3 Healthier Swaps for Kid-Friendly Food
I have a secret to tell you. Kid-friendly food is kid-friendly because it's easy for kids to eat. It tastes good and doesn't require a lot of effort to eat. It fits their biological make-up and desire for sweet flavours (considered safe) vs. bitter flavours...
Frozen vs. Fresh Veggies: Which is better?
My husband Keith was away for 4 nights (and inconveniently absent during the Mother's Day weekend). So I was the running solo with cooking, feeding, bathing, parenting, and surviving with my 3 children for ninety six hours (nope, I wasn't counting). While all three...
Noodle-Free Sweet Potato Lasagna (that will blow your family’s socks off!)
This noodle-free lasagna recipe is one I encourage ALL my clients and friends to try, because it's a favourite in the Binns' household. I've been telling one of my Nutrition students to make it for her daughter, and she finally had the chance. She loved this...
No-Noodle Pad Thai (easy, delicious, and cheaper than takeout)
Ever since my daughter was born I knew that I wanted to expose her to different foods from different cultures. For me, this shows love and appreciation for all cultures. It also doesn't limit us on where we go out to eat or where we travel to. I also love the idea of...
Arsenic in rice: 5 ways to protect your little ones
Go figure...my kids are obsessed (understatement) with virtually any food that has rice. You name it: Pastas (made with rice) Breads (made with rice) Crackers (made with rice) Pizza crusts (made with rice) Sushi (made with rice) Plain ol' rice itself The only...
Starting solids: everything you need to know
My little girl is over a year, and it's taken me this long to write a post about starting solids with baby. Because mom life is a little nuts. You understand right? Starting solids with babies is exciting! But daunting, as well, I know. When my daughters were at...
How long should your child sit at the table?
I remember sitting at the dinner table with Sienna for 90 minutes at a time. These were not 90 enjoyable minutes though. It was back when meals were long and painful. My daughter was underweight, so I made it my life's mission to get her to eat. Even if it...
Why my family eats grass-fed beef every week
Meat. It's been a hot topic for the last few years in the nutrition world. Is it actually good for us? Should we be eating or avoiding it? What kind of meat should I be buying? In fact, for many years my family and I avoided eating meat (both at home and in...
When your child doesn’t eat enough protein
Having an underweight little girl a few years ago, I was terrified that she wasn't getting enough nutrition. Particularly protein which I knew, as a nutritionist, was critical for her growth. The part that killed me was that my daughter hated meat. Actually, it's...
Fiber: why it’s not ‘all that’ and a bag of high-fiber cereal
On Friday afternoon, I was working at one of my favourite local cafes in Leslieville Toronto and getting ready to wrap up my week of work. Just as I was about to close my computer, I got a call from CTV News requesting an interview that evening. The topic they wanted...
An awesome way to get more greens into your family
People seem to fall into two Costco camps: The "I love going to Costco" camp.The "I dread going Costco" camp. We fall into the former. Yes, we're the family that goes to Costco for 'fun'. I love wandering the aisles, scoping out any new nutritionist-approved...
5 Holiday Party Hacks (so your kids eat better)
It's my mom's birthday today and the poor woman never gets the attention she deserves. First off, she's worked every single year on her birthday. And because my mom is retiring this year and literally only has 3 days of work left, she didn't want to take the day off....
Your “Must Have” Family Gift Guide!
I've been in the process of decluttering for months and now Christmas is around the corner. So I want to be sure we're getting (and more importantly GIVING) gifts that we can feel good about. That's why I created this "must have" family gift guide. I don't know...
Two unknown facts about picky eaters
Most parents come to me for help with getting their kids to EAT - without hearing them say YUCK before they even try it. #frustrating! And as a parent of a child who was underweight, I totally understand why! We want our children to consume the nutrients...
Grinch Muffins (gluten-free, dairy-free)
Has your child ever told you that they don't like green foods? Or that they will eat green foods when they are 6 years old (or some other random age)? I hear this from parents more often than not, but the funny thing is, not all green foods are scary to kids. ...
Chocolate-covered broccoli
After our meal last night I got a sudden urge for chocolate pudding. I had spotted a bunch of ripened avocados from Costco in the fridge early, so I blame them for putting these thoughts in my head!While eating our veggie burgers, green beans, and broccoli I asked...
A question to ask your child at mealtimes…
I shared this post on Instagram a few weeks ago. Yet it wasn't until I woke up the next day - after seeing alllll the comments and "likes" -that I realized it wasn't just another Instagram post (that sucked up 20 minutes of my life)!! It touched people differently....
5 tricks I use for managing Halloween treats
Anyone else have a heck of a time managing their kids obsession with all sugary things - especially Halloween treats? As a Certified Nutritionist I know the ins and outs of what foods to avoid. Sugar is at the top of the list. And then there's all the research...
Hey! Who put veggies in my granola?
You may not know this about me, but I wasn't always a Family Nutritionist. In my former life, I had a career in marketing. I worked at, and with, advertising agencies and in the creative space for over 10 years, but honestly I wasn't great at the creative stuff (I...
Starting solids with baby #3 [Organic Yum Yums Review]
You'd think I have things mastered and be well prepared when it came to starting solids with baby number three. You'd think I would have a plan for what to feed her, and even have food pre-prepped and frozen. But nope. That's not how I roll... Partly because I can...