Is there a healthy Halloween treat that isn't too tricky to make?

Will kids eat healthy Halloween candy? 

Sure they will! 

Change it up this year with some fun alternatives to candy!

1. Pumpkin fudge

2. Spiced nuts

3. Rice Krispie treats ( I like the Cascadian farms version without BHT)

4. Salt water taffy

5. Roasted pumpkin seeds

Click on the suggestions to take you directly to the recipe website! 

Don't forget about our Halloween photo contest! 

Print out a down loadable fruit mask at: www.ABCDEatRight.com 

Wrap your fruit mask around a whole fruit such as an apple, orange or plum. 

Take a picture.

Post the picture here! 

Then you will be entered to win a My Plate for kids! 

Happy Halloween! 

What is a fun fall snack for kids?

Pumpkin Hummus of course! Rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber. Great for a festive fall party. This recipe is from Cooking Light and would be super easy for kids to help with.

• Pumpkin Hummus
• 
  
• 4 (6-inch) pitas, each cut into 8 wedges
• Cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons tahini (sesame-seed paste)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin seed kernels, toasted (optional)

Preheat oven to 425°.

Place pita wedges on baking sheets; coat with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 6 minutes or until toasted.

Place tahini and next 7 ingredients (through garlic) in a food processor, and process until smooth. Add parsley; pulse until blended. Spoon hummus into a serving bowl; sprinkle with pumpkin seed kernels, if desired. Serve with pita wedges.

Here is the link to the recipe: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pumpkin-hummus-10000001120379/

Time to take a dip! What kids need to eat more vegetables.

Lately I have been on a mission to add more fruits and vegetables to my families diet, especially the kids. Over the past two weekends, when I had time to cook, I made a variation of dips. This past weekend I made guacamole and pumpkin-cauliflower dip, as well as had a jar of store bought salsa. My intention was to have a taste test and try to get the kids to try something new. Things don't always go as planned but I have plenty of yummy pumpkin-cauliflower dip leftover to try again. The recipe for this new fall favorite is attached below. The recipe is taken from www.babble.com and for more flavorful recipes click the link at the end of the recipe! Enjoy! 

Roasted Cauliflower Pumpkin Swirl Dip
vegan, makes 6-7 cups

Roasted Veggies:
1 head cauliflower, chopped
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
3 Tbsp olive oil
pinch of truffle salt and fine black pepper

Pumpkin Swirl:
3/4 cup canned organic pumpkin, unsweetened
1 cup garbanzo beans, canned/drained/unsalted
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cider vinegar
dash cinnamon
salt to taste

White Puree:
roasted cauliflower (about 8 cups loose)
roasted onion
olive oil drizzle from roasting pans
3-6 Tbsp soy creamer or milk (plain) until blends smooth
salt to taste

garnish: small florets of roasted cauliflower and bits of roasted onion, drizzle EVOO, pepper

To Make:

1. Turn oven to 425 degrees.
2. Wash and chop cauliflower. Add to large baking sheet.
3. Chop onion - also add to baking sheet.
4. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over top the roasting veggies - salt/pepper. And lightly toss in pan to coat veggies. Roast for about 20-25 minutes or until tender and slightly caramelized.
5. In a blender or food processor puree the pumpkin swirl ingredients, set aside. Rinse blender of pumpkin mixture.
6. Remove veggies from oven when ready and add to blender or fp. I used my Vitamix. (note: keep a few whole bits out for garnish). Add the soy milk/creamer (as needed to loosen blend) as well as all the leftover oil from the roasting pan. Blend until smooth and creamy. Salt to taste. I love adding truffle salt or oil to the cauliflower/onion mixture.
7. Add white mixture to oven-friendly serving dish. Top with the pumpkin mixture in the center. Press pumpkin to bottom of dish - then use a form or toothpick to create a swirl pattern.
8. Top with EVOO, cauliflower florets and a few leftover onion bits. Pepper. Slowly bake at 250 degrees to your desired moistness. As the mixture bakes, the top layer will dry out a bit and become more like a crust. Serve warmed, chilled or baked. Makes about 6-7 cups of dip.

Craving more fall recipes? Check out my 30 vegan fall-inspired recipes slide show!

What do I eat that is in season? Mango Maddness

Let's face it, when a fruit or a vegetable is not in season it can be costly to purchase and may not taste like it does when it is in season. My kids love mangoes. Off season, I have purchased mangoes as high as $3 a piece and then been dissapointed with the quality of the expensive investment. Mango season generally runs from May until July in tropical climate areas. Fortunately by living in South Florida we are lucky to have a season of boutiful and beautiful mangoes going on right now!

There are hundreds of different types of mangoes with a handful of commercially purchased types. Mangoes are rich in Vitamin A, providing 25% of the RDA in just one mango. Vitamin A is important for skin and mucous lining tissue strength. They are rich in Vitamin C and Vitamin E both of which are important antioxidants. And, they are rich in fiber which is benefiical for bowel health and in the reduction of heart disease.

If you are leary about eating mangoes because they have a giant seed in the middle and you may be unsure of how to cut them, then Click here to follow the step by step instruction of how to cut up a mango. Another way to enjoy a mango is to just peel off the skin and eat the mango right off the seed. This is best enjoyed outside where you or your child has access to water for a quick rinse off. They do get messy, but the deliciously rich and sweet taste of mangoes is a definite summer must have.

Recipe ideas for mangoes:

A cold way to enjoy mangoes is to make a quick mango sorbet by adding 1 pound of cut up frozen mango with 1/2 cup of water and 1/8 teaspoon Xanthum gum.

A dinner addition including mangoes is to toss diced up mango with black beans, green onions and cooked quinoa to make a light and simple salad.

Our friend invited us over this weekend to pick mangoes right from the trees in her yard.

Her family has three different trees and each one was ready to be picked.

If you have questions for a nutrition expert who

coaches adults and children with their nutrition and

wellness needs then email me at Brandi@ABCDEatRight.com.

www.ABCDEatRight.com

We are On a Nutrition Mission!

I'm Hungry...words you hate to hear.

Teeth are brushed, water is at the side of the bed, books are read and then the two year old says "I'm hungry". Here is the predicament, she did not eat much of a dinner (which she does when she does not like it). Encouragement was made to try and eat more. She stubbornly resisted and now time has passed and it is time for bed. "Kitchen is closed" is what I want to say and then I worry that she will wake up in the middle of the night with hunger pains. 

Making everyone sit down to eat together as a family at dinner time has always been important to me. Timing meals and making it to where everyone knows that we eat between 5:30-6 every night has been a part of the process that I think is important to get kids to eat healthy. But now what do I do when she won't eat when, and what, I want her to eat?

 

So along with my mission to decrease the amount of junk food in my children's diet, here are some things that I tried to do to increase what she ate at dinnertime:

 

• I limited the amount of snacks before dinner and limited the "grazing" hours between 4-6. Filling this time with only fruits and vegetables. Distracting her with outdoor playtime also seemed to help.
 
• Increased the protein filled snacks in hopes to satisfy her longer. Choosing snacks like milk, cheese, low sugar yogurts, lean cuts of deli meat, bean dips, seeds and nuts.
 
• Incorporating foods with more fiber such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Popcorn, fresh cut up fruit and vegetables along with high fiber breads can be a good place to start. To help them eat more of their vegetables I just purchased a new veggie dip that Sabra makes. The same company that makes a delicious hummus also makes a cucumber dill veggie dip. My friend told me about it and I can't wait for them to try it. It seems a little healthier than Ranch dressing because it is made with Greek yogurt.  
 
• I also chose to have both kids become more involved with the meal planning. I know what you may be thinking, they are only 5 and 2, but I am finding that the more that they can help me choose what we eat the more apt they are to eat it. I have designed dinner recipe cards in which they can help me choose from. We place the dinner cards on the refrigerator in magnets so that everyone knows what is for dinner. For more info on these recipe boxes visit: www.abcdeatright.com/parents . The site is still under construction but if you want to order a recipe box email me at Brandi@abcdeatright.com . 

 

Sometimes I think it is ridiculous that I worry that my daughter is hungry at night when thousands of children in the US go to bed without eating anything at all. I realize that it may be a phase and that she does eat well when she wants too. But I still want to focus my attention on getting her to eat with some normalcy in her schedule. It is a challenge to balance everything with children. As a mom and a Registered Dietitian I face a constant personal battle with healthy nutrition. My ultimate goal is to instill good eating habits within both of our kids while they are still young. Arming them with nutrition education will benefit them throughout their lives and will end up being one of the best gifts I could give them.

How do you get through your feeding struggles?