Top 5 Sandwich Ideas for Kids

With peanut allergies on the rise, more schools dictate what parents can put in kids’ lunches. For many, that means no more peanut butter and jelly. As parents everywhere take on the challenge of figuring out what to make their kids for lunch every day, these five peanut butter alternatives may help make the ban on peanuts easier to swallow.

Cream Cheese and Jelly

Cream cheese’s thick, smooth texture and pronounced tanginess perfectly complements jelly’s sweet, fruity flavor. If you’re using strawberry jam, add freshly sliced strawberries for texture. These simple sandwiches are also great on crispy rice cakes, which helps keep the filling from making the bread soggy. Kids tend to like the appealing crunch. Try using different flavored rice cakes, jellies and cream cheeses for variety. Just be sure to pack a cold pack, so the cream cheese stays fresh.

Sunflower Butter and Jelly

Whether your child’s classroom is nut-free or you’re simply looking for a change of pace, sunflower-seed butter is a tasty alternative to peanut butter. It pairs well with jelly or honey, as well as bananas, carrots and ants on a log—almost anywhere you would use peanut butter. Sunflower butter is a little more fluid than peanut butter so be sure to pack an extra napkin!

Sesame Butter and Sour Cherry Jelly

If you’re feeling really adventurous, try pairing sesame butter with jelly. Sesame butter is a thick paste made of ground sesame seeds. It’s similar to tahini, which is used to flavor Middle Eastern dishes such as a hummus and baba ganoush. We recommend pairing sesame butter with a very tart jam and a drizzle of honey.

Chocolate-hazelnut Spread and Jelly

If your child is allowed to bring hazelnuts to school, these sandwiches make for a special treat! Raspberry jelly works really well with the chocolate flavors. Make these sandwiches on whole-wheat bread and pack plenty of fruits and veggies on the side to make sure your kiddo is getting a balanced lunch. Creamy brie is the perfect alternative to your traditional PB&J. This cheese is rich, mild and soft enough to spread easily on crackers or bread. Pair it with a fig or apricot jam for an extra savory treat. Keep in mind, if your child’s school is completely nut-free, some of the above recipes may be off-limits. You’ll have to avoid almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, chestnuts, filberts, hazelnuts, hickory nuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts and more.   

With so many different sweeteners available at Sprouts, it can be tough to decide which one to buy. Are honey, agave nectar and coconut sugar healthier than table sugar? To help you decide, here’s the real deal on 11 common sweeteners.

Agave Nectar

1 cup = 960 calories

Agave is similar in taste and texture to honey, but without all of the nutrients. Agave, however, is lower on the glycemic index than honey, so it’s a case of picking your battles. Best for adding a touch of sweetness to smoothies and iced drinks.

Brown Sugar

1 cup = 720 calories

Brown sugar gets its distinctive color due to the presence of molasses. Nutritionally, brown sugar and white sugar are not much different. Best for bringing caramel flavor to cookies, brownies, darker cakes (like carrot cake) and quick bread. It’s also great for topping oatmeal, fruit crisps or crumbles.

Cane Sugar

1 cup = 960 calories

Made from boiled down sugarcane, it has a nice, mellow caramel flavor and is a good vegan substitute for honey. It’s about 50/50 fructose and glucose. Best for lightly sweetening iced tea and cocktails, as well as coffee cakes and biscuits.

Coconut Sugar

1 cup = 720 calories

Like raw honey, coconut sweeteners contain a variety of minerals, 17 amino acids, vitamin C, and nearly the entire B complex. Coconut sugar is low on the glycemic index and also has a neutral pH balance, so it does not add acidity to the body. Best for using as you would use brown sugar. It has a nutty flavor, but does not taste like coconut.

Corn Syrup

1 cup = 960 calories

Corn syrup is almost exactly as sweet as the granulated sugar it often replaces in recipes. It can be naturally light in color, which is often used for candy making and baking. The advantage of corn syrup over sugar is its resistance to crystallization. The most controversial form of corn syrup—high-fructose corn syrup—is rarely sold directly to consumers. Best for setting up pecan pie, peanut brittle, popcorn balls and homemade candies.

Granulated Sugar

1 cup = 720 calories

Refined white sugar is pure sucrose. It can be produced from either sugar cane or sugar beets, but by the time it has been refined to a white crystal, the two are chemically identical. Pure white sugar has been processed so it has few minerals and antioxidants. Best for making sugar cookies, meringue toppings and delicate fluffy cakes.

Honey

1 cup = 960 calories

The processed honey that is found in most pantries is no better than table sugar; raw honey, however, is a different story. Raw honey is considered to be a superfood by some, as it contains antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, amino acids and other nutrients. Raw honey is an acceptable substitute for table sugar, provided that it isn’t used in excess, as honey does contain sugar. Best for providing a sweet delicate flavor to dressings, marinades and slaws.

Maple Syrup

1 cup = 800 calories

It contains small amounts of polyphenols—antioxidants that help quell inflammation. It holds the middle spot on the glycemic index in comparison to other sweeteners, and does have a few health benefits, as it contains some minerals and antioxidants. Best for flavoring pork with a glaze or as part of a marinade or salad dressing. Also great for pouring on pancakes, waffles and French toast, of course.

Molasses

1 cup = 960 calories

Molasses has the highest antioxidant levels of all sweeteners and provides a good source of niacin, thiamin, magnesium, copper and potassium. It is a byproduct of processing cane juice into white sugar. Its flavor is bittersweet and deeply rich so use it in small doses! Best for adding distinct flavor and a hint of sweetness to baked beans, homemade barbecue sauces, brown bread and ginger cookies.

Stevia

1 cup = 0 calories

It has been shown that stevia is much sweeter than other sugars, meaning that only a small amount needs to be used. The body also processes stevia very slowly, which greatly reduces the risk of a sugar high. In addition, it is essentially calorie-free, which is why it is popular with dieters. Best for sweetening up a cup of coffee or a cold drink.

Turbinado Sugar

1 cup = 720 calories

Turbinado or “raw” sugar, is also a dehydrated cane juice. It retains a bit more of the natural “impurities,” so it’s even a little darker, and the molasses aroma and flavor is a bit more pronounced. Best for topping cookies and breads with a sugary crackle.  

As tempting as it is to load up on berries and stone fruits whenever you come into Sprouts, you’ve probably experienced the downside of that happy harvest as well. Peaches sometimes sit too long on your kitchen counter, and apples will slip to the back of the produce bin in your fridge. Then what you have on your hands is little more than a swarm of fruit flies and some colorful compost.

Sweet Salvage

Most of us buy fruit that is nearing peak ripeness, but not quite there. And then, inevitably, we miss the magical moment at home and end up with some fruit that is way too ripe. Darn the luck. You don’t want to use overripe fruit to make jam, because it has already lost some of its pectin—its binding sugar. You also don’t want to just throw it out. Here are some tips for what to do when your fruit’s gone too far.

Berries

If you buy too many berries, you can freeze them. Just make sure to wash them all off carefully, AND dry them. You’ll also need some reasonable freezer space, because you don’t just want to throw them all into a plastic container. Best to separate them out a little bit, perhaps using muffin tins. If your berries do over-ripen, cut away the soft spots and then purée everything in the blender with a little sugar. You’ll have a great topping for ice cream or pancakes.

Bananas

When bananas start to go black, it’s time to act. You have two options. One is to peel them, mash them and toss them into the blender with a little lemon juice to prevent further darkening; then place the mush into plastic zip-lock bags and freeze it. You can later thaw and microwave (not in the plastic bag), and use in muffins, banana bread, smoothies, or in dessert toppings. You could also put off the hard work and just throw the ‘nana into the freezer, peel and all. The soft spots will firm up and the whole thing will freeze rock solid, enabling you to microwave it at a future date and use as an ingredient. One caution with this latter method: frozen bananas do not stack well!

Peaches and Nectarines

Stone fruits will go bad quickly if left out, especially in close proximity to each other (don’t let them touch when ripening on your countertop). When that happens, as it inevitably will, cut away the bruises, cut into small chunks, and you can use them to make chutneys, simmer sauces, or (with milk, ice and a little sugar) smoothies.

Watermelon

Big watermelons always look good, and remind us of happier times. But if you bought too much melon for the available mouths, there is a nifty alternative to letting them go soft and mushy in baggies. Cut off the rind and the bad spots, purée it all in the blender, and then pour into ice cube trays and freeze. Then, when inspiration hits, just toss the cubes into a glass of water, sparkling water or soda.

Apples

When a long-forgotten apple starts showing its wrinkles, core it and slice it. Then cook with cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, sugar, walnuts and some butter to make a really refreshing and reasonably healthful snack.

Other Ideas

Overripe apples, lemons and oranges can be used to make sangria. Berries that are so ripe they fall apart may not look great, but who cares if you just mix them into plain yogurt to make your own spectacular flavors? Or, you can add a sweetener like agave to your berry purée, pour it into a used and well-washed ice cream pint, and freeze it to make your own sorbet. Any of the higher water content fruits can be puréed and then spread in a shallow pan and dehydrated (using your microwave or a food dehydrator) to make your own fruit leather.  

There’s nothing quite like the smell of sautéed onions, slightly browned and caramelized. However, getting from here to there can leave you in tears—until now. Try one or more of these tips for a dry-eyed onion experience.

1. Use a very sharp knife. This will cut through the cells cleanly and quickly, releasing fewer of the enzymes that form sulfuric acid and assault your tear ducts.
2.  Cut out a “cone” around the core of the onion, where it attaches to the root (the most tear-inducing part).
3. Cut the onion near running water.
4. Soak the onion in water before cutting, or even freeze it for 10 minutes
5. Chew on a bagel chip or piece of toast or bread, or even gum, while cutting.
6. Breathe through your mouth.
7. Wear safety goggles or a mask to keep the gases from reaching your eyes.
8. Light a candle in the room to help burn off the sulfur compounds.
9. Stick out your tongue while cutting, and keep it out. (The sulfur compounds apparently go to the nearest moisture, and better your tongue than your tear ducts.)
10. Cut the ends off the onion, stick it a few times with a toothpick, wrap it in a paper towel and microwave for 60 seconds.

 

Physical activity does not need to be strenuous to be beneficial. Being physically active can reduce your risk of chronic illness, improve your physical and psychological well-being and help you maintain a healthy body weight. It can also help you forget about the daily stresses, worries and anxieties that promote depression, increase blood pressure and decrease immune function.

Exercise Regularly 

Want more energy? Exercise! Regular exercise is one of the best things you can do to promote better health. High levels of physical activity are defined as three intense 20-minute workouts per week. For intense workouts and ideal fat burning sessions, stay within your target training zone—50-75 percent of your maximum heart rate (MHR); see chart below. While in your target training zone you should be able to carry on a conversation without gasping for breath.

Cardio Tips

• Start a cardio activity program. Dedicate 10–20 minutes 2–4 times a week.
• After 3–4 weeks, progress to 30–60 minutes of aerobic activity, 4–5 times a week.
• If you’re short on time, breakup your aerobic activity into 15 minutes segments.
• Check with your doctor before engaging in strenuous physical activity.

Strength Training Tips 

Building lean muscle tissue (muscle mass) helps your body to burn more calories and each extra pound of muscle helps to burn an extra 100 calories daily.

• Warm up for 10–15 minutes with stretching and light cardio exercise.
• Concentrate on form.
• Train each muscle group once or twice a week.
• Maximize your training efforts by giving your body new challenges.
• Train with a partner.
• To prevent boredom, frequently vary your workout routine.
• Avoid over training.
• Remember it takes time to see results—be patient!

   

Sprouts carries more than 20 varieties of milk. Wondering what the difference between raw milk and pasteurized milk is and if that is the same as homogenization? We’ll look at what these different milk terms mean, as well as the nutrition behind them.
From whole to organic skim, unsweetened almond to chocolate hazelnut, Sprouts has the milk for your dietary, nutritional and taste requirements.

What do these terms mean, and what are they saying about your milk?

Raw

Raw milk comes from any source (cows, goats, sheep) and has not been pasteurized. Consuming the bacteria that comes naturally in raw milk can be controversial. Since raw milk is regulated at the state level, it is only available in select Sprouts locations.

Pasteurized

When milk is pasteurized, it undergoes a process of heating the milk to a high temperature until all potential illness-causing pathogens within the milk are killed. It is estimated that more than 98% of milk sold in the U.S. is pasteurized.

Homogenization

Cow’s milk is made of two components: non-fat milk and cream. Homogenized milk has gone through a process that breaks apart the fat molecules, dispensing the fat evenly throughout the milk—homogenization— rather than separated with the cream floating on the top.

Shelf-stable

Many milk alternatives are available in shelf-stable Tetra Pak, also known as aseptic packaging, which means the product is preserved and maintains freshness while sealed for up to 12 months. Once it is opened, it should be consumed within 7–10 days.

rBST

Also referred to as rBGH, rBST is a synthetic protein hormone given to cattle to boost milk output. No milk sold at Sprouts contains rBST.  

While essential oils often have a pleasant aroma, their chemical makeup is complex and their benefits vast—which make them much more than something that simply smells good.

If You Feel: Anxious

Try this flower essence: Geranium How it works: Geranium essential oil has antidepressant and hormone balancing properties. It acts as an overall tonic for the nervous system, either stimulating or calming, whichever action the body requires.

If You Feel: Depressed

Try this flower essence: Peppermint How it works: Place two drops along the back of your neck or on the crown of your head. Then take 10–15 deep breaths with the bottle of oil under your nose (you will feel a noticeable tingling sensation).

If You Feel: Stressed

Try this flower essence: Patchouli How it works: Known to uplift mood and help release tension. It helps bring hope after disappointment and eases sensitive nerves.

If You Feel: Exhausted

Try this flower essence: Ylang ylang How it works: This essential oil quells stress, anger and fear. It is beneficial for treating depression naturally, as well as insomnia and high blood pressure due to stress.