Feeding toddlers is sometimes a challenge! Eating a limited number of foods is common in young children, and this too shall pass. Try not to make meal time a battleground, and ask your toddler to try one bite of other foods you have available at meals. Remember that you may have to offer a food 15 or more times before kids are willing to taste it. Add nutritious snacks, such as fruits and vegetables, proteins, such as hard boiled eggs, cheese or peanut butter between meals, and don’t let him/her fill up on milk or juice at mealtime. You can find tips on helping kids eat more fruits and vegetables here, and suggestions from other moms here. You can also find helpful information on feeding picky eaters at websites including Web MD®, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Nemours Foundation.
Ask the Expert
We have very attractive posters and decorative items available in our catalog. You can get to the catalog by clicking here.
I’d like to find a chart for daily tracking of fruit & veg that is kid-friendly – s/thing using stickers or magnets, etc. i’m shocked that this sort of resource is not readily found on this website or elsewhere online.
Yes, a serving of lettuce is one cup, whereas a serving of other vegetables is ½ cup.
I’m not sure how much you are eating each day. Click here to see how much of different foods you should be eating each day. If the amount seems too much, try spreading out over the day in small meals and snacks. For fruits, dried and 100% juice might be less filling. You might find that raw vegetables are more filling than cooked. Lastly, consider what your portions are of other foods and see if they can be decreased slightly without compromising nutrition.
Those in red have additional information about selection, storage and nutritional value. You can click on the word to go to that page. Those in black have not yet been added, but check back for information because we’re updating the site every day.
To prevent burning, chocolate can be melted in a pan fitted over a saucepan of boiling water. Chocolate can also be melted in a microwave, but likely won’t require much time. It should be stirred frequently while melting.
Your best bet would be to think variety when planning salads. Iceberg lettuce provides fiber and many people like the taste in a salad. Adding other vegetables to any salad, such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, raw broccoli, carrots, etc. will increase the nutritional value. Any vegetables that you like work, and fruits do too! It’s also good to eat salads made from other kinds of greens, including romaine. You can also add raw spinach to salads for flavor and nutrition. Leafy lettuces, such as red leaf, Bibb, and mesclun greens can usually be found in the produce section of the grocery store, and at some Farmer’s markets in the spring, summer and early fall. Also, pre-packaged salad mixes at the grocery store come in a variety of different lettuces.
IN WATER: Choose a pot large enough to hold the amount of corn you want to cook, with room for water to cover the corn. Cover pot and bring water to a boil on high heat. Add husked corn ears and continue to cook on high heat (covered or not) three to four minutes or until kernels are very hot.
IN THE HUSK – GRILLED OR BAKED: Corn cooked this way is steamed and does not taste very different from boiled corn. It is handy to serve in the husk because you can season or butter the corn before it is cooked.
To prepare, pull husk back from each ear of corn, but leave attached at base of cob. Pull off and discard silk; trim off any insect damage, and rinse ears. If you want to butter them pat ears dry and rub with soft butter. Pull husks back up around corn.
If you want the husk to stay snugly against the ear, pull off one or two of the outer husk layers, tear length wide into thin strips, and tie them around ear in several places. Just before cooking, immerse the ears in cool water (this keeps husks from burning).
Just as soon as the husk picks up the dark silhouette of the corn kernels underneath and begins to pull away from the tip of the ear, the corn is ready to remove from the grill.
TO GRILL: Husk corn and discard silk; wrap each ear loosely with aluminum foil. Over gas or hot coals, place corn onto a hot grill over medium heat. Cover barbecue with lid, open any vents, and cook fifteen to 20 twenty minutes; turn occasionally.
TO BAKE: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare corn as directed for grilling, but put ears in a single layer, separating them slightly, directly onto the oven rack or onto a baking pan. Bake twenty to twenty-five minutes or until corn is tender when pierced and very hot.
MICROWAVING: Perfect for cooking just one ear of corn. Husk corn and discard silk. Rinse and wrap each ear loosely in a paper towl. Cook on full power one to two minutes or until ears are very hot to touch.
It is very difficult to tell when a honeydew is completely ripe. When purchasing, they should feel heavy. Most melons taste better if left un-refrigerated for one or two days. Click here for more information about selection and storage.
Read her full bio123 >>