It was the middle of May. I stood in the warm kitchen happily chopping up veggies while listening to Jack Johnson. A warm breeze flowed in through the open window. Spring was in the air and I felt so relaxed. And then...... My phone alarm went off....reminding me that we had T-ball at 4:30 And a track practice at 5:00 and a piano recital at 6:30 And now I only had 30 minutes to make dinner, eat dinner, find the T-ball uniform, and get everyone buckled in their carseats. It was definitally May. The busiest month of the year. Change of plans. We found T-ball uniform, got everyone buckled into their carseats, ate cheese tortillas while driving and made it to practice (only 5 minutes late). Fast forward 10 years. I am older, wiser and better prepared for the insanity that is the month of May. I write out every activity on a paper calendar, I keep better track of sport uniforms, and most importantly..... I meal plan. Meal planning saves you loads of time because you'll only make one trip to the grocery store for the week you'll make meals ahead of time when there's zero time to make dinner you'll have more time to do laundry, so you'll be able to find the t-ball uniform easier Plus, when you eat at home instead of eating out, you will eat healthier, save money, and feel better. Here's what we're eating this week. I hope some of these dietitian approved meals will help you make it through the first week of May. Monday: tofu buddha bowls how to prep ahead for this meal: On sunday, cook the rice, roast the veggies, buy microwavable veggies, pan fry the tofu instead of baking it (takes about 10 minutes), assemble everything when it's time to eat Tuesday: crock pot vegetable and barley soup + no knead bread + apple slices (you could add stew meat if you want to add meat to this dish) prep: assemble crock pot stew and bread in the morning before work Wednesday: BBQ lentil sloppy joes + rice and bean salad + oranges (you could do barbeque beef if you don't like lentils!) how to prep ahead: cook extra rice on sunday (when making rice for buddha bowls), boil lentils while the rice is cooking, assemble the salad on sunday (the salad is also great for lunches all week long). Thursday: Lentil tacos, cabbage slaw, frozen mangoes how to prep ahead: boil the lentils when you are cooking the rice on sunday Friday: Homemade Pizza prep: buy pre-made pizza crust at the store, assemble and bake your pizza with any veggies leftover in your fridge. Serve with a green salad and canned peaches What are you eating this week? Leave a comment and let me know! Want some motivation to get cooking? Sign up for this month's cooking class. We will be making one of my summer staple meals: rice and bean salad. Here's the link to sign up: https://forms.gle/MmtzUNgU53dqi55k6

Friends and family frequently tell me that they eat out because it's cheap and easy. It's absolutely true that picking up a pizza from Little Cesears is easier than meal planning, and making a plan for one night of pizza lugging kids through the store to buy all the ingredients trying to cook with little kids at your feet cleaning up the mess afterward But eating out is NEVER less expensive than cooking at home. Dont believe me? Here's proof: Pizza The ultimate cheap dinner is a classic pizza from little caesars which costs $6.99 A homemade pizza costs about $3.25! yeast: $0.62 flour: $0.12 cheese: $1.87 pepperoni: $0.37 red sauce: $0.25 total: 3.23 (cost for homemade dough with prices at walmart.com) How is homemade pizza healthier? lower amount of salt in the sauce using whole wheat flour in the dough adds fiber you control how much cheese and pepperoni adding veggies to the top or the sauce adds nutrition Looking for a great whole-wheat pizza crust? This is my go-to recipe: https://cookieandkate.com/easy-whole-wheat-pizza-dough/ Tacos 1 regular beef soft taco from taco bell = $1.69 (for a small 6-8 inch taco) 1 ground beef soft taco made at home = $0.65 (for a 10 inch taco!) tortilla: $.20 ground beef: $.30 (per oz) cheese: $.10 per tablespoon (about what's on a taco bell taco) seasonings: $0.05 shredded lettuce: $0.05 total: $0.70 How are homemade tacos healthier? lower in sodium more fiber if made with whole wheat tortillas add beans and vegetables for added vitamins, minerals and fiber! use lean ground beef or turkey to cut saturated fat try lentil tacos to add fiber and save even more money! Hamburgers and French Fries McDonalds Quarter Pounder with cheese: $5.09 1 quarter pound hamburger made at home: $1.72 1/4 pound 85% lean ground beef: $1.18 1 bun: $0.17 pickles, lettuce, ketchup, mustard: $0.25 cheese slice: $0.12 total: $1.72 1 order of medium French fries at McDonalds: $2.69 Ounce equivalent of roasted potatoes: $0.98 How are homemade burgers and fries healthier? Sodium is bad for your heart. 1,140mg sodium @ McDonalds, only 600mg @ home Lower Saturated (bad) fat (roast potatoes instead of fry them, use lean beef) More fiber (whole wheat bun) More nutrients (add spinach, mushrooms, avocados) Orange Chicken and Rice 1 bowl orange chicken and ham fried rice: $7.90 (per serving) homemade orange chicken with rice: $1.62 (per serving) How is homemade better? less salt (if you use low sodium soy sauce) less fat (pan fry instead of deep fat fry) Add more vegetables with the extra money you saved! We rarely eat out. Partially because it's so unhealthy, but mostly because it is so expensive. I also rarely make burgers, fries or orange chicken at home. Not because they are unhealthy, but because meat is expensive. So what do I make? Subscribe to my blog to find out. It's free and starting in May 2023, I will post a weekly menu (including photos and recipes). My intention is to help you get an idea of what a healthy, budget friendly menu looks like. Remember, eating healthy can be more expensive, but it doesn't have to be! Especially if you cook your meals at home! Subscribe to my blog (free menu to your inbox once/week) Sign up for the May 2023 cooking class (free + on zoom)

My eyes practically bulge out of my head every time I push my shopping cart around the grocery store's produce section. $4.00 for a package of clementine "cuties"? $1.25 for a pound of apples? One million dollars for a pint of raspberries? (that's what it feels like anyway) But this is nothing compared to junk food prices: $5.00 for a package of cookies? $4.00 for a quart of good ice cream? $1.25 for a bag of candy? This week's tip for eating healthy on a budget is to avoid pre-packaged snack foods. Food companies work hard to make us think we need packaged snack foods. They tell us that prepackaged foods are easy, affordable and fun (and they are!). Food companies market "healthy" packaged snack food as the key to eating well. For example: fruit snacks with real fruit juice vs. fruit snacks with corn syrup less salt potato chipsvs. full salt potato chips high protein granola bars vs. regular granola bars And the list goes on. Some of these options ARE definitely healthier! But the real way to eat healthy and save money is to eat fresh fruits and vegetables for snacks instead of pre-packaged snack foods. Buying fruits + veggies will save you money in 3 ways They cost less than chips and candy You'll eat less, so you'll spend less on food overall You'll be healthier, which saves money on medical and dental bills Don't believe me? Check out the numbers below (prices obtained from walmart.com on April 5, 2023): Fruit Snacks: $7.98 for 40 pouches, 25 cents per pouch Clementines: $3.98 for 3 pounds: 19 cents per clementine Apples: about $1.00 for 1 pound: 25 cents per quarter apple (which is about the same volume as 1 pkg fruit snacks) 1/2 banana: 13 cents (about the same volume as 1 pkg of fruit snacks) Health bonus of fresh fruits + veggies: fiber + cancer-fighting phytochemicals and vitamins! Also, fruits and veggies do not cause tooth decay (cavities)! Reeses Peanut Butter Cup: $1.24 (only 1.5 ounces of food!) 1/2 Apple with 2 Tablespoons peanut butter (9 oz total!): $0.60 1/2 cup oatmeal with peanut butter + chocolate chips: $0.40 (it's really yummy I promise!) Health bonus of apple + peanut butter: fiber, protein and healthy fats keep you full, so you'll eat less later. Plus apples are full of vitamins and peanut butter has iron and zinc! Health bonus of oatmeal: fiber, protein and healthy fats are very satisfying and curb appetite later in the day. Oatmeal is a good source of zinc, iron and B-vitamins for energy! 1 cup of Gummy Candy: $1.25 1 cup of Grapes (when in season): $0.35 1 cup of cherries (when in season): $0.50 1 cup of apple slices: $0.50 Health bonus of fresh fruit: fiber + vitamins and phytochemicals to help your digestive system. Major health benefit: fruit does not cause tooth decay like candy does! Buy less candy and save money at the dentist! Great Value Veggie Straws: $2.74 for 7oz, or 40 cents per serving Bag of baby carrots: $2.44 or 25 cents per serving Bag of sugar snap peas: 2.88 or 58 cents per serving Bag of celery: $1.84 or 20 cents per serving Health bonus of fresh veggies: No salt or unhealthy fats in fresh vegetables! Plus vegetables are full of vitamins and minerals kids need for growing! Potato chips: $3.68 for 8 ounces Cucumber slices:$0.78 for 8 ounces Roasted potatoes: $0.50 for 8 ounces Baby carrots: $0.90 for 8 ounces Even low-salt chips have a lot of added salt! Roast your own potatoes or carrots if you are craving a crunchy salty snack! 3 Tubes gogurt simply: $0.30 The same amount of plain yogurt: $0.16 Health bonus of plain yogurt: No added sugars. Kids should limit their sugar intake to 25 grams per day. Even gogurt simple (which is lower in sugar than regular gogurt) has 5 grams of sugar per tube. Plain yogurt has none. Granola Bars: $3.84/package, 16 cents per bar Banana Oat Cookies: $2.72, 11 cents per cookie Health bonus of homemade oatmeal cookies: 1 cookie has 5 grams healthy fats, 1.5 grams fiber, 3 grams protein and only 2.7 grams added sugar. Granola bars have 0 grams of fiber and 8 grams of added sugar! And the biggest money saver is: WATER! 12 oz water = FREE 12 oz soda = 33 cents (for the Walmart brand) 12 oz sparkling water = 35-40 cents (sugar-free and artificial sweetener free, a much healthier choice than soda if you crave the fizz!!!) If you drink 1 can per day, you spend $130 a year on soda! Eating healthy can be more expensive (I'm looking at you, fresh raspberry pints), but it doesn't have to be. When you choose fresh in-season produce instead of packaged snack food, you'll save yourself a ton of money at the grocery store (and improve your health!). Did this article encourage you to eat healthier? Send me an email to let me know: nicolebuhlerRD@gmail.com See you next week with my final tip on how to save money and eat healthier!

If you ask my son for his top 3 favorite foods, he'll probably say: Candy! Ice cream! and....OATMEAL! This week's money-saving grocery tip is: Eat oatmeal instead of cold cereal. Here's what we will cover in this blog post: 1) How Oatmeal Saves Money on Breakfast 2) How Oatmeal Saves Money on Lunch 3) Why You Can Eat An Entire Box of Cereal and Still Feel Hungry 4) Cheap + Easy Recipes to Try 5) How to Choose a healthier cereal A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned One serving of oatmeal is only 12 cents less than cold cereal. That equates to savings of $40 a year if you choose oatmeal instead of store-brand cold cereal every day (see chart below) 40$ doesn't seem like a lot, but it adds up over time! That's $3,200 in savings for a family of four over 20 years. A penny saved is a penny earned. That calculation was done comparing Great Value Toasted O's (Walmart brand Cheerios) and Great Value 42 oz quick oats. If you compare name-brand cereal, or if you buy oats in bulk, you'll save even more money! See the chart below: If you usually buy name-brand cereal, choosing oatmeal instead will save $6,000 dollars over 20 years. But, like a cheesy infomercial host, I'm going to say "the money savings don't stop there." How oatmeal helps you spend less on lunch Oatmeal also helps you eat less later in the day. When you eat less, you spend less. Oatmeal is scientifically proven to keep you full. Scientists studied oatmeal and Cheerios to see which would keep people full longer. Study participants were given equal amounts of oatmeal or Cheerios. After one hour, the oatmeal eaters were still full. Oatmeal also helped people eat less at lunch.(2) A different research study had the same findings, but with cornflakes instead of Cheerios. (3). Oatmeal is more filling than cold cereal. I occasionally buy cold cereal for fun, but not very often. Why? My kids eat an entire box in one sitting and then ask for a snack an hour later. Cold cereal doesn't fill us up or keep us full. Why Can You Eat an Entire Box of Cereal and Still Feel Hungry? Oatmeal and Great Value Toasted O's have similar amounts of fat, protein and fiber. If they are almost the same, why doesn't cereal keep you full? The oatmeal in cold cereal is cooked, mixed and ground before it's baked into O-shapes. In other words, it's highly processed. Highly processed fiber doesn't fill up your stomach. Researchers in the "cereal vs. oatmeal" studies think that a tummy full of "instant oatmeal fiber" empties slower than a stomach full of "cold cereal fiber." This means you stay full longer if you eat oatmeal because the oatmeal literally fills up your stomach longer. None of this matters if you don't like oatmeal. You might be thinking "I don't care if oatmeal is cheap and filling because I don't like oatmeal." I get that. When I was a kid I'd rather go hungry than eat oatmeal. We ate oatmeal a lot and I went hungry often. I hated everything about oatmeal: the smell, the bland taste, the feel of globby lumps between my teeth. I didn't give oatmeal a second chance until I was an adult. A friend suggested that I try 2-minute microwave oatmeal with frozen berries. Fifteen years later, I eat oatmeal with berries almost every morning. Food preferences can change. Adding frozen berries makes oatmeal just as expensive as cereal. But berries and oatmeal are 1,000 times more nutritious than cold cereal....and much more filling! I make also this 2-minute peanut butter oatmeal recipe for my family almost every day. Peanut butter adds 11 cents per serving, but a kid who eats a bowl of peanut butter oatmeal is NOT going to ask for food until lunchtime. Sometimes I experiment with overnight oatmeal or baked oatmeal recipes from this website: https://www.budgetbytes.com/category/recipes/breakfast/oats/ My point here is: do not give up on oatmeal. It's cheap, nutritious and filling. Give oatmeal a chance, it might become one of your favorite foods too. Still not convinced? It is 100% okay to love cold cereal. If you have to choose between skipping breakfast.....or having cold cereal.....please eat cold cereal! If you are going to buy cold cereal, look for whole grain varieties with 3+ grams of fiber and less than 5 grams of added sugars. They are healthier and less expensive than sugar cereals! Many cereals have 12 grams of sugar, which is HALF of your child's limit for the day (25 grams). Choose a whole grain, low sugar cereal to save money and eat healthier. Summary I hope after reading this article, you'll be inspired to: Pat yourself on the back for eating oatmeal Try oatmeal if you haven't before Choose healthier, lower-cost cereals Maybe oatmeal will become a favorite food at your house too! See you next week with another way to save money while eating healthy. Thanks for reading! Nicole References: 1) Prices and nutrition fact labels were referenced from walmart.com on April 5, 2023. The nutritional content of oatmeal was obtained from the USDA Nutrient Analysis Library, which you can access here: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/ 2) Rebello, Candida J et al. “Instant Oatmeal Increases Satiety and Reduces Energy Intake Compared to a Ready-to-Eat Oat-Based Breakfast Cereal: A Randomized Crossover Trial.” Journal of the American College of Nutrition vol. 35,1 (2016): 41-9. doi:10.1080/07315724.2015.1032442 Accessed online here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26273900/ 3) Rebello, Candida J et al. “The role of meal viscosity and oat β-glucan characteristics in human appetite control: a randomized crossover trial.” Nutrition journal vol. 13 49. 28 May. 2014, doi:10.1186/1475-2891-13-49 Accessed online here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24884934/ 4) Geliebter, Allan et al. “Effects of oatmeal and corn flakes cereal breakfasts on satiety, gastric emptying, glucose, and appetite-related hormones.” Annals of nutrition & metabolism vol. 66,2-3 (2015): 93-103. doi:10.1159/000365933 Accessed online here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25612907/

Do you think that healthy eating is more expensive than unhealthy eating? I sure do! Look at ground beef: 93% Lean ground beef is about $1.50 more per pound than 80% lean ground beef. Apples are about $1.00 each. A package of fruit snacks is $0.25. A loaf of cheap white bread is $1.50, and cheap whole wheat bread is $1.88. White pasta? $0.98. Whole wheat pasta? $1.48. Let's not even discuss organic produce! So yes, healthy eating is more expensive. But not always. Sometimes, healthy eating can be LESS expensive. And to show you how, I will share one "Cheaper, Healthier Nutrition Choice." every week for the next 3 weeks. We will start this week off with lentils. Cheaper, Healthier Choice #1: lentils Lentils are a type of legume (think: bean). There are many different types of lentils (pictured above are green, french, and red!). The most common type is brown. Lentils are a staple food in many other countries. 1 bag of brown lentils costs $1.34 at Walmart. That bag makes 6 cups cooked lentils. An adult serving is about 1 cup. By doing the math you can see that one serving of lentils (1.24/6) equals 22 CENTS! That 22 cents provides 18 grams of protein, 0 grams fat and 15 grams of fiber. This is by far the least expensive source of protein on the planet. Compare that to a hamburger patty, which costs about $1.00 (just the patty) and has 20 grams of protein, 12 grams of fat and 0 grams of fiber. The lentils are lower in fat, higher in fiber, and have about the same amount of protein, win-win! The problem, you may be thinking, is that you don't like lentils. Or you don't know how to cook them. Or you don't have time to cook them. Or, you don't care if they cost less; you like ground beef and it's worth the cost! I can help you with all those problems during this month's cooking class! We're cooking lentil sloppy joes. Families enrolled in DDI Vantage Early Head Start can sign up for the class by clicking this link: https://forms.gle/zpvrPLmdWaCC9Mfe9 If you aren't enrolled in DDI Vantage Early Head Start, you can still join the class. However, supplies will only be delivered to enrolled Early Head Start participants. If you love ground beef, I have another idea for you: stretch your meat with lentils. Add 1/2 cup of pre-cooked lentils to 3/4 pound of ground beef and cook it like you normally would for 1 pound of beef in tacos, spaghetti sauce, or meatloaf. This will "stretch" your ground meat. If you liked it okay with 1/2 cup of lentils, try using 1 cup lentils next time with 1/2 pound of ground beef. You could also try this lentil taco recipe. I've never met someone who didn't at least "tolerate" these tacos. I'm not going to lie and say that they are better than meat tacos. Lentil tacos are not better than meat tacos. I love meat tacos. But they are cheaper, healthier, and convenient if you want tacos but don't have ground beef. Let me know what you link about lentils! Healthy eating can be expensive. But it doesn't have to be. See you next week with another way to save! Don't forget to sign up for April's cooking class, signups close April 12th https://forms.gle/zpvrPLmdWaCC9Mfe9

When I was in college, my pantry was limited to one shelf in the tiny kitchen I shared with 4 friends. My graduation dream was to afford a bigger kitchen with a real pantry. Graduation came, Graduation left. I still lived in a tiny apartment with a tiny kitchen and a TINY pantry (a kitchen cupboard instead of just a shelf). I got my first real job, and eventually my first house. I still had a tiny kitchen and a tiny pantry. I discovered that hallway linen closets work well for storing canned tomatoes, beans, and (of course) jars of peanut butter. My dream of a real pantry didn't happen until I was many years out of college. Why the obsession with having a pantry? 3 reasons I prioritize having a well-stocked pantry: #1 It saves money Peanut butter is usually $1.50 a jar I buy 10 jars when it's on sale for $1. This saves $5 in the long run #2 It makes eating at home more convenient than eating out When the kids have activities late in the day, it's tempting to stop for Little Cesars When I've got a well-stocked pantry, I know I can make something 'just-as-fast' but healthier at home (hello tuna sandwiches and canned peaches) I always feel better when I eat at home, even if we're just having quesadillas #3 It saves time Having a well-stocked pantry saves trips to the store Buying a lot of something I frequently use saves time each time I go to the store Who doesn't want to save time, money and eat healthier? So what do I keep in my pantry? Dietitian's favorite fifteen pantry staples (and recipes for using them) Canned Beans Dry Oatmeal Peanut Butter Tuna Pasta Low Salt Triscuits No Added Salt Canned Tomatoes Canned Chicken Canned Fruit (in fruit juice) No Added Salt Canned Vegetables Canned Pumpkin Flour + baking powder Coconut Milk Canola Oil Lentils and Rice (last because they aren't fast) #1 Canned beans NUTRITION in 1/2 cup 8g fiber (kids need 19g/day) 7g protein (kids need 13g/day) high in iron and minerals! choose NO ADDED SALT cans for 0mg sodium, regular canned beans have 400mg per serving, which is 1/4 of your total daily salt intake 5-MINUTE "RECIPES" on the side of cheese quesadillas, cold - straight from the can on top of a bagged green salad (kidney beans are our favorite) mix a can of corn with a can of black beans and eat in a tortilla burrito bowls hummus on a tortilla or with triscuits 5 minute greek salad w/pita bread #2 Oatmeal NUTRITION in 1/2 cup dry oats 4g fiber (kids need 19g/day) 5g protein (kids need 13g/day) iron, zinc, B-vitamins for energy! Images are from walmart, I just buy whatever brand is least expensive! 5-MINUTE RECIPES microwave peanut butter oatmeal microwave blueberry oatmeal oatmeal pancakes oatmeal cookies (you can eat the dough) baked oatmeal #3 Peanut Butter NUTRITION in 2 Tablespoons 2g fiber (kids need 19g/day, adults need 25-30g/day) 7g protein (kids need 13g/day, adults need about 50-60g/day) 8g healthy fat (monounsaturated fat is good for your heart) vitamin E, minerals like iron This image is from Smiths. I just buy from whatever store has the best price. 5-MINUTE RECIPES peanut butter banana green smoothie (I eat this every day!) peanut butter + jelly on whole wheat bread (it's healthy!) peanut butter oatmeal (my family eats this for breakfast every day!) peanut noodles (actually about 10 minutes) peanut butter cookies (the dough is edible and ready in 5 minutes) muffins (45 minutes) #4 Canned Tuna NUTRITION in 1/2 of a 5oz 6g protein (kids need 13g/day) omega-3 fats for a baby's growth! buy LIGHT TUNA, not albacore. Light is lower in mercury (which is bad for a growing infant's brain). 5-MINUTE RECIPES tuna salad on crackers (99% of my tuna gets eaten this way) tuna sandwich, with cheese cooked on a frying pan (our Sunday afternoon lunch) more ideas: https://www.budgetbytes.com/?s=tuna #5 Whole Wheat Pasta NUTRITION in 1 cup cooked 5g fiber (kids need 19g/day) 7g protein (kids need 13g/day) Don't like whole wheat? Regular pasta still has 2 grams of fiber. EASY 30 MINUTE RECIPES easiest ever noodle soup boil noodles, top with bottled pesto and microwaved frozen veggies boil noodles, top with olive oil and parmesan cheese, and serve with canned fruit + veg one pot pasta lasagna (can be hard to find whole wheat lasagna noodles) tuna noodle casserole peanut butter noodles pasta ideas from budgetbytes #6 Triscuit "hint of sea salt" crackers NUTRITION in 6 crackers 3g fiber (kids need 19g/day, adults need 25-30g/day) 3g protein (kids need 13g/day, adults need about 50-60g/day) good source of iron and B-vitamins healthy tip: "hint of sea salt" flavor has only 50 mg sodium. Store brand and "Original" have 150mg sodium. For reference, kids need less than 1,000mg day. 5 minute recipes hummus cottage cheese and crackers tuna and crackers cheese and crackers #7 Canned Tomatoes NUTRITION in 1/4 cup 1 g fiber and 1 g protein Hundreds of phytochemicals and vitamins to protect against diseases! Lycopene is the major nutrient in tomatoes, it prevents against cancer. buy NO ADDED SALT canned tomatoes RECIPES (about 45 minutes) lentil soup vegetarian chili one pot pasta #8 Canned Chicken NUTRITION in 1/3 of a 10oz can (about 2.5 oz) 6g protein (kids need 13g/day, adults need about 50-60g/day) B-vitamins I use more tuna than chicken. Tuna is more nutritious. It has more iron and omega-3 than chicken with the same amount of protein. Tuna is also half the cost of canned chicken. RECIPES One pot chicken and rice White chicken chili chicken salad sandwich add to veggie noodle soup chicken tacos #9 Canned Peaches, Pears and Pineapple NUTRITION Canned fruit has similar nutrient content of fresh fruit. Canned peaches might have more vitamin C than fresh! Canned fruit is a great way to serve fruit at every meal without having to keep fresh fruit on hand all the time! Buy canned fruit in 100% fruit juice to avoid extra sugar intake Added sugar per 1/2 cup serving: fruit in 100% juice = 0g fruit in heavy syrup = 12g fruit in light syrup = 7g The limit for kids is 25g per DAY RECIPES Serve canned fruit on the side of peanut butter sandwiches, quesadillas or any quick meal for added vitamin intake and about 1 gram of fiber per 1/2 cup. Every meal should include fruit. #10 Canned Corn, Green Beans, Beets and Artichokes NUTRITION Research shows canned vegetables retain a lot of vitamins and minerals. Canned veggies are the easiest way to add a veggies to a meal: no washing, chopping or cooking required! Buy canned veggies with NO ADDED SALT to avoid extra salt intake RECIPES anytime a meal is missing a vegetable, I'll simply open a can of corn or green beans, warm it up in the microwave and serve it Some kids really love canned green beans, especially with spagetti serve canned corn with a quesadilla for additional fiber and vitamins serve canned olives with lunch or add to a pasta salad add canned corn to a salad mix, add canned artichokes to a salad or pasta #11 Canned Pumpkin NUTRITION in 1/2 cup 3 grams fiber 100% of the day's vitamin A (important for eye health) RECIPES I started serving plain, cold, canned pumpkin with my kids meals when they were toddlers. They still love to eat plain cold canned pumpkin. It's an easy side dish if you train your kids to eat it when they are young! no-flour pumpkin muffins pumpkin black bean soup pumpkin curry pumpkin cake chocolate bran muffins #12 Whole Wheat Flour + baking powder, soda, salt and sugar NUTRITION in 1/4 cup 4g protein (kids need 13g/day, adults need about 50-60g/day) 3g fiber (kids need 19g/day, adults need 25-30g/day) 1 mg of iron (for brain development) B-vitamins for energy and growth 5-MINUTE RECIPES Whole wheat pancakes are the fastest healthy dinner solution! oatmeal pancakes cottage cheese pancakes simple pancakes 30-MINUTE RECIPES green muffins pumpkin muffins whole wheat crepes pumpkin cake #13 Coconut Milk NUTRITION in 1/3 cup Mostly just 5 grams of fat (no fiber, no protein, no sugar or carbs, minimal vitamin/mineral content) Why do I keep it on hand? It makes curry taste SO GOOD! And curry is a fast and easy way to eat vegetables and beans. In addition to making food taste good, fat is important for absorbing the fat soluble vitamins and keeping you full longer. The fat in coconut milk is saturated. Research is still pending on whether the type of saturated fat in coconut milk is good for you. Because it's unprocessed food from a plant, I think it's probably healthier for you than using butter or hydrogenated fats. RECIPE: 30 minute curry #14 Canola Oil (or olive oil) NUTRITION in 1 Tablespoon 14 grams of fat 40% of a child's vitamin E needs for the day omega-3 fatty acids which are good for brain development Why do I keep it on hand? Fat makes food taste good and helps with absorption. Canola oil is full of healthy fats, very similar to olive oil Canola oil is usually 1/5 the cost of olive oil RECIPES pancakes muffins sauteing vegetables in almost every other recipe the dressing in rice and bean salad (you can also use olive oil) #15 Dry Lentils + Dry Rice I put these last because they aren't "fast." Brown rice and lentils take about 45 minutes to cook. However, I keep them both in my pantry and use them regularly. Lentils and Rice are packed with fiber, vitamins and minerals. They are some of the healthiest and least expensive foods on the planet. RECIPES lentil tacos lentil curry lentil soup rice and bean salad one pot chicken and rice burrito bowls buddha bowls Do you keep any of these things in your pantry? When you keep ingredients to make quick and healthy meals in your house, you'll eat quick and healthy meals. Don't have a pantry? Don't let that stop you. Find a place to store extra food, whether that's in a cupboard or in the hall linen closet. It's good for your wallet, your sanity and your health! I hope you learned something new! Leave a comment or send an email to let me know what you keep in your pantry: nicolebuhlerRD@gmail.com Want to learn how to cook foods from your pantry? Ask your Family Advocate about the next cooking class!

Grocery stores must sell a lot of food dye in March. Our elementary school died eggs green for Dr. Seuss on March 2, and I’m sure they plan to dye the milk green for St Patrick's day. To celebrate the holiday, some parents set out green frosted pastries for breakfast along with chocolate gold coins. Sometimes my kids probably wish I wasn’t a dietitian. There aren’t piles of gold coins or green frosted cupcakes at our house. On St. Patrick's day, we celebrate with GREEN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES! There are so many yummy and naturally green foods! (my kids will thank me later....maybe....when they are adults). Here’s a few healthy ways to celebrate everything GREEN: Breakfast: Green smoothies, especially the peanut butter-spinach-banana one: (I know peanut butter + spinach sounds gross, and this photo is not the best....but everyone who tastes this smoothie asks for more!) If you like peanut butter, you’ll love this smoothie! If your kids haven't tried green smoothies yet, this is a perfect opportunity to start! Lunch: Green pesto noodles + steamed broccoli + green grapes How? 1. boil noodles, 2. top with jarred pesto sauce 3. top with microwaved broccoli (this kind cooks in the microwave) 4. Enjoy your easy meal- it’s easier than mac and cheese! Tip: Costco pesto is the yummiest. The nearest Costco is 150 miles away from my house, so I just buy whatever they have a Walmart, it's not as good, but my kids still devour it. Have fresh basil? Homemade pesto is 100 times better than the jar stuff. Here's a recipe (I always use almonds, they are cheaper than pine nuts) https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/fresh_basil_pesto/ Remember to chop grapes safely for kids younger than 3! Snack: Green muffins + sliced kiwis + pistachio nuts OR avocado shamrock toast (depends on the cost of avocado's this week) Dinner: American/Irish meal: corned beef, potatoes, cabbage and Irish soda bread Dessert: Pistachio pudding from the package! Being a dietitian doesn't make me 100% boring. Just 80% boring. Unless you like GREEN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES! Then I'm 100% fun. One thing is for certain: my kids are not afraid of green foods. They start out eating them as babies and we have them almost every meal. It's hard to be afraid of something you are exposed to 3 times a day! I hope you have a happy, healthy fun holiday with your family! Nicole

The fridge was empty again. I spent 200$ at the grocery store just days earlier. Where did all the food go? Did we get robbed by hungry bandits in the night? Did the kids have a party I didn’t know about? Or did we just have a house full of growing kids? There were still things to eat in the pantry: noodles, canned beans, and that really good chocolate I keep hidden on the top shelf. But I wanted fresh produce to make a meal with. Luckily I still had food in my freezer. I had good healthy food in my freezer. Not frozen pizza and nuggets: fruits, vegetables, and meats! Enough to make balanced meals until my Friday grocery run. I strategically use my freezer as a “storage bin” for the foods we frequently eat. I buy in bulk when prices are good, and freeze the extra before it goes bad. My freezer helps me spend less money on keeping healthy food in the house. Do you want to spend less on healthy food too? Here's a list of money-saving freezer friendly foods you might find helpful! #1 Discounted Produce: Smiths has a discount bin with fruits/vegetables for $1.00 in red mesh bags (see lemons + peppers in photo below). The produce is sometimes old or bruised. It's fine to use right away, but if you can't use it right away, freeze it! Below is a list of my favorite clearance items to freeze for later (and a link for the recipes I use them in) Lemons + limes: how: Freeze whole and then microwave for 30 seconds when ready to use, cost savings: 10/1$ on discount, normal price: $.75 each recipe: peanut noodles, many recipes I find online often call for fresh lemon juice! Peppers: how: Chop then freeze in a ziploc bag for cooked recipes. Don't use frozen bell peppers in fresh salads - they won't be crunchy after you freeze them cost savings: usually 3/1$ on discount, normal price: 1$ each recipes: curry, chili, egg muffin cups Bananas: how: Peel and keep in a ziploc bag for about 1 month cost savings: Discounted ripe bananas are usually 1/2 the cost of regular bananas. Plus, you want ripe bananas for these recipes anyway! recipes: easy oatmeal cookies, peanut butter cookies, green smoothie, spinach muffins, fruity muffins Spinach: how: Place an entire bag or container in your freezer for about 3 months. If you have spinach going bad in your fridge, put it in the freezer for smoothies! cost savings: Entire bags are sometimes on clearance for $1.00, normally a bag is $3.00. I often find the big bins for $2.50, they are about $6 regular price! recipes: green smoothie, curry, crustless quiche (use spinach instead of broccoli), green muffins, spinach lasagna, Squash and pumpkins: how: Roast squash in the shell, then scoop out of the shell and put in ziploc bags. Freeze extra canned pumpkin if a recipe doesn’t use the entire can. cost savings: pumpkins are often deeply discounted after Halloween. If you are willing to cook and freeze them, you can get a lot of pumpkin for about $1.00. recipes: pumpkin lentil curry, no flour pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cake, pumpkin black bean soup, chocolate bran muffins Berries how: Buy bags of frozen berries instead of fresh, defrost in the microwave cost savings: 6oz fresh berries = 2.99 (.50cent/oz), 48oz frozen berries = 10.99 (.22 cent/oz). Fresh berries are DOUBLE the cost of frozen berries. recipes: pancake topping instead of syrup, in oatmeal, inside crepes, defrost and serve on the side of dinner or lunch Mangoes how: Buy frozen bags of mangoes instead of fresh, defrost in microwave cost savings: fresh = 1$/.5 cup, frozen = 1$/1 cup Prices vary, but usually frozen is more economical, and you don't have to bother with cutting them! recipes: defrost and serve on the side of meals Broccoli + Cauliflower how: Buy frozen bags of broccoli and cauliflower, or if discounted, buy fresh and freeze in ziploc bags. This also works for brussel sprouts. cost savings: fresh = 1.99/lb, frozen = 1.66/lb + you don't have to bother with chopping, and packages stay good in your freezer for about 3 months recipes: broccoli cheese soup, peanut noodles, buddha bowls Fresh Ginger how: Buy fresh ginger and stick it in the freezer. It doesn't even need a bag on it. cost savings: No savings, other than having it on hand so you don't have to run to the store when making the recipes below recipes: peanut sauce, curry, buddha bowls #2 Meat Dairy and Bread Discounted meat: I don't eat a lot of meat. However, I know most people do! Meats are good past the expiration date if you put them in the freezer before they expire. I will buy discounted sausage and bacon that is about to expire and put it in my freezer for later (see bacon in photo above). It's still good if I use it within 1-2 months. I do make sure it hasn't already spoiled before I buy it! Bulk meat: I like to keep bacon on hand to give flavor to recipes. It is much less expensive per ounce to buy bacon in bulk. The same is often true of chicken. When it's a good price, I will buy it in bulk and portion out extras into ziploc bags. Butter: A few month ago my local smiths was discounting butter for $1.50 a pound. It's usually $4.00 per pound!! I bought 20 pounds and put them in my freezer. The checker thought I was crazy. But I know that butter stays good in the freezer for a year or two and saved myself at least $50 in butter costs! Milk: Gallons of milk will often get marked down at my local Smiths. I will buy a few extra gallons and freeze them. Previously frozen milk does have a different texture, so I only use pre-frozen milk for cooking (pancakes, waffles, oatmeal). Other dairy products, like cream cheese, sour cream, yogurt and cottage cheese do not freeze well in my experience. Cheese: Cheese prices change a lot! One week 2 pounds will be $5, the next week it will be $8. When the prices are low, I buy several bags and freeze it for later. I find that shredded cheese freezes nicely, bricks of cheese do not freeze as well. #3 Bread fancy bread: Stores often discount baguettes and "fancy" sourdough loaves for less than 1$. They stay good in the freezer for about a month. I toast frozen bread before eating it. naan bread: I often serve stone fire naan bread with curry and hummus. I often see it on clearance for half price. It stores well in the freezer for about a month or two. bread loaves: When sandwich bread is priced well, I will buy a few loaves and freeze them for french toast. There's a list of foods I keep in my freezer to save money and eat healthy! I hope a few of these ideas will help you save money and eat healthier too! Want more to try out a few recipes from the freezer on a live zoom call with me? Join us for Cooking Club March 28. We will be making green smoothies and banana cookies. Click this link to join us! It's free and fun, once you sign up, a zoom link and recipes will be emailed to you.

"But I don't like red sauce!" My 10-year-old whined as I was about to top her noodles with a scoop of marinara. "I just want plain noodles!" she persisted, as I rolled my eyes and put the spoon back in the sauce pot. I have a love-hate relationship with noodles. You could say noodles are a pretty healthy food. They are fortified with iron and folate. They have a little bit of protein. If you buy whole wheat noodles, they are also a good source fiber. They are fast to make, easy to eat, and as universally loved as baby shark. However, you can't live on noodles alone. Noodles lack fat and protein, which means they won't keep you full for long. If you eat them without a high protein sauce, you will be hungry again soon. I don't want my kids to be hungry again soon. Which is why I created this month's COOKING CLUB recipe: 30-minute peanut noodles. One serving of these peanut noodles has 14 grams of protein and 14 grams of filling, healthy fats. Reminder: small humans aged 1-3 only need 13 grams of protein daily. Your kids are less likely to ask for a snack 30 minutes after dinner when they eat a meal that includes fat and protein. Why else would you want to make this recipe? The sauce is almost as easy as a can of red sauce: you just microwave peanut butter with soy sauce and optional flavorings. The ingredients are inexpensive and keep in the freezer and pantry for a long time. You'll only use one pot, a grater, a measuring cup and a tablespoon, which means less time spent cleaning up dishes after dinner. And your kids won't whine for plain noodles when this recipe is on the menu: it's delicious! Want to try it out for yourself? Here's the recipe link: https://www.ddinutrition.com/30minutepeanutnoodles Want to try cooking it with us? Families enrolled in DDI VANTAGE Early Head Start can join a live zoom cook along with me, Nicole Buhler, Registered Dietitian. Class will be held Tuesday, February 28th at 11 am, 5 pm or 6:30 pm. Ask your family advocate for signup information today! P.S. Here's my menu for the week: Monday: Nicole out of town, family eats leftover lasagna from the weekend + green beans Tuesday: Nicole out of town, family eats leftover walnut tofu baked stir fry + rice Wednesday: peanut noodles with frozen veggies + oranges Thursday: 10 year old cooks one pot sausage noodles with kale + grapes Friday: 12 year old makes one pot chicken and rice + applesauce Saturday: quesadillas with beans, bell peppers and onions + applesauce

Last night my brother texted me saying "Tomorrow is National Peanut Butter Day!" I wrote back "Awesome!!! I should celebrate by eating peanut butter for every meal!" And then I realized that I did that yesterday. And the day before that, and the day before that. Which is probably why my brother notified me of National Peanut Butter Day. I love peanut butter. My family eats a lot of it. A lot, a lot, of it. We've eaten 4 cases of peanut butter since the case lot sale in October! Why so much peanut butter? It's cheap It's nutritious It's convenient At about $1.25 a jar, peanut butter is one of the least expensive forms of protein. Two Tablespoons provide 50% of a toddler's protein needs for the DAY! It's also high in iron and zinc, which are important for a toddler's brain development. The healthy unsaturated fat found in peanut butter will keep you (and your little ones) full. Peanut butter is also the most convenient form of protein for lunches: peanut butter sandwiches stay safe without refrigeration. Besides PBJ, what are my favorite ways to use peanut butter? #1 Peanut Butter Oatmeal: https://www.ddinutrition.com/peanutbutteroatmeal This is our go-to breakfast. My kids eat it almost every day and love it. It has more protein and fat than breakfast cereal, which means it keeps little tummies full for hours. #2 Peanut Butter Pumpkin Muffins: https://www.ddinutrition.com/no-flour-pumpkin-muffins I make these muffins in the BLENDER, they are that easy. Just blend, pour into muffin cups and bake. One muffin has enough protein to meet a child's needs for the day. #3 Peanut Butter Green Smoothie: https://www.ddinutrition.com/green-smoothie I always feel full and refreshed after eating this smoothie each morning. I keep ripe bananas and spinach in my freezer for this smoothie. Those are my top 3 peanut butter recipes! Do you love peanut butter too? Let me know in the comments! Looking for more peanut butter recipes? Try my oatmeal peanut butter cookies or my pumpkin peanut butter curry, both are a great way to celebrate national peanut butter day. Or sign up for February's cooking class, we're making peanut noodles! (signups will go out next week). Happy National Peanut Butter Day! Nicole

"Why is it snowing again?" I thought to myself as I looked at the fat snowflakes floating past my window. The meal plan for the evening had been peanut noodles, but I wasn't in the mood for peanut noodles. I wanted something warm comforting and simple to improve my mood on this cold snowy night. It was the end of the week and all I had in the fridge was wrinkly carrots, limp celery, and Belgian dark chocolate that I was hiding from my kids. I had everything I needed for Veggie Noodle Soup (and everything I needed for a soul-soothing treat after the kids went to bed). This easy, 15-minute recipe is a family favorite. It's my 10-year-old's favorite meal. When she was about 3, we checked out the "Disney Princess Cookbook" from the library. This soup recipe was labeled "Seven Dwarves Soup." Every time she got to pick what we had for dinner, it was "7 Dwarves Soup." After checking the book out about 20 times, we finally purchased it. Now that she's 10, she often cooks Veggie Noodle Soup by herself. It's so easy, you can make it by yourself too. But it's much more fun to cook it with your kids. Here are 3 reasons to give this recipe a try: It's less expensive than buying cans of chicken noodle soup It's healthier than canned soup (more veggies + whole grains, and less salt!) It's fun to cook soup with kids! Here are 4 things little kids can do to help you make this soup: chop celery with a butter knife measure the water put chopped vegetables into the soup watch for the water to boil and add noodles If you let your kids help cook when they are in diapers, they'll be cooking on their own by the time they are 10. Trust me, the effort is worth the reward. Looking for another great recipe to make with your kids? Try this bread recipe to go along with your soup. It's what my baby is helping me cook in the photo above. You can also signup to cook bread and lentil soup with me and my kids at Cooking Club next Tuesday, January 24th at 4pm. Click this link to signup, there are still slots available even though the signup closure date has passed: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdRuNWY-zgfZ4P4_S3FS5hbrzd8JfCBTu9p4AQHQrZfwzJwtg/viewform?usp=sf_link Happy Cooking! Nicole

It’s the second week of January. I can only see three colors out my window: whitish-grey, brownish grey-and grey-grey. The blue sky has been hidden behind a curtain of clouds for weeks and I’m missing the sun. Unlike the snowman in this photo (which will melt if the sun ever comes out), my body is literally craving sunshine. I'm craving the sun's warmth, light and it's vitamin-D-creating powers. Yes, I'm a dietitian, so I think about these things regularly. Human skin creates vitamin D when it is exposed to sunlight. When we have limited sun exposure (during a winter inversion), we must rely on food for vitamin D. Unfortunately, there isn’t much vitamin D in the typical American diet. How do you know if you getting enough vitamin D in the winter? Keep reading to find out. In this article: What is vitamin D and why do we need it? Where does vitamin D come from? How much vitamin D does my family need? How do I know if my family is getting enough vitamin D? How do I choose a dietary supplement if I need one? What is vitamin D and why do we need it? The simple answer: Vitamin D is a nutrient that helps build bones. Children and adults who don’t get enough vitamin D are at risk for weak bones. Vitamin D might also help prevent cancer, heart disease, autoimmune diseases and depression. Getting enough Vitamin D improves your overall well-being. Click here to learn more. Where does vitamin D come from? The Sun: During the summer, exposure to 5-30 minutes of sunlight on your hands, face, arms and legs will meet vitamin D needs. During the winter: It’s too cold to expose your arms and legs outside + Because of Utah’s latitude, winter sunlight isn’t “strong” enough to make vitamin D Food: Vitamin D is naturally found in fatty fish (trout, salmon, cod liver oil), egg yolks and UV-light-exposed-mushrooms. Vitamin D is added to fortified foods: Milk (dairy and non-dairy), orange juice, and cereal. See the infographic at the bottom of this blog post for more info. How much vitamin D does my family need? The recommended amount of vitamin D depends on your age. Infants age 0-12 months: 10 mcg (400IU) kids + adults 1-70 years: 15 mcg (600 IU) Pregnant/nursing women:15 mcg (600 IU) Older adult at 70+ years: 20 mcg (800 IU) Vitamin D is labeled in units called micrograms (mcg) and International Units (IU) You'll usually see mcg on food labels. You’ll usually see IU on supplement labels (confusing!) How do I know if my family getting enough vitamin D? It's tricky to know if you are getting enough vitamin D. Here are 3 things to consider: 1. How much vitamin D are you getting from the sun? Winter sunlight isn't "strong" enough to make vitamin D Wearing sunscreen stops your skin from making vitamin D (but it's still important for preventing skin cancer!) Darker pigmented skin makes less vitamin D. Clouds and pollution block the sun's rays that make vitamin D. Summary: Being outside for 5-30 minutes in the summer will give you enough vitamin D. Your skin probably doesn't make enough vitamin D during a Utah winter. 2. How much vitamin D are you getting from food? 1 cup fortified milk = about 3 mcg 3 ounces fatty fish = 14.5 mcg 1 can tuna = 2.25 mcg 1 Egg yolk = 1 mcg People age 1-70 need 15 mcg/day 3 oz = the size of a deck of cards Check food labels to see how much you get from fortified foods you regularly eat Summary: If you don't eat fish 2 times/week or drink 4-5 cups of fortified milk/day, you don't get enough vitamin D from food. Check labels of foods you commonly eat to see how much you are getting. 3. How much vitamin D is your infant getting? Breast milk is usually low in vitamin D. Exclusively breastfed infants need to take 400 IU of vitamin D from birth until 12 months. Don't give an infant anything but formula or breastmilk in their bottle until 12 months. Exclusively formula-fed babies get all the vitamin D they need from infant formula. Summary: If your breastfed child age 0-1 year is not taking a vitamin D supplement, check with your pediatrician about starting one. Infant formula provides all of your child’s vitamin D needs. How do I choose a Vitamin D supplement if I need one? Here are 2 things to look for in a Vitamin D supplement 1. USP Mark Supplements are not regulated like drugs. To make sure a supplement is safe and effective, I look for the USP mark on a supplement label before I buy it. Here is an online list of USP-certified supplements: https://www.quality-supplements.org/verified-products/verified-products-listings#list1 image from USP.org 2. Take an amount less than 1,000 IU Taking too much vitamin D is dangerous and can cause high calcium levels in the blood. High calcium levels can cause nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness, kidney stones, and other problems. Do not take more than this amount of Vitamin D Children age 0-7 months: 1,000 IU Children age 7-12 months: 1,500 IU Children age 1-3 years: 2,500 IU Children age 4-8 years: 3,000 IU Children AND adults age 9+ years: 4,000 IU Remember that you only need to take this amount Infants age 0-12 months: 10 mcg (400IU) kids + adults 1-70 years: 15 mcg (600 IU) Pregnant/nursing women: 15 mcg (600 IU) Older adult at 70+ years: 20 mcg (800 IU) It is common for Vitamin D supplements to contain 2,000 IU of vitamin D. Don't take that much if you drink milk and eat fish. Look for a supplement with 600 IU. If you can’t find one, take a higher dose less often, or buy a gummy supplement and only eat part of it each day. Summary: Find a vitamin D supplement with USP on the label and aim to take only 600 IU or 15mcg per day. Take less if you drink fortified milk and eat fatty fish. Final Review: Vitamin D is important for bone health and general wellness. You probably get enough during the summer from sun exposure (but you should definitely wear sunscreen to prevent skin cancer) If you don't eat fish twice a week or drink 4 cups of milk/day (dairy or non-dairy), you probably don't get enough vitamin D during the winter. If your infant is breastfed, check with your doctor about vitamin D drop supplements. To get enough vitamin D during the winter: drink more milk, eat fatty fish 2 times/week (salmon is a good choice) or choose a USP approved supplement that is between 400 IU and 1,000 IU. Have questions? Email Nicole: nicolebuhlerRD@gmail.com References: NIH Vitamin D Fact Sheet for Professionals: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/ Harvard School of Public; The Nutrition Source; Vitamin D: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-d/ American Academy of Pediatrics; healthychildren.org; Vitamin D and Iron Supplements for Babies: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/feeding-nutrition/Pages/Vitamin-Iron-Supplements.aspx PS: My mealplan for the week Monday: whole wheat spaghetti, jarred red sauce, garlic bread, canned peaches, canned green beans Tuesday: skillet pizza topped with cheese, spinach and bell peppers, canned applesauce Wednesday: soft lentil tacos with whole wheat tortillas, orange slices, canned corn + black beans Thursday: Peanut noodles with tofu (recipe coming soon to the website), sliced bell peppers and spinach, orange slices Friday: veggie noodle soup + grapefruit slices Wondering how I get enough vitamin D? I eat oatmeal cooked in 1 cup of milk for breakfast every morning, I have a green smoothie made with milk for my morning snack, I eat tuna fish for lunch 2-3 days per week I drink warm vanilla milk for an afternoon snack every day I try to eat salmon once per week I eat 1/2 of a nature-made gummy supplement every other day (1/2 gummy = 500mg)