Next time you’re cooking dinner for the family, put out a plate of vegetables for kids to snack on–it will actually increase the amount of vegetables they eat during dinner!

According to a study out of Penn State, eating vegetables as a first course is a smart way to get children to eat more vegetables overall.

The study looked at 51 preschoolers at a daycare center. The children were provided with no carrots, 30 grams, 60 grams, or 90 grams of carrots as their first course. About 10 minutes later they were served a lunch of pasta, broccoli, low-fat milk, and unsweetened applesauce.

The kiddies who did not eat any carrots, consumed about 23 grams of broccoli. The ones who received 30 grams of carrots ate 50 percent more than those who had none. And, the children who ate 60 grams of carrots as a first course ate nearly 63 grams of broccoli, tripling those who had no carrots at all.

So now, put out some brightly colored vegetables as a first course (think carrots, red peppers, broccoli, tomatoes)–and make sure the kids see you snacking on them too!

-Nicole McGovern

Once the summer squash and zucchini start popping up, they don’t really stop–not for a while at least. (Anyone who’s ever grown either of them in a garden before will definitely be familiar with this!) While most of us could probably eat warm-weather treats like strawberries and blueberries by the bucket, however, eating plain, raw summer squash can get sort of boring after a while. Sure, its cool and crunchy, and goes well in salads or with any number of dips, but after that, you need to branch out–probably one of the reasons there are so many great recipes utilizing the veggies in all sorts of ways. If you’re looking for a way (or more than one!) to use up your summer squash and zucchini, check out some of these deliciously good-for-you recipes:

• Ditch cold cereal in favor of a savory breakfast cake loaded with eggs and summer veggies–including zucchini–courtesy of KIWI’s Food Editor, Cricket Azima.
• 101 Cookbook’s Special Zucchini Bread certainly lives up to its name, made with whole wheat pastry flour and walnuts, plus some crystallized ginger for added zing.
• With its mild flavor, zucchini works well in many raw food dishes, including a bean-free zucchini hummus and “noodle” dishes like zucchini marinara or zucchini alfredo with basil and cherry tomatoes, all whipped up by Choosing Raw.
• Thinly sliced zucchini carpaccio with grated Parmesan from the Smitten Kitchen is the perfect stand-in for your typical romaine side salad.
• Finally, you can’t forget dessert! (Albeit a super healthy one.) Try SweetSavvy’s recipe for zucchini brownies, made with whole wheat pastry flour, date sugar, yogurt, and of course–tons of zucchini.

Got a favorite way to use up all of your zucchini and summer squash? Tell us about it!

-Marygrace, KIWI Staffer

Do we really need an excuse to eat chocolate? Well it seems we have more and more reasons to eat it these days. Most people don’t realize that chocolate, much like fruits and vegetables is plant derived. Dark chocolate bars, with high-cocoa content, are loaded with something called epicatechin. Epicatechin is a particularly active member of a group of compounds called plant flavoniods. Flavonoids help protect us by exhibiting anti-oxidant activity in the body.

And here is more good news, some of the fats in chocolate are actually good for you! The fats in chocolate are 1/3 oleic acid, 1/3 stearic acid and 1/3 palmitic acid. Oleic Acid is a heart-healthy monounsaturated fat that is also found in olive oil. Stearic Acid is a saturated fat, but one which research is shows has a neutral effect on cholesterol. Palmitic Acid is also a saturated fat, however this one does raise cholesterol and increases the risk for heart disease. That means that only 1/3 of the fat in dark chocolate is bad for you. Not bad when you consider that alternative sweet treats such as baked goods are often loaded in partially hydrogenated fats, and excessive amounts of plant fats such as soy and canola oil which promote inflammation in the body.

In a study published in the journal Hypertension in August 2005, researchers from Italy found that dark chocolate may lower blood pressure in people with hypertension. The research also found that levels of LDL cholesterol in these individuals dropped by 10 percent. Another study showed that flavonoids in cocoa prevent fat-like substances in the bloodstream from oxidizing and clogging the arteries which will make blood platelets less likely to stick together and cause clots.

While a little dark chocolate can be good, a lot is not better. Chocolate is still loaded with calories. If you’re going to put more chocolate in your diet, you’ll have to cut back somewhere else. Don’t forget that a balanced diet, full of other plant based foods, and plenty of exercise is still the key to heart health.

So remember, pure cocoa powder ranks the healthiest amongst all chocolate products, followed by dark chocolate and milk chocolate. The way that cocoa powder and chocolate syrups are manufactured, removes most flavonoids and depletes the finished product of any health benefits. Avoid all chocolate products with artificial sweeteners and corn syrup and look for ones with high cocoa content. According to the Chocolate Manufacturers Association, dark chocolate contains about eight times the amount of polyphenol antioxidants found in strawberries. How about some chocolate covered strawberries? It is almost berry season.

– Dr. Keri Marshall MS, ND is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor who specializes in holistic pediatrics and women’s medicine.

It’s time again for another round-up of the best of the mom blogosphere!  Here’s what’s going on…

• Hopping on board the backyard vegetable garden train this spring?  Nature Moms reviews garden tool sets and gear for your little farmers-in-training.
• To school or not to school?  Read about Mama-Om’s journey on her family’s decision to send their son to school or stick to unschooling at home.
• Green Baby Guide puts the bokashi bin, an indoor composting system from Japan.
• Forget balance.  Instead, Healthy Green Moms says we should be seeking harmony.
• The Soft Landing Blog covers possible legislation for federal ban of BPA in children’s food containers.  Yes!

What’s happening on your blog?  We want to know!

Marygrace, KIWI intern

With the local, sustainable food movement gaining serious momentum, you’ve probably heard the growing buzz about community supported agriculture, or CSA, over the past few years.  Joining one gives your family the opportunity to support a local farm by providing it with the investment capital necessary at the start of each growing season, well before any crops are harvested.  In much of the country, that time is right now!

Participating in a CSA is basically like paying for an entire season’s worth of farmers’ market goods without ever having to make the trip.  Pay for a share (usually enough to feed a family of four) now, then receive a box of fresh, local produce each week throughout harvesting time. While some CSAs do deliver, most drop their boxes at a central location for member pick-up.

Vegetable CSAs are the most common, but many farms also offer shares of fruit, meat, eggs or dairy, and even flowers.  No matter what type of food you receive, however, the benefits of CSAs remain: Your food supply will be healthy, as fresh as fresh gets, and have a low environmental impact, while your family will be connected to the local land and community.  To find a CSA near you, visit localharvest.org.

Marygrace, KIWI intern and local produce fanatic

If your family is hoping to grow a few green thumbs this spring, don’t delay! Get a head start in the winter. Unlike their warm-season counterparts, cool-season crops are best started in early spring, so they’ll have enough time to fully mature before the summer heat arrives. Exact dates for planting seeds will vary slightly depending on your geographic location and the variety of the vegetables you are planting. Delicious cool-season veggies include calcium-rich kale to beta-carotene-packed carrots. Take advantage of a sunny March day and bring the kids to a local nursery, or check out a USDA-certified organic seed company  online. Both are great ways for the kids to decide what cool-season veggies they want to see in their spring salad!

Sara, KIWI intern

When it comes to food, we recommend eating organic. That being said, the realities of life don’t always allow us to be 100% organic. So when you have to give up something, where should you start? According to the Daily Green, here is a list of 10 fruits and vegetables that’s you don’t necessarily have to buy organic (all the time). Why don’t these need to be grown organically? Well, most of the following “face fewer threats from pests such as insects or disease, so fewer pesticides need to be used OR have thick skins that protect the fruit from pesticide build-up.”

1. Asparagus
2. Avocado
3. Bananas
4. Broccoli
5. Clean Cabbage
6. Kiwi
7. Mango
8. Onions
9. Papaya
10. Pineapple

–Stephanie, KIWI staff and lover of families

I am trying to figure out how and where to plant a garden in my yard but I have some serious obstacles. As I mentioned before, I have two very wild and crazy dogs (Mya and Stewpot) from Bratislava (kidding) who have the run of my backyard. When I say “run,” it isn’t in jest. They have run through my backyard chasing critters and actually made the pachysandra retreat and die. We have a wooded lot, so there isn’t a perfect spot in the back to plant where I wouldn’t need a 6-ft fence to keep the mutts out.

The front yard is more lush (no dogs) but the deer have realized through their pee-mail network (my husband’s joke – we have email, critters have peemail) that the dogs don’t go there. I really should install a sneeze shield and take-out containers in the front because it is one giant deer salad bar. And, I don’t want to be the eyesore of the neighborhood by building a 6-ft fence around a garden plot (although the neighbor across the way is very unfriendly, which is an incentive to build something and paint it pink).. But I really want to grow vegetables. I refuse to take down trees and container gardening just doesn’t inspire me.

I need an intervention. My mom who is 82 tells me stories about the garden her father planted and how her mom got them through winters during the Depression by canning and storing every fruit and vegetable. We always had a large vegetable garden when I was growing up in Pennsylvania. I actually used to dislike it because one of my chores was weeding it. If I had to write a country song about it, it would be titled: I Was Composting Before Composting Was Cool.