  First of all our little darlings (who have been running us ragged all summer) are finally corralled back into the classroom for 7 glorious hours a day of education.  Mother Nature is preparing to give us a beautiful fall foliage display to enjoy.   There is football, fall fairs and warm apple cider with cinnamon and nutmeg.  And most importantly it is finally time to dig into the depths of my closet and pull out those long dormant cool weather clothes which unfortunately is the closest thing I am going to get to a wardrobe update this year.

Ok seriously one of the best things about fall is really all the great fall produce coming into season – like pears.  I really love pears.  They are sweet and juicy and totally portable like an apple but somehow just a little more special.  Eating pears always reminds me of the good parts of fall like the feeling of the first crisp cool autumn breeze on your cheek or the smell of the grill at the first football tail gate of the season.  So in celebration of this first day of fall I want to share with you my Autumn Salad recipe featuring SeaPak Butterfly Shrimp and those delectable fall pears.

This salad is really easy.  Start by popping some SeaPak Butterfly shrimp into the oven.  While those shrimp are getting all golden crunchy you can make the salad part.  Take your favorite variety of lettuce, add chunks of sweet juicy fresh pears (no need to cheat with canned pears this time of year!) and then sprinkle on some gorgonzola cheese crumbles and walnuts.  Top with those warm SeaPak Butterfly Shrimp and drizzle with your favorite dressing.  Blue cheese dressing is an obvious choice to accent the pears however I prefer a simple vinaigrette so it doesn’t over power the other flavors.  And the best thing about making the salad at home instead of ordering it out is you get to make it your way.  So if gorgonzola isn’t your thing, try shredded parmesan or maybe even some bite-sized cubes of a nice white cheddar.  Or you can go crazy with the nuts and sub in something different like pecans or pine nuts.  Of course no swapping out the SeaPak Shrimp or the pears because they are the best part of this salad!

So I have shared with you one of my favorite fall recipes tell me some of your favorite fall dishes.  What flavors really make you excited about this new season?