Holiday Goals: Adding Variety to my Family Meals

By Sarah Deig, RD, LDN

When was the last time you visited a different grocery store? How about preparing the recipes you saw in the food section of a newspaper or magazine? As we add variety, we are ensuring that our bodies are getting the nutrients we need. This holiday season; let’s put the following on our list of gifts to buy: new foods for my family.

Here are some simple ways to add variety to your family’s meals:

Shop at a different or new grocery store.

There are many grocery stores in our local area, so why not try one you don’t normally visit? This will allow you to see various fresh, colorful produce and smell that fresh baked bread.

Rotate the route you usually take at the grocery store.

If you enter the grocery store and veer right, try reversing your route so you are ending where you usually begin. This will allow you to see the aisles in a different order, and perhaps you will notice the Star Fruit or Ugly Fruit that may be available in the produce section. (Yes, these are actual types of fruits available in your local produce section, try them)

Spend extra time in the produce section.

Take advantage of the fruits and vegetables in season. They are usually at their prime flavor to enjoy. When was the last time you added fruit to your salads? Orange, grapefruit, or nectarine slices can be tossed into your garden green salads.

Try new fruits and vegetables.

When you are cooking, think of color. Color will add a lot of packed nutrients. Add a sweet potato in place of French fries. It adds color to your plate, and sweet potatoes are full of Vitamins A and C, fiber and potassium. Allow your children to pick a new fruit or vegetable to make for their meals or snacks. If your children are involved in choosing new items, they are more likely to accept and eat them. Remember to keep offering. It may take a while before a child will actually pick the food item up and enjoy it.

Try new recipes.

We all get in a rut when it comes to cooking. This holiday season would be a good time to venture out and experiment with new ideas, and remember variety. See the resource list below for some fast, family-friendly recipe Web sites. Give your pasta salad some crunch by adding cucumbers, carrots, water chestnuts, or broccoli.

Experiment in the Kitchen.

If sandwiches are often served for meals, select a new way to serve them. Try whole-wheat pita or tortillas and add extra vegetables. Serve dried fruit in place of fruit snacks or candy. Children love to dip vegetables in dressing. To add variety to your fruit and vegetable dips, try mixing salsa and hummus, plain yogurt combined with a dry ranch dressing packet, or peanut butter thinned with applesauce. The last option is wonderful when served with fruit slices.

Resources to try: www.kraftfoods.com www.mypyramid.gov

http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.gov/ www.epicurious.com