(Editor's Note: What follows is information sent to Patch by Chef Phoebe Schilla, owner of a San Francisco cooking studio.)
Thanks to new cafeteria regulations, our nation’s children will be eating healthier meals at school including more fruit, whole grains and vegetables. But how do we get our kids to eat more veggies and healthier options at home?
San Francisco Chef Phoebe Schilla – mother of two and owner of the Studio of Good Living – shares invaluable tips for getting kids to eat their veggies and preparing healthy, quick-fix meals and snacks while having fun with the family in the kitchen. She’s even available via Skype for more personalized dietary and nutrition counseling. Here come the tips:
How to get your kids to eat veggies:
1. Lead by example – if you don't eat spinach, neither will the kids!
2. Talk to them about shapes/colors/flavors of different vegetables and how/where they grow.
3. Bring them to the farmer's market and let them choose a vegetable or two that they would like to try.
4. Invite them into the kitchen to help prepare the vegetables they picked out. Have fun cooking veggies by treating it like a science experiment: try roasting, mashing and steaming for different textures and discuss how changing the cooking method changes the flavor and texture of each veggie.
How to prepare healthy, quick-fix meals:
1. Plan ahead! Wash, chop, and portion vegetables once or twice a week instead of as needed.
2. Keep the pantry well stocked with pasta, rice, beans, etc.
3. Keep 'family favorites' and/or 'frequent use' recipes within easy reach to save time from scouring cookbooks.
4. Keep knives sharp. It takes a lot less effort to prep meals, especially veggies, with a sharp knife. A sharp knife is also safer than a dull one.
5. Start a love affair with your rice cooker. Simply plug it in, measure out the rice/liquid, press a button and presto! – enjoy perfectly cooked rice every time. While the rice is cooking, sauté a chicken breast or two and steam some pre-portioned and prepped veggies.
Healthy snacks on the go: Spring Rolls, Pre-cut Carrots/Celery with Almond Butter, Sweet Potato Slices, Hummus and Pita Roll Ups, Nori, Kale Chips, Yogurt, Cheese Sticks, etc.
About The Studio of Good Living
The Studio of Good Living was founded in San Francisco in 2005 by Schilla as a way to blend her passion for cooking and wellness with her natural affinity for teaching. An accomplished professional chef who trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, France and received her degree from the Culinary Institute of America in New York, Schilla designed the Studio of Good Living for today’s lifestyle savvy people who are seeking ways to bring balance back into their hectic daily lives.
For more information or to sign up for Studio of Good Living classes, please visit www.StudioOfGoodLiving.com.
