My son loves noodle pudding. My grandma makes a delicious, but very fattening version. I've adapted a healthier one from a great cookbook for parents of preschoolers called &quot;Pretend Soup&quot;, by Mollie Katzen. The book has Recipes for Your Family for parents and kids to cook together. I like this one because it's easy, but packs in a bunch of protein. Very kid-friendly and they can help cook it, too!<br />
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Noodle Pudding Recipe (a great lunch with a bowl of soup)<br />
2 t sugar<br />
1 t cinnamon<br />
1/2 pound (8 ounces) uncooked flat egg noodles<br />
about 1 t butter<br />
1 cup low fat cottage cheese<br />
raisins to taste (my son likes the golden raisins)<br />
<br />
1) Boil water in a medium pot<br />
2) In the meantime, combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.<br />
3) Drain the noodles when they're cooked tender.<br />
4) Transfer the noodles right away to a bowl and stir in the butter.<br />
5) Add the cottage cheese and raisins and mix. (Kids can do this easily with a fork.)<br />
6) Transfer it into 3-4 individual bowls, sprinkle with a bit of the cinnamon mixture, and eat! This goes well with a bowl of chicken soup :)<br />

I think that college life is comparable in some ways to trying to work, parent, and eat healthy along the way. My favorite college dinner that always did away with late-night carb cravings was a simple zucchini pasta &nbsp;dish - all you do is slice up a zucchini into long, thin strips, sautee them with some onions, garlic, peppers - whatever you like. Then just add pasta sauce and some cheese if you're feeling daring, and you have a healthy vegetable pasta dish that tastes even more delicious than regular spaghetti. Yum.<br />

Edamame Dip / Spread<br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
* One pound shelled edamame (buy frozen or fresh in the vegetables section of the grocery store)<br />
* 1 teaspoon salt<br />
* 1 tablespoon chopped garlic<br />
* 5 tablespoons olive oil<br />
* 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice<br />
* 1 teaspoon sugar<br />
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper<br />
<br />
Simply puree all the ingredients in a food processor or blender until the mixture is smooth.<br />
Can be used as a party dip or a sandwich spread.<br />
<br />
This is a healthy snack!<br />

This is a great salsa I've made for some time now. I hope you like it. &nbsp;I sometimes chop some cucumber and add it, just for a little difference.<br />
<br />
Home Style Salsa<br />
<br />
&nbsp;small red onion &nbsp;diced fine<br />
3 large firm tomatoes &nbsp;seeded and diced<br />
&nbsp;teaspoon of chili powder<br />
1 dash of red chili flakes<br />
2 tablespoons lime juice<br />
&nbsp;cup red pepper &nbsp;diced fine<br />
1 clove garlic &nbsp;diced fine<br />
1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil<br />
Pinch of salt and pepper to taste<br />
<br />
Combine ingredients and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.<br />
<br />
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Please check out my website for a variety of healthy, simple, and kid-friendly recipes.

How about vegetable stuffed rolls?

I buy the pre-made rolls (open can, split rolls, place in oven, 10 minutes later done.) Here's where we squeeze in the fun & healthy veggies...

Before putting the rolls in the oven, my daughter and I will flatten each roll (with a roller or our hands). Then we will take pieces of corn, green onions, and/or slices of cabbage, celery or carrot, and put a sizable pinch of these veggies into the center of the roll. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Then fold the roll into a taco shape, enclosing the veggies completely with dough.

Then bake according to usual directions. After cool, eat and enjoy.

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