At doctoryum, we try new recipes every week and survey the neighborhood kids to see which ones work and which ones don’t. That way we can work together to build better nutrition with great taste to boot.
Strawberry Salsa with Cinnamon Chips
It’s strawberry season. Here’s a recipe that’s sure to please! This is a sweet and minty take on salsa, using fruit. Strawberries serve as the base, and your favorite fruit ingredients can be added to make the taste more vibrant and the appearance more colorful. I made this with my Kids Cooking class and we even added starfruits and mangoes, which was extra YUM!! The chips can be made using your favorite whole wheat tortillas. Use the smallest dusting of cinnamon and sugar to add a little flavor to the chips. This is a great...
read moreKiwi Strawberry Pizza
This is a VERY simple recipe that incorporates fresh fruit, dairy, and whole grains to make quick snack. This can easily serve main dish for a school lunch but it’s also sweet enough to be a dessert. I love recipes that serve many purposes. Resist the urge to add sweeteners to your puree. If you have nice sweet strawberries, you should not have to have anything. Note the recipe makes several servings, but you may only need one or two at a time. Baby Food Shortcut: If cut into tiny little peices this recipe can be a great...
read moreQuick “No Can” Tomato Soup
Over the past 1-2 years I have been reducing our family’s consumption of canned foods. The reason for this is that many canned foods can have detectable amounts of BPA (Bisphenol-A), a common chemical used in many plastics and also linings of cans used for food. The more acidic foods have more detectable BPA there is. There are a host of human health concerns linked to BPA exposure, including neurological problems, hormone disruption and cancer. In the past few years manufactures were mandated to take BPA out of plastic bottles because...
read moreBaked Stuffed Apples
I got this recipe from Rachael Ray’s cookbook “Yum-O!” which is a family cookbook that benefits her nonprofit organization Yum-O! Recently ,I got to meet Rachael Ray and interview her about her nonprofit activities which focus on childhood nutrition and healthly eating. She shared her secrets about feeding kids, signed my copy of her Yum-O! cookbook, and even gave a shout out to The Doctor Yum Project on her website! I love this recipe for her “Mom’s Baked Apples”. I made a few minor modifications,...
read moreChickpea Curry
Chickpeas are a great source of protein and fiber, and at our house they have become a great meat substitute for our “meatless” nights. Without the saturated fat, hormones, and hefty price tag that meat can have, chickpeas can be a healthy and cheap way to start a meatless night tradition. This chickpea curry recipe uses curry powder to add flavor, cayenne pepper for a little heat and some coconut milk to smooth and mellow out the sauce. The result is delicious! Budget Friendly: This recipe is not only fast but it’s a...
read moreAsian Chicken Noodle Soup
I love this recipe for chicken noodle soup with kicked up Asian flavors. I found the idea for this recipe in a One Dish Meals by Food and Wine Magazine. I made some adjustments to make the recipe MUCH faster to prepare! Make it mild for your young tasters, and serve with a dash of Sriracha (Asian hot sauce) to satisfy those who enjoy extra heat! Some of the ingredients, like the udon noodles, fish sauce and Sriracha can be found in the Asian aisle of your grocery store (I found everything at Wegmans). Shopping for these ingredients at an...
read morePrickly Pear Smoothie (and Video)
Recently my kids decided to try a new fruit. They picked up a prickly pear (at Wegmans) and decided this might be one to try. My older son had tried it once at school but thought it would be fun for his little brother to try it to. They researched the prickly pear and made this video. Be careful with the tiny spines, they will get you! Use a glove or tongs, as Zane says in their video! Afterwards we took one of our prickly pears and made an AMAZING SMOOTHIE. We kept the seeds in ours, but if your blender doesn’t grind seeds well, you...
read moreChocolate Chip Cookie Pie (Vegan and Gluten-Free)
In our quest to keep improving our diet, our family has markedly cut down the sugar we consume (and I try to counsel my patients to do the same). But I have a confession. I LOVE chocolate (it’s a problem my whole family has!) As someone who eat a mostly healthy and increasingly vegetarian diet, I still like to enjoy desserts from time to time and don’t mind indulging in small portions of a rich dessert. However, I have found that with desserts I can find ways to make healthy substitutions (adding fiber, omega 3′s,...
read moreDate Nut Pinwheel Cookies
These date nut pinwheels are a family favorite that we have been making at the holidays for as long as I can remember. These are SUPER delicious right out of the oven, but they also can be stored for several days in a airtight container. They are definitely NOT low fat or low in sugar, but much of the sweetness comes from naturally sweet dates. The dates and nuts make them a bit more nutrient rich that your average Christmas cookie. Kids enjoy the swirl pattern that emerges when you slice the roll of dough into cookies. Make sure to get...
read moreChristmas Tree Veggie Appetizer with Lemony White Bean Hummus
Around the holidays many of us are asked to bring food to holiday gatherings. Instead of bringing the usual chips and dip or Christmas cookies, how about a veggie Christmas tree with lemony Whity Bean Hummus! This 3-D appetizer piled high with veggies and surrounded by hummus will be a hit at the party and will delight kids. You can also feel happy that you are contributing a healthy item to your holiday gathering. I made this last night for a neighborhood Christmas party. My mom saw it and loved it, so we made another one for a ladies night...
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