One New Healthy Food a Week (52 New Foods)

Posted by Erin Nantell on January 04, 2013 0 Comments

52 weeks, 52 new foods. This simple challenge planted the seeds of change at our family table. Pick a new healthy food to try each week and join the adventure!

Whether your kids are the picky eaters, or you are the culprit, it can be challenging to break out of the rut of serving the same three vegetables each week. But the key to eating healthy is to make colorful and diverse healthy food choices, which is why kids earn points for eating servings of colorful fruits and vegetables, and bonus points for trying new foods, when they play Crunch a Color: The Healthy Eating Game.

Last January, as a way to earn more of those alluring bonus points, we took on one simple challenge, together as a family: 52 weeks, 52 new foods. The adventure inspired our family to welcome a cornucopia of new foods to our table and make healthy eating fun for our whole family.

Fifty-two weeks later, I am proud to say that we achieved our goal, but the journey was infinitely more important than the destination. Our 52 New Foods adventure challenged everyone in the family to try something new each week, it encouraged us to start a garden, it brought us together to cook and enjoy healthy food as a family, and it connected us with new friends and food lovers in our community. We learned about where our food comes from, the artisans who work tirelessly to grow it, and how the food choices we make impact our neighborhood and the bigger world around us. 52 New Foods planted the seeds of change at our family table.

We hope you’ll join us as we continue our 52 New Foods adventure in 2013. It's easy to get started! Here’s how:

Let your kids choose one new healthy food to try each week.

Head out to the farmers’ market together and encourage your kids to discover new, seasonal vegetables and fruits to try. Putting the kids in charge of the adventure is the key to making it fun.

Cook the recipes together as a family.

Tune into the Crunch a Color recipe blog each week for easy, healthy, family-friendly recipes. Set aside one night a week for “new food night” and enjoy cooking together as a family. Our recipes generally feature five ingredients or less, and are easy enough for a five year old to make!

Make it fun.

Whether you’re racking up points for trying new foods with Crunch a Color: The Healthy Eating Game, or inviting giggles to your family table with Crunch a Color: Conversation Starters for Kids, make mealtime fun! Reward your healthy eating each week with an active family adventure, like a bike ride together to a new park or a trip to a local farm.

Record your favorite recipes.

Snap a photo, jot your recipes in a journal, or mark your healthy food of the week on your calendar. This is a great way to keep on track. At the end of the year, you’ll have a treasured family cookbook of new healthy foods to enjoy together.

What new, healthy foods will you try in 2013? Get your healthy food list started with these easy, family-friendly recipes:

About the author: Jennifer Tyler Lee is a mom of two children and the creator of Crunch a Color® -- the award-winning nutrition games that make healthy eating fun. Like most parents, she struggled to get her kids to eat healthy, balanced meals, so she decided to make it into a healthy eating game and she’s giving back to support non-profit kids’ nutrition programs. Winner of the Dr. Toy and Parent Tested, Parent Approved awards, Crunch a Color® has been featured by Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, Laurie David’s Family Dinner, Kiwi Magazine, Dr. Greene, and Yum Food & Fun For Kids, among many others, as a simple, fun and playful way to get kids to eat healthy and try new foods. Jennifer’s passion is making mealtime fun, easy and healthy for busy families. Her easy recipes, quick tips, and new food adventures are regularly featured at Pottery Barn Kids, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, The Huffington Post, and on her weekly recipe blog at crunchacolor.com.

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Best Healthy Recipes of 2012 (52 New Foods)

Posted by Erin Nantell on January 03, 2013 4 Comments

The best healthy recipes of 2012 as voted by the toughest food critics at the table!

My kids were great at the 3 Ps: Pasta, pizza, and peas. Getting them to try new foods was a terrible struggle, until I turned healthy eating into a game with Crunch a Color. Kale became cool when it was worth 15 points and earning bonus points for trying new foods was irresistible. 

So last January, as a way to earn those alluring bonus points, we decided to take on one simple challenge, together as a family: 52 weeks, 52 new foods. The goal was to make it easy and fun for the whole family to cook and enjoy new, healthy foods together. This simple, singular goal was one that we all agreed would be fun to achieve and easy to remember.

Best Healthy Recipes of 2012

Of the 52 New Foods we tried, these 10 easy recipes were voted “Best Healthy Recipes of 2012” by my kids:

Broiled Grapefruit: This deliciously simple broiled grapefruit recipe adds a flavorful twist to your table: a sweet and juicy treat without a drop of refined sugar.

Mini Apple Pear Crisp: Filled to the brim with sweet, bubbling fresh pears, apples and cranberries, this mini apple pear crisp is the perfect treat to serve at a cozy winter get-together by the fire with friends and family.

Romanesco Broccoli: Romanesco was a new discovery for my kids and me! This spiraling spectacle looks like a cross between broccoli and cauliflower, and made a deliciously fun addition to our family table.

Easy Butternut Squash Soup: This easy butternut squash soup recipe is a healthy version of my favorite holiday soup – and can be made ahead to give you more time to celebrate with friends and family.

Tomato Pops: Tomato mozzarella skewers with a kid-friendly twist, this easy recipe for Tomato Pops makes the seasonal bounty of fresh picked cherry tomatoes even more fun to enjoy with your kids!

Nut Free Basil Pesto: Nut free basil pesto made straight from our garden. Dig in!

Healthy Zucchini Muffins: Healthy zucchini muffins are fun to make and even more fun to enjoy cuddled up with your kiddos on a leisurely Saturday morning.

Easy Homemade Tomato Sauce: That’s amore! No longer will plates be brimming over with boring buttered pasta. Enjoy a boost of color with this deliciously easy, homemade tomato sauce that will have your whole family singing the praises of simple Italian cooking.

Healthy No Bake Cookies: Quick and easy (for you or your kids) to make, these tasty no bake cookies use sunflower butter instead of peanut butter to create a delicious batch of nut-free, healthy, no bake cookies that are great for dessert or a lunchtime snack.

Quinoa Stuffing: For a healthy twist on a holiday favorite, this easy recipe for gluten-free stuffing made with quinoa, apples, sweet potato and walnuts is just the ticket.

What’s Next?

In 2013, Crunch a Color’s 52 New Foods adventure is setting off on a tour around the world with Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution! I hope you and your family will join us for the ride.

What new healthy foods will you try this year? Start your list of 52 Healthy Foods to Try in 2013!

About the author: Jennifer Tyler Lee is a mom of two children and the creator of Crunch a Color® -- the award-winning nutrition games that make healthy eating fun. Like most parents, she struggled to get her kids to eat healthy, balanced meals, so she decided to make it into a healthy eating game and she’s giving back to support non-profit kids’ nutrition programs. Winner of the Dr. Toy and Parent Tested, Parent Approved awards, Crunch a Color® has been featured by Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, Laurie David’s Family Dinner, Kiwi Magazine, Dr. Greene, and Yum Food & Fun For Kids, among many others, as a simple, fun and playful way to get kids to eat healthy and try new foods. Jennifer’s passion is making mealtime fun, easy and healthy for busy families. Her easy recipes, quick tips, and new food adventures are regularly featured at Pottery Barn Kids, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, The Huffington Post, and on her weekly recipe blog at crunchacolor.com.

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Kumquat Jam (Week 51, 52 New Foods)

Posted by Jennifer Lee on December 31, 2012 0 Comments

Kumquat jam adds a simple splash of citrus to savory dishes: a burst of sunshine to start the New Year!

Like tiny bright lights sparkling on a gray winter day, kumquats brought a burst of color and fun to our family table this week. Thought to bring good luck and prosperity for the New Year, these little citrus buds made a big splash with my kids. Their tart flavor is like a cross between an orange and a lemon.  

Kumquat Jam

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 to 20 minutes
Yield: Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients:

2 cups kumquats, cut into quarters
½ cup water
1 cup sugar

Directions:

1. Wash and cut the kumquats into quarters, removing the seeds.   

2. Bring the water and sugar to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.

3. Add the kumquats to the sugar water and boil gently for 10 minutes. Remove and discard seeds that float to the top.

4. Drain the kumquats through a sieve, then return the syrup to the pot and simmer gently for another 3 to 5 minutes. Pour ¼ cup of the reduced syrup over the kumquats.

5. Cool then serve.

We enjoyed our kumquat jam on cheese, bread, and savory dishes like chicken and salmon. But in the end, my kids had the most fun just eating the fruit straight from the basket. Sometimes, simple is best!

* Have you tried kumquat jam? What is your favorite way to enjoy this playful winter fruit?

Craving more easy recipes to try? Catch up on last week’s recipe: Cranberry Pomegranate Sauce

About the author: Jennifer Tyler Lee is a mom of two children and the creator of Crunch a Color® -- the award-winning nutrition games that make healthy eating fun. Like most parents, she struggled to get her kids to eat healthy, balanced meals, so she decided to make it into a healthy eating game and she’s giving back to support non-profit kids’ nutrition programs. Winner of the Dr. Toy and Parent Tested, Parent Approved awards, Crunch a Color® has been featured by Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, Laurie David’s Family Dinner, Kiwi Magazine, Dr. Greene, and Yum Food & Fun For Kids, among many others, as a simple, fun and playful way to get kids to eat healthy and try new foods. Jennifer’s passion is making mealtime fun, easy and healthy for busy families. Her easy recipes, quick tips, and new food adventures are regularly featured at Pottery Barn Kids, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, The Huffington Post, and on her weekly recipe blog at crunchacolor.com.

Read More