What are the healthiest foods for kids to eat? From kohlrabi and watermelon to lentils and chickpeas, today's guest rounds up the 101 healthiest foods every kid everywhere should put on their plates and into their tummies. Registered dietitian, Sally Kuzemchak is a mom of two, founder of Real Mom Nutrition, and author of the awesome new book, The 101 Healthiest Foods for Kids.

Sally joins me with highlights from her book including advice for feeding finicky eaters, tips for getting kids to try new foods, super healthy recipe ideas, and realistic food rules to make family mealtime a breeze (or close to it).  

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Sally’s “mom-life” in Columbus, Ohio with her husband, two sons ages 10 and 14, and her dog, Copper.
• The Real Mom Nutrition online platform, started in 2009 as a no-judgement zone and resource for feeding kids a healthy diet.
• How Sally started out as a writer, fell in love with the subjects of nutrition and women’s health, and then went back to school to become a registered dietitian.
• The two biggest challenges for parents: lack of time and dealing with picky eaters.
• Why Sally wrote The 101 Healthiest Foods for Kids.
• How the 101 foods were chosen; Sally wanted them to be accessible at most grocery stores.
• How the book can be the inspiration to get kids (and adults!) to try new foods.
• What the book includes: Food category chapters (fruits, veggies, grains, protein foods), nutrition information on each food, and shopping, storage, prep, and serving tips.
• Why the book includes a “try it” tip for each food and 26 great recipes.
• Sally’s Red Lentil Snack Cookies, made with red lentils, peanut butter, chocolate chips, oats, applesauce, and maple syrup.
• Other ways to add lentils to recipes include mixing them with ground meat for tacos and sloppy Joes.
• How Sally feels about “sneaking new foods” into recipes vs. full disclosure.
• How Sally uses kefir, the fermented dairy drink, that makes a great base for smoothies, can be swapped for buttermilk, and used in marinades and salad dressings.
• Sally answers another question about adding a sweetener like sugar, maple syrup, or honey to carrots. News flash---it’s OK to use sweetness, fat, and salt to help flavor vegetables.
• Some of Sally’s “Ten Healthy Food Rules to Live By:”
  • Offer fruits and vegetables at most meals and snacks
  • Be neutral about desserts
  • Eat together as much as possible
  • Focus on having a happy mealtime
• The weirdest food in Sally’s book? “Probably kohlrabi, which is a trendy new vegetable that looks alien and intimidating but has a crispy white flesh that can be eaten raw.” How to cut kohlrabi (watch this YouTube video.)
• Why many moms have guilt and angst about feeding kids and Sally's advice for adding ease to feeding kids.

Resources:

Giveaway News: We're giving away a copy of The 101 Healthiest Foods for Kids. Post a comment at the end of this blog post and tell me about the healthiest foods you feed your kids (happily without complaint!) and/or why you'd like to win the book. U.S. entries only, please. Winner picked at random on November 28th at noon. 

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