Monday, September 21, 2009

Wonderful Week of Ragu Recipes

------CONTEST CLOSED------ -------

And the winner is.... RYAN and DEMINY! CONGRATS!!!!

Comment #252:
Ryan and Deminy... said...
We eat a lot of lean protein as
well. I also try to "hide" veggies in soups, casseroles.

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:

252
Timestamp: 2009-11-12 13:37:00 UTC
------------------------------------------------

*This is a compensated review from BlogHer and Ragu*


I LOOOVE to cook and try out new recipes every week---so I was beyond thrilled to review 4 different RAGU sauces: Homemade Style Pizza Sauce, Cheesy Classic Alfredo, Old World Style Margherita, and Old World Style Sweet Tomato Basil. The last two are brand new flavors and have a full serving of veggies in every half cup!--That's music to a sneaky Mama's ears! You see, my 2 yr olds are not fond of their vegetables and meals have become somewhat of a battle at times...so I am forced to get creative with my dinner-time-veggie-hiding-food-tactics.

I was VERY impressed with the Ragu website--you guys must check out all of their fantastic recipes! They even have short videos to walk you through your meal preparation- hosted by one of my Food Network favs, Robin Miller! Check them out HERE! But the BEST part about the RAGU recipe collection is a section devoted to Budget-Friendly items with the "cost per recipe/cost per serving" located at the bottom of each dish.

Affordable (many dishes less than $2 a serving), quick (20-30 minute prep) and super easy (5 ingredients or less) meals with a full serving of veggies??? Doesn't get much better than that! So now I'll take you through the Steece Family of Six- Wonderful Week of RAGU Recipes!



MEAL #1: EASY HOMEMADE PIZZA with RAGU Homemade Style Pizza Sauce

Ahhh...homemade pizza! The possibilities are endless--I am an artist and the pizza crust is my blank canvas! I take my pizza making skills VERY seriously---so, likewise, I must have the BEST of the best when it comes to pizza sauce.



I also have the best (and most adorable) little sous-chefs in the whole world!

Big Ben ready to help with the sauce...



...Sweet Savannah piling on the toppings and cheese (stopping ever so often to nibble as she goes--as evidenced by the pasta sauce surrounding her mouth!)



Everyone gathers around to watch the "magic machine" cook the pizza.



YUMMO! How good does this look?!



I must say, I was impressed with the Pizza Sauce---not too thin, not too thick---just right! It had the perfect combination of spices and flavors without being too powerful. (Andrew and Ethan chowing down--the pizza recipe was their favorite)



MEAL #2: CHICKEN ALFREDO WITH FETTUCCINE with RAGU Cheesy Classic Alfredo Sauce


My little helpers are back!



After cooking the chicken in the skillet, I add the RAGU sauce and simmer on low for about 5 minutes. Mix it all together with the pasta--and PRESTO! Dinner is served.



This 4 ingredient meal was a cinch to make! Doesn't it look oh-so-good?



The true test...Ben (God bless him- my pickiest eater) got a couple of bites in



Sav LOVED it and asked for "MO PEEZ" (more please)


Andrew and Ethan ate about half of theirs (which is good)



Daddy was chowin' down! (Gotta love all of these eating pics...classy!)



And you know its good when you end up with Alfredo sauce on your glasses, covering your face and in your hair---Job well done, baby girl! The creamy Chicken Alfredo was easily Savannah's favorite.



MEAL #3: PASTA MARGHERITA with RAGU Old World Style Margherita Sauce


Drew with his RAGU



Cook the pasta. Throw in some cheese, pepperoni, and RAGU Margherita Sauce and WHALLAH! (easy as 1-2-3) Quite possibly the easiest, best tasting dish ever made.



Mr. Picky gave it 2 enthusiastic thumbs up! YAY!



Sav (always saying "CHEEESE"- how appropriate) enjoyed picking the pepperoni out with her fingers.



Drew loved playing with the stringy cheese more than anything



And I'll let Ethan's face do the talkin' (the kid couldn't get enough!)



MEAL #4: HEARTY BAKED RIGATONI with RAGU Old World Style Sweet Tomato Basil Sauce


Savannah- SO eager to help!



After throwing the pasta, sauce, and cheeses together- the dish baked for an easy 30 minutes. What I pulled out of the oven was warm and gooey GOODNESS!



Ethan loved it...Drew took a couple of bites but mostly played around with his pasta



I guess I know who my big-pasta-eater is...look at that mouth! (I don't know who she gets it from! Hee hee) Give her a fork and slap some pasta in front of Savannah and she's good-to-go!



And Benny boy...he was just absolutely sick and tired of eating pasta 4 meals in a row. (Can't help but laugh at this pic...poor guy! Ha)



To recap our favorite recipes:

1) Pasta Margherita was AMAZING!--easily our favorite. The robust flavor of the sauce mixed with the spicy pepperoni and mozzarella was out of this world. Cook it for dinner TONIGHT and you WON'T be disappointed! ($1.70 per serving)

2) Hearty Baked Rigatoni- great taste, love the ooey gooey cheese, reminded me of lasagna, the sauce is a wee bit sweeter than the Margherita sauce and has a hint of basil ($1.27 per serving)

3) Easy Homemade Pizza- can NEVER go wrong with homemade pizza, the sauce is perfect- wouldn't change a thing! Such a quick and EASY meal to put together within minutes! (cost varies with ingredients)

4) Chicken Alfredo with Fettuccine- I was expecting the sauce to taste "store-bought" but was pleasantly surprised, great flavor- but not something that I cannot live without (cost not given)

For more fun with the Steece Family, please stop by our main blog: STEECE'S PIECES! We'd love to have you! ;)

AND NOW THE FUN PART!!! Want to win a $100 Visa gift card?

Simply leave me a comment below and tell me: "How do you feed your kids/family well?"

- Or you may leave a link to your post on your own blog in the comments below. The contest will begin on 10/1/2009 and will end 11/11/2009. Make sure that the e-mail address you leave is correct.

Rules:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive an additional entry by linking on twitter and leaving a link in the comments.
You may receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments.
This giveaway is open to US residents, aged 18 and older.
Winners will be selected via random draw, and will notified by e-mail.
You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
Link to the Random Number Generator: http://www.random.org/integers/


Check out the rest of the BlogHer Reviewers' RAGU meals by clicking on this link- you have 10 chances to win a $100 Visa gift card.
(If not working, this link will be up and going sometime today)

For kid-friendly recipes, healthy tips and more, be sure to visit Ragu.com.

Happy Cooking & Good Luck!
post signature

522 comments:

«Oldest   ‹Older   401 – 522 of 522
Michael and Hannah said...

My kids are picky eaters... I have to "inspire" them to eat. I love getting ideas for new meals from blogs and websites. We make pizza at home a lot with the Ragu pizza sauce... can't go wrong!

knkelly said...

I'm a teacher. I don't get home until 4:30PM daily, so crock pot meals are a plus here. I can sneak in vegetables and other foods that might otherwise not ever get eaten. They are quick to throw together and ready when I get home.

Audrey T said...

We have a picky eater, so we offer healthy snacks all through the day.

Anonymous said...

We eat tons of veggies and some fruits with our lean protein. We limit carbs, unfortunally!
Kim
fortyish@rocketmail.com

emily said...

My kids know that they have to eat their fruits or veggies before getting the rest of their dinner (the carbs and meat!!!!). My three year old is currently testing this rule to see if mom and dad really mean what they say. :) Um, yes, we do!

Amy said...

You know, I have two pretty picky toddlers so I do what I can to get whatever I can down into their tummies. It's getting better with the boy, but the girl I have to convince her that she will love it. I just keep on trying!

Brandy said...

The one thing that makes my family happy is homemade pizza. It is a favorite around here, epecially since we make it a family affair & the kids help make the pizza.

Kellen and Becca Farmer said...

Well...my babies are just now starting to eat table food so I'm trying hard to feed them healthy food. We are working on bananas, carrots and kiwi! So far, so good!

Sue said...

I cook from scratch, watch the salt and load up with the veggies

Morgan Holt said...

I try to get in secret things in the kiddos food at dinner time. I have recipes that include things like broccoli or peas that my kids end up loving because they can't really taste them. They also are fans of my chicken pot pie (loaded with LOTS of veggies)! Oh...and lots of fruit!

Leah said...

I did not know Ragu made Alfredo sauce! It's a must try! I make everything homeade really (pizza sauce, spahgetti sauce etc.) I'm not usually a fan of the store bought kind (too sweet.)

Staci said...

I love the recipes in The Sneaky Chef cookbook! Our absolute favorite is the spaghetti bolognese.

Rose said...

We use 100% whole grain noodles when having pasta and I use a 12 grain bread. I figure if we are going to eat the carbs then we will try to do it in a healthier way.

Teresa said...

Nice recipe ideas...we always order chicken fett. when dining at fun Italian restaurants and now we can do it ourselves!

We spice up chicken by baking it in the oven with all kinds of fun marinades and lately cooking it in the skillet and using it to top our delicious salads.

-Teresa Taylor
teri_ace@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

We try to eat more fruits and vegetables. Grapes are a favorite of my grandson!

Brittany Wardlow said...

We love whole wheat pastas and any kind of pasta sauce because there are SO many recipes that can be made with the many varieties of sauces. Chicken, beef, ground turkey... and DEFINITELY homemade pizza (who doesn't like pizza!) All of these meals are a weekly must in our household. Also good for this mama who loves to run and needs her carbs! My son loves veggies and fruit as well, which helps us to eat healthy... and we always make it a rule to drink milk at breakfast and dinner (atleast!) Definitely planning to try out these recipes and add a little spice to our weekly meals! Thanks, Suz!!!

Elizabeth Mullins said...

Hi Suz, Great post! Love Ragu products. I make what a friend calls Easy Italian Sharona with the Ragu Spaghetti Sauce, Ragu Alfredo sauce, 1 lb light sausage, 2 cups mozzerella cheese, & a little bit of garlic powder. Cook sausage & noodles. Mix everything together and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Always a crowd pleaser in our house!

I also do my meal planning on a magnetic revolving calendar a month at a time. Helps lower cost and stress of what we are going to eat every night. Plus, the hubby knows what to look forward to coming home to eat!

Betsy said...

try try try to follow weight watchers!!!!

Anonymous said...

We love to make roast in the crockpot and one of my twins go crazy over it and ask for 2 and 3 helpings. We always have a fruit and veggie in every meal!
julie
julielhutt@hotmail.com

Melissa and Cas said...

We always try to have veggies with our meals! I love fresh veggies and fruits so I try to use them as much as I can!

Kaybee said...

I make sure that my little boy eats well by serving at least one fruit and veggie with each meal. Luckily, he loves his fruits and veggies. Thank Goodness :)

I really loved your review. We have used the pizza sauce before but never any of the other sauces. I am going to try them real soon.

Kendra
kaybejaybe@gmail.com

Julie Marler (Mammy) said...

My grandkids love any kind of spaghetti, alfredo, cheese sticks, grilled cheese sandwiches, mandarin orange slices, corn, peas, yogurt and apples! Oh, and of course PIZZA! You can check out all my grandkids on my blog
http://mammysfrontporch.blogspot.com/

Love your blog and your family!
Mammy

Anonymous said...

hole grains, gluten free, and fresh fruits and veggies all the time. Love your blog. Thanks for the chance to win! :) aaronamber@aol.com

Amber

Michelle said...

Thankfully, my daughter loves vegetables. I mean would rather eat a plate of different vegetables than mac and cheese. I had nothing to do with that! I love junk. So, we eat lots of veggies, whole grain, low-fat items.

Lisa said...

Luckily my girls LOVE fruits and veggies and would gladly choose them over cookies! We only offer milk or water to drink. We don't even have soda or juice in the house. We try to stick to chicken or fish for our meats.

Candice said...

We buy orgnanic and cook at home as much as possible. For my son, I make all of his food myself. I buy fresh organic fruit and veggies, steam them, puree and freeze. Yum!:)

jennifer57 said...

Love the pics!

We always have vegetables with every meal :)

Jen said...

I find that letting the kids get in on the action is the best way to get them to eat healthy. They will try almost anything if they can say they made it. We like to added steamed veggies to our spaghetti sauce, toss peas in our salads, cranberries in our oatmeal, almost anything to slip in some extra fruits and veggies!

Deana said...

We cook at home pretty much every night unless I am not at home and then my husband orders papa john's :-) My kids eat pretty much everything!! My oldest son's favorite dinner is Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes, Green Peas and my little guy who is 2 - well he eats everything :-) I try very hard to make something that I know they will eat- Maybe I cater to them too much- but your pics of the pizza got me thinking we need to try to do that here!!! Thanks for this site!!
Deana

Dee said...

I tried to slip in veggies when I can!

emma said...

We try to sneak veggies in in ways they never see! We also all try one new food a week that none of us has ever tried before. It has made them much more tolerant of the things they aren't used to.

Mom said...

I have an extremely picky eater on my hands! Luckily we do eat a lot of pasta which is definitely a good way to "sneak" veggies in with the sauce! My son does love fruit, so if we are not having a veggie that he will eat, fruit it is!

Unknown said...

The first thing I have to say is- OMG they are so cute (the kids not the meals ;) ) Hahahaha I am going to your main blog to check it out when I am done here.
I think the best way to get kids to eat a wide variety is to let them help you, from buying to preparing (even gardening if you are able) it makes them willing and eager to try what they created.

Unknown said...

Blogged the giveaway- http://myloonyverse.com (left sideabar)

Dana said...

We have switched to whole wheat pasta and I usually bake most of our meat- never fry it. I also try to get veggies and fruits in as much as possible.

We actually just used a Ragu sauce last night when I made Shrimp Alfredo (we use bowtie pasta as it's easier for little ones to eat!!)

Unknown said...

http://twitter.com/dddiva/status/5618520420

Barbara said...

We try to eat healthy whole-grains and lean meats with veggies...now if we could only stop going out to eat so much, maybe we'd be in better shape!! =)

Toni said...

We eat lean meats, whole grains and veggies.

tonikessler@gmail.com

Ashley said...

My daughter is just 11 months old, so she isn't too much trouble and eats what I put in front of her.
My husband and I try to eat healthy and not have junk in the house, so she's learning from us.

Katie Reeder said...

Whole grain pasta and easy swaps like turkey pepperoni!

Crystal Renee said...

Hey Suz. I tweeted about this today

http://twitter.com/cmason0708/status/5618831916

Good Luck again Guys

mrsofficer 25 AT yahoo DOT com

Aggiema (Michelle) said...

I am fortunate that my family loves a wide variety of veggies and fruits so it really is quite easy to feed them well. We stay away from fried food and try to keep the meals balanced.

Rebecca said...

We love fruit, but my son doesn't eat many veggies! I sneak it in as many things as I can and always offer them to him, with ketchup on the side!

Thanks!
Rebecca
rebeccaandjustin@yahoo.com

The Whitakers said...

I just give my son whatever we are having. Either he eats it or he doesn't eat anything else. Soon he realizes that he will eat what mommy gives him.

tlc1982@aol.com

The Whitakers said...

I posted about the giveaway on my blog.

http://southernsavingsanddeals.blogspot.com/2009/11/visa-gift-card-giveaway.html

tlc1982@aol.com

Lindsey said...

My family eats pretty healthy to begin with. My daughter loves veggies but on top of that I always try to hid veggies in other areas. Meatloaf always has pureed veggies in it, and I sneak canned pumpkin into my pasta sauce. I suppose you can never have too many veggies!

Karen said...

clearly I need to make more variety, your stuff sounds delicious! I make sure all their sandwiches for school are on whole grain bread, I do make them drink milk at dinner and try to cook a good variety:)

lawinthemiddleofnowhere said...

we put veggies in everything, from spinach in our lasagna to kale in stir-fry!

Ann said...

We often grill our veggies. Zucchini, squash, and eggplant are what my kids fight over. They love the grilled strips on their plates.

The best way to have kids enjoy veggies is to have a little container garden in a flower pot. Tomatoes are eaten by the little farmers because they are so proud of them.

We avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup and anything Hydrogenated. I simply don't buy it.

ALY said...

Trying different recipes to mix it up, but also trying to always include some veggie (hard with 2 picky teenage girls), a protein and often a bread. Full time working mom often runs out of ideas!
annetta.young@tyson.com

ConfidentUntilCompletion said...

I would love to try the homemade pizza! That looks so good! Unfortunately, I'm not the cook in the house, my hubby is. But our favorite way to eat healthy is use ground turkey instead of ground beef. Yummy!

--Leah

gracie said...

Ragu is the only sauce I ever use! huitsingster@gmail.com

ConfidentUntilCompletion said...

You can also see where I tweeted about this giveaway here:

http://twitter.com/confidentblog

Janet said...

Love Love Love your reviews! My girls are only 7 months old so I don't have to completly worry about healthy eating yet. Gerber takes care of that for me right now! I can see in the future that we may have issues with veggies, so I appreciate your reviews as I will use your information for future reference for my twin girls! You kids are adorable, and as always I love hearing about your latest and greatest adventures!!

ConfidentUntilCompletion said...

I posted on my blog at this address:

http://confidentuntilcompletion.blogspot.com/2009/11/wanna-win-100.html

Thanks! Hope to win! :0)

The Rodriguez Crew said...

that chicken alfredo made my mouth water!! YUM! We're just entering the picky eater stage with our almost 2 year old, and I'm dreading it. Veggies are tricky! I have finally gotten smart, and served him the main entree (usually meat) first, then once he's made a dent in it I'll pass on the yummy sides! I need to crack open my Deceptively Delicious cookbook STAT! Thanks for the review!

Raquel said...

we eat a lot of veggies, my kids love to dip there veggies in ranch too that always makes it easier

Jennifer Mullinax said...

Balance, balance, balance...which sometimes mean hiding veggies in other things!! :)

Anonymous said...

With 3 girls very active in sports and school finding time to cook is very difficult. I look forward to trying your recipes! (Or their recipes I guess....)

Right now one of our favorites is ground turkey meat, mashed potatoes (you can use sweet potatoes), corn (can or fresh) and cheese. Mix it all together and Wall-la! MOM's SURPRISE!!!

kylee said...

I menu plan every week, and base our meals around what is in season (it's all about the miles your food has to travel!)

We have our plates half veggies, a quarter protein and a quarter starch/grain

The Oplotnik's said...

I can't wait to try out these dishes!! I try to include fruit or veggies in every meal. My son is quite picky so I have to hide them, but whatever it takes!!
soplotnik@hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

I make veggie purees and freeze them in 1/2 cup portions. They go in tons of stuff - anything with a sauce, soup, chili, etc. Check out the book Decepitively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld. Plus, my kids also eat lots of fruit and many veggies, too! Good luck!

Anonymous said...

juliebasswalker@yahoo.com

I just posted about the Jessica Seinfeld recipes...

Paige said...

Whole Grain Pasta!!! We love it and it is much better for you. We also take Juice Plus, to supplement for the fruits and veggies we don't eat enough of!

Danae Jones said...

After grocery shopping, as soon as I get home I cut up all the fruits and veggies and store them in easy reach in the fridge, This way anyone can grab a healthy snack and not be put off by haveing to prepare it!

Tera said...

We serve a lot of organics here. We love pasta...any kind. Tonight's menu includes Cajun chicken linguine with alfredo, yum!!

Samantha said...

we definitely have to hide veggies around here! but green beans are a hit! we eat a lot of whole grain pasta- homemade mac n cheese is a favorite. and lots of chicken! any which way you like :) i love Ragu! although this year i made freezer spaghetti sauce out of all our tomatoes from the garden! i like to mix half freezer sauce/half Ragu. i love it!

Sarah said...

We love food around here. It is funny that the foods they most eat are things that are messy. Spaghetti, pizza, tacos. We love them all. We also love fruit and veggies along side all of our favs.

texasblue83@hotmail.com
Sarah

Schaefer Clan said...

Hi!

Thanks for doing this giveaway! We try to eat foods of each color daily (fruit, veggies).

His,
Nancy
schaeferclan(at)sbcglobal(dot)net

Katie B. said...

Lots of fruit and veggies!

Deb Anderson said...

I have to be sneaky when it comes to getting my kids to eat healthier things. For instance, I’ll add wild rice and cauliflower to chicken noodle soup. They never know the difference. Maybe one day I’ll tell them. :)

Deb Anderson said...

tweet here
http://twitter.com/tnshadylady/status/5622359866

Deb Anderson said...

blog link here
http://tnshadylady.blogspot.com/2009/11/product-reviews-from-quad-mom-named-suz.html

Kim Schoenbachler said...

my kids eat veggies without us even asking, we have been very lucky!

kschoenbachler@comcast.net

Erica Danielle said...

My family's favorite meal is lasagna - they go nuts over it. My step-daughter is also constantly asking for spaghetti - we have some italian dish lovers in the family!

AdriansCrazyLife said...

I'm trying to cut back on fried foods by using my crock pot more. In fact, I used some Ragu the other day on chicken. After cooking all day, it was SO tender and the sauce really soaked in nicely.

Word verification was pastreto - is it psychic or what?

Cherie said...

I love that I can sneak in some veggies for my pasta-loving kids!

This Mom said...

We are very lucky to have kids who have always loved fruits and veggies. Huge favorites in our house are oven roasted cauliflower and asparagus. They also LOVE sweet potato fries!

Unknown said...

I try to fit fruits and veggies wherever I can and def. organic.

Sarah P said...

I wish I could say we all just LOVE to eat healthy all the time, but that's not the truth. So, instead, I puree a lot of our veggies and sneak them into our foods - cauliflower in our potatoes, squash in our mac n' cheese. Every little bit helps!

saw99a @ yahoo . com

Chris and Annalisa said...

I feed my family well by trying to make homecooked meals as much as possible, because they're usually healthier/lower in sodium. Since I work during the day, the crockpot is my friend! :)

annashopper at gmail dot com

Kelly said...

I am also a mom of 4, although mine are 1-7. My kids love helping me cook, and when I let them they eat their food much better. Their current favorite meal to make is spaghetti which we just had last night.

Mary Adair said...

we have turned to more whole foods, trying to shop the perimeter of the store , where you'll find all the whole food are.(meats, dairy , fruits veggies ) so we try to give fruits and veggies the most and have smaller cuts of lean meats making then the side dishes. I've learned its better to have a whole apple rather than apple juice and so forth.
Mary A in AZ

Laura said...

To feed our family well (which includes two year old twin cuties), I attempt to put some form of fruit or veggie in anything I possibly can! If I am in a huge rush and making mac n cheese from a box, I quickly steam some veggies in the microwave and chop them while the pasta is cooking and then toss them in with the cheese! Be sneaky! :)

Patti Bevans said...

Yummy - those recipes look great! With 2 little picky boys, it's hard to find something they'll both eat at dinner time. Neither had really been a pasta fan until lately - yeah! Now I can actually get them to eat pasta and (turkey) meatballs!

Ware Family said...

I also have a picky eater, but he loves sauce, so we love pizza and alfredo sauce, as well as ranch.
I LOVE Kraft food&family magazine too. So many healthy recipes that are fast and easy. Love it!

Anonymous said...

My husband and I eat healthier by having a salad with dinner, that way we make sure we eat some veggies.

Thanks for the review!

~Catherine
catherine.b.taylor@gmail.com

April S. said...

We have a very picky 3 yr old in the house, so I have started letting her "pick" our meals. I give her options "chicken or fish", "broccoli or corn", and "potatoes or green beans". She feels like she has picked what we are eating and we all win. It works most days.

Linz said...

I have a two year old and I am 7 months pregnant. so I try hard to make things that make us full when we leave the table (Pizza bake, Johnnny Marzetti, now that is getting colder I make soups) I find that if I let my son help with dinner he eats whatever that maybe!! My husband is not a veggie man but he has stepped up and will eat them just so our son does ;0). Yogurt tubs are big in our house these days so we will have those sometimes as well.

Lindsay Kendall
Kendalljlr@gmail.com

Linz said...

I have a two year old and I am 7 months pregnant. so I try hard to make things that make us full when we leave the table (Pizza bake, Johnnny Marzetti, now that is getting colder I make soups) I find that if I let my son help with dinner he eats whatever that maybe!! My husband is not a veggie man but he has stepped up and will eat them just so our son does ;0). Yogurt tubs are big in our house these days so we will have those sometimes as well.

Lindsay Kendall
Kendalljlr@gmail.com

Kristen said...

We try to include fruits and/or veggies at every meal!

KristenLJackson at msn dot com

Jill said...

I try to have a little of everything at at meal: fruit, veggies, meat and a startch of some sort. My kids love pasta and they are starting to enjoy soups too.
Fruit Smoothies are a new favorite. Feeding healty well balanced meals that are good is a challenge and I love to find great hints on blogs, websites and food sites! Thanks for these recipes.

Beth said...

We eat a lot of veggies - slip them in anywhere I can! And fruit for snacks.

molly said...

We garden and can a ton of food in fall... I know my family is eating well, because I know just what I put in those jars of fruit and veggies. :) Though canning leaves me a very tired mama, it's worth it to know we're eating right!

Borton Family said...

I try to feed my boys healthy meals. That does not always work out. I love this idea. Pasta is a hit in my house. I cant wait to try them. Thanks
Vanessa
vanyfoo3@yahoo.com

April said...

I cook a lot of meals in my crock pot. This way I can toss in everything in the morning and when we get home, dinner is ready to be served. We also keep fruits and veggies on hand for easy snacks. We use lots of chicken, lots of whole grains, and lots of vegetables in a week.

Tiffany said...

I loved seeing Ragu recipes. There are only two of us, so when I open a jar of sauce, I like to use it for two or three dishes. If I make veggie-spaghetti for two, I'll use the remainder for a lasagne to freeze. The broccoli,baby corn, and chick peas add fiber and vitamins, plus a more interesting texture and flavor!

Graceandjoelroberts said...

I would love to plan better, and try to mix proteins with different veggies!

J & S James said...

My mom always said your meal needs to be colorful, I always cook at least 2 different colored veggies per meal. I try not to cook "bag meals" and cook everything myself.

Janel said...

I feed my kids on a budget with coupons :)

Lisa said...

I like to take the kids to Green's Produce and let them pick out fruits and veggies that they want to try and eat for that week and that makes them much more likely to be happy about it at mealtimes. We also talk a lot with our 5 year old about how eating healthy things makes your muscles bigger and stronger.

Stacy said...

I try to give my kids a fruit and a veggie with every meal, and I try to make snacks fruits or veggies. I don't even eat as healthy as my own kids, b/c I monitor all of their food/snacks! :)

michigancutie24@hotmail.com

Kelli said...

So cute! We try to eat as many veggies and fruits as possible and have been experimenting with eating more turkey rather than red meats.

Tracy said...

I love using ragu since it is quick and easy! The kids love spaghetti, and I'm anxious to try that pizza! Who wouldn't love that!
We try to encourage good eating at every meal... fruits, veggies, whole grains, dairy!

Meg-D said...

I try to encourage balanced eating by offering fruits and vegetables with something yummy to dip them in. My kids love to dip!

Whitney said...

I make sure that we get fruit &/or veggies at every meal, use whole grain products, minimize sweets & eating out, etc. And I'd like to start sneaking in vegetable purees into some of my recipes!

Whitney said...

tweet- http://twitter.com/whitlump/status/5629812261

Jodi said...

GREAT reviews!! We too are BIG fans of the alfredo sauce around here... gonna have to try the others!

I'm a whole grain pasta kinda girl. The four of us LOVE pasta, and it helps keep stuff healthy. PLUS even with alfredo sauce (not the healthiest in the world), I can saute up some veggies and turn any pasta dish into a gooey healthy meal! Making me hungry...

Brooke said...

We try to do fruits for breakfast and snacks and veggies for lunch and dinner. Also, anytime we can incorporate veggies into our dishes we do!

KK @ Running Through Life said...

We eat a lot of lean proteins, whole grains, and tons of fresh veggies and fruits. Simple but good!

runningthroughlife at gmail

Sam and Jess said...

like every other mom out there, we try to eat as healthy as possible. That includes homemade meals and replacing ingredients in order to make things more healthy. If we eat spaghetti we will usually go with the whole grain noodles.

Anonymous said...

I loved the review, we use the pizza sauce, we use it all the time!

We have a 10 year old, an 8 year old and a 5 month old and our older kids are super picky so we have started making them try and eat some of everything that I cook, thier taste changes and it has been amazing the amount of things that the kids are starting to like because we have not given up!

Riley Reese
riley.reese@live.com

kim said...

I try to have at least one vegetable/fruit at every meal. My 3 year old daughter and I love our veggies, it's my husband who has a hard time eating them! (: I also offer healthy foods for snack (fruit, seasame sticks, raw veggies, peanut butter & crackers, yogurt, light string cheese, etc) instead of surgar-filled things.

Debbie said...

We try our hardest to avoid fast food and cook something for dinner every night of the week. With three teenagers and a fourth grader, ineveitably someone is not home but we try to feed them a balanced meal.

mcsix at embarqmail dot com

Mandi said...

Lucky for me my husband and baby girl loves fish. Which is insane considering my child is the pickest eater in the world. But she will eat just about any kind of seafood and I try to give it to her as often as possible!

Anonymous said...

Great job! We try hid veggies in every meal and limit sugar intake!
Lway4prez@hotmail.com

teridr said...

We offer fruits and veggies for snacks, then again with dinner.

Melissa Angert {All Things Chic} said...

i just push the fruits and veggies!!! especially for snacks - though they'd rather have a cookie or a granola bar!

Katelin D. said...

My husband and I are newlyweds...so, we try our best to eat healthy on a budget! We eat a lot of beans and rice which provides us with a lot of protein at a very low cost. We also eat a lot of eggs and I prepare a lot of meals with frozen veggies because they're so much cheaper.

katelin.demel@yahoo.com

Megan said...

We started our son on fruits and veggies early, so now he has the acquired taste! We always enjoy fruit for dessert, too!

MichaelandJaclynn said...

My favorite is blueberries! I love making blueberry pancakes, waffles and desserts.

Korndog said...

We always use whole grains and there is always a vegetable in every meal. Chicken is our favorite ingredient.

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