Stack it!

Need a quick dinner idea for tonight? Don't worry, we have you covered! This super simple stack can be created using so many different types of veggies so use what you have in your fridge (you may need to adjust the cooking time though).













Here is an easy recipe for our Zucchini Stack:
-2 to 3 large zucchini
-Parmesan cheese
-salt
-olive oil spray

Preheat your oven to 400 F and spray the inside of an 8" square pan with olive oil spray. Slice the zucchini into rounds that are about 1/8" thick. Put one layer on the bottom and sprinkle with cheese and salt. Spray the top of the layer with olive oil spray. Add another layer of rounds and sprinkle with cheese and salt. Spray the top of the layer with olive oil spray. Now repeat until all of the zucchini is used up! The top layer should have cheese sprinkled on it.

Cover with foil and bake for about 20 min. Pierce zucchini with a fork to make sure it's tender. When tender, bake uncovered for 5 minutes to let cheese brown.

Serve as a veggie side or as a main dish over pasta!

Colorful Nutrition

Nutrition can be an overwhelming, ever changing topic. How do you ensure that you and your family are eating properly and getting all of the important vitamins and minerals (not to mention what ARE the most important vitamins and minerals)?  Because we love providing a little Peas of Mind to busy parents, we’re here this week to make eating right as easy as saying ROY G BIV! If you’re not sure what that means, go ask your 2^nd grader.  She’ll excitedly tell you that it stands for the colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.  Now is the perfect time to rely on the colors of the rainbow to get your nutrients as we still have the bounties of summer but are also starting to get the tastes of fall.  

We’re making an easy to follow color-coded guide that will help you fill up your plate (or your daughter’s lunch box) with nutrient packed produce.

RED: Strawberries, tomatoes, apples, beets, cherries, raspberries

ORANGE: Sweet potatoes, carrots (carrot fries), peaches, melon

YELLOW: Bananas, bell peppers, pineapples, asian pears

GREENS: Kale, spinach, broccoli (broccoli fries), apples, lettuce, kiwi

BLUE/VIOLET: blueberries, eggplant, blackberries, plums, grapes, figs

Each day eat AT LEAST one item from every color.  And keep in mind that it’s always a good idea to get your kids involved with healthy eating choices; let them help you pick out produce at the grocery store based on their favorite colors or have them pack their lunch keeping in mind, the more color the better.   What are you waiting for…it’s time to taste the rainbow!

Changes in School Food, Part 2. Get Involved!

We are thrilled about the changes happening to school food menus across the country, like the addition of Veggie Wedgies in place of the deep-fried standard!
 

At the same time, there are more improvements to be made, but what specifically is next? That is the big question. So we turned to our friend and pediatric dietitian, Melanie Silverman, to hear her opinion on the topic and tips on how to keep the momentum going. Here is what she had to say:

On December 13^th, 2010 President Obama signed the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act.  Believe it or not, there had not been a change in school nutrition standards in 15 years so we were long overdue for change.  The gist of the bill is this: 

1. Schools will receive 6 cents more reimbursement per meal.  
2. Foods offered will have less sodium and fat and more fruits and vegetables.  
3. Policies will be made to help schools send consistent messages about healthy eating, which includes what is available in school vending machines and school stores.  
4. Processes for children who are eligible for school meals will be simplified.  
5. Farm-to-school pilot programs will be started.  

Many say, and I do agree, the bill falls short in terms of reimbursement for meals.  I have heard experts suggest that we need an additional dollar per meal to elevate school lunch to where it needs to be.  Six cents is a long way from a dollar so what are we suppose to do to move the process along?  When my clients complain to me about their kids’ school lunch programs I suggest this to them:  get involved!  

Here is what we can do: 

1. Look at your kids’ school lunch menu. Ask your kids what the problems are and take notes.
2. Talk to other families about their issues with the school lunch program and suggest changes.  Start small.  Simple changes like removing sugary drinks or changing white bread to wheat bread can make a big difference.  
3. Keep in mind, money is the issue so your challenge is to come up with cost conscious changes that the school districts can feasibly do.   
4. Contact the school administrators to set up an appointment to voice your concerns and offer suggestions. 
5.  Write your local papers and officials and let your voice be heard that you want change. 

Recently, I heard an excellent idea from a local mom in my community.  She suggested providing cut up fruit and vegetables trays on the tables for kids during lunch.  The problem was the labor involved to cut those fruits and vegetables.  Food service personnel are busy preparing meals and have little to no time to peel carrots and slice apples.  A super savvy mom came up with the idea that school parents or community volunteers could come in and help with preparing the fruit and vegetable trays and labor would be free.  This is the type of innovating thinking we need in school lunch.

I applaud the efforts in Congress passing the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act, but we cannot sit back and wait for the six cents to become a dollar; we have to put our minds together now and make the change happen ourselves. 

Melanie R. Silverman MS, RD, IBCLC is pediatric registered dietitian and lactation consultant in Laguna Beach, California.  You can learn more about her private practice at www.feedingphilosophies.com and what her feeding philosophies are at blog.feedingphilosophies.com

New Product Reveal: Uncured Pepperoni Pizza with Veggies in the Crust!

Joining our cheese Peas of Pie, our Uncured Pepperoni Pizza is made with real broccoli and carrots kneaded right into the dough! 

Unlike regular frozen pepperoni pizzas, ours has uncured pepperoni with no added nitrates or nitrites. Compared to the leading brands, our pepperoni pizza has half the fat and contains 1.5 servings of veggies in each pizza. And yet, Peas of Pie: Uncured Pepp (like we call it at Peas HQ) looks like just a pepperoni pizza!

It's great for anyone who could stand to eat more veggies, growing kids and adults alike.

Share your thoughts with us the Peas of Mind Facebook page!

Those Picky Eaters… Ages 9-12

We get emails from parents all the time, and we love hearing from them! Our favorite customer emails are the success stories, like when a toddler who typically turns his nose up at steamed broccoli florets gobbles down Broccoli Veggie Wedgies, making dinnertime more enjoyable for the whole family. That said, we also really appreciate learning about current eating issues parents are grappling with regarding their kids.


One challenge we've been hearing about from parents lately is how to handle an older picky-eating kid who wants to make their own eating decisions and hasn't yet outgrown their finicky phase. 


Here at Peas, we've found that our Veggie Wedgies and Pizza help parents with kids of all ages (and even adults themselves!) eat more veggies, but we were curious to learn more about these older picky-eaters and how to encourage them to eat more healthfully and adventurously.


We hooked up with Melanie R. Silverman, a Registered Dietitian who specializes in pediatric nutritional care, for her thoughts on the topic. Here's what she had to say:


"I think the best nutrition recommendation I give to my families is to eat a wide variety of foods.  I cannot point to a single supplement, powder or pill that proves to provide all necessary nutrients our bodies need.  So what do you do when your ten year old child will eat six foods and none of them involve a vegetable?


Ah...the good ol’ times.  Remember when that ten year old was ten months old and ate everything you offered?  Your steamed vegetables went down as fast as fruits or desserts did.  So what happened? If your situation is like many families, the change came around eighteen months when kids strive for independence.  Kids this age cannot choose what they wear, when they sleep or where they go, but they can choose how much they eat and if they eat at all.  Panic sets in with parents when children this age begin skipping meals and snacks.  Frustrated and worried, parents start to give their kids what they know their kids will eat.  These actions support picky eating and can persist for years.


So what do you do if its ten years later and you have a picky eater on your hands?  First, stop talking about it.  Chances are, out of love and concern, you make comments to your son or daughter about his or her pickiness hoping they will spontaneously ask you to roast Brussels sprouts and grill salmon for dinner.  Keep quiet; they do not want to hear about it anymore.  Second, you can surely give them a multivitamin for nutritional insurance, but I want them to learn to eat a variety of food, not take supplements.  Prepare to make changes in how and what you feed your children.  Here are three ways to get started:

• Eat as many meals as a family as possible.  In my experience, people underestimate the value of family meals as a tool to expand their child’s repertoire of foods.   Family meals can expose children to a great array of foods and since you are not discussing their picky habits anymore, they may be more inclined to try new foods on their own.

• Plan strategic meals.  I am not asking you to serve tofu, chickpeas and kale for dinner.  What I am asking you to do is extrapolate in your meal planning.  Think about what your child will eat and build your menus from there.  For example, if your child is a white bread-lover, by all means, offer bread.  Offer rosemary olive, asiago cheese or pumpernickel bread with olive oil for dipping and see what happens.  

• Eat out.  Try different restaurants like Indian, Sushi or Thai.  If you child likes Italian prepared pasta dishes, Pad Thai is an option.

If parents begin with the changes I describe above, over time something will likely kick in with these kids and they will try new foods. If you start to notice your child trying and enjoying new foods, do not make a big deal about it in front of him or her.  Go with the flow and take comfort in the fact that you did some great parenting to get your son or daughter to this point."

Melanie R. Silverman MS, RD, IBCLC is pediatric registered dietitian and lactation consultant in Laguna Beach, California.  You can learn more about her private practice at www.feedingphilosophies.com and what her feeding philosophies are at blog.feedingphilosophies.com




Thanks for sharing your expertise with our readers, Melanie!

Let Kids Play with Their Food

Well, with fruits and vegetables at least!


Nurture your kids' curiosity and creative side by encouraging them to arrange fresh foods in fun ways. 


Just like the ambiance of a nice restaurant might have you eating foods that you ordinarily avoid, making a game out of eating fruits and vegetables (and by playing and eating right along) can get kids to try and enjoy foods they used to 'dislike strongly' (rather than 'hate').


Here at Peas, we know that the eating experience is very important to kids. We love the looks of shear delight as kids hold, dip and dunk our Veggie Wedgies into organic ketchup.  Those moments are the highlights of tradeshows and other events, watching a child smile while eating a broccoli fry and watching their parent's eyes bulge out of their head in disbelief! 


How else can you and your kids have fun together with healthy foods?

"Name this fruit?" photo from "Kids: 3 Reasons to Play With Your Food" on http://whatscookingwithkids.com

• bring your kids with you to the store. Let them pick out a fruit or vegetable of their choice. Let them select, weigh and bag it. Let them (with help, as needed) take it from the cart to the check-out belt, let them do it all. Prepare this new item together. I used to play this game with myself in college. Every time I went grocery shopping, I'd look for a new-to-me vegetable and just buy it. I'd bring it home and consult Deborah Madison's - Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, prepare and enjoy it. It was always a highly satisfying experience, even when my dish wasn't perfect, and for some kids, the "I made it myself!" factor cannot be underestimated! And you'll be learning too.

• have a taste test. As a family, try 2 or 3 different varieties of apples, for example. Talk about how they are different, ask each person which is their favorite, discuss textures and flavors, embrace your own descriptive language and encourage you child to join the conversation. Ask them what they think?

• give it a year or two and then try again. Humans are born with innate dilikes to certain tastes, particularly bitterness and astringency. From an evolutionary standpoint, this is useful because many poisonous plants taste bitter and/or astringent, so this innate reaction of disliking bitter foods makes sense. However, over a lifetime, a person's ability to detect these unpleasant tastes degenerates. In fact, by age 65, a person can only taste 25% of what they could taste when they were born. As sad as it may be to think about in that context, use this fact to your advantage. Kids really do 'grow out of' dislikes. If your child had a repulsion to a particular food when they were 1 or 2, at age 5 they may not be able to taste the exact compound that they reacted to at 1 or 2. They may just shrug at eat it. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.

Have you had a new-food-breakthrough playing with your child? 


Sources:
 * http://whatscookingwithkids.com
 * http://fatherhood.about.com