Spitting Up is OKAY

While it may be considered poor table manners (and perhaps somewhat gross) to spit food back out, it’s actually a good strategy for helping picky eaters gain the confidence to try new foods.

For toddlers and preschoolers, trying a new food is scary. One way to make it less scary is to know that if you do choose to put something in your mouth, and it doesn’t taste good (or has a “yucky” texture), you can spit it back out.

For some picky eaters, “tasting” the food by touching it to their outstretched tongue is even less intimidating than putting the food in their mouths. This too is okay. Because it’s them taking steps towards trying the new food.  

Now just because you allow food to be spit back out, doesn’t mean that you need to allow the drama that often goes along with it – the loud exclamation of “yucky!” and over-exaggerated action of spitting the food back out (perhaps accompanied by the classic wiping of the tongue to get rid of the “disgusting” taste).

Even young children can be taught how to politely take food out of their mouths without the fanfare. And, as they get a little bit older, you can teach them how to subtly spit the food into their napkin.

Bottom Line: spitting food back out is okay. Making a big fuss about it isn’t.

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

2016 Food Trends I'm Loving

Happy New Year! It’s time for my annual post on food trends about which I’m happy. In the 20 years that I’ve made nutrition my life, I’ve seen many food trends come and go. Some are fantastic. Some make me cringe. Before I share the 2016 food trends that I’m super happy about, I want to set some context. The most important way to be healthy is to eat a variety of foods. There is no one perfect food that you have to eat to be healthy. And, on the flip side, too much of anything can have negative health consequences. The reason that I share these food trends is to inspire you to expand your eating repertoire, not to recommend that you focus on only one or two foods. My hope is that you’ll try a new food or re-visit something that you haven’t had in a long time.

Not sure how to prepare/ eat them? Keep an eye on this newsletter – I’ll be sharing recipes throughout the year. Enjoy!


Pomegranate:

This fruit is a favourite in many parts of the world, including the Middle East. Some people even say that the fateful apple written about in the bible with Adam and Eve was actually a pomegranate. The first blush of pomegranate’s popularity here in Canada was decades ago with the launch (and heavy marketing) of POM juice. I started noticing grocery stores carrying nice looking whole fruits several years ago. This fruit has a ton of antioxidants. And, is in season this time of year, when our local fare can be lackluster. At Christmas I bought one and used it in a fun recipe that I prepared with my 6 year old niece. She had never seen a pomegranate before. She was fascinated to see what was inside when I cut it open. And, was excited to try some of the “sweet and sour fruit that exploded in your mouth”. Even better – she loved it! I’ve made a pomegranate eater out of my niece, now are you willing to try it?


Pistachios:

I admit that I had almost forgotten about this little nut until I was in Ventura, California two years ago and saw a delicious-looking smoothie on the menu in a vegetarian restaurant. Always one to try new things, I ordered the smoothie and absolutely loved it. Apparently I’m not the only one falling back in love with this unsung nut. I’m seeing it in foodie magazines and on restaurant menus closer to home. It’s time to expand your nut eating beyond almonds and peanut butter and branch out into this delicious little green gem. Unlike the old pistachios of the past, you can now find them raw and unsalted – sometimes even shelled!


Lentils:

They’re packed with low-glycemic index carbs, vegan protein, fibre and many vitamins and nutrients. They’re dirt-cheap, can be stored almost forever, and are grown in Canada. Lentils have everything going for them. So why don’t people eat more of them? Hopefully this is the year to change that. 2016 is officially the year of the lentil. Check out www.lentils.ca for recipes (and more info).


Quick Pickles:
Quick pickles are everywhere these days. Enjoy all the sharp tang and amazing crunch of pickles, without the labour of canning. What makes pickles “quick” is that you just cover them in your pickling liquid for 1-48 hours. And, they need to be refrigerated. Bored of your usual veggie recipes? Give quick pickles a try.


Fermented Foods:

If you hadn’t noticed this trend that I think you must have been living under a rock. Even up in Watson Lake last winter I was finding fermented foods in the grocery store. What I’m loving is that the variety of fermented foods is expanding. There’s now a large section of kefir in most stores. And in addition to the many brands of bottled kombucha, I’m seeing kombucha available on tap. While most store-bought sauerkraut is pickled – not fermented, I’m now starting to see fermented sauerkraut in specialty and health food stores. And kimchi can be found almost everywhere now. If you haven’t yet jumped on-board this trend, now is the time to get on the band wagon. Your gut will thank you.


Little Fish:

Little fish, such as sardines, mackerel, and herring are super high in healthy omega-3 oils. Many of them are a sustainable catch (especially local ones). And, being lower on the food chain, they don’t accumulate as many toxins as old, large fish such as tuna. Yet, they’ve been the butt of jokes since I can remember (anchovy joke anyone?). Like many white, suburban kids raised in the suburbs in the 70’s-80’s, I too turned my nose up at them. But, I changed my mind a decade ago when sardines, caught that morning and cooked in an outdoor wood-burning oven, were served to me in a tiny, traditional fishing village in Portugal. They were delicious! I now use anchovies as the background flavour in soups and pasta sauce. I have a delicious sardine dip for parties and enjoy little fish on toast. When was the last time that you tried a new fish? This year give little ones a try.


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

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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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!