What is in your fridge? It can be a scary question....but it's one I ask myself every week before meal planning. This is an unedited photo of my fridge today. Every week, when I plan my menu, I like to scan the fridge, pantry, freezer and garden before I choose what to make. It saves money + reduces waste! This week I need to use: from the fridge: mushrooms, a jar of tomatoes, homemade pickles, cottage cheese, eggs, zucchini, leftover pesto sauce, cream from the freezer: cabbage and roasted bell peppers from last year, pepperonis, naan bread and pizza crust that I bought on discount and froze (did you know that you can freeze bread, it's a lifesaver!) from the garden: leeks, lettuce, cucumbers, melons, bell peppers, tomatoes, carrots from the pantry: last year's applesauce This week's menu: Monday: applesauce baked oatmeal, mushroom egg muffin cups....Novembers cooking class recipes (coming to the website soon!) Tuesday: COOKING CLASS! Black bean soup and cornbread with honeydew melon Wednesday: Cooking class for the childcare families! We don't like to eat the same thing 2 nights in a row, so I'm making some cottage cheese pancakes and tomato soup before class starts. (I will freeze the soup for another night and eat the cornbread with soup on Thursday) Thursday: cabbage, leek and potato soup with sour cream and fruit from the garden Friday: pizza with pesto sauce, zucchini, pepperoni, and fruit from the garden Saturday: hummus, tzatiki, naan bread, garden lettuce and tomatoes Sunday: roasted red pepper pasta w/green salad + applesauce What are you going to make from the things lurking in your fridge/freezer/pantry?

You may have noticed that my meal plans have a lot of "parts." Those "parts" are the keys to healthy eating. To maximize nutrition, I try to have these 4 parts in every meal: 1)protein 2)fruit 3)vegetable 4)grain. Each food group has different nutrients, to get everything your body needs, it's important to include something from each food group. This week, I'm going to label the parts of each meal I've planned so you can see it more clearly. I hope you are enjoying the weekly spread! Monday: chicken and rice..next month's cook class recipe! (protein + grain), green salad (vegetable), canteloupe (fruit) Tuesday: Lentil Lettuce wraps (protein and vegetable), grapes (fruit), brown rice (grain) Wednesday: Cobb Salad w/hard boiled eggs and bacon! (protein and vegetable), watermelon (fruit), baguette (grain) Thursday: Fall Harvest salad (vegetable + fruit...it has apples in it), chicken corn chowder (protein and vegetable), apple bread (grain) - these recipes are from a kid's cooking kit we subscribe to called Raddish, if you have older kids, it makes a great Christmas present. Friday: Homemade pizza using WINCO whole wheat pizza crust (grain, protein, and vegetable), green salad (more vegetable), watermelon (fruit) Saturday: Miso soup with greens (protein + vegetable), Rice (grain), mango smoothie (fruit) Sunday: Elk tacos or leftovers!

Hello again! I hope you enjoyed last week's menu! Here's the spread for Sept 6-11: Monday: Lunch: ground elk tacos + bell peppers, lettuce and canteloupe (pictured above) Dinner: spaghetti using jar sauce + ground elk, garden green beans and garden grapes (my husband hunts, so we have ground elk instead of ground beef) Tuesday: trying out this sausage sheet pan dinner for October's cooking class + bread/butter + watermelon Wednesday: red lentil lettuce wraps (similar to this recipe online) + canned pineapple + garden cucumbers + rice Thursday: hummus + tzatziki + naan bread + tabbouleh + garden grapes Friday: trying out this tofu sheetpan dinner for October's cooking class + brown rice + watermelon Saturday: trying out this fajitas sheet pan dinner for October's cooking class + whole wheat tortillas + canteloupe Sunday: baguettes with toppings like brushetta, pesto, tomatoes, and chicken salad + garden salad + garden grapes

I've had a few requests for my family's weekly menu, so I'm going to try to post them here once a week. Click the links for the recipes. If you make something off of this list, send me an email to let me know how you liked it (or didn't!). Monday (pic above): Garden Minestrone Soup + baguette + fresh garden grapes, nectarines and cucumbers Tuesday: One pot mac + cheese + fresh garden grapes! (I pureed a big bag of cauliflower into the cheese sauce, used less cheese, and whole wheat penne noodles) Wednesday: Stir fry (garden veggies + tofu) + brown rice + melons from my garden! Thursday: rice and bean salad with tortillas + mango smoothie Friday: Hummus, Tabouleh and Tzatziki on naan bread + fresh garden grapes (we are taking this camping, it's great make-ahead camping food. Saturday: Clam Vermicelli (I only cook it for like 30 minutes+ I use fresh basil!!) + fresh garden salad w/cucumbers + you guessed it....fresh garden grapes (or a melon if there is a ripe one in the garden) Sunday: Easy Bean Burritos (tortillas, refried beans, cheese) + garden peppers and fruit on the side Have a great week! PS Are you wondering what I cook for breakfast and lunch? Breakfast: oatmeal, everyday for everyone. Here's my recipe Lunch: leftovers, everyday for everyone (except the kids who take school lunch) If there aren't any leftovers, then tuna sandwiches, cottage cheese and crackers, or a quick soup from garden vegetables (like this one)

Do you hate cooking when it's hot? Me too! To prevent myself from eating cheese tortillas for every meal, I make a big bowl of my favorite summer salad. This recipe just screams "summer" to me, it's full of summer veggies and is very refreshing. You can find the recipe HERE. I usually make Rice and Bean Salad on Saturday and then we eat it for 5 days until it is gone. This recipe is easy, healthy and versatile. It's good as a main dish, side dish, or inside a tortilla/burrito. I even like it for breakfast! It's also perfect to pack into a lunch. I put it in old sour cream containers with an ice pack and take it on picnics or vacations. If you want to try out this recipe, JOIN US for cooking class! Sign ups close Wednesday, August 18th, so ask your Family Advocate for help signing up today!

My house is HOT. Our air conditioning doesn't work well, and by noon it's usually 80+ degrees inside the house. So the oven is off limits for meal prep from June to September. One of my go-to-no-oven summer meals (other than watermelon) is curry. It's fast, easy, and accommodates any kind of veggie I have growing in the garden. Right now I make it with peas, onions, chard, cauliflower and cabbage. In a month I'll be adding eggplant, tomatoes, potatoes and green beans. It's a healthy hot meal that doesn't heat up the house. You can find the recipe by clicking this link. The recipe you'll find there is made using ingredients that are inexpensive at the store year round, but you should use whatever vegetables you have on hand. Spices are expensive when you first buy them, but they will last for many many recipes. To cut costs, I buy spices in bulk at Winco or Sprouts. Here's some other curry recipes to try that you might like more than my version! Have a fun and HOT summer day! Cauliflower Curry from Budget Bytes https://www.budgetbytes.com/easy-cauliflower-and-chickpea-masala/ Curry Recipes from Vibrant Soul (look under the soups and stews tab) https://www.vibrantsoulful.com/recipes.html Red Lentil Curry from Allrecipes https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/16641/red-lentil-curry/ P.S. This is the recipe for cooking class this month. If you missed the cooking class sign up, be sure to watch for next month's sign up list. We will be making hummus and tzatziki, another favorite summer meal!

The DDI VANTAGE home base program participants learned about eggs at cooking class this week. In case you missed class, here's what we learned: Eggs have many nutrients a baby’s growing brain needs. They are a great first food for young babies because they are easy to eat and prepare! Plain unsalted cooked eggs are the best option for young babies, but the cooking class recipe for this week is a good choice for the baby's family! You can access the egg salad recipe by CLICKING THIS LINK. This egg salad recipe is healthier than a regular recipe because we use plain yogurt for half of the mayo. Yogurt has more calcium and potassium than mayo, making it a healthier choice. If you are out of yogurt, you could use all mayo. We also made peanut butter oatmeal cookies to go with the egg salad. These cookies take about 15 minutes start to finish and the dough is completely edible! They have NO added sugar, oil or butter, which means that your kids can eat as many as they want! You can find that recipe by CLICKING THIS LINK. If you missed cooking class, I hope you can join us next time! Until then, try the recipes on your own time. Our recipe page has a lot of great meal ideas for young kids. Happy Cooking! Here's a fast motion video of the cooking class recipes if you are interested!

For national nutrition month, I am going to write a few blogs about nutrients you might not be getting enough of. First up is FIBER! Fiber is the rough part of fruits, vegetables and whole grains that your body doesn't digest. Fiber feeds the "good bacteria" in your intestines. Those good bacteria support the immune system of your entire body! Fiber also helps your poop come out easily. If your child is constipated, it is likely that they aren't getting enough fiber. Here's 5 foods that can help make fiber your new best friend. Keep these numbers in mind as you read about the foods below: kids age 1-3 need 19 grams of fiber per day kids age 4-8 need 25 grams of fiber per day older kids + adults need around 30-35 grams of fiber per day 1) APPLES! 4.4 grams of fiber portable lasts 2-3 weeks in the fridge! Available year round. My new favorite kind is called "OPAL" 2) AVOCADO 13.9 grams in one avocado spread on toast great food for babies! lasts longer if kept in fridge 3) BANANA 3 grams in one banana easy to mash for babies add to smoothies natural sweetener 4) BLACK BEANS 8 grams per 1/2 cup easy to mash up for baby perfect "finger food" for babies with pincer grasp also a good source of iron very inexpensive 5) WHOLE WHEAT BREAD 3-5 grams per slice white bread has 0-1 grams look at labels and choose the kind with the most fiber "whole wheat" will have more fiber than just "wheat" I hope you start getting to know fiber better! Happy National Nutrition Month, thanks for reading! en español La fibra, su nuevo mejor amigo. Para el mes nacional de la nutrición, voy a escribir algunos blogs acerca de los nutrientes que quizás no esté recibiendo en suficiente cantidad. ¡El primero es la fibra! La fibra es la parte filamentosa de las frutas, los vegetales y los granos integrales que su cuerpo no digiere. Es MUY importante para su salud, porque alimenta la bacteria beneficiosa en sus intestinos. ¡Estas bacterias buenas ayudan al sistema inmunológico y son importantes para la salud de todo su cuerpo! La fibra también le ayuda a defecar con más facilidad. Si su hijo está estreñido, es probable que no esté consumiendo suficiente fibra. A continuación encontrará 5 alimentos que pueden ayudar a que la fibra sea su nuevo mejor amigo. Tenga en cuenta estos números a medida que lee acerca de los alimentos que se mencionan abajo: Los niños de 1 a 3 años necesitan 19 gramos de fibra al día Los niños de 4 a 8 años necesitan 25 gramos de fibra al día Los adultos necesitan alrededor de 30-35 gramos de fibra al día 1) ¡MANZANAS! 4.4 gramos de fibra Fáciles de llevar. ¡Duran 2-3 semanas en el refrigerador! Disponibles durante todo el año. Hay una nueva variedad que se llama “OPAL” y ahora es mi favorita. 2) AGUACATE 13.9 gramos en un aguacate Unte el aguacate sobre pan tostado. ¡Es un alimento muy bueno para los bebés! Dura más tiempo si se guarda en el refrigerador. 3) BANANO 3 gramos en un banano Fácil de machacar. Se puede agregar a los batidos. Es un endulzante natural. 4) FRIJOLES NEGROS 8 gramos por 1/2 taza Fáciles de machacar para los bebés. Comida perfecta para que los bebés se los “coman con los dedos” usando el agarre de pinza. También son una buena fuente de hierro. Muy económicos. 5) PAN DE TRIGO INTEGRAL 3-5 gramos por tajada El pan blanco tiene 0-1 gramos. Fíjese en las etiquetas y escoja el tipo de pan que tenga más fibra. El de “trigo integral” tendrá más fibra que el que es sólo de “trigo”. ¡Espero que empiece a familiarizarse mejor con la fibra! ¡Feliz mes nacional de la nutrición y gracias por leer esta publicación!

This is a healthy way to get dinner on the table in 20 minutes without making a big mess. You can make this even if you don't have the exact ingredients below, follow this link to the recipe page for substitutions and a FASTER way to make it! (look for the substitutions at the end of the recipe). Ingredients 1 onion, diced small 1 tablespoon olive or canola oil 1 head of garlic, cloves separated, peeled and sliced 1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes - use crushed if your family doesn't like "chunks" of tomatoes 1 (14.5 oz) can low sodium chicken broth 2-3 teaspoons dried basil 2 teaspoons oregano ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional) 1 can artichoke hearts (drained and chopped) 8 oz whole wheat thin spaghetti ½ cup grated parmesan cheese Directions - slow version with very detailed instructions (see the end of this post for a faster version). This version will taste better because browning onions and garlic adds more flavor to the dish. It will only take about 5 extra minutes. Cut onion into small dice and peel and dice garlic ( photo is of smashed garlic, which is easy to peel) Heat oil in a large pot over high heat. Once oil is hot, add onion. After you add the onions, turn the heat down to medium. Stir and cook onion until it is lightly brown all over and see through. When the onion is brown, add garlic to the pot with onion. Cook for 30 seconds. Add the can of tomatoes and the can of broth, scrape up any onion or garlic that is stuck on the bottom of the pan. Add basil, oregano, crushed red pepper, spaghetti and artichokes. Stir to combine, try to get all the noodles covered with liquid. Turn heat to high, put the lid on and bring to a boil. Once the pot boils, Take the lid off and stir well, scape any noodles off the bottom of the pan. Turn heat down to medium low (about a 3 on my stove). Put the lid back on and cook for about 10 minutes, taking off the lid to stir occasionally so that the noodles don’t burn on the bottom of the pan. Once liquid is absorbed and the noodles are soft, the meal is finished. It might take more than 10 minutes on your stove. Once finished, stir in parmesan cheese. Directions - quick version Cut onion and garlic into slices. Drain artichokes. Dump all ingredients into the pot. Turn heat to high and put a lid on. Once liquid is boiling, take lid off and stir so noodles don’t stick to the bottom to the pan Turn heat down to a simmer (about a 4 on my stove). Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender and liquid is absorbed. Stir in parmesan cheese and serve. Follow this link to the recipe page to see substitutions and additions for this recipe (look at the end of the recipe PDF document). IN SPANISH: Pasta en una sola olla Ésta es una manera saludable de tener la cena en la mesa en 20 minutos sin hacer un gran reguero. ¡Fíjese en la última página para adaptar esta receta a su gusto! Ingredientes 1 cebolla, picada en trozos pequeños 1 Cucharada de aceite de oliva o de canola 1 cabeza de ajo, con los dientes separados, pelados y rebanados 1 (14.5 oz) lata de tomates picados en trozos pequeños (petite diced tomatoes) 1 (14.5 oz) lata de caldo de pollo bajo en sodio 2-3 cucharaditas de albahaca seca 2 cucharaditas de orégano ½ cucharadita de pimienta roja molida (opcional) 1 lata de corazones de alcachofas (escurridos y picados) 8 oz espaguetis delgados de trigo integral ½ taza de queso parmesano rallado Instrucciones - versión de preparación lenta con instrucciones muy detalladas. Véase en la página siguiente la versión más rápida y fácil. Esta versión sabrá un poco mejor porque dorar las cebollas y el ajo le dan mucho más sabor al plato y solamente tomará 5 minutos más. Corte la cebolla en trozos pequeños y pele y pique el ajo (la foto muestra un ajo machacado que es fácil de pelar). Caliente el aceite en una olla grande a fuego alto. Una vez que el aceite esté caliente, agregue la cebolla. Después de agregar la cebolla, baje el fuego a medio. Revuelva y cocine la cebolla hasta que dore bien y quede transluciente. Cuando la cebolla haya dorado, agregue el ajo a la olla donde tiene la cebolla y cocínelo por 30 segundos. Agregue la lata de tomates y la lata de caldo, raspe bien la cebolla y el ajo que se hayan pegado al fondo de la olla. Agregue la albahaca, el orégano, la pimienta roja molida, los espaguetis y las alcachofas. Revuelva para mezclar y trate de cubrir la pasta con el líquido. Suba la temperatura a alto, tape la olla y deje que hierva. Una vez que la olla esté hirviendo, retire la tapa, revuelva bien la pasta hasta el fondo de la olla. Baje la temperatura a medio bajo (en mi estufa sería el número 3). Vuelva a tapar la olla y cocine por 10 minutos. Retire la tapa para revolver ocasionalmente a fin de que la pasta no se queme en el fondo de la olla. Una vez que se haya absorbido el líquido y la pasta esté blandita, la comida está lista. Puede que tome más de 10 minutos en su estufa. Cuando termine de cocinar la pasta, agregue el queso parmesano.

My kids love making sugar cookies, mostly because they are fun to decorate! Toast can be just as fun, but without all the added sugar and butter you find in cookies. PLUS! You can add veggies to the top of toast! Here’s a fun snack (or lunch) idea to lighten up your February. Emotional Toast Ingredients: Whole wheat sandwich bread Reduced fat cream cheese (or hummus) 1 radish 1 cucumber 1 can sliced olives Toast whole wheat bread until firm. Top with low fat cream cheese or hummus. Add sliced olives, radishes and cucumbers to make different faces. You can cut or bite th e middles out of cucumbers (and bite them in half) to make the mouth shape. Experiment with any vegetables you have in your fridge or pantry. Try using egg salad or grated carrots for silly hair. Bonus: Read a book from the library about emotions like “The Feelings Book” by Todd Parr In Spanish: ¡Hora de la merienda! Febrero: pan tostado con emociones ¡A mis hijos les encanta hacer galletas de azúcar, principalmente porque es muy divertido decorarlas! Puede ser igualmente divertido decorar el pan tostado, pero sin toda el azúcar agregada y la mantequilla que tienen las galletas. ¡ADEMÁS, pueden poner vegetales encima del pan tostado! Esta es una idea de una merienda (o almuerzo) para alegrarles el mes de febrero. Pan tostado con emociones Ingredientes: Pan integral de trigo integral para sándwich Queso crema reducido en grasa (o hummus) 1 rábano 1 pepino 1 lata de aceitunas cortadas en rodajas Ponga a tostar el pan de trigo integral hasta que quede firme. Unte queso crema bajo en grasa o hummus en el pan tostado. Agregue las aceitunas, los rábanos y los pepinos cortados en rodajas para formar diferentes caras. Puede morder los pepinos para quitarles el centro (y para cortarlos por la mitad) para darle la forma de la boca. Experimente con cualquier vegetal que tenga en la nevera o en la despensa. Trate de usar ensalada de huevo o zanahorias ralladas para que el cabello quede gracioso. Actividad adicional: lean un libro acerca de las emociones como por ejemplo, “El libro de los sentimientos” [“The Feelings Book”] por Todd Parr.

Parents worry about how many vegetables their child eats. Want to see how your family is doing? Check out the photos below. Remember that it’s your job to OFFER this much to your child. Don’t ever force a child to eat, it does more harm than good. Once you’ve offered veggies (and sat down to eat your own portion with your child), your job is done. Age 6 months to 1 year: about ⅔ cup every day (10 tablespoons) 6 month olds will eat about 1 Tablespoon 1 year olds will eat closer to 3 Tablespoons Watch for hunger and fullness cues and stop feeding your child when they are done eating. Remember, it is your job to OFFER the food, not to get it into your child. 1-3 tablespoons pureed spinach with breakfast 1-3 Tablespoons pureed carrots with lunch 1-3 Tablespoons mixed veggie puree with dinner 1 year to 2 years: about ¾ cup vegetables every day ¼ cup spinach in a smoothie at breakfast ¼ cup cooked carrots with lunch ¼ cup canned green beans with dinner 2 -3 years: 1 cup vegetables every day ¼ cup spinach in a smoothie at breakfast ¼ cup carrot sticks at lunch ¼ cup canned green beans with dinner ¼ cup canned corn with dinner 4-8 years: 1 1/2 cups vegetables every day ½ cup spinach in a smoothie at breakfast ½ cup carrot sticks at lunch ¼ cup canned green beans with dinner ¼ cup canned corn with dinner 9-13 years: 2 cups vegetables every day ½ cup spinach in a smoothie at breakfast ½ cup carrot sticks at lunch ½ cup canned green beans with dinner ½ cup canned corn with dinner 14+: 2 ½ to 3 cups vegetables every day ½ cup spinach in a smoothie at breakfast 1 cup carrot sticks at lunch 1/2 cup canned green beans with dinner 1/2 cup canned corn with dinner Next month, I will show you in photos about how much fruit your child needs. If you want to be updated when there is a new post, you can sign up for email notices here. ¿QUÉ TANTO? Un artículo publicado en el blog sobre qué tanta comida se le debe ofrecer a su hijo. A los padres les preocupa qué tantos vegetales comen los hijos. ¿Quiere ver cómo está su familia en este aspecto? Le aseguro que está mejor de lo que piensa. Las cantidades que se indican a continuación indican qué tantos vegetales su hijo debería comer cada día. La cosa más importante que hay que recordar es que usted tiene el deber de OFRECERLE esta cantidad a su hijo. Nunca obligue al niño a comer, eso hace más daño que bien. Una vez que usted le haya ofrecido los vegetales (y se haya sentado a comer su propia porción con su hijo), usted ya ha cumplido con su deber. 6 meses a un año de edad: aproximadamente ⅔ de taza todos los días (10 Cucharadas)* *la cantidad variará según la edad, los niños de 6 meses de edad se comerán alrededor de 1 cucharada y los niños de un año de edad se comerán cerca de 3 cucharadas. Cada niño es diferente. Nunca obligue a su hijo a comer. Preste atención a las señales de hambre y satisfacción y deje de darle de comer cuando ya no quiera más. Recuerde, usted tiene el deber de OFRECER la comida, no de metérsela al niño. 1 a 3 Cucharadas de puré de espinaca con el desayuno 1 a 3 Cucharadas de puré de zanahoria con el almuerzo 1 a 3 Cucharadas de puré de vegetales mixtos con la cena 1 a 2 años de edad: aproximadamente ¾ taza de vegetales todos los días ¼ taza de espinaca en un batido al desayuno ¼ taza de zanahorias cocinadas con el almuerzo ¼ taza de habichuelas (ejotes/judías verdes) enlatadas con la cena 2 a 3 años: 1 taza de vegetales todos los días ¼ taza de espinaca en un batido al desayuno ¼ taza de zanahorias cortadas en palitos al almuerzo ¼ taza de habichuelas (ejotes/judías verdes) con la cena ¼ taza de maíz (elote) enlatado con la cena 4 a 8 años: 1 1/2 tazas de vegetales todos los días ½ taza de espinaca en un batido al desayuno ½ taza de zanahorias cortadas en palitos al almuerzo ¼ taza de habichuelas (ejotes/judías verdes) con la cena ¼ taza de maíz (elote) enlatado con la cena 9 a 13 años: 2 tazas de vegetales todos los días ½ taza de espinaca en un batido al desayuno ½ taza de zanahorias cortadas en palitos al almuerzo ½ taza de habichuelas (ejotes/judías verdes) con la cena ½ taza de maíz (elote) enlatado con la cena 14+: 2 ½ a 3 tazas de vegetales todos los días ½ taza de espinaca en un batido al desayuno ½ taza de zanahorias cortadas en palitos al almuerzo ½ taza de apio cortado en palitos para la merienda ½ taza de habichuelas (ejotes/judías verdes) con la cena ½ taza de maíz (elote) enlatado con la cena El mes que viene, les mostraré en fotos cuánta fruta necesita su hijo. Si desea recibir actualizaciones cuando haya una nueva publicación, puede registrarse para recibir avisos por correo electrónico aquí.

(blog doesn't automatically translate, scroll to the bottom for spanish version, el blog no se traduce automáticamente, desplácese hasta el final para ver la versión en español) Cooking class this week will be Tofu Buddha Bowls. This is a simple meal that you can put together with anything you have. Notice how the picture on this page is different from the picture in the recipe? That's because when I took this picture I was out of frozen peas, sweet potatoes and tofu, so there's only cauliflower, grated carrots, bell peppers and rice with peanut sauce. The possibilities are endless. To make sure that I can always make this recipe, I keep the following things on hand at all times: IN THE FREEZER: a bag or two of frozen veggies and fresh ginger (just keep in your freezer door, I don't even put it in a bag, it keeps for months) IN THE PANTRY: a jar of peanut butter, a can of garbanzo beans (use instead of tofu), bags of brown rice, brown sugar (honey also works, but it is not safe for babies less than 1 year old), cans of pineapple IN THE FRIDGE: soy sauce, carrots (they keep for weeks and are always cheap!) OPTIONAL THINGS: you can make this without the garlic and without the fresh veggies, it's much better with them, but in a pinch you do without the fresh ingredients! The beauty of a meal like this is that you put all the ingredients on the table and let your family pick and choose from what is there. Since all of the options are healthy, you don't need to worry about what everyone chooses. For example, this is how my 4 year old made his buddha bowl. And this is how I made mine: Let go of any ideals you have about your child eating exact amounts of things. This puts pressure on your child, and kids who feel pressured don't eat well. Just put healthy food on the table and let your child pick and choose from what's there. I hope your family loves this as much as mine does! If you happen to make recipe, post some photos of your meal on the DDI VANTAGE Facebook page! Hope to see you this week at cooking class! ----- En Espanole: En la clase de cocina de esta semana aprenderemos a preparar Tazones de Buddha con tofu. Para ver la receta, siga este enlace. Esta es una comida muy sencilla que puede preparar con lo que tenga a su disposición. ¿Se da cuenta de que la foto en esta página es diferente a la que aparece en la receta? La razón es porque cuando tomé esta foto no tenía arvejas congeladas, camotes ni tofu, así es que solamente hay coliflor, zanahorias ralladas, pimentón y arroz con salsa de cacahuate. Las posibilidades son infinitas. Para asegurarme de que siempre pueda preparar esta receta, mantengo las siguientes cosas a la mano todo el tiempo: EN EL CONGELADOR: una o dos bolsas de vegetales congelados y jengibre fresco (simplemente guárdelo en la puerta del congelador, ni siquiera lo pongo en una bolsa y se conserva durante varios meses). EN LA ALACENA: un frasco de mantequilla de cacahuate [maní], una lata de garbanzos (en lugar de tofu), bolsas de arroz integral, azúcar morena (también se puede utilizar miel, pero no se le debe dar a los bebés menores de un año de edad), latas de piña. EN LA NEVERA: salsa de soya, zanahorias (se conservan durante varias semanas y ¡siempre son baratas!). COSAS OPCIONALES: puede preparar esto sin el ajo y sin los vegetales frescos. ¡Es mucho mejor si los tiene, pero si está en un apuro, puede hacerlo sin los ingredientes frescos! Lo maravilloso de una comida como esta es que usted pone todos los ingredientes en la mesa y deja que su familia escoja de lo que hay allí. Como todas las opciones son saludables, no tiene que preocuparse por lo que cada uno escoja. Por ejemplo, así fue como mi hijo de 4 años sirvió su tazón de Buda: Así fue como yo serví mi plato: No se aferre a los ideales que tenga de que su hijo coma cantidades exactas de ciertas cosas. Esto le pone presión a su hijo y los niños que se sienten presionados no comen bien. Simplemente ponga en la mesa alimentos saludables y deje que su hijo escoja lo que hay ahí. ¡Espero que a su familia le guste este plato tanto como a la mía! Si lo prepara, por favor, ¡cuéntenos en la página de Facebook de DDI VANTAGE!