How To Make Fast Healthy Tomato Sauce

Quick 10 Minute Tomato Sauce Recipe

Everyone is in a hurry. So what do we do? Pick up tomato sauce in a jar at the grocery store, of course! Most people do not even stop to look at the ingredient list. Frequently it is full of chemicals and added (hidden) sugars. This fast, healthy recipe for tomato sauce does not take that much more time than opening a jar and heating it up. Just keep the ingredients on hand for a quick throw-together meal.

Healthy Ingredients

2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
sea salt (or not)
3 medium cloves of garlic – chopped or pressed
1 medium onion-sliced
2-14 oz. ounce can organic diced tomatoes (My favorite is Eden Organic tomatoes.)
14 oz. can crushed organic tomatoes
1 Tb. Italian seasoning blend
zest of one lemon

1. Combine the olive oil, red pepper flakes, sea salt, onion in a saucepan.
2. Stir while you heat the saucepan over medium-high heat, saute just 45 seconds or so until onion is translucent.
3. Add the garlic and cook for another 10 seconds. Do not brown the garlic.
4. Stir in the tomatoes and Italian seasoning and heat to a simmer.
5. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes.
6. Stir in the lemon zest.

Variations For Even Healthier Recipe Spaghetti – Pizza Sauce

This recipe can be made in almost any variation you want. Try adding carrots or broccoli when cooking the onions for a healthier version. If you would like a meat sauce, use ground turkey and saute that before adding the onions. This tomato sauce can be used for spaghetti (whole wheat, of course!), your favorite pizza recipe, or for any dish that you normally use store-bought tomato sauce in.

Nature Walks with Children

Instill A Love Of Nature In Your Kids By Walking – Photography

In today’s world it can be hard to get children outside and away from the TV. However, many children have a natural inclination to collect a variety of things. One way to improve children’s active lifestyle is by encouraging them to collect things in nature.

Go on nature walks and look for assorted leaves, rocks, shells, etc. By piquing their interest, a child will be much more likely to play and explore outside, especially if they are looking for a particular rock, or type of leaf.

Nature Collecting With A Camera

Children’s active lifestyles can also be improved with a simple digital camera. Technology is what kids love these days so why not get them started on nature photography.  Allow children to take photos of anything in nature that they find beautiful or interesting. There is no film, so really the use of a camera today is very affordable and plays well into the childs desire to mess around on the computer.

Children Walk = Healthier Active Lifestyle

Children will walk farther, climb higher, and get more activity in if they have a purpose for what they are doing outdoors. If you have a particularly tech savvy child, a digital camera can allow them connect with the outdoors on a whole new level. The photographs that they take on their walks can then be transferred to their computers, where they can then edit them and use their creativity. The more the child works with the camera and editing tools, the more they will also want to be outside collecting photographs for their projects.

Children can explore the world around their homes in all seasons through nature walks. Allowing them to collect objects or photos with the season can help them understand that nature is not something that can only be enjoyed during the warmer months, but all year round. By encouraging them to get out in nature in all seasons, children’s lifestyles will become even more active. Many children spend much of the cold winter months indoors, particularly if there is no snow. By showing the children the changes in the natural world around them, and the differences in the items they collect or photograph in each season, they will develop an appreciation for outdoor activities in all weather.

So overall, the key to improving the activity level of children in all seasons is to get them interested and invested in what it means to be outside. If a child enjoys the time spent outdoors, learning about his or her environment, the child will naturally become more active and healthier as well. Give your children the gift of nature, cultivate a love of walking and give your child a camera to play with along the way.

Active Lifestyle Families Walk

Take Family Walks For Quality Time and Active Lifestyles

An active family lifestyle can keep kids and adults healthy while spending quality time together. Families do not have to spend hundreds of dollars a month on a gym membership in order to stay active. In fact, there are a lot of activities a family can do together that includes even the youngest member of the family. Walking is often overlooked as an actual form of healthy exercise.

Families can walk together and still enjoy pleasant conversation. Making walking a habit that your family enjoys will give your kids a long and healthy life!

Healthy Kids Walk

One activity that is easy on aging joints and fun for the kids is walking through a local park. Keep the whole family healthy with family walks. If the park is within a mile or so from the home, walk to the park if it is safe. Once there, kids can play on the park toys or simply walk through the park. An active family lifestyle will help kids develop healthy exercise habits. If possible, bring along the family dog. Dogs love to run and the kids will love chasing the dog. An outing at the park can be complete with a family picnic.

Enjoy Nature Walks

Families of nature enthusiasts may appreciate a nature walk or hike. Make the outing more fun by playing games focused on nature. The games will keep the kids entertained and enthused to continue the expedition. Bring along a camera to catch all the fun as well as the beautiful sites the family is sure to encounter on the nature walk.

City dwellers or those who do not live near a park can still take advantage of a family walk. A walk through the neighborhood or even to the grocery store is a great way to get exercise. Many public schools open up their outdoor playgrounds and sports fields after hours for public use. Pack a basketball or soccer ball and take advantage of an open area for the kids to run in.

Active Families Walk

Simply walking the kids to and from school contributes to an active family lifestyle. Evaluate errands that would normally be done via car or public transportation. When feasible, try and cut out at least one car trip and make it into a walk. Young children can be pushed in strollers or pulled in wagons if the excursion is too much for their little legs. The simple act of creating an active lifestyle for your family will assure that your children grow up and lead a healthy active life.