In college, I studied two books which became the premise of my approach to child nutrition. The first was Intuitive Eating, co-written by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. The second was Child of Mine: Feeding with Love and Good Sense. (afflilate links) The story I am about to tell you combines principles from both books. But--before I get into that I have to start with a little disclaimer with another story: When I was in the thick of my Dietetics studies, my husband and I were visiting his family in Arizona. We were sitting at a meal with one of

"How do you get your kids to eat so many vegetables?" or "I just can't believe your kids eat all those meals you make!" I am asked these questions all. the. time. So, my theme for June over on heartysmarty.com is going to be my offering of tips that work for helping my kids eat well-rounded meals and snacks. Honestly, I hesitated following through with this theme this month, because I still have challenges in this area. Even within our family we have great diversity of eaters and taste preferences. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀That being said, I have learned a lot through the

I'm forever indebted to my sister-in-law for sharing the idea with me that you can make waffle batter in the blender. They are so fast to make and their buttery, sourdough flavor is off the charts! My kids and I love them so much that I have added them to my running list of school-morning breakfast options. My SIL shared her recipe with me on a morning when we were out of eggs, so I made due with ground flax seed and it worked! Knowing me, I wanted to see what else I could substitute to boost the nutrition content

When we lived in Mesa, AZ we were introduced to the art of making pizzas on the outdoor grill. Grilling outside is a means of survival in the Arizona desert, and there are really only a few months out of the year when you dare to turn on your oven to bake in your kitchen. Okay, that might be a slight over-exaggeration, but certainly, in the summer months, the oven was off-limits for us. As you know, every Friday is pizza night at our house, and even though we live in Utah now, it can get too hot to turn

We use this recipe for lime rice in a few different dishes including Fiesta Vegetable Bowls, Seasoned Beans and Rice, and (our favorite) Cafe Rio Salads for a Crowd (recipe coming soon!) There's something about adding a hint of lime and chicken broth to plain white rice that makes it so delicious. Another fantastic benefit of of this dish is it is really inexpensive (about $5 to feed 16 people 2/3-cup serving) and naturally gluten-free. Enjoy! Cilantro Lime Rice for a Crowd Cafe Rio Copycat Cilantro Lime Rice for a crowd Stock Pot 3 tablespoon Butter6 cups White Rice12 cups

This is one of our favorite ways to eat Spring fruit. Granny Smith apples are one of the last apples that still have good flavor by Springtime when the harvest has been over for 8 or 9 months now. Blend those with a seasonal fruit like fresh raspberries and you've got a salad with peak flavor. Enjoy! Granny's Raspberry and Yogurt Salad Seasonal Spring fruit with peak flavor 2 medium Grannysmith apples (chopped)1 1/2 cups Raspberries (fresh)1 cup Plain, Unsweetened Greek Yogurt1 tbsp Honey Chop apples, wash and drain raspberries. Mix with greek yogurt and honey. Serve immediately.

This is our go-to recipe for Sunday night cookies. These chocolate chip cookies are the perfect blend of soft, chewy, nutty, and sweet. You will get the perfect amount of chocolate in each bite, because I use mini chocolate chips instead of the large chunks. Much to my family's dismay, I have served some real failures in the chocolate cookie department--bricks, crumbly as sand, bland--you name it, I have made it. These, my friends, are the result of years of recipe tweaking and they are soooooo delicious. Just like most of the recipes in my "treats" tab, they contain less

This Tropical Fruit Salad is a delicious blend of summer seasonal fruit, and it is a great side for grilling, barbecues or weeknight dinners. After visiting my in-laws in the Dominican Republic five years ago, I have been enamored with mangoes. Unfortunately, it's a bit tricky to find good ones here in the states. The best ones I have found are the Ataulfo Mangos shipped from Mexicao and sold at Costco between March and September. They come in packs of 6. Just make sure you tip the carton over to ensure there are no bruises on the bottoms of the

To this day, one of our favorite meals is Black Beans and Cilantro Lime Rice with my homemade Peach (or Mango) Salsa. It's fast, easy, filling and full of fiber and nutrition. That makes it a win-win-win-win for our family dinner table. Making the beans in the Instant Pot turns this meal into a make-ahead meal that fits into our busiest nights. I also make these beans as a side dish for our Cafe Rio Salads for a Crowd (which is a recipe coming soon!). Ever since my oldest was 6 years old, she named this dish "donuts," because she

The best salads have various textures, flavors and colors and this one fits the bill. This garden chopped salad is as simple as it gets, and the flavor is amazing. (The secret is the green onions and semi-homemade dressing.) Even my picky eaters will eat a good serving of this one at the dinner table. It pairs well with everything--chicken, casseroles, Mexican, Italian--you name it. Garden Vegetable Chopped Salad with Semi-Homemade Ranch Dressing A simple yet healthy and refreshing vegetable salad that pairs with everything. 5 Cups Romaine Lettuce (chopped)1 large Sweet Bell Pepper, sliced (Red, orange, or yellow)1 large