Don't give up. That's it. The #1 most important health goal is to eat meals. The #2 most important health goal is to eat a fruit or vegetable at every meal. The #3 most important health goal is to not give up on #1 and #2. Keep on working. Keep on improving. Keep making small healthy choices. Don't let one bad meal, snack or day let you feel defeated. Don't throw in the towel because of one bad choice. We need to eat every 3-4 hours, for our entire lives! There will always be another chance to make a change. We have to eat every 3-4 hours, so there will always be chance to do better next time. Whatever your healthy eating goals are, Hang in there, I'm rooting for you! If you want to meet with a Registered Dietitian to talk about your health goals or to have someone help you with motivation, please let your family advocate know. We have the skills to help you succeed!

Happy New Years! Photo from wix.com The #1 most important new years resolution you can make around health is to sit down and eat family meals together. Why? Because it's very difficult to eat well if you aren't in the habit of sitting down at regular intervals to feed yourself and your child. Once you have the meal habit down, the #2 most important thing you can do for your health has nothing to do with eliminating sugar or fat. It's not a carb diet plan; it's not a diet plan at all. Fresh Fruit like strawberries are like magic for your health. The #2 most important thing you can do for your health is to eat a fruit or vegetable at every meal or snack, every day. Eating fruits and vegetables is something everyone can do, it's gluten free, dairy free, kosher, vegan and diabetes friendly. All healthy diets (Mediterranean, blue zone, diabetic, etc etc) focus on eating more fruits and vegetables. You may be allergic to some fruits or vegetables, but probably not ALL of them. Research shows that eating at least 5 fruits and vegetables a day can: prevent heart disease reduce blood pressure help prevent diabetes prevent certain types of cancer prevent excess weight gain prevent constipation prevent gastrointestinal diseases reduce risk of cataracts And my personal opinion is that they simply make you FEEL better. Are you convinced yet? Often times, the barriers to eating more fruits and vegetables are cost lack of convenience dislike of fruit/veg taste Cost One way to balance out the cost of produce is to stop buying other things (like fruit snacks, soda, chips, cookies) and to spend that money on fresh fruits and vegetables instead. Buy frozen fruits + veggies. I rarely buy fresh berries, broccoli, cauliflower or green beans. I almost never buy organic produce. It's better to buy MORE fruits and veggies than to spend a ton of money on organics Convenience Start with veggies that require NO prep, like bananas, oranges and baby carrots. Canned vegetables and fruits are so easy and also still good for you. Buy frozen whenever possible. Try bagged salads that include dressing and toppings. Dislike of Fruits and Vegetables? Buy fruits and vegetables that you DO like. Slowly try new ones until you find a few different types that you like. Try things cooked different ways. I do not like canned brussel sprouts, but I could eat cups of roasted brussel sprouts! Here's a sample of how I will often eat 9 servings of fruits and vegetables in one day: Breakfast Add fruit to breakfast! blueberries (#1) cereal milk Snack: Apple (#2) peanut butter Lunch: tuna salad bread baby carrots (#3) cutie orange (#4) Snack: green smoothie 1 banana (#5) 1 cup spinach (#6) Dinner: mac and cheese steamed cauliflower - from a frozen package (#7) canned peaches (#8) Snack: yogurt frozen berries (#9) Here's another example for EASY ways to add in more veggies: Cottage Cheese and Pears Breakfast: eggs toast avocado (#1) snack: crackers cottage cheese canned pears (#2) lunch: hot dog bun broccoli with cheese (microwavable frozen pouch) (#3) banana (#4) snack popcorn fruit smoothie (#5) dinner spaghetti tomato sauce (#6) canned green beans (#7) applesauce (#8) Of course this requires some work. All good things require work. New years goals surrounding nutrition can be confusing and tricky. It's hard to know where to start. While I can't promise that eating fruits and vegetables will change you life, I know that it is the first step in eating well. I hope you've found something in here to motivate you to eat more! Looking for healthy recipes that include veggies? Check out our recipe page: https://www.ddinutrition.com/recipes thanks for reading! Nicole

The #1 most important health goal you can make in 2025 is to prioritize sitting down to eat with your kids. That's it. Seem to simple to be helpful? It's been my experience in counseling patients over the past 15 years that almost everyone who DOESN'T eat family meals will struggle with the following problems: kids who are picky eaters kids who won't eat meals kids who eat too much kids who don't eat enough parents who don't feel good about their eating choices My first recommendation is ALWAYS to sit down and eat MEALS together. As soon as families start eating meals together, their kids start eating better. Parents start feeding themselves better too. Of course, there's a few additional rules required to make this successful (quid pro quo's thank you genie from Aladdin). RULE #1: CHANGE HOW YOU SNACK This doesn't mean you can't have snacks: you just need to treat snacks like a meal. Have a set time for snacks, gather the food you want for snack and sit down to eat it at the kitchen table (or in a set spot on the floor if you have no table). Don't let your child graze. Stop giving snacks as a way to entertain your child in the car, at stores, at church, in the stroller, or at times when they need to wait. Have consistent meal and snack times sitting down in the same spot. RULE #2: BE CONSISTENT Try to eat at around the same times every day. Kids need to eat every 2-4 hours. Eat breakfast when you wake up and eat a meal or snack at the table (or in a set spot on the floor if you don't have a table) again about every 3 hours until bedtime. Make mealtime screen free time RULE #3: NO SCREENS no phones while eating no TV while eating no tablets while eating no toys, books or other distractions kid won't sit long enough to eat? They probably aren't hungry. Try again in 2-3 hours. don't try to distract your child into eating avoiding screens also prevents adults from overeating Don't force kids to eat. They'll eat when they are hungry! RULE #4: DON'T PRESSURE ANYONE TO EAT Offer food If your child chooses not to eat, don't make them eat If your child eats a lot, it's okay, maybe they are growing. They'll probably eat less later. You'll be offering a meal or snack again in 3 hours, they can eat at the next meal or snack if they aren't going to eat right now! That's it. Did you notice how I didn't say anything about WHAT to eat? How you eat is even more important than what you eat. That is partially because it's very difficult to eat well if you aren't planning and cooking meals. Get the meal habit down. Stop grazing all day. Then you can add in healthier foods. I'll show you what that looks like next week. thanks for reading!!

As a child, I loved filling every pocket of a Belgian waffle with maple syrup. On special mornings, like Christmas, I would top the little syrup swimming pools with tiny twisted-star- swirls of Redi-whip. There was something so magical about the way the syrup and whipped cream slowly melted into the walls of the waffle, creating a tender sugary breakfast delight. I still love waffles, I still love filling the pockets with syrup and I still save the Redi-whip for special occasions, like Christmas morning. Being a dietitian, I do try to make things a little more nutritious , even at Christmas time. The easiest way to make any baking recipe more nutritious is to use whole wheat flour. Whole wheat flour is healthier for two reasons: It has more fiber It has more nutrients The extra fiber slows down digestion, which prevents blood sugar spikes and feeds the good bacteria in your gut. Whole wheat waffles are just as yummy when you make them with whole wheat flour. Here's my go-to whole wheat waffle recipe from King Arthur Flour: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/whole-wheat-waffles-recipe I always use canola oil because it's healthier than butter, and a lot less expensive. image source: King Arthur Flour (link above) I'm always on the lookout for other whole wheat recipes that taste just as good as the white flour version. One of my favorite nutrition bloggers makes these whole wheat crepes for her family every Christmas: https://www.realmomnutrition.com/recipe-whole-wheat-crepes/ The recipe is also a hit at my house, no one will ever guess that they are whole wheat. image source: Real Mom Nutrition (link above) Lately my husband has been really into making cinnamon rolls for our family. He will probably make some for Christmas morning. It's hard to make healthy ones taste good, but this recipe looks promising, I think we will give it a try! https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/whole-wheat-30-minute-mini-cinnamon-buns-and-they-are-healthy/ Image source: Half Baked Harvest (link above) Last I'm going to share a favorite recipe that I make all the time, but could be special for your family if you've never had it before: https://www.ddinutrition.com/recipes-2/baked-oatmeal My kids lovingly refer to this as "oatmeal cake." The walnuts on top really make it delicious IMO. I always make it with canned pears because fresh are just too hard to get ripe. Image source: DDInutrition.com That's all I have for healthy breakfast recipe ideas today! I hope you time off to make some yummy breakfast recipes for your family! See you in January!

Did you know that the sugar in a cup of hot coco often exceeds a child's sugar limit for the day? Look at the added sugars in this container of coco: 19g added sugars If you add 5-6 marshmallows, the sugar content will total about 25 grams. Remember that the limit for kids is 25 grams added sugar PER DAY. I'm not saying that you can never have hot coco. I love hot coco, especially with marshmallows! What I would like you to consider is that maybe hot coco should be saved for special occasions, and should not be a daily addition to breakfast or afterschool snacks. So what warm sweet drink can you have instead? Vanilla milk! My son is drinking vanilla milk in this photo. Vanilla milk is the go-to hot drink at our house, I call it coco's healthier cousin. Vanilla milk meets that need for warmth without all the added sugar. Here's how you make it: Microwave a mug full of milk until warm. Stir in vanilla extract and a tiny bit of almond extract (just a drop). Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, a pinch of ground nutmeg and 1/8 teaspoon sugar. Stir and enjoy. If you start out serving this when your kids are young, they will come to love vanilla milk and enjoy it all their days. If you've only ever served hot coco, vanilla milk might taste bland to them. Give it time. My older kids warmed up to vanilla milk after I stopped buying hot coco. Now hot coco is something I save for special occasions! Let me know what you think if you try it! Happy Holidays!

I love making Christmas cookies. Making sugar cookie dough, rolling it out, cutting it out into snowflakes and Christmas trees.......holiday baking is the best. Unfortunately, too much holiday baking leaves me feeling yucky. And I don't want to feel yucky. So I came up with a few fun + healthy snack ideas that involve cookie cutters, Christmas trees and fun.....but no yucky feelings. A healthy snack will always include a protein and a complex carbohydrate (like fruit or whole grain....not sugar or white flour). I hope you enjoy. #1 Kiwi Tree You could add pomegranate seeds for lights. Serve with yogurt for the protein. #2 Cracker and Cheese Cutouts You could add red and green olives for more decor...but I don't usually have those on hand. The only crackers I buy for older kids are "hint of salt" Triscuits. They are lower in salt and higher in fiber than other crackers. These are a choking risk for kids 2 and under. For kids 2 and under, I recommend whole wheat ritz type of crackers. They are less of a choking risk. Aim to buy crackers that are high in fiber and low in salt. Buying unflavored varieties usually helps. #3 Pear Polar Bear The polar bear is playing in cottage cheese snow and has banana + raisin ears and paws. So cute, so easy, so healthy. If you have young children, get into the habit now of having healthy snacks....and get into the habit of making them fun! See you next week with another healthy holiday snack idea. Nicole

Having diabetes or pre-diabetes doesn't mean you can't have pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving. It does mean that you have to be a little more mindful of your desert choices. Here are 2 ways to make any dessert recipe a little bit healthier. Cut back on the sugar Slow the absorption of sugar by adding fiber, protein and healthy fats #1 How to cut back on sugar in recipes You can often decrease the sugar in a recipe by 1/4 without changing the texture. If a recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar, you would only add 3/4 cup. It will taste less sweet, but overtime you'll enjoy desserts that aren't as sweet. I made this cookie recipe yesterday with only 1/2 cup sugar instead of 3/4 cup. Everyone still loved them! You might be thinking that 1/4 cup won't make a difference in sugar content, but it totally does. In some cases, it can save you 1-2 teaspoons of sugar per cookie! How does 1 teaspoon compare to your daily limit? The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugars to 6 teaspoons per day for kids and women. So 1 teaspoon is a big deal! Little changes add up over time! Here's an example of a lower sugar pumpkin cake I frequently make. The original recipe had 2 cups of sugar and I cut it back to 1 + 1/3 cup. https://www.ddinutrition.com/recipes-2/pumpkin-cake #2 How to slow the absorption of sugar One way to help the body handle extra sugar is to slow down digestion so that the sugar in food doesn't all enter into the bloodstream at once. Protein, fat and fiber slow down digestion. Look for dessert recipes with the following ingredients: Nuts & nut butters: high in protein, fiber and healthy fats Whole Grain Flours: Whole wheat flour is high in protein and fiber. I keep whole wheat pastry flour on hand for making cookies (I buy it in bulk at WinCo). You usually can't tell the difference between this flour and white flour in cookie recipes. Fruits & Vegetables: bananas, apples, applesauce and pumpkin are in fiber. They also add natural sweetness, which helps you to decrease the amount of added sugar. Blended Beans: I know this sounds weird, but beans add fiber and protein. My kids love these black bean brownies (I just use butter and regular sugar instead of those fancy ingredients): https://www.eatingbirdfood.com/fudgy-maple-flourless-black-bean-brownies/#wprm-recipe-container-33779 These are my favorite sites for healthier dessert recipes: https://www.eatingbirdfood.com/category/meal-type/dessert/ https://cookieandkate.com/category/food-recipes/dessert/ What dessert will I be bringing for Thanksgiving? image source: food52 (link below) Pumpkin Pudding. I follow this recipe , but decrease the sugar to a little bit more than 1/2 cup. I don't want to waste my calories on the crust because I only like the filling anyway. image source: ambitious kitchen (link below) Apple Crisp . I follow this recipe , but decrease the sugar in the apples to 2 Tablespoons. I'll use sugar, not maple syrup. Maple syrup is way too expensive. Remember, just because you have diabetes doesn't mean you can't have sweets. It does mean you need to be careful how much you eat, and adapting recipes to be a little healthier can make a difference in the long run. What will you be cooking for Thanksgiving? Leave a comment or send me an email, I want to know!

Why wait for the new year to start healthy habits? Jumpstart your healthy eating goals now with these delicious fruit and veggie side dishes. Whether you are hosting a Thanksgiving crowd, or just bringing something to share, these yummy recipes are sure to please your "peeps" and your palate. #1 Roasted Brussel Sprouts At my family's thanksgiving get togethers, someone is always ASSIGNED the brussels sprouts, just like someone is ASSIGNED the rolls and apple pie. They are that good. Unlike boiled brussels sprouts (gag and cringe), roasted sprouts are crispy, sweet and delicious. Don't believe me? Check out all the positive reviews in the Allrecipes link below; while you are there, be sure to watch the how-to video. image source: allrecipes.com (link above) How much will this recipe cost? All you have to buy is the brussels sprouts ($5.49 @ Smiths - serves 8-10 people) and top them with a bit of oil and salt. That's it! To cut on costs, you can use frozen brussels sprouts. The texture isn't as good, so I recommend using fresh sprouts your first time, and trying frozen later. Bulk sprouts at Winco or other markets might also be cheaper. Want to know more about how to pick out and store brussels sprouts? Click here . #2 Fresh Fruit Salad Skip the coolwhip/pudding mix and serve your fruit salad naked! It will save you money and calories. My favorite fall fruit salad is: apples, pomegranates and a little bit or orange. Simply peel and chop 2-3 apples, separate the pomegranate seeds and peel the clementines. Mix them together in a bowl and voila, you've got a fancy fruit salad. For a bit more flavor, squeeze juice from a fresh lemon over the top. How much will it cost? About $6. Sometimes you can get apples for less, I like to buy a few different kinds for different flavors. Got new eaters? Serve up some applesauce instead. This recipe is a choking hazard for new eaters! Wait until your child is good a chewing before serving hard apples, pomegranate seeds and orange chunks. #3 Bagged Salad Mix Making your own salad can get expensive, especially if you don't already have dressing ingredients and fancy cheeses on hand. I have fallen in LOVE with bagged salad mixes. The sweet kale and apple feta mixes are the perfect accompaniment to fall meals. My kids love the "Everything Bagel" salad mix from Taylor Farms. The little crunchy bits in these salads also get kids (and wary adults!) interested in eating their greens. The portion size is small to prevent having leftovers rotting in the bottom of your fridge. Smith's often clearances the salads out for $1.50, so keep an eye out for discount tags! Make sure the greens aren't slimy before purchasing and eat them within a day; discount produce is usually at the end of it's life. BONUS RECIPE: This one isn't as easy , but I want you to know about it because it's a family favorite: Roasted Butternut Squash image source: allrecipes.com An alternative to roasted brussels sprouts is roasted butternut squash. It's more difficult to prepare (you have to peel and chop it, which is hard if you don't have sharp knife and a good peeler). When roasted, these little squares of butternut squash taste like french-fries. My family often can't wait for these to get off the pan before they start snitching on them. Check out the recipe and how-to video here: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/229733/simple-roasted-butternut-squash/ How much will a butternut cost? About $5 for a whole squash. Pre-cut squash is significantly more expensive per ounce , and frozen is the least expensive, but if you don't want to do the chopping, pre-chopped is a good option. Those are my go-to side dishes for holiday meals. Do you have a favorite holiday side? If so, send me an email nicolebuhlerRD@gmail.com or put a comment on this post. I reply to all comments and emails! Next week I will share some of my favorite sources for healthier thanksgiving desserts! Happy Cooking!

Last weeks blog compared the cost of healthy choices vs. less healthy choices. While the healthy choice isn't ALWAYS less expensive, it often can be. Check out these money saving healthy food swaps: Hot Dog vs. Peanut Butter Cost: peanut butter wins by 3 cents per oz Peanut butter = 10 cents per oz Bar-S Hot Dog = 13 cents per oz Nutrition: Peanut butter wins! More protein and more healthy nutrients per serving! 2 TABLESPOONS PEANUT BUTTER 1 BAR-S HOT DOG 7 grams protein 3 grams protein 3 grams fiber 0 grams fiber 2 grams saturated fat (bad fat) 3 grams saturated fat (bad fat) 150 mg sodium 430 mg sodium 6% iron needs for the day 2% iron needs for the day 150 mg sodium 430 mg sodium I almost never buy hot dogs, but my family eats a jar of peanut butter a week! If you are looking for a quick healthy protein food for your kids, a peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread can't be beat in cost or nutrition. Frozen Burrito vs. Tortilla with Cheese & Beans Cost: Tortilla with cheese wins by 5 cents per ounce (not much) tortilla with cheese & beans = 57 cents each frozen burrito = 62 cents each Nutrition: I never buy frozen burritos, but we eat a lot of quesadillas at our house! They are healthier because you can use corn or whole wheat tortillas to increase the fiber! A homemade quesadilla can also have more beans and less cheese! Tuna Sandwich vs. Homemade Hamburger Cost: Tuna Sandwich wins tuna sandwich = $1.37 each energy drink on average = $2.32 each Nutrition: tuna sandwich wins! More protein plus more omega-3 fats and vitamin D! Hamburgers are nutritious! They are high in iron, which is important for young children! But tuna is healthier, less expensive and EASIER TO MAKE. I eat tuna twice a week for lunch. It is one of the healthiest things I eat every week! tuna burger 17 grams protein 12 grams protein 370 mg salt depends on how much you add 12% daily need iron 15% daily need iron 20% daily need omega 3 0% daily need omega 3 15% daily need vitamin D 0% daily need vitamin D Homemade Green Smoothie vs. Store Bought Energy Drink Cost: Green Smoothie wins! green smoothie = $0.87 cents each energy drink on average = $2.50 each Nutrition: green smoothie of course! You may think I'm crazy, but if you want to feel good, drinking a green smoothie will help you so much more than anything in a can. Green smoothies are loaded with vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber. They are also hydrating and help your body function at it's best. Here's the recipe I use for a green smoothie every day: https://www.ddinutrition.com/recipes-2/green-smoothie That's it for the cost comparisons today! I'll be back next week talking about foods for thanksgiving!

While I was preparing dinner at a family reunion this summer, my cousin said "wow!, you must spend a lot of money on food, look at all that healthy stuff!, I can't eat like that because it's too expensive." I wasn't sure how to respond. I had made tabbouleh, hummus and tzatziki wraps. I served baby carrots and chopped watermelon on the side. (this is an AI generated photo...but it gives you an idea of what that looks like) She was making sandwiches on grandma sycamore's white bread with sliced cheddar cheese and deli ham. For sides she served chips, soda and store bought cookies. (another AI generated photo). Most people think that healthy eating costs a fortune. I disagree. Let's compare the cost of my cousin's ham and cheese sandwich lunch with my tabbouleh wrap lunch. Ham + cheese Sandwich with chips and soda = $2.45 Cost of tabbouleh/hummus wrap with carrots + watermelon = $1.10 It really only cost me 80 cents because I got all the veggies out of my garden for free. Want to know where I got those numbers? Check out the details at the end of the post. You also get "more bang for your buck" with healthy food, because it's loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber and healthy fats. Look at how nutritious the cheaper lunch is in this table: sandwich with chips, cookie and soda tabbouleh meal fiber 1 gram 6 grams vitamin C 0% 100% daily value vitamin A 0% 100% daily value vitamin K 0% 100% daily value Healthy food also has less added sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats. sandwich with chips, cookie and soda tabbouleh meal added sugar 40 grams (cookie + soda) 0 grams added salt 210 mg Doritos + 260 mg ham + 120 cheese + 160 mg Oreos (total 750mg) 230 mg from tzatiki + tabbouleh + hummus + 340 tortilla (total 570mg) unhealthy saturated fats 4.5 grams saturated 1 gram saturated fat Yes, eating healthy does require some planning, preparation and know-how. But it certainly doesn't cost more! I know Tzatziki and Hummus is too weird and complicated for many people, so let's compare something easier: chicken nuggets + fries vs black beans with rice and salsa Great value Chicken Nuggets + great value french fries = 18.7 cent/oz + 9.3 cents/oz Canned black beans + brown rice + salsa = 5.7 cents/oz + 5 cents/oz + 3 cents/oz 1 serving for a toddler is 2 oz protein (beans or chicken) and 2 oz starch, so Nuggets + fries = 50 cents beans, rice, salsa = 25 cents Beans and Rice have less sodium plus more fiber and nutrients! Look at this table below: nuggets beans + rice 1 grams saturated fat 0 grams saturated fat 225 mg sodium 65 mg sodium 1 gram fiber 4.5 grams fiber 0 mg calcium 25 mg calcium 1 mg iron 1.25 mg iron Still not convinced that healthy eating is going to save you money? Stay tuned. Next week I will compare a few more meals. If you want more to read until then read this post I wrote about how cooking at home will save you money. Nicole Detailed cost analysis of ham sandwich vs. tabbouleh meal: Cost of Ham + cheese Sandwich with chips and soda: $2.45 grandma sycamore's bread: 2.98 for 19 slices (16 cents/slice) 16 oz container great value deli ham: 5.97 for 16 oz (75 cents for 2 oz serving) sliced cheddar cheese: 2.24 for 12 slices (19 cents per slice) Doritos 3.00 for 9 servings (50 cents per serving) Great Value Twist Up soda can: 4.46 for 12 cans (37 cents per can) package of Oreos: $4.88 (32 cents per serving) total: $2.45 for one serving of a sandwich, chips, soda and cookie Cost of tabbouleh + hummus + baby carrots + watermelon: $0.80 ($1.10 if you don't get free veggies) Tabbouleh: total: 7 cents per serving (71 cents per recipe) bulgur wheat from winco bins: 9 cents for 1 cup for the whole recipe, so maybe 1 cent per serving cucumber: (free from my garden), if you don't garden and are receiving SNAP, free from farmers markets red bell pepper: (free from my garden), if you don't garden and are receiving SNAP, free from farmers markets parsley: (free from my garden), if you don't garden and are receiving SNAP, free from farmers markets olive oil: 50 cents per 1/4 cup, so maybe 5 cents lemon juice: from a lemon I bought on discount as smiths (10 cents) cumin, salt, pepper: maybe 2 cents Tazatziki:   8 cents per serving (78 cents for the entire recipe) yogurt: 2.56 for the container which is 25 cents per cup sour cream: 50 cents per half cup cucumber: (free from my garden), if you don't garden and are receiving SNAP, free from farmers markets dill, salt, pepper: maybe 2 cents per recipe Hummus:   15 cents per serving (1.40 for the entire recipe) garbanzo beans: 86 cents per can (17 cents per serving) olive oil: 50 cents per 1/4 cup lemon juice: from a lemon I bought on discount as smiths (10 cents) garlic powder: less than 1 cent Tortillas: 1.98 for 10 tortillas (20 cents each) baby carrots: 12 cents per serving watermelon: 4.58 each (about 20 cents per serving) total: $0.80 for one hummus, tazatziki, tabbouleh wrap with carrots and watermelon add .30 cents for cuke, bell pepper and parsley per serving if you don't grow your own, so $1.10

When my teenage kids' friends find out that I'm a dietitian, they immediately start asking if my kids are allowed to eat candy. They think that because I'm a dietitian, I don't allow ANY sweets or treats in our house. The opposite is true. I love treats. I love candy and baking, and I love Halloween! Eating healthy is all about moderation and balance . I'm planning a Halloween party for my 3rd grader. We will be making Frankenstein toast, mummy toast, apple teeth and mummy dogs. We will also eat donuts off of a string and have some candy corn. What's my opinion on Halloween candy? My opinion aligns 100% with my fellow Dietitian Ellyn Satter. I think that every parent should read this article she wrote about Halloween candy: https://www.ellynsatterinstitute.org/family-meals-focus/30-halloween-candy/ I've been following her advice since my kids were little, it works well! Now that my kids are older, it's common for me to find old Halloween candy in the pantry during our April spring cleaning. Some parents like to do the "switch witch" where they switch Halloween candy for books and toys. I've never tried this....mostly because I'm lazy and it requires some forethought. But here's an excellent way to think about the switch witch from a Registered Dietitian's perspective: https://www.realmomnutrition.com/switch-witch/ Happy Halloween! Looking for fun recipes to make? Here's a few of our Halloween favorite recipes: https://www.ddinutrition.com/recipes-2/mummy-toast https://www.ddinutrition.com/recipes-2/frankenstein-avocado-toast https://www.ddinutrition.com/recipes-2/ghost-toast https://www.ddinutrition.com/recipes-2/pumpkin-black-bean-soup Last year I tried this recipe from the blog tastes better from scratch , it was delicious and fun! https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/dinner-in-a-pumpkin-2/ See you next week!

“Why do you have to be a dietitian, Mom?, it ruins all of our fun !” my 5 year old pouted. I had just finished telling him that we couldn't have only Halloween candy for lunch. As I served him up a tuna sandwich with a Milky Way on the side, I thought to myself “Why does all fun have to involve candy?' ' I don't like setting limits around treats and candy. I worry: " Am I too strict? Am I ruining all of my kids' fun? Am I making my kids crazy about treats?" But I still set limits because I know it's important. ( read more about how to do it here ) I wanted to argue and defend my fun-mom-ness, but I knew arguing wouldn't help. Arguing is not something fun-moms do. Instead, I got creative and came up with something fun and healthy to do together later in the day: Halloween food crafts FUN HALLOWEEN FOOD CRAFTS Using my friend google, I found fun Halloween lunch ideas: Frankenstein-avocado toast , mummy pizza and ghost toast . I’ve since re-created them and posted them here , here and here . These recipes are FUN, healthy and within-my-food-crafting-abilities (meaning that they require ZERO skill). The recipes also taste really good. I love peanut butter and banana ghost toast, and my son loves the mummy toast. This toast is a great way to have Halloween fun without candy. Candy isn't evil. I like candy! I just like it in limited doses, and it's always good to find ways to have fun without added sugar. Let me know if you try any of these recipes! Watch your email for next week's post, I'll be discussing the "Sticky Topic of Halloween Candy." Happy Eating! Nicole My Menu for this week: Monday: Nachos topped with cheese, beans, fresh salsa and avocado Tuesday: Elk and potato stew + whole wheat bread + apples Wednesday: Bean Soup + whole wheat cheese sandwiches + honeydew melon Thursday: kasha salad with mushrooms + sweet potatoes Friday: pbj + apples (we will be traveling) Saturday: eggs and pancakes