If it were a perfect world, we would all eat fresh whole foods that do not come in a box or bag. We would enjoy seasonal and fresh vegetables and fruits, fresh fish, and local ingredients from the farmers market year round. But, unfortunately, we don't have access to a wide range of local fresh foods year round in most parts of Canada and life gets busy, so whipping up meals from scratch three times a day just isn't possible. For most of us, anyway.
Most nights, I serve salad with dinner because I find that it's easy to toss organic greens into a bowl and top it with chopped veggies and a vinaigrette. I've been finding lately though that I'm getting sick of the same old salads.
Ever notice yourself wandering into the kitchen, opening the pantry, and grabbing a handful of crackers or cereal—without even noticing what you're doing? Or do you ever catch yourself eating chocolate chips out of the bag when, really, you were going to the kitchen for a drink of water instead? This happens to all of us.
My husband and I are finding that we're getting bored of our weeknight meal rotation—we seem to have four or five recipes that we stick to on those nights when we don't feel like making anything fancy.
If you've heard it once, you've heard it a million times — breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And it's true, it really is. But you may wonder why it's so important—are there really that many benefits? And if so, what are they? To hopefully convince you that breakfast is a no-brainer, I've put together five life-changing benefits that you will reap from eating within an hour or waking up. But first, let's address the top three most common excuses for not having breakfast:
The culinary world is shining a light on lemon in 2014 because of it's delicious taste, versatility and preserving qualities. In fact, using lemon in cooking and baking is predicted as one of the top food trends in 2014. Chefs use lemon as a flavour catalyst or to bring out an acidic profile in both sweet and savory dishes.
Creating balanced, healthy family meals can seem challenging and even overwhelming at the best of times, but even more challenging if one of your children has a severe food allergy. This is a common problem in Canada, as it is estimated that as many as 1.3 million Canadians suffer from life-threatening food allergies, and these numbers are likely on the rise.
I always like to be on top of food and nutrition trends and while doing research to find out what's hot for 2014, I was pleasantly surprised to find that most, if not all of the predicted trends are steering us in the right direction nutrition-wise. I was very happy to see that people are turning to organic, local and non-GMO foods more often and that convenience processed and packaged foods are being traded in for whole fresh foods. Kids nutrition steps into the spotlight (which I am thrilled about), especially when it comes to restaurants and fast food chains.
My daughter is two weeks shy of her six-month birthday and I think that we are just about ready to introduce her to one of life's true pleasures — food! I have no doubt that she is ready. She watches with intent as we eat our meals, she's sitting up and she reaches for food when I'm having a snack. As a second-time mom, I feel much more relaxed about weaning her than I did with my son.
If your home is anything like mine, meal times are chaotic. We try to have family meals most nights, with our baby in her bouncy chair in the middle of the table (so that she's part of the action) and our three year old in his red "big boy chair" which, admittedly, is a glorified high chair that attaches to our table—it keeps him somewhat contained, otherwise, he'd be up and down a zillion times during our meal.
One of my favourite Christmas activities is baking with my Mom, but this year, we likely won't have time to schedule our yearly baking day. My Grandma, whom I love dearly, has just moved into a hospice and my Mom has been back and forth from Edmonton to Calgary every week and I am at home with an active preschooler and *very* fussy (but super cute) baby.
When I think about Christmas in years past, many of my memories involve food. Baking with my Mom, devouring homemade cinnamon buns on Christmas morning and sipping hot chocolate (which has been replaced with baileys and coffee) after playing outside in the snow.
When you think Ritz crackers, the term "whole grain" likely doesn't come to mind—well I hope not anyway. A Manitoba mother sent her two kids off to daycare on December 10th, 2012 with what I would consider a healthy, balanced lunch made up of leftover roast beef and potatoes, carrots, an orange and some milk, according to Yoni Freedhoff's "Weighty Matters" blog.
Gingerbread instantly makes me think of the holidays. Gingerbread cookies, lattes and loaves are among some of my all time favourite holiday treats, and this gingerbread cake has become my favourite holiday dessert to make. I haven't met a person who doesn't love it. I made it yesterday afternoon while my daughter was napping and brought it to my supper club last night (which is made up of Registered Dietitians—and foodies—that I went to university with).
One of my fondest memories of visiting my Grandmother's house when I was young is enjoying her endless supply of homemade cookies (ones that we didn't get at home). We all knew where her cookie jar was, and we were free to dip into it as often as we wanted. My mom didn't stop us from eating more, and I never remember going crazy eating them either. They were simply another reason why going to "Nannie's house" was so much fun.
I love nothing more than walking in the door with my two kids on a chilly day and smelling the delicious aroma of a meal cooking in the slow cooker. Knowing that I don't have to scramble to create a healthy meal for my family at 5 o'clock is the best feeling ever. Especially these days when I have an active three-year-old and a four-month-old that doesn't like to be anywhere but in my arms. At. All. Times.
Food is the fuel that our bodies use to function, think, play, and work.
Kids who eat well perform better in school because they are able to concentrate, focus, and learn during school hours as well as at home. If you find that your child's performance at school is slipping, grades are suffering or he or she is lacking the energy to get through the school day or complete homework, it could have something to do with your child's diet or lack of nutrition.
It is soup season and I'm loving it. Soup is warm and comforting, not to mention easy to prepare (especially when you have a slow-cooker) and makes for a balanced and nutritious meal all in one bowl. I've been a little bit obsessed with my slow-cooker these days, considering the fact that my life is quite busy with a toddler and a 4-month-old who doesn't like to sleep AT ALL during the day. So, being able to toss a bunch of ingredients into a machine that magically whips up an amazing meal makes sense for me (and likely for you too).
After reading one of my fellow YMC Blogger's posts on how her preschooler refuses to eat her lunch, I thought I'd "reply" by writing a post with some ideas. Gurpreet Randev, much like many parents of young kids, has tried everything from colorful finger foods to pin-worthy fancy food skewers.
