If you miss dining out at restaurants, an outdoor picnic can be a fun and safe alternative for the family! Plus, when you get outside, you get to move your body more. Activity is as important as nutrition! 

Here is a super simple meal plan for a backyard picnic day. No utensils required! Makes for easy clean up and more outdoor fun and games or some much needed relaxation.

Whole grain turkey (or Tofurky) avocado wrap
Ingredients (makes 4 wraps): 

• 4 whole grain tortillas 
• 8 oz of deli cut turkey breast, or Tofurky deli slices for a vegan option
• 1 avocado, sliced 
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced 
• 1 bunch of fresh basil (or any green leafy vegetable, like spinach or romaine lettuce)
• 1 large tomato, sliced into 8ths. 
• ½ c of hummus, any flavor

Instructions: Spread 2 tbsp of hummus onto each wrap (adjust amount depending on your tortilla size) . On top of the hummus, place the following side by side: 2 oz of turkey breast, a few avocado slices, 3 red bell pepper slices, a few leaves of basil, and 1 slice of tomato. Carefully roll the tortilla like a burrito. Once it is rolled and with a sharp knife, slice diagonally in half - enjoy! 

• The basil packs flavor and nutrition!  I love including herbs as much as possible because it's a great way to add leafy green vegetables to a meal! 

Sliced veggies and white bean dip

• 1 15 oz can of no salt added white beans
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, to taste
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• ¼ cup olive oil 
• ¼ cup parsley leaves
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Sliced vegetables for serving: carrots, celery, red peppers, cucumber, radishes, jicama, or any other favorites

Instructions: Place all ingredients except the cilantro into a food processor and blend until smooth. Then add the cilantro and pulse to combine. Place into serving bowl and enjoy with the fresh sliced veggies! 

• Beans are a great plant source of iron. Iron is an essential nutrient needed for growth, development, and blood health. To enhance absorption of iron, it can be paired with vitamin C found in foods such as citrus fruits, strawberries, sweet peppers, tomatoes, and broccoli. (1) 

Dessert options 

• Stone fruits are currently in season and make a delicious dessert since they are naturally sweet: plums, peaches, nectarines, apricots, and cherries. They are a great source of fiber, anthocyanins, and vitamin C and help alleviate constipation. You can add a little coconut-based whipped cream on top to sweeten them up. 
• One of my favorite healthy option desserts is the Whole Foods Raw Cherry Crisp recipe. https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/raw-cherry-crisp-chia-and-dates Let me know how your family liked it!

 

1. National Institute of Health: Office of Dietary Supplements ​

First, let’s clarify Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). If your child likes his room organized, for example keeping his Legos in the red bin and his toy cars in the blue bin, then most likely he just wants to make sure he knows where his toys are for the next time he wants to play with them. That’s similar to how you keep your kitchen or tool shed “organized.” If your child has to have his books lined up so that the spines are perfectly aligned, then that might be more of OCD territory. Your child’s doctor or therapist will help guide you on this.  
 
Either way, if your child has OCD tendencies, then most likely you are also dealing with feeding issues. Here are some simple tips that might help ease your meal time.
 

• Use a plate that has built in dividers. This will help keep the food from touching the other food on the plate. Yes, this is a real concern!
• Use the same plate and utensils each time and vary the food choices. This will help reduce the anxiety around the meals and maintain some consistency.
• Instead of serving food that are mixed in colors, try for example, putting a red food in one compartment, a brown in another, and a green in the last. 
  • Slowly start mixing food colors and keep presenting them.

 
I would love for you to share any tips you feel will help too!

Poor cholesterol, it gets such a bad rap.  Without cholesterol our bodies couldn’t function properly. It’s used to form hormones, help digest and transport fats, and is a crucial ingredient in the make-up of our cells. Eating any type of food that is derived from animals adds cholesterol to our diets. This includes all meats and seafood, eggs, and all types of dairy including cheese.
 
How Much Cholesterol is healthy?
Your children, even you as an adult, only need around 300 milligrams (mg) or less per day since our bodies do a great job of making its own cholesterol. 
 
For example, one day of cholesterol in your child’s diet looks like:

• 185 mg for Breakfast = 1 egg
• 32 mg for Lunch = 2 slices of deli turkey (on a sandwich) and 1 cup of milk
• 45 mg for Dinner = 2 ounces of Ground Beef 

Total = 262 mg cholesterol
(This cholesterol nutrient information is approximate for demonstration purposes)
 
To help our children balance their diet and make lifelong healthy choices, add fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to your child’s daily intake. 
 
This is what our one day of cholesterol looks like in a balanced diet. 

• Breakfast: 1-egg omelet with spinach and a small bowl of oatmeal that contains blueberries and slivered almonds mixed in
• Lunch: Sliced turkey on whole grain bread with lettuce and tomato, a side of sliced peaches, and a glass of milk
• Dinner: 2 Beef meatballs on spaghetti with marinara sauce, sautéed zucchini, and a small whole grain dinner roll with non-dairy butter (for example Earth Balance butter). 

 
Is Cholesterol Linked to Protein?
The reason I bring this topic up is because so many parents ask me about how much protein their children should be eating. Since cholesterol is contained in all meat protein sources, I suggest also including non-meat protein sources in your child’s diet. Please watch my “How Much Protein Should My Child Have?” video for tips on the amount of protein to feed your child along with suggestions of meat and non-meat protein sources. Click here to view the video.
 
Is Cholesterol Bad for Kids?
The answer is no as long as it is eaten at around 300mg or less per day on average. Keeping your child’s diet well-balanced on a daily basis will help keep the cholesterol intake at a reasonable level.
 
Cholesterol becomes “bad” for your child if it is consumed in larger amounts over a long-period of time. If your child appears to be eating too much cholesterol, chances are that too much “unhealthy fats” are also being consumed. If your child is overweight, please ask your child’s pediatrician to check their cholesterol level.
 
If you are concerned about your child’s cholesterol level, please consult your child’s Pediatrician and/or a Registered Dietitian at Sharp Nutrition LLC for an evaluation. 
 
Stay tuned for upcoming blogs and YouTube videos on more nutritional topics by Sharp Nutrition LLC.

Let’s set sail and capture the hidden treasures in Smoothies.  You can blend all sorts of wonderful and nutritious foods for your children.  For a snack this afternoon my kids went on a treasure hunt in the pantry for chocolate chips.  After blending all of the fabulously nutritious ingredients, I stirred in a small handful of mini-chocolate chips - their treat to complement my “hidden treasures.” My children polished off two servings of my special Raspberry Power smoothie (see recipe below). They were happy with the little bits of chocolate. I was happy with the nutrients they didn’t realize they were drinking. 
 
Get creative and think about the flavors your children enjoy.  Use the fruits that are in season, or blend in your favorite frozen fruits. Once you have your fruit choices, test some add-ins that pack a nutrient punch.

Here are just a few ad-in tips:

• Medjool dates make a delicious natural sweetener and contain fiber to help aid digestion
• Any flavor nut butter adds natural protein to help slow the digestion of the fruit sugar and helps your child feel full longer
• Ground flaxseed contains Omega-3s which are great for the growing brain, especially if your child has been diagnosed with ADHD
• Almond milk is low in calories and high in calcium
• Yogurt or milk adds natural fats and protein
• A few slices of avocado have minimal flavor, contain healthy fats and are a good source of vitamin C
• Toss in a little raw spinach or baby kale or a few slices of a carrot, tomato, or cucumber for added nutritional benefits

I’d love to hear any good ad-in tips that you have come up with.

Beware of the ready-made smoothies you purchase at grocery stores or at some smoothie stands.  Many are filled with added sugar, are high in calories and low in nutrients.  Oddly enough, some don’t even contain real fruit. There is plenty of natural sugar in a natural fruit smoothie, so we don’t need to add any more. Be careful, if your kids catch you serving them a fake smoothie, they might just make you walk the plank. 
 
Here is the recipe I made today:
 
Raspberry Power Smoothie
1 Tbsp Flaxseed
1/3 cup walnuts pieces
3 Medjool Dates, softened
6 grape tomatoes
1 Persian cucumber
1/3 cup frozen baby kale
3/4 cup almond milk
1 cup frozen raspberries
1 medium banana, frozen
1 cup frozen strawberries
¼ cup mini chocolate chips
 
Directions:
1. To soften the dates: Boil water in the microwave. Place dates in a glass bowl. Pour the boiling water over the dates. Let sit for 5 minutes.  Note: If you have a power blender (ex. Vitamix) you can skip this step.
2. Place the flaxseed, walnuts, softened dates, tomatoes, cucumber, baby kale, and almond milk into a blender. Blend until smooth. 
3. Add in the frozen fruit. Blend until just mixed. Stir in the mini chocolate chips.

Ahoy Matey! Lift up your glass and toast the wonderful Smoothie.

​https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9tjsgSxYDKma0nDs8SpqVA

Please let me know any topics you may be interested in.

More videos coming soon!