U.S. News – Students to see healthier school lunches under new USDA rules.

My sister, who is a fabulous cook, had my family over for dinner last weekend and when she told me her menu I wasn’t sure what to make of her salad decision – Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad.

Normally, I only eat Brussels sprouts once a year – on Thanksgiving when they are swimming in butter and cream!  However, one bite of the Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad and I was hooked – three plates later I’m pretty sure I had met my fiber, iron and vitamin K needs for the week!  So, in the spirit of adding more green to your Thanksgiving table give this a try – you won’t be disappointed – I promise!

Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad

From Bon Appetite Nov. 2011

www.epicurious.com

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large bunches of Tuscan kale (about 1 1/2 pounds total), center stem discarded, leaves thinly sliced
• 12 ounces brussels sprouts, trimmed, finely grated or shredded with a knife
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/3 cup almonds with skins, coarsely chopped (my sister used slivered almonds)
• 1 cup finely grated Pecorino

Directions:

Combine lemon juice, Dijon mustard, shallot, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper in a small bowl. Stir to blend; set aside to let flavors meld. Mix thinly sliced kale and shredded brussels sprouts in a large bowl.

Measure 1/2 cup oil into a cup. Spoon 1 tablespoon oil from cup into a small skillet; heat oil over medium-high heat. Add almonds to skillet and stir frequently until golden brown in spots, about 2 minutes. Transfer nuts to a paper towel–lined plate. Sprinkle almonds lightly with salt.

Slowly whisk remaining olive oil in cup into lemon-juice mixture. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Dressing, kale mixture, and toasted almonds can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover dressing and kale mixture separately and chill. Cover almonds and let stand at room temperature.

Add dressing and cheese to kale mixture; toss to coat. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Garnish with almonds.

Photo courtsey of stock.xchng.com. Photographer: nkzs

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Kale-Brussels-Sprout-Salad-368295#ixzz1dExNjxbQ

As promised here are my recommendations for how much food you should be serving your 2 to 5 year old.  In my practice I give parents a handy card with this information on it which I purchase from www.numatters.com – this is a great website with all sorts of convenient nutrition info cards for those of you who want this kind of stuff in large quantities.

Recommended Daily Amounts for Boys and Girls Ages 2 through 5 years

2 Year Old Boys and Girls

Grains – 3 ounces – make sure at least ½ these grains are whole grains.

Vegetables – 1 cup – bright colors and a wide variety are best for meeting needs.

Fruits – 1 cup – introduce a variety on a daily basis.

Dairy – 2 cups – this includes milk, yogurt and cheese.

Protein – 2 ounces – this is not very much! Your kids don’t need as much protein as you think they do.

3 Year Old Girls

Grains – 4 ounces

Vegetables – 1 ½ cups

Fruits – 1 cup

Dairy – 2 cups

Protein – 3 ounces

3 Year Old Boys and 4 and 5 Year Old Boys and Girls

Grain – 5 ounces

Vegetables – 1 ½ cups

Fruits – 1 ½ cups

Dairy – 2 cups

Protein – 4 ounces

 It’s also helpful to know what counts as an ounce or a cup so you don’t over feed or under feed your child.

One ounce of grain is 1 slice of bread, 1 cup of dry cereal, ½ cup of cooked pasta, rice or cereal, 1 6” tortilla, 7 round or square crackers

A half cup of vegetables is ½ cup of mashed, sliced, chopped vegetables (cooked or raw), 1 cup of leafy greens, 4 ounces of 100% vegetables juice.

A half cup for fruit is ½ cup mashed, sliced or chopped fruit, 4 ounces of 100% fruit juice, ¼ cup dried fruit.  Fruit juice and dried fruits should be served on occasion.

A half cup of dairy is 4 ounces of milk, 4 ounces of yogurt, ¾ ounces of cheese, 1 ounce of processed cheese.

One ounce of protein is 1 ounce of cooked beef, poultry, fish and other meats, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, ½ cup of cooked beans.

One of my good friends requested some information about what her 3 ½ year old son should be eating. So, instead of just informing just her I figured there might be more than one person out there interested in this information as well.  This information is just for a 3 year old male,  my next post will give detailed information like this for girls and boys ages 2 to 5 years old.  Check back!

The portion sizes offered here come from www.choosemyplate.gov.  Your child’s intake may vary slightly and will very likely vary day to day as kids rarely eat the same way every single day.  Use this guide as an average.

3 Year Old Male – 1,400 calorie diet

Grains – 5 ounces/day.  One ounce is 1 slice of bread, 1 cup of dry cereal, ½ cup of cooked cereal, cooked pasta or rice, 5 round crackers, 1 cup of snack food (goldfish, pretzels).

Vegetables – 1.5 cups/day.  One cup of raw or cooked vegetables or 2 cups of leafy greens.

Fruit – 1.5 cups/day.  One whole piece of fruit or 1 cup of sliced or chopped fruit. Do not exceed more than 6 ounces (3/4 cup) per day of 100% juice.

Protein Foods – 4 ounces/day.  1 chicken tender is about 1.5 oz.  3 oz. piece of meat, chicken or fish is about the size of a deck of cards, ¼ cups of beans equals 1 ounce, about 12 almonds or 1 tbsp of peanut butter also equals 1 ounce.

Dairy Foods – 2.5 cups/day.  1 cup (8oz.) of milk, 1 cup of yogurt, and 1 slice of cheese are all equal to a 1 cup portion from the Dairy Group.

In addition, my friend’s 3 year old son can have up to 120 extra calories of fats and/or sweets a day. These would be what I call “treat” foods.

Image from www.stock.xchng.com, by tg44.

Nurturing Nutrition, LLC. is pleased to welcome Stephanie O’Donnell, RD, LDN to the practice.  Stephanie is a Warwick, Rhode Island native, she attended the University of Rhode Island where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics. Stephanie completed her Dietetic Internship at the University of Rhode Island and has worked for Easter Seals Early Intervention, Roger Williams Medical Center and Newport Hospital.

She has extensive experience in early childhood services and is certified in Childhood and Adolescent Weight Management.  She is currently pursuing her Master of Science in Nutrition in Food Sciences at the University of Rhode Island.

Welcome to the practice, Stephanie!