Check out the full Episode 29 show notes on our website!

In this episode of Healthy Family Project, we talk to Jessica DeLuise, MHS, PAC, author of Eat Your Way to Wellness, on the importance of food and how it can positively or negatively affect our health and wellness.

Jessica uses her medical expertise to help explain the background behind this "Food as Medicine" movement in a way we can all understand. From inflammation to mood and anxiety, Jessica breaks down foods and actions that can help improve your health.

Jessica has a Masters degree in health science and practices as a medical physician assistant. Jessica is a certified culinary medicine specialist from Tulane University and is ServSafe certified for safe food practice.

She founded Eat Your Way to Wellness as a platform to educate and counsel clients. Food is the foundation for good health and by choosing quality ingredients and fueling your body with proper nutrition you can look and feel your best. More than that, Jessica wants to dispel the myth that "health food" is boring or bland.

Disclaimer: Before making any health or diet changes, please consult your doctor. The information shared in this episode is meant to be informative but not replace medical advice from your doctor.

Healthy Recipes & Tips in Your Inbox

Sign up for the Produce for Kids e-newsletter to receive healthy recipe inspiration, our latest blog posts and more directly to your inbox each week.

Relevant Links

National Institute of Health (NIH)

EatRight.org

Harvard Health

UC Health

Mental Illness, Appetite & Staying Healthy

Follow Jessica on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube

Other Podcast Episodes to Check Out:

Ep. 4: Easing Into a Plant-Based Life

Ep. 10: Shopping Tips from a Grocery Store Dietitian

Ep. 6: Mindful Eating for Your Family

Ep. 26: Cooking Basics & Kitchen Fundamentals

Ep. 24: Making Exercise a Family Affair

Timestamps

1:36 Food as medicine

3:51 Credible sources to learn more about food as medicine

5:45 Foods that support a healthy respiratory system

8:45 Foods that help with inflammation

11:16 How does food affect mood?

15:45 Foods to battle a cold

Check out the full Episode 28 show notes on our website!

In this episode of Healthy Family Project, we're celebrating our first anniversary with a look back at some of our most popular episodes from the last year.

Episode 2: Dealing with Picky Eaters

Registered dietitian, Holley Grainger, shares tips and ideas on how to deal with picky (selective) eater. As a mom of 2, she shares her experience with raising her little ones to be healthy eaters.

Episode 3: Managing Screen Time

Psychologist, Dr. Stephanie Smith, talks about managing screen time, including how to set screen time limits, how to keep guidelines in place and how parents can set an example for their kids.

Episode 18: How Families Can Reduce Food Waste

Pamela Riemenschneider shares tips on how families can reduce food waste at home, ways to use all of your fruits and veggies, how to properly store fruits and veggies for longer shelf life, lunchroom waste and the truth behind expiration dates.

Episode 23: Make-Ahead Meal Ideas

Brierley Horton, registered dietitian and single mom of two, shares tips about make-ahead meals, how to prep meals in advance, make-ahead breakfast and snack ideas, how to freeze meals and more.

Episode 9: Quick & Easy Dinner Hacks

Aggie Goodman shares her easy dinner hacks including tips for leftovers, pantry staples, kitchen gadget must-haves, and more.

Power Your Summer

Time to kick off the shoes, grab your swimsuit and enjoy the sunshine poolside. We're celebrating summer with our #PowerYourSummer Sweepstakes, giving out weekly prizes ranging from watermelon pool floats to pineapple beach towels and more. Enter weekly for your chance to win!

Healthy Recipes & Tips in Your Inbox

Sign up for the Produce for Kids e-newsletter to receive healthy recipe inspiration, our latest blog posts and more directly to your inbox each week.

The latest from Produce for Kids

• What's in Season for June
• Tips for Transitioning into Summer
• 10 Fun Summer Cookout Ideas
• Mini Mediterranean Chopped Salad Flatbreads (No-Cook!)
• Homemade Ranch Hummus

Timestamps

1:55 Dealing with Picky Eaters

4:31 Managing Screen Time

7:42 How Families Can Reduce Food Waste

11:53 Story Time with Charli and Grace

13:58 Make-Ahead Meal Ideas

18:14 Quick & Easy Dinner Hacks

Check out the full Episode 27 show notes on our website!

In this episode of Healthy Family Project, we talk to Ashleigh Evans of Dash of Evans all about how to grocery shop on a budget. Ashleigh loves to show fellow parents how to feed their family AND save money, all while eating healthy. Today, we chat about ways to save money at the grocery store, set and stick to your family budget, and how to prevent food waste and make the most of your groceries.

As a busy mom of 4, Ashleigh Evans has no problem taking a little help from the store. On her blog Dash of Evans, she loves to create delicious recipes with easy to find ingredients. Follow along on her Instagram stories for lunchbox ideas, simple dinner recipes and more!

Healthy Recipes & Tips in Your Inbox

Sign up for the Produce for Kids e-newsletter to receive healthy recipe inspiration, our latest blog posts and more directly to your inbox each week.

Relevant Links

Check out Ashleigh's blog - Dash of Evans and follow her on Instagram

Sign up for Ibotta and save on groceries!

Grocery Shopping Hacks to Save Money on Fresh Produce

7 Tips to Reduce Food Waste & Save Money

5 Ways to Freeze Fruits & Veggies

5 Tips for Grocery Shopping on a Budget

What's in Season Guide to fresh produce each month

The latest from Produce for Kids

Build Your Own Buddha Bowl + 15 Healthy Buddha Bowl Recipes

30 No-Cook Meals for Summer

Stay tuned for Power Your Summer starting on May 27 for a chance to win fun prizes all summer!

Other Podcast Episodes to Check Out:

Ep 18: How Families Can Reduce Food Waste

Ep 15: Fruit & Veggie Trends + Shopping Hacks

Ep 14: Tips for Grocery Shopping with Kids

Ep 10: Shopping Tips from a Grocery Store Dietitian

Timestamps

1:12 Meet Ashleigh

2:05 Ashleigh's top money-saving tips

4:42 How to figure out your family's grocery budget

8:08 How to reduce food waste when stocking up on grocery staples

12:34 Grocery delivery services

15:08 How to stick to your grocery budget

Check out the full Episode 26 show notes on our website!

In this episode of Healthy Family Project, we talk to Dr. Peggy Policastro, RDN, who is an advocate for empowering kids and families with the tools they need to live healthier lives. Peggy shares tips on cooking basics including how families can get started cooking at home, why cooking at home is so important and what basic skills to master.

Dr. Peggy Policastro, RDN, is the Director of Behavioral Nutrition in the New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health at Rutgers University and the Director of Nutrition for Rutgers Dining Services. In addition to being a Registered Dietitian, she holds a master's degree in Nutritional Science from Rutgers and a Ph.D. in interdisciplinary studies-Nutritional Science and Psychology.

Her research interest is in the area of Behavioral Economics and the use of nudges to encourage healthy eating behaviors. She has numerous journal publications in the area of Behavioral Nutrition and during her tenure at Rutgers, has mentored hundreds of students on research projects investigating dietary habits of college students.

She currently is very active in the MCURC Research Group, leading multi-site projects and holding the position of Co-Chair of the Academic Committee. As a professional in both the academic and dining services arenas, Dr. Peggy Policastro is uniquely suited to be a champion and researcher for healthy eating behaviors.

Healthy Recipes & Tips in Your Inbox

Sign up for the Produce for Kids e-newsletter to receive healthy recipe inspiration, our latest blog posts and more directly to your inbox each week.

Relevant Links

Kids Cook Monday - sign up for the free Family Dinner Date Newsletter

Kid-Friendly Kitchen Tasks for Every Age

5 Tips for Getting Kids Involved in the Kitchen

Where to Start When You Don't Like to Cook

Connect with Peggy - https://njhki.rutgers.edu/

Other Podcast Episodes to Check Out:

Episode 21: Meal Planning & Cooking with Kids

Episode 16: Journey of a Picky Eater

Episode 9: Quick & Easy Dinner Hacks

Timestamps

2:16 Meet Dr. Peggy

4:03 What is culinary literacy?

4:56 Tips for families looking to start their culinary journey

9:15 The importance of basic kitchen skills

11:23 Kid menu vs adult menu

17:24 Basic cooking terms

Check out the full Episode 25 show notes on our website!

In this episode of Healthy Family Project, we talk to Dr. Stephanie Smith about easing testing anxiety in kids and teens. Dr. Stephanie shares tips on how to help your kids manage testing stress, how to prepare mentally for testing, establishing a good morning routine for big tests and how to talk to your kids about their test results. Whether your child undergoes standardized testing at school, is prepping for college entrance exams like the SATs or just has a big school test coming up, this episode is a must-listen!

Dr. Stephanie Smith is a mother, clinical psychologist and author of Dr. Stephanie. In her practice, she works with moms, dads, teens and tweens. Dr. Smith uses humor, compassion and common sense to help people make positive changes in their lives. She especially enjoys working with parents to assist them in strengthening their families from the inside out.

On her blog, she writes about technology, parenting, friendship, and pop culture – all with a mental health twist. In addition, Dr. Smith is an official blogger for the American Psychological Association's blog, Your Mind, Your Body.

Healthy Bites!

Today, we're snacking on a delicious Caramelized Vidalia® Onion, Goat Cheese and Arugula Flatbread Pizza from RealSweet® Onions! Caramelize your onions ahead of time and throw this flatbread together is just 15 minutes. Vidalia season officially kicks off on April 22 so keep your eyes peeled for RealSweet Vidalia onions hitting a grocery store near you. Grab the recipes on RealSweet.com.

Relevant Links

Ask the Psychologist: Managing School Anxiety

Dr. Stephanie Smith's blog

How to Build a Better Breakfast

12 Healthy Make-Ahead Breakfast Ideas

Standardized Tests - How to Help Kids Cope with the Pressure

Other Podcast Episodes to Check Out:

Episode 19: Promoting Positive Body Image with Kids

Episode 8: Anxiety Around Back to School

Episode 3: Managing Screen Time

Timestamps

1:55 How to help kids & teens manage stress around tests

6:08 How parents can help kids mentally prepare for tests

8:45 Healthy Bite Break

11:15 Tips for morning routine on the day of a big test

14:01 How should parents go about reviewing test results with kids

Check out the full Episode 24 show notes on our website!

In this episode of Healthy Family Project, we talk to our very own Lesley Daniels about the importance of exercising as a family. Lesley shares tips on everything from fitting exercise in your family's daily routine in any season, family Ninja courses, how to have fun exercising as a family and how to embrace exercise as a way of life.

Lesley has always been a champion when it comes to exercising with her family and we couldn't think of anyone better than her to talk to us about how to make this happen.

When Lesley, Produce for Kids director of sales and account development, is not doing laundry, stepping on Legos or enjoying the great outdoors with her two little dudes, she is working alongside the greatest dedicated growers and grocery retailers to educate shoppers and raise funds for children's charities. As a working mom and passionate home chef, she knows the time crunch and pushback that parents face at mealtime. Her passion is in providing great recipes, solutions and tips to make home life a little easier and healthier.

Relevant Links

The Slight Edge book

Cosmic Kids Yoga on YouTube

Kids Balance Boards

How to Make Changes that Last

Pediatrician-Approved Tips to Get Kids Active

Nutrition Tips for Young Athletes

Mom-Approved Ways to Unplug & Play

12 Fun Indoor Activities for Kids

Other Podcast Episodes to Check Out:

Ep. 3: Managing Screen Time

Timestamps

2:44 How to make exercise part of the regular routine

10:15 How to stay active when it's raining or snowing

15:17 Fun outdoor activity ideas

21:04 How to find the motivation to exercise

Check out the full Episode 23 show notes on our website!

In this episode of Healthy Family Project, we talk to Brierley Horton about make-ahead meals. Brierly shares tips on how to prep meals in advance, make-ahead breakfast and snack ideas, how to freeze meals and more.

Brierley is a registered dietitian and single mom of two, who was formally the Food & Nutrition Director for Cooking Light magazine where she spent her days coming up with healthy and quick recipe ideas for busy people. Before that, she was with EatingWell magazine. Now she freelances and works for various outlets writing, editing, and wearing her registered dietitian hat.

Healthy Bites!

Today, we're snacking on some easy make-ahead egg muffins! These simple muffins can be made with your favorite veggies like our Mission for Nutrition partners Avocados From Mexico, Pero Family Farms® mini sweet peppers and Earthbound Farm® baby spinach! Easy to mix and match and reheat for quick breakfasts all week. Watch the video and get the recipe on YouTube.

Mission For Nutrition

Our Mission for Nutrition is still going strong! Head to themissionfornutrition.com to download our free 5-day meal plan ebook and also to win all of our great weekly prizes (this week is a KitchenAid stand mixer!).

Relevant Links

24 Healthy Recipes That Reheat Well

15+ Make-Ahead & Freezable Meals

6 Tips for Freezer Meal Success

12 Essential Meal Prep Tools

Favorite Make-Ahead Recipes

Granola Bars

Baked Mac & Cheese

Banana Bread

Oven-Roasted Tomato Sauce

Other Podcast Episodes to Check Out:

Ep. 22: Meal Planning for Busy Families

Ep. 21: Meal Planning & Cooking with Kids

Ep. 9: Quick & Easy Dinner Hacks

Ep. 7: Lunchbox Meal Prep

Ep. 1: Meal Planning for Beginners

Timestamps

1:11 Meet Brierley

2:19 Staple make-ahead dinners

6:04 Make-ahead snacks

10:10 Healthy Bite

12:14 Breakfast meal prep ideas

15:41 Freezer meals

23:14 How to make time for meal planning

Check out the full Episode 22 show notes on our website!

In this episode of Healthy Family Project, we talk to Jessica Levinson, registered dietitian and author of the 52 Week Meal Planner Workbook about how to ease into meal planning and make it a regular part of your life. Jessica shares her favorite freezer, pantry staples and ways to reduce food waste for busy families.

Jessica is a mother of two and author of the 52-Week Meal Planner. Jessica's passion lies in the kitchen, where she develops nutritious and delicious recipes to feed her family and inspire others to do the same. On her blog, she shares easy recipes, meal planning tips, and school lunchbox ideas. Jessica also lends her expertise to popular websites and magazines like Prevention, Fitness, SELF, SHAPE, Everyday Health, and Women's Health.

Healthy Bites!

Today, we're snacking on some delicious items from our Mission From Nutrition sponsors, Crispy Green and Eat Smart. Crispy Green Crispy Snacks are made with 100% real fruit, allergy-friendly, and available in 7 flavors. Perfect to take on the go and give to your kiddos as a healthy snack. We also tried Eat Smart Sweet Kale Salad. This tasty salad kit is an easy side dish or can be jazzed up with extra veggies and protein for a filling and nutritious meal.

Relevant Links

Jessica's blog

52 Week Meal Planner

Download your free meal planning ebook

How to Stop Short-Order Cooking for Your Family

12 Essential Meal Prep Tools for Every Kitchen

25 Healthy One-Pot Meals

23 Quick & Easy Sheet Pan Dinners

Follow Jessica on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter

Other Podcast Episodes:

Episode 1: Meal Planning for Beginners

Episode 9: Quick & Easy Dinner Hacks

Episode 11: Meal Planning Made Easy

Episode 21: Meal Planning & Cooking with Kids

Timestamps

1:09 Meet Jessica

2:57 Advice for families looking to start meal planning

5:12 Meal planning while reducing food waste

7:22 Freezer and pantry staples

10:46 Healthy Bites Break with Mission For Nutrition Partners

13:40 How to avoid recipe burnout

19:03 Double duty meals

Check out the full Episode 21 show notes on our website!

In this episode of Healthy Family Project, we talk to Heather Englund of Fit Mama Real Food about how to start cooking and meal prepping with kids. Heather shares what age to get kids in the kitchen, easy kitchen tasks for little ones, and how to get them involved in the kitchen.

Heather is a fellow podcast host on Fit Mama Real Food Radio. She's mom to four little ones, teaches a variety of group fitness classes and is an advocate for real food. On her podcast and blog, she talks all about food, fitness, motherhood and mindset.

Relevant Links

Fit Mama Real Food

Fit Mama Real Food Podcast

Follow Heather on Instagram

3-ingredient Cheddar Broccoli Egg Muffins

Free e-book - Feeding Kids Real Food

Learning Tower

Kids Knives

Watermelon Salsa

Themissionfornutrition.com

Other Podcast Episodes to Check Out:

Episode 7: Lunchbox Meal Prep

Episode 9: Quick & Easy Dinner Hacks

Episode 14: Tips for Grocery Shopping for Kids

Timestamps

1:10 Meet Heather

2:47 Philosophy around cooking with kids

5:05 What age to bring kids into the kitchen

6:01 Kitchen tasks for kids

17:08 Ideas for kids involved in meal prepping

22:18 Kitchen gadget tips

Check out the full Episode 20 show notes on our website!

In this episode of Healthy Family Project, we talk to Jodi Danen of Create Kids Club about packing healthy lunchboxes for all ages. She shares tips on what and how much to pack for different ages, how to get your kids to eat their lunch and more.

Jodi Danen is a registered dietitian and mother of two elementary-aged budding chefs. She is the voice of Create Kids Club, a food and nutrition blog for parents who desire healthy family meals but are short on time. Her recipes are simple to prepare, have a short ingredient list, and focus on fresh foods. With her background in school nutrition, she is passionate about getting children in the kitchen cooking at young ages & believes this is key to forming healthy habits for life.

Relevant Links

75+ Healthy Lunchbox Ideas

The Ultimate Guide to Packing Healthy Lunchboxes

Tips for Packing School Lunches

10 Ways to Add Fruits & Veggies to Lunchboxes

The Best Lunchboxes for Kids

Fun Fruit & Veggie Shapes for the Lunchbox

Lunch Bites from Create Kids Club

Choose Your Lunch printable

Subscribe to the Produce for Kids Newsletter

Sign up for the Create Kids Club Newsletter

Follow Create Kids Club on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest

Other Podcast Episodes to Check Out:

Episode 7: Lunchbox Meal Prep

Episode 18: Reducing Food Waste at Home

Timestamps

1:43 Meet Jodi

3:37 Portion sizes for lunchboxes

11:52 Lunch ideas for toddlers

13:53 How to make lunches more for elementary school kids

16:15 Lunchbox notes

19:40 How to convince teens to pack a lunch