Waffle Time!

Weekends in our house usually means that we have pancakes or waffles for brunch one day. It is a tradition that we have, although sadly we sometimes don't have time to do this every weekend. Today, we were lucky, and my hubby made his awesome waffles. I have tried many times to make them. I am a good cook, and I follow the recipe, as he does. For whatever reason, mine turn out soggy, and not tasting very good. I have no idea why this is. But I have now learned that I can just make pancakes, and he can do the waffles.

He always makes a delicious fruit puree syrup to go with it and uses whatever berries we have on hand (fresh or frozen). We have fresh fruit and even have some bacon or sausage on the side.

This morning was great, as the kids helped him make the waffles, with one kid responsible for the dry ingredients, and the other was responsible for the eggs and milk mixture. My husband is an engineer, so he has a routine when making anything in the kitchen. He likes to use certain bowls, and line them all up for the ingredients, and he LOVES to clean up his mess as he cooks. He has taught our kids this as well. Note that I am still learning this skill.

Waffles, especially when homemade are delicious and nutritious. During the school year, he will often make a double or even triple batch, and we will freeze them, as they make a great quick breakfast before school. And, its important to always think outside of the breakfast box and remember that waffles (and pancakes) are not just a breakfast food. They can be a snack, lunch, or even dinner. If you come home from work, and all you have in the house is flour, eggs, and milk, you can just make waffles (or in my case, pancakes!), add some fruit, and everyone is happy, and you have not needed to order out!

How many food groups are we having?

When the new Canada's Food Guide came out, I was thrilled. It is a great resource to have on my fridge at kids-eye level. They could see it and read it whenever they passed by. Now at every meal or snack, my 6 year old daughter will ask "How many food groups are we having?". Sometimes they will both gasp in amazement and say "Mom! We have all four food groups!!" My insides do flips when they say that! Sometimes they will even say "We are missing dairy! I'll get the milk!" Good job, kids!

I like to talk to my kids about "sometimes foods" versus "everyday foods". There is a negative connotation around the terms "good foods" and "bad foods" that is disagreeable. Realistically, I cannot shelter them from fast food and slurpies. BUT, I can educate them on making better choices, and if they choose wisely 80 -90 % of the time, then job well done. In order for them to make a choice, they need to know what is out there.

I started talking to my children early on about foods and their benefits. When they were two they knew that milk had calcium, vitamin D, protein and fat, and they knew that it was good for bones and teeth. Kids are never too young to learn about good eating habits. We never really stop learning about our health and what is good for us.

Teaching them from when they are young gives them a better chance of making healthier choices when they are teenagers and young adults.

Ideas on Teaching Kids about Nutrition

1. Get kids involved in meal preparation with age appropriate activities. This could be as simple as stiring something, or even getting ingredients from the fridge or pantry. If they are learning to read, this is also great to improve their reading.

2. Even if they make a mess, you can get them to crack eggs, or measure vanilla. Spills can be cleaned. There is nothing more special than seeing my son or daughters face when they crack that egg into the bowl. They feel so proud to be taking part in the meal prep. As a bonus, measuring ingredients is a great way to learn about counting and fractions!

3. Talk about the different nutrients in the food. You don't have to get technical. The Canada's Food Guide has some really great information on the different food groups. Keep it simple as kids have short attention spans!

4. Ask them what they know about the food they are eating. See if they can identify the different food groups that are on their plate.

5. Get them to help with cleaning up. This teaches them about the whole prcoess of cooking (and the more they clean, the less you have to do it).

What is a good meal?

What makes a meal a good meal? Or should I ask, what makes a meal good? Is it the taste? The effort? How healthy it is? In fact, there are several characteristics that make up a good meal.

A good family meal is one that is quick, effortless, delicious, and nutritious. As well, if you want to dig a bit deeper, mealtime conversation is something that should not be ignored. Family meals are more than just sitting down to eat. It is a time to regroup with your kids and with your significant other. As your kids get older, it is a great time to find out about their day, their friends, and really talk with each other. No TV, no phone, no distractions. Just family and food.

I made one of my favorite meals last week and I will include a step-by-step recipe at the end of this post. One of the challenges with making dinner in our house is that I don't cater to anyone (maybe I cater to myself a bit, but since I am the cook, I think this is ok). If I cook it, and you don't like it, so sad, too bad. I don't actually say those words, but that is my stance.

I started with ground beef (this time lean ground sirloin), and cooked that with some Epicure guacamole spice mix. Other components of the meal included whole grain tortillas, sauteed red and yellow peppers, light cheddar cheese, salsa and light sour cream. The kids wanted their ground beef inside the tortilla with melted cheese. Easy enough. Just put the meat on half of the tortilla, sprinkle with cheese, and fold the other half over and bake for about 10 minutes. Presto. They have quesadilla's and salsa and sour cream for dipping. Add in some raw veggies and a glass of milk, and their meal is complete. I also cooked brown rice for me instead of the flour tortilla. My plate looked a bit different, but had some of the same foods. It had brown rice, layered with the seasoned ground beef and the peppers, salsa and light sour cream. Because I am a bit high maintenance with food, I also made a quick mixture of avocado and tomato, which I had as another side dish. I sprinkled the top of my feast with green onions and jalapeno peppers. My plate looked like a Christmas tree!

So what did the table look like? It had the quesadilla's for the kids, and all the rest was on the side. The beef, peppers, salsa, sour cream, avocado, green onions, jalapenos, rice...anything missing? Make up your own plate! Kid and adult approved!

Quick and easy, nutritious and delicious. 4 of my 5 criteria met right there. The last criteria is the mealtime conversation which was also pleasurable on this day. It is not always. Today there were lots of "This is delicious, mom!" which I never get enough of. There was no fighting, nobody saying "I don't like this", and in the end, the kids helped with the clean up.

Not everyday is like this in our house (not by a long shot) but that's why I needed to write it all down. Just to remember that it is possible to have all 5 criteria met during a meal.

Sherene's Quick and Easy Mexican Feast

Step 1: Cook your brown rice first. I have a great rice cooker/veggie steamer, that cooks the rice really well, but it takes a while, so do this first, and it will be done when you are ready. Just an FYI, the cooker is a Black and Decker steamer. Easy to clean, just takes about 45 min - 60 min for brown rice.

Step 2: Fry your ground beef. We use about 1 lb of lean ground geef for our family of four, so adjust as necessary. I always add in some spices, and for this particular meal, I used Epicure Guacamole spice mix. Any mix like this works, but this meal is versatile, and if you have your own set routine for cooking Mexican, then by all means, use yours. Put aside when done.

Step 3: Cut up your peppers and sautee them with a bit of olive oil. I also put a bit of my guacamole spice mix on top as well. Put aside when done. At this point, I may put the ground beef and the peppers in a warm oven while I am doing the rest.

Step 4: Prep the kids quesadillas. Sprinkle some ground beef over half of the tortilla, and then top with cheese. Fold over the other half. I did 4 tortilla's for my two kids. Bake in oven for about 10 - 15 minutes on 350. Can cut into triangles to make them finger-friendly! Save the rest of the ground beef for the adult plates!

Step 5: Prepare the side dishes. Grate the cheese, cut up green onions, jalapeno's, and whatever else you want to throw on there. Make a quick salsa. Cut up tomatoes, add your spice mix. Store bought salsa also works, but remember, I am high maintanence. I love homemade salsa. At this point, I also cut up the avocado, and threw in a bit of tomato. This way, I can have one more thing on my plate.

Everything is now ready! Call the kids, say a prayer for some good mealtime conversation, and enjoy!

Out and About

We had a great summer adventure today at a local amusement park. Though it ended with us hustling to the car to avoid a rain shower, it was great fun while we were there. I went with a girlfriend who also has kids the same age as mine. This is a terrific strategy for enjoying your summer. Do activities with people who have kids. Not only do they get a playmate, but so do you!

There are several kid-friendly strategies for going on family outings. The first is to always pack snacks, lunches and drinks and tell your kids that there is no buying burgers and fries while we are out. Getting your kids involved in packing the lunch is great. I told the kids what the options were for lunch fixin's today and they chose their own special feast. My son (the meat eater) of course chose a salami and cheese sandwich. My daughter, who only likes meat if it is tenderloin, chose a strawberry jam sandwich. We also packed homemade banana muffins, grapes, and water to drink. Packing our lunch and snacks saved us about 20 - 30 dollars today!

What about treats? Kids just love that phrase, "Mom, can we have a treat?" Before we left the house today I told them that we were not buying lunch, but they could have an ice cream treat while at the park. I knew they would choose those "mini melts" (little ice cream pebbles coated in a ton of sugar...go figure!). Why would a Dietitian let her kids have such a thing? First off, an occasional treat is not a bad thing. The kids ate well at lunch and there was nothing wrong with something sweet on a summer's day.

Second, this is another family outing strategy... always have an exit plan. When my kids were too young to reason with, leaving a venue, whether it was the zoo or a friends house, could end up with a tantrum. It did not take us long to realize that our lives would be easier if we simply distracted the children with a bag of cheezies or a small ice cream cone.

The exit strategy today was the sugary "mini melts". They may not have been the healthiest choice, however that stuff effectively got all the kids from the far side of the park to the car without them really noticing the rain or the rides they missed. We'll save those rides for another day.

On these adventures, I have learned to never EVER leave my house without at least a bottle of water. Even for a 15 minute ride to the store, after 5 minutes of driving, I hear from the back seat "Mommmm.....I'm thirsty. Can I have a drink please?". By having that water, you don't have the whining, and you also avoid the whole "can't we just buy a drink?" discussion as well. Trust me when I say it is easier to just take a few extra minutes to fill a bottle with fresh water.

I am not saying to have treats for everything, but when you are not at home, and you have kids, bringing a bit of home with you is important. If it helps keep everyone calm and happy, why the heck not?

First Post -- Every Stage is a Challenge.

I am a Registered Dietitian and a member of the College of Dietitians of Alberta, as well as a member of the Dietitians of Canada. I have been at this for just over 13 years. A good long time. My speciality is infant and child nutrition, but I also have a passion for the dynamics of family feeding. As my two children (ages 9 & 7) get older, I find myself more interested in family meals, and am always trying to make mealtimes less stressful, more enjoyable, and delicious (and lets not forget nutritious!) for everyone. I have found this to be challenging as they get older, especially when they are in their extra activities during the school year.

Every stage seems to be difficult, and the hurdles just get bigger and bigger. Parents need to think more on how to overcome the frenzy. For example, when I had my son, I really thought that breastfeeding would be easy. Well, it was not. I really thought nothing was harder than breastfeeding. I did it, but it took a lot of determination and doctors appointments and weekly weights (remember, I am a Dietitian). That in itself is worthy of its own posting.

Then, the solid foods.....ahhhh..........this will be better, right? Wrong. I thought I knew everything about solids. The cereal box said to give them infant cereal until they are 24 months. Who would have thought that they would grow tired of that? Not me. And I really did think that my child would like pureed meat. They did not. I did make my own baby food, and that did help somewhat. Not with the meat.

Then the Independence stage...let them feed themselves. Really? Hmmm. Everywhere mess. Every crevice of their baby bodies. Every crack in that darn high chair. In their hair. In my hair. Just the thought of that stage..... lets just say that I am happy to be done with that. Yet, there are more hurdles as you graduate from one stage to the other.

Now that my children are older, one of my biggest hurdles (which I have not yet cleared) is "What the heck to give them for school lunches?" I have to say that I LOVE summer vacation, as it means that I don't have to make those freakin' lunches (and I get to spend time with the kids). Just about everyday their lunchbox comes home with just a bite out of their sandwich. Thankfully they eat their fruit most of the time. But that smell. That lunchbox smell at the end of the day. Yuck. And never mind the smell of the lunchbox on a Sunday night when you have forgotten to empty it on the previous Friday. Double yuck.

Another hurdle is the taunt of hearing "Lets do take out!" or worse yet..."Can we go to McDonald's?". During the year with hockey and dance and piano, it is hard to control. If meals are not planned, plan on take out. We are slowly getting better, and since I am a cookbook fiend, I have some great books to help with our meals. It is an ongoing challenge.

The countdown is on. It is now July 8th, and I have just under 2 months of "Feeding Frenzy Freedom" before the "Family Feeding Frenzy" starts. Lots of "F" words! I plan to enjoy every minute of our summer. Can I clear or go around some hurdles once the fall comes? With planning (and a bit of luck), oh yeah!

Bring it on.