I recently started using chickpea flour for different recipes- and here is one of them. This can be a breakfast, lunch or dinner! This recipe is a good one for school lunches as it holds together well and is nut free. 

2 cups  Chickpea flour
1 cup    Water or vegetable broth
1 tsp     Baking powder
3           Potatoes, diced
1/2 cup Frozen vegetables
3 Tbsp   Nutritional yeast
1 tsp     Black pepper
1 tsp     Cumin
2 tsp     Parsley

1. Slightly boil potatoes.
2. Fry potatoes until browned.
3. Mix chickpea flour and water or broth.
4. Add vegetable and potato mixture.
5. Pour into frying pan. Let brown on both sides, flipping as necessary.

Looking for more recipes with chickpea flour? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future's Registered Dietitian at [email protected] 

This soup is exactly what you need when you are feeling under the weather. It has garlic and ginger and just enough kick from the hot pepper. The lentils add some protein while giving it a nice texture. Enjoy!

1/2          Onion, diced
1 in          Ginger, minced
4 cloves  Garlic, minced
1/4 cup   Miso
1 cup       Lentils, rinsed
5              Carrots (large), diced
1 tsp       Black pepper
1/2 tsp    Cayenne* or more to taste
1 tsp        Cumin
4 Cup      Vegetable broth

1. Brown onion, garlic, ginger and carrots.
2. Add vegetable broth, lentils and spices, bring to boil.
3. Cook for 20 minutes on a simmer.
4. Blend.
5. Add miso.






Looking for more recipes that have lentils? Contact Jill, Nurture the Future's Registered Dietitian at [email protected] 

It’s August now, and with blackberries in full swing I used this opportunity to involve my kids with food. We loaded up with buckets and off we went for our forest walk complete with blackberry ‘hunting’. When we got back with our loot- or what was left of it as many were eaten out of the bucket before we got home- the kids decided what they wanted to make with the blackberries. It ended up being a blackberry cake and blackberry muffins. Then, the next time we were at the grocery store, we took a look at their blackberries and compared them to what we had found. It was a great learning experience for the kids, and I have to admit I had a lot of fun too!
 
You can do this with many types of produce. Try growing your own. Then, with the kids help decide how you will cook/prepare/eat the food. Go to the grocery store for any additional ingredients that are needed, and while you are doing so, be sure to look at the grocery store version of what you have chosen to use- this is a great opportunity to talk about how food can look different, but taste the same. For example- apples from your tree might look very different then those sitting on a grocery store shelf. When it comes time to eat whatever is prepared see how willing your kids are to accept it. Do you notice any differences when they have put effort into the preparation of the food? As mentioned above, this is not only a great bonding experience for your kids, but there are also lots of learning opportunities here to which can vary by age. Enjoy!
 
Looking for more ideas of how to involve your kids? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future’s Registered Dietitian at [email protected] ]

Another great place to involve your kids is at the grocery store. Have your kids help plan, shop and then cook with you. Involving your kids in these processes empowers them and instills in them an understanding of what goes into the foods that they eat. When kids become part of this process they are more interested in trying the food or meal that results (1).
 
Here are just a few ideas to get your kids involved:
 
Get your kids to count as you put produce into the bag. If they can read, get them to tell you the items on your list.  Have them weigh fruits and vegetables in the produce isle. Talk to them about where their food comes from and how it grows. It’s always interesting to ask them how they think a food grows before giving them the answer!
 
Have them choose a new food to try, or which vegetables to have with dinner.
Talk to them about marketing and why they see Dora, Spiderman and Frozen all over different products and foods that aren’t necessarily a great choice. Start teaching them at a young age about marketing and it will pay off!
 
Kids loving learning first hand, and one thing I love doing is taking kids on grocery store tours. So, next time you are grocery shopping with your kids, make it a more enjoyable experience for everyone. It doesn’t have to take any longer, but it sure helps the “chore” of shopping become more of an adventure.
 
References:
http://www.letsmove.gov/plan-healthy-meal
 
Looking for more ways to involve your kids at the grocery store? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future’s Registered Dietitian at [email protected]