Cookie+Curly: The Nugget + Going Soft

{The Nugget}

I'm just going with it. Let me know if you have suggestions for another way to describe this quick, weekly {if you hold me to this, I may drop the ball so be nice} part of my blog that gives you a little morsel to consider as you go about your culinary way.

This week's Nugget: Protein.

Eat it every time you eat. Just a snack? Yes, protein. Breakfast? YES, protein. Protein helps slow down the metabolism of your food and provides a feeling of satiety longer than a meal of straight carbs would. Happy tummy. Eating less.

Err on the lean side: low-fat dairy (string cheese; yogurt; cottage cheese; kefir; goat's milk products), lean/extra-lean meats (leftovers from dinner; deli meats; tuna in a can; the usuals: chicken, pork, beef, fish), soy products (marinated tofu; baked tofu; edamame; soy yogurt); nuts (almonds, peanuts, soy, pecans, walnuts). No need for protein powders - There's plenty of great food out there packed with protein.

We just got back from Trader Joe's and got two favorites. For us, this Greek-style yogurt is nonfat, serves up 14g protein (12g carbs) per serving, and is colored with pomegranate juice and red cabbage extract. It comes in Pomegranate, Blueberry and Honey.

For the kids, these Grilled Chicken Burger Patties are made from skinless thigh meat.

I say they are for the kids but they're fine for adults too. The thigh meat provides more cholesterol so kids can get away with that as their developing brains need a good supply of cholesterol. Each patty provides 25g protein {I split between my two kids} but does have 330mg sodium. Try to serve with high potassium foods to off-set the sodium.

{Going Soft}

Every new baby needs a gift - Why not let Cookie+Curly be your no-brainer, one stop shop. Constantly in need of something warm to lay on, crawl on, drool on, or spit up on, blankets meet that need and then some - bright prints entertain the brain while ribbons provide interaction and sensory stimulation.