The fridge was empty again. I spent 200$ at the grocery store just days earlier. Where did all the food go? Did we get robbed by hungry bandits in the night? Did the kids have a party I didn’t know about? Or did we just have a house full of growing kids? There were still things to eat in the pantry: noodles, canned beans, and that really good chocolate I keep hidden on the top shelf. But I wanted fresh produce to make a meal with. Luckily I still had food in my freezer. I had good healthy food in my freezer. Not frozen pizza and nuggets: fruits, vegetables, and meats! Enough to make balanced meals until my Friday grocery run. I strategically use my freezer as a “storage bin” for the foods we frequently eat. I buy in bulk when prices are good, and freeze the extra before it goes bad. My freezer helps me spend less money on keeping healthy food in the house. Do you want to spend less on healthy food too? Here's a list of money-saving freezer friendly foods you might find helpful! #1 Discounted Produce: Smiths has a discount bin with fruits/vegetables for $1.00 in red mesh bags (see lemons + peppers in photo below). The produce is sometimes old or bruised. It's fine to use right away, but if you can't use it right away, freeze it! Below is a list of my favorite clearance items to freeze for later (and a link for the recipes I use them in) Lemons + limes: how: Freeze whole and then microwave for 30 seconds when ready to use, cost savings: 10/1$ on discount, normal price: $.75 each recipe: peanut noodles, many recipes I find online often call for fresh lemon juice! Peppers: how: Chop then freeze in a ziploc bag for cooked recipes. Don't use frozen bell peppers in fresh salads - they won't be crunchy after you freeze them cost savings: usually 3/1$ on discount, normal price: 1$ each recipes: curry, chili, egg muffin cups Bananas: how: Peel and keep in a ziploc bag for about 1 month cost savings: Discounted ripe bananas are usually 1/2 the cost of regular bananas. Plus, you want ripe bananas for these recipes anyway! recipes: easy oatmeal cookies, peanut butter cookies, green smoothie, spinach muffins, fruity muffins Spinach: how: Place an entire bag or container in your freezer for about 3 months. If you have spinach going bad in your fridge, put it in the freezer for smoothies! cost savings: Entire bags are sometimes on clearance for $1.00, normally a bag is $3.00. I often find the big bins for $2.50, they are about $6 regular price! recipes: green smoothie, curry, crustless quiche (use spinach instead of broccoli), green muffins, spinach lasagna, Squash and pumpkins: how: Roast squash in the shell, then scoop out of the shell and put in ziploc bags. Freeze extra canned pumpkin if a recipe doesn’t use the entire can. cost savings: pumpkins are often deeply discounted after Halloween. If you are willing to cook and freeze them, you can get a lot of pumpkin for about $1.00. recipes: pumpkin lentil curry, no flour pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cake, pumpkin black bean soup, chocolate bran muffins Berries how: Buy bags of frozen berries instead of fresh, defrost in the microwave cost savings: 6oz fresh berries = 2.99 (.50cent/oz), 48oz frozen berries = 10.99 (.22 cent/oz). Fresh berries are DOUBLE the cost of frozen berries. recipes: pancake topping instead of syrup, in oatmeal, inside crepes, defrost and serve on the side of dinner or lunch Mangoes how: Buy frozen bags of mangoes instead of fresh, defrost in microwave cost savings: fresh = 1$/.5 cup, frozen = 1$/1 cup Prices vary, but usually frozen is more economical, and you don't have to bother with cutting them! recipes: defrost and serve on the side of meals Broccoli + Cauliflower how: Buy frozen bags of broccoli and cauliflower, or if discounted, buy fresh and freeze in ziploc bags. This also works for brussel sprouts. cost savings: fresh = 1.99/lb, frozen = 1.66/lb + you don't have to bother with chopping, and packages stay good in your freezer for about 3 months recipes: broccoli cheese soup, peanut noodles, buddha bowls Fresh Ginger how: Buy fresh ginger and stick it in the freezer. It doesn't even need a bag on it. cost savings: No savings, other than having it on hand so you don't have to run to the store when making the recipes below recipes: peanut sauce, curry, buddha bowls #2 Meat Dairy and Bread Discounted meat: I don't eat a lot of meat. However, I know most people do! Meats are good past the expiration date if you put them in the freezer before they expire. I will buy discounted sausage and bacon that is about to expire and put it in my freezer for later (see bacon in photo above). It's still good if I use it within 1-2 months. I do make sure it hasn't already spoiled before I buy it! Bulk meat: I like to keep bacon on hand to give flavor to recipes. It is much less expensive per ounce to buy bacon in bulk. The same is often true of chicken. When it's a good price, I will buy it in bulk and portion out extras into ziploc bags. Butter: A few month ago my local smiths was discounting butter for $1.50 a pound. It's usually $4.00 per pound!! I bought 20 pounds and put them in my freezer. The checker thought I was crazy. But I know that butter stays good in the freezer for a year or two and saved myself at least $50 in butter costs! Milk: Gallons of milk will often get marked down at my local Smiths. I will buy a few extra gallons and freeze them. Previously frozen milk does have a different texture, so I only use pre-frozen milk for cooking (pancakes, waffles, oatmeal). Other dairy products, like cream cheese, sour cream, yogurt and cottage cheese do not freeze well in my experience. Cheese: Cheese prices change a lot! One week 2 pounds will be $5, the next week it will be $8. When the prices are low, I buy several bags and freeze it for later. I find that shredded cheese freezes nicely, bricks of cheese do not freeze as well. #3 Bread fancy bread: Stores often discount baguettes and "fancy" sourdough loaves for less than 1$. They stay good in the freezer for about a month. I toast frozen bread before eating it. naan bread: I often serve stone fire naan bread with curry and hummus. I often see it on clearance for half price. It stores well in the freezer for about a month or two. bread loaves: When sandwich bread is priced well, I will buy a few loaves and freeze them for french toast. There's a list of foods I keep in my freezer to save money and eat healthy! I hope a few of these ideas will help you save money and eat healthier too! Want more to try out a few recipes from the freezer on a live zoom call with me? Join us for Cooking Club March 28. We will be making green smoothies and banana cookies. Click this link to join us! It's free and fun, once you sign up, a zoom link and recipes will be emailed to you.

"But I don't like red sauce!" My 10-year-old whined as I was about to top her noodles with a scoop of marinara. "I just want plain noodles!" she persisted, as I rolled my eyes and put the spoon back in the sauce pot. I have a love-hate relationship with noodles. You could say noodles are a pretty healthy food. They are fortified with iron and folate. They have a little bit of protein. If you buy whole wheat noodles, they are also a good source fiber. They are fast to make, easy to eat, and as universally loved as baby shark. However, you can't live on noodles alone. Noodles lack fat and protein, which means they won't keep you full for long. If you eat them without a high protein sauce, you will be hungry again soon. I don't want my kids to be hungry again soon. Which is why I created this month's COOKING CLUB recipe: 30-minute peanut noodles. One serving of these peanut noodles has 14 grams of protein and 14 grams of filling, healthy fats. Reminder: small humans aged 1-3 only need 13 grams of protein daily. Your kids are less likely to ask for a snack 30 minutes after dinner when they eat a meal that includes fat and protein. Why else would you want to make this recipe? The sauce is almost as easy as a can of red sauce: you just microwave peanut butter with soy sauce and optional flavorings. The ingredients are inexpensive and keep in the freezer and pantry for a long time. You'll only use one pot, a grater, a measuring cup and a tablespoon, which means less time spent cleaning up dishes after dinner. And your kids won't whine for plain noodles when this recipe is on the menu: it's delicious! Want to try it out for yourself? Here's the recipe link: https://www.ddinutrition.com/30minutepeanutnoodles Want to try cooking it with us? Families enrolled in DDI VANTAGE Early Head Start can join a live zoom cook along with me, Nicole Buhler, Registered Dietitian. Class will be held Tuesday, February 28th at 11 am, 5 pm or 6:30 pm. Ask your family advocate for signup information today! P.S. Here's my menu for the week: Monday: Nicole out of town, family eats leftover lasagna from the weekend + green beans Tuesday: Nicole out of town, family eats leftover walnut tofu baked stir fry + rice Wednesday: peanut noodles with frozen veggies + oranges Thursday: 10 year old cooks one pot sausage noodles with kale + grapes Friday: 12 year old makes one pot chicken and rice + applesauce Saturday: quesadillas with beans, bell peppers and onions + applesauce

Last night my brother texted me saying "Tomorrow is National Peanut Butter Day!" I wrote back "Awesome!!! I should celebrate by eating peanut butter for every meal!" And then I realized that I did that yesterday. And the day before that, and the day before that. Which is probably why my brother notified me of National Peanut Butter Day. I love peanut butter. My family eats a lot of it. A lot, a lot, of it. We've eaten 4 cases of peanut butter since the case lot sale in October! Why so much peanut butter? It's cheap It's nutritious It's convenient At about $1.25 a jar, peanut butter is one of the least expensive forms of protein. Two Tablespoons provide 50% of a toddler's protein needs for the DAY! It's also high in iron and zinc, which are important for a toddler's brain development. The healthy unsaturated fat found in peanut butter will keep you (and your little ones) full. Peanut butter is also the most convenient form of protein for lunches: peanut butter sandwiches stay safe without refrigeration. Besides PBJ, what are my favorite ways to use peanut butter? #1 Peanut Butter Oatmeal: https://www.ddinutrition.com/peanutbutteroatmeal This is our go-to breakfast. My kids eat it almost every day and love it. It has more protein and fat than breakfast cereal, which means it keeps little tummies full for hours. #2 Peanut Butter Pumpkin Muffins: https://www.ddinutrition.com/no-flour-pumpkin-muffins I make these muffins in the BLENDER, they are that easy. Just blend, pour into muffin cups and bake. One muffin has enough protein to meet a child's needs for the day. #3 Peanut Butter Green Smoothie: https://www.ddinutrition.com/green-smoothie I always feel full and refreshed after eating this smoothie each morning. I keep ripe bananas and spinach in my freezer for this smoothie. Those are my top 3 peanut butter recipes! Do you love peanut butter too? Let me know in the comments! Looking for more peanut butter recipes? Try my oatmeal peanut butter cookies or my pumpkin peanut butter curry, both are a great way to celebrate national peanut butter day. Or sign up for February's cooking class, we're making peanut noodles! (signups will go out next week). Happy National Peanut Butter Day! Nicole

"Why is it snowing again?" I thought to myself as I looked at the fat snowflakes floating past my window. The meal plan for the evening had been peanut noodles, but I wasn't in the mood for peanut noodles. I wanted something warm comforting and simple to improve my mood on this cold snowy night. It was the end of the week and all I had in the fridge was wrinkly carrots, limp celery, and Belgian dark chocolate that I was hiding from my kids. I had everything I needed for Veggie Noodle Soup (and everything I needed for a soul-soothing treat after the kids went to bed). This easy, 15-minute recipe is a family favorite. It's my 10-year-old's favorite meal. When she was about 3, we checked out the "Disney Princess Cookbook" from the library. This soup recipe was labeled "Seven Dwarves Soup." Every time she got to pick what we had for dinner, it was "7 Dwarves Soup." After checking the book out about 20 times, we finally purchased it. Now that she's 10, she often cooks Veggie Noodle Soup by herself. It's so easy, you can make it by yourself too. But it's much more fun to cook it with your kids. Here are 3 reasons to give this recipe a try: It's less expensive than buying cans of chicken noodle soup It's healthier than canned soup (more veggies + whole grains, and less salt!) It's fun to cook soup with kids! Here are 4 things little kids can do to help you make this soup: chop celery with a butter knife measure the water put chopped vegetables into the soup watch for the water to boil and add noodles If you let your kids help cook when they are in diapers, they'll be cooking on their own by the time they are 10. Trust me, the effort is worth the reward. Looking for another great recipe to make with your kids? Try this bread recipe to go along with your soup. It's what my baby is helping me cook in the photo above. You can also signup to cook bread and lentil soup with me and my kids at Cooking Club next Tuesday, January 24th at 4pm. Click this link to signup, there are still slots available even though the signup closure date has passed: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdRuNWY-zgfZ4P4_S3FS5hbrzd8JfCBTu9p4AQHQrZfwzJwtg/viewform?usp=sf_link Happy Cooking! Nicole

It’s the second week of January. I can only see three colors out my window: whitish-grey, brownish grey-and grey-grey. The blue sky has been hidden behind a curtain of clouds for weeks and I’m missing the sun. Unlike the snowman in this photo (which will melt if the sun ever comes out), my body is literally craving sunshine. I'm craving the sun's warmth, light and it's vitamin-D-creating powers. Yes, I'm a dietitian, so I think about these things regularly. Human skin creates vitamin D when it is exposed to sunlight. When we have limited sun exposure (during a winter inversion), we must rely on food for vitamin D. Unfortunately, there isn’t much vitamin D in the typical American diet. How do you know if you getting enough vitamin D in the winter? Keep reading to find out. In this article: What is vitamin D and why do we need it? Where does vitamin D come from? How much vitamin D does my family need? How do I know if my family is getting enough vitamin D? How do I choose a dietary supplement if I need one? What is vitamin D and why do we need it? The simple answer: Vitamin D is a nutrient that helps build bones. Children and adults who don’t get enough vitamin D are at risk for weak bones. Vitamin D might also help prevent cancer, heart disease, autoimmune diseases and depression. Getting enough Vitamin D improves your overall well-being. Click here to learn more. Where does vitamin D come from? The Sun: During the summer, exposure to 5-30 minutes of sunlight on your hands, face, arms and legs will meet vitamin D needs. During the winter: It’s too cold to expose your arms and legs outside + Because of Utah’s latitude, winter sunlight isn’t “strong” enough to make vitamin D Food: Vitamin D is naturally found in fatty fish (trout, salmon, cod liver oil), egg yolks and UV-light-exposed-mushrooms. Vitamin D is added to fortified foods: Milk (dairy and non-dairy), orange juice, and cereal. See the infographic at the bottom of this blog post for more info. How much vitamin D does my family need? The recommended amount of vitamin D depends on your age. Infants age 0-12 months: 10 mcg (400IU) kids + adults 1-70 years: 15 mcg (600 IU) Pregnant/nursing women:15 mcg (600 IU) Older adult at 70+ years: 20 mcg (800 IU) Vitamin D is labeled in units called micrograms (mcg) and International Units (IU) You'll usually see mcg on food labels. You’ll usually see IU on supplement labels (confusing!) How do I know if my family getting enough vitamin D? It's tricky to know if you are getting enough vitamin D. Here are 3 things to consider: 1. How much vitamin D are you getting from the sun? Winter sunlight isn't "strong" enough to make vitamin D Wearing sunscreen stops your skin from making vitamin D (but it's still important for preventing skin cancer!) Darker pigmented skin makes less vitamin D. Clouds and pollution block the sun's rays that make vitamin D. Summary: Being outside for 5-30 minutes in the summer will give you enough vitamin D. Your skin probably doesn't make enough vitamin D during a Utah winter. 2. How much vitamin D are you getting from food? 1 cup fortified milk = about 3 mcg 3 ounces fatty fish = 14.5 mcg 1 can tuna = 2.25 mcg 1 Egg yolk = 1 mcg People age 1-70 need 15 mcg/day 3 oz = the size of a deck of cards Check food labels to see how much you get from fortified foods you regularly eat Summary: If you don't eat fish 2 times/week or drink 4-5 cups of fortified milk/day, you don't get enough vitamin D from food. Check labels of foods you commonly eat to see how much you are getting. 3. How much vitamin D is your infant getting? Breast milk is usually low in vitamin D. Exclusively breastfed infants need to take 400 IU of vitamin D from birth until 12 months. Don't give an infant anything but formula or breastmilk in their bottle until 12 months. Exclusively formula-fed babies get all the vitamin D they need from infant formula. Summary: If your breastfed child age 0-1 year is not taking a vitamin D supplement, check with your pediatrician about starting one. Infant formula provides all of your child’s vitamin D needs. How do I choose a Vitamin D supplement if I need one? Here are 2 things to look for in a Vitamin D supplement 1. USP Mark Supplements are not regulated like drugs. To make sure a supplement is safe and effective, I look for the USP mark on a supplement label before I buy it. Here is an online list of USP-certified supplements: https://www.quality-supplements.org/verified-products/verified-products-listings#list1 image from USP.org 2. Take an amount less than 1,000 IU Taking too much vitamin D is dangerous and can cause high calcium levels in the blood. High calcium levels can cause nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness, kidney stones, and other problems. Do not take more than this amount of Vitamin D Children age 0-7 months: 1,000 IU Children age 7-12 months: 1,500 IU Children age 1-3 years: 2,500 IU Children age 4-8 years: 3,000 IU Children AND adults age 9+ years: 4,000 IU Remember that you only need to take this amount Infants age 0-12 months: 10 mcg (400IU) kids + adults 1-70 years: 15 mcg (600 IU) Pregnant/nursing women: 15 mcg (600 IU) Older adult at 70+ years: 20 mcg (800 IU) It is common for Vitamin D supplements to contain 2,000 IU of vitamin D. Don't take that much if you drink milk and eat fish. Look for a supplement with 600 IU. If you can’t find one, take a higher dose less often, or buy a gummy supplement and only eat part of it each day. Summary: Find a vitamin D supplement with USP on the label and aim to take only 600 IU or 15mcg per day. Take less if you drink fortified milk and eat fatty fish. Final Review: Vitamin D is important for bone health and general wellness. You probably get enough during the summer from sun exposure (but you should definitely wear sunscreen to prevent skin cancer) If you don't eat fish twice a week or drink 4 cups of milk/day (dairy or non-dairy), you probably don't get enough vitamin D during the winter. If your infant is breastfed, check with your doctor about vitamin D drop supplements. To get enough vitamin D during the winter: drink more milk, eat fatty fish 2 times/week (salmon is a good choice) or choose a USP approved supplement that is between 400 IU and 1,000 IU. Have questions? Email Nicole: nicolebuhlerRD@gmail.com References: NIH Vitamin D Fact Sheet for Professionals: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/ Harvard School of Public; The Nutrition Source; Vitamin D: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-d/ American Academy of Pediatrics; healthychildren.org; Vitamin D and Iron Supplements for Babies: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/feeding-nutrition/Pages/Vitamin-Iron-Supplements.aspx PS: My mealplan for the week Monday: whole wheat spaghetti, jarred red sauce, garlic bread, canned peaches, canned green beans Tuesday: skillet pizza topped with cheese, spinach and bell peppers, canned applesauce Wednesday: soft lentil tacos with whole wheat tortillas, orange slices, canned corn + black beans Thursday: Peanut noodles with tofu (recipe coming soon to the website), sliced bell peppers and spinach, orange slices Friday: veggie noodle soup + grapefruit slices Wondering how I get enough vitamin D? I eat oatmeal cooked in 1 cup of milk for breakfast every morning, I have a green smoothie made with milk for my morning snack, I eat tuna fish for lunch 2-3 days per week I drink warm vanilla milk for an afternoon snack every day I try to eat salmon once per week I eat 1/2 of a nature-made gummy supplement every other day (1/2 gummy = 500mg)

I had a lot of fun cooking with you in 2022. Here's a brief review of the 2022 cooking class recipes. This review might remind you of recipes you need to rollout again! We have a lot of fun classes coming up in 2023, starting with Sausage Lentil soup and whole wheat bread in January. Ask your Family Advocate how to sign up today! January 2022 - One Pot Tuna Noodle Casserole https://www.ddinutrition.com/tunanoodlecasserole February 2022 - Green Muffins + Green Smoothies smoothies: https://www.ddinutrition.com/green-smoothie muffins: https://www.ddinutrition.com/franken-muffins March 2022 - Spinach Lasagna https://www.ddinutrition.com/spinachlasagna April 2022 - Lentil Tacos https://www.ddinutrition.com/lentiltacos May 2022 (no class); May 2021 = Burrito Bowls https://www.ddinutrition.com/burrito-bowls June 2022 (no class), June 2021 Quick Curry https://www.ddinutrition.com/copy-3-of-new-page July 2022 (no class), July 2021 Hummus and Tzatziki Plate https://www.ddinutrition.com/hummusandtzatziki August 2022 (no class) August 2021: Rice and Bean Salad https://www.ddinutrition.com/riceandbeansalad September 2022 (no class) Sept 2021 Pumpkin Soup + Cornbread https://www.ddinutrition.com/pumpkinblackbeansoup Oct 2022 - Pumpkin Curry https://www.ddinutrition.com/pumpkin-lentil-curry Nov 2022 - Pumpkin Muffins https://www.ddinutrition.com/no-flour-pumpkin-muffins Dec 2022 - White Chicken Chili https://www.ddinutrition.com/white-chicken-chili Coming January 2023: Lentil Soup + Whole Wheat bread! Sign up using this form: https://forms.gle/jvNTX71APp6SGhAw8 I hope to see you all in class! - Nicole

After licking the beaters, I quietly whispered "I love you cookie dough" into the warm cookie-scented kitchen air. My college nutrition professors used to say "never trust a dietitian who doesn't love ice cream" and I would extend that adage to "never trust a dietitian who doesn't love cookies." Even though cookies are my one true love, I know that eating too many will give me a stomach ache, headache, and general icky feeling. I want to feel good during the holidays - not icky. But I still I want to make and eat holiday-shaped treats together. I still want to get cozy with a warm drink while reading "The Polar Express." And I still want my house to smell like warm cookies. I just don't want to feel yucky from all the extra sugar, and, I don't my kids to feel yucky either. Can you relate? If so, I've got a few healthy holiday treats for you to try. Not as a replacement for traditional holiday baking, but for a healthy filler between those mugs of "butterscotch hot coco with extra whip cream" and "sugar cookies mounded with sweet almond frosting." Eating healthy isn't about eliminating all the sugar and fun. It's about balancing it out. Here are three recipes I use to balance things out during the holidays 1) Warm Vanilla Milk 2) Kiwi Christmas Trees 3) Banana Oatmeal Cookies 1) Warm Vanilla Milk The first recipe I frequently make during the holidays is warm vanilla milk. Click on the link for the recipe. I've been whipping this up since my kids were about 3 and they often prefer it instead of hot cocoa. It's warm and comforting without any added sugar. Do we still drink cocoa? Of course! But it's more of a sometimes food rather than an everyday after-school snack. 2) Kiwi Trees Another fun food I like to make during the holidays is kiwi trees. Simply cut the skin off of a kiwi, slice it into half circles and arrange it into a tree. One kiwi provides 370% of a child's vitamin C needs for the day, 100% of their vitamin K needs, and 16% of their vitamin E needs. If your child is old enough to eat pomegranates, the seeds make perfect little tree ornaments. I used orange segments for the star. 3) Banana Cookies These banana cookies are easy, nutritious, and filling. They are full of potassium, fiber, iron, zinc, and healthy fats. I often make these when I want the house to smell like cookies, but don't want to fill my kids up with extra sugar. Those are 3 of my favorite healthy holiday treats. Remember that I am a trustworthy dietitian....I still make and eat my fill of regular cookies during the holidays. But I'm careful to choose healthier options when I've had enough sugar. I hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend. Thank you for reading my blog posts! I hope to see you all at the cooking class/club in January. We are making Lentil Soup and Whole Wheat Quick Bread. You can sign up for class here. Nicole

My kids ran inside before their wet hair turned to icicles. After an hour of swim practice in December, everyone was cold, wet and RAVENOUS. While they defrosted in the shower, I blankly stared into the (mostly empty) fridge. What could I concoct for dinner with a brick of cheese, 1/2 carton of sour cream, and the fuzzy mystery leftovers in the corner? Usually, nights like these would result in cheese quesadillas with canned refried beans. But even the picky child was tired of those. It was too cold for smoothies and salad. We had pancakes and eggs last night. Little Caesars pizza would require driving and waiting. We needed a miracle hot and filling homemade meal from pantry staples. And that's when I came up with white chicken chili! It's filling. It's fast. It's as popular as baby shark in a room full of toddlers and best of all It's made from pantry staples (or leftover turkey if you have it from Thanksgiving) Want to try the recipe out for yourself? Join us for Cooking Club Tuesday, December 6th. Click this link to register. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeSb3OWBsfmiUABD9ssv5TKhjm7wyoWZCHIv5VlS6mfiv2zxA/viewform?usp=sf_link Registration closes Wednesday 11/30. Next time you need to make dinner on an empty fridge, I hope you'll remember white chicken chili (it's so good you'll never find it growing mold in the back corner of your fridge). Have a happy, healthy week! Nicole P.S. Here's my menu this week: Monday: white chicken chili + green salad + pomegranates apple salad Tuesday: tuna noodle casserole + roasted brussel sprouts + apples Wednesday: crock pot elk roast + oven roasted sweet potatoes + canned peaches Thursday: crock pot lentil soup + whole wheat bread + canned peaches Friday-Sunday: visiting friends and family, they will cook for us, yahoo! Have a great week!

My face burned as I watched my daughter at Thanksgiving dinner. She had taken 3 bites of sweet potatoes, and 2 bites of turkey, and was now sneaking her little hand over to grab her sister's dinner roll (since she had already finished the other 2 on her plate). Thoughts of failure flooded my mind: "what kind of mom lets her kid gorge on rolls while leaving meat and vegetables untouched?" The Division of Responsibility In my training as a Registered Dietitian, I learned a method for feeding children called "The Division of Responsibility." The idea is that parents provide kids with healthy options and let kids choose how much (or whether) to eat. Kids eat as much as they want, or as little as they want, and parents DO NOT force them to eat (or not eat) in any way. The "Division of Responsibility" was easy with my first daughter: We gave her food. She ate it. the end. It was harder with my second child: We gave her food She threw it at us She asked for bread Frustrating. Even with my Dietitian training, her eating made me anxious: especially at Thanksgiving, when (I felt like) all eyes were on me. Nutrition in Dinner Rolls I decided to research the nutrition in rolls to ease my worries. This table shows what I found: Are you as surprised as I am to see that a regular-sized dinner roll has more protein and iron than a 1.5 oz slice of turkey (1.5 oz is the size of a hot dog). Please note that a roll is bigger than a small piece of turkey, so weight for weight, the turkey probably has more protein than the roll. But my daughter will eat 10 rolls. I'm lucky if she'll eat 2 bites of turkey. My point? It's not the end of the world if your child loves bread. You can trust your child to eat what she needs for healthy growth. Offer healthy foods, and your child will pick and choose from what is available to get the nutrition she needs. Thanks to enrichment and fortification (the adding of nutrients to foods), it's okay if she mostly chooses bread. Can you live on bread alone? Of course not. We need a variety from every food group to stay healthy. But my main message is this: bread is not the enemy. AND....it's okay to let your child decide what to eat, especially at holiday meals when you feel like everyone is watching. Just don't let them steal anyone's dinner roll; that's just plain mean! Are you interested in learning more about the division of responsibility? Click here to read more. Then, ask your Family Advocate to schedule a home visit with our Registered Dietitian. She can meet with you one-on-one to discuss your child's eating and things you can do to make mealtime joyful. P.S. Interested in what our dietitian is cooking for thanksgiving dinner? Here's my menu: turkey: sister-in-law is cooking it stuffing recipe: https://www.seriouseats.com/classic-sage-and-sausage-stuffing-or-dressing-recipe sweet potatoes: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/241834/oven-roasted-sweet-potatoes/ salad 1:https://www.eatingbirdfood.com/butternut-squash-salad/ salad 2:https://www.eatingbirdfood.com/roasted-vegetable-salad/ crock pot mashed potatoes:https://therecipecritic.com/crockpot-mashed-potatoes/ fruit: pomegranates + mandarin oranges and applesauce green beans: from a can rolls: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/divine-breadsticks-2/ vegan pumpkin pie (so yummy, and LESS EXPENSIVE than regular pumpkin pie!): https://www.eatingbirdfood.com/vegan-pumpkin-pie/

I bumbled down the baby food aisle, simultaneously sorting coupons, comparing costs, and preventing my 2-year-old from pulling my 6-month-old’s arm off. I wanted to give up and leave the store when I realized that one jar of pureed veggies cost more than an entire bag of carrots. Wasn’t there a cheaper option for baby food? A Eureka Moment on the Canned Veggie Aisle I reluctantly plopped a few baby food jars in my cart and turned the corner to the canned veggie aisle. It was Thanksgiving time, and I was picking up canned pumpkin to make pie. Before putting the can of pumpkin in the cart, I flipped it over to look at the label: ½ cup canned pumpkin = 0g added sugar 0g sodium 4 grams fiber Good source of potassium Excellent source of vitamin A 4% of the day’s iron ½ cup babyfood carrots = 0g added sugar 0g sodium 1 g fiber Good source of potassium Excellent source of vitamin A 0% of the day’s iron Eureka! Who needs baby food carrots when canned pumpkin provides similar nutrition at a fraction of the cost (1 can of pumpkin = $.33/baby serving VS. 1 jar of baby food carrots = $1.19/serving) I put a few extra cans of pumpkin in my cart and headed home to experiment on my children. My toddler's new favorite food At snack time that afternoon, I plopped plain pumpkin on my 2-year-old’s plate and spoon-fed some to my 6-month-old. I wasn’t sure if anyone would eat it, and planned on sliding it back off their plates and into the pumpkin cookies I was going to make that afternoon. But I didn’t need to slide any off my 2-year-old’s plate. She ended up eating the entire can. And then asked for more. How could this be? Who eats unsweetened, unsalted canned pumpkin? Babies and toddlers, that’s who! I’ve since served canned pumpkin to many toddlers and they all eat it - and like it! Canned pumpkin for the win! It’s easy to eat, salt-free, sugar-free, and doubles as adult food - which means it’s not wasted when the baby grows up. 3 Ways to use Canned Pumpkin My oldest is now in middle school, but I still catch her “sneaking” spoonfuls of canned pumpkin whenever I’m making pumpkin recipes. While I no longer serve it to her friends at snacktime, I do serve it to my DDI VANTAGE families every chance I get! For cooking class last month we made this pumpkin curry. One mom told me her husband had thirds! For November’s socialization in Tooele, we made this adorable pumpkin dip. Even the pickiest eaters loved it! For cooking class in November, we will be making these flourless pumpkin muffins. The recipe focuses on WIC foods (peanut butter, eggs and pumpkin). Class is Tuesday Nov 15th at 6:30 pm. Interested in signing up? Click on this link: https://forms.gle/33zUVcLkcetPiGpQA Canned pumpkin is a bargain superfood. It might not be super enough to keep your 2-year-old from pulling your baby’s arm off, but it can save you cash at the grocery store, which is something we all need these days. Hope to see you at cooking class next week! ~Nicole, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

Are you looking for a fun, festive Halloween meal idea? One that screams Halloween………..but doesn’t require spooky ingredients……..and is something that your kids will actually eat? Enter in: Whole Wheat Halloween-shaped pancakes. I’ve been making these since my kids were babies..........and now they make them for me! Tricks to Making These Treats The trick to making these pancakes work is to use a "thin" pancake recipe like my simple pancakes. This recipe uses whole wheat flour to add fiber to your child's diet. Fiber will help keep them full and is important for gut health. If you don't want to make the simple recipe, here are some other ideas: Make it easier: use a pancake mix, add more milk/oil to make the batter easy to pour Add more protein: try this cottage cheese pancake recipe, you must use a blender to make this work. Cottage cheese pancakes make an easy pre-trick-or-treating dinner idea. Add veggies: I often add 1/2 cup of pumpkin to make orange pancakes. I've also added a cup of spinach to make green Frankenstein faces. Both work well but alter the taste and texture. Instructions with Pictures 1. Make your favorite pancake recipe in a blender. My go-to pancake recipe works well for this and adds fiber to your child's diet. (use a blender so there are no “chunks” of flour: if you don’t have a blender, just mix the batter really well) 2. Pour the batter into an old ketchup container. I bought this mustard container at the dollar store about 10 years ago and have been using it for pancakes ever since. 3. Heat your griddle and draw an outline with your pancake batter. 4. Let the outline cook for about 3 minutes. You want it to get really dark. 5. Fill in the middle with more batter 6. Let the pancake cook until bubbles appear on the filling and the pancake looks set. 7. Flip the pancake and cook until set, 1-2 minutes. Do you see how the outline is darker than the rest of the pancake? It's not a different batter, it's just cooked longer. 8. Serve up your Halloween fun and repeat! Older kids have a blast making their own Halloween-shaped pancakes. Extend the Fun: More Halloween-Inspired Recipes Looking for a spooky side dish? Try this green smoothie recipe for a drink that is sure to fill your kids' bellies! Here's some more fun Halloween-inspired recipes I'll be making for snack time today. The pumpkin muffins are a good healthy substitute for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins Mummy Pizza Toast Ghost Toast Let me know if you try these! I'd love to see any photos you take: nicolebuhlerRD@gmail.com Here's my menu from last week for those that are interested: Dietitian's Menu Oct 23-29 Sunday: beef and bean enchiladas (made an extra pan for later in the week) + apples Monday: leftover greek meatballs and rice from Saturday + canned pineapple Tuesday: pesto noodles + apples Wednesday: leftover beef and bean enchiladas + canned corn + frozen mangoes Thursday: tortellini and zucchini soup + apples Friday: out to eat Italian for a family member's birthday Saturday: tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches and grapes

For fall break, my sister and I drove our 7 kids to visit their 8 cousins in Denver, Colorado. One challenge of getting together with family (other than the 6 hour drive) is figuring out how to feed alllllll the children without 1) spending a fortune and 2) spending all day slaving like lunch ladies. We wanted to spend our time playing together, not slaving together. image source: https://www.halloweencostumes.com/lunch-lady-costume.html My sisters aren’t dietitians, but they do like to eat healthy. I thought that the way they fed us was simple, healthy and filling, so I wanted to share it with you. Here are 3 meal ideas for feeding a large group of people with 25$. Night one: 2 Large cans of baked beans (5$) 25 Baked potatoes (5$) Shredded cheese (about 2$ worth) Oranges (5$) Chopped cauliflower (2$) Pumpkin pie (6$) Total to feed 21 people: 25$ Why it's healthy: fiber in the beans + veggies vitamin C in the potatoes, oranges and cauliflower iron in the beans and baked potato Night two: White chicken chili (about 5$) Avocados (10$) Apple slices (5$) Homemade Cornbread (maybe 5$) Why it's healthy: fiber in the beans + veggies + apples vitamin E and healthy fats in the avocados protein + iron from the beans and chicken Total to feed 21 people: 25$ Night three: Rice and bean salad (10$) Tortillas with cheese (10$) Bananas (5$) Why it's healthy: iron in the beans B vitamins in the rice potassium in a the fresh produce and the banana Total to feed 21 people: 25$ Note how all 3 meals used foods from all 4 food groups: fruit, vegetable, grain, protein. Using all 4 food groups gives picky kids different things to choose from, while also making the meal satisfying for all. Using beans and cheese for the protein source keeps the cost down while still keeping it filling for our kids’ growing bodies. With the holidays coming up, it’s likely that you’ll occasionally have extra mouths to feed. Here’s a few more meal ideas that fill people up without breaking the bank or taking a ton of time. https://www.ddinutrition.com/spinachlasagna https://www.ddinutrition.com/vegetarianchili https://www.ddinutrition.com/broccolicheesesoup Until next week, happy eating! Nicole