The DDI VANTAGE home base program participants learned about eggs at cooking class this week. In case you missed class, here's what we learned: Eggs have many nutrients a baby’s growing brain needs. They are a great first food for young babies because they are easy to eat and prepare! Plain unsalted cooked eggs are the best option for young babies, but the cooking class recipe for this week is a good choice for the baby's family! You can access the egg salad recipe by CLICKING THIS LINK. This egg salad recipe is healthier than a regular recipe because we use plain yogurt for half of the mayo. Yogurt has more calcium and potassium than mayo, making it a healthier choice. If you are out of yogurt, you could use all mayo. We also made peanut butter oatmeal cookies to go with the egg salad. These cookies take about 15 minutes start to finish and the dough is completely edible! They have NO added sugar, oil or butter, which means that your kids can eat as many as they want! You can find that recipe by CLICKING THIS LINK. If you missed cooking class, I hope you can join us next time! Until then, try the recipes on your own time. Our recipe page has a lot of great meal ideas for young kids. Happy Cooking! Here's a fast motion video of the cooking class recipes if you are interested!

For national nutrition month, I am going to write a few blogs about nutrients you might not be getting enough of. First up is FIBER! Fiber is the rough part of fruits, vegetables and whole grains that your body doesn't digest. Fiber feeds the "good bacteria" in your intestines. Those good bacteria support the immune system of your entire body! Fiber also helps your poop come out easily. If your child is constipated, it is likely that they aren't getting enough fiber. Here's 5 foods that can help make fiber your new best friend. Keep these numbers in mind as you read about the foods below: kids age 1-3 need 19 grams of fiber per day kids age 4-8 need 25 grams of fiber per day older kids + adults need around 30-35 grams of fiber per day 1) APPLES! 4.4 grams of fiber portable lasts 2-3 weeks in the fridge! Available year round. My new favorite kind is called "OPAL" 2) AVOCADO 13.9 grams in one avocado spread on toast great food for babies! lasts longer if kept in fridge 3) BANANA 3 grams in one banana easy to mash for babies add to smoothies natural sweetener 4) BLACK BEANS 8 grams per 1/2 cup easy to mash up for baby perfect "finger food" for babies with pincer grasp also a good source of iron very inexpensive 5) WHOLE WHEAT BREAD 3-5 grams per slice white bread has 0-1 grams look at labels and choose the kind with the most fiber "whole wheat" will have more fiber than just "wheat" I hope you start getting to know fiber better! Happy National Nutrition Month, thanks for reading! en español La fibra, su nuevo mejor amigo. Para el mes nacional de la nutrición, voy a escribir algunos blogs acerca de los nutrientes que quizás no esté recibiendo en suficiente cantidad. ¡El primero es la fibra! La fibra es la parte filamentosa de las frutas, los vegetales y los granos integrales que su cuerpo no digiere. Es MUY importante para su salud, porque alimenta la bacteria beneficiosa en sus intestinos. ¡Estas bacterias buenas ayudan al sistema inmunológico y son importantes para la salud de todo su cuerpo! La fibra también le ayuda a defecar con más facilidad. Si su hijo está estreñido, es probable que no esté consumiendo suficiente fibra. A continuación encontrará 5 alimentos que pueden ayudar a que la fibra sea su nuevo mejor amigo. Tenga en cuenta estos números a medida que lee acerca de los alimentos que se mencionan abajo: Los niños de 1 a 3 años necesitan 19 gramos de fibra al día Los niños de 4 a 8 años necesitan 25 gramos de fibra al día Los adultos necesitan alrededor de 30-35 gramos de fibra al día 1) ¡MANZANAS! 4.4 gramos de fibra Fáciles de llevar. ¡Duran 2-3 semanas en el refrigerador! Disponibles durante todo el año. Hay una nueva variedad que se llama “OPAL” y ahora es mi favorita. 2) AGUACATE 13.9 gramos en un aguacate Unte el aguacate sobre pan tostado. ¡Es un alimento muy bueno para los bebés! Dura más tiempo si se guarda en el refrigerador. 3) BANANO 3 gramos en un banano Fácil de machacar. Se puede agregar a los batidos. Es un endulzante natural. 4) FRIJOLES NEGROS 8 gramos por 1/2 taza Fáciles de machacar para los bebés. Comida perfecta para que los bebés se los “coman con los dedos” usando el agarre de pinza. También son una buena fuente de hierro. Muy económicos. 5) PAN DE TRIGO INTEGRAL 3-5 gramos por tajada El pan blanco tiene 0-1 gramos. Fíjese en las etiquetas y escoja el tipo de pan que tenga más fibra. El de “trigo integral” tendrá más fibra que el que es sólo de “trigo”. ¡Espero que empiece a familiarizarse mejor con la fibra! ¡Feliz mes nacional de la nutrición y gracias por leer esta publicación!

This is a healthy way to get dinner on the table in 20 minutes without making a big mess. You can make this even if you don't have the exact ingredients below, follow this link to the recipe page for substitutions and a FASTER way to make it! (look for the substitutions at the end of the recipe). Ingredients 1 onion, diced small 1 tablespoon olive or canola oil 1 head of garlic, cloves separated, peeled and sliced 1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes - use crushed if your family doesn't like "chunks" of tomatoes 1 (14.5 oz) can low sodium chicken broth 2-3 teaspoons dried basil 2 teaspoons oregano ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional) 1 can artichoke hearts (drained and chopped) 8 oz whole wheat thin spaghetti ½ cup grated parmesan cheese Directions - slow version with very detailed instructions (see the end of this post for a faster version). This version will taste better because browning onions and garlic adds more flavor to the dish. It will only take about 5 extra minutes. Cut onion into small dice and peel and dice garlic ( photo is of smashed garlic, which is easy to peel) Heat oil in a large pot over high heat. Once oil is hot, add onion. After you add the onions, turn the heat down to medium. Stir and cook onion until it is lightly brown all over and see through. When the onion is brown, add garlic to the pot with onion. Cook for 30 seconds. Add the can of tomatoes and the can of broth, scrape up any onion or garlic that is stuck on the bottom of the pan. Add basil, oregano, crushed red pepper, spaghetti and artichokes. Stir to combine, try to get all the noodles covered with liquid. Turn heat to high, put the lid on and bring to a boil. Once the pot boils, Take the lid off and stir well, scape any noodles off the bottom of the pan. Turn heat down to medium low (about a 3 on my stove). Put the lid back on and cook for about 10 minutes, taking off the lid to stir occasionally so that the noodles don’t burn on the bottom of the pan. Once liquid is absorbed and the noodles are soft, the meal is finished. It might take more than 10 minutes on your stove. Once finished, stir in parmesan cheese. Directions - quick version Cut onion and garlic into slices. Drain artichokes. Dump all ingredients into the pot. Turn heat to high and put a lid on. Once liquid is boiling, take lid off and stir so noodles don’t stick to the bottom to the pan Turn heat down to a simmer (about a 4 on my stove). Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender and liquid is absorbed. Stir in parmesan cheese and serve. Follow this link to the recipe page to see substitutions and additions for this recipe (look at the end of the recipe PDF document). IN SPANISH: Pasta en una sola olla Ésta es una manera saludable de tener la cena en la mesa en 20 minutos sin hacer un gran reguero. ¡Fíjese en la última página para adaptar esta receta a su gusto! Ingredientes 1 cebolla, picada en trozos pequeños 1 Cucharada de aceite de oliva o de canola 1 cabeza de ajo, con los dientes separados, pelados y rebanados 1 (14.5 oz) lata de tomates picados en trozos pequeños (petite diced tomatoes) 1 (14.5 oz) lata de caldo de pollo bajo en sodio 2-3 cucharaditas de albahaca seca 2 cucharaditas de orégano ½ cucharadita de pimienta roja molida (opcional) 1 lata de corazones de alcachofas (escurridos y picados) 8 oz espaguetis delgados de trigo integral ½ taza de queso parmesano rallado Instrucciones - versión de preparación lenta con instrucciones muy detalladas. Véase en la página siguiente la versión más rápida y fácil. Esta versión sabrá un poco mejor porque dorar las cebollas y el ajo le dan mucho más sabor al plato y solamente tomará 5 minutos más. Corte la cebolla en trozos pequeños y pele y pique el ajo (la foto muestra un ajo machacado que es fácil de pelar). Caliente el aceite en una olla grande a fuego alto. Una vez que el aceite esté caliente, agregue la cebolla. Después de agregar la cebolla, baje el fuego a medio. Revuelva y cocine la cebolla hasta que dore bien y quede transluciente. Cuando la cebolla haya dorado, agregue el ajo a la olla donde tiene la cebolla y cocínelo por 30 segundos. Agregue la lata de tomates y la lata de caldo, raspe bien la cebolla y el ajo que se hayan pegado al fondo de la olla. Agregue la albahaca, el orégano, la pimienta roja molida, los espaguetis y las alcachofas. Revuelva para mezclar y trate de cubrir la pasta con el líquido. Suba la temperatura a alto, tape la olla y deje que hierva. Una vez que la olla esté hirviendo, retire la tapa, revuelva bien la pasta hasta el fondo de la olla. Baje la temperatura a medio bajo (en mi estufa sería el número 3). Vuelva a tapar la olla y cocine por 10 minutos. Retire la tapa para revolver ocasionalmente a fin de que la pasta no se queme en el fondo de la olla. Una vez que se haya absorbido el líquido y la pasta esté blandita, la comida está lista. Puede que tome más de 10 minutos en su estufa. Cuando termine de cocinar la pasta, agregue el queso parmesano.

My kids love making sugar cookies, mostly because they are fun to decorate! Toast can be just as fun, but without all the added sugar and butter you find in cookies. PLUS! You can add veggies to the top of toast! Here’s a fun snack (or lunch) idea to lighten up your February. Emotional Toast Ingredients: Whole wheat sandwich bread Reduced fat cream cheese (or hummus) 1 radish 1 cucumber 1 can sliced olives Toast whole wheat bread until firm. Top with low fat cream cheese or hummus. Add sliced olives, radishes and cucumbers to make different faces. You can cut or bite th e middles out of cucumbers (and bite them in half) to make the mouth shape. Experiment with any vegetables you have in your fridge or pantry. Try using egg salad or grated carrots for silly hair. Bonus: Read a book from the library about emotions like “The Feelings Book” by Todd Parr In Spanish: ¡Hora de la merienda! Febrero: pan tostado con emociones ¡A mis hijos les encanta hacer galletas de azúcar, principalmente porque es muy divertido decorarlas! Puede ser igualmente divertido decorar el pan tostado, pero sin toda el azúcar agregada y la mantequilla que tienen las galletas. ¡ADEMÁS, pueden poner vegetales encima del pan tostado! Esta es una idea de una merienda (o almuerzo) para alegrarles el mes de febrero. Pan tostado con emociones Ingredientes: Pan integral de trigo integral para sándwich Queso crema reducido en grasa (o hummus) 1 rábano 1 pepino 1 lata de aceitunas cortadas en rodajas Ponga a tostar el pan de trigo integral hasta que quede firme. Unte queso crema bajo en grasa o hummus en el pan tostado. Agregue las aceitunas, los rábanos y los pepinos cortados en rodajas para formar diferentes caras. Puede morder los pepinos para quitarles el centro (y para cortarlos por la mitad) para darle la forma de la boca. Experimente con cualquier vegetal que tenga en la nevera o en la despensa. Trate de usar ensalada de huevo o zanahorias ralladas para que el cabello quede gracioso. Actividad adicional: lean un libro acerca de las emociones como por ejemplo, “El libro de los sentimientos” [“The Feelings Book”] por Todd Parr.

Parents worry about how many vegetables their child eats. Want to see how your family is doing? Check out the photos below. Remember that it’s your job to OFFER this much to your child. Don’t ever force a child to eat, it does more harm than good. Once you’ve offered veggies (and sat down to eat your own portion with your child), your job is done. Age 6 months to 1 year: about ⅔ cup every day (10 tablespoons) 6 month olds will eat about 1 Tablespoon 1 year olds will eat closer to 3 Tablespoons Watch for hunger and fullness cues and stop feeding your child when they are done eating. Remember, it is your job to OFFER the food, not to get it into your child. 1-3 tablespoons pureed spinach with breakfast 1-3 Tablespoons pureed carrots with lunch 1-3 Tablespoons mixed veggie puree with dinner 1 year to 2 years: about ¾ cup vegetables every day ¼ cup spinach in a smoothie at breakfast ¼ cup cooked carrots with lunch ¼ cup canned green beans with dinner 2 -3 years: 1 cup vegetables every day ¼ cup spinach in a smoothie at breakfast ¼ cup carrot sticks at lunch ¼ cup canned green beans with dinner ¼ cup canned corn with dinner 4-8 years: 1 1/2 cups vegetables every day ½ cup spinach in a smoothie at breakfast ½ cup carrot sticks at lunch ¼ cup canned green beans with dinner ¼ cup canned corn with dinner 9-13 years: 2 cups vegetables every day ½ cup spinach in a smoothie at breakfast ½ cup carrot sticks at lunch ½ cup canned green beans with dinner ½ cup canned corn with dinner 14+: 2 ½ to 3 cups vegetables every day ½ cup spinach in a smoothie at breakfast 1 cup carrot sticks at lunch 1/2 cup canned green beans with dinner 1/2 cup canned corn with dinner Next month, I will show you in photos about how much fruit your child needs. If you want to be updated when there is a new post, you can sign up for email notices here. ¿QUÉ TANTO? Un artículo publicado en el blog sobre qué tanta comida se le debe ofrecer a su hijo. A los padres les preocupa qué tantos vegetales comen los hijos. ¿Quiere ver cómo está su familia en este aspecto? Le aseguro que está mejor de lo que piensa. Las cantidades que se indican a continuación indican qué tantos vegetales su hijo debería comer cada día. La cosa más importante que hay que recordar es que usted tiene el deber de OFRECERLE esta cantidad a su hijo. Nunca obligue al niño a comer, eso hace más daño que bien. Una vez que usted le haya ofrecido los vegetales (y se haya sentado a comer su propia porción con su hijo), usted ya ha cumplido con su deber. 6 meses a un año de edad: aproximadamente ⅔ de taza todos los días (10 Cucharadas)* *la cantidad variará según la edad, los niños de 6 meses de edad se comerán alrededor de 1 cucharada y los niños de un año de edad se comerán cerca de 3 cucharadas. Cada niño es diferente. Nunca obligue a su hijo a comer. Preste atención a las señales de hambre y satisfacción y deje de darle de comer cuando ya no quiera más. Recuerde, usted tiene el deber de OFRECER la comida, no de metérsela al niño. 1 a 3 Cucharadas de puré de espinaca con el desayuno 1 a 3 Cucharadas de puré de zanahoria con el almuerzo 1 a 3 Cucharadas de puré de vegetales mixtos con la cena 1 a 2 años de edad: aproximadamente ¾ taza de vegetales todos los días ¼ taza de espinaca en un batido al desayuno ¼ taza de zanahorias cocinadas con el almuerzo ¼ taza de habichuelas (ejotes/judías verdes) enlatadas con la cena 2 a 3 años: 1 taza de vegetales todos los días ¼ taza de espinaca en un batido al desayuno ¼ taza de zanahorias cortadas en palitos al almuerzo ¼ taza de habichuelas (ejotes/judías verdes) con la cena ¼ taza de maíz (elote) enlatado con la cena 4 a 8 años: 1 1/2 tazas de vegetales todos los días ½ taza de espinaca en un batido al desayuno ½ taza de zanahorias cortadas en palitos al almuerzo ¼ taza de habichuelas (ejotes/judías verdes) con la cena ¼ taza de maíz (elote) enlatado con la cena 9 a 13 años: 2 tazas de vegetales todos los días ½ taza de espinaca en un batido al desayuno ½ taza de zanahorias cortadas en palitos al almuerzo ½ taza de habichuelas (ejotes/judías verdes) con la cena ½ taza de maíz (elote) enlatado con la cena 14+: 2 ½ a 3 tazas de vegetales todos los días ½ taza de espinaca en un batido al desayuno ½ taza de zanahorias cortadas en palitos al almuerzo ½ taza de apio cortado en palitos para la merienda ½ taza de habichuelas (ejotes/judías verdes) con la cena ½ taza de maíz (elote) enlatado con la cena El mes que viene, les mostraré en fotos cuánta fruta necesita su hijo. Si desea recibir actualizaciones cuando haya una nueva publicación, puede registrarse para recibir avisos por correo electrónico aquí.

(blog doesn't automatically translate, scroll to the bottom for spanish version, el blog no se traduce automáticamente, desplácese hasta el final para ver la versión en español) Cooking class this week will be Tofu Buddha Bowls. This is a simple meal that you can put together with anything you have. Notice how the picture on this page is different from the picture in the recipe? That's because when I took this picture I was out of frozen peas, sweet potatoes and tofu, so there's only cauliflower, grated carrots, bell peppers and rice with peanut sauce. The possibilities are endless. To make sure that I can always make this recipe, I keep the following things on hand at all times: IN THE FREEZER: a bag or two of frozen veggies and fresh ginger (just keep in your freezer door, I don't even put it in a bag, it keeps for months) IN THE PANTRY: a jar of peanut butter, a can of garbanzo beans (use instead of tofu), bags of brown rice, brown sugar (honey also works, but it is not safe for babies less than 1 year old), cans of pineapple IN THE FRIDGE: soy sauce, carrots (they keep for weeks and are always cheap!) OPTIONAL THINGS: you can make this without the garlic and without the fresh veggies, it's much better with them, but in a pinch you do without the fresh ingredients! The beauty of a meal like this is that you put all the ingredients on the table and let your family pick and choose from what is there. Since all of the options are healthy, you don't need to worry about what everyone chooses. For example, this is how my 4 year old made his buddha bowl. And this is how I made mine: Let go of any ideals you have about your child eating exact amounts of things. This puts pressure on your child, and kids who feel pressured don't eat well. Just put healthy food on the table and let your child pick and choose from what's there. I hope your family loves this as much as mine does! If you happen to make recipe, post some photos of your meal on the DDI VANTAGE Facebook page! Hope to see you this week at cooking class! ----- En Espanole: En la clase de cocina de esta semana aprenderemos a preparar Tazones de Buddha con tofu. Para ver la receta, siga este enlace. Esta es una comida muy sencilla que puede preparar con lo que tenga a su disposición. ¿Se da cuenta de que la foto en esta página es diferente a la que aparece en la receta? La razón es porque cuando tomé esta foto no tenía arvejas congeladas, camotes ni tofu, así es que solamente hay coliflor, zanahorias ralladas, pimentón y arroz con salsa de cacahuate. Las posibilidades son infinitas. Para asegurarme de que siempre pueda preparar esta receta, mantengo las siguientes cosas a la mano todo el tiempo: EN EL CONGELADOR: una o dos bolsas de vegetales congelados y jengibre fresco (simplemente guárdelo en la puerta del congelador, ni siquiera lo pongo en una bolsa y se conserva durante varios meses). EN LA ALACENA: un frasco de mantequilla de cacahuate [maní], una lata de garbanzos (en lugar de tofu), bolsas de arroz integral, azúcar morena (también se puede utilizar miel, pero no se le debe dar a los bebés menores de un año de edad), latas de piña. EN LA NEVERA: salsa de soya, zanahorias (se conservan durante varias semanas y ¡siempre son baratas!). COSAS OPCIONALES: puede preparar esto sin el ajo y sin los vegetales frescos. ¡Es mucho mejor si los tiene, pero si está en un apuro, puede hacerlo sin los ingredientes frescos! Lo maravilloso de una comida como esta es que usted pone todos los ingredientes en la mesa y deja que su familia escoja de lo que hay allí. Como todas las opciones son saludables, no tiene que preocuparse por lo que cada uno escoja. Por ejemplo, así fue como mi hijo de 4 años sirvió su tazón de Buda: Así fue como yo serví mi plato: No se aferre a los ideales que tenga de que su hijo coma cantidades exactas de ciertas cosas. Esto le pone presión a su hijo y los niños que se sienten presionados no comen bien. Simplemente ponga en la mesa alimentos saludables y deje que su hijo escoja lo que hay ahí. ¡Espero que a su familia le guste este plato tanto como a la mía! Si lo prepara, por favor, ¡cuéntenos en la página de Facebook de DDI VANTAGE!

Did you make a resolution to eat healthier this year? Here’s a few tips to help you turn those resolutions into lifelong healthy habits: ¿Se fijó el propósito de comer más saludable este año? A continuación se encuentran algunos consejos para ayudarle a convertir esos propósitos en hábitos saludables para toda la vida. 1. Choose a specific habit to change. Instead of making a vague goal like “eat healthier” or “lose weight,” try making a small specific goal that you have control over. Examples: Drink 1 glass of water before eating lunch Only drink water with meals, no soda Limit the sugar in my morning coffee to 1 teaspoon instead of 2 Only buy unsweetened cereals for breakfast Stop buying packaged cookies 1. Escoja un hábito específico para cambiar. En lugar de fijar una meta indefinida como “comer más saludable” o “bajar de peso”, trate de fijar metas pequeñas y específicas sobre las cuales usted tenga control. Ejemplos: Tomar un vaso de agua antes de almorzar. Tomar sólo agua en lugar de refresco (soda) con las comidas. Limitar el azúcar en el café en la mañana a una cucharadita en lugar de dos. Comprar solamente cereal sin azúcar para el desayuno. Dejar de comprar galletas en paquetes. 2. Add in a daily habit instead of taking something away. It is important to limit unhealthy foods, but it is equally important to drink water and eat healthy foods. Examples of how to add in healthy habits: Drink 8 oz of water at the start of every day, before eating Eat a piece of fruit for a snack every day (could be fresh, canned or frozen) Eat 1 vegetable at dinner every day 2. Incorpore un hábito diario en lugar de quitar algo. Es importante limitar el consumo de alimentos que no son saludables, pero es igualmente importante tomar agua y comer alimentos saludables. Ejemplos de cómo incorporar hábitos saludables: Tomar 8 onzas de agua al comienzo de cada día, antes de comer. Comer una fruta para la merienda cada día (puede ser fresca, enlatada o congelada). Comer un vegetal para la cena cada día. 3. Switch out a healthier option for foods you are already eating. Examples: Use whole grain pasta instead of white pasta Buy low fat milk instead of whole milk Choose 100% whole wheat bread instead of white bread Choose lean ground beef instead of 80% fat beef Choose plain yogurt instead of sweetened yogurt 3. Sustituya los alimentos que ya está comiendo por opciones más saludables. Ejemplos: 1. Usar pasta integral en lugar de pasta blanca. 2. Comprar leche baja en grasa en lugar de leche entera. 3. Escoger pan 100% integral en lugar de pan blanco. 4. Escoger carne de res molida magra en lugar de carne de res con 80% de grasa. 5. Escoger yogur natural en lugar de yogur endulzado. 4. Tack a new goal onto something you already do. It’s easy to remember your goal if you add it to a routine you are already doing. Here are some examples: Pack a vegetable every day with lunch Have a piece of fruit every day with my cereal Drink a glass of water every day with my afternoon snack 4. Agregue una nueva meta a algo que ya está haciendo. Es fácil recordar su meta si la agrega a una rutina que ya tiene. Aquí hay algunos ejemplos: a. Empacar un vegetal todos los días con el almuerzo. b. Comer una fruta todos los días con mi cereal. c. Tomar un vaso de agua todos los días con mi merienda en la tarde. Losing weight and eating healthy are big goals consisting of hundreds of small choices. Find 1 or 2 small, attainable goals and stick to them! Once you’ve made your goals into a habit (at least 6 weeks), add on a new goal. By keeping goals SPECIFIC, SMALL AND ATTAINABLE, you are setting yourself up for success. If you want some help making and keeping healthy eating goals, ask your family advocate for a referral to the Dietitian or sign up for the “Cultivating Resilience” classes. Bajar de peso y comer saludable son metas grandes que consisten en cientos de pequeñas elecciones. ¡Busque una o dos metas pequeñas, alcanzables y aférrese a ellas! Una vez que sus metas se hayan convertido en un hábito (por lo menos 6 semanas), agregue una nueva meta. Al mantener metas ESPECÍFICAS, PEQUEÑAS Y ALCANZABLES entonces se estará preparando para tener éxito. Si desea ayuda para fijar y mantener metas para comer saludable, pídale a su Defensor de la Familia una remisión a la dietista o inscríbase en las clases de “Cómo cultivar la resiliencia”.

I have a big garden. One my very favorite foods to grow and to eat is honeydew melon. To me, a garden grown honeydew melon is like gold - I savor every last bite. I cut one up this week and put it in front of my son. He said "I don't like that yuckydew melon." I said, "okay, more for me!" Then I went about eating my meal and left the honeydew melon slices in front of him. Next thing I knew, this was happening: He ended up eating rest of the melon! The point of this story is this: don't pressure your child to eat. Pressure makes kids eat worse, not better. I often use the line "great! more for me!" when my child doesn't want to eat a food. Then I enjoy my own meal and continue to talk with everyone at the table. This takes the pressure off my child and lets them learn to like a food on their own time. I try to give them some "privacy" to try the new food - meaning I sit with them and talk with them, but don't look at them for a few minutes so they can sneak up on the food without any pressure from me. Your job as a parent is to offer your child healthy food. A child's job is to choose whether to eat the food or not. Do a good job with your part, then let your child do a good job with eating. For more information on how to help your picky eater, visit the picky eating page of this website, or the Ellyn Satter Website at: https://www.ellynsatterinstitute.org/ Also, to keep up with tradition, here's what we are eating this week: M: Turkey and lentil lettuce wraps with cabbage ramen slaw, canned pineapple T: chili with baked potatoes, fresh cut melon on the side W: tortellini soup with sausage and veggies, bread and pears Th: pasta with pesto, green salad, fruit smoothie F: easy enchiladas, canned corn, canned fruit S: homemade pizza, green salad, fruit smoothies

This week is very busy for me, which means I don't want to take too much time cooking dinner. Even though I won't have much time to cook, I still make cooking and eating dinner a priority. Eating balanced meals together as a family is THE MOST IMPORTANT thing you can do to teach kids healthy eating habits. Here's what I'm cooking this week: MONDAY: breakfast for dinner. Oatmeal pancakes, crust less quiche, fresh grapes. I will use swiss-chard from my garden instead of spinach. TUESDAY: Peanut noodles with cabbage ramen slaw and frozen mangoes. WEDNESDAY: Spaghetti squash with red sauce and cheese. Garlic bread and green salad with fresh tomatoes on the side. THURSDAY: Chicken noodle soup, cheese sandwiches and honeydew melon. If chicken is expensive I will use tofu instead of chicken (just cut it into cubes and drop it in). FRIDAY: We are going camping, so we will be eating hot dogs, pasta salad and cut apples. SATURDAY: We will be driving home from camping and will probably eat pizza on the road.

I'm delighted that you are here. My name is Nicole: I'm a mom and Registered Dietitian. One of my favorite things to do is cook a big meal and sit down to enjoy it with my family. If you are a DDI VANTAGE family, I hope you can be inspired to find joy in feeding your kids while you are here. If you are a Family Advocate, I hope you can find all the info you need to inspire families to eat well. On this site you will find tips and tricks for feeding kids age 0-3. There's also a few family favorite recipes and nutrition tips for daycare teachers. Happy Eating and Feeding! Nicole

Does your 18 month to 3 year old seem to love only noodles, chicken nuggets and flavored yogurt? If so, this post is for you! Picky eating is common in children age 18 months to 3 years. Most parents have at least one child who is choosy at mealtime. Picky eating is often a phase that passes by the time a child enters grade school. Sometimes picky eating sticks around until a child is much older. Knowing this doesn't make it easier to feed your child, but here is one tip that will make things easier: Eat meals with your child and Eat the same thing as your child at those meals If you are at home with your child, make breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. Make foods you enjoy and adjust them for your child. Always offer your child the same things you are eating. Kids don't need "kid food." They can eat anything you are having as long as it doesn't pose a choking hazard. The only difference between a parent's meal and a child's meal is serving size. The photo on top is a common lunch I eat with my 3 year old. He didn't start out liking tuna or avacados. For several months he would only eat the pears and the bread. I never told him that he had to try avacados. I never told anyone that he "doesn't like avacados." I just said nothing at all and kept on serving it every few days. Eventually he tasted them on his own and learned to like them. Avoid labeling your child as picky or saying they don't like certain foods. Just keep offering foods and eventually your child will try them. It can be helpful to keep foods separate, kids usually don't like foods to be mixed up. That's why I've put the tuna on the side of the bread. He eats his tuna with a spoon and then eats the bread plain. Serving the same meal from the start eliminates the chance of your child getting stuck on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or chicken nuggets. If you let your child know from the start that they always get the same thing you are having, then that is what they will come to expect. Worried your child won't get enough to eat? Research shows that children are very good at regulating their intake. If they don't eat a lot one day, they will make up for it the next day. The key here is to keep your cool, keep offering new foods and never force your child to eat. Just offer food and let them decide whether they will eat it or not. Don't be afraid of your child starving. As long as you've offered a balanced meal, you've done your job. Now let your child decide how much to eat. For more information about picky eating, ask your family advocate to show you the InJoy video about 2 year olds during your next visit. You can also read up on picky eating here, here and here.

My air conditioning doesn't work well. To keep the house cool, I run fans early in the morning, keep the blinds closed during the day and I avoid using the oven. Now that we have two days of 70 degree weather, I can keep the blinds open during the day use the oven again without a (literal) sweat. I can also start serving my favorite easy dinner: chili! The other wonderful thing about September is the availability of fresh peaches, pears and grapes! My family eats a lot of fresh fruit this time of year because it is affordable. In the winter months we mostly eat canned fruit and oranges. Eating food that is in season saves you money and tastes better. Here's my menu plan for the week! Monday: My favorite chili recipe with cornbread and avacados. Fresh cut peaches on the side. photo from eatingwell.com Tuesday: baked eggs with swiss chard from my garden. Bread from my freezer (I buy day old bread and freeze it to save money) and fresh cut peaches on the side. Photo from budgetbytes.com Wednesday: Panfried eggplant with fresh tomatoes and cheese on top + green salad and fresh cut pears on the side. Photo from allrecipes.com Thursday: Peanut noodles with swiss chard from the garden and frozen peas. I will be posting this recipe on my site soon! Fresh grapes from the garden. Friday: Easy enchiladas with garden salad and fresh cut peaches on the side. photo from tasteofhome.com Have a great week and enjoy these couple of days of cool weather!