• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

3. Add the milk and cook, stirring every now and then, until the mixture begins to thicken, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vegetable puree, Cheddar, cream cheese, and seasonings, and stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. Stir in the macaroni and serve warm.

Joy: This is a great source of calcium: one portion provides a full serving—the equivalent of one cup of milk. And because it uses lowfat cheese, kids get all that great calcium without the saturated fat of the traditional recipe.

Pack-a-Snack

I KNOW IT SOUNDS annoying, but I send my children on play dates with snacks to share with their friends; it’s a matter of self-preservation. Too often my kids have come home cranky—either from sugary snacks or no snacks at all. Now I ask my children to suggest a snack they think their friends might like. They choose whatever lunch box or bag they think is cool at the moment (they also like to color and put stickers on brown paper bags) and together we pack it full of the chosen treat. It comes home empty every time.

SOME OF MY FAMILY’S FAVORITE SNACKS:

Apple slices sprinkled with a little lemon juice (so they don’t turn brown)

Mozzarella or Cheddar cheese sticks

Healthful muffins

Cucumber or carrot sticks

Banana bread

Chocolate chip cookies

MY FRIENDS WHO ARE PARENTS ALSO HAD THESE IDEAS:

Lowfat Cheddar cheese crackers

Rolled slices of reduced-fat cheese or turkey breast

Raisins, cranberries, and other dried fruits mixed with sunflower seeds

Gorilla Munch

Sliced English cucumber with salt

Pistachios and walnuts

Watermelon cubes

Organic granola

Peanut butter (with sliced apple or banana, or rice cakes)

Frozen grapes

Soy Crisps

Vegetable chips

Cheerios—MultiGrain, Honey Nut, or plain

Low-sugar yogurts and yogurt tubes (freeze them so they are less messy). I like Stonyfield Farms brand.

Organic fruit leather (without dyes or added sugar)

Whole-wheat fig bars

Oat-bran pretzels

Whole-wheat frozen waffles

Lowfat graham crackers

Pita chips

Macaroni and Cheese 2

(WITH BEANS)

Whatever light-colored canned beans you have on hand—chickpeas, navy beans, or white beans—will add a little more protein to the traditional recipe. For an extra boost of nutrition, add ½ cup of cauliflower puree along with the cheese.

Prep: 5 minutes • Total: 25 minutes • Serves 8 • Packable • No meat

1½ cups whole-wheat elbow macaroni

1 cup nonfat (skim) milk

½ cup canned navy beans or chickpeas or white beans, rinsed, drained, and pureed

Nonstick cooking spray

1½ cups shredded reduced-fat

Cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces)

½ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the macaroni, and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain in a colander.

2. While the macaroni is cooking, combine the milk and the beans in a food processor and process until pureed.

3. Coat a large saucepan with cooking spray and set it over medium heat. Add the bean mixture to the pan and cook, stirring until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the cheese and cook until melted and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Stir in the salt, garlic powder, paprika, and pepper. Stir in the macaroni and serve warm.

Jerry: I can’t believe there are beans in here. This tastes great.

“Buttered” Noodles

(WITH YELLOW SQUASH)

Simple buttered noodles make most kids very happy. In this version, they’re getting their veggies, too.

Prep: 5 minutes • Total: 25 minutes • Serves 4 • No meat

8 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti, angel hair, or other pasta

½ cup yellow squash puree

¼ cup nonfat (skim) milk

2 tablespoons trans-fat-free soft tub margarine spread

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

¼ teaspoon salt

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente.

2. Drain, return the pasta to the warm pot, and stir in the squash puree (make sure the puree is very creamy), milk, margarine, Parmesan, and salt.

Jessica: To save time, while