Better Potatoes

If you love mashed potatoes please try the Whipped potato and carrot recipe below. I am testing recipes for an upcoming class at Stonewall Kitchen and have been experimenting with adding vegetables to potatoes to make them better. By replacing half the potatoes with an equal amount of carrots I shaved off almost 160 calories and added 7 grams of fiber to a recipe that makes about four servings. Trust me the result is delicious – no compromise on flavor. Just in time for the holidays too!

Whipped Mashed potatoes with Carrots

1 pound Yukon gold potatoes
1 pound carrots
¼-1/3 cup milk
2 tbsp butter or margarine
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Peel and cut the potatoes and carrots into 1-inch chunks add to the boiling water along with a ½ teaspoon of salt and boil until they are tender when pierced with a knife about 12 minutes.

Drain and pour into a bowl add ¼ cup milk and butter and whip with an electric hand mixer on medium until well blended and smooth add a little more milk if needed and season with salt and pepper for taste.

Want to feel better? Eat better!

It is not uncommon for parents to feel run down or a little "blue" when raising busy, active children. Kids take a lot of time and most parents take care of their child's needs before their own. But being busy is no reason not to eat well in fact it can hurt you. A recent study finds a link between the quality of our diet and depression. More than 10,000 participants enrolled in a study in 1999 for the purpose of assessing whether food choices impact the risk of depression and guess what they found? Those eating more fruit, vegetables, nuts whole grains and fish had a much lower risk. Those eating the most meat products and whole fat dairy had the greatest risk. The researchers conclude that eating a “Mediterranean- type diet” can play a protective role in preventing depressive disorders.

How do you make this work in your life? Simple, every time you eat make an effort to include a fruit or vegetable this can easily add up to three to five servings in a day and this simple change will probably eliminate some unhealthy food in your menu. A secondary benefit includes setting a great example for your child.
Source: Association of the Mediterranean Dietary Pattern with the Incidence of Depression. Archives of General Psychiatry, 2009;66(10):1090-1098
http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/66/10/1090

Saving Money- Improving Health

Food cost is an issue for me, and I am sure for everyone reading this post. The organic foods that have the most sticker shock for me are meat, poultry, eggs, and butter. To control costs I practice portion control and use less of certain foods such as meat and butter. On one day I could spend $8.00 on a free range organic chicken, and the next day 69 cents to make a vegetarian stew. When I average the costs of protein between the two meals it comes out to a little over $4, which fits my budget. This style of eating is also healthier because I am feeding my family less animal fat and more plant-based foods and many kids really love the taste and texture of beans. Kid favorites include chick peas and black beans.

Fruit and Veggies Help Kidneys

Sure you know your child needs fruit and veggies for nutrition but did you know it could help prevent kidney stones when he is older?
A recent study in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology http://jasn.asnjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/ASN.2009030276v1
looked at the diets of men and women for more than 14 years and found those eating a diet with the most fruit, vegetables, nuts, beans and low fat dairy had the lowest risk of kidney stones. Kidney stones can be very painful and require surgery so avoiding the condition is always better than treating it. Kidney stones are uncommon in children but the number of children with the problem is on the rise. Eating the recommended servings of fruit and vegetables can help reduce the risk when older. Now, when children are developing their likes and dislikes for food is the time to introduce them to these important foods. To be successful include a fruit or vegetable or both at every meal. The more often a child sees and tastes a new food the sooner it becomes familiar and the more likely they will try it.

When can you feed real food?

Lots of parents want to start solid foods early- some because they worry the milk feeding is not "real" food, some because they hope it will help with sleeping. Most babies do not need solid food until four to six months of age -breast milk or formula contains everything your child needs. Don't feel you have to rush this stage your child's need for solid food will be here very soon. You can tell if your child is ready to start solid food if he can sit upright with some assistance, his weight has doubled since birth or he weighs 13 pounds or more, or if he is nursing six to eight times per day or drinking 32 ounces of formula and still acts hungry.I promise you your child will be eating table food soon enough

How Much Should Your Child Eat?

Parents ask me about portion size all the time, most want to know exactly how much their child should eat. The truth is only your child knows how much he or she really needs. You can help your child get what he needs by serving small portions of at least three different food items at most meals and then allowing seconds if he or she is hungry. A balanced meal would include something from the starch group such as rice, potato, crackers, cereal or bread, a fruit or a vegetable or both and something that carries protein. Good protein foods can include milk, eggs, chicken, beef, fish, tuna, peanut butter or beans. Very young children need portions that are about one-quarter of an adult size portion. As long as you serve good food and allow your child to eat enough at each meal he or she will get exactly what they need.

Predicting What Your Child Will Eat

In a study of over 3,000 children it was found that the number of fruit exposures in the first two years of life predicted fruit variety when children entered school. The same study found the number of vegetables liked by the mother predicted the vegetable variety consumed by their children. It is very important for you to keep offering your child fruits and vegetables and just as important for your child to see you eating your fruits and vegetables too.To be successful at this start early by serving a fruit or vegetable with every meal and most snacks, Mom and Dad should do this too. Not only does it set a good example it will reduce your risk for gaining weight and developing chronic disease such as high blood pressure or even diabetes.

Look for the Certified Humane Label

I am not a vegetarian, but I make it a priority to eat meat from animals that at least have a decent life. For that reason I look for food that has "certified Humane " on the label. It means that meat, poultry,eggs, or dairy products come from animals raised meeting humane standards, including sufficient space and access to fresh water and a good diet. Ask your local butcher for help finding products with this label.Every week I buy eggs with the Certified Humane label it cost me about $1.20 more but I feel it is money well spent. For more information and a list of foods carrying the symbol, go to www.certifiedhumane.com

Has Your Baby Tried Avocado?

Parents are always asking me what foods to introduce to their child and many are surprised to hear me recommend avocado. Avocado is technically a fruit but we eat it like a vegetable* and many, many kids love it. A ripe avocado has a nice creamy texture and mild flavor. Avocado is an excellent source of nutrition and you do not have to cook it. Wash the avocado and slice in half, remove peel and pit and mash with a drop of juice containing vitamin C such as vitamin C fortified apple juice, orange juice or lemon juice. The vitamin C helps stop the natural browning that occurs once cut. Serve plain or mix with mashed banana, applesauce or yogurt.
Use a cut avocado within one day or remove the pit, brush with lemon, wrap in plastic and freeze for up to four weeks.
* Ever wonder why some foods are classified as a fruit and not a vegetable? One definition of fruit are foods that hold on to their seeds such as an avocado, tomato, lemon, orange ( you get the idea).

Influencing the Picky eater

Both genetics and our environment influence how our children eat. The British researcher Lucy Cooke published a study in 2007 reporting that a large part of how our children perceive and accept food is inherited but this trait can be influenced significantly by other factors such as seeing Mom and Dad eat a variety of foods and by repeatedly offering foods that were initially rejected. Dr Cooke found that when parents were asked to expose young children to previously unpopular vegetables by offering small pieces everyday for fourteen days, not only did the children increase how much they liked the food, but also eating habits in general got better and parents were offering other foods more often before giving up. I had a parent who actually carried out this experiment and she said after 15 tries her daughter really did like the new food ( it was green beans)
Remember too that children eat unpredictably often more at one meal and less at another - if this sounds like your child and s/he is growing and appears happy then take comfort in knowing s/he is not sick or being unusual s/he is actually behaving very normal.

You Can Get your Child to Eat Anything

Parents you can get your children to eat just about anything but not if you trick or bribe. In fact the more you nag the less likely your child will be to try new foods. So how can you help your child eat better? Practice these three rules: First -Offer a variety of food. One reason kids are "picky" is that they simply prefer what is familiar to them and since everything is new you can see why 50% of two year old get labeled "picky", study after study shows you must offer a new food at least ten times before it will be accepted.

Second Make sure mealtime is pleasant. If mealtime is stressful or a battleground you increase the chances a child will not eat and as you probably know a child that will not eat adds to the stress. What to do? Stop talking about what your child is eating. Talk about manners and good behavior but not what is being eaten instead serve small portions of good food and let your child eat what s/he can.

Third- Respect your child's Independence, this means let your child determine how much food he needs to eat and drink. If you are serving wholesome food in a pleasant atmosphere your child will be perfectly prepared to eat exactly what is needed.

What foods do kids like best?

When I meet with parents of young children I almost always ask what foods their kids like best. You might be surprised to learn that many young children have adventurous tastes. Parents tell me their kids favorites veggies include, apples, avocados, banana, beans ( both green string beans and dry beans), carrots, corn, eggs of all kind home made muffins, home made soup, hummus, pears, rice cereal, cooked spinach and sweet potatoes. Unfortunately as they get older french fries become the most popular vegetable, replacing the more colorful and healthier earlier liked vegetables. Kids prefer French Fries because they contain both salt and fat an almost irresistible combination. I recommend you NOT introduce French fries until after 15-18 months because they will crowd out better foods and if you do serve them more than once per week and that goes for mom and dad too!