I can't believe how much the price of food has gone up lately. I made a quick trip to the store last week for a camping trip thinking that I would only spend about 100$. Nope. A few days of groceries cost me $200! If the cost of groceries is killing you too, here's a few guaranteed ways to make your grocery budget go further. #1 Drink Water Cost of a 12 pack of soda: about 8$ Cost of water from the tap: FREE Soda can be fun treat, but if you drink 1 can every day this summer (90 days), you will spend 60$ a person on soda. For my family of 5, that equates to 300$! If you are looking to save money on your grocery bill, save soda for special occasions. Don't buy it every week at the store. #2 Cut your own watermelon An average sized watermelon contains about 20 cups of watermelon and costs $4.68 A precut container of watermelon contains 4-6 cups and costs $4.58 Cutting your own watermelon saves SO MUCH MONEY! This advice holds true for any cut and packaged fruit. If you wash and cut your own fruit you'll save so much money! Worried that you'll buy a bad melon? Most stores will exchange a bad melon for a good one. If you choose bad watermelon, just ask if you can exchange it, most stores will say yes! Click here for the best way to cut watermelon and more info on watermelon yields. #3 Buy fresh veggies instead of chips It's a common misconception that junk food costs less than fresh vegetables. In the image below, notice the cost per ounce of chips. It ranges from 22 cents/oz to 60 cents/oz bag of Doritos = 41 cents per ounce. bag of carrots = 4.9 cents per ounce cucumbers = 12.3 center per ounce bag of celery = 7 cents per ounce Want to cut back on your grocery bill? Buy fruits and vegetables! Not only are they less expensive than chips + treats, but your family isn't going to eat them as fast....so they will last longer. Save chips for special occasions. Conclusion: Simple healthy foods are NOT more expensive than chips and soda If you drink water instead of soda, veggies instead of chips and cut your own fruit, you'll save a ton of money at the store. Want more idea on how to save money at the grocery store? Check out these previous blog posts: The #1 Most Effective way to Eat Healthy and Save Money How to make the most of your freezer to eat well and save money How cooking dinner at home saves you money THE most important meal planning advice How to feed your kids for free this summer Another way to get free food this summer Thanks for reading!

It's possible that 50% of my 7 year old body was created from otter pops. I remember slurping up the juice from one otter pop after another after another on hot summer days. I thought I was making a healthy choice! I thought popsicles were made from blended fruit and were thus healthy! Now that I'm a mom, I know better. Each otter pop has 5 grams of sugar. As a kid, I never ate one pop. On a really hot day I'd eat at least 10. That equates to 50 grams of sugar. The American Academy of Pediatrics and American Heart Association both recommend limiting added sugar intake to less than 25 grams per day. 50 grams of sugar is way over the daily limit! Does this mean I never buy popsicles? Of course not. Does this mean I set limits on how many my kids eat? Yes. It's okay to set limits! Here are 2 ways to choose healthier popsicles this summer: #1: Make your kids ask before having a popsicle. I think popsicles are a sometimes food, not a free for all. Try to limit to one per day. #2: Choose a popsicle that's actually made from blended fruit, and look for one with a lower amount of added sugar. (or make your own, see the end of the blog for more info) To help you choose a lower sugar variety, here's a list of popsicles and their sugar content. If you enjoy the high sugar varieties, just try to limit how much you eat! I was disheartened to see that the twin popsicles have so much sugar. I loved breaking those things in half on my kitchen counter as a kid....especially the banana ones! Twin Pops $3.00 for 18 popsicles 22 grams of sugar per pop (limit is 25g/day for kids) Great Value Freedom Pops $2.48 for 12 9 grams of sugar per pop (limit is 25g/day for kids) Monster Pops $3.00 16grams of sugar per pop (limit is 25g/day for kids) Popsicle $5.64 for 18 7 grams added sugar per pop (limit is 25g/day for kids) Outshine popsicles $5.64 for 12 9 grams added sugar per pop (limit is 25g/day for kids) Otter Pops $5.88 for 80 popsicles 5 grams added sugar per otter pop (limit is 25g/day for kids) Junior Pops $2.50 for 20 9 grams added sugar per pop (limit is 25g/day for kids) Outshine made with real fruit! $3.98 for 6 bars (expensive) still has 14 grams added sugar! (remember the daily limit is 25 grams) Helado's MINIs (these are small) $4.77 for 12 4-9 grams added sugar per pop (remember the daily limit is 25 grams) La Michoacana $7.78 for 12 18-26 grams added sugar per pop (yikes!) (remember, the daily limit for sugar is 25 grams) Pace Bars 5.99 for 12 19 grams added sugar per pop (remember, the daily limit for sugar is 25 grams) Minion Popsicles 5.99 for 6 (expensive!) 5 grams added sugar per pop (they are tiny) Mighty Ice Pops 2.89 for 9 pops 20 grams added sugar per pop (remember the limit is 25 grams of sugar per day) This isn't a complete list. I'm not saying that you should or should not buy any of these popsicles. I just want you to be AWARE of how much sugar is in popsicles, just in case you are like me and thought that they were full of fruit! When you are shopping, take a minute to compare labels and choose an option with less sugar. Healthy eating is about balance. It's okay to enjoy popsicles, and it's also okay to skip going out for sodas and cookies at swig if you already had a popsicle that day. Looking for a healthier way to cool down? Here's a few ideas: Keep cut watermelon on hand! no added sugars! Fresh fruit is an anytime food at my house! Make your own popsicles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoQe-9joguQ https://minimalistbaker.com/tropical-fruit-popsicles-no-added-sugar/ look for recipes that have no added sugar or honey, stick with whole fruit and 100% fruit juices Banana "nice" cream (no added sugar) https://youtu.be/1HKMAk3LPw4?si=IMufOouEJ7Js2qDB My Favorite Smoothies (no added sugar)! (you could turn any of these into popsicles, but it's not worth the hassle in my opinion) Peanut butter green smoothie https://www.ddinutrition.com/recipes-2/green-smoothie Tropical Smoothie https://www.ddinutrition.com/recipes-2/tropical-green-smoothie Beet smoothie https://www.ddinutrition.com/recipes-2/raspberry-cottage-cheese-smoothie Happy summer!

Did you know that you can get free food at farmers markets this summer? If you participate in SNAP, "you can get up to $30 of FREE Utah-grown fruits and veggies - per market day - when using your SNAP (food stamp) EBT Horizon card at participating farmers markets. The program works by matching SNAP benefits, dollar-for-dollar, up to thirty dollars at participating markets."(quote from https://uah.org/get-help/snap-farmers-market) So if you spend 30$ at the farmers market, you get 30 MORE dollars to spend on fruits and veggies at the farmers market! Think of all the fresh corn, watermelon and basil you could buy with that!! Fresh cherry season, here we come! Don't let this opportunity pass you by! Check out this website to find a participating farmers market near you: https://uah.org/get-help/snap-farmers-market Here's a list of the farmers markets in Salt Lake County, for all counties, click the link above! Happy Shopping! Next time I'll share my favorite recipes for fresh summer produce!

Tomorrow is the last day of school for my kids. I feel so free! Free from homework struggles Free from early bedtimes Free from early wake up times Free from the daily scramble for everyone's shoes (why are they always outside? Isn't that why we have shoes....to protect our feet outside?) But there's one burden of parenting that I'm not free from in the summer: feeding my kids lunch. School lunch can be a life saver during the school year. Now that school's out, I'm in charge of lunch. Every day. For the next 3 months. If you are also dreading the extra work that summer meal prep brings, I've got just the thing for you: FREE SUMMER MEALS. Nutrition programs offer free meals for all kids under 18, Monday through Friday at a park near you. The meals require ZERO paper work. Just show up, play at the park, and grab some lunch. Use this website to find a summer meal site near you: https://www.fns.usda.gov/summer/sitefinder?cid=fea6e71a684f86c6e3506c894511ea34 After clicking the link, put in your address and all these blue dots will appear. Every blue dot indicates a summer meal site. (below is an image from the webpage, click link about to access the meal site finder) If you click a blue dot, it gives you more information about the summer meal site, including what days and times the meal site operates. (image from meal site finder website) After that, you just show up, play at the park, and get some free healthy food for your child. Meals for adults are not free. For help locating food for adults click here: https://www.fns.usda.gov/national-hunger-hotline Now that we've found a solution to the worst part of summer, I feel like I can honestly say: HAVE A GREAT SUMMER! I'll be back next week with more tips for feeding your kids when school is out.

Do you feel like everyone is going crazy over protein lately? It seems like all the food blogs I follow are shouting this message: "YOU AREN'T EATING ENOUGH PROTEIN". And everyone wants to fix that problem by selling (really expensive) protein powder. I disagree. And I never buy protein powder. Why? I learned in my college nutrition classes that the ideal protein level for most adults is .8 grams per kg of body weight. I weigh 145 pounds, so my ideal protein intake is 52 grams per day. To find your own protein needs, multiply your weight (in pounds) by 0.358 Most adults need between 50 and 70 grams per day. It's really easy to get eat 50 grams protein. It's especially easy if you eat meat, which has about 20 grams protein per serving. Check out the protein content of foods I ate yesterday: breakfast: oats with berries total (22 grams protein): 7 grams = 1/4 cup almonds 8 grams = 1 cup milk 5 grams = 1/2 cup oats 2 grams = 1 cup berries lunch: green smoothie + tuna on crackers (45 grams protein): 8 grams = 1 cup milk 7 grams = 2 Tablespoons peanut butter 1.5 grams = 1 cup collard greens 1.5 grams = 1 banana 24 grams = 1 can tuna 3 grams = 6 triscuit crackers snack: raspberry smoothie (17 grams protein): 8 grams = 1/2 cup cottage cheese 8 grams = 1 cup milk 1 gram = 1/2 cup raspberries 1 gram = 1 banana dinner: soup + salad (28 grams protein): 8 grams = sausage kale soup 6 grams = whole wheat bread 14 grams = 1 cup beans 2 grams = green salad 0.5 grams = 1 apple My total protein intake for the day = 112 grams protein (which equates to 1.69 g/kg....double what I need for the day) See, it's really easy to get enough protein. It's also really easy for toddlers to get enough protein. Toddlers (age 1-3) only need 13 grams of protein each day. Here's an estimated 3 year old's daily intake: breakfast (10.5 grams protein) 8 grams = 1 cup milk 2.5 grams = 1/2 cup cheerios snack (9 grams protein) 7 grams = 1 cheese stick 2 grams = handful of crackers lunch (6 grams protein) 5 grams = 2 chicken nuggets 1 gram = 2 pieces of broccoli 0 grams = apple sauce snack (6 grams protein) 3 grams = 1 slice toast 3 grams = 1 Tablespoon peanut butter dinner (5 grams protein) 1.5 grams = 1/2 tortilla 3.5 grams = 1/2 oz cheese total for the day = 36 grams protein Remember, a toddler only needs 13 grams protein per day This is about 3 times what they need in a day. So if you feel like you aren't getting enough protein, don't worry. You probably are. And your toddler is too. That being said, it's important to eat protein at breakfast. Eating a good source of protein at breakfast keeps you (and your little people) full longer, so you don't have to worry about feeding people again for at least a few hours. Eating protein with breakfast also keeps your blood sugars from going up too fast, which can help you feel your best the rest of the day. While it's good to aim for about 15 grams of protein at each meal (for adults) and 5 grams (for kids age 1-3), I never count protein grams. In fact, I had to look up how much protein is in the foods I ate yesterday to make this post. I simply make sure to include at least 1 protein source in every meal + snack I eat, and by the end of the day I know it will add up to enough. So at breakfast, I usually eat one of the following high protein foods: milk nuts (or nut butter) eggs beans cottage cheese yogurt Things like bread and oatmeal have a little bit too, but not as much as animal foods and nuts. Here are a few of my favorite breakfasts and their protein content (which I had to look up). Eggs in a Mug (18 grams protein, 2 minutes to make) Ingredients: 2 eggs, 1/4 cup cottage cheese Directions: wisk eggs + cheese in a mug. Microwave 1 minute, stir with a fork. Microwave 1 more minute. stir with a fork and eat. 2 Minute Microwave Oats (16 grams protein, 2 minutes to make) Ingredients: 1/2 cup oats, 1/2 cup peanut butter, 2 Tablespoons peanut butter How: put all in bowl, microwave for 2 minutes, stir and eat Cottage Cheese Pancakes (20 grams for the entire batch, 6 minutes to make) Ingredients: 1/3 cup whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 3/4 cup milk How: wisk all ingrdients in a bowl, cook in a skillet 2.5 minutes each side Raspberry Smoothie (21 grams protein, 2 minutes to make) Ingredients: 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup frozen raspberries, 1 frozen banana How: blend all ingredients in a blender Looking for more healthy breakfast ideas that don't include protein powder? Check out the breakfast section on my website: https://www.ddinutrition.com/recipes Thanks for reading! I'll be back in 2 weeks with a new nutrition topic! If you want to be sure to get all my blog posts to your email, click here to subscribe: https://www.ddinutrition.com/subscribe-to-blog

My favorite breakfast as child was deep pocketed Belgian waffles. I loved to fill every square to the top with maple syrup and watch it soak into the bread. Then I'd top the entire thing with whipped cream. Yum. As an adult, I still love a syrup soaked waffle covered in whipped cream. But I save that type of waffle for special occasions. Why? Eating too much sugar makes me feel yucky, especially at breakfast when the rush of sugar can give me a headache. I also know that eating too much sugar causes heart disease, cancer and diabetes, so I try to limit how much sugar I eat every day. Don't get me wrong, I still love sweet treats. But I treat them as just that: treats. Not something I eat every day for breakfast. The American Heart Association and American Academy of Pediatrics recommend limiting ADDED sugar to 25 grams/day for kids. Added sugars are listed on food labels as "added sugars." Natural sugars in milk and fruit are not "added sugars" and don't count toward the 25 grams. Don't limit the amount of fresh fruit your child eats! image source: npr.org https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/05/20/478837157/the-added-sugar-label-is-coming-to-a-packaged-food-near-you It's important to pay attention to how much added sugar you have at breakfast so you can balance it out the rest of the day. So if you really love to eat a syrup soaked waffle for breakfast, you should probably avoid packing dessert in your lunch too. Here's a list of the added sugar content of common breakfast foods. Remember, the limit is 25 grams per day 2 Pop Tarts = 30 grams sugar 1 Blueberry muffin = 25 grams sugar 1 packet hot coco = 23 grams sugar 2 Tablespoons maple syrup = 22 grams sugar 1 Tablespoon Nutella = 19 grams sugar 1 cup chocolate milk = 16 grams sugar 1 glazed donut = 15 grams sugar 1 container strawberry yogurt (6oz) = 13 grams sugar 1 cup Lucky Charms = 12 grams sugar 1 cup Honey Nut Cherrios = 12 grams sugar 1 cup Frosted Flakes = 12 grams sugar 1 capri sun juice pouch = 12 grams sugar 1 Tablespoon grape jelly = 12 grams sugar 1 packet sweetened applesauce = 9 grams sugar 1 cup honey bunches of oats = 9 grams sugar 1 Tablespoon strawberry jam = 9 grams sugar rice chex, rice crispies, corn flakes = 2 grams sugar 1 Tablespoon creamy peanut butter = 2 grams sugar Plain Cherrios = 1 gram sugar Eggs, plain milk, plain oatmeal, plain yogurt, fruit = 0 grams added sugar! My childhood waffle probably had at least 1/4 syrup, which equates to 60 grams of added sugar! Remember, the limit is 25 grams per day. See how easy it is to go overboard with sugar at breakfast? I really hate counting calories or sugar grams, but I do think it's important to be aware of what you are eating. I still buy syrup and jam, but I almost never buy pop tarts, boxed cereal, or chocolate milk. They are just too concentrated with sugar, so we save them for special treats. So if we don't we cold cereal for breakfast, what do we eat? Here are my top 4 family breakfasts: #1 Peanut Butter Oatmeal 2 grams added sugar from the peanut butter 2 minutes to make in the microwave https://www.ddinutrition.com/recipes-2/peanut-butter-oatmeal #2 Green Smoothie 2g added sugar from the peanut butter 3 minutes to make in a blender https://www.ddinutrition.com/recipes-2/green-smoothie #3 Raspberry Smoothie 0 grams added sugar 2 minutes in a blender https://www.eatingbirdfood.com/raspberry-smoothie/#wprm-recipe-container-118220 #4 Scrambled Eggs 0 grams added sugar 5 minutes in a frying pan Want more healthy breakfast ideas? Join me for a virtual healthy breakfast cooking class next Tuesday March 26th @ 5:30. Send me an email (nicolebuhlerRD@gmail.com) if you want to join and I'll send you the shopping list. Thanks for reading, I'll be back next week to talk about more healthy breakfast ideas!

Everyone needs something to get them out of bed in the morning: a job, a pet or maybe a beautiful baby to snuggle. The thing that gets me out of bed every morning is.....eating. Eating is my favorite. I love getting up and into the kitchen every morning to whip up something delicious to eat. But I'm also a Registered Dietitian. So when I say whip up something delicious, it's not donuts and cinnamon rolls. To me, something delicious must be: high in fiber low in added sugars high in vegetables or fruits high in protein I know that to most people, fiber and veggies don't actually sound delicious at all.😂 But I'm hoping to convince you otherwise. On the blog this month, I am going to share 4 better breakfast building tips along with recipes I make all the time. Let's start with FIBER. Why Fiber? keeps you regular (prevents constipation) keeps you full longer (so you don't overeat) feeds healthy bacteria in your gut (extremely important for overall health) prevents cancer (especially colon cancer) lowers cholesterol (thus preventing heart disease) controls blood sugars (thus preventing diabetes) How Much Fiber? Kids age 1-3 need 19 grams per day. Kids age 4-13 need 25 grams per day Kids and adults 14+ need between 30 and 40 grams of fiber every day, Fiber content of common breakfast foods (click links for recipes): Ways to increase fiber: Always use whole wheat flour for pancakes Look for recipes that use at least 1/2 whole grain, preferably 100% whole grain Eat more oatmeal! Add vegetables to eggs Only buy 100% whole wheat bread Use whole wheat tortillas for breakfast burritos add beans to breakfast burritos Add fruit and nuts to yogurt, granola and oatmeal Buy cereal that is high in fiber High Fiber Recipes I've made in the past week: Whole Wheat Waffles from King Arthur Flour (5 grams fiber per waffle) https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/whole-wheat-waffles-recipe Peanut Butter Banana Cookies (2 grams per cookie) https://www.ddinutrition.com/recipes-2/peanut-butter-banana-cookies Berry Oatmeal (7 grams fiber & my son's favorite when he was a baby) https://www.ddinutrition.com/recipes-2/blueberry-oatmeal Peanut Butter Oatmeal (6 grams fiber & our most eaten breakfast) https://www.ddinutrition.com/recipes-2/peanut-butter-oatmeal Pumpkin Muffins (4g fiber, I cut the sugar down to 1/3 cup) https://www.eatingbirdfood.com/healthy-pumpkin-muffins/#wprm-recipe-container-84882 Spinach Smoothie (5g fiber) https://www.ddinutrition.com/recipes-2/green-smoothie My Favorite Blogs with High Fiber Breakfast Recipes: Eating Bird Food: https://www.eatingbirdfood.com/category/meal-type/breakfast/ Cookie and Kate: https://cookieandkate.com/category/food-recipes/breakfast/ Real Mom Nutrition: https://www.realmomnutrition.com/category/recipes-2/breakfast/ Love and Lemons: https://www.loveandlemons.com/healthy-breakfast-ideas/ I hope this gets you started on high fiber foods! Remember, kids need 19 grams of fiber every day, and adults need around 30 grams. Start comparing food labels and choosing higher fiber options today! Next time on the blog we will talk about lower sugar breakfast options.

I have experienced my "parent fails" in my years as a mother. That kid with the wonky DIY-haircut? That's my kid (and my lack of cutting skills) Those girls walking down the street in winter without shoes? Those are my girls (they own shoes, just choose not to wear them!) That boy on the hiking trail with a huge tear in the rear of his pants (and no underwear)? He's mine. My "parent fails" aren't a big deal most of the time. Just mistakes that teach me to do better next time. Hair grows back, feet warm up, and bare bums can be creatively covered with plastic bags and medical tape. However, some "parent fails" can cause lifelong damage to your child's health. One of those "permanent parent fails" is a poorly managed vegan diet. Without careful planning, vegan diets can put a child at risk of permanent nerve damage, developmental delays, weak bones, and poor immune systems. With careful planning, all of those problems can be avoided. Are you thinking about feeding your child a vegan diet? If so, keep reading to learn how to "not fail" at this way of eating. This article is not meant to be medical advice, but a basic guideline to help you plan. If you are thinking about starting a vegan diet, please talk with your medical doctor or pediatrician. In this blog post: Main takeaways Vitamin B12 Iron Zinc Calcium Vitamin D Foods Vegan Children should eat every day Example of a healthy vegan diet for toddlers The 5 main takeaways from this blog post: Here's basics: #1. Vegan diets contain no animal foods. Without meat, dairy, eggs and fish it is hard to get enough: Vitamin B12 Iron Zinc Calcium Vitamin D #2. Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D are not found naturally in plant foods. To get enough B12 and vitamin D, Toddlers must: Eat/drink fortified foods OR Take a supplement (always ask your doctor for a recommendation) OR Get it from breastmilk. If your child is less than 1 year and breastfed, make sure the breastfeeding mother eats enough B12 and D #3. Plant sources of iron are not absorbed as well as meat sources. To get enough iron you should: Eat a source of iron at every meal (fortified and whole grains, nuts, beans, legumes and dried fruits) and Eat foods high in vitamin C (like fruits) with every meal (vitamin C helps absorb iron) Always talk to a doctor before taking iron supplements to avoid iron poisoning Start iron-fortified infant cereal at 6 months (breastmilk is low in iron) #4. The best sources of zinc and calcium are: beans nuts leafy green vegetables (spinach, kale, collard greens, broccoli) whole grains (like oatmeal) #5. Raw leafy greens, nuts and seeds are excellent sources of nutrition. They are also choking hazards until age 3. Here are two safe ways for toddlers to eat them: Blending greens, nuts and seeds into a green smoothie Blend beans, nuts and seeds into hummus Stir nut/seed butter into oatmeal Keep reading for more details about each of these topics! Vitamin B12 Why your child needs it: B12 is an important part of the brain and nervous system, which are developing rapidly during the first years of life. Not getting enough can cause brain damage. It's easy to get enough if you drink soymilk. Want more info on B12?: click here. Tips for getting enough: Offer B12 fortified soymilk and cereals. One cup of Silk Soymilk has 3x the amount of B12 your child needs in a day (see chart). Check food labels at the store for foods with B12 content. Notice how B12 content varies between brands. You must frequently check labels to ensure your child gets enough B12 from fortified food sources. Always ask your pediatrician for help before giving your baby a dietary supplement. If your child eats cereal and drinks soymilk, they probably get plenty. If you are breastfeeding, eat enough B12 so it will be present in your breastmilk (adults need 2.4 micrograms/day) Iron Why your child needs it: Iron is an essential part of red blood cells, which carry oxygen to all parts of your body. Iron is also vital for a baby’s nerve and brain development. Babies who do not get enough iron can have weakness, developmental delays and anemia. Want to learn more about iron: click here. Tips for getting enough It's easy to get enough iron if your baby eats fortified cereals. Without fortified foods, it takes planning to get enough iron from vegan food sources. Plant sources of iron are not well absorbed. Vitamin C helps with iron absorption. Eat foods high in vitamin C (oranges, kiwis, red bell peppers, tomatoes, broccoli) with a source of iron (beans, nuts, cereals, whole grains) to help your body absorb iron. If your baby doesn’t get enough iron from food, ask your pediatrician for help choosing a dietary supplement. Supplements can cause iron poisoning, which can kill an infant, so always ask a physician for help. Zinc Why your child needs it: Zinc promotes a healthy immune system. It is an important part of your child’s growth and development. Without enough zinc, your baby might get sick more than usual and have developmental delays. Want to learn more: click here. Tips for getting enough: Oatmeal is a good source of zinc, providing 50% of a toddler's needs for the day. Blending nut butter or chia seeds into smoothies or oatmeal is an easy way to provide zinc to young children who cannot safely chew nuts and seeds. Breakfast cereals are sometimes fortified with zinc. Check labels to see how much zinc is in the cereal you regularly eat. If there is none, look into a different brand. The amount of zinc varies by brand and variety. Calcium Why your child needs it: Calcium builds baby’s bones. Without enough calcium, your child could develop weak bones. Want to learn more? Click here. Tips for getting enough: Serve 2 to 3 cups of soymilk every day. Offer green vegetables at least twice per day. Green smoothies are the easiest way to eat green leafy vegetables. Making a green smoothie with soy milk, greens and chia seeds is a great way to get enough calcium. I drink a green smoothie every day. Vitamin D Why your child needs it: Children who do not get enough vitamin D can develop rickets, which is softening of the bones. It is currently thought that getting enough vitamin D might help prevent heart disease, cancer, autoimmune diseases, and depression later in life. Tips for getting enough: Fortified milk, cereal and orange juice are the only vegan food sources of vitamin D. During summer months, the body makes vitamin D from sunlight. The body can't make vitamin D in Utah in winter because the angle of the sun is too low. Every brand has a different amount of vitamin D, you will have to check food labels to know if you are eating enough. Mushrooms sometimes have vitamin D, but only if specifically treated with UV light. Do not count on mushrooms as a reliable source of vitamin D. Ask your pediatrician for help choosing a vitamin D supplement if your child does not get at least 15 micrograms of vitamin D per day. Foods a vegan child should be offered at every meal: B12 and Vitamin D Fortified soymilk (1 cup, 3 times per day) Soymilk is better than almond milk. Almond milk is very low in protein! Kids need protein to grow. Almond milk is often not fortified with vitamin B12. A good source of iron (either iron-fortified cereal, beans or nut butter/ground nuts) Fruits (vitamin C in fruit helps with iron absorption) Vegetables (preferably a leafy green or cruciferous like broccoli - the vitamins and minerals are best absorbed from leafy greens + they have more calcium) Whole grains like cereal, bread, tortilla, oatmeal or other cooked grains Meal Ideas for a Vegan Toddler: These are simple meal ideas that come from the DDI Nutrition Recipe page. Most are recipes that have been used for our cooking class. Most recipes we make are vegan because vegan meals are actually less expensive than meals with meat and dairy products. Breakfast Ideas: #1 Cereal and milk 1 cup silk soymilk ½ to 1 cup iron and zinc fortified cereal (Great Value Toasted O’s are well fortified) ½ cup fruit (strawberries, applesauce, oranges, anything with vitamin C in it) #2 Oatmeal ½ cup oatmeal cooked in ½ cup soymilk Stir in 2 tablespoons nut butter ½ cup soymilk to drink 1/2 cup orange juice (for vitamin C to help with iron absorption) #3 Vegan smoothie 1 cup soymilk 2 tablespoons peanut butter 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup spinach 1 tablespoon chia seeds ½ frozen banana (blend on high speed) Snack Ideas: ½ slice of toast 1 tablespoon nut butter (almond butter has more zinc and calcium than peanut butter) fruit smoothie Lunch Ideas: tortilla stuffed with: hummus chopped spinach leaves chopped bell pepper fruit on the side OR Iron fortified noodles peanut sauce Baked tofu Cooked collard greens ½ cup fruit - in season OR LEFTOVERS breakfast foods dinner foods snack foods Snack Ideas: hummus lion: https://www.ddinutrition.com/recipes-2/hummus-lions emotional toast (use hummus instead of cream cheese) https://www.ddinutrition.com/recipes-2/emotional-toast Dinner Ideas: Vegan soup with beans, noodles and cooked greens (use veggie broth) Vegetarian Chili (no sour cream or cheese on top) Lentil Soup Buddha Bowls Burrito Bowls Garbanzo Bean Curry Lentil Curry Lentil Tacos Vegan black bean salad (skip the queso fresco) For more great recipes visit my recipe page: https://www.ddinutrition.com/recipes Be sure to include soymilk and fruit on the side of every meal! References Saunders AV, Craig WJ, Baines SK, Posen JS. Iron and vegetarian diets. Med J Aust. 2013;199(4 Suppl):S11-16. Linus Pauling Institute. Vitamin D. https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/vitamins/vitamin-D National Institutes of Health. Vitamin D Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/ Linus Pauling Institute. Iron. https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/minerals/iron Iron Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-HealthProfessional/ Zinc. Linus Pauling Institute. https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/minerals/zinc Eye on Nutrition, Zinc. WICworks. https://wicworks.fns.usda.gov/resources/eye-nutrition-zinc Zinc Fact Sheet for Health Professionals https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional/ US Deptartment of Health and Human Services. 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Appendix E-3.1.A4. Nutritional goals for each age/sex group used in assessing adequacy of USDA Food Patterns at various calorie levels. https://health.gov/our-work/nutrition-physical-activity/dietary-guidelines/previous-dietary-guidelines/2015/advisory-report/appendix-e-3/appendix-e-31a4 J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 2003 Apr;49(2):81-6. doi: 10.3177/jnsv.49.81. Effect of soaking prior to cooking on the levels of phytate and tannin of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris, L.) and the protein value. Elizabete Helbig 1, Admar Costa de Oliveira, Keila da Silva Queiroz, Soely Marie Pissini Machado Reis https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0271531721000191?via%3Dihub Is iron and zinc a concern for young vegans? Hurrell RF. Phytic acid degradation as a means of improving iron absorption. Int J Vitam Nutr Res 2004;74:445–52. Iron absorption: factors, limitations and improvement factors https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9219084/ Improving the bioavailability of iron: https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/D1CC8CA0E2F3990871A5C7912619B8D7/S0029665106000218a.pdf/improving-the-bioavailability-of-nutrients-in-plant-foods-at-the-household-level.pdf

Beets are the superfood you've been missing out on! Studies show that the nutrients in beets (especially the antioxidants and phytonutrients) can help prevent cancer and heart disease (1,2,3,4). One half cup of beets provides 50% of a toddler's folate needs for the day (1). Folate is important for healthy red blood cells and toddler growth and development. Beets are also a good source of magensium, B-6 and iron, which help with muscle and blood formation. Many people dislike beets. I often hear people say "this tastes like dirt," which makes me laugh. They do have a very earthy flavor, especially when freshly harvested! I really love the earthly beet flavor and because I've been serving my kids beets since they were babies, they also love beets. Start feeding your baby and toddler beets while they are young and they will love them too! Here's a photo of my daughter with fresh picked beets in our backyard. She's a teenager now but still likes beets. Here's 3 easy ways I feed beets to my family: #1 Canned Beets Canned beets are just so much easier than cooking raw beets. They are relatively inexpensive and make a fun addition to any lunch. Just open up a can and serve them up with your mac and cheese. (image credit: https://eat-move-save.extension.illinois.edu/eat/recipes/canned-beets-spices) You can buy pickled beets or regular beets. If your family loves pickles, I'd start with pickled beets, the added sweetness might win your family over. If you are feeling creative you can easily cut them into shapes with cookie cutters. That's too much effort for me, I just open up a can and plop them in a bowl. People gobble them up as a side dish or on top of salads. Can you find the beets on this beautiful veggie plate? They look like canned beets to me. Another fun way to eat canned beets is to blend them into a smoothie. My kids don't even know they are there in this recipe from the Oregon State Extension: https://kidspirit.oregonstate.edu/recipes/berry-beet-smoothie. #2 Shredded Raw Beets I love to serve shredded beets on top of tacos. Raw beets are also delicious shredded into a green salad. They do taste a bit more "like dirt" if you eat them raw, so I wouldn't recommend raw beets for your first tasting if you don't like earthy flavors. #3 Roasted fresh beets. This is the most delicious way to serve beets. Hands down. Roasting them brings out their natural sweeten because as you heat them up, the sugars inside caramelize. Look at this beautiful roasted beet salad from cookieandkate.com (one of the best vegetarian blogs out there). I make roasted beets a lot in the fall after I harvest my beets. I always follow this recipe from cookie and kate: https://cookieandkate.com/perfect-roasted-beets/ Check it out! That's the last red vegetable I'm highlighting for the month of February! I hope you were able to try red grapefruit, bell peppers and beets this month! https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169966/nutrients Ninfali P, Antonini E, Frati A, Scarpa ES. C-Glycosyl Flavonoids from Beta vulgaris Cicla and Betalains from Beta vulgaris rubra: Antioxidant, Anticancer and Antiinflammatory Activities-A Review. Phytother Res. 2017 Jun;31(6):871-884. doi: 10.1002/ptr.5819. Epub 2017 May 2. PMID: 28464411. de Oliveira SPA, do Nascimento HMA, Sampaio KB, de Souza EL. A review on bioactive compounds of beet (Beta vulgaris L. subsp. vulgaris) with special emphasis on their beneficial effects on gut microbiota and gastrointestinal health. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2021;61(12):2022-2033. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2020.1768510. Epub 2020 May 25. PMID: 32449379. Silva DVTD, Baião DDS, Ferreira VF, Paschoalin VMF. Betanin as a multipath oxidative stress and inflammation modulator: a beetroot pigment with protective effects on cardiovascular disease pathogenesis. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2022;62(2):539-554. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2020.1822277. Epub 2020 Sep 30. PMID: 32997545.

Pink grapefruit is the princess of winter fruits. It's sweet & pink, which makes it a perfect treat for the month of love. Like all citrus fruits, grapefruit is high in vitamin C. 1/2 cup of grapefruit = 42mg vitamin C (1). Toddlers age 1-3 need 15 mg per day (2). 1/2 cup grapefruit = 500% of what a toddler needs! Vitamin C is important for: healthy skin a robust immune system chronic disease prevention Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a powerful antioxidant. Antioxidants get rid of bad chemicals (oxidants) that float around in your blood and cells (3). Vitamin C and other nutrients like furanocoumarins and lycopene in grapefruit are also thought to prevent cancer and other chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes (4). Simply put: Grapefruit is good for you, eat it while it is in season!!! What's more important to me is that Grapefruit tastes good and looks pretty! My second grader loooooves grapefruit. He eats one in his lunch almost every day from December through March, and often has one for an after school snack too. I section grapefruit with a knife for him because the membrane between the juicy pulp is very tough and fibrous. It's very difficult to chew and can be a choking hazard for babies and toddlers. To solve that problem, I've become adept at sectioning grapefruit with a knife. I highly recommend practicing this skill if you love grapefruit and want your kids to love it too. Check out this video to see how: I don't have any recipes for grapefruit, usually we eat them up plain (usually before they can even be gathered up into a bowl). Enjoy this beautiful delicious fruit before they get expensive and dry. Grapefruit taste best and cost less when purchased between December and April. I'll be back next week with tips for eating one of my favorite red foods: beets! References: USDA Nutrient Database. FoodData Search. Grapefruit, raw, pink and red, florida. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/174675/nutrients Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs): Recommended Dietary Allowances and Adequate Intakes, Vitamins Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine, National Academies https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK56068/table/summarytables.t2/?report=objectonly National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2000. Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, and Carotenoids. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/9810. Hung WL, Suh JH, Wang Y. Chemistry and health effects of furanocoumarins in grapefruit. J Food Drug Anal. 2017 Jan;25(1):71-83. doi: 10.1016/j.jfda.2016.11.008. Epub 2016 Dec 6. PMID: 28911545; PMCID: PMC9333421.

I have never been out to dinner on Valentines day. We don't exchange romantic gifts or get "lovey-dovey" on February 14th. But we do still celebrate! We make food in the shape of hearts (toast, pancakes, pizza). We make heart shaped crafts. We talk about what we love about eachother. and We eat a lot of red, pink and purple foods throughout the month: Bell Peppers, Grapefruit, Beets, Tomatoes, Strawberries, Grapes, Cabbage and Radishes! On the blog this month, I'm going to highlight my favorite red and pink foods. Starting with BELL PEPPERS. I couldn't live without bell peppers. They are one of my top 10 favorite foods. Not only are they sweet and crunchy, but they are also super nutritious. One bell pepper has about 150mg vitamin C, which is 160% of your daily need for vitamin C. Vitamin C is important for you immune system, getting enough vitamin C can keep you healthy! Bell peppers are also loaded with antioxidants that help prevent chronic disease like cancer. Eating a diet full of vegetables like bell peppers can keep your body healthy! I'll often slice up a bell pepper and eat it raw. Bell peppers are sweet and crunchy, like apples, and make a perfect snack. Hummus, ranch or cream cheese dips go well with bell peppers. This video shows the fastest way to cut a bell pepper (and a fun way to cut them into hearts for valentines day). We usually eat bell peppers chopped up into salads. Bell peppers make a good substitution for raw tomatoes if you have tomato-haters at your house (my husband hates raw tomatoes). So when a recipe calls for tomatoes, I'll use bell peppers instead to make my family happy. Here are my favorite salad recipes that feature bell peppers: RICE AND BEAN SALAD https://www.ddinutrition.com/recipes-2/rice-and-bean-salad BURRITO BOWLS https://www.ddinutrition.com/recipes-2/burrito-bowls GREEK SALAD https://www.ddinutrition.com/recipes-2/easy-greek-salad PASTA SALAD https://www.ddinutrition.com/recipes-2/pasta-salad Bell peppers also add a sweet flavor to a few of my favorite soups: CHILI https://www.ddinutrition.com/recipes-2/vegetarian-chili CURRY https://www.ddinutrition.com/recipes-2/quick-curry If you happen to have a bell pepper that needs to be used, it's easy to add them into tacos, on top of pizza or in scrambled eggs. https://www.ddinutrition.com/recipes-2/easy-chicken-tacos BAKED EGGS: https://www.ddinutrition.com/recipes-2/egg-muffin-cups Those are a few of my favorite bell pepper recipes. Do you have a favorite way to eat bell peppers? Send me an email and let me know!

Feeding America reports that Americans waste 444 billion dollars of food every year (feedingamerica.org). The most important thing you can do to cut your grocery bill is prevent food waste!!! Here's one surefire way to prevent food waste: take a weekly inventory of what's in your fridge/pantry and plan meals using what you already have. I discussed this in my meal planning blog post a few weeks ago. But there's an even easier way to prevent food waste: Freeze old food BEFORE it goes bad. There are two foods that go bad very quickly: #1 bananas and #2 leafy greens Luckily, these foods also freeze extremely well. They also make the yummiest smoothie you've ever tasted when blended together with peanut butter and milk. On February 27 from 5:30-6:00 pm, I will be teaching a live zoom cooking class about green smoothies and how to use your freezer to prevent food waste. If you want to learn with me live on zoom, click this link to sign up (class is free): https://forms.gle/Gro8YGfg62BEG9bi9 You can purchase ingredients and cook along with me, or you can just login & listen. Either way, you will learn tips and tricks for saving money while eating well. Can't join me for class? Here's a link to one of the recipes we will be making: https://www.ddinutrition.com/recipes-2/green-smoothie Have great week! Wondering what I've planned to eat this week? Here's my menu (it's typed up this week because I'm going to be away from home all week, and I needed everything to be very organized for the babysitter):