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

I just discovered apple butter and I had no idea what I was missing! I was just looking at ways to use up my surplus of apples and thought I would try a slow cooker apple butter. I didn't add sugar, as I didn't feel it needs it. This is so easy to do and it tastes so good. Enjoy!

10           Apples
1/4 cup   Water
2 tsp       Cinnamon
1 tsp       Nutmeg
1/4 tsp    Ground cloves
1 tsp       Vanilla extract
1 tsp       Ginger


1. Cut up apples into a rough dice.
2. Add everything to the slow cooker. Mix. 
3. Cook on low for 10 hours, stirring every so often if you are able.*


*I did cook this overnight without stirring it and it worked great too. Just try not to leave it in over and above the 10 hours because it could start to burn. The idea is that you want it to sit long enough that it because nice thick apple butter as opposed to apple sauce.


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