Happy Food Revolution Day!

Posted on May 16, 2014

Today marks the third annual Food Revolution Day. This year’s focus is on inspiring kids to get excited about food and cooking from scratch.

As a chef’s daughter, I saw firsthand how much my dad loved to cook from scratch. I’d walk with him to the grocery store every week, and he’d teach me how to pick out the sweetest oranges, the freshest fish, and the leanest cuts of meat. Today in his mid-70’s, Dad still walks to the grocery store, almost daily now, to find the perfect ingredients for a delicious homemade dinner.

Learning about food and how to cook from scratch is an essential life skill for everyone. With my mom and dietitian hats on, I half-jokingly tell my kids that they can only leave home once they’re able to plan and cook at least five meals from scratch all on their own. This includes making a grocery list and shopping for all of the ingredients too.

So in honour of Food Revolution Day, the kids and I are making some of our favourite recipes – chicken fajitas, bean salad, sushi and smoothies. What’s your favourite recipe to make with the kids?

Get cooking for National Nutrition Month!

Posted on March 3, 2014

As the daughter of a Chinese chef, I’m a huge fan of cooking – and eating – delicious, wholesome meals! After all, when you cook from scratch, you can choose healthier ingredients and experiment with different flavours.
Get the kids involved too. Cooking helps to build their confidence in the kitchen and is an important life skill. Plus research shows that eating meals together as a family helps kids eat better and have healthier weights. So to celebrate Nutrition Month, here are some of my favourite tips to help you get creative in the kitchen.
• Pick a theme ingredient or cuisine for the month. Then flip through magazines, pick up a new cookbook or surf the Internet for recipe ideas. Me? I’m always looking for easy and nutritious fish recipes. So I’m planning to try this Becel Maple Mustard Salmon recipe. It uses ingredients that I always have on hand and it’s ready in less than 15 minutes – perfect for my busy weeknights!
• Stay organized. To save time, prep your ingredients in advance – chop the veggies, marinade the meat, and make the salad dressing the night before so that everything is ready to go as soon as you get home.
• Cook once, and eat it twice. I’m planning to take any salmon leftovers from tonight’s dinner and toss it into a salad with red onions, green leafy lettuce, orange peppers and avocado. Leftover cooked beans, meat or pasta will instantly perk up a soup or stir-fry.
• Make a few swaps. Do you love to bake? Use milk or yogurt instead of water to give muffins or banana bread a calcium and protein boost. Bake with an unsaturated fat such as soft non-hydrogenated margarine instead of butter, shortening or lard. Swap out some of the sugar with dried fruit or grated sweet veggies like carrots or beets – it’s a great way to add fibre to the recipe too.
• Share it. We eat with our eyes, so don’t forget to take a snapshot of your finished dish. Tweet it or post it on Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook. Share the actual recipe too and give it a rating out of five stars. Who knows – you might just inspire someone else to get cooking too – and that would be a wonderful thing!

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