Baked Squash With Wild Rice

Adapted From: Sarah Brown’s World Vegetarian Cookbook

Serve this rich, elegant winter dish at a dinner party and they’ll never notice that it’s healthy & vegetarian. Instead of cooking the small amount of wild rice, I cook a large amount and use the leftovers for meals later in the week.

Serves: 4

2oz (50g)                   wild rice

4 small or 1 large    squash

2 TBSP                      vegetable oil

12oz (350g)              leeks, cleaned and finely chopped

1oz (25g)                   walnuts or hazelnuts, chopped

pinch                          nutmeg

300mL                       double cream

salt & pepper

1.    Cook the wild rice in plenty of boiling water for 35 – 40 minutes or until the grains have cracked and curled. Drain and leave to cool.

2.    Slice the lid off of each small squash and remove the seeds and cut away a little of the flesh, leaving a thick shell. If using a large squash, cut in half lengthways. Scoop out the seeds. Cut away a little of the flesh.

3.    Reserve the squash flesh. Cut a little slice off the base of each squash so that the shells do not wobble.

4.    Season the inside of each shell.

5.    Heat the oil in a large pan and gently fry the leeks for a few minutes, then stir in the squash flesh, chopped walnuts/hazelnuts, nutmeg and cooked wild rice. Season well.

6.    Divide the vegetables into the squash shells and pour over the cream. Cover with lids and/or foil.

7.    Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 – 60 minutes (until the squash is cooked).

8.    Serve hot & ENJOY!

Kristen Yarker, MSc, RD helps moms and dads support your picky kids to get good nutrition today…and instill a life-long love of healthy eating. After 7 years of moms asking for help with their eating too, Kristen created 40 Days to a Healthier, Happier You women’s weight loss program. Find out more at www.KristenYarker.com

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The Right (And Wrong) Way to Give Your Kids Healthy Food Choices

I’m all for involving kids in picking what will be served for meals and snacks. Giving kids the opportunity to choose gives them ownership of their food and an opportunity to express autonomy.

But, there’s a way to give your child choice that leads down the road of mealtime battles. And, there’s a way that leads to food-confidence.

Asking your toddler or preschooler “What do you want to eat?” leaves things far too wide open. There’s no room left for you to support him/her to eat a variety of foods from all 4 food groups. And, your child may choose something that you don’t have on-hand or you aren’t willing to make. The natural consequence is that you get frustrated and a battle ensues starting with your response of “You can’t have ______[chocolate ice cream for breakfast]. What else do you want to eat?” This series of “wrong” responses will leave a negative impression with your child and will move him/her further away from healthy food habits.

The solution? Offer what I call ‘restricted choice’. Give your toddler or preschooler choices that include foods from similar food groups, foods that you have on-hand, and foods you are willing to prepare. For example, “Would you like apple slices or strawberries?” or “Would you like a grilled cheese sandwich or crackers with almond butter?” This way you keep control of providing healthy, age-appropriate food for your child. And, your child will gain food-confidence because no matter which option she/he chooses, it’s the “right” choice.

What does ‘restricted choice’ look like for older kids? It’s appropriate for school-age kids to take on more responsibility with their eating. Teach them about the food groups and about the balance that their bodies need to eat to grow and be healthy. They can help make their lunches and choose their after-school snacks. It’s also a fun role reversal to have them choose what the family will eat for dinner one night a week. And, help in preparing the meal.

Providing age-appropriate  ‘restricted choice’ gives kids the nutrition that they need today. And, teaches them the skills of life-long healthy eating habits.

Bedtime Snacks for Kids - Do or Don't?

I’ve shared workshops on nutrition for kids and picky eating for 7 years. Rarely do I complete a workshop without a parent asking me about bedtime snacks – are they a ‘do’ or a ‘don’t’?

In short – either option can work. But, you must make a choice.

Often I see families offering bedtime snacks only when their picky eater doesn’t eat well at dinner. This is the ‘don’t’. It’s a ‘don’t’ because it tends to backfire. Kids quickly figure out that if they don’t eat at dinner (where they usually are presented with more challenging foods), they can get a bedtime snack only a short while later that includes favourite foods.

Unfortunately, you’re reinforcing the behavior that you don’t want. You’re inadvertently rewarding kids for not eating their dinner.

Instead, make a new family rule – choose either:

A.    There is always a bedtime snack

B.    There is never a bedtime snack

If you choose to never have bedtime snacks, kids will quickly learn that if they choose to not eat at dinner, they’ll need to wait until breakfast the next day to eat again.

If you choose that there is always a bedtime snack, make sure that there is at least 1 hour between dinner and bedtime snack.  And, at bedtime snack offer foods from 2 – 4 food groups. What foods groups you choose depends on what your child has eaten the rest of the day. Choose food groups of which your child hasn’t eaten much. For example, if your child ate lots of grain products and dairy/alternatives throughout the day, then choose to provide food from the meat/alternatives group and some fruit or veggies. This way you are helping your child meet their nutrition needs throughout the day.

Sometimes choose to offer favourite foods. And, sometimes choose to offer a challenging food. Why? As I mentioned previously, clever kids will catch on if challenging foods are only offered at dinner and favourite foods offered at bedtime snack. They’ll choose to not eat at dinner, knowing that they’ll have favourite foods soon (the opposite behavior from what you want).

Oh, and one last tip: brush teeth after bedtime snack. 

Kristen Yarker, MSc, RD helps moms and dads support your picky kids to get good nutrition today…and instill a life-long love of healthy eating. After 7 years of moms asking for help with their eating too, Kristen created 40 Days to a Healthier, Happier You women’s weight loss program. Find out more at www.KristenYarker.com

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www.Facebook.com/KristenYarkerNutrition

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Squash Soup with Ginger

This squash soup, with its bright orange colour and warming ginger is my “chicken” soup that I eat when I have a cold or the flu. Or when I’m looking for comfort food to warm me on a cold day.

This is a “Kristen” recipe – very imprecise but also very flexible. It takes some time with all the chopping. I recommend making a big batch because it freezes well.

Ingredients

Vegetable oil (preferably olive oil)
Member of the allium family (onion, garlic, leek, shallots)
Ginger (I like about an inch)
2 or 3 kinds of orange vegetables like winter squash (my favourite is butternut but any kind will work including pumpkin), carrots, yams, sweet potatoes
Vegetable stock, chicken stock or water (water will make the blandest soup – use as a last resort)
Orange juice
Salt or seaweed
Fresh ground pepper

Directions

1.           Finely chop the members of the allium family.

2.           Grate the ginger.

3.           Peel and chop the orange veggies. Cut squash, yams, and sweet potatoes into ½ to 1 inch pieces. Cut the carrots into coins. Carrots take longer to cook than squash and yams/ sweet potatoes are in the middle. So, you will want the carrot pieces smaller than the squash pieces and the yam/ sweet potato pieces middle in size.

4.           In a large, heavy bottomed pot, add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pot. Heat it over low-medium heat. Add the allium family members and cook until onions/ shallots are translucent or the leeks have softened.

5.           Add the ginger and orange vegetables and sauté for a few minutes, stirring frequently.

6.           Add enough stock to just cover the veggies. Add seaweed or salt. Cover with a lid, turn up the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high and boil gently until the orange veggies are soft, stirring periodically. Add stock/ water while cooking, if needed. 

7.           Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

8.           Using a blender or hand-held mixer, puree the soup, adding orange juice one splash at a time until you reach your desired consistency and flavour. 

9.           Return to the pot and re-heat. Serve hot, topped with a sprinkling of freshly ground pepper.

10.       Enjoy!

The Goods on Bell Peppers!

Bell peppers are a member of the nightshade family of plants which include potatoes, eggplants, and tomatoes. They are available in several colours including green, red, orange, yellow, and purple. Red bell peppers are actually green peppers that have been allowed to ripen on the vine, and hence are much sweeter than the more bitter green pepper. The spices pimento and paprika are both prepared from red bell peppers.

This nutrient dense vegetable is packed with many B vitamins, as well as Vitamins A, C, and K. They are very high in antioxidants, which can quench free radicals – the cause of many chronic diseases. Red peppers contain lycopene, which can protect against cancer and heart disease. Consumption of bell peppers regularly seems to exert a protective effect against cataracts. They are great raw in salads, or dipped in hummus, as well as added to a stirfry, soup, or chili!

 
Dr. Ashely Gordon is a Squamish-based Naturopathic Physician and owner of Garibaldi Health Clinic, an integrative health care facility offering safe and effective care including Naturopathic Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, Homeopathy, Massage, Midwifery and Physical Therapy. Dr. Gordon’s treatments focus on the whole person, from the physical and mental to the emotional and spiritual realms. To learn more about what Naturopathic Medicine can do for you, or to make an appointment, visit www.garibaldihealthclinic.com or call 604 898 1999.

The Goods on Brussel Sprouts

They might not be everyone’s favourite vegetable to eat, but chances are they have shown up in at least one of your Thanksgiving family dinners. Here’s the good news about this low-calorie coniferous veggie: brussel sprouts contain an entire day’s serving of vitamin K which is necessary in order for your blood to clot. Brussel sprouts also helps maintain healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels as well as keeping you regular. Here’s to a Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

Dr. Ashely Gordon is a Squamish-based Naturopathic Physician and owner of Garibaldi Health Clinic, an integrative health care facility offering safe and effective care including Naturopathic Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, Homeopathy, Massage, Midwifery and Physical Therapy. Dr. Gordon’s treatments focus on the whole person, from the physical and mental to the emotional and spiritual realms. To learn more about what Naturopathic Medicine can do for you, or to make an appointment, visit www.garibaldihealthclinic.com or call 604 898 1999.

Beets: What to do with them?

These versatile root veggies are one of my favourites!

A classic storage, root veggie, they’re a winter staple.
Beets have been making headlines lately because they may help boost exercise performance. Because of their naturally sweet taste, many kids like them.
However, people often wonder what the heck to do with them. So I’m sharing a couple of my favourite ways to use them.

Grated – Raw

Beets don’t even need to be cooked. Simply wash them, peel off the outer skin, and grate them into a salad.

It doesn’t get any easier than that!

Roasted

When I’m turning on the oven to cook something, I often pop a few beets in at the same time – either for a warm side-dish today, or for chilled as a salad in the future.

1. Wash beets and cut off any long tails or furry top bits.
2. Cut a piece of tin foil large enough to wrap the beet in. Lay it on the counter, shiny side up. Pour a dollop of olive oil in the centre.
3. Roll the beet around in the oil to coat it. Wrap the tin foil tightly around the beet.
4. Repeat for each beet.
5. Place wrapped beets on a cookie tray or in a baking dish.
6. Roast until tender, how long this takes depends on the size of the beets and the heat of your oven – at 350 degrees F it may take as long as 2 hours; at 425 degrees F it may take as short as 45 min.

Kristen Yarker, MSc, RD helps moms and dads support your picky kids to get good nutrition today…and instill a life-long love of healthy eating. After 7 years of moms asking for help with their eating too, Kristen created 40 Days to a Healthier, Happier You women’s weight loss program. Find out more at www.KristenYarker.com

www.KristenYarker.com

www.Facebook.com/KristenYarkerNutrition

Instagram: @KristenYarker

Twitter: @KristenYarker

Pinterest: KristenYarker

The Goods on Corn

Corn is actually both a vegetable and a grain which makes it a bit of a unique food and it’s found in a lot of what we eat: tortillas, chips, popcorn and cereals. Yellow corn is high in potassium which can help lower blood pressure. This gluten-free veggie is also richer in antioxidants than other grains such as wheat, oats and rice. And when in season and fresh, it tastes delicious as a side!

Dr. Ashely Gordon is a Squamish-based Naturopathic Physician and owner of Garibaldi Health Clinic, an integrative health care facility offering safe and effective care including Naturopathic Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, Homeopathy, Massage, Midwifery and Physical Therapy. Dr. Gordon’s treatments focus on the whole person, from the physical and mental to the emotional and spiritual realms. To learn more about what Naturopathic Medicine can do for you, or to make an appointment, visit www.garibaldihealthclinic.com or call 604 898 1999.

My Position on Gluten Free

I’m asked about gluten at almost every workshop or presentation that I make. So it’s likely on your mind too. Here are my thoughts on gluten.

Perhaps you can call me old and jaded but I studied nutrition at university for 8 years and I’ve practiced as a dietitian for 12 years. I’ve seen many trends come and go, like the low cholesterol trend, the low fat trend, Atkins, soy being an all powerful super food, soy being evil, and more. Gluten-free is the current trend.

First, as you’ve already realized, I do believe that it’s a trend. As such, it will have its time and then pass on (and another trend will come along).

However, saying that it’s trend doesn’t mean that I think it’s all junk.

Quite the opposite, celiac disease is real and it’s serious. The medical community is finding more people who have celiac disease. What’s not clear is whether it’s truly on the rise or whether they’re just doing a better job of finding people who have celiac disease through better diagnostic tests and a better understanding of the disease.

In addition, there are also people who have gluten sensitivities. In fact I’m one of them. If I eat more than a serving or two of a gluten-containing grain then I get hives.

I don’t, however, think that everyone needs to avoid gluten. Or that’s it’s inherently unhealthy. Or, that it’s the cause of the gazillion things of which it’s been accused.

If you’ve been wondering if your family should go gluten-free, or if your family should be eating more gluten-free foods, here’s the positives to take advantage of and the traps to avoid.

Positives:

• Inspiration to Try New Grains: Human beings are omnivores. We thrive on eating a variety of foods. Often people think that they’re eating a variety of grains, but eating wheat-based cereal, toast, flour tortillas, crackers and pasta are all just different shapes of wheat. Wheat was out of balance in many people’s eating habits. I like that the gluten-free trend is inspiring people to try new grains. After all there’s a huge variety out there: rice, wild rice, quinoa, barley, oats, teff, millet, amaranth, corn, buckwheat, and more.     

• Better Gluten-Free Products: In the past, gluten-free products were difficult to find and many tasted awful. With the trend creating a market, more companies are creating delicious gluten-free products which is awesome for people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivities!  

Traps to Avoid:

• Gluten-free = Healthy: There’s a marketing term called the “health halo”. It means that the public will mistakenly think that an unhealthy food a food is healthy by a false association. Right now, people are equating “gluten-free” with “healthy”, when in fact it’s not necessarily true. A gluten-free brownie is still not a health food. Hey, if you want to eat a brownie, go ahead. Just don’t be tricked into thinking that it’s a health food. I know that I’m being obtuse with this brownie example. But I see intelligent people falling for the health halo all the time. Food products made with highly processed (gluten-free) flours, lots of sugar, high in salt, and/or few nutrients such as cakes, cookies, breads, cereals, crackers, candy, chocolate, and chips are not a healthy choice.  Recognize and enjoy them for the treats that they are. 

• Include Sources of Iron and Folic Acid: Wheat flour is fortified with folic acid in Canada and many common foods, e.g. bread and cereal, are fortified with iron in Canada. Most gluten-free substitutions are not fortified. If you eat a lot of wheat-based grain products and are thinking about including more non-wheat grains, be sure that you’re eating other sources of iron and folic acid. Iron-rich foods include beans, lentils, tofu, nuts and nut butters, meat, poultry, seafood, egg yolks, black strap molasses, iron-fortified baby cereals, (and cooked spinach has some iron). Folic acid is found in dark, leafy greens, beans, lentils, corn and oranges. Note: it’s recommended that all girls and women from their first period through menopause take 400 micrograms (0.4 mg) of folic acid from a supplement. Most multivitamins for women contain this.