Want your kids to pack (or make) their own lunches? Here’s how to create lunch stations in your pantry, fridge, and freezer. This post was created in partnership with Produce For Kids. Whether “back to school” means in-person, online, or some of both for your kids, one thing remains the same change: They still eat...

The post How To Make Lunch Stations (So Your Kids Can Pack Or Make Their Own Lunches!) appeared first on Real Mom Nutrition.

Stumped about lunch? Here are 40 lunch ideas for kids at home, including lunches they can make themselves or you can make ahead. Lunch. Ugh, lunch. You already spend too much brain power drafting a dinner plan every week. It doesn’t seem fair that lunch is also a thing. Are your kids buying lunch at...

The post 40 Easy Lunch Ideas For Kids At Home appeared first on Real Mom Nutrition.

Replace paper towels, plastic wrap, and more with these reusable products for the kitchen that are better for the environment (and save you money!).   I’m always looking for ways to be less wasteful around the house, whether it’s recycling and composting or stocking the kids’ drawers with hand-me-downs. Here are my favorite reusable products...

The post My Favorite Reusable Products For The Kitchen appeared first on Real Mom Nutrition.

Really wish your kids ate salad? Here are some doable strategies (and recipes) that worked for us and might work for you too! When I first started dating my husband, he didn’t eat anything green, except Granny Smith apples. (When he reads this, he will indignantly declare, “Also parsley!” but the rest of us know...

The post How To Teach Your Kids To Love Salad appeared first on Real Mom Nutrition.

Stir together a batch of homemade lemonade using fresh lemons and bottled lemon juice to save time. It’s a sweet and refreshing treat! If you want a treat, make it yourself. It’s a rule of thumb that makes sense to me, especially with sweet drinks. Because at the risk of being the fun police, even...

The post Easy Lemonade (Made with Fresh + Bottled Lemon Juice) appeared first on Real Mom Nutrition.

This Easy Crispy Broccoli bakes in just 10 minutes and is kid-tested and approved! Makes a quick, vitamin-packed side dish. In our house, this roasted broccoli is officially known as “The good kind, with the lemon and cheese”.  Granted, I like broccoli any which way, but this broccoli recipe is the current kid-favorite around here....

The post Easy Crispy Broccoli (Kid Tested + Approved!) appeared first on Real Mom Nutrition.

This family-friendly pressure cooker pasta has a rich, meaty sauce and a whopping 18 grams of protein per serving. Takes only minutes to cook! This post has been sponsored by Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. on behalf of the Beef Checkoff. “Mom, that pasta was really good.” My sixth grader told me this after I’d...

The post Pressure Cooker Beef & Bowtie Pasta appeared first on Real Mom Nutrition.

Thank you to Del Monte Foods for sponsoring this post! Food is a nagging worry for a lot of people right now. You may be worrying about how and where to get your food–and worrying that your meals and snacks are looking different than they used to. You may be eating more comfort foods and...

The post Healthy Eating is Not a Competitive Sport appeared first on Real Mom Nutrition.

Is it okay for kids to drink sparkling water? Is it bad for teeth? Is it hydrating? Get the facts about fizzy water here. For kids who don’t love plain water and parents who aren’t fans of soda, sparkling water can feel like a good compromise.  But if you’ve wondered whether it’s okay for them...

The post Is Sparkling Water Good For Kids? Get The Facts! appeared first on Real Mom Nutrition.

From getting a CSA to ordering take-out, here are 7 delicious ways you can support local farmers (and your local economy!). Thank you to Paige’s Produce for sponsoring this post! If any of us took food for granted before, we don’t anymore.  These days, we’re all spending a lot more time figuring out how to...

The post 7 Ways To Support Local Farmers Right Now appeared first on Real Mom Nutrition.

Are you looking for a good book that will really get your kid reading? Here’s a mega-list of 90 books for tweens and teens. What’s better than getting lost in a book, escaping into another world, and getting absorbed in a can’t-pull-yourself-away page turner? Answer: Seeing your kid feel that way about a book. I have...

The post 90 Books Your Teen or Tween Won’t Want To Put Down appeared first on Real Mom Nutrition.

These Graham Cracker Cookies are a simple, yummy, and quick dessert: Just spread rich chocolate buttercream between store-bought graham crackers. I figured these graham cracker cookies were the brainchild of my mom, whenever she happened to have leftovers from frosting a cake. Then she told me her mom made them too–and when she packed them...

The post Easiest Ever Old-Fashioned Graham Cracker Cookies appeared first on Real Mom Nutrition.

Having a food plan can help you be smarter about grocery shopping and feel more prepared. Here are five free printables to help! There’s a lot of uncertainty around food right now: what’s available, where to get it, and how much to buy. There are also worries around money, with a lot of people tightening...

The post Make a #StayHome Food Plan: Free Printables To Help You appeared first on Real Mom Nutrition.

Wish your kids did more around the house? Simplify your system. These chore sticks get your kids pitching in–and make it a lot easier on you. Does getting your kids to do chores feel like, well, a chore? That was my problem. I was intent on having kids who understood what it took to keep a...

The post This Simple Chore System Is The Only One You’ll Need appeared first on Real Mom Nutrition.

The challenges of being homebound are many: bickering kids, feelings of isolation, and alternating bouts of stress and boredom. If you need a much-needed mental escape or a project to pass the time, I hope you’ll find some things here to help: Ideas for Books Books For Kids: Books My Kids Couldn’t Put Down Part...

The post Things to Read, Watch & Make When You’re Stuck At Home appeared first on Real Mom Nutrition.

These crispy breaded tofu nuggets are crunchy, dunkable, and kid-friendly. They cook in the air fryer in just 15 minutes. If you’d like to serve more plant-based proteins to your family, but tofu seems like a weird, squishy bridge too far, I’ve got the recipe for you! Because yes, tofu is squishy–and, let’s face it,...

The post Crispy Crunchy Tofu Nuggets Made in the Air Fryer appeared first on Real Mom Nutrition.

This basic guacamole recipe couldn’t be easier with just four simple ingredients. Make this easy guacamole and wait for the compliments to roll in! You know when someone gushes over your new skirt and you feel obligated to confess that you got it for $3.99 on the clearance rack at Target like you got away...

The post The Basic Guacamole Recipe That Will Get Rave Reviews appeared first on Real Mom Nutrition.

Got a teenager who is constantly hungry? Check out this mega list of healthy snacks for teens (and tweens) for ideas they’ll love. “I’m basically always hungry.” That’s what my 15 year old said to me the other night as he stood in front of the open refrigerator searching for something to eat–approximately 10 minutes after...

The post 100+ Healthy Snacks For Teens Who Are Always Hungry appeared first on Real Mom Nutrition.

Kid athletes need good fuel between meals! Here are 21 ideas for easy sports snacks they’ll love. Thank you to CLIF Kid for sponsoring this post! Sports snacks can be maddening for parents–when it’s donuts, cookies, chips, and punch that often crop up on the sidelines of pee-wee sports. Those snacks feel more like a...

The post 21 Nutritious Sports Snacks For Kids appeared first on Real Mom Nutrition.

These easy and healthy Make Ahead Green Smoothie Packs will simplify your morning–and they’re packaged in reusable bags for less waste. I’d seen these make ahead smoothie packs all over Pinterest. When I finally made them, I realized they solved two of my pressing smoothie problems: Pre-washed spinach that goes bad before I can use...

The post Make Ahead Green Smoothie Packs For The Freezer appeared first on Real Mom Nutrition.

This recipe for easy sushi rolls is perfect for beginners! Includes step-by-step instructions for making cucumber sushi rolls.  I spent a lot of money at the sushi counter of my store before I realized how easy they are to make myself. This is also a great project for kids and a nice way of fitting in...

The post How To Make Simple Sushi Rolls appeared first on Real Mom Nutrition.

Coconut sugar is billed as a wholesome, healthy alternative to regular sugar. But is that true? Here are the facts! Coconut sugar is trendy right now, billed as a wholesome alternative to sugar and cropping up in recipes for “healthier” baked goods. It’s even been dubbed a “superfood”. It’s also a lot pricier than sugar. At...

The post Is Coconut Sugar Healthy? appeared first on Real Mom Nutrition.

Crepes feel fancy but are actually easy to make! Here’s a quick crepe recipe that makes a fun breakfast your family will enjoy. Crepes are not something you have to save for fancy brunch restaurants or even special occasions. I used to save crepes for Christmas morning. But they’re so fast and simple to make that...

The post Simple Whole Wheat Crepes appeared first on Real Mom Nutrition.

I tend to break all the classic rules when it comes to attending holiday parties. I don’t eat a healthy snack before I go. I don’t fill half my plate with vegetables. I don’t position myself at the opposite side of the room from the buffet. Instead, I usually arrive hungry, eat my very favorites,...

The post Don’t Micromanage What Your Kids Eat At Holiday Parties appeared first on Real Mom Nutrition.

Is your new Instant Pot still in the box? Have no fear! Here are three beginner Instant Pot recipes to get you started. If you have an Instant Pot but are afraid to use it, I feel your pain. I’m embarrassed to say that mine sat in the box for a solid two months before...

The post Got A New Instant Pot? Here’s What To Make First! appeared first on Real Mom Nutrition.

If you need a good book for yourself or as a gift for someone you love, here are 11 books I read and loved this year. I read a lot of books this year, but these are the ones I enjoyed the most. I hope you’ll find some new ideas for yourself–or holiday gifts for...

The post Books I Loved in 2019 appeared first on Real Mom Nutrition.

A lot has changed when it comes to feeding babies. Here are some of the biggest changes to know about (or pass along to family and caregivers)! Maybe you’re having your first baby and feel a little lost about feeding–or your third, but want to do things differently. Maybe your mother or well-meaning auntie is...

The post What’s New About Feeding Babies appeared first on Real Mom Nutrition.

This Make Ahead Slow Cooker Taco Meat recipe lets you cook once and have four meals in the freezer for busy nights. Thank you to the Ohio Beef Council for sponsoring this post!  My teenager’s favorite meal is beef tacos, so we eat them regularly. And I finally got smart this Fall and started batch-cooking...

The post Make Ahead Slow Cooker Taco Meat appeared first on Real Mom Nutrition.

These Make Ahead Breakfast Sandwiches are a quick and energizing meal for kids and grown-ups. Easy to assemble and perfect for busy mornings. You know those ideas you keep spotting online, the ones that look awfully smart but also like Pinterest Fails waiting to happen? I kept seeing versions of these freezer breakfast sandwiches. They...

The post Make Ahead Breakfast Sandwiches appeared first on Real Mom Nutrition.

These Homemade Pierogi with Potato & Cheese Filling are chewy and hearty–the ultimate family-friendly comfort food! I was asked to participate in this campaign with Cabot Creamery as a member of the Healthy Aperture Blogger Network. I was compensated for my time. If you were lucky enough to have a grandma from Eastern Europe, your...

The post Homemade Pierogi Like Grandma Used to Make appeared first on Real Mom Nutrition.