Quick, Easy, Tasty Meals from Ragu (+ a Giveaway!)
This is a compensated review from BlogHer and Ragu.
I get kind of high-strung about feeding my children. I mean, if you know me, you know that being high-strung is just part of who I am. The issues of food, health and nutrition are very important to me. Combine that with my older son’s texture issues and a schedule that keeps us busy, I sometimes struggle with our meal plans. It has gotten better since I have started planning our meals two weeks at a time. I find that knowing what we’re going to have (and, as such, I’m going to
make) helps with the flow of our day and our week.
I struggle, however, with recipes and new ideas. As I mentioned before, my older son has texture issues. New recipes are often met with looks of horror, whining and eventual tears and gagging. The truth is that he really likes most foods, he just has problems with new textures for the first bite or two. He loves flavorful things including anything with sauce. I’m pretty sure I could put sauce on just about anything and we’d be good to go at the dinner table. That’s why I was excited when BlogHer asked if I wanted to review three of Ragu’s new sauces and three new recipes. I figured new recipes would help me out and sauce would help BigBrother out. (For the record, if it holds still, LittleBrother will eat it. He might even eat it if it moves. Just a warning.)
We received three different sauces: Sweet Tomato Basil (new!), Margherita (new!) and Cheesy Classic Alfredo (mmm). With these three different sauces we made three different meals. I first made Chicken Margherita. I think this might rank up there with my favorite sauces. I’ll definitely be purchasing it again. As I made it like it looks in the picture on the recipe itself, I made a bit of pasta with the chicken itself as a side. The boys preferred the pasta to the chicken itself but they ate both without (much) complaint. FireDad and I really liked the sauce with the mozzarella cheese on
this particular recipe. We’ve saved it as a “to make again” recipe.
The next recipe I tried out was the Upside Down Deep-Dish Pizza. My kids love anything that claims to be pizza. This one looks a bit more confusing because, after all, the crust is on the top! I chose to go with the spinach (though BigBrother might have enjoyed the broccoli better; it’s hard to tell). This was a really quick and easy meal to make that we enjoyed. I got some initial hesitation from BigBrother because of the “green stuff” but he ate it as well. I was really pleased with the flavor of this sauce and the meal in general. (Recipe change: I added pepperoni because, well, I like pepperoni!)
Our last recipe was the Chicken Alfredo with Fetticuine. Can you just say delicious? While I do have my own recipe for “from scratch” alfredo sauce, I loved the taste of this sauce and the ease of making the dish. Homemade sauce is wonderful but when you’re crunched for time, it’s nice to have an alternative that tastes rather delicious! The boys loved this dish, being a fan of noodles, chicken and sauce. It was a win with all in our house. (The picture below is of how I changed up the recipe with shrimp because apparently I forgot a picture of our chicken day and/or can’t find it on one of our three cameras. Hmm.)
Why have I told you all of this? Well, BlogHer and Ragu want to know what you do to feed your kids well. For discussing the topic, one randomly selected comment will walk away with a $100 Visa gift card! You can use it to purchase some healthy foods for your kids or, you know, a new fall sweater for yourself. However you want to spend it is
up to you. But first you have to enter!
How do you enter?
1. Leave a comment below telling me what you do to feed your kids well. Take that however you want to: planning meals in advance, eating only organic, encouraging them to try no foods, banning certain things or promoting other things. You may leave one comment of this nature. No duplicates.
2. You can earn extra entries by tweeting about this giveaway or blogging about it on your own public blog. Simply tweet or blog with a link to this post (you can use this link: http://bit.ly/38tpSW ) and come back with a link to your tweet or post. You may do this once a day.
Of course, there are some official rules. They read:
- This giveaway is open to US residents, aged 18 and older.
- Winners will be selected via random draw, and will notified by e-mail.
- You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
To make matters even sweeter (which makes me think of the Sweet Tomato Basil sauce), you have more than just a chance on our blog to win! Check out the rest of the BlogHer Reviewers’ Ragu meals – you have 10 chance to win a $100 Visa gift card. And, for kid-friendly recipes, healthy tips and more, be sure to visit Ragu.com. If you have any questions about this giveaway, the other BlogHer-Ragu giveaways or the recipes which we made, please don’t hesitate to ask.
I look forward to reading your comments! (Any tips on texture issues, healthy eating and kids would also be appreciated!)
My nephew has been a picky eater lately, so I have been trying to have him each as much as he wants of healthy foods that he likes (grapes, tomatoes, mango) and then mixing other “good for him” foods with so-so foods he likes – rice, bread, etc, to try to get some variety into his diet!
tweeted http://twitter.com/ThriftyJinxy/status/5246007624
http://twitter.com/tannawings/status/5264421244
tweeted
baypayments at yahoo dot com
Tweet! 10/29 http://twitter.com/ktkatherine/status/5275431053
http://twitter.com/tannawings/status/5293927548
tweeting for you!
Tweet! http://twitter.com/sweepstakesgirl/status/5309376940
we try a new food each week, and have been buying less junk food when we are at the grocery store
tweeted
http://twitter.com/lmurley2000/status/5314129828
I would like to try the Tomato Chicken Noodle Soup!
I blogged about it! http://savingsonaisle9.blogspot.com/2009/10/giveaway-round-up.html
I tweeted! http://bit.ly/4yBeWI
We substitute healthy whenever possible in breads, pastas, and other things!
daily tweet
http://twitter.com/lmurley2000/status/5372666165
We encourage them to try new vegetables and fruits
tweeted Latest: http://bit.ly/2aXqawless than 5 seconds ago
It would have been to always have fresh fruit and veggies around, my son was crazy about them when he was home
tweet http://twitter.com/vlbsweeps/status/5391022563
blogged http://vickieb52.blogspot.com/2009/10/win-visa-gift-card.html
daily tweet
http://twitter.com/lmurley2000/status/5403061396
tweeyed Latest: http://bit.ly/GNHcxless than 5 seconds ago
tweet http://twitter.com/vlbsweeps/status/5418488282
My kids are grown, but come over for dinner often. I try to make meals for them that they wouldn’t likely make for themselves, and I buy the freshest and healthiest ingredients I can, including buying organic products when available and affordable.
Tweeted: http://twitter.com/amylou61/status/5425000057
I make pure fruit smoothies mixed with non fat milk for my daughter everyday. I make a mixed berries and mango smoothie, mostly.
eddiem11@ca.rr.com
tweeted today Latest: http://bit.ly/GNHcxless than 5 seconds ago
tweet http://twitter.com/vlbsweeps/status/5448046028
Today’s Tweet: http://twitter.com/amylou61/status/5449271490
daily tweet
http://twitter.com/lmurley2000/status/5456292120
tweeted Latest: http://bit.ly/GNHcxless than 5 seconds ago
I try to encourage my children to try new foods by alloowing each child to pick out a new food to try each week
zachsgran1(at)yahoo(dot)com
tweet http://twitter.com/vlbsweeps/status/5477009506
Hi there,
I to am a fanatic when it comes to nutrition for my picky eaters…Out of all the sauces available on the market.l Rage Traditional is the closeset to homeade in my opinion…Thanks for the opportunity…
tweeted Latest: http://bit.ly/GNHcxless than 5 seconds agohttp://bit.ly/GNHcx less than 5 seconds ago from web
tweet http://twitter.com/vlbsweeps/status/5505062677
Tweet: http://twitter.com/amylou61/status/5508919122
I always encourage my girls to try something at least once before they say they don’t like it. I also serve vegetables into every dinner, we try new vegetables all of the time and the girls seem to respond well to it. My girls also eat a lot of fruits, I pack them in my oldest daughter’s lunches for school most days. Thanks so much for such a wonderful giveaway, Ragu is the primary sauce our family uses most!
furygirls3132[at]comcast[dot]net
I tweeted: http://twitter.com/furygirl3132/status/5509082573
furygirl3132[at]comcast[dot]net
Taking trips to the grocery store and showing them what is healthy.
tweeted today Latest: http://bit.ly/GNHcxless than 5 seconds agohttp://bit.ly/GNHcx less than 5 seconds ago from web
tweet http://twitter.com/vlbsweeps/status/5529715133
tweeted once more Latest: http://bit.ly/GNHcxless than 5 seconds ago
We try to eat organic as often as possible. When we eat pasta, its always whole wheat. We eat plain yogurt and mix in real fruit in it. I do fruit smoothies and fruit + vegetables juices for them. And we try to limit our sugar consumption.
Tweeted:
http://twitter.com/THEotherCYNtwit/status/5545932295
I try to give my daughter a balanced meal. I also try to give fruits and veggies for snacks verses candy and Junk food!
jeanette huston
chewysmum79@yahoo.com
I blogged about this giveaway here
http://myentries79.blogspot.com/2009/11/visa-100-gift-card-sponsored-by-ragu.html
jeanette huston
chewysmum79@yahoo.com
We try to spend 50% or more of our grocery budget each week on locally grown products.
I try to make a lot of things from scratch, and include lots of veggie options.
http://www.icoulduseadeal.blogspot
Its all I can do to get a meal on the table
so that is what I do good at –
tweeted http://twitter.com/jtrophy/status/5551690140
Kids love ‘ownership’ it’s much easier to get kids to eat healthy when they are a part of the process! Substitute chocolate chip cookies for oatmeal raisin and prepare them together, you will have fun, create memories and get them to eat healthier, effortlessly!