Family Food Experts

How many celebration parties do you throw every year? How many Pot Lucks do you attend? Running out of recipe and menu ideas? Want some plainly simply delicious ones that are crowd-pleasers? Then tune in to hear our guest, Chef Meryl Bennan, noted recipe developer with Plainville Farms, share her favorites. From appetizers, finger food and buffets to sit down entrees, sides and desserts, Chef Bennan will fill you up with enough ideas to last at least a year. Yes, these recipes will be doable, even when you are short on time. Come into our Family Food Experts Kitchen with Chef Bennan, Co-Host Carolina Jantac, RDN (Kid Kritics Approved) and me are rescued just in time for holiday celebrations! Thursday, 1pm ET, on W4WN.com and W4CY.com.

What better way to focus on a seafood meal than to learn about the Feast of Seven Fishes! This is a Southern Italian, Italian American Celebration held on Christmas Eve. Seven different seafood dishes are prepared and enjoyed to commemorate Vigilia di Natalie, the waiting of the midnight birth of baby Jesus.  Why seven? And, what are some traditional Seven Fishes menus that may be served then and at other times of the year? Guest, Stacey Antine RD (HealthBarn USA), author of Appetite for Life and founder of the Healing Meals Foundation, has some great answers for you. Co-host, Carolina Jantac RD (Kid Kritics Approved), you and I will be refreshed with some delectable Italian seafood recipes using cod, shrimp and maybe even some sardines!

How many meals did you eat yesterday? Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner used to be considered the only times we sat down and ate. Now we not only don’t sit down and eat at each meal, we have added an afternoon snack meal. Some even snack during mid-morning. Why is this? Our lifestyles have changed. Consequently, so have our eating habits. Unfortunately for some this means eating more than we need resulting in excess pounds. And, too often nutrient packed foods get lost in the grab and go snack shuffle. Toby Amidor RD to the rescue! Not only is she founder of Toby Amidor Nutrition, she is a food writer and has authored cookbooks, her latest being The Greek Yogurt Kitchen. As a busy working mom, Toby has had to figure out how to balance and spread daily wholesome food needs into four meals. She has sorted out what we should serve for on-the-run or sit-down snacks in order to satiate while nourishing hungry children and adults. You are in for a treat – delicious snack solutions such as Raspberry Oat Bars, Mama’s Berry Smoothie, plus Kale, White Bean or Hummus Dips with carrot sticks. On a cold afternoon why not serve and enjoy a cup of warm Lentil or Black Bean Soup topped with a dollop of Greek Yogurt!

Last week we focused on how one child, effects one family, affects one community. This week we will be giving our full attention to how one community can positively impact one family, one child, and more! In other words, it also takes a community effort to help turn the tide of disease among children. Our guest has hands-on experience in successfully influencing healthy changes in communities. Jennifer Patzowsky, MS, RD, LDN, is currently the Corporate Dietitian for Publix Super Marketsafter previously dedicating almost ten years to being the RD and Health Promotion Analyst for the Polk County School Board. The significance of her association with Publix is that this grocery chain is well known for its active participation in bettering communities. Jennifer will share the why and what you can do for the health of those living in your neighborhood, town, village and city!

Look around you. The statistics are visible everywhere: 65% of adults in the U.S. are overweight. In 2012, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese. Type 2 Diabetes is now at epidemic levels in adults and children. Heart disease has now crept into childhood years. So has the incidence of chronic disease. Such illnesses used to be relegated to the old. No longer. There is good news in this picture. This can be managed and reversed. David Katz, MD, an Internist and Preventive Medicine specialist, nationally recognized nutrition expert, and author of multiple books including Disease-Proof: The Remarkable Truth About What Makes Us Well has founded “Turn the Tide Foundation” dedicated to creating effective and practical programming and making that available free of charge. Dr. Katz is also Editor of the Childhood Obesity Journal.  He will walk us through what we can do to reduce childhood obesity and chronic diseases, both in our families and our communities. This show is for all those concerned about the health of our children and parents, today and tomorrow.

Tis the season for treats to serve at parties, celebrations, and to enjoy as goodies just because!  But, how do you escape adding those unwanted pounds?  How do you avoid sugar highs and headaches? Our guest, Brenda Bennett, The Sugar-Free Mom, has lots of sugar free recipes to share that will surprise you! From Flourless Low Carb Pumpkin Cookies to 3 Ingredient Chocolate Popcorn Bark and Gluten Free Apple Carrot Quinoa Mini Muffins, she will fill you up with Treats You Can Live With! You won't be missing the sugar at all! Join Carolina Jantac, MS,RD, LD and enjoy the conversation.

Healthy Child, Healthy World. That’s makes sense. Challenge is, the increase number of children who are sick is rising at a disturbing rate because they are living in an increasingly unhealthy world. These days, at birth, on average, babies have about 200 unwanted chemicals already flowing through their veins. No wonder cancer is a leading cause of death for children under 15. These facts  motivated “Healthy Child, Healthy World” to empower parents to take action and protect children from harmful chemicals now found in the soil, food, housing materials, cleaning solutions and even the clothes children wear. Our guest, Alexandra Zissu, will explain how small changes can produce a healthy difference.

Wouldn’t it be great if you didn’t have to go to the pharmacy for over the counter drugs or prescribed medicines? Instead, why not turn to food to prevent and heal your body? The truth is Food is Medicine. Here to prove this is our guest, Dr. Patricia Bragg, Health Crusader, Angel of Health & Healing, Nutritionist, and Health & Lifestyle Educator to World Leaders, Hollywood Stars, Singers, Athletes and millions around the world She continues the legacy of her father, Paul C. Bragg (Father of the Health Food Industry), with her Bragg Live Foods company. And she has recently launched her Children’s Health Education Program call Bragg Health Kids. Dr. Bragg lives by her quote, “You are what you eat, drink, breathe, think say and do.” Here are more stirring words of wisdom from Dr. Bragg. “The whiter the bread, the sooner you are dead.” She does not mince words. If you want to live a long healthy positively active lifestyle, listen to her explain how, why and which foods will renew you mind and body daily. By the end of this interview, you will be totally invigorated! What a delicious way to live!

How many of you are confused about the sale of Annie’s Homegrown to General Mills? Do you think big companies are maintaining the integrity of food, or are they diluting the nutrients to make more money? Why can’t they use their big R&D bucks to make healthy food for kids, for your family? Non-GMO, how important is it to look for this on a label? Soon Paleo is about to be the “in” thing. How many more ways can there be to feed your family? Do message switch-outs make you crazy: first yes to egg with yolks, then just egg whites, to yes to eggs again. Butter, now it’s back to yes. Who can you trust for food truths? What food issues irk you so much you will call in and share them with us? This is your forum to clear the air. Call: 561-422-4365, join our Chat Rooms on radio sites (below) or message with Co-Host Carolina (Kid Kritics Approved) on Facebook/Kid Kritics or @kidkritics.

Do you ever wonder who decides what fills your grocery stores shelves and why?  Who is that person and how do they decide what to put on their store shelves for you, their customer? Today we have in our Family Food Experts Kitchen , an expert on this subject, Errol Schweizer,  Global Coordinator for Whole Foods Market. He not only makes inventory decision for Whole Foods, but is also a key influencer for others. We have an honest conversation with him about what goes into deciding which products go up on Whole Foods shelves and he even gives us a sneak peak on which trends Whole Foods is currently looking into! Visit http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/ to find a store near you!

The great debate: should kids be given supplements or not? Does age make a difference? When are they necessary, if at all? If so, what and how much? Also, how do you know which ones are reliable? What foods best take the place of supplements? Some see taking vitamins as an insurance policy, especially for picky eaters. What should a mom or dad do for their babies, toddlers and school children? We are so fortunate to have Dr. Bob Sears from the Sears Pediatric family as our guest in the Family Food Experts Kitchen this week to discuss the medical facts about nutrient supplements. He will give you guidelines to follow when making your own decisions. In other words, he will educate you so you can customize what is best for your family!  

Is there such a thing as “healthiest processed food?”  Can you buy packaged food that has retained needed naturally sourced nutrients during the processing?  What should you look for on the packaging that will assure you it’s a good buy? Fortunately, our guest, Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, Food and Nutrition Expert, Author of The Flexitarian Diet, has explored these questions and has answers for you. We know busy moms and dads are looking for ways to feed their families healthy foods that they can prepare and put on the table in minutes.  And we know how confusing it is to run into a supermarket and figure out what to pull off the shelf and buy.  Who has time to read labels?  Who do you trust? Join us and have your notepad ready because Dawn and Co-host, Carolina Jantac, RD (Kid Kritics Approved) will give you a guide to the healthiest process foods your family will love! Come into our Family Food Experts Kitchen with Dawn and Carolina for help on how to shop for the healthiest processed foods with ease!  Thursday, 1pm ET, on W4WN.com and W4CY.com. … for the health of your family, ellen

Wait until you hear what our guest Board Certified Neurologist, Dr. David Perlmutter, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Grain Brain, has to say about what foods will and won’t positively affect your brain health.  You may have heard the controversy resulting from his declaration that wheat, sugar and carbs have devastating effects on brain function.  He further turned upside down the perception that eating foods such as butter (yes, butter), coconut oil, beef, and other sources of good fats are a “no no.”  In fact, he says, Yes, they are right foods – all are important for your brain’s short and long term health. In just a few minutes, we are going to find out why fats, not carbs, are essential for mental sharpness!  And, we’ll ask Dr. Perlmutter to share some of the 150 delicious nutritious recipes found in Dr. Perlmutter’s newly released The Grain Brain Cookbook.  A few caught my eye: Eggs Benedict with Zucchini Pancakes, Almond Crusted Chicken Strips, Grilled Parmesan Tomatoes, Grilled Spiced Flank Steak, and Lemon Souffle Pudding!  Stay with us in our Family Food Experts Kitchen to learn how to make smart brain food choices!

Because Jamie Oliver’s food programs originated in England, the question is, are kids there now choosing to eat healthier foods?  If not, what is turning kids on to better-for- you meals there?  Or, are they eating them at all?  What about the school lunch programs – have they improved? Or, are moms in the United Kingdom dealing with the same struggles of how to feed kids as we do in the United States?  Our guest, Katharine Tate, known as “The Food Teacher,” is a qualified teacher, nutritional therapist and “mum” who has worked with children in schools located in the UK, New Zealand and Hong Kong.  She’ll tell us about food programs that do work, such as educating parents, “Cookery Schools” and inspirational Head Teachers. Judging from her recipes and family health tips, Katharine is innovative while focusing on nutrition, well-being and fresh and flavor-filled recipes that appeal to the whole family. These include: Citrus Mango Coco Bites (dairy free), Cinnamon Apple & Vanilla Cashew Cream (Dairy Free), Cauliflower Rice, gluten free/no added sugar chocolate brownies, Tomato & Lentil Soup (winter is coming), Parsnip Hummus… just a few of her treasure chest of delicious healthy ones kids will eat! Come into our Family Food Experts Kitchen with Katharine, Carolina and me as we take you on a trip to England for some great food ideas for kids!  Thursday, 1pm ET, on W4WN.com and W4CY.com. 

You may be surprised to learn, snacks are the fastest growing food category?  90% of people snack at least once a day. 60% or more snack 2 and even 3 times a day.  Snacks have become mini-meals.  Challenge: which are the Smart Snacks we should be grabbing as we race through the grocery store?  What ones should we be sending with our kids to school?  Which are the best for balanced energy and focus renewal?  Which provide the best source of calories our mind and body will use efficiently, thereby avoiding unhealthy weight gain?  What are the best Smart Snack food choices? Our guest, Maggie Jones Patton, founder of Bitsy’s Brainfood, has devoted her career to providing Smart Snacks for kids, ones adults love, too!  Together with co-host Carolina Jantac, RD (Kid Kritics Approved), we will give you a list of snacks both your children and you will love, ones you will know will nourish your mental and physical needs throughout your family’s busy days!