28 Feb Inside the Fridge Roundup: Moms & Kids

We are  continuously exploring and sharing new ways to get families excited about being in the kitchen. We know it’s not easy  though! Experimenting with new and healthy recipes nourishes your bodies and is a fun activity to get the whole family together. What better way to share good food than with those you love! This week, we take a look inside the fridges of moms and kids who inspire and encourage healthy lifestyles every day. 

Inside the Fridge welcomes Cookie ChRUNicles blogger Meredith!

Meet Meredith. Meredith is a single mom to an adorable, witty and active 9 year old son. An avid runner and vegetarian, she chronicles her daily mileage through single motherhood in her entertaining blog, The Cookie ChRUNicles. She is on a never ending quest to raise her son on healthy, wholesome foods!

How do you plan your weekly meals? Create a spreadsheet of fly by the seat of your pants? 

I believe in “Freedom of Meal”. I refer to Freedom of Meal often on my blog. It simply means that I don’t want to feel forced into eating something if I am not in the mood for it. I am not against meal planning; meal planning for the week is a great way to get you cooking and preparing your own meals at home. It not only helps people to eat healthier, it is also a money saver because it is much cheaper to prepare your meals at home than rely on restaurants and quick service food establishments. 

Inside the Fridge welcomes The Dinner Mom, Marjory Pilley

Say hello to The Dinner Mom…Marjory Pilley.  Her dinner dynasty began as the owner of a make-ahead meal store that helped busy people, like you, prepare delicious dinners. On her blog, she frequently shares easy, healthy and fun recipes the whole family will love. You’ll also find a sprinkling of tips and good-hearted humor about food challenges, such as food allergies, picky eaters, healthy eating and combining a variety of palates to enjoy meals together. As a mom to a child with allergies, she knows firsthand all the secrets to avoiding terrifying triggers.

Do you believe in leftovers?

I plan for leftovers which makes dinner a breeze the next day. If we have London Broil on Monday, then we will have fajitas with the leftover meat on Tuesday.

Inside the Fridge welcomes Kelly from The No Sugar, Sweet Life

Struggling with weight for her entire adult life, Kelly finally decided life is too short to live perpetually unhappy. She recently lost 40 pounds after celebrating her daughter’s first birthday (way to go!). Her weight loss blog is the next step in the journey towards a happy healthy life… the sweet life, no sugar added. Kelly is a busy full-time mom of a 19 month old toddler, also has a full-time job as an accountant. She’s also a wife and helper to an amazing man, and now a blogger! You’ll find easy meal ideas, healthy substitutions, encouragement, and, of course, Kelly’s adorable personality shining through.  She loves hearing about how others are choosing the sweet life too, and can be reached through her blog, email, facebook, or on twitter!

What words of wisdom or advice do you have for other folks who are doing their best every day to fill the fridge? 

I was always afraid of buying many fresh fruits and veggies because what if I didn’t use them in time and they went bad? But if you buy a variety week to week and make an effort to use them in a couple of different recipes, you won’t waste them, and your health will thank you! For example, the week I bought a honeydew melon I made 3 different things using honeydew: Honeydew Caprese Salad, a Cucumber Melon juice, and Italian Shrimp Bruschetta Pasta.

Inside the Fridge Welcomes 8-year-old Healthy Eating Advocate Nicolas Come

Eight-year-old Nicolas Come had an epiphany last year; while other kids his age were playing with their friends or mastering basic mathematics in school, the self-proclaimed, “Picky Eater” Nicolas decided to develop an entirely new, digital business model to support First Lady Obama’s efforts, promoting healthier living and fighting childhood obesity. 

Knowing how much he enjoyed learning to grow his own food, and cooking the resulting, healthy ingredients with his family, he outlined and diagrammed an idea for a mobile application and supporting technology that would be, “by kids; for kids” — allowing them to share healthy recipes, cooking training and tips, and other healthy options in an easy, fun, digital format.

Convinced and emboldened that his idea was important, Nicolas bravely pitched his idea (by himself, while standing on a chair) to over 90 technical experts during a recent Sacramento Hacker Lab “Hackathon” (a weekend coding competition), recruited a team of designers and content developers, and ultimately developed the concept for this new digital platform, known as, “Nicolas’ Garden.” 

What is your favorite meal to prepare (or help prepare)?

Nicolas’ California Sunshine. It is a chicken curry sauce served with brown rice, vegetables and fruits. It is fun to make and tastes really good. You can find the recipe on my app.

Thank you Meredith, Marjory, Kelly, and Nicolas!

If you would like to be featured on Inside the Fridge, please contact Robinsbite intern, Jaime – jaime@robinplotkin.com