Healthy Ideas for Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is around the corner, and you know what that means: candy, chocolate, more candy, flowers, more chocolate, etc. With all those treats on sale, making healthy choices can be difficult, right?

For me, Valentine's Day is a nice way to set aside some time for my husband and I. Now that we have a bigger family, spending quality time together is even more important. So here are some healthy ways to show that special someone you care.

1. If you're going with chocolate, buy dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa). It has phytochemicals and when eaten in moderation, may help prevent heart disease. Hint: make sure cocoa is the first on the ingredient list.
2.  Go for a walk with your love.
3. Make a healthy meal together and enjoy by candlelight.
4. If you do go out to eat, share an entree. It will cut costs and control portions!
5. Celebrate Valentines Day with your kids with healthy treats like mini-boxes of raisins or pretzels, pencils or stickers.
6. Be creative: make a Valentines Day craft! Here are some cute ideas from Martha Stewart.
7. Fore more fun tips, visit the American Heart Association.

What are you doing to celebrate Valentine's Day this year?

Brussels Sprouts Recipes

This week was a long one. Between house hunting, work and parenting, the hubs and I feel a little worn. That's okay though. It's all part of life, right? I'm a firm believer that going through difficult times can make you a better person. Sure, I need frequent reminding, but I know there's a light at the end of the tunnel. 

Sometimes we have to look at the big picture when it comes to food too. For example, I'm sure you could name a few veggies you'd rather not associate with. Maybe your mom made them one too many times as a child. Or maybe you're not quite sure how to prepare them in a way that would make them more appealing. 

This week a friend asked me for brussels sprouts recipes so that her, her husband and her kids would enjoy them more. I don't know about you but brussels sprouts are one vegetable that - at least growing up - I could not stomach. No chance, no way. They were in my mind the equivalent to dirt. Now I know how nutritious they are and that they're actually quite tasty when prepared well. 

Here are a few brussels sprouts recipes my family really enjoys:

Brussels Srouts with Bacon (I use turkey bacon or a little pancetta)

Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Butternut Squash and Cranberries 

In general, I like roasting veggies because it gives flavor without additional salt or fat. I also like to season with a variety of things like salt, pepper, parmesan cheese, sauteed shallots or garlic, chicken broth, and a little pancetta or turkey bacon (usually not all at once, but that depends on the kind of day I'm having).

In terms of children eating their vegetables, I'll give you the scoop on what really happens at my house. Even a dietitians child doesn't always eat his vegetables. Case in point: 

Plate before serving:

Plate after serving:

My philosophy in getting children to eat their veggies (I know, I've said this before) is to provide vegetables consistently with meals and snacks, offer a variety of choices and provide gentle encouragement. If they refuse - and they will refuse at least sometimes - encourage them to eat veggies, allow them to see you eating your veggies and do this consistently throughout their childhood.

Will is generally a pretty good vegetable eater, so I feel okay if he has a few meals here and there where the veggies aren't eaten fully. That's life.

Do you have any good brussels sprouts recipes or tips on how you get your kids to eat their veggies?

Adventures in Parenting

I don't know about you, but being a mom has totally changed my life. Like, forever. 

Gone are the days of impromptu vacations, dual incomes, and doing whatever you want on Saturdays. Now, my days are spent reading curious george, changing diapers, playing cars, building train tracks and trying to assemble quick, healthy meals. Keeping the house clean is a bonus. 

Suffice to say, motherhood is different than I expected, especially when it comes to getting a toddler to eat healthy. And it's not always pretty....

When I was in undergrad studying nutrition, we talked about strategies to help kids eat healthy. I thought it sounded pretty simple: 1.) offer a variety of healthy foods, 2.) be patient and if they refuse healthy foods, 3.) continue offering in a gentle, encouraging way. Easy, right? Yeah, at least to a 21 year old college student that sounded easy as pie. 

Then reality set it when Will came along. I realized I was dealing with a little human who has his own agenda, his own preferences and his own mind. I still use the same strategies I learned in college, but now I understand that parenting is an adventure....a very unpredictable adventure. One that textbooks don't cover.

Thankfully, with a lot of patience (all credit to God) and practice, Will eats pretty healthy. I saw a special on TV about this new book Bringin Up Bebe and despite having not yet read it, what the author said resonated with me. She said that mothers should feed their children what the adults eat. Of course this assumes that your baby/toddler is old enough to tolerate a wide range of textures and doesn't have any specific allergies. This approach, combined with the 3 strategies mentioned above, has been the key to getting Will to eat healthy foods (and preserving mommy's sanity).

Now I want to hear from YOU. What are your strategies for getting the kiddo-s to eat healthy?