Those Little Cuties!
I’m sure you’ve seen them! Cuties® are little mandarin oranges that are a popular sight in winter months. They can actually be two different kinds of mandarins, depending on the month. I checked their website and learned the following information:
Cuties can be either of the two varieties of Mandarin oranges: Clementine Mandarins, available November through January, and Murcott Mandarins, available February through April. They are seedless, super sweet, easy to peel and kid-sized.
That also explains why the size is not always identical. Lately, I was surprised to see a television commercial for Cuties. How rare is that … a paid advertisement for a piece of fruit! Great news and a nice break from fast food ads! The other piece of good news is that the ads are focused on Cuties as a great snack for kids. As we all know, kids in this country eat too few fruits and vegetables. Hats off to Cuties marketing team for helping to promote kids eating fruit! The fact that mandarins are small and easy to peel, makes them kid friendly for sure, whether they are this particular Cuties brand or not.
If you’re like me, without kids around, don’t let that stop you. They’re a favorite at our house, even as empty nesters. What got me excited about these tiny oranges is that they taste great and they’re easy! I’ve always loved the canned mandarin oranges, but these are so much better. Plus, I’m always looking for portable yummy fruit, especially in the winter. I like navel oranges, but just don’t get excited about peeling them, especially if I’m working. I peel 2-3 Cuties at a time, and take them to my desk to eat mid-morning, but they’re great anytime. I also like the fact that when I purchase a bag, I’ve got at least 12 servings to look forward to (I would say it takes at least 2 cuties to make a full-cup serving of fruit). If you haven’t tried these little Cuties yet, now is your chance. They are available through April, and then…I guess we wait until November!
About the Author
Anne came to HMR as a health educator in 1990. Since that time Anne has worked with the development team for the HMR at Home Program and provides support to HMR programs as an account manager and trainer. Anne is an avid walker and also loves to explore low calorie cooking.
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2012 (57)
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April
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Introducing the 2012 HMR Triple Imperative Challenge Is it Really More Expensive to Eat Healthy? No Longer Black and White! The Guinea Pig Diet Really Simple Soup: Garden Chicken and Rice Common Phase 1 Challenges: Family Pizza Night Jackson’s Drawing Top 5 from the Trenches: Entrees with Veggies Girl about Town: Every Little Bit Counts Take Control of Your Food Environment Healthy Families: Bringing Vegetables and Fruits into Meal Times
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March
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Dixie Dog and My Workout Rut Teach Your Children Well Sneaky Chef: The Purees Edition My Favorite Kitchen Gadgets (and how I use them to make my life easier): The Blender Edition 5-2-1-0 Let’s Go! The Mileage Club Hacking Your HMR Shakes Eating Healthy Fats Gluten-Free Diets – A Closer Look Hacking Your HMR Entrees My Gym Dilemma March is National Nutrition Month Top 5 from the Trenches: High Volume Shakes The Importance of Good Hydration All Year Long
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February
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Sneaky Chef: The Beans Edition The Can Man: Adding Volume to my HMR Entrees Family Matters: Being Active Together Really Easy Meals: The Five-Bean Potato 5-2-1-0: Eating through the Rainbow Make a Shake, Make it Great: Use Spices, Coffee and Cocoa Those Little Cuties! Share the Love this Valentine’s Day Tell your Honey to Take a Hike! Working Out in Winter Months Your HEART is in Your Hands!
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January
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The Super Bowl: Who’s Going to Win? 5-2-1-0 Let’s Go! After-School Snack of Champions BBQ that’s PDQ and ITB A Blast from My Past: The Counter-top Blender The Childhood Obesity Dilemma The Secret Life of a Five-Bean Entrée No Time for Morning Exercise? How to Pick a Diet Soup: The Weight-Loss Secret That Comes in a Bowl The DVR is my Secret Weapon So You Made a New Year’s Resolution to Lose Weight. Now What? The Rehabilitation of Brussels Sprouts
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April
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2011 (71)
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December
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Girl about Town: Hot Drinks for Cold Days Suffering from Holiday Diet Fatigue? Pump up the Volume! Demo-licious! To Snack or Not To Snack? Sneaking in Physical Activity during the Busiest Time of the Year Healthy Hanukkah Helpings The Phase 1 ‘Stay In the Box through Year End’ Challenge Banishing the Baking Blues Moo Goo Gai Pan: In the Box Take-Out Food Training for White Rock Girl about Town: The Well-Stocked Pantry Pesto Change-o Turkey Chili with Beans: Three Ways
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November
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The Kids are Back in Town Are You Planning to Stay “In the Box” on Thanksgiving? Un-learning Theory Building the Better Burger: Portabello Burgers The Phase 1 Thanksgiving Challenge Wondering How to Make Sense Out of Health Information on the Internet? Autumn Chili Taking a Bite out of Holiday Weight Gain My Favorite Kitchen Gadgets (and how I use them to make my life easier): The Food Processor Edition Raise the BeneFit Bar Starting Over: How an Injury Brought My Exercise to a Whole New Level On the Road… and on the Decision-Free Diet Lettuce Play With Our Food
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October
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Empty Nest – Empty Fridge! Can You Reset Your Metabolism? Yoga with Irene On the Road: How to Take Your Exercise with You Picnic Beans Girl about Town: Party Down at the Pot Luck My Favorite Kitchen Gadgets (and how I use them to make my life easier): The Crockpot Edition Freeze, Frappe or Float A Train, A Plane, and A Hotel Room Dips Without Chips Sneaky Chef: The Zucchini Edition
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September
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A Conversation with Jason Fast Food for a Family of Five Make a Shake, Make it Great: Use Extracts Dynamic Entree Duos Are School Lunches Getting Healthier? Farm Fresh, Any Time of Year Girl About Town: The Lost Weekend Misleading Labels: How ‘Zero’ Calorie Foods Contain Hidden Calories Just Like Mom Used to Make Make a Shake, Make it Great: Use Sugar-Free Pudding or Jell-o Yo-yo Dieting: Harmful or Harmless? Kids and Kabobs
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August
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Recipe Substitutions: Great Taste, Less Calories! Benefits of Weight Loss that Your Doctor Won’t Tell You Yikes! The Gym! Veggies Undercover I Eat Whole Cantaloupes No-Bake Entree Recipes, Part 1 Looking for Straight Talk about Nutrition? The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly… of working out with kids in tow Make a Shake, Make it Great: Use Sugar-free Syrups Girl About Town: Putting Your Best Foot Forward CSA Share, How Do I Love Thee? Diary of a Demo The 4 O’clock Shake Make a Shake, Make it Great: Use Diet Soda or Sugar-free Flavored Water What’s on the Menu? Lots of Calories!
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December
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