I'm trying something totally new to me this week. It's called Chimichurri and it's made from pureed parsley and cilantro. It's a great way to pack in the vitamins and minerals (leafy green herbs are a vegetable!) Maybe you've had it, maybe not. Check out the recipe on Wednesday if you are up for something adventurous. Monday: leek and potato soup + whole wheat bread + green salad + grapefruit sections (image from website link above) Tuesday: Cooking Class! Spinach Lasagna! I hope to see you all there! Wednesday: Chimichurri Steak Tacos + coleslaw mix with lime juice + orange slices (image from website link above) Thursday: Sesame Glazed Meatballs + broccoli + oranges (image from website link above) Friday: Homemade pizza topped with greens from the garden (first of the year!) Saturday: Bean Burritos

Monday: PI DAY (as in the Math kind of Pi, 3.14159, since it is 3/14). We will be having shepherd's pie with apple pie for dinner (using some apples going soft in the fridge). I'll be using up leftover roast meat from Sunday's dinner - so I'll just kind of follow the recipe below. Image and recipe: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/24202/shepherds-pie-vi/ Tuesday: (11 year old cooking) Tortellini Salad + grapefruit segments I don't have photos or a recipe. Here's what we will do: cook tortellini, drain it, put it on top of baby spinach with Italian dressing, a can of drained artichokes, a can of drained kidney beans, toasted nuts and shredded mozzarella cheese. Walla, dinner is done. Wednesday: (9 year old cooking) Meat tacos + orange slices + lettuce + bean/corn salad Thursday: St Patrick's Day! Breakfast: lucky charms + milk + green eggs (eggs with spinach) Snack: green muffins + green smoothies Dinner: Corned Beef, cabbage, potatoes, green apples (corned beef isn't the healthiest, but it's a yummy thing to have once per year!) Image: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/16310/corned-beef-and-cabbage-i/ Friday: Whole wheat crepes, filled with berries, nutella, sauteed mushrooms, sauteed mustard greens, possibly asparagus if there is any at the store image and recipe: https://www.realmomnutrition.com/recipe-whole-wheat-crepes/ Saturday: Easy bean burritos + salsa + mango smoothie Sunday: Elk Stew made by my husband + root vegetables + green salad I hope you have a lucky week!

I didn't make a meal plan last week. I got home from a trip and was playing catch up all week. So I winged it. We had Little Cesar's Pizza, McDonalds, breakfast for dinner, canned soups, ramen noodles, cheese sandwiches, and other random meals from whatever was left in the house. Some weeks are like that. I know that if I don't make a plan, we are aren't going to eat well. But I'm committed to get back into cooking this week. So here's my menu: Monday: crockpot minestrone soup + store bought breadsticks + orange slices (my family was supposed to cook this while I was gone, but they didn't, so I'm making it today) image from link above Tuesday: (11 year old cooking) Brazilian rice and beans + frozen mango smoothies + Brazilian cheese bread image from link above Wednesday: (9 year old cooking) Home made macaroni and cheese (we use whole wheat noodles to make it healthier) + apple slices + frozen green beans image from link above Thursday: (5 year old helping) salad bar (greens + croutons + ham slices + canned kidney beans + canned beets + canned artichokes + frozen corn + frozen peas + homemade dressings) Friday: lentil apricot soup + frozen flatbread I bought on clearance a month ago + sliced oranges image from link above Saturday: black bean burritos for lunch + fondue for dinner Sunday: elk stew, hopefully enough that I can make pot pie with the leftovers for Pi day on Monday

I'm going on a trip and leaving my kids in charge of dinner for a few days. It's going to a be a stretch on their abilities, so we will see what the babysitter has to report when we get back. Hopefully there is something here to inspire you! Remember, eating healthy doesn't have to be difficult. It's okay to eat the same meals over and over, that's the best way to make sure you get dinner on the table every night. Just be sure to include and fruit, vegetable at every meal and you are on your way to healthy eating! Monday: Lasagna (next month's cooking class) + apple slices + frozen green beans Tuesday: cooking class! Spinach Muffins + Green Smoothies Wednesday: Enchiladas (the kids will just heat them up) + frozen corn + cut mangoes Thursday: Baked Eggs (my 9 year old is an ace at this) + whole wheat toast + canned peaches Friday: chicken and rice (my 11 year old) + frozen peas + apple slices Saturday: lunch: Quesadillas (11 year old) + canned black beans + frozen corn dinner: fondue + apples + frozen cauliflower/broccoli + sliced baguette Sunday: canned tomato soup + grilled cheese sandwiches on ww bread crockpot minestrone soup (i'll pre-cut everything and they will just have to dump it in the crockpot) + rolls (frozen) Monday: veggi noodle soup (my 9 year old) + crackers + canned applesauce I hope you have a great week!

When I sat down at dinner with my family Sunday night, I realized we only ate dinner together once last week, on Monday night. We all ate, just not all at the same time. I missed it, I need that daily connection and "catch up time" with my family. I want you to know that you don't have to have perfect family meals to eat well. All you need to do is be honest with yourself and pay attention to what is going on. If you don't like how things are going, you can take steps to change. I don't like how I feel when I eat alone, so I'm going to make eating together a priority this week. I hope you view your healthy eating goals in the same light. If you didn't like the way you felt after eating a meal, you can aim to eat better at the next meal. We need to eat about every 3-4 hours, so there's plenty of chances to do better next time!! Here's my meal plan for the week: Sunday: hot ham and cheese sandwiches, carrot sticks, apple slices Monday: (my 9 year old is cooking, this is so easy she can do it 100% alone) Baked eggs with broccoli + avocado toast (cut into heart shapes) + grapefruit slices Tuesday: (my 11 year old is cooking, again, this is so easy she can do it 100% alone) Hummus, tzatziki, cucumbers, bell peppers, flat bread and frozen mangoes + I will pan fry salmon Wednesday: Meat tacos + orange slices + lettuce + bell peppers Thursday: Leek and Potato soup + homemade whole wheat bread + apple slices image from tasteofhome.com Friday: Homemade Pizza with pesto, canned artichokes, frozen spinach and salami, green salad if there is still lettuce left in the fridge - if not, a green smoothie with frozen spinach Saturday: lunch: tuna melts dinner: Hamburgers and ice cream at BYU creamery after going to a basketball game (my college professors used to say "Never trust a dietitian who doesn't eat ice cream!." And while I don't eat out all the time, I do enjoy eating out when I do, there is a lot of nutrition in a hamburger!)

Here's my weekly menu! Last week's split pea soup was really yummy. If you've got split peas in your pantry, I highly recommend it! Sunday: salmon + leftover split pea soup + toast + grapefruit sections (this recipe is really good, all my kids ate it too!) photo credit: https://www.budgetbytes.com/vegan-split-pea-soup/ Monday: Sausage + shells + oranges + frozen peas + green salad (new recipe, my 9 year old chose it from a cookbook she got for Christmas) photo credit: https://www.americastestkitchen.com/kids/recipes/one-pot-shells-with-peas-and-sausage Tuesday: Chicken + Rice + green salad + roasted sweet potatoes Wednesday: Spinach Lasagna (march's cooking class recipe) + canned corn + apple slices Thursday: Chana Masala + rice + naan bread + frozen mangoes photo credit: https://minimalistbaker.com/easy-chana-masala/ Friday: out to dinner at Cheesecake Factory! (we got a gift card, this is maybe the third time my 5 year old has been out to eat at a sit down restaurant, eating out is a rarity for us) Saturday: Cook up something with the leftovers in the fridge, maybe bean burritos

The Weekly Spread + tips on choosing healthier canned foods Thank you to everyone who came to cooking class last week! I hope your family loved the tuna casserole as much as I did! One class participant had a question about canned fruit. She was curious if it is healthy for her child. So I thought I would write up some info on canned fruit. Here’s how I think about fruit: It’s important to eat fruit at every meal (breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner) Fresh fruit is healthiest, but I run out of it before I can make it back to the store. Frozen fruit is just as healthy as fresh fruit, I use it often. Canned fruit makes it possible for me to eat fruit at every meal. It is nutritious, but can have added sugar. Some nutrients can be lost during the canning process. Even though it’s not as healthy as fresh fruit, canned fruit is still healthy. It is better to eat canned fruit than to eat no fruit at all! Here’s some ways to make a healthier choice when choosing canned fruit: Buy unsweetened fruit Buy fruit packed in FRUIT JUICE (see photo above) Avoid buying fruit packed in syrup (avoid all kinds of syrup, light or heavy) Look at the label, there should be 0g added sugar (see photo below) Got more questions about canned fruit? Send me an email: nicolebuhlerRD@gmail.com Here's my menu for the week: Sunday: chili + cornbread + fresh oranges Monday: crock pot cabbage, leek and potato soup + bread + fresh apple slices image from tasteofhome.com Tuesday: chinese new year! Salmon + cabbage and ramen salad + frozen stir fry veggies + fresh oranges image credit: https://www.fromvalerieskitchen.com/ramen-cabbage-salad/ Wednesday: vegetable curry + rice + mango smoothie (using frozen mangoes, I'll be out of fresh fruit by Wednesday, so I'll use frozen or canned the rest of the week) Thursday: green split pea soup (new recipe for me, never made it before!) + canned pineapple + crackers image credit: https://www.budgetbytes.com/vegan-split-pea-soup/ Friday: leftover chili + cornbread + canned applesauce Saturday: ground elk tacos + canned pineapple

The first time I made a salmon a few weeks ago, my daughter ran into her room and would not emerge until we were done eating it. She would rather skip dinner than be anywhere near people eating fish. Why? Because it was a totally new food for her, and it's smelly, and she's sensitive to smells. That's why I was surprised when she asked me if we could try salmon tacos. She said she might eat fish in taco form.......maybe.....if they were like mashed up or something. That's a big change! LOL. This is what happens when you expose your kids to food repeatedly WITHOUT FORCING them to eat it. I've been cooking salmon twice a week for about a month now. The first time we had it, she locked herself in her room. The next time she was able to sit at the table, as long as she couldn't SEE the salmon. Then she was able to have salmon within view the next week. When I cooked it last Friday, she was talking about how she might be ready to try it. I never once tried to get her to eat it. Why am I telling you this? Because this is how kids learn to like new foods. Being around the food, smelling it, seeing it, and watching other people eat it are all forms of "trying" a new food. Will my daughter eat the fish tacos we make this week? I'm guessing no. But will the exposure do her good? Yes it will. And I will keep on trying because the rest of us like salmon. You might be wondering what she eats when she's not eating the salmon I serve? The side dishes of course! We're having fish tacos Thursday. If she's not feeling brave enough for fish tacos she'll have a cheese taco, which is fine. I know that my job is done when I offer my kids healthy food and sit down to eat it with them. It's okay if she doesn't eat much at dinner. She has a good breakfast, school lunch and afternoon snack every day. If she doesn't eat much at dinner, she can make up for it by eating more at breakfast. Are you struggling with a picky eater? I hope this message gives you encouragement. For more help with picky eating, send me an email or visit this page on my website. With that intro on picky eating, here's my menu for the week: Monday: my 9 year old is cooking: Whole Wheat Crepes with filling options: sauteed mushrooms, cooked spinach, chopped bell peppers, defrosted berries, or nutella photo credit: https://www.realmomnutrition.com/recipe-whole-wheat-crepes/ Tuesday: Cooking Class Night! Tuna Noodle Casserole + frozen peas + oranges. I'm super excited. I love this recipe. https://www.ddinutrition.com/tunanoodlecasserole Wednesday: my 11 yr old cooking: One pot lasagna + canned green beans + applesauce (I'm trying this recipe for cooking class, I hope it turns out!) photo credit: https://www.foodhero.org/recipes/quick-lasagna Thursday: grilled salmon + whole wheat tortillas + salsa + mango smoothie photo credit: https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/249647/grilled-salmon-soft-tacos/ Friday: pizza with pesto sauce, artichokes, chopped spinach and olives This is a photo from summer, we will probably have oranges on the side, not cantaloupe, which is out of season. I use frozen whole wheat dough from WinCo. Saturday: soup with what’s left in the fridge, ? bean burritos for dinner. I'll be posting my bean burrito recipe soon. It's our new favorite food that we eat on weekends.

Did you read last week's blog about vitamin D? If so, you might be wondering.... What 3 oz of salmon looks like. That actually might not be what you are wondering; but it is what I was wondering. So we bought some salmon last night for dinner and I weighed some before I ate it. This is what 3 oz of salmon looks like on a plate and next to my hand. It's really small! Why do I want to know what 3 oz looks like? Because 3 oz provides between 12 and 15 mcg of vitamin D, which is enough for the day (everyone age 1-70 needs 15 mcg per day). Vitamin D isn't found in a lot of other foods, so it's important to eat those foods or take a supplement. Point of this photo: it's not very much salmon. The salmon I bought was 8$ per pound. There are five, 3oz servings in 1 pound. Which would make this vitamin D rich food only $1.60 per serving. I think that's reasonable. I plan to start adding salmon to my menu. I hope this encourages you to think about adding fish to your menu too. Here's my dinner menu for the week: Monday: (11 year old is cooking) Burrito Bowls + mango smoothie (just frozen mangoes and milk blended together) Tuesday: (my 9 year old is cooking) Basic Noodles + roasted frozen Brussel sprouts + canned peaches Wednesday: Quick Curry + rice + naan bread + mango smoothie Thursday: Corn chowder (new recipe, lots of exciting ingredients) + cornbread image source: fromachef'skitchen.com Friday: Miso salmon, ramen with a package of frozen stir fry veggies image source: america'stestkitchenkids Saturday: Bean and Cheese burritos Here's how I make my burritos In a big bowl mix: 1 cup cooked beans (drained canned beans work too), 1/2 cup pepper jack cheese, 1/2 cup salsa, and about 1 pound cooked ground taco meat Put about 1/3 cup filling in each burrito, roll them up and bake at 350 until warm throughout, about 20-30 minutes tip#1: I keep bag of cooked and frozen beans in the freezer, it saves $$ tip #2: use whole wheat tortillas for more fiber tip#3: the meat is optional, if you leave it out, add less salsa tip #4 I don't actually measure, I just estimate the ingredient amounts

I was curious if I was getting enough vitamin D. So I did a little research and started taking a supplement. Maybe this information will help you too! What is vitamin D? 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. Where does vitamin D come from? The Sun: Your skin makes vitamin D from the sun Your skin can't make vitamin D in winter because of the angle of the sun's rays Food: Vitamin D is naturally found in fatty fish, egg yolks and UV-light-exposed-mushrooms. Vitamin D is added to fortified foods: Milk (dairy and non-dairy), orange juice, cereal How much vitamin D does my family need? Vitamin D is labeled in units called micrograms (mcg) and International Units (IU) You'll usually see mcg on food labels and IU on supplement labels (confusing!) 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) Is my family getting enough vitamin D? It's tricky to know if you are getting enough vitamin D. Here's 3 things to think about: 1. The skin's ability to make vitamin D changes 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. You probably don't make enough vitamin D during the winter. 2. There are not many food sources of vitamin D 4 cups of milk = about 12 mcg vitamin D, you need 15 mcg per day 3 ounces (size of a deck of cards) of fatty fish has 14.5 mcg, you need 15mcg/day. Egg yolks only have 1 mcg, you need 15 mcg Vitamin D per day. Check food labels to see how much you get from fortified foods 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. I encourage everyone to check labels of foods you commonly eat to see how much you are getting. 3. The amount of vitamin D in breastmilk is variable Breast milk is 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 cow's milk until 12 months. Exclusively formula fed babies get all the vitamin D they need from formula. Summary: If your child age 0-1 year is not taking a vitamin D supplement, check with your pediatrician about starting one. If I don't get enough from food or sunshine, how do I choose a Vitamin D supplement? Here's 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 Summary: Vitamin D is important for bone health. You probably get enough during the summer from sun exposure (but you should definitely wear sunscreen after 5-30 minutes - depending on your skin color) 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. 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. Most multivitamins have the right amount. 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

One of my 2022 goals is to get my 11 and 9 year old cooking dinner independently. We cook together a lot, but I want them to be able to do it independently. From now on, Monday night is my 9 year old's night and Tuesday night is my 11 year old's night. They choose the menu, I buy the food, they do the cooking. Will they mess up? Yes! I hope so, mistakes are a great way to learn. Will they make messes? Yes! They will also learn how to clean them up. So! Here's my menu this week, with Monday and Tuesday being chosen by grade-schoolers. Monday: One pot pasta, meatballs + canned green beans + orange slices Tuesday: Black bean burgers + grapefruit + canned artichokes image from allrecipes.com Wednesday: Elk meat tacos + rice and bean salad + mango smoothie (this photo was from summer, when cantaloupe was actually in season - we will be having frozen mangos this week) Thursday: Miso soup + tofu + rice + kiwis (new recipe, I've never had this before) image from minimalistbaker.com Friday: Leftovers Saturday: tomato soup from a can + cheese sandwiches + oranges/apples + smores

Happy New Year! If I could make one New Year Wish for every DDI Vantage family, it would be that once per day, their parent(s) turn off all electronics, and sit down to eat a meal with their child. Research shows that kids who have screen-free family dinners at least 5 times per week do better academically, socially and emotionally. Family dinner isn't just about healthy eating, it's about taking time to connect with your little ones. The goal for this blog is to motivate you to sit down and eat with your family. Planning, preparing and cleaning up after meals is hard work, I want to try and make it a little easier for you by giving you ideas of simple meals to cook. This week, I'm making some easy comfort foods for my family. I hope you see something here that you want to try: Monday: Baked Eggs w/frozen broccoli & leftover holiday ham + sliced apples Tuesday: One Pot Chicken and Rice + canned green beans + oranges Wednedsay: Cottage Cheese & Broccoli Lasagne + canned applesauce image from https://www.myfoodandfamily.com/recipe/051636/spinach-lasagna-recipe Thursday: Hummus + a new recipe for Beef Kwarma + naan bread from the freezer + frozen mangoes Friday: fondue + veggies for dipping + apples for dinner + bread for dipping image from superhealthykids.com Saturday: New crock pot white bean soup recipe. I found it in a food magazine and don't see it online. If it's good I'll make a webpage for it. Enjoy the fresh start of your new year! Let me know if you have any nutrition questions you would like me to answer on the blog this year! nicolebuhlerRD@gmail.com