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

www.KristenYarker.com

www.Facebook.com/KristenYarkerNutrition

Instagram: @KristenYarker

Twitter: @KristenYarker

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