It may seem rigid and boring, but setting a snack schedule for your kids is a very positive thing. It reduces meal-time battles, helps prevent the "hangry's", helps avoid the constant drone of "I want a snack", and helps increase intake at meals times. Sound too good to be true? I know, but read on.

Kids have small stomachs. They need to eat frequently. However, there is a balance between grazing throughout the day versus eating scheduled meals and snacks. Ideally, you want to offer a snack between breakfast and lunch, and another between lunch and dinner. You may also want to consider offering a snack at bedtime, but that depends on the timing of dinner and bed.

If kids are allowed to graze throughout the day, they go into meals not feeling hungry, which means they don't eat their food. This can mean that kids are eating "snack" foods throughout the day and missing out on their "meal" foods. This can also mean that they purposefully don't eat their meal food because they know they have a free for all of foods to graze on that they actually want to eat. This can be a slippery slope of parents telling kids to eat their dinner, for example, when they aren't feeling hungry because they have been grazing for hours. This leads to either the kids eating their meal, even though they aren't hungry resulting in them not listening to their bodies. Or, it leads to a meal time battle because the parents want them to eat and the kids just don't want to eat.  By setting a specified snack time, it allows them to have something to eat so they don't get overly hungry (I'm looking at you hangry's) but they still won't be too full when meal time rolls around. 

If snacks are at a scheduled time, this allows you to avoid the constant "I want a snack" because you can say, "snack is at ten o'clock". That also means that the "kitchen is closed" when it is not snack or meal time. Although this can be a struggle to overcome at first while making the snack time routines, it takes a load off parents. This way they're not constantly doling out snacks throughout the day. 

Choosing a time to line up with snack times at daycare or school tends to work really well if it's an option for your family. Kids will come to look for a snack at those scheduled times as a result of their bodies regulating to that time - so the more consistent you can be, the better. When you are trying to set the time, you want to aim for offering food roughly every 2 to 3 hours, when they are awake. This timing is important because it allows time for hunger to build between eating. You want to time the meals and snacks to allow success at those times for eating to their hunger or fullness. 

So really, what do you have to lose? Give scheduling your snack times a try and if you stick with it as a family, you will reap the benefits. 

Need some more help with sorting out snacks for your family? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future's Registered Dietitian at nf.nutrition@gmail.com 


References:

https://www.unlockfood.ca/en/Videos/Raising-our-Healthy-Kids/Preschoolers/Video-Offer-healthy-meals-and-snacks.aspx

https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/health-topics/tn9188

Soup in the summer? Yes, I know. I am one of those people that still enjoys soup in the summer. I like to have this one around going into the fall as well, especially if anyone is feeling under the weather. I tend to load it with garlic and ginger, feel free to adjust to your taste. This makes a very quick and light lunch. If you want to read more about probiotic foods, like miso, read this. 

1 Tbsp      Sesame oil
1/4 c.        Onion, finely diced
2 Tbsp.     Ginger, finely diced
4.              Cloves garlic, finely diced
1               Carrot, sliced
1.              Kale leaf, shredded
1.5 Tbsp  Miso
1 Tbsp.     Rice vinegar
2 tsp.        Black pepper
4 cups.      Vegetable stock





​
1. Heat oil in a medium pot.
​2. Fry onion, add ginger and garlic.
3. Add carrot and kale.
4. Add vegetable stock. Bring to a boil.
5. Turn down heat and let simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Scoop out 1 cup of soup into a bowl and gently blend in miso. Add this back into the pot.
7. Add in rice vinegar and serve. 


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

Quick and easy chocolate chip cookies all baked in one bowl! These are gluten free and vegan.

1 Tbsp           Ground flax seeds
3 Tbsp.          Water
1/4 cup.         Coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup.         Coconut sugar
3/4 cup.        Almond flour
3/4 cup.        Rolled oats*
1/4 cup.       Gluten free flour
1/2 tsp.        Baking soda
1/4 tsp.        Salt
1/4 cup.       Chocolate chips
1/4 cup.       Dried cranberries


1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Mix ground flax seeds and water together and let sit for a few minutes to thicken.
3. Add melted coconut oil and coconut sugar to flax mixture and mix together.
​4. Stir in almond flour, oats, gluten free flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until combined. If you find the mixture is too runny add almond flour up to 1/4 cup. 
5. Mix in chocolate chips and dried cranberries. 
6. Bake cookies for 9-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 10-15 minutes on the baking sheet before storing (or eating).


* use gluten free rolled oats if necessary 


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

This is a comforting meal, a vegan take on a lasagna turned into a soup. Plus, it's done in the slow cooker! As you may know, I am a big fan of slow cookers. This is an easy recipe that is loaded with fibre and protein. I hope you enjoy! This is delicious served with some vegan pesto, but is not necessary. With minimal prep time, this is a delight to come home to after a busy day.

1             Zucchini, grated (around 2 cups)
1             Carrot, grated
1             Onion, diced
5.            Garlic, cloves, minced
8 cups.    Vegetable broth
​1.5 cups.  Green or brown lentils
2 tsp.        Dried basil
2 tsp.        Dried oregano
2 tsp.        Italian seasoning
1 can.       Tomato sauce (or 2 cups if using homemade or substitute diced tomatoes)
2 cups.     Greens (Kale, spinach, chard, etc), chopped
1.5 cups   cashews, soaked
3 Tbsp.     Nutritional yeast
12             Lasagna noodles, broken into pieces. *can use gluten free 



1. Put diced onion, grated zucchini, grated carrot, garlic, vegetable broth, rinsed lentils, basil, oregano, Italian seasoning and tomato sauce into the slow cooker, stir to combine. 
2. In a bowl, cover cashews in hot water to soak while soup cooks in slow cooker.
3. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4 hours.
4. 20 minutes before serving break lasagna noodles into bite-sized pieces and add to soup. At this time, also blend cashews in a high speed blender or food processor. Add in 1 cup of water or broth and blend until smooth and creamy. 
5. Scrape cashew mixture into soup, add 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast and chopped greens. Allow to heat through, about 10-15 minutes. 

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

This nutrition month’s theme is “good for you- dietitians help you find your healthy”.
 
What healthy eating is, is different for everyone. It depends on so much, including preferences, allergies/intolerances, culture, availability, religious beliefs, and what your specific nutritional needs are.
 
Specifically, when feeding kids, it’s important to introduce them to different food cultures and flavours. Not only different dishes, but even different spices. This helps make confident, adventurous eaters and allows them to develop their own food preferences. Parents can be powerful role models in this aspect – branching out themselves to try different foods and flavours. Showing your kids that by trying new foods you may find something you really enjoy and being open to new foods is a positive thing. This helps it become a normal way for the family to eat and explore foods.
 
This nutrition month, the expression “Don’t yuck my yum” has been talked about. This is in reference to racism around Asian food being seen as “different” or “exotic”, and making whiteness the standard. I feel there is an extension of this expression to food and what healthy eating is that encompasses all the factors that make healthy eating different for everyone. As mentioned above, this expression definitely resonates the cultural aspect, but using this term with kids around preferences, allergies, intolerances, availability, etc is important too.
 
Lunch hour at school can be a shock for kids. From a young age they suddenly start comparing what they eat versus what other people are eating. This can be very upsetting for them. Empowering them with the phrase “don’t yuck my yum” provides them with a tool for their toolkit (or lunchbox in this case). Whether it’s food from their culture, or foods that bring out the “gross” comments, kids can use this phrase to help normalize whatever it is that they find yummy.
 
Let’s set our kids up to succeed with their eating. Let’s create adventurous eaters, however that healthy eating is provided in your family.
 

Looking for more ways to help your kids become more adventurous eaters? Contact Jill, Nurture The Future's Registered Dietitian at nf.nutrition@gmail.com

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 ​