Why I “Heart” Michael Pollan

Simply put, he changed my life.

Now I’ve never met the man, and I’ve hardly even seen him on TV. But I have read some of his books. They are life changing. No joke.

I’ll tell you, I was very skeptical at first. I thought “here’s a journalist with no formal nutrition training telling me (a registered dietitian, thank you very much) how to eat, puh-leeze!”

But he makes sense… A lot of sense.

In summary here are some tidbits of why I think he’s so great:

1. He contributed to Food, Inc. If you haven’t seen that movie… see it. ASAP. I own it, so if you’re interested in borrowing it, please let me know (local friends only!). Food, Inc. is an eye-opening look at the food industry. It should change the way you eat forever.
2. His book In Defense of Food. What a great concept… eating REAL food. His book states it very simply, but in a way that makes a whole lot of sense: “Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” There’s a lot of great info in that in the book… please check it out!
3. His resources for families. Click here for more info.
4. His collection of Food Rules. These are a few of my favorites:

• Buy your snacks at the farmer’s market.
• Eat only foods that will eventually rot.
• Avoid food products containing ingredients that no ordinary human would keep in the pantry.
• It's not food if it arrived through the window of your car.
• Eat mostly plants, especially leaves.
• Eat animals that have themselves eaten well.
• Don’t eat breakfast cereals that change the color of the milk.
• Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself.
• Pay more. Eat less.
• Stop eating before you’re full.
• Don’t get your fuel from the same place your car does.

At the very least, I urge you to check out his site and read a few articles. I know very few of us (me included) could ever eat 100% of the way he recommends, but if we all make small steps, one at a time, we (and the planet) will all end up much healthier. 

Daddy Daughter Pretzel Day

Kudos to Alton Brown. And even more kudos to my husband.

Alton for creating such a delicious pretzel recipe, Oscar for having the energy and patience to make it with our almost three year old. And not just once, 4 times already. It has become sort of a "daddy-daughter-pretzel-day" tradition when I have a wedding shoot and am gone all day. I love that Annie has a ton of fun helping and rolling out her own little pretzel. Its also great to come home to one of these soft-baked treats!

Here is the recipe for those of you interested in trying it... we sub half of the flour for whole wheat flour. I also like to top them with cheese and melt under the broiler. It's a little piece of twisted heaven!

Easy Dinner Idea- Mediterranean Shrimp Pasta

It's 5:15 and Annie asks, "What's for dinner Mama?" 


Uh oh... I should have probably thought about that by now. 


With just a few simple ingredients... its pretty easy to throw a healthy meal together.

I used the following ingredients:

Whole Wheat Pasta

Frozen, Cooked Shrimp

Can of Organic Diced Tomatoes

Organic Green Onions

Organic Spinach Bunch

Garlic

Olive Oil

 Start by sautéing the garlic in olive oil:

Wash and rough chop the spinach.

Add spinach, tomatoes, green onions and defrosted shrimp. Cook on med heat for about 5 minutes. Toss with cooked pasta.

Add grated parmesan... 

 ...and enjoy!

Kelley

How We Celebrated Chocolate Cake Day!

We made chocolate cupcakes, of course!

Started with some good chocolate and tasty ingredients...

Lots of mixing...

Smelled the vanilla (yum).

Tasted the batter.

Made a little mess filling the cups.

"Betty" came out for the frosting.

Frosting in process...

Tasting the frosting.

Max even tried a little.

Spreading the frosting...

Annie's final product: 

30 for our friend's bake sale:

It was a ton of fun, but I really don't want to clean this up...!

Kelley

Food Labels... Do You Know What to Look For?

On Monday, food manufacturers and retailers announced yet another front of pack nutrition labeling system. 

Let me tell you how I feel about it... Ugh. 


The system is called "Nutrition Keys" and its designed to show the calories, saturated fat, sodium and sugar per serving. Are Americans so clueless that they can't turn a food package over to read these items for themselves? Puh-leese. If someone cares about this info, they are going to look for it. Adding it to the front of package is only going to add confusion for those who don't know what they are looking for. 


This new initiative follows the failed Smart Choices program... a front of pack symbol designed to denote a "healthy choice." This program was nixed when the public and media realized products like Fruit Loops qualified for the "healthy" stamp of approval. Talk about confusing.


These new Nutrition Keys are going to do nothing to help the public. Below I offer a few things for you to look for when shopping for you and your family. These is just a few pointers. If you have some interest in learning more detailed info, please comment below.


1. Read the ingredients. Go only for products with ingredients you recognize and can pronounce. Simpler is better. 
2. Fiber when shopping for breads, cereals, pastas etc... Whole grains are best. Fiber can help you determine if the product truly has whole grains in it. I shoot for 3g or more per serving. 
3. Sodium.  Often the more sodium, the more processed a product is. America's kids (and adults) eat way too much sodium... the majority of it coming from packaged products. Kids shouldn't have much more than 1200-1500 mg per day, adults 2300 mg. Most of us get almost twice that. 
4. Go for things without labels- like fresh fruits and vegetables. No confusing messages there. They are good for you. Period.


All in all, if you provide your kids with: 

• a balanced diet consisting of mostly home cooked meals (be creative!)
• lots of fruits and vegetables
• little or no processed foods
• opportunities to exercise

you'll be doing much better than if you worry too much about the labels on the front or back of food packages. 

Kelley

Kids Should Eat Real Food

And so should you. "Wait, what?" you say? "We eat food every day, duh".

But do you?

As an example, this is a list of ingredients from a turkey and cheese kid's lunch product:

WATER - SPRING WATER. APPLESAUCE - APPLES, WATER, CONCENTRATED APPLE JUICE, ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C). SUB BUN - ENRICHED BLEACHED WHEAT FLOUR ([WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE VITAMIN B1, RIBOFLAVIN VITAMIN B2, FOLIC ACID], MALTED BARLEY FLOUR), WATER, WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, SUGAR, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF THE FOLLOWING: SOYBEAN OIL, YEAST, DOUGH CONDITIONERS (MONO & DIGLYCERIDES, SODIUM STEAROYL LACTYLATE, ENZYME MODIFIED SOY LECITHIN, DATEM), SALT, GUAR GUM, MODIFIED CELLULOSE, CALCIUM PROPIONATE PRESERVATIVE), XANTHAN GUM, ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, ENZYMES. CONTAINS: WHEAT, SOY. OVEN ROASTED TURKEY BREAST - CURED - SMOKE FLAVOR ADDED - BROWNED WITH CARAMEL COLOR - TURKEY BREAST, WATER, POTASSIUM LACTATE, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF SALT, DEXTROSE, CARRAGEENAN, SODIUM PHOSPHATES, SODIUM DIACETATE, SODIUM ASCORBATE, SODIUM NITRITE, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, SMOKE FLAVOR, CARAMEL COLOR. REDUCED FAT CHEDDAR PASTEURIZED PREPARED CHEESE PRODUCT - PASTEURIZED PART-SKIM MILK, WATER, MILKFAT, SODIUM CITRATE, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, LACTIC ACID, SORBIC ACID AS A PRESERVATIVE, SALT, OLEORESIN PAPRIKA (COLOR), ANNATTO (COLOR), VITAMIN A PALMITATE, ENZYMES, CHEESE CULTURE, WITH STARCH ADDED FOR SLICE SEPARATION. CONTAINS: MILK. NILLA WAFERS - UNBLEACHED ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), SUGAR, SOYBEAN OIL, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED COTTONSEED OIL, WHEY (FROM MILK), EGGS, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, SALT, LEAVENING (BAKING SODA AND/OR CALCIUM PHOSPHATE), MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES (EMULSIFIER). CONTAINS: WHEAT, MILK, EGG. NONFAT MAYONNAISE DRESSING - WATER, VINEGAR, MODIFIED CORNSTARCH, SUGAR, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, SOYBEAN OIL*, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF SALT, NATURAL FLAVOR, CELLULOSE GEL, ARTIFICIAL COLOR, XANTHAN GUM, EGG YOLKS*, MUSTARD FLOUR, LACTIC ACID, PHOSPHORIC ACID, CELLULOSE GUM, VITAMIN E ACETATE, LEMON JUICE CONCENTRATE, DRIED GARLIC, DRIED ONIONS, SPICE, YELLOW 6, BETA CAROTENE (COLOR), BLUE 1, WITH POTASSIUM SORBATE AND CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA AS PRESERVATIVES. *TRIVIAL SOURCE OF FAT AND CHOLESTEROL. CONTAINS: EGG. TROPICAL PUNCH ARTIFICIAL FLAVORED SOFT DRINK MIX - SUGAR, FRUCTOSE, CITRIC ACID (PROVIDES TARTNESS), CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), VITAMIN E ACETATE, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE (PREVENTS CAKING), ACESULFAME POTASSIUM AND SUCRALOSE (SWEETENERS), ARTIFICIAL COLOR, RED 40, BLUE 1, BHA (PRESERVES FRESHNESS).

Now, I don't know about you, but it doesn't sound like real food to me. OK, so maybe you don't give your kids these exact lunch products, but do you truly know what they are eating?

We live in a society that is "time challenged" at best. Time is at a premium and with so much pressure to fill our days with activities that will help our kids excel at school and life, I think we forget about one of the most important things... Our kid's nutritional health.

I use this term "nutritional health" with caution, as it is so much more than making sure our kids get the macro and micro nutrients they need. It's really about starting kids off with the right relationship with food. Real food. Dare I say, home cooked food while all sitting at the same table having a meal together?

Now life isn't perfect, but here's what I try to avoid and why:

• Foods with ingredients I don't recognize. Simply put, then it's not really food.

• Foods that make claims like "low fat" or "100 calorie". Not that these claims are  inherently bad, but they are more representative of the food industry over processing food while maximizing profits.

• Chain restaurants with drive thrus (except Starbucks- I love my coffee!). These large chains tend to focus on quantity over quality and often sell food containing many artificial ingredients, colors and chemicals. Plus they "train" our kid's taste buds to favor overly processed foods.

What I do eat (this is just a starter list… more to come over time!):

• Organic fruits and vegetables. I plan to do a separate blog on the merits of organic, but you really can't go wrong with fruits and vegetables, they are low calorie and full of countless vitamins, minerals and protective natural phytochemicals (none of which can truly be reproduced in a laboratory and put into a granola bar). We eat some with every meal and snack. Since we don't have access to farmers markets in the winter, I'm now using Door to Door Organics for much of my produce now.

• Whole grains. I use brown rice, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat bread, whole grain cereal etc. Whole grains are much better than their refined counterparts. They keep you feeling full longer and contain many more vitamins, minerals and fiber.

• Homemade meals at home with family. I try and teach my kids the importance of spending time and enjoying food together. And cooking together. Food is one of the simplest joys and gifts we have in life. It's meant to be treasured, respected and truly enjoyed with the ones you love!

I'll simply close with some of my favorite pics of real food at the summer farmer's market:

Kelley

Homemade Pancakes… Easy Like Sunday Morning

Don’t you hate it when you have that craving for pancakes and, oh no, wait... you discover you are out of pancake mix!

Well have no fear… here’s a really easy recipe for healthy, homemade pancakes using your pantry staples:

Yummy Old Fashioned Pancakes

Ingredients

         3/4 cup all-purpose flour (organic if possible)

         3/4 cup whole wheat flour (organic if possible)

         3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

         1/2 teaspoon salt

         1 tablespoon sugar (organic if possible)

         1 1/4 cups skim milk (organic if possible)

         1 egg (organic if possible)

         3 tablespoons butter, melted (organic if possible)

Directions

1.            In a large bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg and melted butter; mix until smooth.

2.            Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

I serve these with organic maple syrup or the frozen Trader Joe’s Organic Wild Blueberries- they are really good and defrost in seconds.

Why I Hate Restaurant Kid’s Menus

I hate them. I really do. However, in their defense, I will admit they are good for one thing… coloring:

If you think about the true purpose of a kid’s menu its simply for one thing… to keep the kids quiet enough so the parents can attempt to enjoy a dinner out. It starts with the coloring… kids are entertained while they wait for their food. Then they get to pick a meal that will likely cause little or no conflict (i.e. chicken fingers and fries). Most of the kid’s menus don’t even offer veggies. Or if they do, you have to look hard for them and ask.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to take the kids and Oscar’s mom out for a nice lunch to Tuscany (a local Italian place). The kid’s menu above is from our meal there. Now from a straight nutritional standpoint, their menu was not horrible… they did have a few decent choices and offered veggies. But seriously, what kid will pick chicken breast with veggies over fried cheese?

What makes me the most frustrated is the injustice we do our kids with such a basic, overly processed menu. We were at a restaurant where the chef likely spent long hours planning the adult menu. Much care was taken to develop offerings that contain many delicious flavors that marry into the perfect symphony of Italian cuisine. It included “one-of-a-kind pasta dishes, the finest steaks and freshest seafood, as well as daily specials prepared to perfection by [the] executive chef. Tuscany is the ideal destination for revealing the rich virtues of a Tuscan village.”

And the kids get frozen chicken fingers that were thrown in the deep fryer for a few minutes????

Now I could go on and on about the chicken fingers themselves… they are likely overly processed chicken bits that came from a factory farm where the chickens could hardly stand cause we are breeding mutant chickens with excessive large breast meat muscles and they are constantly being fed added antibiotics therefore reducing the effectiveness of the antibiotics we take, but that is actually not my point here.

My point is, why can’t we teach our kids to appreciate the same food we do? Why do we give them so little credit? Seriously, most restaurant food tastes great… that’s why we love it. We allow our kids to have “scare” around grown up food. It is just plain silly. But as you can guess, the habit does start at home.

I suggest you try letting your kids pick an adult meal and either take the rest home or split the meal with them (I know I don't need the whole portion!). You could also let them choose an appetizer for a smaller option. You never know what they may end up eating!

So what did my kids eat yesterday? We all split three small appetizers: smoked salmon toast points, baked goat cheese and asparagus tomato salad. Then I shared my grilled salmon and spinach as well. Both kids ate almost everything except Annie didn’t have much salmon entrée because I think she was already full as she was also eating some of Oscar's mom's soup and salad. It was perfect because we all got to try a little bit of many different things!

Kelley

What We Eat

When I tell people I'm a dietitian, I always find it fascinating to hear the questions people immediately start asking... especially about what I feed my kids. I think parents are often overwhelmed and give in to the few tried and true favorites their kids will actually eat. The endless battle wears on parents over time and its easier to just do plain pasta or chicken fingers every night. I'll tell you first that if you start early, it doesn't have to be that way. Any if you're already in that jam, its not as hard as you think to change! Over time I'll give you some pointers of first what to feed your kids from day 1, or I guess, day 182 when your baby starts eating solids, and also some tips of what to do if you've already got yourself a picky eater.

But for now, I'll show you what we ate last night...

I didn't have much time, so I used some of my favs in the fridge from Trader Joes:

Polenta with bruschetta topping
Boiled Fingerling potatoes with a little real organic butter and salt
Red "Greens" with olive oil and lemon

And yes, both my kids eat this type of food.

I sliced and pan fried the polenta in olive oil:

Then I added the bruschetta topping:

Max tried to "help"...

Toppings for the greens (can be put on any kale, collard green etc...) I had pre-boiled the greens for 20 minutes earlier in the day and just microwaved them to warm. 

Final plate:

So in full disclosure...

Annie ate all of the greens and potatoes, but only had one bite of the polenta.

I chopped up the same the same thing for Max in small pieces (it was all soft enough for him). He was super tired and crabby and only ate some of the polenta. 

BUT- I did not offer either of them anything else other than those 3 choices and milk. They get it... what's on their plate is what's for dinner. AND Oscar and I ate exactly the same thing. 

It was delish and easy to do!

Welcome to the Better Bitty Bite!

Welcome to my blog! Let me first tell you a little about myself and why I decided to start up this page. I’m a registered dietitian and mom of two with a pretty intense passion for childhood nutrition.

I think it all started when my much younger sister was born. Sophie and I share the same dad, but her mom was my dad’s second wife. As Sophie grew, I watched her mom short order cook for her time and time again. Never did she eat the same thing as all of use at the dinner table. This used to absolutely drive me crazy. After that, I decided to study nutrition in school and since became a registered dietitian. I ended up working in foodservice for several years and also started perusing a second career on the side, photography. The only reason I mention this is because I know many of you know me as "Kelley the photographer".

When I had my first baby (Annie), my passion for kid’s nutrition was completely reawakened. I would see parents of her peers completely throwing nutrition out the window before the kids barely had all of their baby teeth! It was a sad moment when I realized the majority of the kids in her toddler preschool class were asking for McDonald’s by name. I started doing consulting for local daycares and parents, offering help to moms and dads with young and/or picky eaters.

After I had my second child (Max), I decided to focus on the three things I’m most passionate about- childhood nutrition, photography and spending time with my kids. I do my photography on the weekends and plan to start up a small nutrition consulting business during the week part time while home with my kids. I always like to keep my plate a little full!

In this blog I intend to publish tips and tricks for parents who are interested in their kid’s health. I hope to include a variety of ideas, recipes, personal stories and links- all related to kid’s nutrition.

Happy eating and enjoy your better bitty bite!  

Kelley