Strategies to Avoid Endless Summer Grazing

Strategies to Avoid Endless Summer Grazing

Has anyone else already fallen into the abyss of summer snacking? Food is disappearing around here faster than I can keep up. It appears that all rules were thrown out the window, yet I don't recall making that a conscious choice. There are already a dozen reasons why concrete plans have not been laid, and nor should they! It's summer after all...

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5 ways to encourage heathy eating this summer.

5 ways to encourage heathy eating this summer.

The countdown is on! Summer is right around the corner. With the kids out of school, there might be a lot more activity in your kitchen! A little preparation can go a long way to help your kids eat healthy (most of the time) all summer long. 

Start off on the right foot, since it's a lot easier to set some parameters from the beginning, than to try and implement them mid-summer. 

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If at first you don't succeed try, try again!

If at first you don't succeed try, try again!

There's no better time of year to try, so I've included a list of my favorite spots to get the freshest possible produce into your child's hands!

Who hasn't heard the words try, try again?  I think they aptly apply to getting kids to eat their fruits and vegetables!  Studies show that it can take as many as 10-15 tries before a child starts to like a particular fruit or vegetable.  

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What are 6 parts of the plant that we eat? Stems? Flowers? What else?

What are 6 parts of the plant that we eat? Stems? Flowers? What else?

I had a great time in several classrooms this week, talking about the different parts of the plant that we eat.  Flowers? yes. Stems? yes. Seeds? yes. And the leaves, roots, and fruit too! Here's a quick overview in case you want to quiz the kids:

Learn how we explored roots, stems, leaves, seed, flowers and fruit!

 

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    5 fun ways to create science in the kitchen!

    5 fun ways to create science in the kitchen!

    With edible results of course!

    This past Sunday, I taught a cooking class where we made homemade ricotta to use in our lasagna.  It was simple, it took less than an hour, and the kids thought that it was really cool! As I think back a few years, I've had similar "ah-ha science" moments when cooking with my kids. Here are five favorites that don't require a lot of time, ingredients, or money to recreate in your kitchen!

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      The single most important thing to read when you buy packaged food...

      The single most important thing to read when you buy packaged food...

      ...is the ingredient statement.

      Packaged food is a trillion (with a T) dollar industry. The manufacturer of that pretty little package wants you to purchase it. So it's going to look good. The manufacturer is going to highlight all of it's attributes. They will tell you it's benefits and maybe even the stuff it left out. They might even vie for your kids attention by showcasing their favorite characters, songs, or TV shows. But how do you know what that product is really made of?  

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      Let your kids 'play' with their food! (sort-of)

      Let your kids 'play' with their food! (sort-of)

      Say what?!  Let them create something, and maybe they'll be more likely to eat it!  The options are aplenty: from the veggie boys and girls I made with some pre-schoolers this morning, to giving my 6 year old the chance to knead bread dough after school the other day.  

      How does this work? Well, this morning I brought 15 different vegetables to a group of 15 pre-schoolers that I'm teaching once a week.  Some of the parents told me that their kids DO NOT LIKE vegetables, and they were hopeful that my class would encourage them to try new things.  I was feeling a bit of pressure (in a good way).  Rather than bring a bunch of vegetables and ask the kids to try them right off the bat, I thought I might have better success by letting them first play with their food.

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      Top 4 reasons to take kids grocery shopping!

      Top 4 reasons to take kids grocery shopping!

      The nice folks at our local Trader Joe's store know my crew of 4 kids by sight, and some by name.   That's because they frequently come grocery shopping with me, and have been doing so practically since they were born.  

      These trips to the grocery store certainly weren't relaxing, but they did start to teach my kids about food from a pretty young age.  They learned that food doesn't just appear in the kitchen, that there are lots and lots of choices to make, and they became actively involved in a discussion of why I might buy this and not that.  Here are the top 4 reasons why (I think) grocery shopping is good for your kids:

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        Recipe time: Homemade Pizza

        Recipe time:  Homemade Pizza

        Many people love pizza night.  Our house is no exception.  The kids think it's especially fun because they get to participate: punch down the dough, make an odd shaped pizza crust, slather on the sauce, and top it all off with cheese and maybe more, if the additional toppings didn't get consumed while completing the first several steps.  From start to finish, it's a great way to teach kids about food, including both the ingredients and the process all while having some (potentially patience trying) fun!

        Are you interested in how we do it, both as a family and during Real Food 4 Kids cooking classes? Read on for the recipe and process, and some fun pictures too:

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        What's for lunch?

        What's for lunch?

        My kids make their own lunch. Every family does things differently for a myriad of reasons.  At our house, the kids pick one day a week to get hot lunch, and the rest of the week they bring their own.  And they make it themselves, which in my opinion, helps foster independence and encourages them to think about what they will be putting into their growing bodies around noon-time.

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        Add a little energy boost to your spring break fare

        Add a little energy boost to your spring break fare

        Whether or not you are headed out of town for Spring Break, your kids are going to tell you they are hungry.  Why not have them make a batch of these Energy Bites to enjoy on the road trip, after sledding (hey, it's going to snow, right?), or about 30 minutes after they finish their breakfasts and claim they are already hungry!  Feel free to swap out any ingredient for something similar to make it more to your liking.  

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        The glass is half-full: involve your kids in the kitchen!

        The glass is half-full: involve your kids in the kitchen!

        My name is Sue and I’m the founder and owner of Real Food 4 Kids.  I’d love to jump-start or nurture your child’s interest in food.  My #1 recommendation: involve your kids in the kitchen.  Yes, it’s hectic.  Yes, it’s more work…for several years.  Yes, it can test your patience, even on a good day.  But the benefits are real, and if you’re looking at the glass half-full, those benefits can become apparent pretty quickly.  Here are five good reasons to get started:

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        A pre-Valentine's treat

        Yesterday afternoon, I had the pleasure of working with 6 enthusiastic bakers!  They made some delicious treats from scratch: red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, strawberry ice cream and fresh berry sauce.  Along the way, they ALL tasted some of the ingredients: pure vanilla extract, real lemons, buttermilk and cocoa.  It was a fun afternoon!  Here's what we did:

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        Baking can be a really fun(ny) science experiment!

        Yesterday, an insurance company flyer came in the mail.  It included a page of recipes that could be made in a mug for single servings.  I tore out the page and left it on the kitchen table.  

        Last night after swim practice, a few of the kids were ravenous for dessert.  One said, "I want to make chocolate cake-in-a-mug from the recipes mom left on the table."  

        While I spent the next 30 minutes putzing around the kitchen, 3 kids (#4 was sick) had loads of fun making 4 (one for dad) chocolate cake-in-a-mugs.  The experience was complete with:

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