Chicken and Veggie Coconut Curry

I haven't always been a fan of curry, but my husband loves it. Over the years I have developed a taste for it, some of it. Last night I attempted my very first curry dish. The kids were pretty skeptical at first. But, I don't give into picky eating very easily. I pretty much held down my daughters arms while my husband fed her. Once the tears stopped, she realized that she liked it and asked for more. I just find it to be utterly devastating when I put a huge effort into a tasty (and nutritious) meal, make a huge mess in my kitchen, and then no one wants to eat it. Is it just me?

Ingredients:

3 TBS yellow curry

1 tsp ground ginger

2 TBS oil

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 large handfuls of shitake mushrooms, chopped

1 cup shredded carrots

1 head baby bok choy, chopped

3 chicken breasts

1 can light coconut milk

1/2 cup chicken broth

salt and pepper to taste

Chopped cashews, optional

Preparation:

1. Cook chicken through. You could grill it, boil it, or bake it. Set aside.

2. Add half the oil to a large skillet. Heat over medium-high heat. Add in onion, cook 2-3 minutes. Add in garlic. Add in remaining veggies. Cook until tender. Set aside with chicken.

3. In the same pan, add in curry. Cook until fragrant. Add ginger and oil. Mix well. Add in coconut milk and chicken broth, bring to a simmer. Add in all the chicken and veggies. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. If it becomes dry add in more chicken broth. 

4. Serve over brown rice and top with chopped cashews if desired. 

Fruit and Veggie Puree Pouches

Fooducate has a great article on the puree pouches that are so trendy right now. I agree with everything Dr. Rose is saying. Are they bad? No. Do they teach your kids to like veggies? No. I really liked how she discussed snack rotations. I am going to try to do a better job of that with my kids. I think kids can get stuck in a rut of eating the same foods over and over. It is easy for parents to give them that food because they know they will eat it. But, keeping a rotation of foods is a great way to get kids to like a variety of foods without going overboard will all sorts of new foods.

This is how kids get stuck in a food rut...

1. Kids get used to eating puree pouches.
2. Parents are happy.
3. Kids start to reject actual vegetables; they don’t taste as sweet, they’re not as much fun…
4. Parents panic that their kids aren’t eating right and resort to puree pouches more frequently.
5. Kids get used to eating puree pouches.
6. Many kids start to demand them.

This is particularly true if you are parenting a picky or a sensory sensitive eater.

Check out the article!

Here are some of my kids favorite go to snacks:

- Apples or bananas with peanut butter

- Crackers and string cheese

- Plain Greek Yogurt mixed with strawberry yogurt

- Carrots and hummus (although my daughter usually just sucks the hummus off the carrot and double dips)

What types of snacks do your kids love?

Sugar Belly

This month's Nutrition Action Health Letter is all about sugar. In all honesty, I love sugar. I love to bake and I love to eat it. When I have treats in my house I eat them. So, you won't find them in my house very often. I do eat what I bake, but then send the rest to the neighbors. I find that I would rather eat a really yummy dessert once a week (or so) and avoid sugary foods (the foods I highlighted in red below). If you are active and eat well, you can enjoy dessert. But, you must be extra cautious of the added sugars in the foods you eat every day.

Here is an excerpt from the article, Sugar Belly: How much is too much?

Soft drinks, sports drinks, fruit drinks, energy drinks, coffee drinks, cupcakes, cookies, muffins, doughnuts, granola bars, chocolate, ice cream, sweetened yogurt, cereal, candy. The list of sweet temptations is endless.


The average American now consumes 22-28 teaspoons of added sugars a day - mostly high fructose corn syrup and ordinary table sugar (sucrose). That's 350-440 empty calories that few of us can afford. 

How much added sugar is too much? Cutting back to 100 calories (6.5 teaspoons) a day for women and 150 calories (9.5 teaspoons) a day for men might mean slimmer waistlines and lower risk of disease. 

organic vs. natural

In my everyday life I hear the words natural and organic all the time. Most people think they know what those two mean, but don't really understand the difference. I hear phrases like... "But, it's organic." Or, "They have all organic food." Or, "Everything there is all organic."

When it comes to food the word organic simply means that the food was produced or grown without the uses of synthetic pesticides, hormones, or genetically modified ingredients. Many people argue (myself included) that many organic foods taste better then their conventional counterparts. Additionally, many organic foods can be higher in nutritional value than their conventional counterparts. Organic milk, from cows that are grass fed for example is higher in compounds such as conjugated linoleic acid and omega 3 fatty acids because the cows ate a certain way. With that being said, organic does not mean healthy. Sure, the product may use better quality ingredients. But, that doesn't make it a health food.

There is no regulating when it comes to "all natural", any food item can claim this term. Always read the ingredients and if you are unsure of one CSPI has a great list of food additives to watch out for {click here}. If you are wanting to purchase something organic then you must look for the USDA seal. I try to buy organic when I can, but it is not always possible. With all they hype about pink slime in the media, you can see why meat and poultry should be at the top of your organic priority list. You may also be surprised to hear me say this, but local is most often more important to me than organic. If I have the opportunity to purchase something grown or produced in Utah I will.

organic.org is a great resource 

RD Day Special!

Today is Registered Dietitian Day! In honor of this day, receive  25% off all Bite Rite nutrition services or Pilates packages. This offer ends tonight at midnight!

email devpettit@gmail.com

Eat something green today!