The document provides tips for planning and preparing meals as a family, emphasizing the importance of grocery shopping with a list and engaging children in cooking activities. It includes various meal ideas and recipes, such as baked pita chips with yogurt dip, peanut chicken lettuce wraps, and healthy muffins. The approach aims to make meal preparation enjoyable while promoting healthy eating habits and organization.

1. Preparing meals can be fun for the whole family!
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2. Grocery Shopping
• Make a list ahead of time and stick to it. Decide what your meals will be for the week before
you go to the grocery store to ensure you have everything you need for that meal.
• Fix a snack for everyone or eat a meal before you go to the grocery store. Never go to the
grocery store hungry.
• Shop around the perimeter of the store to fill your cart with nutrient rich foods.
• Read food labels to compare items and choose the food with the least amount of fat and the
most amount of fiber.
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Planning meals will help you stay organized and reduce stress throughout the week.
Here are some quick tips that will help keep you on track.

3. Cooking at Home
• Plan meals that you can place in the oven and forget while you play with the kids. (Ex: Roast
Beef with carrots and potatoes, Baked Tilapia and zucchini, Baked Chicken with green beans
and brown rice)
• Buy frozen vegetables so you can heat up a small amount at a time and you do not have to
worry about them spoiling.
• Allow for a “Whatever Night” when you are just too tired to think. A thin crust pizza with lots
of veggies on top and lean Canadian bacon is a quick meal that everyone is sure to love.
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Planning meals will help you stay organized and reduce stress throughout the week.
Here are some quick tips that will help keep you on track.

4. Get the Whole Family Cooking
• Have your children pick out some of the fresh fruits
and vegetables that they like when you are at the
grocery store.
• Give the other members of the family simple tasks to
complete such as washing produce, stir ingredients,
measure food items, peel vegetables, or even be the
official taste tester!
• Have your children read the food labels or have
them read a recipe to you.
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Planning meals will help you stay organized and reduce stress throughout the week.
Here are some quick tips that will help keep you on track.

5. Ingredients
• 4 whole wheat pitas
• 1 Tbsp ground garlic powder
• 1 c fat free plain Greek yogurt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2c frozen spinach
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 of cucumber, sliced
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Method
• Heat oven to 400 F. Cut pitas into 8 wedges and place on baking sheet.
• Spray pita wedges with cooking spray and sprinkle garlic on top. Bake for 5 mins.
• Place the yogurt, spinach, cucumber, salt and pepper into a food processor or blender and
blend until smooth.
• Use pita chips or fresh vegetables to dip!
Serves 4. 210 calories, 1.5g fat, 0mg cholesterol, 410mg sodium, 38g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, 12g protein

6. Ingredients
• 1 lb skinless boneless chicken breast, cut into thin strips & dice
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• ½c Peanut Sauce (see recipe below)
• 1 head Romaine lettuce, separate into leaves
• 2 c whole grain noodles
• 1 c shredded carrots
• 1 c sliced cucumbers
• ¼ c chopped peanuts
• 1 c sliced mushrooms
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Method
• Heat oil in large skillet. Add chicken, and sauté until golden brown.
• Add peanut sauce and cook for 1 minute.
• Take lettuce leaf and add noodles, chicken, carrots, cucumbers and peanuts. Roll (like a
tortilla), eat & ENJOY!
Serves 8. Calories: 230, Fat: 9g, Sodium: 350mg, Carb: 15g, Fiber: 3g, Protein: 23g

7. Ingredients
• 4 Tbsp peanut butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 c vegetable broth
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Method
• Place peanut butter and broth in a small pot on low-medium heat. Stir until mixed well.
• Stir in rest of ingredients until mixed well and keep warm until ready to use.

8. Ingredients
• ¾ c flour
• 1c oatmeal
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 1/4c ground flaxseed
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 medium banana
• 1/2c skim milk
• ¼ c unsweetened applesauce
• 1 egg
• ½ tsp vanilla
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Method
• Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray muffin pan with cooking spray.
• Place first 5 dry ingredients in a bowl and mix together well. Place last 5 wet ingredients
in another bowl and beat together.
• Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until mixed. Careful not to over stir.
• Pour muffin mix into muffin pan and bake for 15-20mins.
Serves 12. 106 calories, 2g fat, 4g protein, 17mg cholesterol, 110mg sodium, 18g carbohydrate, 3g fiber