I have been doing a lot of experimenting with baby (aka sugar free) cookies and muffins. This is an easy no bake cookie that has done well in the taste tests. Store these in the fridge and use them as a nicely balanced snack. They contain protein, grains and fruit and even have some omega 3 fats from the hemp seeds. They are also very quick and easy to make which is a bonus too. These are vegan and can be gluten free.

1/4 cup  Peanut Butter (look for no added sugar or salt)
2 Tbsp   Coconut oil
1/2 cup. Quick oats*
1/4 cup  Hemp seeds
1/4 cup. Cocoa powder (or you can use carob powder)
1/2.        Banana, mashed
1 Tbsp.  Almond milk (unsweetened)

1. Heat the peanut butter and coconut oil together on the stove over low-medium heat.
2. Take the pot off the heat and mix in the other ingredients- quick oats, hemp seeds, cocoa or carob powder, mashed banana and almond milk.
3. Shape into cookies and place in the fridge to set. Transfer to a storage container once set.

*Gluten Free if necessary 


Looking for more sugar free recipes? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future's Registered Dietitian at nf.nutrition@gmail.com 

One of the most common comments I get from parents is that their kids snack constantly. They finish one snack to be back shortly afterwards looking for a snack. Often parents feel that their day consists of going from one snack to the next.

It's so easy to give your kids food all day long - as most parents know, they ask for it! Many parents feel that if kids ask for food, they must be hungry. The thing is, kids are persistent. Trust me, I get it. I also have many parents who worry that their kids aren't eating enough, so they think that at least if their kids are snacking during the day they are eating something. I have heard many, really valid reasons why kids are snacking throughout the day. But this constant snacking is not only exhausting for parents, it also sets up the kids and parents for more meal time power struggles.

While all of the arguments as to why your child is snacking throughout the day may be true, giving your child free access to food - grazing - all day will actually have a negative effect in terms of mealtime struggles. When you let kids snack throughout the day, they enter mealtime not feeling hungry. This means that the amount they eat at meals goes down. This can lead to more stress for parents as they worry that their kids aren't getting all of the foods that they need. The food at meals can be challenging for kids: vegetables, different proteins, it can touch other foods, be all mixed together, the list of reasons goes on and on. Meal foods don't tend to include what kids think of as snack foods. There are many a child who will wait out the foods at meal time until they can get what they really want at snack time. 

So, what can you do about this? 

While it can seem almost "mean" at first, offering food to your kids at scheduled times can actually make big improvements in their eating. Offering a snack between breakfast and lunch and between lunch and dinner allows kids to have opportunities to eat throughout the day, which they need. But it also allows them some time between eating to start to feel hungry again. By having more of a schedule for snacks, it reduces stress on parents because you know that they are offered food roughly every 2-3 hours and will have the opportunity to eat - if they choose. You know they aren't truly starving if them come looking for snacks between those times, and again, I know how convincing kids can be. Although stopping the constant snacking can be a hard habit to break - it is really worth it. Remember kids are very adaptable and will soon look to these set snack times as when they eat. As a result you will have much more meal time success. I see it time and again. 

Do you need more help with your child's eating? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future's Registered Dietitian at nf.nutrition@gmail.com 

Granola is often very high in sugar, but I wanted to create one that would work as a baby breakfast item. ​This is easy to make and both gluten free and vegan. Store in a glass mason jar for freshness. 

2 cups.  Rolled Oats (gluten free if necessary)
7            Dried apricots, soaked in (1/4 cup) hot water 
1/2 tsp.  Cinnamon
1/8 tsp.  Cardamom
3 Tbsp.   Hemp Seeds
3 Tbsp.  Coconut shreds (unsweetened)
1 Tbsp.  Coconut flour
2 Tbsp   Cashew Butter
1 Tbsp.   Coconut oil















1. Preheat oven to 340F
2. Soak apricots in 1/4 cup of hot water while you prepare the other ingredients. 
3. Put oats, cinnamon, cardamom, hemp seeds, coconut shreds and coconut flour in a bowl and mix. 
4. Place cashew butter, coconut oil, hot water and apricots in a food processor and blend until combined and no chunks of apricots remain. 
​5. Use a spatula to scrape wet ingredients into the oat mixture and gently combine until the oats are well coated. 
6. Spread on parchment or silicone lined baking sheet.
7. Bake for about 15 minutes, stirring once about halfway through. 

Looking for more breakfast ideas? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future's Registered Dietitian at nf.nutrition@gmail.com ​

Looking for a cute recipe to make with your kids around Halloween? This recipe is gluten free and vegan. Be sure to look at ingredients when you are getting the pretzel sticks to make sure they work with your dietary needs. This cookie can be made nut free by choosing a seed butter instead of a nut butter. Get the kids involved as much as they want- from making this simple cookie recipe or just by simply adding the pretzel sticks and decorations. Enjoy!

Witches Brooms and Spider Cookies 

1/2 cup      Cane sugar
1/2 cup      Coconut oil or margarine
2 Tbsp.       Nut or seed butter
4 Tbsp        Dairy free milk
1/2 tsp.      Vanilla
1 1/2 cups. Gluten Free Flour *
1/8 tsp.       Salt
1/4 tsp.       Cinnamon
                    Gluten Free Pretzel Sticks
                    Chocolate chips

Chocolate drizzle:
1/4 cup.      Chocolate chips
2 tsp.          Coconut oil


1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with either parchment paper or a silicone mat.
2. Mix sugar, coconut oil and nut or seed butter.
3. Add in milk and vanilla. 
4. Mix in flour, cinnamon, and salt.
5. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
6. Take the dough out of the refrigerator and take small pieces of dough and roll them into balls.

For the witches brooms: 
​Take the rolled ball and stick a pretzel stick in one end. Gently place on the baking sheet and form the shape of a broom. Take a wet fork and gently press down to form the "bristles".

For the spiders:​
Take the rolled ball and gently place on the cookie sheet. Slightly flatten and take pretzels and push 4 in on each side to from the spiders legs. Add two chocolate chips at the front for the eyes. 

7. Bake for about 12- 14 minutes, until slightly firm to the touch. 
8. Remove from oven and cool completely.
9. In a pan on the stove heat chocolate chips and coconut oil over low-medium heat. Stir until mostly dissolved and take off heat. Drizzle over witches brooms and spiders.

Looking for more holiday recipes you can make with the kids? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future's Registered Dietitian at nf.nutrition@gmail.com 

If you are looking for a delicious and pretty addition to a sweet or savoury recipe I have good news! California strawberries are in season and can be found at grocery stores right now #Ad. So, if you want to keep the strawberries coming, look for California strawberries. 8 California strawberries are a great way to keep your energy levels up in between breakfast and lunch or for an evening snack. 
 
With everyone making bread these days I thought a strawberry bread was in order. This is a very quick and easy bread that ended up being fancier than I had originally planned. I’m still calling it a bread though! 
 
You can be a cooking newbie or an experienced chef, or anywhere in between, but using California strawberries is a great way to make your dishes stunning. Not only do your meals look good, but a serving of 8 California strawberries is a source of fibre. As we move into fall, I always get asked about what foods to eat to get more Vitamin C. Most people know that oranges have Vitamin C but strawberries actually have the same amount and are therefore an excellent source of Vitamin C. 
 
Looking for more recipes? There are great recipes available on californiastrawberries.com like this one here: Pizzelle Shells with Strawberry Salsa: https://www.californiastrawberries.com/pizzelle-shells-with-strawberry-salsa/ Happy baking and cooking. Enjoy!


Strawberry bread
 
1 Tbsp             Flax seeds, ground
3 Tbsp.             Warm water
½ cup               Avocado oil
½ cup               Unsweetened vanilla almond milk
¾ cup               Cane sugar
¼ tsp                Salt
2 tsp                 Baking powder
1 ½ cup            Strawberries, diced
1 ½ cup            Gluten free, all-purpose flour *
½ cup                Almond flour
 

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Mix ground flax seeds with warm water. Let sit for about 5 minutes to thicken.
3. Add sugar, oil, milk and stir. 
4. Add salt, flours and stir.
5. Coat diced strawberries in a small amount of flour and gently fold in. Carefully pour into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper. If desired, you can decorate with thinly sliced fresh strawberries. 
6. Bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

 
 
Glaze (Optional)
 
½ cup               Icing sugar
¼ cup               Finely diced strawberry
1 Tbsp             Vegan butter spread
 

1. Mix icing sugar with vegan butter spread.
2. Add in finely diced strawberries and gently stir until combined.
3. Spread over strawberry bread. 

 
*I use this one here
 
Looking for more ways to use strawberries? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future's Registered Dietitian at nf.nutrition@gmail.com

With the nice summer weather we are having right now I find that we are trying to get outside as much as possible. That means I want packable snacks to take with me to suit the entire family. I wanted to create a baby friendly cookie that packed well for outings. This one seemed to be a hit when baby tested. This is very easy to make sticks together well for transport and not (too) messy when the little ones are eating it. 

It also includes some grains, protein, fruit and fibre which makes me happy!


Baby Monkey Cookies

1/2       Rolled oats *
1.          Banana, mashed
2 Tbsp  Peanut butter
2 Tbsp  Carob powder
2 Tbsp. Almond flour

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Mash banana.
3. Mix all ingredients together to incorporate.
4. Bake for 10- 12 minutes.
​5. Store in fridge or freeze some for later.


*gluten free if necessary

Looking for more baby friendly portable recipes? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future's Registered Dietitian at nf.nutrition@gmail.com 

I use my slow cooker all of the time. With four kids I am busy and the slow cooker allows me to have dinner ready when everyone arrives home hungry. This is a quick and easy meal to throw into the pot, no pre-cooking required. This is both gluten free and vegan. It's loaded with protein and fibre from the beans and lentils. I hope you all enjoy.


1 can     Tomato sauce
3 cups.  Vegetable broth
1/2        Onion, diced
1            Bell pepper, any colour of your choosing 
1/2.       Zucchini, shredded
1/2 cup. Salsa
1. can.    Pinto or Black beans, rinsed
3/4 cup. Split red lentils, rinsed
1 cup.     Corn
2 tsp.     Chili powder
1 tsp.     Garlic powder
1 tsp.     Cumin powder
1 tsp.     Smoked Paprika 
1/2 tsp. Cayenne (adjust according to your taste)
1/2 cup.  Cashews


1. Prepare veggies and add everything except the cashews to the slow cooker.
2. Soak cashews in boiling water. These will be used once the soup has finished cooking.
3. Cook soup on high for 4-6 hours or low for 7-8 hours.
4. Blend cashews with 1/4 cup of water to create a cashew cream. Stir into the soup. Serve with tortilla chips and cheese (or vegan cheese).



Looking for more ideas of how to feed a busy family? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future's Registered Dietitian at nf.nutrition@gmail.com 

Quick and easy to make with gluten free and vegan options. These are no bake so a nice option as we move into warmer weather. What more could you want?

1/4 cup milk or milk alternative
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp cocoa or carob powder
1/4 cup hemp seeds
1/4 coconut flakes
1 1/2 cup oats


1. Heat milk or milk alternative, sugar, vanilla and coconut oil in a saucepan on medium heat. 
2. Once melted blend in cocoa or carob powder
3. Mix in hemp seeds, coconut flakes, and oats and stir until combined
4. Drop rounded balls onto cookie sheet and place in fridge to set
5. Store in fridge

Looking for more recipes to get your kids involved in the kitchen? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future's Registered Dietitian at nf.nutrition@gmail.com ​

Pantry items are on everyone’s mind these days and I have partnered with USA Rice #AD to talk about one I use all the time- U.S.-grown rice. 
 
Rice can be used in a variety of meals throughout the day. It’s not just for dinner. Leftover rice can make for a quick lunch. 
It’s great to stretch leftovers for the next day, or if it’s just rice that’s left at lunch I like to throw together a quick fried rice. Put any veggies you have hanging around (frozen works great too), add some protein- tofu, egg, beans, etc. sprinkle on some spices of choice- pepper, chili, paprika, cumin and a splash of soy sauce, and voila. 
It can also make a delicious coconut rice pudding for a dessert. Have you ever used rice as a snack? A fun one to make with your kids is fruit sushi rice rolls. Use mango, banana and strawberries, roll it up and serve. 
If you want more ideas (the list goes on) take a look at the ‘think rice’ campaign for ideas or visit www.riceinfo.com
 
Rice is an affordable, versatile ingredient. Use it in a variety of meals while helping to stretch your meals and your dollar. It stores well and can help increase the time between grocery trips. Typically, long grain white and brown rice yield 3x their volume when cooked (1). Rice is a great way to save money on food at about 10 cents per ½ cup  (1/2 cup = 1 serving).
 
I get asked a lot about serving rice to kids. One of the most common questions is “what if that’s all they eat at that meal?” Well here are some things to make you feel more at ease. Rice has complex carbohydrates; it gives those busy kids some much needed fuel. It also contains some important nutrients such as:
 

• Potassium: This is an essential mineral for many body functions including energy metabolism and proper cell function.
• Magnesium: Important for bone, protein and fatty acid formation, clotting blood, and relaxing muscles, to name a few. 
• Vitamin B6: This is an important vitamin in the processing of amino acids – which are the building blocks of all protein and even some hormones. 
• Iron: Is part of hemoglobin – this is what carries oxygen in the body. People who are iron deficient can feel tired because they don’t have enough oxygen.

 
Something else I like about rice is that it is naturally gluten free, and a low-allergen food. This makes it a good choice for people with food sensitivities. 
 
Did you know that rice triggers your brain to produce serotonin – this helps boost your mood and keep your appetite in check. 
 
To store leftover rice, cool it in a shallow container, cover tightly and store in the fridge. It can be stored in the fridge for 3-5 days or frozen for up to 6 months. 
 
Want more info? Look here.
 
Looking for more ways to use rice? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future's Registered Dietitian at nf.nutrition@gmail.com
 
References: 
https://riceinfo.com/
 

Looking for a great snack for the family during this homebound time? I’ve partnered with California strawberries to create a recipe featuring juicy strawberries. Who else tastes summer when they bite into a strawberry?
 
I commonly get asked about foods that are good for your immune system and it comes as no surprise that right now is no exception. 
 
Eating foods with high levels of Vitamin C and fibre is always a good way to aid your immune system in doing its job. There is lots of research linking our gut health to our immune system and fruits and vegetables with all of their vitamins and minerals are such an important factor in immune health. Vitamin C and “immune system” always seems to go hand-in-hand.
 
Did you know that California strawberries are a great source of Vitamin C? Although our local strawberries aren’t in season, California strawberries are. One serving of California strawberries -- or 8 strawberries -- are a source of fibre. If you are snacking at home these days, they are an excellent snack for a mid-morning or mid-afternoon boost. 
 
Another way to incorporate strawberries into your day is adding them to baking. If you are looking for activities to do with your kids, baking is a good choice. Try these oatmeal strawberry cookies.
 
 
Strawberry Oatmeal Cookies
 
½ cup               Vegan margarine
½ cup               Brown sugar
½ cup               Cane sugar
2 cups              Oats*
1 cup               Gluten Free all-purpose flour **
1 cup               Almond flour
½ tsp               Baking soda
½ tsp               Cinnamon
¼ tsp                salt
¾ cup              California strawberries, chopped
¼ cup               Chocolate chips
1 Tbsp             Flax seeds, ground
2 Tbsp             Warm water
 

1. Make flax egg by mixing flax seed and warm water together. Let sit for 5 minutes.
2. Cream margarine and sugar together. Add in the flax egg.
3. Add flours, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and oats.
4. Mix in chopped strawberries and chocolate chips.
5. Drop by rounded Tablespoons onto silicone/parchment lined baking sheet.
6. Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
7. Cool fully on a cookie sheet. 

 
*Use gluten free oats if necessary.
**If you don’t need gluten free, you can sub for all purpose flour. The gluten free all-purpose flour that I use is this mix: http://www.nurturethefuture.ca/blog/gluten-free-flour-mix
 
References:
https://www.californiastrawberries.com/

Looking for more recipes that include strawberries? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future's Registered Dietitian at nf.nutrition@gmail.com