I can’t imagine not sharing my meals with family and friends. It hasn’t always been the case for me, but since making it a priority over the years, I wouldn’t want it any other way. It can definitely be challenging when you’re busy, but it’s well worth it. I If you want to start making meal time a family event,  be sure to set reasonable, small goals. Going from 0 family meals in a week to daily just won’t happen. Start small, make a plan, and enjoy!
 
The other key part of the potential of food to bring us together is to be sure to give your attention to food. Put the phone down! Turn that TV off. Make eye contact and enjoy the company you have at the table. Meals are a great time to connect with your kids.
 
There are so many benefits for kids when you eat together as a family.

• Eating more fruit and vegetables
• Doing better in school
• Lower risk for being overweight
• Less risk of eating disorders
• Teens are less likely to smoke, use drugs/alcohol and get into serious fights

 
Overcome the challenge- get creative!

• Family meals don’t have to be dinner, sometimes breakfast or lunch works better.
• Get help- it involves the kids and let’s you focus on other aspects of getting the meal on the table. Give the kids jobs that don’t take a lot of attention from you such as setting the table, ripping up lettuce, grating, stirring, etc.
• Have a (loose) meal plan. Having some ideas for the week that you know you have the ingredients on hand for can really make a difference.
• Cut up fruit and veggies and have them ready in the fridge so that you can grab and eat and help get a meal on the table quicker.
• Use it as a time to connect in addition to a time to refuel- around our dinner table we answer three questions-
  • When were you kind today?
  • When were you brave today?
  • When did you fail today?
  • Lately there has been a fourth question from the kids- What was your favourite part of your day? Believe it or not, the answer is usually that meal together!

 
References:
https://www.eatrightontario.ca/en/Articles/Menu-Planning/Your-guide-to-setting-healthy-living-goals
Ipsos Reid 2017 study conducted for Dietitians of Canada
 https://www.eatrightontario.ca/en/Articles/Adolescents-teenagers/Family-Meals-with-no-TV.aspx 34 

​​Adapted from the Dietitians of Canada’s Nutrition Month campaign materials. Find more information about Nutrition Month at www.NutritionMonth2018.

​A large part of what I do is helping kids learn how to be involved in shopping, regardless of their age. I explain what balanced meals are and also how to cook and be involved in the cooking. These life skills seem more and more important in light of all the unhealthy food and beverage ads our children are exposed to everyday. Most people rely on processed/packaged foods, fast food and take out foods and as a culture we are moving away from home- cooked meals. I love empowering kids by touring them around grocery stores and doing hands-on teaching.
 
I know what it’s like to be busy and still have to prep a meal after school and in between activities. On top of that getting your kids involved can be really tough. You may start out with the best of intentions to be patient and find that really you just need to get food on the table- now. According to a 2017 study by Ipsos Reid, 16% of Canadians say they never let their kids help in the kitchen (1).
 
As Canadians cook less and less and instead look to packaged and convenience foods, it not only impacts health, but also robs our future generations of a chance to learn the important life skills of cooking and food prep.
 
Kids who are online are exposed to over 25 million food and beverage ads- most of which (90%) promote foods that are high in sugar, salt and fat (2). The good news is that involving our kids and thus improving their food skills can result in healthier eating – eating more fruit, vegetables, and fibre, and a decrease in convenience and take out food and sweetened beverages (3). Another bonus of getting kids involved is that it can help with picky eaters too! (4)
 
Involve your kids in every step of the process- gardening, shopping, meal prep, meal planning, etc. It can help to let your kids be involved when there isn’t such a time crunch and can end up being a really enjoyable, bonding activity- with yummy results! Read more about involving your kids here, here, here and here.
 
Remember as a parent, we are role models when it comes to our kids eating (5). Help your kids gain the potential to discover!
 
Want more ideas of how to involved your kids. Contact Jill, Nurture The Future’s Registered Dietitian at nf.nutrition@gmail.com
 
 
References:
 
1- Ipsos Reid 2017 study conducted for Dietitians of Canada
2- Heart and Stroke Foundation. http://www.heartandstroke.ca/-/media/pdf-files/canada/2017-heart-month/heartandstrokereportonhealth2017.ashx
3-  http://www.pennutrition.com/KnowledgePathway.aspx?kpid=22933&trid=23008&trcatid=42
4- Eat Right Ontario https://www.eatrightontario.ca/en/Articles/Child-Toddler-Nutrition/Help!-My-kids-won-t-eat-enough-vegetables-andfruits.aspx
5- https://www.eatrightontario.ca/en/Articles/Adolescents-teenagers/Parent-and-Caregivers-Influence-on-Children%E2%80%99sEating-Habits.aspx

​Adapted from the Dietitians of Canada’s Nutrition Month campaign materials. Find more information about Nutrition Month at www.NutritionMonth2018.

Being a parent, I know what it’s like to be busy! Being busy means that eating in balance can be challenging. When you are busy, you need to stay fueled. Many people find they end up skipping meals and going long hours between eating, which can then lead to grazing on snacks during the day.
 
Don’t get me wrong- eating snacks can be a very healthy and important aspect of eating. But when 20% of Canadians are saying that several times a day, between meal snacks prevents them from eating meals more regularly (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner), this shows us that snacks don’t necessarily always work for us. (1)
 
I often suggest snacks to kids and adults alike. I don’t know about you, but having a snack in between my meals can help me make it through without that awful crash from low blood sugar. If I don’t give my kids a snack after school there is no way we would get through until dinner.
 
One of the key aspects to snacking is to make sure you are choosing a balanced snack. The whole idea is that it is going to help you get through until the next time you eat (your next meal). When you choose a snack, be sure to include 2 of the 4 food groups. Including a fruit and vegetable with another food group is the perfect way to increase the amount of fruit and vegetables that you eat. The idea of a snack is that it doesn’t have to be a large amount of food.
 
With some of my pregnant or breastfeeding clients I find that snacking is the prefect way to fill in the gap and meet their nutrition needs during these high nutritionally demanding times.
 
Keeping mindful eating in mind, its very important that you listen to your bodies’ hunger and fullness cues when you are eating. Be sure you are eating because you need some fuel, not because you are bored, stressed, angry, tired, etc. Make sure that, even when you are eating a snack, you give the proper attention to your food. You want to make sure that you are not distracted while you are eating by TV, your phone, etc.
 
Another struggle that can happen around snacks is getting the word snack confused with treat. What is the difference? A snack is something that is eaten between meals and used to help you meet your nutritional needs. It often looks like a mini-meal. A treat is something that you eat once in a while and that are not making a big impact on your diet nutritionally (but they do taste delicious!)
 
Some snack ideas:

• Homous or other bean/lentil dips and veggies
• Fruit and nut/seed butter
• Energy  bites: recipe and recipe
• Apple donuts: recipe
• Yogurt and fruit or vegetables. 
• Crackers and cheese
• Crackers and smoked tofu

 
By planning snacks throughout the day (you won’t need more than 3), it can be a great way to use the potential of food to stay energized throughout the day.
 
Looking for more snack ideas for you and your family? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future’s Registered Dietitian at nf.nutrition@gmail.com
 
References:
1 Charlebois, Sylvain et al. PowerPoint Presentation – May 2017. Disintegration of Food Habits

Adapted from the Dietitians of Canada’s Nutrition Month campaign materials. Find more information about Nutrition Month at www.NutritionMonth2018.

I have been enjoying chai tea lately. I had also been wanting to work on a granola that was sweetened with dates. When I came across a Chai spice granola recipe I got excited and decided that I wanted to have a granola that included  nuts for added protein without only having whole nuts in it. This is what I came up with. I hope you enjoy.

This recipe is slightly adapted from Emilie Eats- Chai spice Granola


















Ingredients

2 cups        Oats (large flakes, gluten free if necessary)
11/2 cups  Nuts (I use walnut and pecan)
1/2 cup      Sliced almonds
2 Tbsp       Hemp seeds
1/4 cup      Coconut (shredded, unsweetened)
1/2 Tbsp    Cinnamon
1 tsp           Cardamom 
1 tsp           Ginger
1 tsp           Allspice
1/2 tsp       Cloves
1/2 tsp        Nutmeg
1/4 tsp        Salt
​1/2 cup      Dates
1/2 cup       Water
3 Tbsp        Almond butter

1. Preheat oven to 325F
2. Process nuts in a food processor until finely chopped but not powder. 
3. Mix oats, spices, salt, sliced almonds, coconut and hemp seeds. Add processed nuts.
4. Blend dates in a food processor (soak in warm water if your dates are dry and use that as your water later). Add in 
     almond butter and water (unless previously added) and blend until smooth. 
5. Mix into oat mixture and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
6. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.

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

It’s nutrition month, 2018. Once again I will be posting a series of blog posts based on the nutrition month theme. This year, the theme is unlocking the potential of food.
 
It’s true that food is nourishment, but it’s also a lot more than that! As a dietitian I believe in food’s ability not only to improve health, but also to enhance lives. Over the course of March (nutrition month) look for more blog posts on: the potential to fuel, the potential to discover, the potential to prevent, the potential to heal and the potential to bring us together.
 
So to start things off, here is something to inspire you. Microgreens! Anyone can grow them, and it can be lots of fun to do this together with your kids. Microgreens have been shown to be a way to empower individuals to grow and consume a dense source of minerals that can be grown with a small ecological footprint and at the same time diversify food production systems (2).
 
Microgreens are nutrient rich and can be easily produced and consumed by individuals (2). Microgreens are high in Vitamins A, B, C, E and K and contain calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, and carotene (3).
 
Right now you are able to find seeds popping up in the stores. All you need is a microgreen seeds package, a shallow dish (with drainage holes), some good quality seed starting mix, and a spray bottle that has never been used for anything else that you can fill with water.
 
It will take about 10 minutes to prepare and sow these seeds. They love to be on a sunny windowsill. I water mine every day, using a spray bottle; the idea is to keep them moist but not wet.
 

1. Fill the shallow dish with the seed starting mix.
2. Sow the seeds thinly and evenly and then gently press down into the soil.
3. Cover the seeds with a very thin layer of starting mix.
4. Place them on a windowsill and water daily using the spray bottle.
5. Simply snip off the shoots when they have 2-4 leaves and enjoy on sandwiches, salads, blended into smoothies, added to soups, egg or tofu dishes before eating.

 
Happy planting!
 
Looking for more ways to unlock the potential of food for you and your family? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future’s Registered Dietitian at nf.nutrition@gmail.com
 
 
References:
1 Adapted from the Dietitians of Canada’s Nutrition Month campaign materials. Find more information about Nutrition Month at www.nutritionmonth2018.ca.
2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5362588/
3 West Coast Seeds- Kale Microgreens
4 Indoor Edible Garden by Zia Allaway 2017.

I had been wanting to create a bite recipe that included lentils. I love lentils. I think they are a great food and I like putting them into things you wouldn't expect. These bites are great for popping into school lunches. You can change out the peanut butter for another nut or seed butter as necessary. 

1 3/4 cup     Oats, ground into flour
1/8 tsp         Cinnamon
1/4 tsp         Salt
1/4 cup        Maple Syrup
1/4 cup        Cooked red lentil puree *
3 Tbsp       Nut/Seed butter (peanut, almond, sunflower,
                    etc.)
1 Tbsp         Coconut oil
2 Tbsp          Chocolate chips

1. Use a food processor to grind the oats into a flour.
2. Mix nut/seed butter, coconut oil and maple syrup together.
3. Add in pureed lentils.
4. Mix in salt, cinnamon and oat flour.
5. Stir in chocolate chips.
6. Roll into balls with wet hands. Put in freezer for 10 minutes to set.
7. Store in airtight container in the freezer and grab as necessary.

* Rinse red split lentils. Cook and blend with a hand blender to form a puree.

Looking for other ways to use lentils? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future's Registered Dietitian at nf.nutrition@gmail.com 

I love recipes that I can throw into my slow cooker and turn it on! This is a favourite around my house, and because it is nut free it is a great school friendly lunch. This recipe is vegan and can be gluten free (check the ingredients in the curry paste, tamari, etc). Feel free to add whatever vegetables you like to this soup: squash, yam, peppers, mushrooms...the possibilities are endless.

1 Onion, diced
4 cloves Garlic, diced
1 inch piece Ginger, diced
6 cups Vegetable broth
2 Tbsp Red Curry paste
1 Carrot, diced
1/2 cup Broccoli, small florets
1/2 cup Cauliflower, small florets
3 Potatoes, diced
1 can Chickpeas
1 stalk Celery, diced
1/2 cup Green Beans, chopped
1/2 cup Cabbage, diced
2 Tbsp Tamari

1 can Coconut milk
1 cup Frozen peas
3 leaves Swiss Chard, shredded
1 Tbsp Lemon juice


​1. Add everything into the slow cooker up to the Tamari. Cook on low for 4 hours.
2. After 4 hours add frozen peas, chard, lemon juice and coconut milk. Let sit for a few minutes before serving.

Looking for more weeknight meals? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future’s Registered Dietitian at nf.nutrition@gmail.com

As a society, I find that skipping meals has become a regular thing and having snacks whenever, wherever has taken over. Food is everywhere! It is very common to walk into a store where food doesn't "belong" and find it lining the checkout aisles- I'm looking at you hardware stores. The importance of establishing a routine around the "Where" of eating is a key to helping our kids become confident, successful, competent eaters. Don't get me wrong, my purse has snacks, but there are rules to dishing out those snacks. Not only does research show that using the division of responsibility created by Ellyn Satter (I have a post here: dishing out the control) works, but also I see the success stories with my clients and even my own family. 

The idea behind the "Where" of feeding is that the parent/caregivers role is to decide where the child eats. I always recommend sitting down to eat, even for snacks. This is a key part in being a mindful eater. Your food deserves attention. I know we are all guilty of eating a snack on the run, but especially with our kids, we should be role modelling the importance of sitting down every time we eat. This can cross over into a safety concern as well. 

I always recommend sitting at a table, away from distractions while we eat. No phones, TV, books, toys, etc. Again, give the attention to your food. If you are out, for example at a park, use the "Where"- find somewhere to sit down. Choose certain areas that you are okay with food being eaten in your home and stick this into the "Where" category.

I get many calls from parents with toddlers that are pulling out their hair trying to get their child to sit down to eat. A few tips-

• Set a realistic expectation for the amount of time you expect your toddler or child to sit. We can't expect our little ones to sit for 30 minutes to finish a meal.
• Let them choose where to sit at the table (within reason). Are they ready to move out of a highchair and into a booster seat? Is it better to have them sitting on an adult chair? Are they able to sit right at the table and eat with everyone else in the family, vs off a tray at a slight distance from the table?
• Have the expectation that they will be able to sit at the table and follow the rules- no climbing on the table, sitting not standing, not running away from the table and then coming back to eat more, etc. 
• Over the years I've learned to go with the flow- from the picture above you can see the child seat, not in use, in the background. But my rule is knees or bum on the chair at the table and you can see the adult chair is being used by sitting on knees. Meeting in the middle dissolved this potential meal time struggle. 

This is only one piece of the puzzle, and although the "Where" piece seems simple, it can be a struggle. Set your rules around it and stick to them. This really can have a huge impact on your child's eating.

Looking for more help to stop those meal time battles? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future's Registered Dietitian at nf.nutrition@gmail.com 

References: 
http://www.ellynsatterinstitute.org/other/fdsatter.php

These cookies hit the spot - soft, chewy, spiced and lots of nuts for protein. I use walnuts to add some Omega 3. Did I mention they are also gluten free and vegan? This recipe is slightly adapted from Oh She Glows The Ultimate Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookie.

1 cup       Walnuts
3/4 cup    Pecans
2 cups      Oats, divided
3/4 cup    Gluten Free All Purpose Flour (I use Cloud 9)
1/2 cup    Brown Sugar
1 tsp        Baking Soda
1 tsp        Cinnamon
1/2 cup    Maple Syrup
2 Tbsp      Dairy free milk
3.5 Tbsp   Coconut oil, melted
1 tsp         Vanilla 
2/3 cup     Raisins 









1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Place nuts in a food processor and process until finely ground.
3. In a bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, 1 cup oats, cinnamon, and sugar.
4. Place the flour mixture in the food processor and process for about 20 seconds.
5. Mix coconut oil, maple syrup, dairy free milk, and vanilla.
6. Take flour mixture and add in 1 cup oats and mixed liquid ingredients. Mix to combine.
7. Add in raisins.
8. Take 2 Tbsp of dough, make a ball and place on cookie sheet. Slightly flatten with dampened hands. 
9. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes on cookie sheet before moving to a cooling rack
​    for 10-15 minutes. 

Looking for more ways to get omega 3 in your diet? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future's Registered Dietitian at nf.nutrition@gmail.com