The healthiest way to eat is to remove packaged foods from your diet.  I always tell my son, "If it's in a box, it can't be that healthy for you!"

However, the majority of us in the U.S. buy a large portion of our pantry staples are in cans, boxes, and bags.  This doesn't mean we aren't eating healthy, but it does require some extra sleuthing on our parts, as consumers, to know what we are putting in our bodies.

It is extra important if we are raising children!  I have recently tried to reduce the amount of sugar my family is consuming (and have eliminated it completely from my diet temporarily - YIKES!).  I am constantly scanning pasta sauce labels to see if there is sugar added, and searching for unsweetened applesauce (which is just as sweet as the sugared-up kinds!!!).

But I haven't gotten rid of sugar completely.  In fact, I discovered a tasty cookie that I feel comfortable packing in my son's lunches (in moderation, of course!).  I try to bake from scratch, but time hasn't allowed for much of that the past few weeks, so I grabbed a bag of Barbara's Bakery Snackimals (Chocolate Chip), and fell in love!  Sadly, I ate almost an entire package myself in just two sittings.  The second package, my husband finished off!  (I'm not even sure my son has eaten more than a handful......)

This article was brought to my attention this week from the American Chronicle website.

Some notable points from the article:


"Smithfield Foods, the world´s largest pork producer, says its hog-raising costs have increased more than 20 percent in the past year, largely because of the high cost of feed. Meat-eaters can expect to foot the bill by paying higher pork prices."


"Some of the most versatile vegan foods—including beans, rice, vegetables, soy products and pasta—cost relatively little compared to animal products."


"According to a 2007 MSN MoneyCentral article, the cheapest cuts of beef, such as ground round, average $3 per pound; boneless chicken breasts cost $3.40 a pound; and canned tuna costs around $2 per pound. In comparison, dried beans and lentils cost less than $1 a pound, and rice is cheaper than $1 a pound. Tofu usually costs less than $2 per pound."


Sometimes eating vegan can be more expensive, if you are used to shelling out a buck for a McDonald's double cheeseburger and calling that a "meal".  But a home-cooked, vegetarian meal made from fresh, organic produce is healthier by far, and will save on your medical bills in the long-run! 



One of our favorite meals that is extremely inexpensive is sloppy joes.  We buy the Fantastic Foods brand box mix ($1.99), add oil, water, and tomato paste, and VOILA, you have dinner!  Place on a bun ($.60 at the bread outlet) with a slice of onion or tomato (free from your organic garden, a buck from the store), and you've got dinner for about three or four bucks!  If you're feeling spendy, add a can of baked beans on the side. 

I have been asked to be a tester for Joanna Vaught's newest cookbook (as yet unnamed).  She is the creator of the Yellow Rose Recipes cookbook that came out in December. 

I cannot be more excited!  Expect lots of photos in the upcoming months as I show off Joanna's creations. 

We already tried a creamed soup recipe that was tasty, but not something we were completely WOWED by.  It included organic acorn squash, which I love, but the seasonings were a lot spicier than my boys cared for, and we tend to like a chunkier soup.  So, not a bad recipe, just not something we would normally make.

I plan to make her falafel sandwich recipe this weekend, and expect to enjoy that more than we did the soup.

Trying to get my day started around here is crazy, then when you add in making breakfast and making it healthy....and QUICK on top of that...well, it can be pretty much impossible!  So I've found some ideas that are going to help me and hopefully help you as well!

• Make a shake or smoothie~and to make it EXTRA healthy, be sure to use organic yogurt and/or organic fruits.
• Complex carbs are great, so try to incorporate whole wheat toast or bagels, organic peanut butter, etc.
• Waffles or pancakes can also be really quick. You can either make your own, then freeze individually and pop them in the toaster OR buy the frozen ones from the grocery store. Check for whole wheat ones to make them extra healthy!
• You could make a parfait with organic yogurt, organic fruits, and organic granola.

Also, many of the above ideas can be made by your kids, which would help with the morning craziness!  Have fun, and if you have any ideas to add please leave a comment!

So the Weil bars were only so-so, and you are hungry for an afternoon pick-me-up.  My favorite snack bar is the Luna Bar.  These come in some great flavors for every taste.  My favorite is the Chocolate Pecan Pie, but I’ve never met a Luna Bar I didn’t like.  If you crave oatmeal cookies, the Iced Oatmeal Raisin is a great substitute.  The Lemon Zest will do in place of a lemon bar any day.  The bars have 180 calories with 3 grams of fiber and 9-10 grams of protein.

I keep a couple in my car when it’s not super hot outside (don’t like them all gooey), and they are a great option when you hear a candy bar calling your name but want to make a healthier choice.

The Luna Bars have changed their recipes to go all organic, so if you are looking for that feature, these bars are for you.  In contrast to the Weil bars, these bars have substance and great flavor.  You feel like you are eating something yummy, not something healthy.

You can find these at Trader Joe’s, most health food stores, even Target has them now.  Of course Amazon has them as well.  They are well worth trying if you crave something sweet, nutty, chocolate, peanut buttery, or cookie-like.  Enjoy them guilt free.  Cheers!

If you like pasta as much as we do, you will likely fall in love with Vegan Italiano - a great cookbook that is full of recipes that are naturally vegan, and not adapted to be vegan (you won't need tofu or soy milk or other "mock" foods items to enjoy these recipes).

Last week, we experimented with a recipe from Vegan Italiano:

Linguine with Artichoke-Marinara Sauce

Ingredients
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 Cups marinara sauce
1/2 Cup water
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
salt & pepper to taste
14 oz can quartered artichoke hearts, drained & chopped
12 oz linguine, cooked according to pkg directions (we used bionaturae organic linguine)




* In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat.  Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until very lightly browned, 1 - 2 minutes.

* Stir in the marinara sauce, water, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

* Stir in artichokes and simmer, covered, 2 minutes.  Serve hot, over linguine.




While I definitely feel this should be on everyone's list of healthy, easy to make family dinners, I was a bit overwhelmed by the artichokes.  The next time we make this dish, I will use half the can of artichoke hearts and save the other half for a spinach dip. 

* What is your favorite recipe from Vegan Italiano?  Or favorite way to use up a leftover half-can of artichoke hearts?

I have been a subscriber to Vegetarian Times magazine for a little over a year now.  I enjoy reading through the articles and browsing the recipes, but overall it is only mediocre, in my humble opinion.

The magazine is geared toward vegetarians of all kinds, which means that only some of the recipes are vegan-friendly.  The articles cover a range of topics beyond just food (environmental issues, for example). 

But the main reason I subscribed originally was for the recipes.  I enjoy trying new recipes on a regular basis, so I am always searching for ideas.

This month, a section on tofu caught my eye, with a vegan recipe for Grilled Sesame-Tofu Skewers With Ginger Peanut Sauce.

This recipe was photographed and looked pretty darn scrumptious, so I was eager to try it.  My first issue was with finding SMOKED TOFU.  I tried traditional grocers as well as my local co-op, with no luck.  I assume an Asian market might carry this, but I did not have time to find out.  Plain tofu was substituted.

I happened to have all of the ingredients on hand except for orange juice (for the marinade), so I was extra excited (I am cheap, by nature, so I hate trying recipes that call for a dozen ingredients I do not have). 

To go with this, we decided to make fried rice.  (Fried rice is a favorite of my son!)  I prepared the marinade ahead of time and let the tofu cubes soak in it.  I also steamed the rice ahead of time.  This made it much easier for my husband to throw dinner together last night while I was at school. 

It took him about 15 minutes to assemble and prepare the tofu skewers and fried rice, and here was the end result:


Unfortunately, none of us were impressed with the flavor of the tofu or the dipping sauce.  Granted, I didn't use smoked tofu, so who knows if that would have made much difference.  It was just OK in our estimation, so none of it went to waste, but it certainly isn't something I plan to make again.

I will probably keep my subscription to Vegetarian Times, but to be honest, I rarely make use of the recipes in it.

* Your comments, questions, and suggestions are always welcome and appreciated!  Be sure to read ChaCha's other food blogs (link available on right side of page) for great recipes and suggestions for healthy, organic cooking! 

The new edition of Vegan Lunch Box that was supposed to be out in March is being pushed back by the publishers to have a July/August release date. 

I was really looking forward to actually owning a copy of this book, as the self-published edition sold out several months ago before I could purchase it.  Jennifer McCann has such interesting ideas for kids snacks and lunches!  Oh well, if we must wait, we must wait.

In the meantime, if you need a quick and healthy snack for the kids in your life, whip up a fresh batch of guacamole!   Store bought guacamole often doesn't even contain much avocado (Kraft's version, for example), and it can contain gelatin as well (Gross!  Gelatin comes from the bones, skins, hoofs, and tendons of cows, pigs, and fish.).

Organic avocados are a terrific source of fiber, as well as potassium, Vitamin E, and more!

Guacamole

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons lemon or lime juice
2 avocados
2 cloves garlic (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder  (I use a bit more than this for an extra kick!)

* Squeeze juice into bowl.  Add avocado chunks.  Mash with a fork. Stir in the garlic, salt, cumin, and chili powder.

How easy was that?!  Serve with chips as a healthy, organic snack, or spread on a tortilla with refried beans and leftover rice for a simple burrito lunch.  

* To answer some questions that were posed to me:  I buy a lot of the more unusual ingredients at the local health food shop or our local food co-op.  Traditional grocery stores often have a small selection of vegetarian foods, but you won't find vegan cheeses or miso there usually. 

In larger cities you can likely find things like SoyBoy ravioli and Vitasoy soy milk at Whole Foods or Trader Joes.  (I wouldn't know for sure, our city doesn't have either of those!) 

And I have no preference between rice cheese or soy cheese.  They are both great on a veggie burger or on a bun beneath sloppy joes!  I have yet to make a grilled cheese sandwich with either one, though.  I suppose that will be the TRUE TEST!  ha ha

As promised, I’m giving you another lead for a breakfast that will get your day off to a great start without blowing your food plan or spending all your precious Weight Watchers points.  I love the options I’ve provided so far, but what if you are an old fashioned cereal with milk kind of person?  What if you want a cold cereal that doesn’t remind you of eating tree bark, but is low in fat, high in fiber, and doesn’t have the sugar levels you find in kids’ cereals?

You absolutely cannot go wrong with any product made by Kashi.  With apologies to Will Rogers, I’ve never met a Kashi product I didn’t like.  Their slogan is “Seven Whole Grains on a Mission.”  The mission is to help you eat more healthy foods without feeling like you have sacrificed all sense of taste.  So, back to the point – they make great cereals!  Shh!  Don’t tell anyone, but they know so much about cereal because they are a division of Kellogg’s. 




The cereals range from the Organic Promise line for those of you looking to keep your life full of good organic stuff to Kashi Honey Puffs.  My favorites are the original Go Lean Crunch and the Mountain Melody Granola.  They both have a good, solid crunch that doesn’t get mushy with milk.  They are also sweet enough that I feel like I’m cheating while I’m munching down my whole grains.  Just to give you an idea how healthy these are, the original Go Lean Crunch has no trans fats, 3 grams of fat, and 8 (!) grams of fiber in each 1 cup serving.  Unlike many cereals, Kashi cereals actually fill you up with all that fiber so that you aren’t starving before lunch time. 

It is impossible to overstate how much I love Kashi cereals.  You can even find some of them at Sam’s Club now.  Try them all.  Even your kids will like them.  Wouldn’t it be nice to give Tony the Tiger a run for his money?

Cheers!

It’s 2008 now, and it’s time to get down to eating healthy foods and working on those resolutions.  One thing most of us don’t get enough of is vegetables.  If you’re like me, the idea of eating some celery is about as exciting as chewing on a twig.  Other raw veggies are not usually calling my name either, but they are better for you than any cooked, frozen, canned, or processed vegetable, so what’s a person to do? 

Just because you are working to eat more healthy snacks doesn’t mean you can’t eat foods that taste great.  My solution is to use a great veggie dip.  There are some pretty good store bought ones, but my favorite is quick, easy, tastes great, and is a healthy option!  Don’t let the ingredient list scare you off!  I’m not a huge spinach fan, but I love this dip.

Knorr’s Healthy Veggie Dip:

1 package of Knorr’s Vegetable Soup Mix
1 box (10 oz.) of frozen spinach (thawed!)
1 c. fat-free sour cream
1 c. Miracle Whip Light (or fat free if you prefer)
1 can (8 oz.) diced water chestnuts
Green onion diced to taste

Squeeze out the excess water in the frozen spinach, then combine it with the remaining ingredients.  Stir until thoroughly mixed.  Letting this sit for a couple of hours in the fridge will make it even better, but I sometimes don’t wait.

This is great for all kinds of veggies (organic carrots are my favorite).  It can also be a nice party dip when served in a scooped out bread bowl.  However you serve it, it’s a great way to help you along the road to meeting your resolutions.  Cheers! 

When you think of crackers, what do you think?  If you are like most people, you probably think of saltines (yawn)  or maybe Ritz or even Carr’s.  Everyday crackers can be fine if you are trying to simply use them as a vehicle for a great cheese, but what if you want something different?  What if you want a cracker that can do more than settle your stomach?  What if you want a cracker made from organic grains?  What if you are looking for something that will help you eat well?



I have found the very best crackers on the planet!  Not only are they made with organic grains, but they come in a wide variety of flavors from “You Asked for Garlic” to “Chili Chocolate Day.”  These crackers come from Nicole’s Divine Crackers (and they are!) in Chicago.  My personal favorite is the “Your Wildest Dreams/ Cranberry/Pepper” flavor.  OK, I know they sound pretty odd, but they are unbelievable!  They have a good solid crunch with a bite from the pepper and just the slightest bit of sweet from the cranberries.  The Chocolate Chili flavor has a similar unexpected pairing of flavors.

If you are more into traditional tastes, they do have herb, cheese, garlic, and sesame crackers as well.  All flavors a good healthy snack options.  Each box is like a little taste of heaven.  You can order them on-line!  They are $3.49-$3.89/bag.

OK, but what if you have gluten allergies?  Well, here’s the even better news!  They have added a line of gluten-free crackers!   The gluten-free line runs $4.29/bag.

They are not your run-of-the-mill cracker, but if you are tired of the same old thing, check these out, and you won’t be sorry.  You’ll never look at a saltine the same way again.

Cheers!

PROBLEM:  Children are eating too many unhealthy snacks and drinking too much soda.  On top of that, children just aren't exercising like their bodies need (this comes from a sedentary lifestyle of watching hours of television each week and playing even more hours of video games).

Granted, it isn't the best time of year to tell your children "Go outside and play," but you can certainly take control over what they are consuming.  (You ARE the parents, remember?!)

A 2001 study on behavioral intervention in overweight families concluded that INCREASING fruits and vegetables worked much better for weight loss than DECREASING high-fat and high-sugar food items.  That is such a fabulous way to look at eating right!  Focus on increasing the variety of tasty foods you are trying and lessen the focus of what you are "giving up".  

(Before going vegan, I never made fresh-fruit smoothies.  The closest I ever came to that was adding strawberry syrup to a glass of milk.  It is such a treat whipping a batch of smoothies up on weekend mornings with whatever fresh fruit we have on hand.  Think INCREASE, not DECREASE!!!)

Don't fall into the trap of thinking that providing healthy snacks and school lunches is too time-consuming.  A little planning and prep work goes a long way.  Sunday evening, set aside time to chop some organic fruits and veggies for the week ahead.  Fill several Tupperware with carrot sticks, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, grapes, kiwi, strawberries, pineapple, etc.

On school days, grab a serving of two or three of these, and your child's lunch is nearly done!  Add hummus, salad dressing, or a natural nut butter for dipping (peanut butter and almond butter are my favorites).

Instead of greasy potato chips, include pretzels or whole grain crackers.

For a dessert, make a pan of granola bars, or half a dozen fruit muffins.

Add a sandwich or other "entree" - and voila, your child is ready to head out the door!  And these suggestions go for afternoon and weekend snacks as well.  A really great snack bar recipe was created by Teresa Mattson, who agreed to let me share it with you.  Feel free to change up the ingredients a little to suit your picky eater!  

Peanut Butter Paradise Bars

Ingredients:
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/3 cup earth balance margarine
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 1/3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup flax seed
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup vegan semisweet chocolate chips
 
* Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
* Stir together the peanut butter, margarine, the brown sugar, corn syrup, agave nectar and the vanilla until smooth. Add all the other ingredients. Stir well.
* Press the mixture into 13 x 9 inch greased pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
* Cool on wire rack before cutting into bars.

I recently gained an education about vegetarian beer and wine.  If you’re anything like I was 24 hours ago, you’re blissfully ignorant that such a distinction exists.  But it does.

It’s all about appearance.
The production of alcohol, whether from fruit sugars as in the case of wine or cider or from the malted grains used to make beer, results in molecular strands of protein.  The strands aren’t visible, at least not individually, but enough of them can make the drink appear cloudy.  They don’t really affect the taste or aroma but as you can imagine a cloudy glass of wine or beer might turn off many a drinker – Hefeweizen aficionados aside.

Finings to the rescue.
Long before they knew what caused this cloudiness, brewers and vintners discovered that many types of organic material could be used to clear out the cloudiness.  Egg whites, casein, and even blood have been used to drive this cloudiness away.  While all of these materials are still used in various spots around the world, gelatin and isinglass are two of the most popular fining agents used today.  These fining agents work by bonding with the protein strands then falling to the bottom of the fermentation vessel.  The cleared liquid is then drained off.  So the final product generally does not contain any animal products but their use in production is enough to turn off many vegetarians.  Beer presents further problems for vegans as some ales contain milk or honey.  Off the top of my head I can’t think of any lagers that contain animal products but there may be some out there.

Fine alternatives
The good news is that there are non-animal fining agents that work just as well and finding beers and wines made with them isn’t that hard.  Rather than try to reinvent the wheel with my own list I’ll just point you to a couple of sites that have been compiling lists of vegetarian and vegan acceptable wines, beers and ciders.  Check out Vegetarian food, beer, cider and wine and The Vegan Booze List.

Now doesn't that sound YUMMY?  Doing a stir fry is one of the healthiest and easiest meals you could possibly try. It's a great quick family dinner!  Check out this how-to video I found on You Tube:





And remember.......this is just for a plain veggie stir fry. Make it a healthy recipe by using organic vegetables.  If you're not so much into the whole "vegetarian" thing, you can still enjoy a healthy meal by adding organic chicken or beef.  Try it out and let me know what you think!

I spend a lot of time each week planning and preparing my son's school lunches.  He has the cutest Laptop Lunchbox that has adorable little compartments that encourage me to include a variety of tasty items for him each day.  I have to laugh when people ask us if eating vegan is boring, since our food choices are "limited".  I would bet money that my son eats the most un-boring lunches of any kid in his school!

For his "entree", I alternate between PB&J, pita bread triangles with hummus, crackers with almond butter, and "mock meat" sandwiches with Rice cheese and mustard.  

In the large, lidded compartment (if it doesn't contain hummus or almond butter), I usually include applesauce, banana rice pudding, or soy yogurt.

In one of the smaller compartments, I usually put fresh fruit or veggies.  The most common ones are grapes, raspberries, kiwi, raisins, and carrots sticks with a side of dairy-free ranch.  


And finally, he gets a dessert.  When they go on sale, I stock up on fruit leathers (Stretch Island and Fruitabu).  I also try to have a few Organic Dark Chocolate Bug Bites on hand each week.  Sometimes I put in a homemade raspberry muffin or a Fauxstess Cupcake (shown here, Halloween-style!).

For a drink, he gets apple juice, soy milk, or sometimes a juice box of Kidz Dream Orange Cream Smoothie (flavored soy milk).

Granted, I don't go to school with my son to compare his lunch to the other kiddos'.  But I remember growing up taking a brown paper sack to school with a Carl Budding sandwich, a baggie of chips, and a stale-tasting Little Debbie.  Every day.  

My son is eating healthier food and getting a lot more enjoyment out of school lunch time than I ever did!  

* My next few posts will focus on the importance of healthy eating.  This goes for adults and kids!

Why eat locally produced foods? Well, eating them not only eliminates much of the environmental impact of shipping foods long distances but also allows you to have fresher choices when it comes to your dinner. Local foods are more plentiful in nutrients and have a greater taste due to being very fresh. Also, by purchasing these foods you in turn help out your local economy, keeping money within your community.  However, finding locally produced foods is often quite a chore as many large grocery stores do not carry them.

It doesn't have to be that difficult though. There are a number of resources out there that will ease your search for local foods.  One of my favorites, due to ease of use and prolific content, is a site called Local Harvest. You can input your city and state, and, through the magic of the internet, the site will pull up all the various family farms, food cooperatives, farmer's markets, and other businesses which provide sustainable, organic foods grown locally. There is a map displayed with all the businesses marked so you can see what is closest to your location.

Other sites that can help you for local eating adventures include:

Soil Association (UK) - Although based out of the UK, the Soil Association provides myriad tidbits of knowledge regarding eating locally and its importance.

Food Routes - Do you know how far your food travels before it reaches your table?

Organic Consumers Association - Lots of news and general information regarding organic, sustainable, and local living.

My friend Troy is always making his family Bangers and Mash, a British name for sausage and mashed potatoes.  It made me jealous.  I wasn't jealous that he ate artery-clogging sausage several times a month, but that he could throw around such a cute name for a meal.  

I decided to try another cutely-named British dish, Bubble and Squeak.  This dish is intended to be a tasty way to use up any leftovers you might have, but you can make it with fresh ingredients like I do.  

Directions:

Gather some leftover mashed potatoes and cooked cabbage - OR - Peel, chop, and boil some potatoes.  Chop some cabbage up, and throw it in the pot, too.  Once they are both cooked up nice and soft, drain and fry them up in a big frying pan with vegan margarine.  

How's that for an easy vegan family dinner or side dish?  And cheap, too.  The first time I made it, I found organic cabbage on sale for 49 cents per pound, and potatoes are always a steal.  

To add some variety to your Bubble and Squeak, add any other leftover veggies you have.  Some good choices would be onions, mushrooms, carrots, or peas.   You could also form the potatoes and cabbage into patties and fry them up that way.  I don't usually bother, but that's just me.  

* Bookmark this page and check back often -  more vegan recipes to come soon, to help you eat well!

I'm dabbling a bit into finding out why to eat organic and what to eat organic. In my searching, I ran across Kids Organics that had an article listing some of the top foods that you should make a priority to eat organic. Let me tell you, my eyes have been opened! And that made me want to share with you some of the foods on their list:

1.  Baby Food -- very young children are extremely susceptible to pesticides. Some organic baby food brands are Earth's Best and Tender Harvest. You could also make your own -- keep your eyes peeled for a future blog about that particular topic!
2.  Milk -- today's milk is loaded with antibiotics and growth hormones. Make sure your milk and other dairy is from organically-fed cows without the extra rBST, rBGH and antibiotics.
3.  Soybeans -- Most soybean in the USA is genetically-modified. Why the fuss over modified soy? The herbicide Round-Up Ready has been spliced into the soybean plant DNA. That means you can never wash that herbicide off because it's "permanently embedded".
4.  Bananas -- because of the short window of ripeness and long distances they have to travel to the store, these fruits are loaded with pesticides.
5.  Green Beans -- Over 60 different pesticides are used on green beans.
6.  Peaches -- peaches often have the highest rates of illegally-applied pesticides.
7.  Rice -- domestic rice is "splattered" with chemicals.
8.  Corn -- not usually considered wrought with pesticides, but if you take into consideration that 75- 90% of all domestic corn has been genetically-modified, that the average American eats 11 pounds of it, that most cooking oils include corn oil, and that most everything is sweetened with corn syrup, then you might be more apt to consider organic corn.
9.   Potatoes -- can be laden with pesticides or genetically altered.
10. Raisins -- grapes are laden with pesticides. Raisins are concentrated grapes, therefore concentrated poisons.

With the busy holiday season upon us, and college students finishing up this semester of school, now is as good of a time as any to take advantage of healthy easy to make dinners.  While we are on the topic of potatoes, I have to remind you how simple it is to have a baked potato bar for dinner!  To simplify things further, bake the potatoes in advance and refrigerate them.  Then just zap them in the microwave on the night you have the least amount of dinner-prep time.

If you are like me and occasionally forget the details on baking a potato, don't feel foolish.  The Internet is a fabulous resource:  Howtobakeapotato.com

Once you've mastered the hard part, setting up your bar will be easy!  Just gather any toppings you and your family desire.  Here are some suggestions:

tofu sour cream
chives
salsa (my personal favorite)
diced onions
black olives
mushrooms
steamed broccoli
sausage-style veggie crumbles
Betty Crocker Bac-o's Bacon Flavor Bits
steamed broccoli (or any vegetable you like!)
ranch dressing (we use organic non dairy ranch by Organicville)
shredded vegan cheese

Everyone can assemble their potatoes to their own tastes, which should satisfy even your pickiest family member (whether that be your spouse or your toddler).

If you choose large baking potatoes, one of these will be a filling meal.  (Although you might consider dessert just in case.)