Fish Pie

I’m showing off my British side by sharing my Fish Pie recipe. I lived in England for 15 years, so it was a staple in our house. I remember my mom poaching the fish, then making a white sauce to make her version of fish pie. It seemed to take her a while to make it, so I was put off trying it as it seemed labour intensive. I’m all about fast and simple.
A few years ago, inspired by Jamie Oliver (as I quite often am) I adapted a recipe of his to work for our family.

My older daughter is known as a potato monster—she loves potatoes, so anything with a potato topping is a winner every time. My younger daughter, isn’t a fish lover, but she’ll still eat it. We have a family rule that they must try a food even if you don’t like the look of it. They both get it and don’t complain anymore, most days.

This is a fast and easy recipe. Easier still if you ask your fish monger for a mix of fish weighing 600 g. Request the skin to be removed and the fish diced, so half your prep is done before you get home.
I’ve included tips like using your kettle to boil water for boiling vegetables as it’s speedier than bringing a saucepan full of water to the boil. Another is mash the potato, parsnip and cauliflower in the saucepan rather than a bowl—one less dish to wash.
If you make double or individual portion sizes, freeze it for next week.

Fish Pie
Serves 4 to 6

Tip: Any potato lover can be won over to try some fish pie. A fast and easy casserole-type dish that can be made as a family meal in a large dish or smaller individual portions.
3 tbsp olive oil
1 kg potatoes, parsnips and/or cauliflower
1 carrot, peeled
2 celery stalks
1/2 cup corn
150 g cheese; mozzarella, cheddar or pecorino (grate extra to top potato mixture if desired)
1 lemon
1 tsp dried dill or handful fresh (other herbs work too)
600 g fish; mix of salmon, cod, smoked mackerel and/or haddock
125 g peeled medium shrimp
Handful of spinach

Pre-heat oven to 400° F. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil or boil your kettle for a speedier boil. Peel potatoes and parsnips and cut into cubes. If using cauliflower, cut into large florets. Add potato, parsnip and cauliflower to boiling water and cook until soft, about 15 minutes.

While veggies are boiling, coarsely grate carrot, cheese and celery into a medium baking dish or pie plate. Finely grate lemon zest and add to dish. Cut fish into bite size pieces and along with the shrimp, and add to baking dish along with spinach, dill and juice of the grated lemon. Drizzle over 1 tbsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper and mix all ingredients in the dish. It’s likely to be very full.

Drain cooked potato, parsnip and/or cauliflower and mash with 2 tbsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread potato mixture evenly over the fish pie filling. Grate extra cheese over potato if desired (optional).

Cook in 400° F oven for 30 – 40 minutes or until cooked through and topping is golden.

Serve along side a green beans or a salad with colourful peppers.

I’d love to know what the family thinks when you make this. It could be a new favourite!

We eat these weekly. I love that they make a big enough batch for dinner, lunch and some leftover to freeze. While other fish cakes that I’ve made in the past crumble and fall apart, these keep it together. I’ve made toddler fish cakes in the Mommy Chef classes for years with potato and they love them. It’s time for a new fish cake. If you didn’t read it below, you wouldn’t guess they contain oats.

Give this fast and easy recipe a try and share how they went.

Fish Cakes
Makes 8 servings

Tip: A favourite dip or sauce is the perfect accompaniment to these delicious fish cakes. They aren’t fishy, but super tasty eaten warm or cold. This makes a large batch, perfect for freezing.

4 cans skinless, boneless salmon

1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions, red or green onion

1/2 cup oats – quick cook is fine

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

oil for pan-frying

lettuce, tomato, red onion (and other toppings)

Mash and mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Heat oil on medium heat. Form into patties and pan fry for 5 minutes per side until golden. Serve on a whole grain bun with lettuce, tomato and other favourite burger toppings and condiments of your choice.
*recipe from Super Charge 2012 Meal Plan
I prefer my fish cakes with a side salad, but you could serve on a bun, in a pita or make a sausage shape to fit in a wrap. Top with sunflower seed sprouts, tomato, arugula or any other favourite topping.

Now you’ve seen the recipe, here’s a how-to video.

How do you like yours? Did the kids go for it?

How to Feed Kids Fish

You might expect your kids to turn their noses up at fish—and they just might—but unless you try it in a few different ways, don’t cross it off the menu forever. Fish is worth the effort and encouragement as it’s high in brain boosting fats, minerals, and is super fast and simple to cook. It should be on everyone’s plate at least twice a week.

Twice a week? Yes, twice a week. The following series of five recipes and four cooking videos to celebrate March’s Nutrition Month give tips to to peak everyone’s interest and have the whole family eating the same meal.

Oily fish—salmon, herring, tuna, sardines, mackerel and trout— are high in essential fatty acids EPA and DHA. They are both omega-3 fats and it’s DHA that I talk about every day. It supports the growth and development of the brain, eye and neurological system of a growing baby in mums tum. It helps prevent post-partum depression, increases stamina and metabolism to boot!

Kids with learning difficulties benefit from DHA as it increases IQ, helps concentration and memory, and is highly recommended for kids with ADHD, with boasts great success. To supplement, give 200 mg DHA twice daily to start. Genestra’s Cod Liver Oil (1/4 tsp per dose) or Pediaburst are our favourites.

Start early by cooking “Baby’s First Fish” from about 10 months onwards (recipe in Sprout Right book). Keep it going even if they push it away. It can take up to 12 times before they get a taste for a food.

Kids who aren’t sure may need encouragement. Have you every offered sushi? My kids love it and have from an early age. What about getting them involved in preparing a fish dish? Smother a salmon fillet with maple syrup mixed with garlic and dill. Apple butter with garlic and lemon juice is a favourite in our family.

Here are some tips, recipes and videos to start you off. And remember, the more the kids are involved with making a dish, the better chance of them eating it! So get cooking in your family kitchen!

Week 1 – Video – Fish Cakes

We recently received the below from a concerned mother who chose to feed her baby an organic formula sweetened with brown rice syrup as a better alternative to other sweeteners such as corn syrup.

Here is what JM wrote in with:

“AIGH!!! I specifically chose Baby’s Only organic formula BECAUSE is was organic and used brown rice syrup instead of corn syrup – and, your own book makes a strong case for choosing it!

Do you as a nutritionist have any idea about the impact of arsenic on developing infants?

I had no choice about formula supplementation, but have continued to breastfeed as much as possible – now, I’m terrified I’ve poisoned my baby! AIGH!!

Please, any information you can supply will be helpful!

Terrified Mom, JM”

We’ve had similar emails from very concerned parents. And for good reason. Everyone knows arsenic is toxic, it’s what’s in rat poisoning for goodness sake. What business does a poison have being found in an infant formula?

This was our response:

“… I’ve been doing some investigating and I do think it’s worth taking a breath and checking out some of the facts. Nature’s One is obviously incredibly upset about this study as well so following their developments on their Facebook page here is one place to get more information. There are also some quotes from Dr. Jackson clarifying about what was said in the press.

A Canadian doctor has also commented on this American study. Unfortunately he never answered the question about whether it’s organic or inorganic arsenic in the brown rice syrup which would have been good information to have.

Any toxic substance has a more toxic effect on infants as their liver is still developing and not able to detoxify with the same efficiency as an adult.

On Nature’s One’s page (link above), there is a list of foods that can help chelate (take out) arsenic from the body. I’d suggest that you offer those foods when appropriate. Whether you decide to choose another formula is a decision to make after doing some reading and following along with what’s being written. Remember that most headlines are to grab your attention and the whole picture isn’t always painted.

Please keep in touch,

Lianne”

Chemically speaking, there are two types of arsenic. Organic arsenic is a naturally occurring element in our environment that’s widely distributed within the Earth’s crust. Hence, it makes it’s way into food via the soil and ground water. Then there’s inorganic arsenic – the bad stuff – that’s a man-made byproduct of industrial waste. It also gets into soil and water. Foods that take a lot of water to grow, like rice, tend to suck up a lot of both organic and inorganic arsenic. Brown rice tends to be higher in arsenic – as well as other (healthy) minerals and antioxidants – because the outer hull is intact. Making a thick syrup out of brown rice concentrates the minerals even more.

If you’re going to test a food for arsenic, like Dr. Jackson and his team did in their brow-raising Dartmouth study, you need to distinguish between organic and inorganic arsenic because only one is harmful.

In a nutshell, this study took 17 baby formulas, 29 cereal bars and three energy shots purchased in New Hampshire. An ‘organic’ toddler milk formula containing organic brown rice syrup as a main ingredient had Total Arsenic concentrations (organic + inorganic) close to six times the EPA safe drinking water limit. Cereal bars and high energy foods containing organic brown rice syrup also had higher levels of the toxin when compared to products that did not contain the alternative sweetener.

At high doses, and chronic exposure, arsenic can damage the liver, skin, kidney and cardiovascular system. Babies are particularly vulnerable because of their size and limited variety in their diets. The smaller the child, the greater the concentration of any harmful substance. Jackson’s study results were based on the average weight for a 12-month-old baby (9 kg).

The study authors have published a consumer FAQ sheet to educate concerned parents about arsenic toxicity. Here’s the main point:

“Arsenic does not accumulate in the body so when your child is no longer exposed to arsenic it will leave his/her system in a day or two.

Long-term health consequences are unknown because previous studies have not examined childhood exposure at doses equivalent to levels found in these formulas.”

Another important point – Arsenic levels vary based on where the food was grown and each country has it’s one regulations about soil testing and acceptable levels of trace toxins in food. Jackson’s study involved only brands sold in the US, and the US CDC statement on arsenic can be found here.

I’m a bit skeptical about why brown rice in general hasn’t been targeted and just formula and cereal bars. As the most common recommendation for starting solids is rice, and some parents choose brown rice, I wonder why cereal hasn’t been mentioned more here, with suggestions of what parents should do as an alternative or how much to worry if their baby has eaten brown rice cereal daily.

Since the correspondence above there has been more articles, blog posts and information come to light about rice and arsenic. We will keep you updated with further information that we find and support you to make an informed decision for your baby.

Here is another link about safe levels of arsenic

You can also check out the Dartmouth College site to find out more about this one particular study –

http://now.dartmouth.edu/2012/02/organic-food-sweetener-may-be-a-hidden-source-of-dietary-arsenic/

It’s 5:30 p.m. Drop all the bags on the floor. Phew! We’re all finally home. Along with the daily “how was school?” questions that dreaded question of “so, how was lunch?” creeps into the conversation and I brace myself for the answer. “Didn’t like it”, or “I didn’t have time to finish it” are often the response.

Is this a familiar scenario?

If you read my previous post, you’ll know that uneaten lunches have been a struggle in my house for a while. So now do I plan my breakfast and dinner offerings based on minimal intake at lunch? You bet.

Here’s what’s going on in the background to make up for what’s been missed at lunch. If you are in a similar situation, hopefully there’s one or two that you can implement too:

• Morning and evening meals become more important for meeting nutrition needs when they don’t eat much at midday. I do play to their preferences when planning breakfasts and dinners that are super nutritious. If they fancy pasta, give them pasta. I just make it the healthiest that I can.

• Next, I choose energy-dense whole foods such as seeds, nuts and nut butters, dried fruit, avocado, coconut, eggs, and the like. The combination of carbohydrates and natural, healthy fats in these foods provide more calories per bite to keep my meal skippers fueled longer. A bit of cold-pressed EVOO or organic butter is a finishing touch on many of my rice, pasta and potato dishes for this reason.

• Snacks are healthy, not less nutritious foods like cookies and cakes that are high in calories but not much else. Fresh fruit with yogurt or veggie sticks with hummus boost the vitamin and mineral intake without filling their small stomachs too much. We talk about why the snack are what they are so they learn and understand refined foods displace the more valuable, nutritious foods.

• We stick to the same time for meals, e.g. breakfast at 7 a.m, dinner at 6 p.m, so that they get into a rhythm of intake and don’t go too long with empty stomachs insisting on sweet snacks just to get them out of a slump. They take part in meal planning and love to see what’s coming up and adjust if they have a hankering for something.

• My youngest is a slower eater, so when we are time crunched, I make liquid meals my fall back. A smoothie with probiotic yogurt or kefir, fruit and protein for all of us and my older daughter likes to whiz it up herself. I also rely on creamy soups made with coconut milk as a great vehicle for getting veggies any slow eater.

• The temptation is to load massive portions of food onto my lunch skipper’s dinner plate is strong. I want to make up for what they have missed, but I must resist! Serving food family-style and letting the dish up their own portions – no matter how small – they have some control over their intake and feel empowered. Power struggles are less this way, and they’re more likely to enjoy the meal and feel a sense of satisfaction from finishing. My older daughter often goes back for seconds, so I do have faith, eventually the self-served portions will increase.

This lunch-skipping makes me tense, but I know that children are sensitive to their environment so if I can chill out, and listen to my own advice–that children will not let themselves starve and that intake should be looked at week by week, not day by day–we all enjoy out meal together that much more!

I’m trying, how about you? Do you have other strategies that have worked for you and your meal skipper?

Eat your greens. Leafy green vegetables are high in B vitamins like folate and these vitamins help to make serotonin, the happy neurotransmitter. Hence, they are linked to lower incidence of depression. Include a large salad with every dinner to make sure everyone is getting enough of this “happy food”.

Keep carbs whole grain. Limit refined carbohydrates, basically anything white, as they are notorious for quick energy boosts followed by quick energy drops. Instead, stick to oats, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, etc. for steady, slow-released energy that prevents moodiness.

Spice it up! Turn up the heat on your food by adding warming spices like ginger, tumeric and cayenne. Eating spicy foods like curry or chili spikes your adrenaline levels giving you a quick thrill. This maybe just what your family needs to end the boredom of winter meals.

Indulge in dark chocolate. A few squares of 70% cocoa chocolate is a mood-booster because it contains theobromine and phenyl ethylamine, two compounds associated with happy, in love type feelings. And of course, the dark stuff has less sugar than milk chocolate.

Exercise as a family. This does not necessarily have to be a pre-planned event. It’s a lot of fun to just spontaneous turn up the music and dance around in the living room. Or, right after a snow storm, grab the sled and go tobogganing. Or, have an ad hoc snow fight after shoveling the driveway. These are not your traditional ideas of exercising but they still count. Anything the raises your heart rate and gets the blood flowing is good for the mind and body.

There are many other ways to banish winter boredom and blues. What’s your family’s favourite way to have fun and keep the good times rolling in the winter?

Since the beginning of the year, lunch as become a tense subject in our house. I’ve seen more uneaten lunch in the past month than I did in the whole of last school year. But when my girls understand why they need their deliciously and nutritiously prepared lunch, why oh why don’t they eat it? Cause they are kids of a nutritionist? Maybe.

I’ve heard it all – “I had to go to the bathroom with Alex and she had to have a poo so it took ages”, “My friends were talking to me and so I couldn’t eat”, “I had to go to the bathroom, and when I got back, my friend packed up my lunch”, “I didn’t like it”, “It tasted funny”, “Look at this bit that was on it – ewwww” and so on.

After going to great lengths to give them what they want (we have a list of acceptable lunch options on the fridge as directed by them), last Thursday they were sent to school with fruit. Just fruit. Nothing else. I’d had it.

At lunch, the principal calls wondering if I’m picking them up for lunch, or maybe their lunch was forgotten. Nope, that was it. She told me that they have the most nutritious lunches in the school. Not that day. So she feels badly for them and rustles up some crackers and veggies for them, so guess what, their fruit came back untouched. Sigh.

Now what?

Thank goodness that parenting expert Alyson Schafer was speaking in my hood on the weekend. I took myself off for some parenting tips and tricks and came back with some new perspective on how to deal.

First on the list, a family meeting. We’ve tried this before but I really got into it this time. The girls had a say, and yes the youngest had a Hello Kitty house on the agenda—as in turning our home into a Hello Kitty house, but I digress. We talked about the lunch situation and what could be done about it. I suggested that they were old enough to make their own lunch with some help and guidance. They jumped on it! We laid out some ground rules, about what needs to be in it; protein, carb and a fruit or veggie and they get to choose what’s on the lunch menu the night before. Success.

This morning, we woke them up 15 minutes earlier than usual and they made a spelt bagel (yes with flax seeds) with tahini and honey. The older one had blueberries and peppers and the younger swapped the peppers for cucumber.
When they come home with any of the lunch is uneaten, it’s their afternoon snack.

Can you guess what happened?

Any tips?

Eat regular meals at regular times. By definition, a meal is at least 3 food groups, for example, a serving of vegetables, grains and meat. This ensures a good variety of nutrients and a colourful plate. Besides eating a complete meal, you should also try to eat every two to two and half hours to balance blood sugar and energy levels (this is what helps to avoid the afternoon crash as well as nighttime munchies).

Drink more water. Start your day with at least 1 cup (8 ounces) of water upon rising and continue to drink throughout the day, aiming for at least 8 cups. Water detoxifies, helps keep you alert and can also help you lose weight. Did you know that sometimes you’re thirsty instead of hungry? Try drinking a glass of water before every meal and see if you end up eating less.

Try a new vegetable or fruit every week. Do you know what to do with a rutabaga? Have you ever tasted a delicious persimmon? It’s common to get stuck in a rut buying the same old apples, oranges and bananas and making salad with plain old Romaine, tomatoes and cucumber all the time. Add some more variety to your meals and search the web for recipes that use ingredients you’ve never tried before. Who knows? You might like it, and the kids might too!

Eat breakfast with protein. Protein helps to keep you full and satisfied and that’s great if you’re very busy and tend to have a late lunch. Eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or even left over dinner make a filling breakfast along with some fruit and whole grains. Children can benefit from a more substantial breakfast too. You’ll find that they are better focused and less hungry later in the day due to a good breakfast.

Make a weekly meal plan and shop accordingly. You’ll be amazed at how much easier dinner time goes if you take a few minutes to plan out what you’re going to have at the beginning of the week. Instead of the 6 o’clock scramble, all your ingredients are on hand and you can have a home-cooked meal ready in less time than it takes to order takeout. Meal planning helps you make nutritious choices in the grocery store because you only buy what you need (saving you money too). If you need help getting started check out our Family Nutrition & Meal Plans. Don’t forget to get the kids’ involved too!

Eat fruits and veggies as snacks. Instead of pre-packaged foods that are often devoid of nutrition reach for Nature’s goodness for between-meal munching. Handheld fruits are a great choice and, with a little slicing and dicing, veggie sticks or melon balls can be just as convenient.

Pack a lunch. This is actually really easy to do if you make extra portions at dinnertime. You’ll save money and increase the nutritional value of your meal by taking a few minutes to box up some food to take to work or school. Getting a nice lunch box also really helps!

Teach the kids to make a meal from scratch. Choose an age-appropriate recipe from a good cooking website or cookbook and spend an afternoon with your children teaching them how to prepare the meal. Start at the grocery store, so you can show them how to be smart shoppers, and walk them through each step, letting them be as hands-on as possible. This is an invaluable life skill and most kids really love to cook!

Go vegetarian at least once a week. Many people are eating less meat in the interest of health, economics or the environment. Whatever your reason may be, discover how delicious vegetarian cuisine can be and try some recipes with beans, tofu or quinoa as the primary protein source.

Eat organic for the Dirty Dozen. According to the Environmental Working Group (www.ewg.org), the following 12 foods are the most contaminated with pesticides:

• Apples
• Peaches
• Sweet Bell Peppers
• Celery
• Nectarines
• Strawberries
• Cherries
• Pears
• Grapes (Imported)
• Spinach
• Lettuce
• Potatoes

(It may not be feasible to eat everything organic, but these are the most important foods to make the splurge on.)

Eat more fish. Fish is really easy to make. It’s actually my go-to meal when I’m in a time crunch because it cooks so fast. Also, the oily fish, like salmon and tuna, that’s loaded with omega-3s is also hard to overcook because it can so much good fat. Health Canada recommends that we eat fish at least twice a week. Is your family eating enough fish?

Have family meals. With two working parents and after-school activities, it’s understandably difficult to sit down to dinner together. However, eating together fosters good eating habits in children and gives everyone a chance to check in and share what’s going on. Try to have at least one meal a day together as a family. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate, long meal, make the time to connect with everyone around the table.

What New Year’s resolutions will you strive to stick to this year?

To make the traditional gingerbread, sugar cookies and shortbread healthy without robbing them of their delectable flavour try experimenting with natural sweeteners! Mother Nature offers a plethora of sweet stuff that works well in baking. Here are some tips on how to replace some of the refined white stuff with more wholesome sweetness:

• ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon honey = 1 cup sugar, then decrease liquid ingredients by 2 tablespoons
• ¾ cup maple syrup or concentrated fruit juice = 1 cup sugar, decrease other liquids by 3 tablespoons
• 1 1/3 cup molasses = 1 cup sugar, reduce liquid by 5 tablespoons
• 1 cup brown rice syrup or cane sugar = 1 cup sugar, reduce liquid ingredients by ¼ cup
• ½ cup agave nectar = 1 cup sugar, decrease liquid by 2 tablespoons

If you’re hesitant to try these exotic ingredients, know that most recipes work just as well – and are just as well received – if you cut back to one third of the called for amount of sugar. Seriously, even the most discerning cookie monster won’t be able to tell that there’s barely a teaspoon of sugar in a sugar cookie!

All of the above natural sweeteners offer more minerals and B vitamins than refined white sugar. Some even have a bit of iron and antioxidants for added health benefits. However, calorie-wise, a gram of honey is the same as a gram of sugar because they are both pure carbohydrate. You can use less of the natural stuff though, because most of them are actually sweeter than sucrose (table sugar).

Besides cutting back on sugar, you can also make your baking more health-conscious by eliminating common allergens such as gluten or dairy. Gluten is the predominant protein found in wheat and is what gives bread that soft, chewy texture. Increasingly, many people are avoiding gluten, however, because they find it makes them gassy and bloated. You can now find gluten-free flour, baking mixes and baking soda in many mainstream grocery stores, not just the health food store. Spelt, rice, amaranth, and quinoa flours are also gluten-free and some offer more fibre and protein than regular flour. Or, you can even make baked goods that are completely flourless! Just search out flourless cakes, or cookies. These recipes usually use ground nuts as the “flour” producing a texture that resembles that of a rich, dense brownie.

Successful baking also doesn’t necessary require a ton of butter and for the lactose-intolerant crowd, it most certainly doesn’t have to be cow’s milk butter. Goat’s milk butter or nut butters, if there are no nut allergies, work just as well while lowering the artery-clogging saturated fat content of your goods. Here’s an addictive brownie recipe with a few nutritious substitutions to get you started on your healthiest holiday ever!

Sinless Chocolate Almond Brownies
3 oz dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids)
2 tbsp goat’s milk butter
½ cup brown rice syrup
2 large organic eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
½ cup gluten-free flour mix
½ cup chopped almonds (optional)

Melt the chocolate and butter in a medium-sized saucepan over low heat. Stir in the brown rice syrup and remove from heat. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, and add the vanilla. Stir in the flour and nuts (if using).

Pour the mixture into greased, parchment paper–lined 8-inch (2 L) square baking pan and spread evenly. Bake in a 350ºF (180ºC) oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until just set. Turn out on to a cooling rack and cut into squares. Store in an airtight container, if they last that long!

Makes about 16 brownies.

How will you “health up” your holiday baking?

Plate up Protein First. At dinners and parties, be wary of appetizers; They are typically loaded with unsavoury saturated fats, sodium or refined carbohydrates. Take, for example, the popular puff pastry hors d’oeuvres like mini sausage rolls. They average 200 calories per bite-size serving and 3 grams of saturated fat, all gobbled up in 2 seconds flat!

Colour your plate. Plate up lots of veggies at festive dinners and holiday parties. If your kids are veggie-shy, don’t give up but keep offering them at every meal without being pushy. For potlucks, bring a veggie dish to ensure that it’s available. You can even choose Christmas-coloured veggies (red – radishes, red bell peppers, beets, white – cauliflower, mushrooms, green – broccoli, celery, cucumber, etc. etc.). Bonus: All of these choices are loaded with antioxidants like vitamin C that boost immune function and stave off colds and flus. And don’t forget soups as an easy way to get veggies in! Research shows that people who start with a light, broth-based soup have a tendency to eat less during the meal.

Stick to meal times. Amidst the bustle, make time to eat at regular intervals during the day, starting with breakfast, and ideally, as a family. Again, this ensures good blood sugar control and that keeps everyone happy.

Get enough sleep. More and more studies are showing that sleep, or lack there of, is linked to overeating so make sure you and the little ones get enough zzzs. If it’s a tradition to stay up on Christmas Eve and/or New Year’s, arrange a nap or some early nights to compensate for over-tiredness that spikes hormones that contribute to increased cravings.

Make your own sweets. Control the calorie count and content of holiday baked goods by looking up some healthy cookies recipes and making several batches that you can bring to parties or give as gifts. And don’t forget to get the kids involved! Kids love to bake and it you can make some magical memories while teaching them how to bake.

Plan to eat, drink and be active. If you know you and the family are going to a slew of parties dominated by high calorie food, casually talk about what you and kids would like to eat or drink – and how much – before hand. Also, right now, before things get too hectic, fit in an extra 30 minutes of fun physical activity, like dancing or ice skating, each week and try to keep the activity during the holiday season when the kids are off school.

An important caveat to all this talk about calories and weight watching – Don’t make it the emphasis of every holiday gathering. Children can be very sensitive to suggestions that they are overweight so you need to be careful not to get them started on thinking that they need to diet. Instead, talk about nutrition and the wonderful things healthy food can do for their bodies!

How do you plan to keep your family active and nourished with whole foods this holiday season?