This Zucchini Spaghetti Recipe is one of Four things parents can do to kick start the best year of their children’s lives! is a sponsored post.
As a new year unfolds there’s a mantra we all repeat: I can’t believe Fall 2021 is already underway-wasn’t it just the beginning of summer vacation?! This year feels so monumental as it has already held a few life-altering milestones.
-For instance in 2022 I will be 49 which marks the end of my baby-making days and officially knocks me out of the coveted 35- to 44-year-old demographic.
-My son (the baby) is now a full-fledged about eleventh grader where has the time gone??)
-My daughter now fits into my clothes, the same ones she used to play dress-up in. Oh she is also OFFICIALLY enrolled at The University of Wisconsin, Madison – as a Posse Foundation Scholar ( WHAT?!!)
-My husband and I just marked our 22 wedding anniversary.
-My dogs are suddenly prone to giving me MAJOR SIDE EYE!
In a nutshell, my mortality is becoming more tangible with each passing day.
As I go over my mental check list of all the resolutions I made last year and realize that I’ve accomplished maybe two out of the 10 I set out to do, I feel slightly dejected. Of course, when I confide my feelings of failure to friends and family they all reassure me that they, too, have failed at keeping their resolutions. In fact, this year many are swearing them off.
But, I’m not quite ready to give up on new year resolutions. Although I may not always fully accomplish them, they give me something to strive for and another 365 days to get it right. So, this year I’m resolving to undertake resolutions not just with myself in mind but actions that my kids and I can do as a family. If nothing goes right, I’ve got the perfect fall guys, my 15 and 19-year-old to take the heat off me!
If you are looking to start the new month off on the right foot- This Zucchini Spaghetti Recipe is one of Four things parents can do to kick start the best year of their children’s lives!
And keep reading for some easy ways to get on the path to achieving your goals.
This Zucchini Spaghetti Recipe is one of Four things parents can do to kick start the best year of their children’s lives!
GET YOUR FAMILY EATING RIGHT with this Zucchini Spaghetti Recipe is one of Four things parents can do to kick start the best year of their children’s lives!
Before you begin, keep in mind that it can’t be a 360-degree turn. Start small. Set up two delicious healthy meals per week. If you’re not sure how to start and cooking healthy isn’t your strength, get thee to a bookstore (or a nunnery!) and get a few simple healthy cookbooks.
Have everyone, from the youngest to the oldest, help in ways they can – washing, dicing, cutting, mixing and preparing the ingredients. Be clever, try to give kids tasks that they developmentally can handle and will set them up for success. And then eat together – a family that eats together, stays together. (And a family that cooks together has fun!)
How to get started
Let your little ones get a little food prep practice with an EASY to make Healthy recipe for Zucchini Spaghetti
Zucchini Spaghetti – ZERO POINTS on the Weight Watchers Freestyle Plan
This Zucchini Spaghetti Recipe is one of Four things parents can do to kick start the best year of their children’s lives!
Green Giant Veggie Spirals Zucchini
Create healthy and tasty meals with Green Giant Veggie Spirals Zucchini They’re an exciting new take on noodles. Enjoy these Green Giant zucchini spirals as an alternative to pasta. They’re spiralized directly from fresh zucchini, with no sauce or seasoning added and are ready for sauteing, steaming or baking. You can use them as an ingredient for soups, salads, main meals or sides. Additionally, they provide 12g of carbs per serving and have 65 percent less calories than the leading brand of spaghetti. This product is also low in sodium and calories, certified gluten-free and suitable for a vegan diet.
Ingredients
1 pkg of Zucchini Spirals (I used Green Giant Veggie Spirals Zucchini 12oz 0 points)
1 cup of spaghetti sauce (I used McCormick Spaghetti Sauce Mix, Thick and Zesty 1 cup 2 points)
½ tsp of red pepper flakes
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp black pepper
Fat free shredded cheese is zero points for 1/4 cup ( I used Great Value Fat free shredded mozzarella cheese 1⁄4cups 0 points)
This Zucchini Spaghetti Recipe is one of Four things parents can do to kick start the best year of their children’s lives!
Directions
If frozen, heat veggie spirals in microwave for 4-5 minutes. The package I used said heat for 6-7 minutes but I didn’t want the veggies to become mushy, plus we are going to heat them some more in the pan.
Remove from microwave and drain. Be careful, there will be steam and water when you open the package. Put veggie spirals in a pot. Add seasonings and sauce, heat until the sauce is just about to boil. Remove from heat and let sit for 2-3 minutes and serve.
makes 6 servings. each serving is zero points
Zucchini Spaghetti Recipe is Zero points on the Weight Watchers Freestyle Plan
Ingredients
- 1 pkg of Zucchini Spirals I used Green Giant Veggie Spirals Zucchini 12oz 0 points
- 1 cup of spaghetti sauce I used McCormick Spaghetti Sauce Mix, Thick and Zesty 1 cup 2 points)
- ½ tsp of red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
- Fat free shredded cheese is zero points for 1/4 cup I used Great Value Fat free shredded mozzarella cheese 1⁄4cups 0 points
Instructions
- If frozen, heat veggie spirals in microwave for 4-5 minutes.
- The package I used said heat for 6-7 minutes but I didn’t want the veggies to become mushy, plus we are going to heat them some more in the pan.
Remove from microwave and drain. Be careful, there will be steam and water when you open the package. Put veggie spirals in a pot. Add seasonings and sauce, heat until the sauce is just about to boil. Remove from heat and let sit for 2-3 minutes and serve.
Recipe makes six servings. each serving is zero points.
SET A FAMILY MEETING
As a parent, have you gotten so discouraged about the fighting that goes on between your kids that you’ve started to rationalize to yourself that kids will be kids and that all families must be like this?
Stop. It’s time to establish an ongoing weekly family meeting that is set in stone, same time, same day, same place, everyone there, NO excuses.
Each family member gets the floor for two to four minutes without being interrupted or judged. Don’t lecture the kids. Just listen and learn. Set 10 minutes to seek solutions, no rehashing the complaints. Resolutions will often occur when kids are heard and valued. Of course, sibling rivalry is normal in moderation.
How to get started
Get out your calendars and plan your first four meetings today.
DONATE USED THINGS
If your kids are growing out of their clothes, toys and books, take three weekends and spend a half-hour with each of them pulling aside items that have been gently used but are no longer age-appropriate and set them aside to be donated. Educate your kids about the importance of paying it forward and doing an act of kindness.
Take your kids and donated items to a charity at the end of the month. Make sure that there’s an explanation from you about how crucial it is to be compassionate toward others who have less.
How to get started
Check out Where to Turn (718-966-6531; www.where-to-turn.org), where you can re-gift for a good cause.
HELP AT YOUR CHILD’S SCHOOL
Do you wish the colors at your child’s school were brighter? The grounds greener? Set up one day a month for a working picnic. Each family brings a dish to share and a rake, a paintbrush, some flowers to plant, rags and buckets for cleaning.
Bottom line: Whatever the joint activity, instead of just talking about doing something in the future, collectively stop the procrastination cycle and do something. It’s a wonderful lesson you’re showing your kids.
How to get started Help your kids start a “penny harvest” at their school (212-736-6437; www.commoncents.org) and start raising money for your kids’ school one penny at a time!
Get Moving
Exercise both your family’s body and heart make a list of sports, games or anything that gets you and your kids moving and sweating. Let one family member choose the activity weekly and make a commitment to participate and do the best she can. Although initially there might be resistance and impatience, especially from the older kids, the message you’re sending your kids is that you’re all in this together.
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