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Surviving Thanksgiving with a Picky Eater

November 20, 2014 by Kelley Leave a Comment

As I’ve written before, I try not to place family dinner on too high a pedestal. But there’s something about the Thanksgiving meal with extended family that brings out the anxious mom in me. Suddenly, the work we do throughout the year to nudge our kids toward better manners and “just one bite” is on stage, for grandparents, aunts, and uncles to see. Inevitably, someone turns up his nose up at a lovingly prepared dish, knocks over his milk, or pours it into his stuffing. I know it’s not healthy to worry about these possibilities, or get worked up if they come to pass. But as the parent of at least one picky eater on any given day, I don’t think I’m alone.

“When parents have a child who only eats a select number of foods, the thought of the traditional Thanksgiving meal can be overwhelming,” says Melanie Potock, MA, CCC-SLP, a pediatric feeding therapist and author of Happy Mealtimes with Happy Kids. “There are so many “what if?” that create stress: What of my child won’t eat anything? What if the rest of the family comments on that? What if I have to bring his preferred foods—how will that go over? It’s emotional and we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to make sure the holiday meal meets certain expectations.”

Because some parents are going to sweat the situation no matter what, she’s helped me come up with some ideas for getting through the big meal without too much stress or fuss. (And none of them involve making mashed potatoes for the first time ever a week beforehand to get your children used to the texture—something I have, ahem, heard about, uh, someone actually doing.)

Make one or two simple dishes that you know your picky child is going to eat. Though it may seem counterintuitive, Thanksgiving is not the time to broaden your child’s palate. Your great aunt is likely to be less bothered than you think by your child eating happily eating a side of mac and cheese with his turkey—heck, she might not even notice. But she might take note if he screams and cries about not wanting to take a bite of her special creamed peas. Make (and if you’re traveling, bring) something easy yet filling, like pasta, rolls, or rice, and serve it without fanfare alongside a few selections from the main meal that you think your child might enjoy.

Set reasonable expectations for how long your child must stay at the table. If you have a “wanderer,” keeping your child’s backside on her seat might be your biggest concern. A day or two leading up to a big holiday meal, you can do some pretend play with little ones—set up a table with play food, practice saying grace (if that’s a tradition) and make “conversation.” Put a timer on it and challenge your child to stay seated until the buzzer goes off. When it comes to the big day, remind her of how long you expect her to sit at the table. Adding some conversational games, especially if there’s a kid’s table, might be just the thing to keep everyone engaged. Encourage diners to go around the table and name something they are thankful for, or before the meal, write down simple questions on a piece of paper and have everyone pick one or two out of a hat.

Have your child help with table and food prep. When you make children a part of the prep work, they’ll be more invested in the meal. Choose age-appropriate tasks in advance, and if you’re dining outside your house, talk to the hosts in advance about your ideas. Little kids can make name cards for the table, or fun centerpieces, like these Potato Turkeys, which Potock first devised for the site Tender Foodie: cut off the bottom of a potato so it will stand upright, and poke holes in the top and back with a skewer or toothpick. Give kids a box filled with feathers, stick-on eyes, red felt, scissors and craft glue. Older children can arrange and serve cut-up veggies before the meal, fill water glasses, or help with simple cooking tasks, like topping yams with marshmallows or tearing herbs.

Once the meal is in motion, hand in your dinner police badge for an hour. “Instead of focusing on what your child will eat (or not eat), focus on the most important thing: friends and family,” says Potock. “Thanksgiving is about gathering together with friends and family with grateful hearts – it’s about being together. A year from now, the memories you’ll have won’t be how many bites of green bean casserole your kiddo ate. It will be the memory of everyone together around the table, sharing stories and simply being together.”

Photo credit: Place setting: Trekkyandy via Photo Pin, cc; Potato turkey: Melanie Potock via Tender Foodie

The Real School Lunch Problem

November 11, 2014 by Kelley 2 Comments

Over the past decade, cafeteria food has become school reformists’, nutritionists’, and foodies’ favorite punching bag. Advocacy groups and even some reality television shows have been established for the sole purpose of decrying the state of the food served on today’s school lunch trays. And with the criticism has come a new cottage industry: packed lunches that border on works of art, complete with sculpted sandwiches, carved fruit animals, and elaborate packaging.

But here’s a zinger: Your kid may be better off buying lunch than brown-bagging it (or perhaps even bento-boxing it). Last week, in a study published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, Virginia Tech researchers compared 560 packed lunches with 750 school-served lunches. They found that homemade lunches had more fat and sugar, and less protein, fiber, fruits, and veggies than school-made ones.

By no means should this research let school kitchens off the hook: They’re the front lines of nutrition for countless kids across America, and plenty of solid research has shown that the lunches many serve are too short on fresh, healthy produce and too high in processed animal fats. Movements like the School Lunch Project and legislation like the USDA’s Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act are incredibly important for holding schools to the highest possible standards when it comes to both nutrition and kid-appeal (because it doesn’t matter if a meal is chock-full of vitamins if your child doesn’t want to touch it).

But it does give us food for thought. How can we boost nutrition in our packed lunches without effectively starving picky children? I’ve collected some simple expert tips and mom-tested ideas, and am listing the ones that seem to come up again and again. Don’t worry: None of them involve making jicama roses or string-cheese-and-raisin panda bears. That’s not how I roll, even in my most ambitious mom moments, and I’m assuming that if you read this blog, you likely don’t either.

1. When packing veggies, think of rainbows. A stack of celery sticks is pretty blah. But an array of carrot, celery, and red pepper slices, perhaps mixed with some fave fruits, is colorful and appealing.

2. If your child doesn’t like plain fruit or veggies, think of sending a small container with a dip. Nut butters go well with celery, apples, and carrots; vanilla yogurt pairs great with strawberries, pineapple, or melon spears. We love these handy little containers (right). (They’re also great for carrying a portion of raisins, nuts, or berries).

3. In the Virginia Tech study, home-packed lunches had more crackers and chips. If you pack crunchy snacks, choose wisely: Whole grain crackers or plain popcorn with a sprinkle of sea salt are good, high-fiber choices.

4. Yogurt and string cheese are excellent protein sources, but if they’re served warm, they’re probably going to end up in the trash. (Plus, a 2011 study led by University of Texas researchers found that perishables in 90 percent of preschoolers lunches were at unsafe temperatures at mid-morning.) If you pack dairy products, add a mini cold pack that won’t weigh your kids lunchbox down, like this.

5. Use bread that has whole wheat flour as the first ingredient. Go ahead and cut off the crusts if that makes it more appealing to your child; the choice of whole-wheat bread is more important.

6. Think outside the sandwich. If your child doesn’t like bread, try whole-wheat tortillas packed with favorite fillings or whole-wheat crackers with hummus or a cream-cheese spread.

7. Don’t get stuck in “lunch” mode. Chicken nuggets don’t have to be piping hot to be palatable to most kids. Yogurt and a low-sugar trail mix can be healthier than a lot of traditional sandwich-and-chip options.

8. Instead of juice or sweetened milk boxes, pack water, seltzer, or plain milk in a snazzy (and environmentally friendlier) cup or thermos. For keeping milk cold and reducing chance of spills, my kids, who range from 2 to 8, all love Thermos’s FUNtainers, which feature characters from Frozen to fire trucks.

9. If your child expects a sweet, see if you can find the time to make and freeze a double batch of mini muffins. You can take them out of the freezer in the morning and they’ll defrost by lunchtime. Try these carrot-apple or sweet-potato muffin recipes; just reduce cooking time by half.

10. Need more inspiration? Check out HHK nutrition adviser Dana White’s D.I.Y. Lunch Kits here.

Kid-Friendly Fish Recipes

November 5, 2014 by Kelley 1 Comment

Among challenging foods for kids, fish ranks with Brussels sprouts and broccoli, and it’s no wonder: Many parents, likely from a childhood being force-fed some bland or past-prime specimens, have some fairly deep biases against dining on fish themselves. Combine that with understandable fears about toxins like mercury in some varieties, and you can see why seafood consumption in the U.S. has been on the decline since 2004.

And yet, fish is one of the healthiest foods you can feed yourself and your kids. It’s a rich source of protein and low in saturated fat, and many types include bone-building Vitamin D as well as brain- and heart-healthy Omega 3 fatty acids. In June, the FDA and EPA issued a joint advisory recommending that pregnant women and young children eat two servings of fish per week. They recommend consuming a mix of low-mercury varieties, like salmon, catfish, flounder, halibut, and tilapia, to get the benefits of the varied vitamins and minerals that different fish contain.

And by “young children” they mean tots, too. Finfish is one of the most underrated baby foods. It’s rare for kids to be allergic to it, many varieties are very mild-tasting, and it’s soft and easy for gummy mouths to mash and chew. I grew up eating a lot of fish—my parents are avid boaters, and so many times our dinner was caught hours before we ate it—and have served it to my kids since they were babies. (One loves most kinds of fish, one likes it, and the last one is so-so on it).

Obviously, getting a great, fresh specimen will go a long way to reducing the chance that your kids are going to turn up their noses at a fish dish, so these recipes really start at the seafood market or grocery store. Ask the fishmonger what’s the freshest offerings in his case—look for shiny skin and firm flesh that springs back quickly when poked with a finger (yes, go ahead and ask the seller to do this for you). If you’re buying frozen fish, look for vacuum-sealed packages that have no white spots indicating freezer burn. If anything looks iffy, ask for a fresher alternative to the fish you were hoping to buy. (Cooking Light magazine has put together a handy, printable list of fish substitutions here, and National Geographic lists sustainable alternatives to overfished varieties here.)

Different fish preparations speak to different kids, so along with some family-favorite recipes, I’ve provided some guidance as to who might go for what. And please submit your own tips for making kid-friendly fish in the comments section, below. I know some of you have some good ones to share!

If your kid loves chicken tenders…try Cracker-Crusted Sole.
I was never big into coating my fish with anything bready until I went to Italy’s Lake Como and discovered the deliciousness of thin, fresh fillets served Milanese style—dipped in egg and salted flour or bread crumbs, and sautéed. One day, I discovered I was out of bread crumbs, and blitzed some Ritz crackers in the food processor instead. The result was delicious, as you might imagine. Any type of buttery cracker will have the same effect.

CRACKER-CRUSTED SOLE
Ingredients
4-6 sole fillets (or use flounder or any sort of mild white flatfish)
1 sleeve (about 12) Ritz or any favorite savory cracker
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons olive or Canola oil
To Make
Put crackers in food processor and pulse until they are in small crumbs (not pulverized). Put crackers in shallow bowl or pie pan, and with a fork, mix in paprika and salt. Put beaten egg in another shallow pan or bowl. Heat oil in nonstick pan over low-medium heat, swirling around until pan is evenly coated. Dredge fillets first in egg mixture, shaking off excess, and then cracker mixture (see right).
Cook for 2-3 minutes on both sides in hot oil until golden brown. Serves 4.

If your kid loves steak…try Marinated Halibut Steaks.

A recent revelation is sprinkling a fish fillet with a little sugar before cooking. While this may sound strange, the sugar speeds up browning—often, moist, quick-cooking fish gets steamy and “done” before you can achieve a gentle sear—and adds just a hint of caramelization (without tasting “sweet” at all). A simple lemon-garlic marinade over meaty halibut steaks is a great pairing with a little sugar-sprinkle at the end. (Swordfish is a delicious alternative that kids tend to really like, but serve only every once in awhile due to possibly high mercury content.) I like these grilled, but if you’ve put the grill away for the winter, you can use a grill pan or even just sauté in a nonstick pan with a little olive oil).

MARINATED HALIBUT STEAKS
Ingredients
4 halibut steaks (swordfish is a great alternative, but due to possibly high mercury content, use sparingly)
1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
1 minced garlic clove
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon sugar

To Make
1-3 hours before cooking, mix juice and a little zest from the lemon in a small bowl with salt, garlic, and one tablespoon oil. Set aside. Put steaks in shallow baking dish or sealable plastic bag. Pour marinade over and let rest in refrigerator. Just before cooking, remove fish from marinade and transfer to a plate. Sprinkle all sides evenly with sugar (see left). Brush grill or pan with the rest of the oil, and heat over low-medium heat. Cook steaks for 4-5 minutes on both sides until golden brown. Serves 4.

If your kid loves Mexican…try Panko-Breaded Fish Tacos with Fruit Salsa.
I find fish tacos to be a great Sunday-night family dinner, because they’re fun to eat and helps combat any end-of-the-weekend blues (a cold cerveza with it helps, too). I’ve adapted this recipe from Dana White, R.D., Happy Healthy Kids’ nutrition adviser who has her own blog. She originally created this recipe for foodnetwork.com.

PANKO-BREADED FISH TACOS WITH FRUIT SALSA
Ingredients
1 1/4 pound cod, cut into 16 pieces
1 cup all-purpose flour for dredging
1 1/2 cups of panko breadcrumbs
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
8 corn tortillas, warmed
1 cup fruit salsa: finely diced fruit (mango, peach or melon), red pepper, cucumber, pinch of salt and squeeze of lime
1 cup shredded green cabbage
To make
Preheat oven to 450-degrees. Place a wire rack over a baking sheet and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place flour, eggs and panko in a 3 shallow dishes and season with salt and pepper. Dredge fish in flour, then egg and then breadcrumbs; transfer to wire rack. Drizzle with canola oil and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden, turning once. Serve in corn tortillas topped with salsa and shredded cabbage. Serves 4.

If your kid loves spice…try Indian-Spiced Salmon.
My friend Christine, inspired by the website Six O’Clock Scramble, serves this recipe to her kids regularly (her six-year-old, my son’s classmate, has proclaimed it to be so good.) I’ve now made it twice, and it’s indeed an easy and super-tasty way to enjoy salmon, perhaps the “king” of all fish due to its double-dose of vitamin D and Omega-3 fatty acids. (Many people, including my family members, prefer the buttery, mild taste of farmed Atlantic salmon, but if possible, choose wild salmon, since it’s an extra-healthy, sustainable choice).

INDIAN-SPICED SALMON
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
To Make
Preheat the broiler. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil, and set the rack about 4 inches from the heating source. Cut the salmon into 4 serving-size pieces. Pour the olive oil in a small bowl or dish and, using a pastry brush, brush it over the fish. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, curry powder, and salt and rub it evenly over the fillets. Broil the fish for about 12 to 14 minutes, without flipping it, until it is browned on top and cooked through, and flakes easily in the thickest part of a fillet. Watch it carefully so it doesn’t burn, and lower rack if it is browning too quickly before the inside is cooked through. Serves 4.

If your kid loves bacon…try Redfish Bites.
I credit this recipe to Captain Dave Chatham, a friend of the family who runs a fishing charter out of the southwest Florida town where my parents have a house. Dave knows how to catch and prepare almost any type of fish, and this is a favorite of adults and kids alike. (If you can’t find redfish, any type of firm, flaky white fish, like red snapper, trout or even tilapia, will work.)

REDFISH BITES
Ingredients
1 cup Italian dressing
1 pound redfish, red snapper, trout, or tilapia
1/2 pound bacon
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of pepper
1/4 cup favorite barbecue sauce
To Make
Cut fish into 2 inch cubes. Pour dressing in a plastic bag or shallow pan, and marinate the fish for 15-20 minutes. Preheat grill to low-medium heat, or oven on low-medium broil. Remove fish from marinade and salt and pepper the cubes evenly. Slice bacon pieces into halves or thirds (depending on how long the slices are). Wrap bacon around fish, folding pieces that are on the thin side, smoothing ends of bacon to “stick” to other side. If broiling, line cookie sheet with foil and place wrapped fish pieces on it, and place on rack at least 4-5 inches below heat source. If grilling, secure wrapped fish with toothpicks (soaked in water for 10 minutes so they don’t burn) and place directly on grill. Cook in oven or grill for 5 minutes, flipping once. Brush fish pieces with barbecue sauce and cook for 3-5 more minutes, or until fish is cooked through and bacon is browned. Serves 4.

Kids’ Nutrition Buzzwords—Decoded!

October 29, 2014 by Kelley Leave a Comment

Feel like you’re spending a lot of time reading in the supermarket lately?

And I’m not talking about the magazines in the checkout line. I mean the food: Beyond the produce aisle, it seems that almost every package is festooned with a health claim—or in the case of certain kids-oriented products, perhaps six or seven of them. Who knew a bunny-shaped cracker could be so complex?

I’m not imagining things: A 2010 study led by the USDA found that 71 percent of products marketed to children had nutrition-specific marketing—and yet, of those, more than half (59%) were high in saturated fat, sodium, and/or sugar content. Even more recent research, out of the University of Houston, showed that people assume foods with health-centric marketing buzzwords on their packaging (like cherry-flavored soda “with antioxidants”) are good for you, regardless of their actual nutritional value. Clearly, there’s a disconnect between what’s being sold to parents and what we think we’re buying.

As I’ve said before, I’m not “above” many foods; my personal philosophy (developed from years of health reporting and a perpetual quest for balance in parenting) is that the processed, sweet, and salty foods that dominate the middle aisles need not be eliminated from the table completely, but allowed in moderation. I do think it’s important to always understand what we’re buying into, however. Unfortunately, given the food industry’s increasing penchant for smoke-and-mirrors health marketing, that takes some detective work. Hence, more time squinting at boxes in the grocery store than you’d probably like (particularly if you have a small, impatient, and hungry child seated in your shopping cart).

I recently took a spin around our local supermarket to get a sense of what health claims tend to dominate the kids’ food aisles in particular. I snapped some photos of labels that came up again and again, and made a chart that breaks down the meaning and value of some of the most common nutritional buzzwords. Arm yourself with this buzzword decoder next grocery-shopping day—you just might find yourself shopping more healthfully, and spending less money, as a result.

Super-Healthy Cookies

October 22, 2014 by Kelley Leave a Comment

Typically, when I’m craving a cookie, I want a cookie, and health considerations aren’t top of mind. But every once in awhile I come across a delicious treat that just so happens to be wholesome, too. That’s what happened when my friend Sue recently brought over a plate of homemade cookies when she was picking up her son from a playdate at my house.

“They’re made of dates?” I asked, when she presented them to me. They tasted sort of like a Kind bar, but softer, sweeter, and better, with chocolate chips, flax seeds, and macadamia nuts studded throughout. I ate three and asked for the recipe, which originated at detoxinista.com (just typing that makes me feel even more virtuous about enjoying them).

Truth be told, my family is divided on these treats. My youngest son gobbled up two and asked for a third, my middle son was so-so, and my oldest and pickiest son begged off even trying them. My feeling is that if the kids like them, there are less for me, so this is one case where I am frankly ambivalent about their snacking adventurousness (or lack thereof). Let them eat cake; I will enjoy my super-healthy cookies, with my morning coffee or as a mid-afternoon pick-me-up on the way to pickup. I recommend making a double batch and freezing them, since they defrost on the counter in no time. Thanks, Sue!

Super-Healthy Cookies

Ingredients

(Recipe courtesy of detoxinista.com)
1 1/2 cups nuts (I like walnuts or macadamia nuts)
1 cup (10-12) medjool dates
1/4 teaspoon salt (omit if you use salted nuts)
1/2 baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 "flax egg" (1 tablespoon ground flax seeds mixed with 3 tablespoons water)
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.
In a food processor, mix the dates and nuts until it looks crumbly. Add salt (if using), baking soda, vanilla, and flax egg and pulse again.

Add chocolate chips and pulse once to combine.
Spoon batter to make 12 cookies on a nonstick or parchment lined baking sheet. Slightly flatten each ball of dough with your hand. (Wet hands to prevent sticking.) Bake for 12 minutes or until edges are just slightly golden (don't over bake.)

https://www.happyhealthykids.com/super-healthy-cookies/

How Important is Cow’s Milk for Kids?

October 21, 2014 by Kelley 2 Comments

Got milk? Maybe not, if you’re on trend with the latest federal data. What used to be an automatic addition to families’ weekly shopping list is being replaced by a widening array of dairy alternatives, such as soy, almond, rice, and hemp milks. Other parents are ditching the idea of milk altogether and just sticking to water, juices and other drinks. Since 1975, cow’s milk consumption has dropped 25 percent.

The problem: Kids who don’t drink cow’s milk often lose out on certain key nutrients, particularly vitamin D. Canadian researchers report that children who drink milk alternatives are twice as likely to have low levels of the vitamin, which is crucial for healthy bone development. (When vitamin D levels are low in our bodies, we’re unable to absorb bone-building calcium.) Five years ago, the American Academy of Pediatrics doubled its recommended daily intake of vitamin D for children from 200 IUs to 400 IUs. Virtually all cow’s milk sold in the U.S. contains D3, an animal-derived form of the vitamin that the body seems to absorb particularly well, and 3-4 cups will supply a child with his recommended 4oo IUs for the day. Many, but not all, alternative milks are fortified, and when they are, it’s usually with plant-dervied D2, which most experts believe to be a less potent source of the vitamin.

Most kids get a healthy dose of vitamin D during the spring and summer if their arms and legs are regularly exposed to the sun. But from now through March, sun-dervied D is in short supply in much of the U.S., meaning children in the northern half of the country must get their daily D through their diets. Kids can get some of the vitamin through fortified orange juices, cereals, yogurt, cheese and eggs, though those food sources rarely measure up to cow’s milk when it comes to the amount of D per serving. What does: fatty fish. Salmon, tuna, and mackerel contain as much or more vitamin D—the potent D3 kind, no less—per serving than milk. But these fish aren’t on kids’ menus for a reason. Milk is considered to be the “best” form of vitamin D mainly because most kids are happy to consume it; if they don’t or can’t, it’s tough to find an alternative children will get enough of.

If your child doesn’t drink a few glasses of D-fortified milk everyday and isn’t able to get enough vitamin D through the foods above, there is a solution: supplements. Yes, they are an added cost, and hard to remember to dispense in the chaos of a morning, but they can be an important investment, particularly now, when the leaves are starting to turn and the sun goes into hiding for several months. The supplement-review company Consumer Lab has rated Carlson Super Daily D3 400 IU for Kids highly. They are liquid, tasteless drops, so they should go down easy (or easily snuck into food or a drink). It’s $13 for 10 ml, and since only a drop or two is a daily dose for a child, the bottle will last awhile. (If your child already drinks fortified milk, be sure to consult your doctor before using a supplement, since there is a thing as too much vitamin D, points out HHK adviser Dana White, R.D. A blood test can confirm whether your child is getting adequate amounts.)

Also, if you have any recipes that have turned your kids into salmon or tuna lovers, please share below or here. I’m working on a post about helping kids like fish—many parents’ nutritional white whale—so your recipe could make it into an upcoming piece on the site.

photo credit: Hades2K via Photopin, cc license

Cult of the Family Dinner

October 15, 2014 by Kelley Leave a Comment

What has happened to family dinner?

I don’t mean, where has it gone—countless health experts, celebrity cooks, and columnists have pontificated on its supposed endangerment—but when did it become so precious, so symbolic, so loaded?

In a recent piece in The New York Times, Virginia Heffernan calls her lack of flair for weeknight dinner her “shortcoming”. She writes, “Where I ought to have a lively intellectual curiosity about food preparation, I generally have a despairing blank.” She goes on to poke fun at the heavy-handed language that litters many of today’s family cookbooks (“The single most powerful thing anyone can do to protect their health, to live a healthy life and to have a healthy future is to go into their own kitchen and cook food themselves,’ decrees Katie Couric, who I suspect also dined out on occasion, in The Family Cooks). But she never really lets herself off the hook for not working recipes like Pork Shoulder Ragu with Papardelle into her repertoire. When a such an accomplished professional and obviously committed parent “despairs,” with a tongue planted not-so-firmly in cheek, over dinner, it makes me think we’ve gone off the rails a bit when it comes to the concept.

Many would opine that, at least evolutionarily, a parent’s ability put together healthy meals for her children is more important than her ability to, say, turn a clever phrase. I, too, realize that family dinner is more than food consumption after 5 pm. We don’t need studies—although there are loads—to realize that gathering around the table for a healthy meal is good for growing minds and bodies. But it’s the hand-wringing, all-or-nothing, nearly Puritanical idea of it that’s troublesome.

Part of the problem is that “family dinner” conjures some stuck-in-the-gravy notions: Mom, dad, and children gathered around a home table bedecked with bowl after bowl of home-cooked goodness. Combine that with our modern-day realizations of what’s healthy—less boxed and processed meals, more whole foods, veggies, and organic proteins—and we have a mash-up of The Waltons and the White House garden to aspire to: a tall order for any short order cook (which any parent, at least part of the time, essentially is.)

It’s no wonder that a recent study of moms by North Carolina State University researchers revealed that most are stressed about family dinner. Lower-income moms, understandably, are worried about getting food on the table at all. Middle-class mothers, meanwhile, are vexed by the fact that they sometimes have to rely on packaged convenience foods from time to time, or can’t always afford to buy organic. Apparently, no matter who you are, or what your household income is, your family dinner probably isn’t cutting it—at least when you compare yourself to whatever supermarket magazine, Food Network show, or Pinterest board happens to catch your eye in a given week.

Our mothers weren’t likely to have these hang-ups. My own mom is a great home cook, and made a hearty, tasty meal almost every weeknight when I was growing up. But most dinners were eaten with my big sisters as my mother went about her business in the kitchen—she ate later, with my dad, who worked until 8 pm most nights. The meals that most shaped my manners and taste buds were not these reliable home-cooked meals, but rather, the dinners out that we had once every few weeks or so, often at roadside restaurants on the way to the Delaware beach town where my parents had a cottage. It was at the Milford Sail Loft, not the family dinner table, where I learned to put my napkin on my lap, practice my indoor voice, and enjoy more challenging foods, like baked flounder or tomato wedges with Roquefort.

Early in my parenting days, I stressed about family dinners too—until I realized that stress has a strange souring effect on the meal, no matter how carefully sourced and beautifully presented the food. These days, I really do like to cook for my family, and try my best to balance wholesomeness and flavor with my own sanity. Organic greens, fresh fish, and homemade quick breads are in regular rotation, but so are canned soups, frozen chicken nuggets, and boxed mac-and-cheese (the orange kind, no less). When I try a new dish, I’ll break it up and serve it in components for my kids—a few pieces of slow-cooker pork alongside some plain pasta, rather than a full-on “ragu.” I try to share recipes on this blog that I think are easy and tasty, not Pinterest-perfect.

As for that family dinner tableau? Often, it’s three kids perched on counter stools, just like my sisters and I in the 80s; it gives my husband and I a chance to catch up and connect later, which strikes me as healthy for the larger family dynamic, too. Maybe once a week, a child might have to dine solo, while a sibling is off at an activity. (They might flip through a book while dining, which we all know is a really great way to eat from time to time.) And a couple times a week, typically Wednesdays and Sundays, we try to sit down as a family. Sometimes, the food is at a restaurant, and while I haven’t gotten the kids to try blue cheese dressing yet, they have mastered at least a couple “restaurant rules,” such as not crawling under the table and playing with a fellow diner’s shoelaces. Once in awhile, that restaurant is McDonalds, and the table is a car seat-constrained lap. I don’t beat myself up about that. In fact, it’s a Happy Meal for all involved.

I propose that we broaden the “family dinner” concept to “what’s-best-for-your-family dinner.” Every family has different schedules and needs—sometimes special ones that make the idealized notions of adventurous eating and polite conversation all but unattainable— and as long as we’re trying our best to serve reasonably rounded meals much of the time and sitting down together when it makes sense, it shouldn’t matter what dinner looks like on any given night. Food isn’t love; love is love. Family dinner is just one more ingredient to a healthy childhood, and some weeks, for a lot of us, a pinch is all you need.

Norman Rockwell’s “Freedom from Want.” Photo credit: Georges Nijs via Flickr.

Best Easy Applesauce—Six Ways

October 11, 2014 by Kelley 1 Comment

We all have certain foods we like to have on hand. Applesauce is one of mine. It serves as an easy snack, a quick side dish, sweet condiment, and a healthy filler for any number of baked goods. In the fall, I like to make it myself. Yes, I realize there are entire grocery store aisles devoted to applesauce these days, and the whole idea of making homemade applesauce calls to mind Diane Keaton’s overzealous sauce-making scenes in Baby Boom (a self-conscious attempt to get all “country” and “homey” as the leaves turn.) But: The whole process is so simple and kid-centric, and the results are more bright, fresh, and delicious than you’ll ever get in those plastic cups that sit on the supermarket shelves.

Ideally, applesauce making starts at a pick-it-yourself orchard, between late August and early November. More than half of the U.S. states—mostly in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Mid-West, and Pacific Northwest—have apple growing climates, and the varieties that are ripe to pick depend on the month. To find a great U-Pick place, check out this site. http://www.pickyourown.org/index.htm#states. Alternatively, hit up a farmer’s market or grocery store—apples are plentiful from now through the early winter, and if you keep them cold in the ‘fridge or in the garage or a cellar, they’ll stay fresh for months.

While most applesauce experts favor a “tender-tart” variety for sauce-making—Macintosh, Cortland, and Macoun—I usually just use what I have around. But I do mix two different kinds in a batch. They’ll soften at different rates in your cooking pot, adding two different tastes and slightly different textures to the sauce.

Just in case you can’t shake the idea of applesauce as baby food, here are some sauce uses:

1. Substitute for oil in baked goods to reduce fat and add vitamin C. My favorite use is in boxed gingerbread mix.

2. Toasted-nut applesauce: (The best fall/winter breakfast or afternoon snack (with a cup of coffee or tea.) Toast a handful of walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts in an oven or toaster oven at 375 for a few minutes. Sprinkle warmed nuts on warm or room temperature applesauce.

3. Make acorn squash special (my mom Cindy’s recipe and my absolute favorite veggie dish growing up): Split squash lengthwise, scoop out seeds, and put both halves face-down on cookie sheet and bake at 400 for 30 minutes. Turn right side up and cook for 15-20 minutes more, until lightly browned and fork tender. Put spoonful of applesauce, a pat of butter, and a tablespoon of brown sugar in each half.

4. Spoon onto plain, salt-seasoned, pan- or oven-roasted pork tenderloin medallions or chicken.

5. Stir into vanilla pudding or yogurt.

6. Dollop on pancakes or waffles. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon-sugar on top.

Best Easy Applesauce

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Yield: 10-12 servings

Best Easy Applesauce

Ingredients

3 pounds (nine small, or 6 medium-large) apples
1 cup apple cider (juice or water works ok too)
Half of a lemon
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2-3 Tablespoons brown sugar

Instructions

Peel, core, and slice apples into eighths.
Add apples and liquid into a large stockpot or Dutch Oven.
Bring to a boil, and then reduce to low. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until apples are easy to mash with a fork.

Remove from heat, and stir in juice from half a lemon, cinnamon and brown sugar.
In two batches, if necessary, puree until desired consistency in food processor. We like it smooth.

If desired, store into reusable plastic cups, which are great for packing in lunches or outings. I love the size and sturdiness of these Glad containers, which come in a pack of 8.

https://www.happyhealthykids.com/best-easy-applesauce/

Toddler Dining Solutions

October 8, 2014 by Kelley 13 Comments

There comes a time in every parent’s life when the whole family dinner thing starts to make sense. Your child steps up and tries the chili, and maybe even likes it. She answers a question or two about her day. She might even remember to clear her plate from the table without being asked. It’s a beautiful thing.

Until then, your child may be more apt to treat mealtime like a crime spree. He dumps his milk into the spaghetti bowl. He delicately picks up his peas, one at a time, and drops them to the floor. Every so often, he arches his back and screeches like a banshee, for no apparent reason at all. And finally, without warning, he shimmies down from his seat and makes his getaway, in search of a toy, book, or anything more interesting than you or his older siblings. Many a weary day, at least in our house, he isn’t likely to get an invitation back.

Luckily, there’s a growing number of clever tools that can make mealtime a little less painful for you and your toddler. We’ve chosen three of our favorites, below. And for a limited time: Pass along your own best tip or trick in the comments section and be automatically entered to win a Bambinos! Tidy Table Tray (see description below).

1. Tidy Table Tray (by Bambinos!). Plates and placemats might as well be Frisbees in the eye of a curious (or mischievous) toddler. And if you’ve ever tried to solve the problem with silicone mats and tableware that suction directly to the table, as I have over the years, you know they’re no match for a determined child. Enter the Bambinos! Tidy Table Tray. BPA and phthalate-free, it clips easily and securely to your table in seconds, and has an ingenious spill-catch lip that expands and ergonomically molds your child’s body to reduce the amount of food that finds its way into laps, chairs and floors. Additional inserts available in blue, pink and white. And it adjusts to suit kids ages 18 months to 5 years. Food safe and dishwasher safe.
Buy it: Bambinos! Tidy Table Tray, $34 on Amazon.

2. Dinner Winner Kids’ Plate (by Fred). This interactive Melamine plate eliminates the need for pleas for “just one more bite.” You can divide your child’s food into small portions that fit into each little box that marches across the plate; kids are encouraged with messages like “Keep it up!” and “Good job!” along the way. Feeding experts may frown at reward systems when it comes to food, but this plate is just plain fun.
Buy it: Fred Dinner Winner Kids’ Plate, $13 on Amazon.

3. Drawing paper roll dispenser. That’s right; a fat roll of paper that serves as a cheap alternative to drawing pads can double as the at-home equivalent of a restaurant kid’s meal placemat. When you can’t seem to keep your toddler at the table, pull out a placemat-sized length of paper, a couple crayons, and let your child go to town in between bites. Distraction technique? Maybe. But on challenging days, it might also be just the thing to keep a meal on track. Plus, there’s no need to wipe down a placemat or countertop afterwards; just tear and toss or recycle.
Buy it: Cra-Z-Art Wooden Paper Roll Dispenser, $9 on Amazon; or Melissa and Doug Tabletop Paper Roll Dispenser, $15 on Amazon.

What’s your secret for keeping mealtime fun and sane with a toddler? Describe it in COMMENTS section below for your chance to win a Bambinos! Tidy Table Tray.

The Problem with Salt

October 2, 2014 by Kelley Leave a Comment

My kids bicker over any number of household items, and the salt shaker, I’m not proud to say, is one. They love to shake extra salt on pasta, potatoes, rice, and eggs; I’ve even caught one of them licking the top of the shaker before. But they aren’t alone, apparently, in their taste for the stuff. According to the CDC, 90 percent of children between ages 6 and 18 consume an unhealthy amount of salt. This is a big reason why 1 in 6 kids over age 8 have too-high blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for stroke and heart disease.

This report was a bit of a wake-up call to me. I’ve always associated sodium concerns with older Americans, and frankly, health experts have been so busy decrying the amount of sugar in our kid’s diets, salt awareness has gotten little play as of late. If anything, salt seems to be experiencing a “moment”; I just spied something called Pink Himalayan Sea Salt among other exotic variations in the spice aisle of my not-fancy supermarket the other day. Upon having babies, neither our pediatrician nor the parenting books I read made much mention of sodium restrictions. I had a vague notion that I shouldn’t salt my baby’s food; until one day, when I told my neighbor down the hall, who was from Spain and also had a baby, that my son was picky about meat and fish. “Are you adding salt to his food?” she asked. When I answered no, she said, “Would you like to eat meat or fish that didn’t have any salt?” This made sense. I started adding a pinch of salt to his food during cooking, and sure enough, he did seem more interested.

But according to the CDC, salt used in home cooking isn’t even the problem when it comes to sodium in our kids’ diets. The perps include the usual suspects in the realm of kids’s junk food: frozen pizza, chicken nuggets, and chips, as well as deli meats and prepared Mexican foods. These processed convenience foods are loaded with salt, among other questionable ingredients. Problematically, to children’s taste buds, they are also like manna from heaven, which is why it’s unrealistic to take things like pizza and nuggets off our kids’s plates entirely. But you can make some healthier swaps, and your children’s hearts may be healthier for it. “Reading labels may take a little extra time, but it’s a must,” says Dana White, R.D., nutrition adviser for HHK and author of the forthcoming book, First Bites: Superfoods for Babies and Toddlers. “There’s an incredible amount of variation across brands, especially for things like snack foods.”

Here’s a cheat sheet for cutting back on salt in your house:

For more tips for reducing sodium in your family’s diet, check out the CDC’s helpful page on the subject, here.