Simply Ming

We recently had the opportunity to mingle with celebrity Chef Ming Tsai (http://www.simplyming.org/), host of the popular PBS cooking series, Simply Ming. We ran into him at the annual meeting of the American Dietetic Association (ADA) in Philadelphia, PA. There, on behalf of Canola Info, Ming conducted a cooking demonstration featuring recipes from his show. The MC for the event was dietitian pal and author of The Dish on Eating Healthy and Being Fabulous, Carolyn O’Neil (http://www.dishdivas.com/). Liz was invited up on stage to taste his food along with incoming ADA president, Marty Yadrick and Jeanne Goldberg, Professor of Nutrition at Tufts University. Ming was as charming (and handsome!) in person as he is on TV … and his beautiful food tasted great too!

The Battle of the Books

There's a bit of a battle going on at the bookstore this week between the newly released Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld and The Sneaky Chef by Missy Chase Lapine, released just last spring. Both feature recipes that "hide" fruit and veggie purees in kid-favorite meals -- everything from mac & cheese to chicken nuggets.

While we like the idea and confess to "weaving" good-for-you ingredients into many of our kid-friendly recipes (Chocolaty Pumpkin Bars, Have-It-Your-Way Tacos w/ black beans, Mama's Amazing Ziti w/ shredded carrot), we think it's critically important to introduce children to the actual fruits and vegetables themselves.

When our book came out in 2004, the public was just starting to talk about the growing rate of childhood obesity in the U.S. as well as poor nutrition among kids. We hope The Moms' Guide to Meal Makeovers helped to get that conversation going... we plan to talk about it now and in the future and to offer fresh advice and recipes on our blog and websites. AND ... if all goes according to plan, we'll get book #2 published before our kids go off to college! We'll keep you posted.

In the meantime, feel free to share your "sneaky" tricks for getting your kids to eat healthfully. We'd love to hear from you.

A Nutrition Extravaganza!

We just returned from the annual meeting of the American Dietetic Association in Philadelphia. In addition to interesting seminars and networking receptions, we had the opportunity to check out hundreds of products at the Convention Expo. Overall, what we saw was food companies making an effort to add good-for-you ingredients to their products. Yeah! We'll be featuring some of our favorite finds in our upcoming blog entries. To whet your appetite, here are a few fun products that we learned about and sampled.

KeriBar is made with whole grains, flaxseed, and dried fruits. Our favorite flavor: Strawberry Chocolate Chip (it reminds us of our own homemade Grab-and-Go Breakfast Bars).

Gerber Graduates mini fruits and mini veggies feature freeze-dried bits of apples, bananas/strawberries, and corn. They're all natural and ideal snacks for toddlers with tiny tummies.

Ian's Natural Foods has introduced new whole wheat french toast sticks available in three fun flavors: Cinnamon & Honey, Banana, and Triple Berry. There is also a wheat-free/gluten-free version.

Calling All Snackers

If you have a toddler, you probably spend a lot of time preparing and serving snacks. Toddlers have tiny tummies and need lots of mini meals to stay energized (and happy) throughout the day.

Right now, we are working on a magazine article featuring healthy snack ideas for little kids -- especially those between the ages of 2 to 4. Although we have plenty of yummy and nutritious suggestions -- fruit smoothies, Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins, apples dipped in peanut butter, whole grain cinnamon swirl toast -- we are on the lookout for even more ideas. What are your favorite go-to snacks? What do you pack when you're on the run and need a portable nibble for your toddler? What's your child's favorite after-school "treat?"

Share your snack suggestions by posting to our blog!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Makes 12 Muffins (or 24 Mini Muffins)

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ or ground flaxseed
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup 1% lowfat milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil or coat 12 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, wheat germ, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Combine the bananas, eggs, sugar, oil, milk, and vanilla in a medium bowl and stir until well blended. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir until just moistened. Stir in the chocolate chips. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake about 20 minutes or until the muffins are light golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes. Remove the muffins and cool an additional 5 minutes before serving. To make 24 mini muffins, bake about 14 minutes.

Nutrition Information per Serving: 220 calories,10g fat (2g saturated), 140mg sodium, 31g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 4g protein

The Whole Grain Quiz!

What's the difference between whole grain and fiber?
A. Whole grain and fiber are the same
B. Whole grain is a type of fiber
C. Fiber is just one part of the whole grain
D. Difference? There is no difference

If you answered C, fiber is just one part of the whole grain, you’re right. But most people get this question wrong. In fact, a recent survey found that 64% of consumers don’t know the difference between whole grain and fiber. Although many whole grains provide fiber, whole grains contain a host of other important nutrients including several B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folate) and minerals such as iron, magnesium, and selenium. Experts recommend eating three or more whole grain servings per day for a healthy digestive system, to help with weight management, and to lower the risk of heart disease.

To learn more about whole grains, watch our video clip on Whole Grains at http://www.mealmakeovertv.com/.
You can also check out the USDA MyPyramid website at http://www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/grains_why.html

The Incredible Edible Egg

This week, the American Egg Board launched a new advertising campaign touting the health benefits of eggs. "Healthy!" you say? "Aren't eggs bad for my family, and shouldn't I be tossing all those yolks in the trash?" NO!!! We're huge fans of eggs (especially omega-3 eggs) and hope the following egg facts will change your opinion about this incredibly nutritious food:

• The yolk gets its color from the yellow-orange plant pigments, lutein and zeaxanthin. Lutein and zeaxanthin have been shown to reduce the risks of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in those 65 and older.


• Egg yolks are one of the few foods that naturally contain vitamin D, essential for healthy bones.


• One egg has 13 essential nutrients in varying amounts – including high-quality protein, choline, folate, iron, zinc, and vitamins A, D and E ... all for just 75 calories.


• When shopping for eggs, look for Omega-3 eggs. They come from chickens fed a special dietof algae, fish oil, or flaxseed. Omega-3 eggs may cost a few pennies more, but we think it’s well worth it for the heart-health benefits.

For more information on eggs, visit http://www.incredibleegg.org/. Also, be sure to check out our Pantry Tip/Omega-3 Foods video clip at http://www.mealmakeovertv.com/

No Burping at the Table

As a mom of two rambunctious boys -- 12-year old Josh and 8-year old Simon -- Liz knows how frustrating it can feel when kids burp, whine, diss the meal and get up and down during dinner. That's why she put the kibosh on bad manners and roudy mealtime behavior when her kids were young. With realistic and enforcable food rules, family meals are now a pleasurable daily ritual. Visit Meal Makeover TV to watch our Food Rules video clip featuring simple strategies for implementing the following rules:

• Practice Good Manners at the Dinner Table
• Mom is the Executive Chef, Not the Short-Order Cook
• Drop Out of the Clean Plate Club
• Let Them Eat Cake ... Sometimes