Family Food Experts

What do your kids say to you when you serve them a rice dish with something green in it, or, hand them a plate with a new vegetable, such as kale or cauliflower? I can hear it now, "I don't like it. Then what do you say? "Try it, you'll like it!" Instantly, they look at you with like you are from outer space, "Are you kidding" No!? Wouldn't you like to know why and how to open their eyes and minds so they'll say, "Sure! Yum, this is good. Thanks mom!" We have the perfect guest to guide you - Registered Dietitian, Valerie Berkowitz, RD, co-author of The Stubborn Fat Fix. She is the mother of four who range from her 3 year old to her middle school twins. Together with our co-host, Carolina Jantac, MS, RD (Kid Kritics Approved) who is also a mother of 2 young ones, we will walk you through how to turn your kids on to trying foods and liking them. Yes, it has to taste good. Thus, winning healthier recipes will be shared! … for the health of your family, ellen www.KidKritics.com www.FamilyFoodExperts.com

Do you sometimes feel stressed, frustrated, and resentful when preparing meals? Do you feel guilty when feeding your family junk food? This suggests that you and your family may be suffering from junk-filled minds.  What messages are you feeding your brain when you put food on your family’s dinner plates?  How do you feel when you send your kids to school after a breakfast of Pop Tarts? Then what happens in your mind when you skip breakfast, survive on coffee and cave in when doughnuts are offered at the office or wherever you work?  Is there a relationship between junk-filled thoughts and junk food? April O’Leary, Certified Master Life Coach, author, and speaker will join co-host and dietitian Stacey Antine RD (HealthBarn USA, Author: Appetite for Life) along with me in our Family Food Experts Kitchen to zoom in on how to unjunk your minds and meals. And we will fill your plates with fresh simple, nutritious recipes that give you the peace of mind you deserve!  April is a mom of 3 and she also founded the University of Moms because she feels being a mom is the most important job you can have and many of us are unprepared.  Stacey founded Health Barn USA, a hands-on program where kids learn to grow and prepare healthy foods.  So there will be an abundance of expertise on the show! Come into our Family Food Experts Kitchen.  You will be so glad you did! … for the health of your family, ellen (host) www.FamilyFoodExperts.com www.KidKritics

The food you give your children impacts their brain development, IQ, academic performance, and their childhood, teenage and adult health! What they are fed as babies, toddlers and children does shape them for the rest of their lives. Find out the scientific facts. Learn which foods lead to diabetes (23% of teens are already pre-diabetic or diabetic), hypertension, cancer, Alzheimer's and brain shrinkage… disease. Our guest, Dr. Joel Fuhrman, author of many books, including Disease-Proof Your Child – Feeding Kids Right, presents the fascinating science that demonstrates how the current epidemic of adult cancers and other diseases is most closely linked to what we eat in the first quarter of life. Our co-host, Registered Dietitian, Carolina Jantac, RD (Kid Kritics Approved) and I take this costly issue seriously. So should you! CANCER CAUSING FACT: Eating fast food French fries 1x a week increases kids chances of having breast cancer later in life by 27% – 2x by 54%. This is just one reason why listening to this show is a must. … for the health of your family, ellen www.KidKritics.com www.FamilyFoodExperts.com

There is a new food phenomenon, Meatless Monday. Sounds like a great idea – but is it really? What do you serve without meat, especially for dinner? And, does this mean you are to fill plates with pasta or rice? Where do you find foods filled with protein needed by growing active children? To answer these questions and offer mouth-watering Meatless Monday menus and recipes is our guest, Mary Papoulias-Plates, the California Greek Girl chef and cookbook author of Cooking Techniques with Olive Oil! Along with our co-host, Carolina Jantac, RD (Kid Kritics Approved) we will fill you with some great Meatless Monday Better Food Choices, ones your family will embrace!

Is there a salad bar in your children’s school cafeteria? Would it make a school performance difference if your kids ate salad at lunch?  Do your kids even eat salad?  Often, the required ½ cup serving of a fruit or vegetable offered to your kids at school is being tossed in the garbage.  And, kids are more likely to eat fruit and vegetables when given a choice. These are just two of the reasons why there is value having a salad bar in school.  Yet, cost often stands in the way. There is a national movement to make salad bars available to kids.  Spokesperson for “Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools”,  Jackie Newgent RD (The Natural Culinary Nutritionist) will give you the inside heads up on how to secure one for your school.  As a Registered Dietitian, our co-host, Tracee Yablon-Brenner, RD (Real Food Moms) will confirm why school children absolutely need to eat fresh produce so they can be the best they can be! Come into our Family Food Experts Kitchen on W4WN and W4CY radio.  Get the salad bar scoop for your children’s school. … for the health of your family, ellen www.FamilyFoodExperts.com www.KidKritics.com

What are GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) Foods?  Do they even affect you or your family? We are here to give you a clear understanding of what GMO means and why this is a need to know issue.  The movie GMO OMG is to be be released in theaters around the nation.  Yes, this is big deal topic. That’s because giant chemical corporations, one especially, decided years ago to alter the DNA of seeds in their laboratories and force them into the food chain from which you and I eat. Do you have a right to know whether or not your food has been genetically modified?  Why should this matter to you?  Find out from our food expert guest, Kimberly Lord Stewart, author of Eating Between the Lines. Co-Host and Registered Dietitian, Kathy Siegel, RD, (NutritionBabes) and I will dig into this issue with Kimberly because you have a right to know! … for the health of your family, ellen www.FamilyFoodExperts.com www.KidKritics.com

It’s looking like we are past the tipping point! At last spinach is not just for Popeye.  Broccoli is no longer a foreign word in the language of children.  Cucumbers and even parsley are getting some respect. From the garden to the market into the kitchen and at the dinner table, kids are getting fresh! They get that they need to eat fresh food.  They also get that it tastes good.  And, they get it is fun to eat it raw or cook with it in the kitchen. Family Food Experts Co-Host Stacey Antine, RD, Founder of HealthBarn USA and author of Appetite for Life, has just spent another summer motivating lots of kids to embrace fresh food with hands-on gardening, harvesting, preparation and eating experiences at her camp.  Together we have fun stories and yummy simple recipes to share with you. Come into our Family Food Experts Kitchen to find out how your kids can get fresh!  W4WN.com. … for the health of your family, ellen www.FamilyFoodExperts.com www.KidKritics.com

Join Ellen Briggs and Carolina Jantac, registered dietitian and mom discuss all the ways to motivate your children to eat healthier foods! Make your life easier by teaching them how to request the foods that are good for them. We share recipes and ideas for snacks and meals you can prepare on time crunch. You don't need to be a chef or have all the time in the world to feed your family healthier meals, and that 's what we help you with! Better food Choices to help you take small steps to big success in healthier living.

Do you ever feel puffy all over?  Are you wondering why even when you give up sugar you can’t seem to lose the pounds you are tired of carrying around? Are you looking for some simple answers to slimming down and feeling great?  The authors of The Secret to Skinny, the Nutrition Twins, will reveal what they discovered, the truth to trimming fat from your figure while growing healthier. Co-Host, Lauren Harris-Pincus, RD (Nutrition Babes) will join me in welcoming Tammy Lakatos Shames, RD and her identical twin sister Lyssie Lakatos, RD who you may know from their many television and magazine appearances. You’ll be infected by their passion for bettering the way you feel inside as they change the way you look on the outside! Come into our Family Food Experts Kitchen to kick the S word habit, The Secret to Skinny from the Nutrition Twins.  Recipes, too!  W4WN.com. … for the health of your family, ellen www.FamilyFoodExperts.com www.KidKritics.com

Why go wild with blueberries?  If you want to power up your immune system, reduce your risk of heart disease, combat cancer and other diseases, promote healthy aging, load up on anti-inflammatory properties, promote improved memory, and more, then wild blueberries are for you!  You can enjoy the flavor punch of these fresh juicy berries in and out of recipes. “We’ve always known that fruits and berries, such as wild blueberries are good for you and now the science is mounting to prove it.”  Susan Davis, MS, RD, Wild Blueberry Nutrition Advisor and Spokesperson for the Wild Blueberry Association of North America.  Co-Host, Carolina Jantac, RD (Kid Kritics Approved) and I look forward to divulging the true health benefits of wild blueberries with Susan. Lots of recipe ideas too! Join us in our Family Food Experts Kitchen, www.W4WN.com.  See you then! … for the health of your family, ellen (host) KidKritics.com Family Food Experts.com

What do kids eat in Tibet, India, Turkey and other countries?  Do they, would they eat what our kids eat? Will our kids eat what they eat? Our guest expert on international cuisine is Keith Lauver, CEO of Cook Simple Meals. His food is focused on simple, healthy ingredients to create meals that taste good and are good for you. Together with co-host, Tracee Yablon-Brenner, RD, chef, author and founder of Real Food Moms, we will explore the foods kids eat around the world and expand your culinary horizons – sure to be fascinating and delicious! Come into our Family Food Experts Kitchen, W4WN.com and W4CY.com. … for the health of your family, ellen (host) KidKritics.com Family Food Experts.com

What happened to the summer?  Kids are back in school, which means it's lunch box time again.  Maybe some of you have been making lunches to go all summer for camp.  You (and your kids!) must be really tired of the same ole, same ole sandwiches, single serve snacks and drinks.  We have the solution! We have new fresh ideas for you that kids love. So does our expert food guest, Catherine McCord (chef, foodie, author, and founder of weelicious.com).  Her new book is just hitting the market: Weelicious Lunches: Think Outside the Lunch Box with More Than 160 Happier Meals.  Get a sneak peek with us.   Our Family Food Experts co-hosts, the NutritionBabes, Kathy Siegel and Lauren Harris-Pincus (both dietitians and moms) have easy and healthy lunch box fillers for you too. If you fill lunch boxes daily, then this is a show not to be missed. Come into our Family Food Experts Kitchen, www.W4WN.com. … for the health of your family, ellen (host) KidKritics.com Family Food Experts.com

The truth is, the nutrient benefits of nuts, seeds and honey are astounding!  When listening to the media reports and no-nuts allowed proclamations, you would think most people are allergic to them.  Not so.  And, seeds offer safe alternatives to those who do have nut allergies.  Honey is another nutrition powerhouse, but it has to be the right kind.  From your brain to your to nerves and nails, nuts, seeds and honey make major contributions to developing lasting healthy minds and bodies for your family. Co-host Stacey Antine, RD, founder of Health Barn USA and author of Appetite for Life  and I will be joined by our guest, Gael Orr of Once Again Nut Butter.  Together we will clear the air of any misconceptions and fill the air with the true benefits of eating nuts, seeds and honey. Plus, we’ll give your some refreshing recipes for all! Come into our Family Food Experts Kitchen, www.W4WN.com.  Let’s get nutty together! See you then. … for the health of your family, ellen (host) KidKritics.com Family Food Experts.com

Should you or shouldn’t you buy organic?  Is it worth the extra money?  Are there really more nutrients in organic vs conventionally grown produce?  What about non-GMO, is that organic? Can you trust the labels?  Is it hard to grow your own? If these are just a few of your questions about organic food, then join us for the answers.  Our guest will be Farmer Jay, an organic farmer who does everything from growing and supplying restaurants with fruits, vegetables and eggs, to teaching kids how to grow their own food in his Junior Farmer Program!  He will give you the straight scoop on organic.  Our co-host, Carolina Jantac, Registered Dietitian with Kid Kritics Approved, also comes from a family of growers. She knows food and nutrition, including the skinny on organic produce – oh yes, recipes too! Come into our Family Food Experts Kitchen.  Let’s get smart in organics together - in our gardens, at the market and in our kitchen.  See you then! … for the health of your family, ellen (host) KidKritics.com Family Food Experts.com

Now is the time to spend less to save more on your grocery bill. Wouldn’t you rather pull frozen blueberries, ones you bagged, out of your freezer than go to your food store and pay extra for a brand bagged for you?  We’ll help you choose fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs in season and how to pick or buy them at lower prices. Then we’ll give you freezing and infusing tips so they will be ready for your later - when you need them!  Food Expert, The Clean Food Coach and author of many food and cooking books, Jeannette Bessinger, will share her money-saving tips on fresh food with us.  My co-host, author, and dietitian, Tracee Yablon-Brenner, RD, (Real Food Moms) and Jeannette have written two books together.  You will be in the best of food hands with them! Come into our Family Food Experts Kitchen, www.W4WN.com. Let’s beat food prices and eat “fresh” fruits, vegetables and herbs from our freezer all year round.  Yes, we’ll have recipes for you, too! See you then! … for the health of your family, ellen (host) KidKritics.com Family Food Experts.com