Today is the STARR writing test here in Texas. Little miss is off to school and ready to go. This year she will get the help she needs, since she has been diagnosed with dyslexia. However, this is the hardest test for her since she she will be graded on writing along with spelling. Spelling is the most difficult for children with dyslexia, since they may know all the letters that make up a work but are unsure what order they go in. We were able to write her a letter letting her know we believe in her and her abilities and not to worry about this silly test. If you can say a little prayer she does well today.
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Healthy Couponing
There is a ton of junk food out there you can get with coupons or great deals on junk food. I am not going to say I never buy junk food. I do buy some things because I think it is OK for a small treat every once in awhile. Everything in moderation. I want them to understand you can eat certain food like cookies and ice cream, but only on occasions. Just like cake I don’t have it everyday, so that when it is served I can have a piece and not feel guilty about it. These are treats and should be considered as such.
I started to research how can I provide similar tastes of products that aren't as healthy, but with more nutrition for my growing kids. I am always looking for way to add calcium, protein and additional vitamins to their diets. Protein tends to stick with you and make you feel full longer than empty sugar calories. If I am providing a high carb meal I see if there is a way I can sneak in more protein and not change the overall quality or taste of the food.
One switch I have made is using plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream or regular yogurt. Greek yogurt has 8grams of protein per one cup serving compared to sour cream only 6grams. I add this to a lot of breakfast items we eat. This gives more protein in a carb packed breakfast such as pancakes or muffins. We also use this instead of sour cream to top tacos, taco soup and anything else delicious you would normally add sour cream to. Where ever you can use sour cream you can use plain Greek yogurt. It is very similar in taste and texture. Whenever there are coupons for Greek yogurt I always make sure I print these healthy coupons.
I cannot always find coupons for plain Greek yogurt. There is a store here in the Dallas area called Sprouts that run sales all the time on Greek Yogurt. I make sure I buy enough to make it last until the next sale. I will make sour cream recipes like stroganoff or tacos when these are available. If I don’t have the greek yogurt we normally don’t have these dishes. That way we still get to enjoy these family favorites, we just do this around sales. That is the secret to reducing your grocery budget. Reviewing what sales are going on to see what items you can purchase on sale and make your meals around those items. By do this, you will greatly reduce your grocery budget every week and still buy healthy items.
Have you tried Greek yogurt before? How do you cook with Greek Yogurt?
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