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Spaghetti Sauce (slow cooker)

2/12/2023

This recipe is quick to throw together and is a nice filling pasta sauce with veggies added. Serve with spaghetti noodles or pasta of your choice and you have an easy dinner.

1 can tomato paste
1 can tomato sauce
2 cups zucchini (grated)
1 carrot (grated)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 bell pepper, diced
1 tsp dried basil
2 tsp Italian dried herbs
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp black pepper
1 cup Veggie ground round
1 Tbsp braggs
1 cup water
1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1. Put all ingredients in the slow cooker, stir to combine. Cook on low for 4 hours.
2. Cook pasta of choice and serve sauce over cooked pasta.

Want more ideas of how to get dinners on the table with ease? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future's Registered Dietitian at nf.nutrition@gmail.com

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Pressure

1/24/2023

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Sometimes trying to get your child to eat can be very frustrating. Often as parents, we are resorting to pressure with the best of intentions. Many parents wonder how their child is managing while eating so little overall or only eating certain foods. The problem with pressure is that it doesn't work. If you think about a time you were put under pressure- what did it do? Typically it makes us do the opposite of what the pressure was trying to get us to do. If another adult was telling you to eat certain foods, or to just have another bite would you listen? Would that make you want to do those things? Can you look at another adult and tell them they are hungry or that they are full? But, for some reason we do this with our kids.

Kids are no different. In fact, kids are testing limits and boundaries in every aspect of their lives, food being no exception. Pressure them to eat more vegetables will result in less being eaten. Or, it will make them eat it to please you, which is the opposite of intuitive eating. Pressure them to eat certain foods, and they will refuse completely. Many of us may remember things like this from our younger years for example eat 5 peas because you are 5 years old, no dessert until you dinner is done, sit here until you plate is empty, etc. This doesn't work.

The good news is that by removing any form of pressure you empower your kids to be mindful/intuitive eaters that listen to their bodies. This is the goal. Also, none of us need a battle every time food is eaten, it's exhausting. As you remove any pressure you are putting on your kids around food, not only will your kids feel better, but you will too. Imagine having a meal that doesn't result in a standoff, or anyone feeling upset or frustrated. We want to teach our kids to listen to their bodies - eat when they are hungry and stop when they are full. When we are using pressure around eating this doesn't happen.

Now to put this into action. Avoid asking your kids to finish what's on their plates. Don't make them sit at the table until their food is eaten. Ask yourself- am I saying this to my child to get them to eat more or less of a food? If so, it's pressure. Stop using any forms of pressure to help improve your child's eating. It works!

Looking for more ways to remove pressure? Contact Jill, Nurture the Future's Registered Dietitian at nf.nutrition@gmail.com

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Welsh Cakes

12/31/2022

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During this busy holiday season I have done a lot of baking and cooking. In that in-between dreamy week after Christmas but before the New Year I made a family favourite recipe that I grew up with but I have since veganized and made gluten free. I remember making these with my Mom growing up. They were in an old welsh cookbook that she had forever and was falling apart with the spine peeling. When I moved out my Mom photocopied the recipe for me and it was one of the first ones I added to my own collection of recipes. These are very simple to make and I remember this was one of the earlier recipes that I took the reins on growing up. We have always liked to eat these with jam (homemade when possible) but feel free to experiment with what tastes best to you. I hope you enjoy these as much as we do.

2 cups Flour (I use my all purpose gluten free mix that you can find here )
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp allspice
1/2 cup sugar (I use granulated)
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup currants
1 Tbsp ground flax 3 Tbsp water - mixed a left to sit for a few minutes.
1/4 cup non-dairy milk (unsweetened)

1. Mix flour, baking powder, allspice, salt and sugar together in a medium bowl.
2. Mix the ground flax with the water and let sit.
3. Cut the coconut oil into the flour mixture using a pastry knife or 2 knives.
4. Add the non-dairy milk into the flax mixture.
5. Add the flax mixture into the flour mixture and blend.
6. Stir in the currants.
7. Gather the dough into a ball. Place it on a well floured parchment paper or clean counter and using a rolling pin, roll until it is 1/4 inch thick.
8. Use a round cookie cutter (about 2 inches) and cut out welsh cakes until all of the dough is used up.
9. Heat a frying pan (I use a cast iron) with avocado oil until hot. Fry welsh cakes until lightly golden brown on one side, then flip and cook the other side until lightly golden brown.
10. Lift out of pan and repeat until all welsh cakes are cooked. Serve warm with jam.

Looking to veganize a family recipe? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future's Registered Dietitian at nf.nutrition@gmail.com

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Homous

11/30/2022

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This is such a quick and easy snack. It's one of my favourite after school snacks - I serve it with tortilla chips and veggies. I also use this as a quick lunch and serve on pasta with some raw veggies on the side. It can feel so intimidating making homous but it's actually so easy. This is one snack that is so expensive to buy but so inexpensive, quick and easy to make that you will be glad to make the switch. I hope you enjoy!

1 can chickpeas, drained
3-5 cloves garlic (depending on your taste)
1 Tbsp Tahini
1 tsp herbamare
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp parsley
warm water to thin.

1. Blend garlic in a food processor.
2. Add chickpeas, tahini, herbamare, smoked paprika and parsley and blend until combined.
3. Add warm water until desired tendency is reached. Start with 2 Tbsp and increase from there.

Store any leftovers in the fridge. Serve with tortilla chips, veggies, on a sandwich, crackers, pasta etc.

Looking for more ways to add chickpeas to your diet? Contact Jill, Registered Dietitian at nf.nutrition@gmail.com

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Instant Pot Vegan Cheese Sauce

9/30/2022

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This is a quick instant pot recipe that is filled with veggies. Throw the ingredients in the pot and cook. Use it on its own to top vegetables, eat with chips or on pasta. You can also add this to other recipes to enhance the flavour- it tastes great mixed with a tomato base pasta sauce also. I have had success with freezing this sauce too.

Ingredients

2 cups Water
1/2 Onion
4 cloves. Garlic
1 cup. Carrots
1 cup. Potatoes
1 cup. Yam
1/2 cup. Cashews
1/2 cup. Nutritional yeast
2 Tbsp. Miso paste
1 tsp. Smoked paprika
2 Tbsp. Lemon juice
2 Tbsp. Apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. Herbamare

1. Add everything into the instant pot. No need to soak the cashews first.
2. Put the lid on the instant pot and put it into the locked position. Press the manual setting, set it to the high pressure setting and set the cook time to 5 minutes.
3. When the cook time is done, manually release the pressure (please be careful, it's hot!)
4. Blend with an immersion blender. If you don't have an immersion blender, let cool slightly before transferring the sauce into a blender to blend.

Looking for more easy solutions to serve for lunch and dinner? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future's Registered Dietitian at nf.nutrition@gmail.com

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Banana Scone

8/30/2022

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I wanted to create some easy scones, but I find that they often taste dry and can be a bit time consuming to shape. This was my attempt to make a drop scone to speed up the process while keeping the overall texture soft as opposed to dry. I also included a good amount of flax seeds, almond flour and 3 bananas for a nutrition boost.

Banana Scone

1/2 cup Brown Rice Flour
1/2 cup. Sorghum flour
1.5 cup. Almond Flour
1/4 cup. Ground Flax seeds
1/2 cup. Tapioca Starch
1 tsp. Baking powder
1/2 tsp. Baking soda
1/4 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Cardamom
1 tsp. Cinnamon - If you like cinnamon feel free to add another 1/2 tsp
3. Ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup. Maple syrup
1/4 cup. Cane sugar
1/4 cup. Coconut Oil

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Mix dry ingredients together in a medium sized bowl- brown rice flour, sorghum flour, almond flour, ground flax seeds, tapioca starch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cardamom and cinnamon.
3. Mix wet ingredients together in a small bowl- ripe bananas (you can mash them in this bowl first), maple syrup, cane sugar, and coconut oil.
4. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add in the wet ingredients. At this time, if the batter is too dry, add in some oat milk only using enough to make the batter wet overall, but not liquid. At most, this would be 1/4 cup.
5. Drop batter on silicone or parchment lined cookie sheet to form 3-4 inch circles. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Looking for more easy baking ideas to do with the kids? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future's Registered Dietitian at nf.nutrition@gmail.com

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Top 10 Packable Snacks

7/31/2022

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These are my top 10 packable snacks. They travel well:

Berries: raspberries, though delicious, are not the packable choice so I recommend blueberries or strawberries instead.
Grapes: refreshing and they pack well, a great adventure snack.
Trail Mix:Trail mix contents will vary and I only stick in chocolate chips if I know I don't have to worry about them melting in the heat. To save some money in the snack department, mix your own trail mix. While nuts are an expensive item, it is far cheaper buying in bulk and mixing your own varieties.
Veggies: I usually go with cucumbers, carrots, snap peas, peppers and cherry/grape tomatoes.
Crackers: Choosing some crackers that have some protein can be great if peanut butter/homous is too messy because you're eating in the car. The current favs from Costco are almond crackers, Crunchmaster and Mary's.
Energy bites: This is an easy item for a quick snack. It can be made ahead and doesn't take much prep time.
Cookies: I find these hold up better to a bit of knocking around than most treats like muffins, bars, etc.
Guacamole packages: These can be eaten with the veggies or crackers that you bring along. Even possibly tortilla chips if you feel that those aren't too delicate in your packing application. If you choose the guacamole packages, while pricey, they are convenient for on the go.
Homous: A great way to get some protein and it can be eaten with crackers, veggies or even tortilla chips.
Apples and Oranges: I find these fruits are preferable to some of their softer counterparts such as bananas or pears. They hold up much better for an on-the-go snack.

Many of these can be thrown in a backpack or bag for the car, but if it works, they are also happy being in a cooler bag. When packing snacks, I think of balance.- Protein and Fruits/Vegetables or Protein and Carbohydrates. That is one of the reasons I like the Energy bites - good balance and convenience. Hopefully this will give you a few ideas to pack up so you can spend more time on the adventures and less on the packing.

Happy Summer!

Need more ideas of what to pack? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future's Registered Dietitian at nf.nutrition@gmail.com

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Slower Cooker Chili

5/4/2022

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Have you ever had those cans of Amy's chili? I was wanting to create something similar to those, but that could be cooked in the slow cooker. This recipe got the thumbs up from everyone who tried it, although there still seems to be some ingredient in Amy's chili that I just can't place my finger on. Either way, this is an easy to make yummy chili so I will take it! Don't be put off by the list of ingredients, it comes together quickly. I tend to serve this with tortilla chips which is always a hit with the kids but feel free to serve with what works for you.

Slow Cooker Chili

Ingredients:

1/2 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Bell Pepper, diced
1 Can Kidney beans*
1 Cup of veggie ground round (you could also use textured vegetable protein that has been rehydrated)
2 Cups Vegetable Broth
1 Can Tomato Paste**
2 Tbsp. Braggs
1 Tbsp. Taco seasoning
1 tsp. Oregano
1 tsp. Basil
1/4 Cup Nutritional Yeast
2 Cups. Tomatoes (blended)
3/4 Cup. Corn

1. Put all ingredients in the slow cooker.
2. Cook on high for 4 hours

** I have subbed this with tomato sauce and adjusted the water in a pinch

*I have also subbed this with black beans

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3 Tips For Saving Money On Food

4/29/2022

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On my last trip to the grocery store I definitely noticed the increase in prices as I was shopping. With that in mind, I thought I would give you a few tips in order to help save you money.

Use Frozen Fruit and Vegetables. I have taught a lot of people (1000s in fact) about grocery shopping. I always find it interesting to hear what people have to say when I bring up frozen fruit and veggies. Overall, I find that frozen fruit and veggies have a bad rep. They get looked down on, when, in fact, they are a great way to save money while still eating fruits and vegetables. We need to eat a lot of fruit and vegetables, and, especially with the cost lately, that can be very pricey and unrealistic. Even seasonally there can be a change in our fruit and vegetable intake. Using frozen can be a way to still get this very important food group but at a much better price. Using frozen fruit and vegetables can also help us get that nice rainbow of colour all year round. Frozen fruit and vegetables are very healthy and nutritious and are often a much better price than fresh, or when fresh is abundant you can freeze to use them at a later date.
Eat More Beans and Lentils. Not only from a health perspective, but also a budget friendly shift, eating more beans and lentils can help. Beans and lentils are extremely healthy as they are a good source of fibre, they contain protein and iron, as well as B Vitamins such as B6 and folate. From a cost saving perspective, they are very inexpensive and can help lower that grocery bill for you. You can either skip the meat altogether and use beans and/or lentils as the protein source of your meal, or, you can cut down on the amount of meat you are using- for example by adding lentils in to ground beef.
Don't Waste Sad Fruit and Vegetables. We all are familiar with those sad fruits and vegetables. Those wrinkly tomatoes or peppers, brown bananas, squishy berries, you know what I'm talking about. Instead of putting those in the compost and going to buy more try freezing them and using them for sauces, smoothies, baking, etc. This reduces food waste and helps the money you spent on food go further. There is no need to waste those perfectly good fruits and vegetables and spend money on more, that will likely have some turn to sad fruits so the cycle of food waste continues.

And for a bonus tip:

Try to be more flexible! If a certain item is more expensive than you are used to, or more than you want to spend what could you sub it with? For example, could you use a different type of protein in that dish? What about a different vegetable? Or could you use frozen vegetables instead? It can be hard to branch out and be flexible, but not only does it increase the variety of foods you eat, it also can be a great way to save money.

I hope you find these tips helpful and that they help you save a bit of money.

References:
https://www.unlockfood.ca/en/Articles/Cooking-Food-Preparation/Cooking-with-Legumes.aspx

Want more tips to help you save money on groceries? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future's Registered Dietitian at nf.nutrition@gmail.com

1 Comment

Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup

3/29/2022

4 Comments

Having dinner ready when I get home from a busy day is the best! Honestly, it takes so much pressure off and makes the evening go so much smoother. This one is similar to a lasagna taste but in a soup form. Warm comfort food that's easy to make. It's full of fibre from the vegetables and lentils. Lots of protein to keep you satisfied from the cashew cream and the lentils. This is vegan and can be gluten free if necessary if you use gluten free lasagna noodles. Throw everything in the slow cooker and with minimal work at the end you have a filling meal to enjoy.

6 cups Vegetable broth
1 cup. Green or brown lentils, rinsed.
1 tsp. Dried basil
1 tsp. Dried Oregano
1 tsp. Chili pepper flakes
1 can Tomato sauce
1 Carrot, grated
2 cups. Zucchini, grated
4 Cloves garlic, minced
1 Onion, diced
salt and pepper to taste

Add after the soup is cooked
12 Lasagna noodles, broken into bite-sized pieces
1 Tbsp. Lemon
2 cups. Spinach, chopped

For Cashew Cream
1 cup. Raw cashews (soaked in boiling water when soup goes in the slow cooker, but to use when soup is done).

1. Put onion, garlic, zucchini, carrot, vegetable broth, tomato sauce, rinsed lentils, basil, oregano, chili pepper flakes and salt and pepper into the slow cooker and stir.
2. Set the slow cooker to high and cook for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.
3. Cover cashews with boiling water and let soak while the soup cooks.
4. Once the soup is cooked, add spinach, noodles and lemon juice and cook on high power 10-15 minutes or until the noodles are tender.
5. Drain cashews and place in a blender. Add 1.5 cups of water. Blend on high speed until a cashew cream forms.
6. Add cashew cream to slow cooker, add more salt/pepper to taste, stir and enjoy.

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

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Spaghetti Sauce (slow cooker)

Pressure

Welsh Cakes

Homous

Instant Pot Vegan Cheese Sauce

Banana Scone

Top 10 Packable Snacks

Slower Cooker Chili

3 Tips For Saving Money On Food

Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup

Jill Wallace, RD, CH

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