​While some schools have re-opened, many are offering and providing virtual, learn-from-home options to families. Learning from home can be successful with some organization. Establishing household schedules for everyone is crucial. Schedules help set expectations which can decrease anxiety. Once schedules are established, individual workspaces can be created and managed. Separate spaces empower kids by giving them a sense of ownership. Allow some input from your kids by offering a few fun and unique office supplies for them to choose from. Weather permitting, suggest lunches be outdoors to encourage space change that will get kids out of chairs and away from screens. Allowing special breaks or treats within the daily schedule can go a long way in making a new experience positive by allowing it to be different yet functional.

A few food tips to keep in mind:

• Meals should also have minimal distractions. They should be at their own scheduled times and away from screens. 
• Just like at work, having food near devices isn't particularly sanitary. Be sure to wipe down workspaces if anyone has to have a snack while participating online. 
• Engaging children in food prep is also a learning tool and experience! Things such as fine motor skills and even math can be a part of meal preparation. 

Knowing your family history can be an important tool in illness prevention. Typically, children are not screened for diseases unless they become symptomatic. When children are taught healthy habits such as eating well and regularly being active, their need for screening declines. There are a few diseases worth learning about ahead of time, particularly if your family has a history of them. Type 1 Diabetes normally is not diagnosed until a child’s symptoms are severe. Recognizing these symptoms quickly can help manage your child’s care. Symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes include urinating often, excessive thirst, blurry vision, extreme fatigue, weight loss even with increased intake and slow healing wounds. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) also recommends children be screened around age ten for high cholesterol. There are not typically signs or symptoms associated with high cholesterol in kids, which is why it is important to heed the testing recommendations of the AAP. Hypertension is generally screened by age three. Signs and symptoms of hypertension in children include headaches, vomiting, chest pains, shortness of breath and seizures. In all cases, be sure to share your family disease history with your pediatrician who can help you understand possible signs and symptoms of potential risks that your child may be exposed to.

​The concept of  “Eating the Rainbow” is a wonderful model families can refer to when meal planning each week. Each color in the rainbow represents nutrients we can get from colorful foods. Red produce, for instance, boasts carotenoids and flavonoids both which have antioxidant effects in humans. Orange and yellow foods, such as butternut squash and carrots, often contain a trio of benefits that include antioxidants, vitamin A and Vitamin C. Even those blue-hued potatoes and purple eggplant contain anthocyanins that in addition to antioxidant effects, may offer anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and anti-cancer benefits.

​Quick breakfast options are helpful to have on hand and cereal has been a staple in American homes for decades. Choosing healthy cereal options that kids (and adults) actually want to eat is achievable. Start with reading labels. Oftentimes, parents are surprised by what they learn from nutrition facts panels. For instance, when comparing options, shoppers may discover the sugar content is Cinnamon Toast Crunch is no more than the sugar content of Honey Nut Cheerios. Ensure that the cereal you pick is whole wheat or whole bran. From there, pick three options and choose the one with the highest amount of fiber and protein. Some ideal choices include Kashi by Kids Super Loops, Original Cheerios, Kashi Go Cinnamon Crisp Cereal, Nature’s Path Maple Pecan Crunch and Barbara’s Cinnamon Puffins. You can also get creative and mix one of these options with a favorite that may not be on this list.

​Bone is living, growing tissue, whose growth is significant from childhood to near age twenty-five. Thus, there is a limited time to effect bone health.  Nutrients that aid in building healthy bones include calcium, vitamin D, magnesium and vitamin K.  Regular physical activity is also a benefitting factor that can increase bone size, strength and reduces fracture risks. Calcium can be found in dairy products as well as almonds and dark, leafy greens. Dark leafy greens also boast vitamin K. Dietary vitamin D can be found in egg yolks and fatty fish.

Being at home more often can create meal prepping fatigue. As Americans continue to navigate COVID19, making every single, daily, for all family members is a real possibility. Sometimes it might feel like you never leave the kitchen. One way to ease mealtime burdens is to solicit help from your family members. For instance, if your kids were packing their lunches for school, have them prepare their lunches at home. The end results may be a little odd, but they usually will include a variety of food groups in adequate portion sizes that will leave your child feeling satisfied. Research shows that things like packing their own lunches and helping to choose a dinner theme, improve independence and build confidence in kids. In addition, by letting them pick the foods and amounts they want to eat, you are teaching them early on to trust their bodies. There will be opportunities for you to guide and provide good food knowledge. For instance, if you notice there's always a certain food group missing, use neutral words to encourage the addition of that food group. One example of neutral language is, “I noticed you don't usually put any vegetables on your plate." Phrasing in this manner, affords an open dialogue that may provide insight. In this example, you may come to find out that there aren't any vegetables your children like that are cut up, and they are not confident chopping those vegetables by themselves. With this knowledge, you can troubleshoot the concern. We encourage having at least a little something from all the food groups on the plate for variety and to ensure that kids are getting all the nutrients they need. However, not every meal needs to be perfect. It is our choices that add up over time that determine our health, not one meal or one day.

​All children are different and there are a multitude of factors that shape food preferences over one’s lifetime. Parents should expect some bout of picky eating. It is normal for children to go through phases where they feel less adventurous or to even have less of an appetite. Family mealtimes with limited distractions can aid in setting expectations around eating habits and individuals’ responsibilities. For example, it is the parents’ responsibility to provide the meal and then the child decides what and how much to eat from the food provided. Some helpful tips to increase a child’s acceptance of meals include frequent exposure to a variety of food groups and involvement of kids in the planning and preparing of meals.

Summer brings with it an abundance of produce. Consider certain guidelines when stocking up to increase freshness. For bunched items, cut off any greens that may pull moisture out of your fruit or vegetable. Examples include beets and carrots. Removing fasteners such as rubber bands helps increase circulation, which aids in maintaining freshness. Finally, avoid washing less hearty varieties of produce, such as strawberries, as this can result in soggy items.

Due to COVID-19 re-opening phases, summer trips may include more car time travel. A few tips can help make the most of your drive. With hand sanitizer is back in stock, you will want to ensure its use when you exit the car and prior to any meals or snacks. Also consider taking a trash receptacle. By taking a cereal container and adding a trash can liner, you can create a small, yet functional garbage can. Be sure to prepare a large Ziploc with disposable napkins and utensils even if you think you will not need them. Pack non-messy, but yummy road trip snacks like these. 

Quinoa is a fantastic whole grain to add as a pantry staple!  Chock-full of fiber and protein, this is a healthy and versatile meal base.  Here are some quinoa recipes to give you some inspiration to get started.

Quinoa Zucchini Fritters

• 2 cups shredded zucchini
• ½ cup shredded carrot
• ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tbsp chives, chopped
• 1 tsp paprika or Old Bay
• ½ cup Bread Crumbs
• ¼ cup Avocado Oil (could sub olive oil)

Directions:  Shred zucchini and carrots.  Set aside for 10-15 mins.  Wrap in cloth or paper towel and wring out excess moisture.  Mix zucchini, carrot, quinoa, eggs, and spices in a bowl.  Fold in bread crumbs once mixed.  Portion fritters and flatten into patties.  Heat skillet and coat with avocado oil.  Place fritters in pan, fry until golden brown on both sides (about 3 minutes).  Repeat until all the fritters are done and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Recipe from: https://thekitchengirl.com/crabless-cakes-zucchini-quinoa-fritters/ 

Shrimp Avocado Quinoa Bowl

• 1 avocado, sliced
• Lime juice
• 2 cups lettuce or other greens
• ½ cup tomato, diced
• ¼ cup onion, diced
• 2 cups quinoa, cooked
• ½ pound shrimp
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• ¼ tsp each of salt, onion powder, thyme, black pepper, oregano, and cayenne pepper

Directions: Combine shrimp, garlic, oil, and spices.  Heat a pan over medium-high until hot.  Coat with a light drizzle of oil and cook shrimp until charred.  Divide greens into two bowls, top with half of quinoa, shrimp, avocado, tomato, and onion. Drizzle with lime juice & serve.

Recipe from: https://gimmedelicious.com/avocado-shrimp-quinoa-salad-bowls/ 

Mexican Chicken Quinoa Casserole

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can corn, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• ½ cup onion, diced
• 1 cup cheese
• 1 cup water

Directions: Preheat oven to 350.  Line 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper.  Add all ingredients into a bowl and mix.  Spread into a prepared pan and bake for 28 minutes.  Turn off the oven and let it sit in an unopened oven for another 25 minutes.

Recipe from: https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2016/09/19/quinoa-casserole-mexican-black-bean/ 


Mediterranian Quinoa Salad

• 3 cups cooked quinoa, cooled
• 1 large cucumber, chopped
• 1 jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
• 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
• ½ cup coarsely chopped parsley
• 4 oz garlic and herb goat cheese
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper

Directions: Make the dressing by combining olive oil, vinegar, oregano, salt, and pepper.  Whisk to combine.  Add in veggies and quinoa.  Toss to coat in dressing.  Top with goat cheese and parsley.

Recipe from: https://www.thekitchn.com/quinoa-salad-22955988 ​

Whether you are quarantined with your family and kids, significant other, or with your pets, here are some tips to help alleviate meal-time stress!

1. Establish a meal time routine - Establish a role for everyone in your household to play at meal time, whether that is prepping the food, cooking, cleaning, or even setting the table.  Having that routine will help meal time flow easier!
2. Enjoy your meal and your time together - Have discussions about everyone’s day, or their plans for the day!  Try to turn off screens, and enjoy the food and the time with your family.
3. Meal Prepping - Having pre-cooked veggies, pre-made meals, or even pre-washed produce will help make meal time easier.  This will cut down on the stress of preparing a meal and the time you need to spend on cooking nightly!
4. Check out one-pot or one-pan meals - These are great for easy prep and easy clean up!  They help you minimize the materials you use and get dirty, because you are only using one pot or one pan to cook your meal.  Check out this website for some more inspiration: https://thegirlonbloor.com/25-super-easy-sheet-pan-dinners/
5. Try 5 ingredient or less meals - Along similar lines of the one-pot meals, using 5 ingredients or less eliminates the need for long, complicated cooking!  Especially during quarantine, and with grocery store shelves sparsely stocked in some areas, 5 ingredient or less meals will help alleviate stress of a missing ingredient and keep meals from being too expensive!

Be sure to check out our other blogs: 
Creating a Flexible Grocery List that Works
3 Ways to Use Potatoes

Currently, product availability in grocery stores across the nation has fluctuated significantly from week to week. As individuals' schedules are also in flux, there may not be a set day that one can get to the store, causing even more uncertainty when planning meals. Here are some ways to make your grocery list more adaptable!

• Outline your meals for the week - This will alleviate any unnecessary trips to the store. We find that picking a dinner "theme," such as breakfast for dinner or Mexican-themed foods is enough to guide you through the isles while giving you enough flexibility based on whatever is available. 
  
• Have a backup plan - This is especially the case with proteins. For example, pinto beans and rice would make an easy pantry-based swap for ground beef, if your store is all out. 
• Make sure your items can be multi purposeful - One tip we always share with clients is that they can batch cook things like rice and meat, which can be later tailored to fit varying flavor profiles. For example, a large batch of penne pasta can be cooked at once, but can be used with a red sauce one night and then also turned into a cold pasta salad for lunch the next day.
• Remember your essential food items - We have all left the grocery store and realized we forgot the flour!  Including the basics, such as olive oil, flour, butter, or lemons on your list helps you remember. 
• Break up your list - divide it into proteins, grains, dairy, pantry staples, snacks, etc and come up with a couple options for each.  This allows you to mix and match based on what you need for the week, and gives you flexibility if something is available.

Don’t forget the freezer! - whether that is the grocery store freezer section, or buying the meat that is on sale and freezing that until you are ready, remember to keep frozen foods in mind.

The five senses work together to provide both our minds and bodies with satisfying and nourishing meal experiences. Sight, sound, smell, taste and touch each add their own element to mealtime. Besides taste and smell, the sight of a food item sets certain expectations about things like intensity of flavor (e.g., a brighter colored food provides a more intense expectation of flavor). Touch contributes to detecting texture and temperature. Of less obvious understanding, is how sound is integrated into acceptance or rejection of certain foods. Sound helps one anticipate the feel of a food (e.g., the crunchiness of a carrot). Try these fun sensory games with your kids today:
Smelly Spicy Art by Mindful Littles
Five Senses Popcorn Mini Book by I Heart Crafty Things
Desalinization Experiment by STEAM Powered Family

Basic Biscuit Playdough Recipe
Ingredients:
2 cups Bisquick (or other brand biscuit mix)
1 cup salt
2 cups water
1 TBSP cream of tartar
1 TBSP oil
Your choice of kool aid or cocoa (for sight and smell)
Directions:
Pour and mix all ingredients into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 3 minutes. Remove from microwave, scrape and stir the bowl. Next, microwave for another 3 minutes. Remove from microwave, stir, and let cool for 1-2 minutes. The final step is to knead the dough.
Recipe from: No Time for Flashcards

Providing meals for school-aged kids throughout the day is not entirely new to parents since weekends typically provide more family time. Reflecting on weekend days is a great place to start in terms of tackling homeschool eating habits. From there, it is helpful to follow a fairly set meal schedule. Having meals at regular intervals is a basic nutrition tip that helps establish many healthy lifestyle choices. Eating about every 3-4 hours keeps kids fueled for the day, prevents grazing and creates an ideal plan for meal planning and preparing. Ensuring meals and snacks are substantial and satisfying can be achieved by aiming for at least 2-3 food groups per meal. Including kids as part of the planning and preparing can be fun and helpful.
 
More on building healthy meals at Making the Grade at Lunchtime

Adding in plant-based meat extenders to a meat dish is a way to combine the best of both worlds! Plant based foods added into meat dishes boost flavor, add volume, and are budget-friendly.

Examples Include: 

1. Mushrooms can add B vitamin, selenium, and fiber to a dish while also adding flavor. Use 8 oz. raw, small diced mushrooms per 8 oz. of raw meat.
2. Lentils are similar in texture and color to cooked meat, and are good sources of protein, fiber, iron, and folate.  To raw ground meat, add cooked lentils in a ration of 3:1 or 2:1.
3. Mashed beans may be used as a binder in meatballs or burgers. Use ¾ cup mashed beans added to one pound of meat as binding agent. 
4. Prunes help lock moisture into meat and add fiber to the dish. Soak prunes in hot water for 5 minutes, drain, puree and use 2-3 prunes per one pound of raw meat.
5. Whole grains and seeds add volume and nutrients to meats. Use 1 cup bulgur or quinoa per pound of raw meat, or it may be used as a binding agent. As a binding agent use ¾ cup dry oats or 1 tablespoon hydrated chia seeds per pound of raw meat.

Health at Every Size (HAES) may be a word or acronym floating around in the media, but this approach to mindful and healthful eating is gaining traction in the research world.

What it is: HAES encourages (1) body acceptance, (2) respect for diversities of body shapes and sizes, (3) finding joy in physical activity, and (4) promotion of eating habits that balance the individual’s nutritional needs with the feelings of hunger, satiety, appetite, and pleasure¹. 

HAES is a very different message than what has been the recent social norm regarding diets as presented by popular media, whereby the only way to lose weight and be healthy are to calorie restrict, ignore hunger cues, detach pleasure from eating, and/or to excessively exercise.

A randomized clinical control study conducted an intervention in a sample of Brazilian women using HAES. Participants were randomly assigned to either a control or intervention group. Both groups were exposed to traditional HAES teachings, but the HAES intervention group had more in-depth lessons including philosophical workshops, group physical activities, and individual nutrition counseling.

Results: Participants from both groups had an increase in guiltlessness of eating pleasure, greater reflection on food desires, and better social eating experiences¹. Instead of becoming even further removed from thoughtfully making food choices and finding pleasure in eating, both groups were bridging the gaps between eating and listening to their bodies. The intervention group experienced even greater benefits through decreased emotional eating, greater perception of autonomy over food choices, and increased cooking¹.

HAES is one approach that offers a more well rounded and sustainable approach to healthy changes for both body and mind. It is a direct tool that can help address such easily spoken, but hard to manage tasks such as eating "all things in moderation." 

As  noted, HAES is also a movement, aiming to bring about social justice where social stigmas and disparities may lie. Visit https://haescommunity.com/haes-connections/ to learn more or take the pledge.  You can also email us at info@NutritionRites.com for more information on HAES. 

​While food is not medicine, it can play a role in helping your immune system function optimally. At the very core, your immune system needs adequate energy and nutrients to respond to potential pathogens. During cold and flu season, you can focus on getting a balanced mix of protein and vitamins that help build up the body’s defenses. Specific vitamins to include in your diet are Vitamins A, C and E. Vitamin A helps nourish your skin, which acts as your body’s first line of resistance. Sources of Vitamin A include fish, cheese and eggs. Vitamin C helps your body form antigens and can be found in products that are typically acidic, such as citrus and tomatoes. Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant, which helps to slow potential body damage. Vitamin E can be found in various nuts and seeds. 

With the holidays fast approaching, traditions may have you doing a little extra meal planning and preparing. With many dishes that require oven use, you may be planning to employ your stovetop. Understanding a little food science behind your cooking method of choice can go a long way in helping you plate a delicious meal. Cooktops afford us the options to pan-fry, sauté and sear foods. These cooking methods differ in their use of fat and heat. Pan-frying uses enough fat to partially submerge the food item being cooked. To cook it through, medium heat is used and one side at a time is cooked. Examples of items that are pan-fried include skin-on chicken thighs and latkes. Sautéing cooks food just until tender in a thin layer of fat over medium-high heat. Shrimp, mushrooms and leafy greens are items that sauté particularly well. Searing gives foods a caramelized outside while not completely cooking the inside. Oftentimes, recipes call for a pan sear, followed by an additional cooking method such as baking. 

We have long understood that food can serve much more than just a nutritional need. Because it is so essential to life, individuals can relate and connect through food and nutrition. Culture includes the beliefs, customs and habits of a group of people, and each cultural group has access to its own food and creates its own food habits. Home cooking proves to be particularly beneficial in providing mental stimulation and creativity. It also provides additional stimuli, such as aromas, to the senses that aid in meal satisfaction.  Preparing food gives people shared experiences, just as eating socially does.  

How we eat is also a derivative of our cultures, and table manners can be one of the earliest teaching opportunities for parents. Kids can be receptive to learning table manners as soon as they can sit and eat independently.  Some of the more basic etiquettes include washing hands prior to sitting down, sitting up straight with a napkin placed in ones lap and waiting for other before beginning to eat. Family meals offer opportunities to not only model good table manners, but they also offer times to try new foods and practice appropriate responses to those things that kids may not particularly like. While cultural influences may afford some mealtime differences, using proper utensils, chewing with ones mouth closed and not reaching across the table are all still standard behaviors to follow. 

Full Resources:
Teaching Good Table Manners to Kids
10 Tables Manners Rules to Teach Children