Practically Green by Mindful Momma, Micaela Preston

Practically Green takes the guesswork out of reading labels and will show you how to make smart, healthy purchases for your family without spending tedious hours researching the pros and cons of all the products available on the market today. Each chapter is broken down into a “Buy It” section that provides key information about everyday purchasing decisions, and a “Do It” section that gives DIY ideas for how to make things that are good for your family and good for the environment. Plus, the author shares some of her favorite recipes that are sure to please the entire family!

Reisenthel (www.reisenthel.com) has an entire line of reusable shoppers and accessories that are make perfect gifts!

With the Reisenthel Bottleshopper dining essentials can now fit safely in one tote, complete with six pockets for beverages that won’t bang into one another. A great way to bring wine and cheese along in a uniquely designed reusable bag.

The Reisenthel Bottlebag Single safely holds a wine bottle, complete with its own thank you note.

The Reisenthel Streetshopper is perfect to bring on board with six outer pockets and a deep interior. Made from durable sail material and adorned with graphics based on the international code of signals.

All products are available at www.touchofeurope.net.

Choose the perfect wine for your big day and remain sustainable

Tips from an Expert: Choose the perfect wine for your big day and remain sustainable by Leslee Miller

As the most important day of your life approaches, you check your lists over and over, dotting your I’s and crossing your T’s making sure that every last detail is in place for the big day. Don’t worry over the wine list – it should be fun! Take the stress out with these easy steps.

1. Be original! When the banquet manager passes you the wedding wine list, don’t get roped into the traditional ‘wine packages’
that are provided by the hotel or event space. Ask to take a look at their regular wine list, one coming from their main dining room or bar area.

2. Pick up to four wines; one should include your ‘toasting’ bubbly. Keep it simple with the number of varietals. It eliminates headaches for your guests, the staff, and your budget.

First, choose a sparkling. Champagne from the Champagne Region in France is expensive. Your best bets for bubbly are: Cava, Prosecco or Sekt. Cava, sparkling from Spain, Prosecco, sparkling from Italy, and Sekt, sparkling from Germany, are all great options to save money. Many are produced sustainably or organically.

Next, choose a white. To satiate the appetite of all your white wine drinkers, your best bet is to select something crisp, clean and delicious. Chardonnay is a white grape that most will recognize. Pick an ‘unoaked’ version of the grape, and for a great tip on ‘affordable’, I’d go with one from the Pacifi c NW. Washington and Oregon do a wonderful job producing organic and generally, inexpensive delicious Chardonnays.

Reds, Reds, Reds… This is where most folks will head if they are drinking wine for the night. My first recommendation is to chose a lighter bodied red – something like Pinot Noir or even, Tempranillo. Pinot Noir is a great grape- however, it has taken a big price increase in recent years due to demand. Check into northern Italy or even Argenti na to fit your bill. Many are grown sustainably and fit the profile…easy-drinkin’, light and delicious.

Most folks like Cabernet. You can also lookinto Malbec or Syrah as a savvy alternative. Chile and Argentina give you great price
points, and again most are grown in part, organically. As your last red, for selecting a good, green, affordable wine head to South America; some of my favorites come from Spain, Argentina and Chile. The farming in many of these regions truly sticks to the livelihood of these green areas. Handled and produced by people, in a way that sticks to keeping the wine traditional.

3. Ask questions. Ask the banquet manageror event space director questions. Is the wine sustainable or organic, does the winery use recycled glass or labels? What are your favorite wines on the list and why? Can we taste through a couple of them before we
decide? Do some homework before you go. Pick up some of these regional wines, and try them for yourself.

4. And, last but not least…enjoy! Because, after all, it’s just grape juice for Pete’s sake, and it is, don’t forget, the biggest day of your life, so enjoy it. Salut!

Mushrooms

Common, versatile and delicious

by Karl E. Benson | chef Mike Shannon | photos Josh P. Roberts

Ahhhh, the simple white button mushroom. So exotic, they can only be found in the grocer’s cooler 365 days a year! So common that they’re easy to overlook. “They must not be that good, because they’re as common as a loaf of white sandwich bread.” In fact, “don’t they taste like white sandwich bread?” Blessedly, the answer to this question is a resounding NO.

One of the beauties of the simple button mushroom is that you can dress it up or dress it down. It’s happy in either camp. After showing you a basic process of sautéing mushrooms with a little onion and butter, we’re going to show you how to bring some simplicity and pizazz to our favorite everyday fungus.

Getting started
It all starts with the same first steps. Clean, cut and sauté.
Clean
To wash or not to wash? That is the question. The answer is, sure, wash — or don’t wash. You can rinse a pack of fresh mushrooms, quick and in a colander. The perpetual fear is that the mushrooms will act like a sponge, and sop up cups of water. Well, recent studies have shown that a quick wash and drain hardly impacts the moisture of the mushroom. Nevertheless, if you are concerned about moisture retention, a quick brush with a kitchen towel should remove the bulk of the dirt.
Cut
Trimming the mushroom is also a source of controversy. Some do, others don’t. Occasionally, particularly on the larger ones, stems can feel a bit fibrous or woody. If you believe this to be the case you can trim the entire stem; otherwise, trimming the cut end is usually all that’s needed. While stems might not be desirable in your dish, they make good additions to your soup stock
Sauté
The trick to tasty button mushrooms lies in intensifying the flavor. The best way to intensify is by moisture reduction and caramelization. A sauté pan accomplishes both tasks.

Contrary to their Italian neighborhood, portobellos aren’t Italian at all. They’re actually from Pennsylvania and they were discovered by Italian immigrants. They were given their name because they were reminiscent of mushrooms consumed in Italy, not because that’s their country of origin.

White button mushrooms, cremini and portobello mushrooms are all kissing cousins. All are derivatives of the same mushroom family. Variations in the growing circumstances, light and growth time contribute to the variety. White buttons shift into cremini and ultimately blossom into portobellos if allowed to continue growing and given more light in the growing process.

Mushroom Base
4 tablespoons butter
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 shallots, sliced
1 ½ pound button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/3 cup white wine
¾ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons minced sage

Heat a large sauté pan over high heat. Add butter. When butter is melted, stops foaming and just begins to brown, add garlic, shallots and mushrooms, with 2 to 3 pinches salt. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms begin to caramelize — about 15 to 20 minutes. Add wine and reduce until the liquid is completely absorbed by the mushrooms. Add cream, reduce by about 75%. Remove from heat and stir in sage. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Truffled Mushroom Crostini
Serves 8
24 ⅓-inch-thick baguette slices
⅓ cups extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 recipe of mushroom base
Truffle oil
Parmesan or Asiago cheese, grated or shaved

Preheat oven to 375˚F. Combine oil, garlic and seasoning in a large bowl. Toss slices of baguette in oil or brush lightly and place on sheet pan fitted with a cooling rack. Toast in oven until crisp on both sides. Set crostini aside. Serve by topping each crostini with mushroom base. Top with a drop of truffle oil and a little cheese.

Mushroom Soup
Serves 8
2 quarts stock (vegetable,
chicken or beef)
4 oz butter
4 oz flour
1 recipe of mushroom base
4 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon butter

Prepare Velouté:
In a large Dutch oven, melt butter over med-high heat. Slowly add flour while whisking continuously to form roux. Reduce heat to medium and cook the roux while continuing to stir until it resembles wet sand. In a separate pan heat the stock to a simmer. Once the roux is cooked, slowly add the stock a little at a time while stirring continuously to incorporate the roux. Once all the stock has been added, bring to a simmer and cook until thickened slightly. While velouté is thickening, add the mushroom base to a blender or food processor and puree. Add the puree mixture to the velouté. Check seasoning and adjust. In a small sauté pan, melt the butter and sauté the cremini mushrooms until just tender. To serve, ladle soup into serving bowl, top with a few cremini mushroom slices and garnish with sage cream and fried sage leaves.

Sage Cream
¼ cup mascarpone, room temperature
¼ cup sour cream
2 tablespoon fresh sage, minced
Mix together sour cream, mascarpone and sage. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Mushroom Pasta
Serves 4
1 pound penne pasta, cooked al dente
½-1 cup reserved pasta cooking liquid
1 recipe of mushroom base
2 portabello caps
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoon fresh sage, minced

Brush both sides of the portabello caps with olive oil and season. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat and add mushroom caps, gill side down. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until tender. Once cooked, cut into ½” thick slices and reserve. Combine the pasta cooking liquid with the warm mushroom base and ¼ cup of the grated cheese. Stir to melt cheese. Combine with pasta and toss to mix. Top with portabello slices, remaining cheese and fresh sage and serve.

Chef Mike Shannon leads the Cooks of Crocus Hill culinary team as well as teaching and leading private events. Prior to joining Cooks, Mike left the dusty world of mechanical engineering to pursue a verdant, culinary life. He is a Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School graduate and lives in St. Paul.

Be sure to check out all of this three part step-by-step video of Mike Shannon preparing these delicious mushroom dishes at LivGREEN TV.

Spring Vegetables

By Quinn Olson

Nothing is as rewarding as the first vegetables of the season. Fresh asparagus, ramps and edible ferns are a sure sign that the subzero days are behind us. A little salt and pepper will bring out the flavor of any vegetable, but try these variations if you’re looking for a little more excitement.

For information on your local farmers markets, go to http://www.mda.state.mn.us/food/minnesotagrown/farmersmarkets.htm

Sautéed Spring Vegetables
This technique is great for dinner parties because it works with almost any vegetable and you can blanch them up to a day ahead and store them in the fridge, then give them a quick sauté to reheat them just before serving.

Blanch
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add a handful of sea salt. (You want the water to be salty.) Drop in vegetables and cook briefly — just until the color blooms. Don’t overcook.
TIP: Cooking times will vary depending on the vegetable. If you’re doing several different kinds of vegetables, use the same pot of boiling water for all, but only cook one kind at a time to ensure even cooking.
Scoop vegetables out of water with a slotted spoon or strainer and plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. At this point, you can drain the cooled vegetables and store them in the fridge for up to a day. Wrapping them in a paper towel inside a plastic bag keeps them fresh, but not soggy.

Sauté
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat, until it shimmers (don’t let it smoke). Add a tablespoon of butter and the blanched, chilled vegetables. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and toss until heated through (1-2 minutes). Serve immediately.

Variations:
Spicy—Sprinkle a pinch of red pepper flakes into the oil before adding the vegetables.
Garlic—Add a crushed garlic clove to the oil while sautéing, but remove it before serving.
Curry—Sprinkle a teaspoon (or to taste) of curry powder into the oil and butter and let it cook for a few seconds before adding the vegetables. (Curry is especially great with boiled new potatoes.)
Asian—Replace the butter with a teaspoon of sesame oil and add a teaspoon each of minced garlic, grated ginger and soy sauce.
Asparagus & Feta—Toss with chunks of feta cheese and a squeeze of lime for a delicious 30-second side dish.

Ramps (aka wild leeks)
Ramps aren’t available for long, but you can chop and freeze them for cooked dishes. The green tops are milder in flavor and are usually used along with the bulbs.

Asparagus
The fleshy green spears of asparagus are both succulent and tender, although some fans prefer the tips. When prepared properly, the entire spear is delicious.

Truffles

Mmmm, a great recipe to make your own delicious chocolate truffles at home. They’re organic too! Quinn Olson shows us why truffles are

Decadent, elegant and oh so easy to make.

What is a day without chocolate? Just an ordinary day. And when it comes to chocolate, nothing tastes more indulgent or satisfying than a truffle. Chocolate truffles in their most natural form are meant to imitate the look of the prized mushroom by the same name—a little rough around the edges and just rooted out from under a tree—but with the lusciousness only good chocolate can deliver.

One of the great secrets about chocolate truffles is that they’re incredibly easy to make, but taste like you’ve spent years mastering the technique. Fortunately, great quality chocolate is now widely available and for the last few years, a growing number of organic varieties are also appearing in supermarkets and specialty stores.

For this recipe, where chocolate is the featured player, use the best quality bar chocolate you can find. Don’t use “baking chocolate” or chocolate chips.

Basic Chocolate Truffles

1 cup organic heavy cream
8 oz organic dark chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
½ cup organic cocoa powder or powdered sugar for rolling

In a medium saucepan, heat the cream until it starts to bubble, but not boiling. Remove from the heat, then add the chopped chocolate and salt. Whisk until smooth. Pour mixture into a shallow bowl and refrigerate until firm (about an hour).

Spread cocoa powder or powdered sugar onto a plate for easy rolling

Using a melon baller or small spoon, scoop the firm chocolate into bite-sized balls (approx. 1 inch). Shape with your fingers, but don’t worry if they’re not perfectly round. Roll in cocoa powder to coat completely. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

TIP: If the chocolate starts to get too soft, return it to the refrigerator for a few minutes so it’s easier to work with.

Variations
The possibilities are endless when it comes to truffle varieties. Here are a few favorites.

Raspberry Truffles:
Replace 1/4 cup of the cream with an equal amount of seedless raspberry puree.

Fleur de Sel Truffles:
Sprinkle a pinch of fleur de sel or other high-quality sea salt over cocoa powder before rolling truffles for an unexpectedly delicious flavor combination.

Almond Truffles:
Replace the vanilla with almond extract. Roll in ground or crushed, toasted almonds.

Mocha Truffles:
Dissolve 1 tablespoon espresso powder (not ground coffee) in the hot cream before adding the chocolate.

Sources

Organic Chocolate:
Endangered Species Chocolate Company • www.chocolatebar.com
Equal Exchange • shop.equalexchange.com
Green & Black’s • www.greenandblacks.com
Newman’s Own Organics • www.newmansownorganics.com
Rapunzel Pure Organics, Inc. • www.rapunzel.com
Trader Joe’s • www.traderjoes.com
Whole Foods Market • www.wholefoods.com

Organic Cream:
Support a local Minnesota dairy. Find one near you at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s website:
http://www.mda.state.mn.us/food/minnesotagrown/directory.htm

Or look for these brands in your favorite grocery store:
Horizon Organic • www.horizonorganic.com
Organic Valley • www.organicvalley.com

Quinn Olson loves to eat. And if he can tear himself away from the kitchen long enough, he writes about his culinary adventures from northern Minnesota. Email Quinn at quinn@livgreenmag.com.

Health Food for Guys

Grab the phone, time to order in.  Men who eat a lot of tomatoes or tomato sauces (yes, this includes pizza) may be protecting themselves against prostate cancer. Researchers at Harvard studied the eating habits of more than 47,000 male health professionals. Their findings? Men who ate tomato sauce two to four times per week had a 35 percent lower risk of developing prostate cancer than men who ate none. Why, you ask?  No, the local pizza delivery joint wasn’t the sponsor.  Turns out, tomatoes contain a carotenoid called lycopene which appears to be responsible.  Tomato juice, by the way, doesn’t seem to have a protective effect. Other research showed that for best absorption, lycopene should be cooked with some kind of fat. So pizza may be just what the doctor ordered.

Second Date

So, you’ve made a great first impression…now what?
Here’s some suggestions that still heat things up without blowing your budget.

by J. Trout Lowen

LUCIA’S RESTAURANT AND WINE BAR
1432 W 31ST ST, MINNEAPOLIS
612.825.1572 • ($$)
INFO@LUCIAS.COM
RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED

There’s something about the lighting at Lucia’s Restaurant that seems to bathe every diner in a warm, Hollywood glow. Maybe that’s why Lucia’s is a favorite year-round with couples. Or maybe it is Lucia Watson’s efforts over the past 24 years to create delicious entrees and desserts featuring locally-sourced meat and produce for each season. Whatever the reason, says Watson, the owner and chef, “We’ve got good love energy.”

GALACTIC PIZZA
2917 LYNDALE AVE, MINNEAPOLIS
612.824.9100 • ($)
WWW.GALACTICPIZZA.COM

Stay home and do a cheater dinner and a movie. Galactic pizza and the boob tube.  This Lyn-Lake pizza parlor takes environmental commitment seriously with locally-sourced meat, cheese and produce served up in recycled and biodegradable packaging. Weather permitting, they’ll deliver your pizza in a snazzy little electric vehicle. Order the Second Harvest Heartland Pizza and they’ll donate $1 to hunger relief.

RED STAG SUPPERCLUB
509 1ST AVE NE, MINNEAPOLIS
612.767.7766 • ($$)
WWW.REDSTAGSUPPERCLUB.COM

Where the trash goes may not be the most romantic thing to think about, but in addition to serving delicious locally-sourced and organic foods, the Red Stag Supperclub is leading the way in environmental practices. The first LEED certified restaurant in Minnesota, the Red Stag is one of five local restaurants (three, including the Stag, owned by Kim Bartmann) to join with Eureka Recycling to create a comprehensive restaurant composting program.

HEARTLAND
1806 ST. CLAIR AVE, ST. PAUL
651.699.3536 • ($$-$$$)
WWW.HEARTLANDRESTAURANT.COM

The menu at Heartland changes daily but Chef Lenny Russo’s commitment to the “eat local” philosophy never changes. Heartland works with small family farmers and artisanal producers in the Midwest and Canada to source the best organic and sustainably raised ingredients.

THE DEPOT ICE RINK
225 THIRD AVE S, MINNEAPOLIS
612.375.1700
WWW.THEDEPOTMINNEAPOLIS.COM/ICERINK

What could be more romantic than ice skating arm in arm? Ice skating at the historic Depot Ice Rink in downtown Minneapolis, perhaps. The former train depot’s heated indoor rink offers floor-to-ceiling glass windows with a view of the downtown skyline, soft lighting and music. $8 skate rental $7.

THE PERFECT KISS
GUTHRIE THEATER ENDLESS BRIDGE
MINNEAPOLIS • FREE
WWW.GUTHRIETHEATER.ORG

Romance doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg; you don’t have to spring for flowers or dinner. The Guthrie Theater’s Endless Bridge offers one of the most stunning views in the Twin Cities, looking out over the Mississippi River and Gold Medal Park. The Bridge is open to the public from 8 a.m. to midnight. Stay warm with a cup of hot chocolate or a bottle of sparkling wine from Level Five or Cue.

FRENCH MEADOW BAKERY AND CAFE
2610 LYNDALE AVE S, MINNEAPOLIS
612.870.7855 • ($$)
WWW.FRENCHMEADOWCAFE.COM

As the longest-certified organic bakery in the country, the folks at the French Meadow Bakery and Café know what it means to love the earth. Organics, sustainability, biodiversity are as ordinary to them as…well…bread. Like mother-love in food form.

Wine and Champagne

Keep celebrating with this quick organic buying guide

by Quinn Olson

With the demand for chemical-free foods on the rise, winemakers from around the world have taken notice and begun offering several organic options. Some vineyards have been way ahead of the curve, growing organic grapes for decades, but look for more vintners to jump on the green bandwagon soon. While the term “organic” has different definitions depending on which country you’re in, here are some of the green choices available now. Ask your local wine retailer for more information.  Those that carry the organic versions are happy to share their knowledge of the vineyards and their specific organic growing practices.

Reds

2007 Jean-Francois Merieau Gamay de Touraine “Bois Jacou” ($18)
Blois, France
www.jondavidwine.com (U.S. supplier)

Elderton Command Shiraz 2004 ($95)
Barossa Valley, Australia
www.eldertonwines.com.au

Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 ($70)
Napa Valley, California
www.grgich.com

Querciabella Chianti Classico 2006 ($32)
Tuscany, Italy
www.querciabella.com

Cline Cool Climate Syrah 2006 ($20)
Sonoma County, California
www.clinecellars.co

Whites

2007 Louvetrie (Jo Landron) Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Hermine d’Or ($15)
La Haie-Fouassière, France
www.domaines-landron.com

Yalumba Organic Riverland Viognier 2007 ($15)
South Australia, Australia
www.yalumba.com

Grgich Hills Fume Blanc 2005 ($30)
Napa Valley, California
www.grgich.com

Sparkling Wines and Champagnes

Crémant de Bourgogne Rosé, Perle d’Aurore, Louis Bouillot ($14)
Burgundy, France
www.boissetfamilyestates.com

Brut Rosé Cuvée de la Pompadour by Domaine Carneros ($35)
Napa, California
www.domainecarneros.com

AOC Champagne Fleury Rosé by Champagne Fleury ($30)
Courteron, France
www.champagne-fleury.fr

Tarlant Cuvée Louis Brut Prestige Champagne ($55)
Oeuilly, France
www.tarlant.com

What is organic wine?

Eco Chic

When you think organic, your mind wanders to berries, greens and bamboo sheets. That same healthy, honest, organic approach is being applied in the liquor industry – no harsh soil chemicals, no synthetic pesticides – and responsible farming practices that respect our environment and benefit farm workers who are paid a fairer price for their efforts.

Enter organic cocktails! Rapidly making their way onto the scene, they are creating a savvy consumer with more sophisticated taste buds. This new generation of organic spirits is built around natural extracts and healthy ingredients instead of the age old method of artificially colored and flavored syrups designed to make the liquor more palatable. With companies like Phillips dipping their toes into the organic liquor market, it’s only a matter of time before bellying up and ordering an organic cocktail is no longer the odd request. CHEERS!

Try these simple and flavorful blends from Phillips Organic Prairie Vodka. If you want to bump up the pure factor, utilize only organic ingredients.

Red Hawk

• 2 parts Phillips Organic vodka
• 2 parts pomegranate juice
• A squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Pour ingredients into a shaker over ice and strain into a martini glass – garnish with a fresh mint leaf.

Tallgrass Tea

• 3 parts Phillips Organic vodka
• 4 parts organic green tea
• 1 tablespoon organic sugar
• 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

Pour ingredients into a shaker over ice and strain into a sugar rimmed martini glass.

Smarter than sprinkles

5 STRATEGIES TO GET YOUR KIDS TO EAT HEALTHIER:

When I think back, I remember the day my beautiful plan fell apart. A trip to the grocery store with Papa and little Gracie in tow. An “innocent” stroll by the complimentary preservative laden sugar cookies. She couldn’t have been more than one and a half, but that cookie changed her life. From that day forward, anytime we brought up the word “snack” she would beg for cookies. I thoroughly chewed my husband out, cooled off and realized that, although you can control what goes into your little one’s mouth, at some point the world contributes its two cents. Two cents in the form of a partially hydrogenated, refined sugar, high fructose corn syrup cookie…(with rainbow sprinkles). Is it possible to compete with sprinkles? Probably not, I’m not saying I’ve surrendered…let’s just call it a heathly truce.

Although children may seem extremely complicated at times, their taste buds are really quite simple. They generally eat what they are consistently fed, without too much of a tussle. Yes, they are still kids and have their moods, and yes they are impossible to predict, but for the most part they are wonderful little (and big) creatures of habit. If you are the parent of a cute, soft cuddly new little bundle, this is good news (the first part, that is). On the other hand, if you are the parent of a seasoned donut muncher – you have a harder road ahead of you. Oh, and if you’re feeling all “I’m all that” with the new addition, don’t stop reading because if there’s one thing I can guarantee you…it grows up.

I entered the healthy eating arena when my first born was about 4 years old. Slowly navigating through what I thought was good and bad, I systematically removed the “evils” from the house (you know, partially hydrogenated fats, high fructose corn syrup, refined sugars…) and in their place I boldy placed items with “all natural” and “organic” on the label. It was confusing, frustrating and expensive. Crazy as it seems, it wasn’t the process of removing the food from the house that was the worst, that was actually quite exhilarating – even cleansing if you want to be ZEN about it. It was the process of removing the memory of those flavors from the four year old’s taste buds that got a little sticky.

Well, that 4 year old is now 10 and there are two more in the brood. Feeding that next generation of wide eyed little babies healthy, organic snacks and fresh home cooked veggies for breakfast was a breeze…until (gulp) they too, got bigger and developed minds and taste buds of their own. It’s truly irritating how long it can take to appreciate the taste of a fresh leafy green compared to the immediate loyalty that a fresh, warm donut, or sugar encrusted cookie evokes. This doesn’t mean that we, as parents (a.k.a. “the boss of you” ) have to completely ban anything yummy, nummy or fun to eat from the house or their palates. It’s all about getting kids to eat good, fresh, natural healthy food…more often than not. If we can do that, then we’re at least holding our own with those damn sprinkles.

Train their taste buds

You are in total control during those infant and early toddler years. Take advantage of it. Even if you don’t completely subscribe to a fresh, natural diet for yourself, consider your kids a clean slate. It’s a big responsibility, they are acquiring a lifetime of tastes and food habits based on the diets they have as children. Pump them full of the wrong foods and their energy and health will suffer not to mention struggling with a lifetime of poor eating habits. What if your children are older and their taste buds are already loyal to the dark side? Not to worry. You have the power, remember you control the food that comes into your home, and although they can choose not to eat it, eventually the hunger pangs will set in and the day will come when that wheat pita and black bean dip or fresh hummus looks pretty good. For the record, that same cookie monster, who still loves cookies at the age of four and a half (if I don’t include the half and it gets back to her, my goose is cooked) loves grilled brussel sprouts, asparagus, hummus, romaine lettuce leaves, cucumbers, carrots, plain 12 grain bread and raw broccoli tops. I can’t tell you how much it pleases me to hear her say, “mama can we have brussel sprouts tonight?”

Find substitutes for the nummy stuff

Fruits and veggies are a given, but I would be remiss if I didn’t bring up the other staple in a childs diet…the snack. There is a great variety of tasty pre-packaged snacks and foods to pick from (this wasn’t always the case, believe me). This makes the job of replacing some of the favorites that much easier. Take note, just because it says all natural doesn’t mean it may not still contain too much sugar. Check the labels and make the substitutions smart ones. Fruit Leathers and Squished Fruit replace gummies and fruit snacks. Organic air popped pop corn, Cheddar Bunnies, multi seed crackers and wheat saltines replace their alter egos filled with preservatives, trans fats and high fructose corn syrup. If there is a nasty version out there, you can find something pretty darn close with a lot less sugar and all natural ingredients. It may take a little while, but if it’s their only option, they will cave and before you know it, their taste buds will have readily adopted these new flavors. A hint for the little ones. Put a sampler platter of small veggies, fruits, crackers etc in an ice cube tray and let them conduct their own taste test. When it comes to sweets, make them a special treat instead of a regular snack. There’s some great frozen all natural cookie and brownie doughs – we love making just enough for each of us to have a couple once in awhile. We can do it together, it’s quick and it’s a great ending to a healthy meal. We’ll even talk about it during the day, like it’s a special occasion. Anticipation is becoming a lost art in this day of immediate gratification and over consumption. Remember what a treat cartoons used to be when they were only on, on Saturday mornings? Children don’t need to be eating sweets for snacks during the day. Give them the opportunity begin to appreciate decadent moments by limiting them.

Teach them the whys and why nots

Start out small teaching them why you are making the choices you do. “Because I said so” may have its place in a conversation at the end of a long day, but it doesn’t belong in a conversation about why you choose healthy food over junk food. Not if you want your children making smart, healthy choices without you standing behind them guiding their hands. The market is a great training grounds for teaching the whys and why nots. Give them perimeters and then let them pick their favorites in each department. It’s much more fun to eat something when you’ve been an integral part of making it appear in your home. Then tell them they can pick a treat, but it has to be a “good” one. Come up with nutrition guidelines for what’s allowed in the house and what isn’t, and then…have a backbone. No backing down, no litigation from the little attorney. Plain and simple, if it doesn’t comply, they have to keep looking. Believe me, they will keep looking until they find a version of what they’re wanting that meets your guidelines. Kids are relentless that way, and it teaches them to care about what they put in their bodies and be a smart consumer to boot!

Be tricky

Don’t read too much into the title. I’m not saying you should forgo the vegetable battle and spin great veggie lies to your children, but there’s nothing wrong with bumping up the nutrition factor when you’re preparing food. I cook my rice in organic chicken broth, and add squash to macaroni and cheese when I feel so inclined. It doesn’t mean my children don’t know what vegetables are. In fact, each has their favorite “icky” vegetable and would be happy to model the corresponding “icky” vegetable face that goes along with it. Another trick is a spin off from my home made baby food days, with cubes of pureed steamed veggies in the freezer. I’ll add a couple cubes to soups and sauces. It tastes good, it’s good for us (we eat it too) and I get the bonus of fresh veggies in a quick last minute dish. (Although I would love to present my family with gorgeous garden fresh meals each night, too many times quick and last minute are all I am capable of by the end of a long day). You can also chop veggies up small enough so they can’t pick them out – like tiny green broccoli flowers, shredded carrots or tofu in their scrambled eggs. If the pieces are tiny, the flavor blends in better and they don’t obsess about picking it out. Plus, they get used to the idea of their food naturally including vegetables with all the wonderful colors.

Make shopping, preparing & eating the food fun

Make preparing and eating food a joy. Give your children tasks when preparing the meal for the night. Put out a platter of veggies to snack on while you are cooking and setting the table. Talk, laugh, dance and praise them for helping out. Give them each a night to pick the meal. We’ve even gone so far as to name food after each one (Jaker Tot Casserole, Eva’s Apple Pie). Make it a positive experience and the food becomes less of an issue. You don’t have time to make a big meal? So what. As long as it’s healthy and the children take part you’ve done your job. We have snack platters for lunch (yes, even dinner) more often than I’d like to admit, but they’re healthy snack platters and the kids love them. They ask for them, in fact. They choose something from each food family and we arrange it on a big plate for each (many times this also morphs into snack platter – living room picnic night too). A typical platter du jour might look something like this: Deli turkey pieces, multi-seed crackers or oat bran pitas, hummus or avocado, grapes, bananas, broccoli tops, carrot strips, cukes, dip and some “cango” (that’s carrot and mango mixed). Talk about what you’re eating and where it comes from – how long it takes to grow and how good it is for your body.

5 ingredients to teach your kids to look out for

1. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
   It’s very hard for our bodies to digest and convert it into fuel It also seems to be a big contributing factor when it comes to obesity.
2. Enriched and bleached flour
   The nutrients and the fiber that’s found in wheat naturally have been removed in the process of making these types of flour, making them little more than carbs and empty calories. Avoid the words “enriched” and “bleached” on the ingredients lists and you’ll be fine.
3. Trans fats / partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated oils
   In some countries, these types of oils are illegal, They can cause inflammation, high cholesterol, and heart disease.
4. Foods with 10 ingredients or more
   If it contains more than ten ingredients, there’s probably more than one thing in it that’s harmful.
5. Refined white sugar
   Refined, white sugar has no nutrients in it and is basically empty calories and carbohydrates.

For more natural parenting articles and information from this author, go to www.rebelmama.com