Family Food Experts

Have you ever thought of planting you meals?  Why not?  It is easier than you think.  Our ancestors depended on seeds and soil to feed their families.  Coop farming was common in communities which added to variety.  You may be amazed to find out how little space you need to yield a lot of vegetables and herbs.  Depending on where you live, berry bushes and fruit trees may also be an option.  Our guest, Farmer Jay, will get you started with balcony, terrace and small plot gardening.  Along with co-host, Stacey Antine RDN (HealthBarn USA), founder of Healing Meals and author of Appetite for Life, we will make it easy for you to begin to plant and harvest food for your family.  Fresh food gardening is not only fun and rewarding; it will lighten up your grocery bill!

Did you know that your brain generates more energy (electric impulses) in one day than all the cell phones on the planet?  How about the fact your heart contracts more than 100,000 times a day to push blood through about 60,000 miles of blood vessels!  And there’s more, about 30-40,000 dead cells fall off your skin daily; news ones are busy replacing them.  Our human body is miraculous! Guest, Dr. Heather Manley (Naturopathic Physician) will share a whole bunch of fun facts about your body, all designed to inspire you to be in awe and motivate you to feed it what’s needed for yours to be healthy.  You become what you eat. Your children become what they eat. Knowledge is Power – power up with some human body trivia. Of course we’ll share some power recipes, too!

When you hear someone talk about “clean food” what comes to mind?  Do you wonder how it is defined and what it looks like in your grocery store?  Also, why would you choose to eat it; how does it impact your daily energy levels and overall health?  Our guest, Jeannette Bessinger, The Clean Food Coach, co-author of many top selling books including her latest, Natural Solutions for Digestive Health, not only has answers for you, she has a plan called “Clean Food Reboot.” When you hear her talk about that 5 letter word, DETOX, you will be inspired and gratefully receptive.  Find out how tasty and easy clean food can be. Did I mention, Jeannette is an amazing cook using recipes even I can pull off with success!  

Do you have an aspiring NBA player, veterinarian, dancer or singer in your home?  How about a child determined to be an Olympian gymnast, MLB star, teacher, artist or policeman.  Thousands of kids have shared their dreams with me and I simply tell them, “You can be that but you have to do 3 things: learn what you need to learn, practice what you learn, eat the foods your body needs to be the best you can be!”  This gets their attention.  Listen to how we connect why making healthier food choices will help them be great.  Carolina Jantac, MS, RDN, LD (Kid Kritics Approved) and I will give you the keys proven to motivate children to choose to eat foods such as Broccoli Bites, Pepper Poppers and even Japchae Veggie Stir-Fry (filled with kale, spinach, shitake mushrooms and more).  Facts are, these recipes tasted so good they begged for more.  This show is your ticket to finding out how to turn your children on to feeding their brains, heart, lungs, muscles, hair, nails, eyes, teeth, bones and blood. No more nagging!

Starting at a young age, many kids dream about being pro athletes. Baseball's official MLB season just opened making this the perfect to share what these pros eat to fuel their dreams so they can be the best they can be on and off the field. Our guest, Katie Cavuto RDN (HealthyBitesDelivery.com) is the official nutritionist for the Philadelphia Phillies team. She knows what these players need to eat before, during and after their long baseball season. You may be surprised to learn they are not living off foods often advertised by known athletes. And, you will find out why. This is your opportunity to turn your aspiring athletes to healthy fresh foods. Join Katie, co-host Carolina Jantac RDN (Kid Kritics Approved) and me as we share the truth about how to Fuel Your Dreams with Better Food Choices!

Simply put, this is all about turning your kitchen into a family night on Mondays so they can at least help you cook dinner.  The creator of this movement is our guest, Diana Rice, RDN (The Monday Campaigns). She was moved to do so because research suggests that kids who eat family dinners together get better grades in school, develop communication skills and are less likely to try drugs… plus they are less likely to be obese.  “Cooking also reinforces skills to help kids succeed in math, teamwork and following instructions.” If any one of these results move you to get on board with Kids Cook Monday, then this is the show for you.  Along with Co-Host, Stacey Antine, RDN (HealthBarn USA) Diana will not only inspire you to make Monday your family cooking and dining together night, they will make it super healthy, easy, fun and delicious to do so.

We will tackle the egg question! Should we be eating them? If so, what kind, how much, when and how? There is hardly a more controversial food than eggs. Carolina and Ellen will comb through all the issues in order to try and give you sound facts with which you can make your own decisions. As usual, we will weave in ways to feed them to your family, if you so choose. This is going to be fun! Carolina is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist for Kid Kritics Approved, home of the Fuel Your Dreams program.

Splenda, hydrogenated oils, popular chocolate sandwich cookies, fast foods such as chicken nuggets and more are simply junk fake food. And you ask, how can chicken nuggets served in most fast food restaurants be fake? Well, as only about 20% of a nugget is chicken, what's the other 80%? You are about to find out. Wait until you hear what guest Dr. Josh Axe, who is also a Clinical Nutritionist, reveals about junk fake foods commonly consumed. Better yet, he will share fresh food alternatives for the whole family. Along with Co-Host Carolina Jantac, RDN, LD (Kid Kritics Approved), Dr. Axe will give you fresh food replacement recipes kids love so your whole family can switch up! Join Dr. Axe, Carolina and me as we fill your daily menus with Better Food Choices!

There is something magical about a cup of Tea.” At least that’s what Starbuck’s says.  Tea has been declared the IN drink for 2014.  In the rest of the world, tea has been the drink of choice since 2737 BC when first discovered by the emperor of China. The history of tea is interesting and we will touch on it. Even more interesting is how many kinds are made from one plant, plus, learning about all the choices we now have be it black tea or herb, fruit and even some made from vegetables.  Our guest, Rona Tison, from ITO EN, knows teas. She’ll clue us in on its medicinal benefits and even introduce you to Matcha tea.  Of course, we will spend time talking about the best ways to prepare and enjoy tea during the winter, spring, summer and fall – recipes!

All children challenge authority – they are simply trying to grow up. How we handle these challenges from the very beginning sets the stage for what we will face as they move into the tween and teenager years. This includes the common battle over food choices. Our guest, Dr. Beth Onufrak (drbethkids.com) is a Clinical Clinical Child Psychologist specializing in early childhood. For over 19 years she has practiced with a passion for steering children and parents to a healthy growing experience. If you are a mom who is exhausted, despairing, even angry and out of answers, this is the show for you. Listen for Dr. Beth's savvy solutions to having your kids welcome bedtime, follow your instructions and eat veggies! Co-host, Carolina Jantac, RDN (Kid Kritics Approved), who also has degrees from the University of Florida where Dr. Beth received her doctorate, will add her experience as a mom to this conversation. This will prove to be a stress-releasing show for our children and ourselves! Join Dr. Beth, Carolina and me as we share savvy solutions for children who challenge us so they will make Better Choices, including Better Food Choices!

Here’s your chance to learn what food news is science fiction or science fact.  How many times have you heard it is okay to eat egg yolks one day and the next, not!  Or, perhaps you only heard part of what was said, which may be just part of what was reported from the research; you are at the effect of “sound bites.”  Is there really arsenic in grains, fruits and vegetables or lead in chocolate, and are either a problem?  What is the truth about conventional and organic milk? Goodness knows there are all kinds of questions floating around about drinkable water. Our guest, Melissa Joy Dobbins, RDN (SoundBitesRD.com) is our truth detector.  You’ll get the straight scoop on how to sort through sound bites for food nutrition facts, so you can feel comfortable with your choices when feeding your family!

Kids love sports! And they are becoming more and more demanding of their growing bodies. Basebal, football, basketbal, gymnastics... it's one season after another. But we still need to focus on their growing bodies as well! So how do we feed our children athletes so that they are performing their best while not compromising their health? We discuss on this show exactly how to do that, which food groups to pay special attention to, and which foods to choose. This aligns with our Fuel Your Dreams program which you can visit at www.fuelyourdreams.net to find more recipes that will fuel specific parts of the body that are most important to your child's goals! We share specific foods to include and which ones to avoid too.

Most of us have faced the struggle of how to feed a child back to health who is sick with the flu or a cold.  Some have dealt with nursing loved ones who have had ear infections, stomach bugs, chickenpox or bronchiolitis.  Now, too many are now facing the difficult challenge of how to feed children with cancer; how to feed them while they are living through their treatment.  That’s really tough.  We are really excited to announce the launch of the HealthBarn USA Foundation’s program, “Healing Meals.”  Founder, Stacey Antine, RDN (author: Appetite for Life) will explain how this program provides healing meals to children fighting cancer and their families.  She will share her recipes so everyone facing feeding those with an illness can benefit from her nutritional wisdom and culinary expertise.

Should you or shouldn't you drink milk? Why do some think 2% milk is the best choice? Does it need to be organic or not? What about Lactose free, is that what you should buy for your family? Should your children drink fat-free milk and eat fat-free cheese? There used to be only plain yogurt in refrigerated section; now there are so many choices in the grocery store it's enough to make your head spin. Is it true that Greek Style is the best one to take home for your family? And then there is cottage cheese, creamed cheese, flavored cheese, goat and even sheep cheese. What is the truth about them? When and how should we serve and eat dairy for your health? Thanks heavens we have dairy expert, Kelly Shriver RDN, with us to debunk dairy myths so you can make good choices for your family and you. Co-host, Carolina Jantac, RD (Kid Kritics Approved) and Kelly are going to satiate your appetite with delicious healthy dairy truths and recipes!

It’s Thursday night and you have nothing for dinner.  Take- out is expensive and not so healthy.  What is a mom to do?  And, what will you serve on all those other work night dinners: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday?  Ellie Krieger, noted chef on the Food Network, nutritionist, and cookbook author is here to save you, to give you delicious healthy dinners you can make in 30 minutes or less.  Oh, and all the recipes are under 500 calories per serving. Sound like dream?  Not.  Ellie has made it easy for you with her recently released book, Weeknight Wonders.  She’ll share her sure-fired favorites us!