A Taste of Summer All Year Long

The end of the growing season drawing in Canada is the perfect time to preserve some of your favourite fruits and vegetables. Jams, jellies, compotes, sauces, breads…the possibilities may seem endless, but don’t let that deter you. The first order of business is to identify what will appeal to the appetites in your household, and then determine how much time and effort you’re willing to invest. Fruit jams and pickled cucumbers are great, for instance, but require a fair bit of effort and some specialized equipment. By comparison, flash-freezing is relatively easy and locks in nutrients and much of that fresh taste.

Tomatoes are quite easy to flash-freeze. Cut away the stem end along with a centimetre or two of the fruit, and then drop them into boiling water for 30-60 seconds. Run them under cold water for a few seconds, then peel away the skin, place into a sealable freezer bag and pop them into the deep-freeze. Thawed, they make great starters for soups, stews and sauces. Blueberries, strawberries and peach slices also flash-freeze readily and make great additions to smoothies, pancakes and muffins.

Pesto is a favourite in our household because it freezes well and provides a taste of summer in the middle of winter. The simple and delicious recipe in the original Moosewood cookbook is ideal; be sure to follow its advice and add the Parmesan cheese only after thawing the paste. The price of basil, the primary ingredient, falls quickly when the final harvest floods farmers’ markets.

 

Freezing breads and cookies made from fruits and vegetables is another tasty way to incorporate local produce into your winter diet. Zucchini-chocolate-chip cookies are a favourite in our household; there’s a great recipe in Barbara Kingsolver’s book Animal, vegetable, miracle . The book documents her family’s year-long quest to emphasize local fresh produce in their diet and features a wonderful assortment of healthy, vegetable-friendly recipes designed to appeal to growing families. An Internet search will reveal a host of recipes for carrot cakes, zucchini loaves and other treats that freeze readily.

 

Give Thanks with Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Celebrated the second Monday in October, Thanksgiving typically marks the start of autumn and the end of the harvest in Canada. The roots of Canadian Thanksgiving lie in Martin Frobisher’s ill-fated attempt to establish a British colony on Baffin Island (now part of Nunavut) in 1578. After ice and storms wrecked one of the expedition’s 15 ships, the men celebrated a mass to give thanks for their survival. Other explorers, including Samuel de Champlain, later staged similar ceremonies as a way to give thanks. The tradition grew during the centuries that followed and Thanksgiving was assigned its current spot on Canadian calendars in 1957.

Thanksgiving retains many elements of this diverse history: a bountiful meal in the company of family and friends, and an expression of appreciation. While many families incorporate other rituals, such as football or board games, food remains central to the holiday. And menus tend to feature seasonal items such as turkey and fall fruits and vegetables—in particular apples, squash, potatoes and pumpkin.

To make the most of your Thanksgiving celebration, broaden the menu to include as many locally grown fruits and vegetables as possible. Start with a family visit to a farmers' market and encourage everyone to choose an item for the feast. In most parts of Canada, mid-October is peak time for a rich variety of vegetables, including beets, beans, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, celery, corn, cucumber, onions, potatoes, radishes and squash. Seasonal fruits include apples, pears and tomatoes.

Although the selection will vary depending on where you live, make a point to add a new item or two to the menu: roasted parsnips, for instance, or the oddly named Jerusalem artichoke—which is neither an artichoke nor native to Jerusalem. It is, in fact, a tuber also known as sunchoke, sunroot and earth apple, and it tastes great baked or roasted.

Allow the colours of fall to inspire your menu; add yellows, oranges and reds to your table’s palate with acorn, hubbard and butternut squashes, along with sweet potatoes, yams and beets. And remember to give thanks for nature’s bounty!

March is Nutrition month and at Mix it Up™ we want to know how you’re going to celebrate!

Share your favourite fruit and/or veggie rich recipes with us on Facebook. Then tweet at us (@FruitsNVeg) using the hashtag #NutritionMonth. Every week you’ll have a new chance to win a $25 Gift Card to a grocery store near you.

Full contest details are on our facebook page.

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Survive the holidays with Chicory

The Holiday season is upon us. It’s time to entertain guests as well as balance your day, making sure you are still eating healthy and getting the fuel you need to keep going. While the holidays may be your favourite season, they are also hectic so instead of reaching for a cup of coffee when you’re feeling the energy wind down, why not try some Chicory. Chicory is an edible herb widely used as a caffeine substitute giving you that burst of energy usually found in your “double double” - and there are several ways to consume chicory so that you get a great taste and a great boost.



Chicory is a naturally bitter herb when used raw, making it perfect for Italian, Spanish and Greek cuisine however cooking it will reduce the bitterness. Try stir frying it with garlic or lemon for a great fresh side dish alternative at the big holiday dinner. Use the leaves to create a new and exciting salad to impress friends and family.



Chicory was mainly grown in North Africa, Europe and Asia but now Chicory production is available in Quebec, making it easy for you to buy it close to home...so go ahead and Mix it up!®



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Dear, Old Dad

The cold weather is finally behind us - it’s time to get outside and take advantage of the warmer weather grilling season as much as possible! What better way to start than by honouring dear, old dad?

 

To celebrate Father’s day, why not whip up a meal fit for any grill master in your life? Colourful and flavour-packed steak and veggie kebabs will satisfy the meat lovers as well as providing all the benefits of colourful vegetables.

This is a dish is sure to become a family favourite and used a lot during the summer – it’s convenient, healthy and easy…oh and did we mention that it’s really good?!

 

Here’s what you’ll need:

      • Skewers (We suggest using the metal kind but if you use 
      bamboo as we did, soak them in water for at least 10 minutes
      before loading them up so they don’t burn!)
     • 1 lb steak - such as lean sirloin - cut into 2″ pieces
       • Chunks of yellow peppers

       • Cherry or grape tomatoes

       • Chunks of zucchini
     • Chunks of mushrooms or whole button mushrooms

 

 For the marinade:

 • 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
 •  2 Tablespoons soy sauce
 • 1/4 teaspoon salt
 • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
 • 1/4 teaspoon dried coriander
 • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
 • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
 • 1 clove garlic, minced

  

Directions:

Note: If using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for at least 10 minutes

1. Cut all the veggies into chunks – place together in a large bowl.

2. Cut the steak into 1.5″ – 2″ chunks – keep meat in a separate bowl.

3. Mix the marinade ingredients together.

4. Pour half the marinade over the veggies and the other half over the meat. Allow the veggies and meat to marinade for up at LEAST 20 minutes and up to 8 hours (cover and refrigerate).

5. Start skewering the veggies and meat in whatever taste and colour pattern you prefer.

6. Grill for 10 minutes – turning on occasion – or until meat is cooked through. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Serve and enjoy!

 

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New Angles

Spring has sprung as we’re feeling inspired! This is the season of renewal and refreshment, and with it comes an exciting array of out-of-the-box ideas for trying something different. Whether it’s a vegetable you’ve never tried before, a new recipe from a friend or a new way to serve fruit, branch out this spring and let your creativity bloom!

Refresh your favourites with any of the following fanciful ideas:

• Instead of lettuce and tomato on your sandwich, try crunchy raw slices of radish, mushroom, red pepper or English cucumber

• Add new vegetables to your salad. Opt for shredded raw kohlrabi, grated beets or sticks of crisp, sweet jicama

• Berries pair well with balsamic vinegar. Try a light vinaigrette on a spinach and strawberry salad, or mix blueberries, feta cheese and arugula and top with an olive oil and balsamic dressing.

• If you usually eat your carrots raw, try them roasted for a change. Or instead of steaming green beans, enjoy them raw and crunchy. Play with cooking techniques, times and textures to find something new that you like.

• Buy a leafy green vegetable that you’ve never tried before – maybe Swiss chard, kale, collards or dandelion greens. Sauté it simply with olive oil and garlic for a wonderful side dish.



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Celebrate Nutrition Month with a bounty of fresh produce!

Every March, Dietitians of Canada celebrates National Nutrition Month. This year, the Nutrition Month campaign focuses on the myths and misconceptions around healthy eating. There are lots of half-truths out there, and dietitians will do their best this month to spread the healthy truth.

A common myth is that it is difficult to eat right because planning well-balanced meals is hard to do. The truth? Many people are not sure where to start – but once you get the hang of it, it’s easy!

One sure-fire method to proper meal planning is to follow the Plate Rule. When you are thinking about a meal, visualize your dinner plate as having four quadrants. Fill two of these quadrants with your favourite vegetables and fruits, from stir-fried greens to apple slices to salad. Fill one quadrant with protein-rich food, such as chicken or fish. Fill the final quadrant with grains like pasta or brown rice. It’s such as simple way to make sure your meal is well-balanced and delicious!

It may be Nutrition Month, but the Mix it up!® team celebrates fruits and vegetables 365 days a year, and you can too!


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Turnips? Yes Please!

We confess. We love turnips. Rutabagas too. And beets, carrots and parsnips.

Winter is a great time to take advantage of root vegetables, which stay “in season” even when it’s snowy. Root vegetables are totally affordable, very versatile, and deliciously healthy. The trouble is, many people avoid these veggies because they either:

a)      Have childhood memories of eating bland, boiled root vegetables that didn’t pique their palate

OR

b)      Have no idea what to do with them after they buy them.

Here are some ideas for cooking up these vegetables – and the results are anything but bland.

·         Roast rutabagas, parsnips and carrots with your favourite herbs – try oregano, rosemary and basil with a ribbon of olive oil. Roasting brings out the delicious sweetness of these veggies and can turn even the most die-hard avoider into a root vegetable embracer.

·         Grate carrots and beets into a unique salad. Season with garam masala, cumin, cinnamon or other piquant spices. Top with a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries.

·         Prepare your normal vegetable soup, but use cubed carrots, parsnips and turnips as the base. 

·         Make pink pasta! Boil beets until tender, and save the beet-red cooking water. Use it to cook your favourite pasta shape, and the resulting noodles will be pink. Add cubed beets, goat cheese, roasted garlic and wilted arugula for an amazing pasta dish. 

·         Make a parsnip-carrot slaw with lemony vinaigrette for a great savoury side.

See? It’s possible to come up with creative, exciting meal ideas with root vegetables. Say good-bye to mushy over-boiled rutabagas and embrace your roots!

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Not just for breakfast...

Sure there are some common connections - fresh berries and bananas, for example. But when you think fruits and veggies, you don’t always think of cereal. Our friends over at Shreddies do and they’ve included Fruits and Veggies – Mix it up!® In an exciting contest that will help you think about it a little bit more too.


Think about some of the ways that you incorporate fruits and veggies into your meals and snacks. Now think about to mix that up by adding Shreddies to your favourite recipe – you might surprised at what you can come up with when you think outside the box! When you’re ready, cruise on over to our Facebook page (While you’re there, feel free to like us), follow the link to the Shreddies "Cook of the Week" contest and enter your new recipe for a shot at winning a cool $1,000 cash prize!

Don’t be afraid to Mix it up!®


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GUEST BLOGGERS: ANNA & KRISTINA (Part 2: Kristina)

If I had to choose one favourite fruit, it would be raspberries. I love to get my fill when they come in season in the summer. The best way to eat them is - they’re just bursting with flavour and don’t need any dressing up at all. Of course, who doesn’t enjoy raspberries on top of ice cream and other sweet delights?
I also enjoy raspberry jam any time of the year, on toast, as a cake filling or topping, and even in tarts or cookies. Have you ever tried baked brie with raspberry compote spread on a warm slice of baguette? A warm, sweet treat on a chilly winter’s day.

Buying Tips: Fresh raspberries have a pretty short shelf life, so it’s best to buy them and eat them right away. Look for plump, somewhat firm berries that are a deep pinky-red. Avoid any berries that are mouldy or squashed. Raspberries also freeze well and will last for up to a year.

As for my favourite vegetables, I want to say tomatoes and avocados, but those are actually fruit! When it comes to my favourite true vegetable, I do love potatoes. You can do so many things with them. Bake, boil, poach, fry, smoke, mash. Potatoes are so versatile, and they never disappoint!

Buying Tips: Choose potatoes that are fairly clean, smooth, firm and heavy for their size. Avoid any potatoes with dark spots, large cuts, growth cracks, bruises, decay, sprouts, or shrivelling. If you’re cooking from a recipe, pay attention to the type of potato called for. For example, baking potatoes are really only good for baking and turn chalky if cooked other ways. For boiling, you want smooth, new potatoes, which have more fibre and so hold together well.

I also love corn, asparagus, butter lettuce, and red peppers, all when in season. I enjoy them most when they’re freshly-picked, plain and simple, maybe with a bit of salt, pepper, and a dollop of good olive oil.

And I think radishes are totally under-appreciated. Beets too. I could go on and on.

-Kristina

Anna Wallner (left) & Kristina Matisic are journalists, shopaholics, and hosts of the cookbook and product testing series Anna & Kristina’s Grocery Bag, airing on W Network in Canada and OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network) in the USA. You may also know them from their original series, The Shopping Bags, and their fashion & beauty series, Anna & Kristina’s Beauty Call.



Read more about Anna & Kristina and all of their product reviews at annaandkristina.com.

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GUEST BLOGGERS: ANNA & KRISTINA (Part 1: Anna)

I am a tomato lover through and through. Any shape, type, size, or colour. Heirloom to beefsteak to Italian roma, cherry, grape, red, yellow, purple, or striped. I love them all. And there are so many different kinds of tomatoes.

I like to eat tomatoes plain, or dress them up with some simple sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil on toasted bread. Tomatoes are easy to take along for lunch, a snack, or a picnic. Little nuggets of juicy goodness. And they’re really good for you, too.

When they’re not in season, I still enjoy tomatoes year round. Stewed in a hearty pasta sauce, or as a sun-dried topping on my favourite food in the whole world: pizza. (Think tomatoes have anything to do with my pizza addiction? Yes, they certainly do.)

Buying Tips: Tomatoes should be somewhat firm yet yield to the touch. Choose the reddest, ripest tomatoes you can find for the most nutritional value, and then eat them right away. Avoid tomatoes that are going soft, wrinkly, or that have cracks or bruises. (If it’s just a small bruise and the rest is fine, you can get away with slicing off the bad part.)

Spinach is my favourite vegetable. I can’t get enough of it. Of course, I enjoy the usual spinach salad, which can easily be dressed up with nuts, even sunflower and pumpkin seeds. For a heartier salad, add some crumbled or grated cheese, and diced bacon or prosciutto. In the summer, try spinach salad with dried cranberries or other fruit, crumbled goat cheese, and top with raspberry vinaigrette.

But it doesn’t stop there. I really enjoy hot spinach dishes too. Spinach steamed with butter, salt, and garlic: yum. Spinach is also so easy to add to omelettes and other egg dishes. And of course, I like to put it on my homemade pizza!

Buying Tips: Look for plump, fresh-looking leaves that are a dark, even green. Smaller leaves (baby spinach) tend to have a sweeter flavour than larger ones. Avoid any spinach that is turning yellow or that have started to go slimy. These are past their prime.

- Anna


Anna Wallner (left) & Kristina Matisic are journalists, shopaholics, and hosts of the cookbook and product testing series Anna & Kristina’s Grocery Bag, airing on W Network in Canada and OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network) in the USA. You may also know them from their original series, The Shopping Bags, and their fashion & beauty series, Anna & Kristina’s Beauty Call.

Read more about Anna & Kristina and all of their product reviews at http://www.annaandkristina.com/. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Eating more fruits and veggies

The U.S. government released their new Dietary Guidelines for Americans on January 31st. One recommendation was to “Increase vegetable and fruit intake.” Another recommendation was to “Eat a variety of vegetables, especially dark green and red and orange vegetables and beans and peas.” These are very similar recommendations to what you find in Canada’s Food Guide.

What was interesting was that they translated the recommendation to “Increase vegetable and fruit intake” to “Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.” Now that makes it real. This helps you visualize how to increase your vegetables and fruit intake. I would add to this “Include vegetables and fruit as a main part of your snacks.”

How many servings of Vegetables and Fruit do we need every day?
Children need 4 – 6 servings a day; Teens need 7 – 8 servings a day and Adults need 7 – 10 servings a day.

Plan to have a serving at breakfast; morning snack; lunch; afternoon snack and a couple of servings at dinner. Here is an example of what that can look like, taking into account that it is February!

It is still easy to include those brightly coloured vegetables and fruits in the middle of winter.

Breakfast
1 cut up orange 1 serving
Snack
Carrots and celery sticks 1 serving

Lunch
Squash Soup 1 – 2 servings
Afternoon Snack
Pear 1 serving

Dinner
Green salad 1 serving
Broccoli 1 serving

There are many great options when it comes to vegetables and fruits no matter the season. You can also check the frozen plain vegetables and fruits to increase the variety.

Remember that a serving is ½ cup (125 mL) of fresh, frozen or canned vegetables; ½ cup (125 mL) cooked leafy vegetables; 1 cup (250 mL) raw leafy vegetables; 1 fruit or ½ cup (125 mL) fresh, frozen or canned fruits and ½ cup (125 mL) 100% juice.

By Carol Dombrow
Heart and Stroke Foundation registered dietitian,
Health Check program


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Kids can Mix it up!™ too

One of the (many) things that is so great about the Fruits and Veggies - Mix it up!™ program is the Freggie™ Children’s Program we’ve designed to compliment it. Our friend Freggie™ lives at www.freggietales.ca and encourages kids not only to eat their fruits and veggies each day but to learn and understand why it is so important for them. The website has fun games and recipes as well as the Freggie Tales Adventures™ newsletters and our popular Write to Freggie™ program. You’ll also find information about the Freggie Friday™ program and let me tell you, this is a program that we are both proud of and excited about – and not just because my kids think it’s “totally cool” that I get to work with Freggie!

Freggie Friday™ is available to schools across the country and we’re currently running a fully integrated pilot project with the Ottawa Catholic School Board and working with CHEO’s Healthy Active Living Obesity Research team to measure the impact of the program. We visit schools each week and deliver a 45 minute interactive presentation to help the kids (and their teachers) kick off the program.

We recently had the opportunity to bring the Freggie Friday™ program to St. Leo Catholic School in Etobicoke, Ontario, thanks to the generous support of our friends at Gambles Produce. The staff and students at St. Leo could not have been more welcoming – and polite! Freggie made some new friends while Kyla and Tom from Gambles Produce (pictured with Freggie below) provided apples, bananas and Clementines for each of Freggie’s new friends.

Our thanks to St. Leo for having us and to Gambles Produce for making our visit possible. We look forward to bringing Freggie™ to more schools across Canada so our kids can learn to Mix it up!™ too.

You can find out about Freggie by visiting http://www.freggietales.ca/ – click on the Parents and Teachers section for information about Freggie Friday™!

That’s all for now!
Lianne

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Plan to Mix it up!™

Always on the run? Too busy to eat a healthy diet rich in fruits and veggies? Doing a little prep work can help you include more fruits and veggies in your day. Here are some ways I try to Mix it up!™:

My favorite breakfast is a smoothie. Once fresh bananas start getting a little overripe, I peel them and place them in freezer bags to have on hand as the start of my breakfast smoothie. Check out CPMA’s Guide to Freezing Fruits and Veggies for more tips. I add some low-fat yogurt and then whatever fruits and veggies tempt me. Yes, veggies too! Carrots, celery and cucumber work great. My latest favorite is mango, banana, carrot, Clementine and yogurt. It takes just a couple of minutes to blend together and off I go. My son likes to experiment and choose what to layer in the smoothie – then we try to guess what colour it will turn out once blended.

Pack lots of fruits and veggies into your lunches - plan a little extra time after a shopping trip to prep your fruits and veggies for the week. Having cut up veggies makes it easy to throw together a quick salad for lunch or stir fry for dinner. I try to pack a small portion of veggies – red peppers, carrots, snow peas – for my afternoon snack.

Sunday afternoon we try to batch cook - spaghetti sauce, stew or soup – we keep enough on hand for a couple of lunches then freeze the remainder in smaller portions for a quick weeknight meal. I always know I have something in the freezer in a pinch.

-Melanie





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And finally...

Over the last few of weeks I’ve shared a few tips for how I trick..er...convince my children to eat their recommended 4 -6 servings of fruits and veggies each day. I am happy to say that they are coming around. Taking charge of their choices has made them more aware of what they like and what they really aren’t ready to like. There are tips available on the Fruits and Veggies – Mix it up!™ website but here are just a few final tips that work for us.

Be patient: Studies have shown that kids should try a new food at least 13 times - it can take that many times before they like it. We have a chart to keep track of what they’ve tried, like or don’t like. Taking charge of the chart has made them more open to the idea of trying things.

Good beginning and sweet ending: Start the day with sliced fruit, berries, or a small glass of unsweetened 100% fruit juice. Offer fresh fruit like grapes, blueberries, raspberries or peach slices and let the kids choose their own mix to add to their cereal or oatmeal. For dessert, serve pieces of fruit like banana slices, strawberries, slices of pear or apple with low-fat yogurt.

Finally,

Teach (and learn) by example: You are the best role model for your kids simply by eating a wide variety of fruits and veggies every day. And don’t forget the best resources for tips that work are probably at your fingertips; talk to your friends – old and new - to find out what has worked for them.

We’re always looking for good ideas…if you have a success story worth sharing, please let us know. Don't forget to Mix it up!

Lianne

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Happy Holidays!

Wishing you and yours a very happy holiday season!

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I use Mix it up!™ tips and tricks

We know that fruits and veggies are an important part of our daily diets but we also know that our kids can be...a little stubborn when it comes to eating their fruits and veggies. I am constantly telling my kids to eat their fruits and veggies and, with the help of tips and tricks gathered the Mix it up!™ team, have found a few creative ways to help ensure that my children get their recommended 4-6 servings of fruits and veggies each day. I shared a few tips with you last week and am happy to share a few more with you now.

Be creative: Add shredded carrots or diced peppers to a chicken salad sandwich or add some pureed fruit to muffins and pancake batter.

Double dip: Give kids raw veggies with hummus or a low fat salad dressing. Serve fresh fruit with low fat yogurt.

Let them take charge: Let children help in the kitchen. They are more likely to eat their fruits and veggies if they help prepare them – PLUS you’ll get to enjoy some quality time together.

Timing is everything: Offer fruits and veggies when your kids are most hungry: as a pre-dinner snack or right after school.

There are more tips available on the Fruits and Veggies – Mix it up!™ website and I’ll post a few more that have worked for us next week. We’re always looking for good ideas…if you have a success story worth sharing, please let us know.

In the meantime, have fun, explore and…mix it up!
Lianne



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They're good for you!

“Eat your fruits and veggies, they’re good for you!” We heard it over and over as kids and have almost certainly repeated it in some form or other as adults, especially as parents. Unlike many of our parents, we now have access to endless sources of information that can help us understand why each nutrient, vitamin and mineral found in any given fruit or vegetable is important and how it can impact our overall health.

I read recently that 70% of Canadian children are not meeting the recommended daily intake of fruits and veggies, as outlined by Canada’s Food Guide and that the same is true of more than 85% of elementary school age children in the US. As a mom to two fussy eaters - who are not actually as fussy as they can be stubborn - I have learned that when it comes to getting kids to eat their fruits and veggies, sometimes we need to have a little fun and be creative.

The Mix it up!™ team has searched, gathered and tried almost any tip or suggestion we could get our hands on and I am happy to say that my kids are coming around. They now know that they should have between 4 and 6 servings of fruits and veggies each day and they are beginning to understand that a serving may not be as much as they thought it was.

I know there are moms out there who, like I do, find themselves constantly saying, “Eat your fruits and veggies, they’re good for you!”, over the next few weeks, I will share some of the tried and true Fruits and Veggies – Mix it up!™ tips that have worked on my kids.

Have fun with food: Make a face on a mini pizza with carrot slivers for hair, mushroom eyes, an olive nose and a pepper slice mouth. Make fruit kebabs for a snack or dessert.

Be sneaky: Add fruits and veggies in with other foods – chop ‘em up or puree them and mix in with pasta sauces, casseroles, soup, omelets, muffin mix and so on.

Teamwork: Make tasty (and healthy) popsicles with 100% fruit juice and pieces of fresh fruit like strawberries, banana or berries - let the kids create their own popsicles.

There are more tips available on the Fruits and Veggies – Mix it up!™ Website and I’ll post a few more that have worked for us in the coming weeks. In the meantime, have fun, explore and…mix it up!

Lianne




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GUEST BLOGGER: GRAHAM KERR

A simple change can mean so much

In my 'hey-days' as the Galloping Gourmet, I served large portions of meat, usually 8-10 ounces, that had been sautéed in clarified butter and often flamed in Cognac and drowned in cream. To this I added a vegetable garnish.

No wonder Weight Watchers International sent me their "Broken Wooden Spoon Award" as the public enemy number 1 for world health!

I have now changed and I'm eating much better than I ever ate and enjoying it more. The meat is no longer the center of attention; it has become part of the chorus of tastes, aromas, colors and textures (T.A.C.T.) that truly represent what we love most about food.

We have lost weight, regained our health and have enough energy to continue to try to make a positive contribution as we seek to live within reason at the end of an unreasonable age.

So, won't you join us . . . just decrease the 'meats' by an ounce or two and add a vegetable or fruit that you enjoy. It's a real upgrade you'll never regret.

Go on . . . do yourself a flavor at every meal.

Graham Kerr
www.grahamkerr.com

Graham Kerr, once known as The Galloping Gourmet, is an internationally known culinary and television personality, award-winning author, and master of metaphorical speaking. His focus is on serving people who want to make healthy, creative, lifestyle changes and he believes that the only lasting changes are the ones that we enjoy. His life goal is “to help to convert habits that harm into resources that heal both for ourselves and others in need.”

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I Mix it up!™ too - Melanie

The last year of working on the Fruits and Veggies - Mix it up!™ campaign has been an exciting one! My work has taken me to California, Whitehorse, Halifax, Quebec City, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary and more. I’ve been privileged to see romaine lettuce harvested in the Salinas Valley, apples sorted in Kelowna, B.C., and I’ve talked to growers from around the world.

I’ve always loved fruits and veggies and as a mom of a 4 and a half year old boy, produce is a major part of our diets. What I didn’t know before starting on the Mix it up!™ campaign was the vast array of fruits and veggies that are available to us. I now make it a point to try something new every week. Whether I’m mixing it up by trying a new colour, a new variety or a new recipe, there’s no shortage of ideas. In the last couple of months our family has tried artichoke (I had no idea it was so easy to prepare), passion fruit, medjool dates, making our own potato cakes, and a rainbow of smoothies and salads.

I’ve also taken another look at a great tool – Canada’s Food Guide – to help me plan my snacks and meals. Most Canadians don’t eat their daily recommended servings of fruits and veggies and I wanted to know how I stacked up. Taking a look at all the food groups was an eye opener – I was over consuming in some areas and under consuming in others. No surprise – I have no trouble meeting my fruit and veggie requirements as I make a point to include them in some form at every meal and snack. I have posted the Food Guide on my fridge and now refer to it every morning as I pack our lunches for the day.

As we move forward with the Fruits and Veggies – Mix it up!™ campaign, you can expect more great tips, recipes, information on fruits and veggies, and some guest blogs!

Remember to Mix it up!™ at every meal and snack.
-Melanie

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