More Broccoli Please

“Dad, can I have more broccoli please?”

Wouldn’t it be nice to hear those words during mealtime?  As parents, many of use are confronted with “battles” over getting their children to eat more vegetables.   While it’s smart to avoid conflicts over the dinner table, giving up and letting children eat whatever they want is not an option. 

Tips to getting your child to “Veg” out!

• Rule of Taste: Always encourage your child to at least try their vegetables, and don’t worry if they don’t finish or even spit it out, at least they tried it.
• Hide Them:  Check out The Sneaky Chef and Deceptively Delicious cookbooks for ideas.  Even though you can sneak it in, make sure to still include a side of vegetables at mealtime.
• Have your child help choose and prepare meals. 
• Be Consistent and Patient:  Don’t give up after a day, a week, a month or even a year (it took 18 months to get my daughter to regularly accept fruits and vegetables after her toddler hiatus). Keep serving a variety of fruits and vegetables with most meals and snacks and eventually your child will eat them. Most children need to be introduced to a new food 10-20 times before they can acquire a taste for it.

Kale Chips

I have to admit that the first time someone told me their kids loved kale chips, I was quite skeptical. While my daughter loves salad, my son’s gag reflux sets off when I attempt to put lettuce on his plate. Regardless, I decided to give them a try, even if it meant begging my son to try something green for once.

I used this recipe:

Seeing my kids enjoy Kale is priceless

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

1 bunch of kale

2+ tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon sea salt

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.     Remove thick stems and tear leaves into bite size pieces. Wash and dry the leaves with a salad spinner (or pat dry with paper towels).

3.     Place in a large bowl and “massage” the olive oil and apple cider vinegar into the leaves. Sprinkle with the sea salt.

4.     Place on a non stick baking pan and bake in the oven until the edges begin to brown, but not burn, about 12-18 minutes.

Used to garnish homemade soup

I first made these a year ago and between my husband and kids, the first tray of kale chips was devoured within minutes. Now these are a staple snack served at home. For additional flavor, you could add Parmesan cheese or various seasonings such as cumin, cayenne, garlic or lemon pepper seasonings.  Last week I served the leftovers on top of homemade vegetarian stew (YUM).

Nutrition Profile

Kale is a superfood which is loaded with powerful antioxidants and an excellent source of vitamins A, K, B6 and C and calcium, manganese, iron, potassium and fiber.

Cost

Store bought Kale Chips are quite expensive and cost anywhere between $2-3 per serving, whereas the homemade version costs about $0.75 a serving.

Ella's Kitchen: Fruit Smoothies To Go!

I am always looking for healthy on the go foods to put in lunches, school snacks or even during those crazy moments at home when I don't have time to prepare anything. Applesauce, whole grain crackers, whole fruits and vegetables are great options, but for kids that need a little zing to their snacking routine, Ella's Kitchen Smoothie Fruits are a great healthy alternative.

The Smoothie Fruits come in four flavors and have no preservatives, artificial flavors or added sugar. They are also gluten, wheat, dairy and lactose free. It is basically smooshed fruit in a convenient to go pouch. Each flavor is identified by color, for example, the Red One (Organic bananas, organic strawberries, organic apples, organic raspberries, <1% organic lemon juice concentrate) or the Green One (Organic bananas, organic apples, organic blackcurrants, organic blueberries, <1% organic lemon juice concentrate), making it attractive to young children. Ella's Kitchen also has a line of baby foods categorized by age as well. These are also available in the same convenient pouches; perfect for keeping in your diaper bag or vehicle glove compartment for emergencies and road trips.

 Nutrition: Each 3 oz pouch is only 50 calories and has 11 grams of sugar (naturally present in fruit).

Cost: Ella's Kitchen products are available to buy online at Amazon.com, Diapers.com and at Target and Babies R' Us. As of today you can purchase the smoothie fruits for a $1.40 each plus shipping and handling fees on Amazon.com.

Ratatouille

Parents who love to cook, and likely even those who don't, will often go to great lengths in order to provide healthy meals for their children. I am no exception. My recent attempt to make a nutrient dense meal was to prepare Ratatouille, which I told my son Remy himself called me with the recipe (yes a little fib, thanks croutonblog.com).

Thank goodness I have a mandolin slicer, because thinly sliced eggplant and zucchini is key. Other than the time it took to slice the vegetables, and roast the peppers, the dish was fairly simple to make. I used chopped roasted garlic instead of minced and also substituted canned tomatoes (better alternative in winter when tomatoes are not in season). I decided to bake the dish in a square glass pan (I hate to admit, but a previous attempt in a saute pan resulted in burnt Ratatouille) and opted against the fancy plate presentation shown in the movie. 

I was so excited to provide this unique dish to my kids, however, they were not too impressed when it hit the table (these moments do not shock me anymore). After enforcing our "one bite" rule, my daughter asked for seconds and even thirds. My four year old son, took a bite and tried to tell me he didn't like it, however, I noticed a little smile on his sneaky face as he took a few more bites without him thinking I was watching.

Do you have any healthy meals you slaved over that your kids actually enjoyed? If so, please share!

Kids Healthy English Muffin Recipes

My son Elijah is a fabulous entertainer. A couple of weeks ago he was standing on our porch singing, “Do You Know the Muffin Man,” he wanted everyone on our street to hear him (not sure how thrilled the neighbors were with this at 8 in the morning). This classic nursery song is based on today’s version of the English muffin. During Victorian times muffins would be delivered door to door by a muffin man, and there actually is a Drury Lane in London (nursery-rhymes.org, 2006)

English muffins are tasty alternatives to bread and bagels. They are great as a snack or eaten as part of a meal anytime of the day. Whole-wheat English muffins are the healthiest option. My favorite brand is Thomas Whole Wheat English muffins. I find that other brands I have tried are too thick and chewy, whereas the Thomas brand doesn’t compromise the classic sour taste and soft middle of a traditional English muffin.  

Samuel Bath Thomas, an innovator and entrepreneur, created the Original "Nooks & Crannies" English Muffin through a secret process that included griddle baking to create a muffin that was crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. (source: http://www.thomas100calorie.com/About-Thomas/Heritage.aspx)

According to The Food Timeline, Thomas’ English muffins were introduced to New York City in the late 19^th century. The founder, Samuel Bath Thomas emigrated from England in 1875 and launched his baking career in 1880.

Nutrient Profile:

1 muffin is about 1.5 servings of grain; each muffin provides 120 calories, 1 gram of fat, 6 grams of protein with trace amounts of calcium and iron. That is three times the fiber and 2 more grams of protein than the original.

English muffins can be enjoyed many ways::

English muffin breakfast sandwich: Toast the muffins and make your own egg sandwich. You can keep it plain (that is how my kids like it) or add cheese, spinach, tomatoes, avocado, turkey or Morning Star bacon, turkey or Morning Star sausage, or whatever else comes to mind. Spice it up with a hit of hot sauce for a morning kick.

English Muffin Pizzas: This is a perfect after school snack, simply toast the English muffins, top with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese, microwave for 45 seconds. Serve with carrot sticks or applesauce.

English Muffin Sandwich: Simply use English muffins as a base for any favorite sandwich.

Healthy School Lunches

It’s nearly November and the time of year when I start to get in a school lunch packing rut. I pack my kids lunches 4 days a week (I actually let them have pizza on Fridays). My daughter hates sandwiches and my son could live off of PB&J and carrot sticks. Their diet is 95% vegetarian, so packing school lunches isn’t an easy feat.

Now that many children will be begging for candy every day for the next 1-2 weeks, it is time to refocus and update our approach to packed school lunches. Here are three quick and affordable healthy menus that will refresh your child’s school lunchbox:

Mexican Munchies ·      Low-fat refried bean and cheese quesadilla slices on whole wheat tortillas   ·      Apple slices ·      Shredded carrot, craisin and raisin salad (simply toss 2-3 tablespoons of shredded carrots with a teaspoon each of craisins and raisins)

PBA on the FLY ·      PBA (peanut butter and thin apple slices) on whole wheat bread ·      1/2 cup of Mandarin oranges ·      1/4 cup unsalted pretzels

Strip and Dip ·      Grilled chicken strips (perfect to make from leftovers, these could also be substituted with soy chicken, tempeh or tofu) ·      Low-fat honey mustard dressing or BBQ sauce ·      Baby carrots ·      1 cup air popped popcorn (no butter or salt) ·      Unsweetened dried apple rings

FYI: Looking for an environmentally friendly, BPA free, functional and sturdy lunchbox? I use laptop lunches systems. I bought these Bento type lunch boxes for my kids two years ago. I put them in the dishwasher 4 days a week and they are still in great condition. You can choose to upgrade to a system that includes a carrier and water bottle. I am a food safety freak and love that the carriers include a mesh pocket for an ice pack. The best part is if your child loses a lid, the water bottle or a container, you can order new ones on their website. They are pricey, but considering the quality, they are definitely worth the investment.

Healthier PB&B Even Elvis Would Love

Did You Know? Fried PB&B was one of Elvis's favorite foods

One of my favorite pastimes was eating peanut butter and banana sandwiches (PB&B) with my dad. It was probably one of the first sandwiches I learned to make as a child. Even as I type this, I can almost smell peanut butter wafting in the air and picture my dad’s childlike smile every time he took a bite.

Reinventing family recipes is a favorite hobby of mine. This particular sandwich got a facelift when I was pregnant with my daughter. For some reason I was craving a PB&B..something I hadn’t had in years. While perusing through my cupboards, I saw rice cakes, which, by the way, were going to get stale if I didn’t eat them soon. So I made a PB&B on a rice cake..and voila..my version of PB&B was reborn.

This isn’t just for craving pregnant mamas, it is also a great after school snack for kids. You can even make this on mini rice cakes and call them fairy sandwiches (for some reason if I make mini portions and add the name fairy..my kids love it (or are at least willing to try it)).

Of course there are many variations…just spread a tablespoon of your favorite nut butter (almond, cashew, sunflower etc.) on a rice cake then top with 6-8 banana slices. I suggest using plain, unsalted, unsweetened rice cakes. My favorite is Lundberg Eco Farmed Brown Rice Cakes. These whole grain rice cakes are only 60 calories and are gluten free, vegan, non GMO, and Kosher. You can even trade the banana for thinly sliced apples, raisins, craisins or whatever you or your kids are craving at the moment (or have available in your kitchen). Sweeten it with tiny drizzle of honey or dust some cinnamon for flavorful flair. For the little ones, make faces with the toppings.