Nutrition Info and Food Ideas

Organic Garden Center and Farmer's Market

Blog Author — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 20:57:25 GMT

Last Saturday, we packed up the minivan (with the twins, there's no way to fake it with an SUV), and drove about 20-30 minutes to Balch Springs for Market Day at Eden's Organic Garden Center. Walt had a big time chasing the chickens, geese, and goats and petting the horses. In addition to organic gardening supplies and advice, on certain Saturday mornings they have a small farmer's market. Four or five local organic farmers came with their fresh produce. We picked up some farm-fresh eggs, fresh salad greens, radishes, onions, turnip greens, and butter lettuce. It was great fun to chat with the farmers and get the "just picked yesterday" beautiful veggies. There is nothing fancy about this place -- just nice, honest folks who are proud of what they do for good reason. You can get on their e-mail mailing list so you can receive notices about the next market day. Don't expect anything too big or polished, but this was a really pleasant way to spend a spring Saturday morning!

Walt likes asparagus!

Blog Author — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 18:04:24 GMT

I have blogged before about my picky toddler -- green veggies are clearly the enemy. We had a minor breakthrough on Sunday, however, enjoying some asparagus at dinner. Several things that may have contributed to the success:

    - Walt and I went shopping together, and he picked out the asparagus. It was particularly fresh and beautiful, and turned out to be mighty tasty.

    - He helped me wash the veggies and watched me cook. No fancy preparation, just salt, pepper, and olive oil and blast it under the broiler for about 5 minutes.

    - We used loads of parmesan cheese, his favorite.

This might have been a fluke, but you can always do your best to include your child in shopping, preparation, and meal time.

Local Foods

Blog Author — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 16:47:22 GMT

Please forgive my long absence from the blog - I had Influenza B about 3 weeks ago, and it took some time to shake off the "malaise." (Lousy flu vaccine this year -- check my last post).

Recently, the Dallas Morning News presented a nice list of local producers of produce, meats, cheeses, and other artisanal foods. I can't speak for all of them, but I have certainly enjoyed the Farmer's Market, Lucky Layla Farms, Mozzarella Company, and Spiceman's F.M. 1410. As we get into spring, the fresh, local foods will get increasingly enticing!

No Fluoride in University Park

Blog Author — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:15:30 GMT

Almost every municipal water supply in this area contains the right amount of fluoride, so if your child gets 6-8 ounces of regular tap water per day, they are doing fine. University Park is the only exception -- no fluoride in UP. I guess they can afford the trips to the dentist!

Sneaky Food Tricks

Blog Author — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 14:28:03 GMT

Everything I have ever "invented" has already been invented by somebody else. Vacuum canister to keep your coffee fresh? Yep, already invented by somebody else. Google is such a wet blanket sometimes. Sneaking vegetables into dessert so your kids will eat it? Yep, Jessica Seinfeld has already written a book about it. (I even had a brand name: "Dr. Strong's Veggie Pops.") So we bought Deceptively Delicious , the new book by Jerry Seinfeld's wife. We have tried the Peanut Butter-Banana muffins (with carrot puree) and the Brownies (with spinach and carrots!). I am pleased to report that they actually taste pretty darn good, and Walt has eaten veggies for the first time in months, knowingly or not. Truthfully, the amount of veggie in a serving ends up being pretty small, but it's better than nothing.

Mealtime Tricks

Blog Author — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 00:55:37 GMT

Our toddler, Walt, has become quite the picky eater. Veggies are clearly the enemy at this point. Two of my wife's successful techniques:

    1. The "non-threatening" portion

    2. The "bargaining chip"

A "non-threatening portion" is literally just 2 or 3 tiny bites. Keep it small and simple, and your child may be more willing to at least try it. And if the small portion size doesn't work, you can offer a "bargaining chip" -- if you eat just 2 or 3 bites, you can have something else that you really like.

Hope this helps!

Turkey Talk

Blog Author — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 16:25:47 GMT

It's turkey time, people, and I get serious about my cooking and food science. I am a big proponent of brining for any poultry or pork. Brining refers to soaking meat in a salt water solution before cooking, and it reliably gives more moist and tasty food. It is not too difficult, and it makes a big difference. If you are used to dry and dusty white meat in your Thanksgiving turkey, give it a try. I prefer the Cooks Illustrated methods for all things cooking. My wife things I am overly complicated and ridiculous in my methods, however, so proceed at your own risk. Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!!!

Roasted Brined Turkey Recipe, courtesy of Cook's Illustrated

From the "No Duh" Department

Blog Author — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 00:31:18 GMT

Turns out that fitness waters and energy drinks may not do all that they claim to do, according to the Dallas Morning News.
And oh, by the way, Red Bull doesn't actually make you fly. Monitor any beverages you or your child consume for hidden calories or caffeine. Turns out that a modest amount of milk (16-24 ounces/day), an even more modest amount of thick, cloudy fruit juice (4-6 ounces/day), and plenty of water is probably about all that you need.

I can't help it if I don't like broccoli!!!

Blog Author — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 13:08:01 GMT

When your kids refuse to even try a bite of their veggies or meat, do you feel like you are doing something wrong? Give yourself a break -- it turns out that a growing body of research shows that a child's taste preferences are largely inherited. One theory states that a reluctance to try new foods holds an evolutionary advantage -- thousands of years ago, if you were out in the wilderness, it was probably wise to avoid unknown foods. There is, of course, some environmental influence, so it is still worth your efforts to make mealtimes fun and interesting, and to keep offering new things. Just don't be surprised if you have to offer something ten times before your child will touch it, much less eat a full helping and pretend that they like it!

Reuters Article

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Study

Milk with DHA

Blog Author — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 21:01:59 GMT

Over the past several years, there has been increasing awareness of the benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids. These are nutrients that are found naturally in breast milk, as well as certain food sources, most commonly fish. Many prenatal vitamins and most infant formulas are now supplemented with DHA and/or ARA. There is strong data to suggest that supplementation during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy and in the first year of life can be beneficial for brain, vision, and nervous system development (i.e. more IQ points and better eyesight!) Yesterday I noticed for the first time regular milk with added DHA supplementation. There is not as much scientific study of DHA supplementation for older kids or adults, but I suspect this will be an increasingly common supplement that will prove to be a healthy choice. Of course, we could also try to eat a wide variety of healthy foods, exercise more, and cut out the junk food...