Do you need to find a way to get your kids to “eat” their vegetables?  Maybe when you serve your child spinach he or she looks up at you with adorning eyes and says, “Oh thank you Mom.  May I have seconds?”  Not your kid?  Not mine either.

So, I’d like to introduce you to the sneaky smoothie.  That’s not an actual recipe, but what I call a smoothie that is disguising healthy greens.  I’m sure you’ve heard of green smoothies.  Same thing, different name.  When it comes to getting your children to consume their veggies, who cares if it’s done through a straw.

One trick you can try is to ask your kids if they like the smoothie you just made them.  When they say yes, and I’m sure they will, ask them if they noticed anything different than their usual smoothies.  Tell them how proud you are that they tried something healthy and liked it.  Now that’s sneaky!  Or, you cannot tell them and keep it your little secret.

Adding fruit to the sneaky smoothie is a great help as it sweetens and disguises the veggie taste.  You can turn any fruit smoothie into a green smoothie simply by adding veggies.  Spinach is a popular green to add to smoothies.  Carrots are wonderful as well.  Start teaching your young ones at an early age that “green is good.”

Click here for some of our favorite sneaky smoothies that my kids will actually “eat.”  They’re easy to make and don’t take many ingredients.  Always a good thing in my book.

Do you have a favorite smoothie recipe or helpful hint for getting kids to eat their veggies?  If so then we’d love to hear from you!

Growing a baby is hard work, I can attest to that.  Pregnancy is such a special time in a woman’s life, but it comes with a great deal of responsibility.  As a first time expectant mom, I sometimes find myself struggling to ensure that I am eating a healthy, balanced diet full of the key nutrients necessary to grow a healthy, happy baby.  I love the thought of a fun summer salad, but those deep leafy green salads don’t particularly excite me.  In fact, I often find myself drenching them in calorie-rich dressing just to get those nutrients down.  So, I had to find an alternative way to get my folic acid, iron and antioxidants.  That’s when I started drinking green smoothies.  I think fresh juices are great, but smoothies, which retain all of the fiber and goodness of your ingredients, are better!

And now that I’m in my third trimester, I feel like a green smoothie expert after much experimentation.  And, lucky for you, I have found some simple ways to make green smoothies taste delicious because who wants a drink that just tastes like blending spinach or kale.  I look forward to the extra boost of energy that comes from a green smoothie in the morning and I’m sure baby loves it too.

My favorite green smoothie recipe: The Tropical Green Smoothie

• ½-1 cup of organic apple juice (or white grape juice)
• a handful of ice cubes
• 1-2 large leaves of kale
• 1-2 cups of spinach
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh pineapple
• ¼ small lime with peel removed

Optional additives:

• chia seeds or flax seeds
• avocado
• flaxseed oil
• protein powder

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth or according to your preferred texture. Makes 1 large serving or 2 medium servings. Then enjoy!

The great thing about blended smoothies is that you can substitute ingredients without sacrificing taste.  For instance, try banana instead of pineapple or add some yogurt for a creamier texture.  Everything is customizable and the options are limitless.  And, since the blender does all of the hard work for you, your digestive system just gets to kick back and enjoy all of the amazing nutrients!

If making green smoothies doesn’t appeal to you, look for local vendors that sell green blended smoothies, but try to stick to fresh smoothies because often store bought varieties lose much of their nutritional content due to oxidation.

I’ve recently gotten hooked on busheljuices.com because they deliver right to your door in the San Francisco/Bay Area!

Do you have any green smoothie tips or recipes that you like? Have you found any good fresh smoothie vendors in your area?

How much does your family spend on groceries? Could you live on $3 a person each day?

For many Americans, that’s what you might spend on a coffee. But, for the nearly 50 million Americans on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, $3 a day is all they have for food. Yes, in the wealthiest country in the world, this is the reality.

According to the Participant Media’s compelling new documentary, “A Place at the Table,” the picture in America is grim:

One in five families with children is food insecure (which means they expect to run out of food before they get more money or food stamps). One out of every two children will be on food assistance at some point in their life.

The U.S. ranks worst on food security among advanced economy countries. And, it’s not that there’s insufficient food. It’s poverty and politics. A combination leading to outrageous injustice and health effects in our most precious resource: our children. And, it’s not just that our children are needlessly hungry, it’s a driving cause of our obesity epidemic.

How does hunger lead to obesity? I agree it appears a paradox. But, due to our twisted Farm Bill, more tax subsidies are going to agribusiness for basic ingredients for processed foods (wheat, soy, corn) than to farmers who grow whole, healthy foods like apples and carrots. Less than one percent of our Farm Bill investment goes to vegetables and fruits combined. This irrational corporate welfare has lead to fruit and vegetable prices increasing 40% since 1980 and processed foods decreasing 40%. Chips are cheaper than fruit.

So, if you have $3 a day for meals, you’re likely buying fast food, soda, chips, and other (subsidized) empty calories. Empty calories that lead to malnutrition and obesity. These kids are overfed, undernourished, and hungry. And today 2/3 of of middle school and high school students in the US already have middle age health problems — related to what they eat.

We can do so much better.

We almost eliminated hunger in the 1970’s. We can do it again.

I’m proud to be the pediatric advisor for Plum Organics. Together we created a Super Smoothie specifically designed to be donated to food insecure babies and toddlers in the U.S. The Super Smoothie tastes great and is packed with accessible super foods including spinach, carrots, apples, white beans, and whole grain oats, providing a nutritionally dense, produce-based alternative to the white flour, sugar, sodium, and fat filled foods most commonly found in a food insecure diet. Plum has committed to donate at least 500,000 of these smoothies in 2013.

We’re asking all of you to get involved by using your personal social platforms to raise awareness about the food insecurity issue in an effort to galvanize industry leaders, policy makers, and society into action. Starting April 10th, you can get involved by visiting PlumOrganics.com/TheFullEffect to receive locally-specific messages for use on Twitter and Facebook powered by Participant’s social action platform, Take Your Place. And watch or read A Place at the Table. You’ll be glad you did. And Plum will donate a smoothie for every movie download or book purchased.

Please help us make a place at the table for every American.

The following is #2 in a 5 part series on helping children become more adventurous eaters.

Ah, breakfast! The most important meal of the day, right?

If you are parenting a picky eater, it can also be the most stressful way to start the day.

Here are 5 strategies to begin the journey to trying new foods, even at breakfast:

1. Limit Milk and Juice in the Morning. Juice provides a swift rise in blood sugar, thus decreasing hunger for the morning meal and resulting in a cranky kid mid-morning when sugar levels crash.  Milk, though nutritious,  is very filling and satiates little tummies quickly, leaving little room for anything else.

 

2. Make it a Smoothie. If your child insists on something to drink, a smoothie, frozen or simply chilled, can be a power-packed, easy solution.  While it might contain milk or juice, adding boosters such as chia seeds,  plain Greek yogurt or a seed/nut butter will start their day right even if they forgo traditional breakfast.  Or, try a Smoothie Ice Pop in the morning, made with your kiddo the night before.  My favorite is from The Hopefull Company’s Bellyfull Kit, which includes pop molds that are PVC, BPA and Phthalate free.  The kit comes with  20 “wipe-able” recipe cards perfect for little hands and bundled on a ring, each with a fun picture to encourage healthy eating plus the kit includes compost-able and biodegradable pop “handles” in case you need to take breakfast with you.

 

3. Make Breakfast with Your Child the Night Before. It can be as simple as setting the table together with cereal boxes, an empty bowl for fruit from the refrigerator and a small pitcher to pour from in the morning.  This changes your little one’s mindset so that they begin to understand that in the mornings, we all need something nourishing and substantial to get our bodies ready for the day.

 

4. Eat Breakfast with Your Kids. Model the importance of fueling up for the day ahead.  Studies show that kids have better concentration and energy after eating breakfast –  something every parent needs too!

What strategies have you used to help your children enjoy a healthy breakfast?  Do you worry about it, or not? Let us know, it’s helpful to hear your ideas!

Tomorrow’s post: Chicken nuggets again?  I’ll offer strategies for kids who eat the same thing for lunch, day after day. 

Got picky kids when it comes to food, at least nutritious food? Do your kids try to crawl under the table when they see broccoli on the table?  Do they try to slip the dog their squash only to find the dog won’t eat it either? You’re not alone. It seems to be a fairly common phenomenon among households with kids. And, not just young children either. Older kids can be picky eaters as well.

I have been blessed with having both teenagers and younger kids at the same time. Both sets with different dietary needs and different likes and dislikes when it comes to food. My teenage boys are athletic, physical, growing boys. Even though they both look full grown (at 6 feet tall) they are still growing and their bodies, inside and outside, need the right foods to help them with this.

My two younger children have different needs both physically and emotionally when it comes to food. They are both adopted and we’ve had to learn the challenge of dealing with children who have had to go hungry in their past. Hunger can do many things to you emotionally.  We’ve had to learn to help our children understand they won’t ever go hungry again.

All of my kids are different eaters with different taste. My 16-year-old son has a sweet tooth that never seems to end.  I think sweet teeth would be more like it. It’s a constant struggle to get him to lay off the sweets.  My 19 year old could really care less about the sweets. My 9 and 10-year-old are very food focused and just want to eat.

In the process of raising 6 kids (2 of mine are already grown so they and their taste buds are on their wn) I’ve come up with some things that have helped my family over the years.

1. Respect their appetites – If they really aren’t hungry, don’t try to force them to eat. Don’t bribe them to clean their plates. And please don’t use the starving children speech. Likewise, if your child has a tendency toward overeating, help him or her to understand what it means to be full.  We quite often ask one of our younger boys, “is your tummy comfortable?” That’s when you need to stop.  Don’t make them feel guilty or bad for how little or much they eat.
2. Encourage but don’t force – Encourage kids to try new foods but don’t force it on them. They’ll just hate that zucchini even more.
3. Let them help with the meal planning – That’s easy for me since I own a menu planning service.  After the menus are out for that week I will let the whole family decide what we are eating for the week. It makes a huge difference when they have had a say so on what to eat.  They don’t always agree, but we manage.
4. Let them help with the cooking – I hear moms say that they would love to let their kids help in the kitchen but they don’t want to deal with the extra mess. It’s a great bonding time, a time to teach kids responsibility (you helped make the mess, you help clean) and if they cook it they are much more likely to eat it. Trust me, it works.
5. Have fun with meals – My family LOVES breakfast for dinner.  Pancakes, waffles, omelets, you name it.  Try having special dipping sauces (Ranch dressing works wonders) for veggies at meal times and snack times.  For some reason kids love to dip their food in things.
6. Give them their own cookbook – There are a lot of cookbooks out there that are geared to kids of all ages. My younger boys love to look at the pictures and plan on the things they are going to make. My youngest one now wants his own apron, chef hat and cooking show.  Hmmm….
7. Become friends with the smoothie – Do you know how much you can hide in a simple smoothie?  Lots. And, your little picky eaters will never know the difference.  You can pack a lot of nutrition in a smoothie. So what if it’s consumed through a straw?
8. Set the example – You can’t get your little mini me’s to eat nutritiously when they see you eating McDonalds and Dunking Donuts. Show them how to enjoy clean whole foods.
9. Pizza, Fries, Sodas, Oh My! – Teenagers are notorious for wanting to live off junk.  Mine are no exception. They want their bodies to look good but they want to eat junk. As a parent of teens, it can be a real challenge once they start going off on their own more and more. You aren’t always there to control what they are eating. Plan on having as many sit down meals as possible (sitting down at your own table and not McDonalds) during the week. Your family needs the bonding time as well as the proper nutrition they receive from the home cooked meals.
10. Just one bite rule – Let your kids know that if they will just take one bite, they don’t have to take another if they don’t like it. Chances are they will decide they do like it and if they don’t now, next week they might. My kids’ taste buds seem to change from week to week.

What are some creative ways you’ve gotten a picky eater to eat?  We’d love you to share your suggestions.

Most parents tell me that their elementary school child has 20 to 25 minutes to enter the school cafeteria,  search for his lunchbox buried in a portable tub, find a place to sit, open all the containers, eat (oh, right, eat), then clean and pack up before the bell rings.  In an effort to ensure that their kids eat anything at all, well-meaning parents pack lunchboxes filled to the brim with a smorgasbord of options. 

Picture this: Your little first grader searches for spot in a sea of tables, newly found lunchbox in hand.  She squeezes in between his best friends, climbing up onto the metal bench, feet dangling, with her  little elbows resting on the much too high table top, just below her chin.  Most school cafeterias provide the same size seating for the entire school, whether the kids are 3 feet tall or towering 5^th graders, about to move on to middle school.  Ever try to eat a meal on a narrow bench, your feet dangling and no back-rest?  It’s not easy.  By the time your child gets  the plastic bags opened, the juice box straw unwrapped and poked hard enough into the box that it squirts her in the face, all while holding up her other hand  to signal the teacher “Can you please open this lid?” well, another 5 minutes have passed by.  Meanwhile,  she’s excited to get out to recess, now just 15 minutes away.

As a feeding therapist, I visit lots of school cafeterias and have learned that parents and teachers have one priority: Getting kids to eat a nutritious lunch.  In contrast, kids have this priority: Talking to their friends.  How then, does a parent pack a lunch, especially for a picky eater, that allows their child some much needed “down time” to chat with friends yet fill their bellies quickly and nutritiously?

Here are 3 strategies to do just that:

1. Send one easy open container plus a drink.  I recommend EasyLunchboxes® BPA-free system, because the lid is easy for little fingers to pop off and instantly reveal 3 to 4 yummy choices.  It’s quick and not as overwhelming as a lunchbox filled to the brim with individual containers, especially with 6 to 8 choices, which is what I often observe.
2. Pack “GRAB and GAB” food.  Cut fresh fruit, veggies, sandwiches, cheese, etc. into small enough pieces that kids can grab a piece without gazing down and continue to gab with their friend across the table.  My favorite speedy gadget is FunBites® which instantly creates grab and gab bites, yet has no sharp edges.  It’s a fun way to get  kids in the kitchen making their own lunch – once again, get them involved and they are more likely to eat it later.  (For 25% off your entire order, use the code MyMunchBug at checkout.)
3. Pack a power packed drink.  Include a frozen smoothie that you made the night before.  Freeze it directly in the cup (with a lid, of course) and be sure to include a wide straw.  By the time your child opens her lunch, the smoothie will be the perfect consistency, plus it helped to keep the lunch cold.

One elementary school that I visited was graciously flexible to help one little girl eat better.  They provided a smaller table that fit her so that her feet could be on the floor (or try a box underneath little feet to as a footrest). The table should be at sternum-height so your child can see her food and rest her arms for stability.  Smaller tables also reduce cafeteria noise and foster social skills thanks to smaller groups of kids sitting together.

Here’s a picture of that sweet little girl.  Note the easy “grab and gab” food in one (and only one) container.  See the rest of the food on the table?  That belongs to the two other kids seated across from her.

Tell me about your kids’ cafeterias – the good, the bad and the delicious!  What can we do to help kids in school get more time and more options for a healthy lunch?

Tomorrow’s post: Tips on enjoying family dinners, even with a hesitant eater.

Frustrated that your kids won’t eat their greens? Ever try drinking them? Green Smoothies are all the rage for a reason and this drink treat may just be the answer to your prayers.

This Green Monster Smoothie recipe, also featured in my book, is my fool proof solution. Get your kids making these healthy and delicious drinks with you and when it comes to mealtime, green may start being their most favorite color!

On a vegetable nutrition ranking, spinach is way up at the top in terms of vitamin and mineral richness. Packed with Vitamins K and A, magnesium and folate — just to name just a few — there’s no doubt why Popeye ate so much of the stuff.

Spinach gives this delicious drink a beautiful green color as well as a mild, sweet flavor that will surprise you. With the added (healthy) sweetness from banana and honey or agave, this smoothie will be the perfect treat for your kids and their friends this summer.

Why should your kids be eating a rainbow every day? Each color group provides a unique set of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. When kids eat from the 5 color groups it becomes an easy and fun way to ensure that they are benefitting from this wide spectrum of nutrients.

By breaking produce down into groups of fire-engine red, bright orange, sunshine yellow, emerald green and rich blue/purples you can make eating fruits and vegetables fun for your kids and we all know that kids love to have fun!

So how do you get your kids to eat a rainbow? As parents, we need to get into the habit of serving fruits and veggies at every meal and snack! If you do the typical 3 meals and 2 snacks per day then you have five opportunities a day to get your kids eating colorful fruits and vegetables! I encourage you to make this fun and keep it light, no pressure and no battles. If your child starts off by eating just one color a day that is a great start…you can build up to a rainbow over time. Healthy bodies are made one bite at a time so celebrate every step towards the rainbow!

Breakfast: This is an important meal and one where you can easily add fruit or veggies. If your family eats dairy and your kids like to dip their fruit, Greek yogurt works well! Sometimes I’ll incorporate the fruit into the meal, such as a bowl of yogurt, granola and apple chunks. Or I’ll add a handful of Raisins to a bowl of oatmeal. Other mornings we’ll make a colorful fruit smoothie! If your family eats eggs you can easily add some baby spinach or other veggies such as chopped up peppers or green onions to accentuate this meal.

Snack: Veggie Time! Try offering veggies in different ways such as sliced, cubed, grated, changing the appearance and texture of veggies can work magic for picky eaters. We also like to serve snacks on a cute plate or in a muffin tray to make it a little more interesting!

Lunch: Sandwiches are a great way to add veggies to a meal! Sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, leafy lettuce, avocado all work well in a sandwich. If you’re not having sandwiches, make sure there is a plate of veggies for your kids. By keeping track of the colors eaten at breakfast and snack time, we then offer a color or two that hasn’t been eaten yet to make sure we reach our goal of five colors.

Snack: Fruit Time! Do yourself a favor and keep snacks simple, for example a little bowl of frozen blueberries is a tasty treat that doesn’t take more than a few seconds to prepare. Start thinking of snack time as fruit/vegetable time, in our house if you want a snack it’s automatically only a fruit or vegetable. If you don’t do snacks at your house then it’s extra important that you serve at least one produce item at each meal, ideally two, so that your children will reach the goal of five colors a day.

Dinner: We always have a vegetable with dinner! Whether it’s a salad, roasted veggies, raw veggie slices, it’s important to get into the habit of always including a veggie! We also try to include veggies in our main dish; for example we add things like zucchini, carrots, and tomatoes to spaghetti sauce. At this point in the day be sure to think about what colors still need to be eaten…then serve a vegetable that belongs to the color group that is needed.

Dessert: Fruit again! If we re-think what “dessert” is, we see that it can actually be a fantastic time to get in another serving of fruit! Fresh fruit over a scoop of frozen yogurt, apple slices with a sprinkle of cinnamon, frozen bananas made into ice cream…the possibilities are endless.

When it comes down to it what we eat and serve our families is all about habit and those habits can be healthy or unhealthy ones, you get to decide. Once you get yourself into the habit of serving a fruit and/or vegetable at every meal, it will become a natural part of your meal planning. Just remind yourself that your kids need FIVE to THRIVE!

How many colorful fruits and veggies do you and your kids eat a day?

We all know they say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right? Then why are approximately 8-12 percent of school age children skipping breakfast? By the time kids hit their teens, as many as 20-30 percent are skipping breakfast.

Why exactly is it so important that kids (and adults as well) eat a good breakfast before school? Well, for starters, how about these reasons?

• Eating breakfast can help improve math, reading, and standardized test scores.
• Children who eat breakfast are more likely to behave better in school than those who don’t.
• Breakfast helps children pay attention, perform problem-solving tasks, and improves memory.
• Studies have shown that children who eat breakfast on a regular basis are less likely to be overweight.
• Eating breakfast as a child is important for establishing healthy habits for later in life.
• More strength and endurance to engage in physical activity

So, what kind of breakfast is the best for our kids and what can we fix them that is fast and easy as well as nutritious? Anything high in protein and fiber will keep hunger at bay and give them the energy they need to make it to lunch. Here’s some healthy (and simple) breakfast ideas that you can quickly make.

Scrambled eggs w/ cheese –Fast, simple and high in protein.
A bowl of oatmeal- Not the instant, it’s loaded in sugar.
Oatmeal Cups to Go- Make them ahead of time and you’ve got breakfast ready in the morning.
Blueberry Oatmeal Smoothie- Throw it all in the blender and you’ve got a healthy breakfast.
Greek yogurt topped with fruit- No cooking required here at all.
Hardboiled egg and yogurt-You can even boil the eggs the night before.
Homemade Trail Mix-Make some up over the weekend and you’ll have it ready during the week.

What breakfast do you and your kids like to eat on a busy school morning? We’d love you to share your ideas!

Busy moms need to start their days on the right foot, loaded up with all the right types of foods!  Here are a few grab-and-go ideas to get you running with a full tank!

Fruit and Cheese Combo This is perfect any time of day but an apple and a few slices of a sharp cheese (like cheddar) makes a great and quick morning meal. The combination of fiber and protein will jump start your metabolism and ward off hunger.

Almond Butter WafflesFrozen, high fiber, whole grain, organic waffles are a great option for early mornings. Top with your favorite nut butter, a few chia or flax seeds, and you have an easy out-the-door meal.

Homemade Egg Muffin If you’re adverse to using the stove in the morning, this is where a microwave can come in handy.  Crack an egg or two or pour ½ cup of egg whites into a bowl and microwave, covered, for one minute while toasting a whole grain English muffin in the toaster. When both the egg and muffin are cooked, add a slice of organic cheese and you have the perfect egg muffin!

Fruit Smoothie Blend together protein powder (I like a rice protein), spirulina (a blue green algae very high in iron and antioxidants), some organic yogurt and any combination of fruit.  You can even throw your ingredients in the blender before bed, store it in the fridge overnight, and then all you have to do is push start in the morning!

Fruit Parfait This is another great one to prep the night before.  Simply fill a cup with ½ cup of Greek yogurt, some of your favorite fruits (you can use fresh, frozen, or dried) and 2 tablespoons of slivered almonds.  It’s refreshing and protein rich to get you off on the right track.