recent rainbow plates to (hopefully) inspire you at dinnertime

TJ's "autumn mix" (parsnips, rutabagas and turnips-- see meals in a snap's facebook page for the simple recipe) + homemade turkey-pesto meatballs (the recipe my friend Cara shared with me is on the FB page too) + sauteed kale + ketchup (pick your battles...)

BLTs + cream of broccoli soup

shredded cheese (because it's way more fun than a slice) + quinoa-veggie salad + pistachios + Bell & Evans chicken tender

cherries + grapes + cucumbers + low sodium Tamari sauce + veggie dumplings

various cheeses + the last strawberries of the summer (clearly this photo was delayed in being posted) + bananas + a slice of hearty whole grain-nut-raisin bread

new favorite (energy packed) breakfast

I've taken up tennis again this summer. And, this has become my go-to breakfast. Not only is it delicious, but it tides me over til lunch and gives me the energy to zip around the court (totally avoiding my to-do list while the kids are at camp). The breakfast is simple (and makes an equally fabulous lunch or hearty snack):

Alvarado St. Bakery California Protein Bread* (toasted)
+ Hummus, White Bean Dip, Edamame Hummus or (mashed) avocado (whichever I have on hand)
+ one sliced hard-boiled egg

The key is to hard-boil a bunch of eggs once/week and keep them in the fridge so this can be made in minutes.

*I find Alvarado Street bread in the freezer aisle of our local markets.

Now for those wondering, no, my kids aren't digging that breakfast. And so, I've kept a supply of Trader Joe's French Toast on hand...

or I'll give them a muffin, fruit and yogurt...

or, one of the hard-boiled eggs, some fruit and a frozen tube of yogurt if it's hot...

and they've seen their fair share of Van's waffles.

a fruit or veggie on every plate

I loved going into the city for Stephanie Sacks' FOOD SOLUTIONS event this week (pictured above). It wasn't so much that there was alot of "new" information, but it was invigorating to be in a room of people who are interested in working towards more healthful family meals.


Here's one tip MaryBeth Augustine shared during the Q&A that is easy for all of us to enact:

start with fruits and vegetables...add them to every meal

We're all in different places when it comes to preparing meals for our families. For some, this tip may be second nature. For others, it may be more of an a-ha moment. Either way, the guarantee is that your child's plate will be more healthful if it's colorful...and the best way to get color on the plate is through a variety of fruits and vegetables. I shot a video this winter where I assembled some "rainbow plates" for my kids that you may find helpful as you put this tip into action.

off to the city + taco night

I cannot wait. Tomorrow I am spending the day in the city at this culinary nutrition workshop. I feel good about the way I feed my family

but there's always something to learn...a new recipe, a research blip, a cooking tip...

I look forward to hopefully sharing some new ideas from this workshop.

Oh, and if the above looks appetizing, here's the scoop on last week's taco night. The filling was: cauliflower, mushrooms and zucchini (all diced finely) and white corn sauteed in a bit of olive oil with lots and lots of fresh cilantro, hearty shakes of cumin and chili powder, some minced garlic, a teeny bit of chipotle, and some smoked paprika. Everything else should be pretty self-explanatory except the white stuff. Instead of sour cream that's leftover tzatziki from the night before. Just as good.

i feel great

I did it, and I feel great. If I have to look at another puree I might gag, but I give myself so much credit for being able to get a handle on my own eating habits, while successfully balancing the mealtime needs of my husband and two growing children this first week. For those just starting to read Full Plate, here's what I have embarked on.

The reason it worked was because I prepared as much as I could ahead. This way, my "cleansing" fruit & veggie-based meals were ready, and it was just a simple puzzle of incorporating some of the purees and soups I'd made for myself into their meals. That was my daily breakfast above. No one else was drinking green juice around here. And that's a sample of my daily lunch of gazpacho and a pureed veggie. But here's a snapshot of their meals this week so you get an idea of how I made it work. There's a recurring theme: blueberry applesauce, gazpacho, carrot-parnsip puree, sweet potato-corn puree, vegetable-tofu soup, and on that one burrito plate below that's this decadent chestnut-based concoction affectionately referred to as "chocolate pudding" in the upper left corner.

recent rainbow plates

This winter has derailed me a bit. With the frequent snowstorms, and snowdays/snow delays, I'm making fewer trips to the market, and relying a lot more on what I have in my pantry and freezer. I'd venture to guess that this is the case in many of my CT friends' homes!! Still, we have to keep making meals two or three times a day, and the goal is to have them be healthful (and eaten), right? To inspire you, here are a few more "rainbow plates" plates from the past week.

Above (last night's dinner for the kids): carrots and edamame + chunks of pineapple + cherry tomatoes* + Rico M. Panada's empanadas (sweet corn & cheese and the chicken pot pie kinds).

*Note that I was thrilled when my little one asked for cherry tomatoes and popped a box in his little cart...I gave myself a little pat on the back for fabulous parenting. It was only at dinner time that I learned he "wanted to see if they really shoot juice if you squish them down hard?!!" [Deep sigh] At least he ate them after figuring this out.

And, those empanadas were a side another day alongside cups of homemade turkey chili (hauled out of the freezer) + carrots + edamame.

Those of you who are following on facebook got a sneak peek at these next three plates...

Black & Pinto Bean Cakes (with toppings of cheese, salsa and sour cream) + chunks of mango + edamame + carrots. (Yep, there's a trend around here of minimal side dish prep during snow days...)

There's also multi-tasking if I have had to make an app for one thing, and dinner for the kids....

Pinwheels of edamame hummus rolled in whole wheat tortillas + apples + shredded cheese (messy, but a crowd pleaser) + Clementines.

Jolie ravioli (broccoli & cheese) + marinara dipping sauce + a homemade chocolate chip cookie + carrots.

Meals in a Snap / Full Plate hits the radio waves!

Meals in a Snap hit the radio waves to talk about healthful eating as a family. The whole interview on mindful parenting is interesting to listen to, but if you want to cut to the chase, my part of the interview starts at the 21:05 mark. Enjoy!

To forward to the food portion of the interview, simply press play then let the interview download. Then you go to that four arrow button on the bottom of the Vimeo screen, which will make the interview fill your screen. Once there, you should be able to fast forward to the 21:00 mark. (Press Esc to minimize the interview again.)

loads of new "rainbow plates" for inspiration

When I reorganized all of the labels to make recipe searches easier I took out "kid-friendly". I did this because in my mind, unless something really spicy there's no reason it can't be "kid-friendly". But "picky eating" and "coming up with meals my kids will eat" is a question I get from friends a lot. I know I am fortunate that my two children typically eat most anything (except fish and mushrooms this week). So, I'm really not an expert in the picky field. That said, I think part of the reason they do eat a variety of foods is that I expose them to different textures, tastes and colors and don't make a big deal. A little of this and a little of that go down the hatch.

I do the same thing if we're having a playdate over (see pic above). The only difference is that I give each of the kids an empty sectioned plate, put a bunch of bowls of different things out, and let the kids make choices. Depending upon the age(s) of your kids, you can make the choices for them, or let have more of a say...

Children are supposed to have at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, and I am still typically plating my kid's meals for them. So, when I do this, it's helpful for me to think about it being a "rainbow plate”. And if you need a little gimmick, turn it into a game by having your children count the colors on their plate. This creates excitement and a desire for colorful foods-- including a variety of fruits and vegetables which are a natural source of color.

Here are a bunch of my kid's "rainbow plates" to give you a little inspiration. Click on this link if you want to see more "rainbow plate" ideas from past posts.

mango, soy sauce, cucumber slices and brown rice California rolls


cucumbers, apples, freeze-dried strawberries and a cheese, bell pepper and broccoli quesadilla made with whole wheat tortillas

edamame, red pepper spears, cheese & crackers, a yogurt tube and an oatmeal cookie

roasted asparagus, jicama slices, a little bit of salmon (to try), some blueberries, wheatberry salad and chicken sausages

pesto pasta (pesto + whole wheat rotini), roasted sweet potato wedges, apples, and a sloppy joe (+ cheese) on a whole wheat bun

a yogurt, an apple sauce cup, some edamame, a handful of pistachios, and a few slices of pizza (which came from the freezer, clearly this was a pantry day, not a cooking day!!)

cheese & crackers, some red pepper chunks and a banana

edamame pods, honeydew melon chunks, pineapple chunks, cucumber slices, a cheese stick and a turkey-spinach meatballs

French toast with apricot jam and fresh blueberries

turkey-spinach meatballs, sweet potato chunks and broccoli-cheese Jolie Ravioli with tomato sauce to dip them in

roasted root veggies, edamame pods, fruit salad and pork tenderloin

mango, banana and a slice of veggie frittata

chicken sausages, a few appetizers that I was bringing to book club that night, a cherry tomato ("try it, you might like it"), bananas and blueberries

sweet potatoes, watermelon, edamame, and pecan-crusted chicken with mustard dipping sauce

apples, bananas, mozzarella cheese, and whole wheat penne with homemade bolognese sauce

risotto, edamame, steamed green and wax beans, and lemon-rosemary chicken

yogurt, apples and a Vitamuffin top

banana, apple slices, cucumber slices and homemade three-cheese pizza (which they helped make that evening)

roasted potato wedges, pineapples and berries, grilled chicken and roasted zucchini

teardrop tomatoes, strawberries, letter cookies and cheese tortellini in homemade creamy tomato sauce

nectarines, carrots, raisins and homemade curried chicken salad sandwiches cut into rounds

scrambled eggs (which one child requested), arugula salad, carrots and this chicken but they decided they didn't want the basil sauce, so I tossed theirs in a combination of orange marmalade and rice wine vinegar

black beans (one of my children's fav finger foods, odd but I'll take it), strawberries, and brown rice California rolls + soy sauce

edamame, grapes, cherry tomatoes and a few of my favorite beef meatballs

roasted root vegetable hash, veggie frittata, and berry fruit salad