Theresa Albert is a nutritionist, best-selling cookbook author, and Food Network personality, and we're thrilled to have her with us for the next few weeks to provide her unique brand of cooking and nutritional knowledge. I shared with some of my colleagues the fact that I am working with the Chicken Farmers of Canada to help Canadians get wholesome, simple meals on their tables.  Luckily, my colleagues are some of the smartest, busiest women and mothers around. Even more luckily, they agreed to let me mine their lives and share their tips for doing just that.  What you will find over the next 6 blogs are those interviews.  The names have not been changed to protect the innocent; in fact, they are proudly displayed so we can all see that every family has its way of doing things and learn from each other! This edition’s interviewee: Alyson Schafer Alyson Schafer is a psychotherapist and parenting expert. She is the host of TV's The Parenting Show and bestselling author of "Honey, I Wrecked The Kids" and "Breaking The Good Mom Myth". Theresa: As a parenting expert and a parent of two teenagers, can you share some insight into the misperceptions kids/tweens/teens have about the role of fat in a healthy diet? Alyson: Teens want to look like the iconic models in magazines and music videos.  That means, no fat on the body, and somehow, that simplistically translates in their minds into “don't eat fat so you won't get fat”.  There is no awareness of the difference between good and bad fats, and the fact that fats play a vital role in health.  They know about French fries and mayo, but both my girls were shocked to learn that the avocados I put on their sandwiches were a good source of fat! Theresa: How do we introduce the topic of fat to kids so that they don't hyper focus on it? Alyson: I have talked to my daughters about cultural beauty variations.  In some countries, having a fat wife is a sign of wealth and prosperity because food is so scarce; only the well off can eat and be plump. We need fat to survive.  Our bodies are smart and if we don't have enough fat, we stop menstruating for example, because our body knows we are basically subsisting and therefore pro-creation isn’t a priority. I teach them about common practice of altering pictures and they have watched the DOVE beauty media campaign.  I do think they are starting to understand that fat is not the enemy.  They are beginning to see fat much like they see vitamin D or calcium or whole grains.  It’s a compound that is part of the things we must eat in the right forms and in the right proportions.  But it takes a lot of conversations to get this idea across. Theresa: What's good, what's bad? Alyson: Parents model their own attitudes and behaviours to their children.  They are watching you more than they are listening to you. Theresa: Do you know and have you explained the different types of fat and what is needed to your kids? Alyson: I am confused myself sometimes!  I am not a fan of margarine for example, but my children like how it spreads on bread right out of the fridge.  The practical over rides the health factors at this age because they think they are indestructible.  Old people get cancer not teenagers, right? They think "when I grow up, I'll eat healthy like mom” but for now I am a teenager!  We're supposed to drink milkshakes and eat French fries. It’s our rite of passage.  I do my best to chat it up when they seem receptive, and I cook healthily.  I figure that is the best influence I can have at the moment. Theresa: Can you please share some lean sources of protein that you serve/suggest? Alyson: I have one daughter who is a vegetarian and the other has to watch her blood sugar levels because she is prone to fainting.  That means I always have some "protein" in the fridge that is easy to grab.   Usually it’s a container filled with slices of cheddar or I'll pre-slice organic turkey or chicken kielbasa.  There is always hummus and whole grain crackers in the house.  I love to steam and dip edamame pods, and a mix of almonds with dried cranberries always sits next to the peanut butter and chocolate hazelnut spread.   We eat tofu occasionally, but eat LOTS of beans. I find that North Americans are under-informed about the benefits of beans.  It is helpful to learn about how other countries cook protein by enhancing them with beans. Theresa’s Wrap Up We do need good fat in order to lubricate everything from our eyelids to our brains to our joints.  A little bit of the saturated fat from animal sources like dairy and chicken actually protect the good fats within our bodies. Good fat sources that come from things like avocados, raw extra virgin olive oil and nuts are needed in small amounts. Experts recommend that you get 20-30% of your calories from fats right in line with the amount in skinless chicken, go figure.

Judy Scott Welden is a consumer advocate, nutritionist, and media spokesperson. She is passionate about bringing nutritious foods to Canadian families and we're happy to have her unique perspective in her upcoming series of posts at chickenfeeds.ca. Water is essential to the body, making up about 60% of an adult’s body weight (and an even higher percentage in children).  Water plays an essential role moving nutrients through our body, helping to maintain normal blood pressure and serving as a lubricant and cushion around joints and in our eyes. Water is key to regulating body temperature through perspiration and also helps prevent constipation by helping move digested food through the intestinal tract. The amount of water our bodies need depends on age, gender, level of physical activity and even the weather.  For optimal health it’s important to drink up, increasing your water consumption with your physical activity and on hot days. Don’t despair if water isn’t your favourite thirst quencher. Our daily water intake doesn’t just come from the water we drink. Other fluids such as milk, juice, coffee, tea and soups also contribute significantly to our daily total – and nearly all foods contain some water. Most fruits and vegetables are about 90% water and many meats and cheeses contain at least 50% water. Helpful hints:

• Aim for 6-8 cups of water every day and drink more when you’re active and especially during hot weather.
• Make water your constant companion – carry a bottle with you at work or school or whenever you leave the house.
• Start your meal with a broth-based soup, like chicken noodle.  It not only contributes to hydration but as an added bonus may make you feel fuller, preventing overeating and weight gain.  Homemade soups are your best bet as you can limit the amount of salt.
• Limit fruit juices. Although a good source of fluid and nutrients, even 100% fruit juice contains high amounts of natural sugars and it’s easy to drink a lot of extra calories.
• Listen to your thirst cues – but keep in mind if you’re feeling thirsty you’re already dehydrated. Try to increase your water intake so you don’t get to that stage.

This month we feature Vancouver  based, Darina Kopcok of  gratineeblog.com.  Darina’s blog is both visually pleasing and inspiring. 1. Who taught you to cook? I have always experimented in the kitchen. I began by trying to recreate some of my favourite restaurant dishes, breaking them down by ingredients and relying on some of the techniques I learned from my mother and grandmother. Some of these dishes turned out beautifully, others were failures. It was only when I started food writing that I actually began cooking according to the recipes of authors that I respected. This is when my cooking began to improve measurably. However, I don't think I would have been able to improve so much on my own without building a knowledge base of various techniques throughout the years. 2. You've written quite a bit about Julia Child.  How has she influenced your cooking? I find the Julia Child story incredibly inspiring. This is a woman to whom success came rather late in life, yet she went on to revolutionize the world of food in North America and is celebrated as an icon across the globe. Her story is proof that it's never too late to achieve your dreams. She was an incredibly hard worker and I admire her dedication, passion, and attention to detail. She is truly an inspiration. 3. How does cooking influence your everyday life? I have always believed that food is about more than just sustenance; it's about memory, family, community. Cooking connects you to so many things. It's about nurturing yourself and those important to you. Very few things in life create the bond that sharing a meal together does. To me, cooking is nourishment on so many levels. 4. How do you start creating a new recipe? Over the years I have come to a basic understanding of ratios and ingredients that combine well, so no matter what I want to make, I start from there. Also, after I make a dish a few times, I usually incorporate changes and make it my own. Eventually it's not even the same recipe anymore. I cook mostly Mediterranean dishes and spend time researching authentic recipes and the techniques used to execute them. Once I have an understanding of a dish, I start experimenting. 5. What's the best piece of advice you have for someone who wants to cook more, but doesn't know where to start? My strongest recommendation would be to get a copy of Larousse Gastronomique. It has an incredible wealth of information on ingredients and, of course, technique--which I believe is the cornerstone of good cooking. Plus, it contains hundreds of amazing recipes. I would also choose a few recipes from a classic cookbook like Mastering the Art of French Cooking and cook them exactly as printed. Once you have mastered them, choose another and go from there. Soon enough you will have built your repertoire.

Theresa Albert is a nutritionist, best-selling cookbook author, and Food Network personality, and we're thrilled to have her with us for the next few weeks to provide her unique brand of cooking and nutritional knowledge. I shared with some of my colleagues the fact that I am working with the Chicken Farmers of Canada to help Canadians get wholesome, simple meals on their tables.  Luckily, my colleagues are some of the smartest, busiest women and mothers around. Even more luckily, they agreed to let me mine their lives and share their tips for doing just that.  What you will find over the next 6 blogs are those interviews.  The names have not been changed to protect the innocent; in fact, they are proudly displayed so we can all see that every family has its way of doing things and learn from each other! This edition’s interviewee:  Julie Cole Julie Cole is the Co-Founder of Mabel’s Labels Inc. (www.mabel.ca) and the proud mother of six. You can read her blogs at www.mabelhood.com/JulieCole and www.thebabymachine.com Follow her on Twitter @juliecole. Theresa: You run a successful enterprise plus parent 6 kids; can you share some thoughts on how you feel about the dinner hour? Julie: Well, I call the dinner hour “feeding time at the zoo”, so that will give you some indication of what dinner is like in my house! We have a very busy household full of active kids between the ages of one-year-old and 10 years-old. I actually feed the children quite early and they do eat separately from me and their Dad during the week. I understand that it is not ideal but it works for our family. My husband works late, and by the time he is home, some kids are already off at soccer games and dance classes. Plus, when the children come home from school, they are always hungry. I try to take advantage of that and get a healthy meal into them then, rather than having them snack. Theresa: Even when you are rushing around to soccer, ballet, music lesson or hockey how do you plan so you don’t have to resort to fast food? Julie: Planning is the key. I do find that feeding them before heading out to their activities cuts down on having to resort to fast food. That’s not to say they don’t get the odd Timbit thrown at them on the way home from baseball, but I always have snacks from home on hand. And keep in mind, fast food is not actually all that convenient for a big family – imagine a handful of kids all trying to eat meals in the car – it makes for a lot of garbage and it actually ends up being quite expensive. Theresa: When you do order fast food, what are the healthier choices? Julie: On the occasion that we do get fast food, I’m not really thinking healthy. Sure, I’ll make them get milk instead of pop with their fries, but they certainly are not swapping their burgers for salads. My kids generally order chicken anyways so although it may be breaded or fried, I’m counting on them getting some decent protein from the chicken itself. Theresa: Do you have a secret, “go-to”chicken recipe that pleases most of your kids and comes together easily so you can sit down to dinner? Julie: Not so much a secret, but my kids love dishes like Rogan Josh with chicken, as well as butter chicken. I love that I can make them in big batches and put them in the freezer. They freeze well and my kids will gobble it up! That makes life a lot easier for this busy mom entrepreneur! Theresa’s Wrap Up I want to be one of your kids, Julie! It sounds like loving, artful mayhem. I think you have it right on the money that a decent meal before activities beats snacking hands down. It’s pretty impressive that your kids like Indian flavours, you must have started them at a young age. A snack really has to be considered fuel that keeps the body going and blood sugar even so that an active child can stay that way (without the meltdown). Bringing snacks from home like whole grain crackers and pieces of fruit sure would beat the expense of fast food and the activity of ducking those Timbits! Thanks for your insight. DINNER - PLANNING AHEAD/VIDEO Planning ahead for dinner is important to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Nutritionist, best-selling cookbook author and Food Network personality Theresa Albert shows how to make a double batch of aromatic butter chicken, with lower-fat ingredient options. httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYrPvmxKFUo

"They” say that a young one’s small stomach means that large meals are an impossibility – that’s not exactly true in our household.  While the Little Prince is now one year old, with a mouth full of teeth – with more coming in each day, it seems – the impact of such development on his appetite is negligible. Now, though, we’re noticing that he’s becoming more of a snacker. Meals are getting a little smaller and his daily snacks are getting a little bigger – I guess he just needs to fuel himself throughout the day now that he is EVERYWHERE! There are all kinds of pre-packaged foods out there that claim to be perfect for the snacking toddler – I’m a little more skeptical.  As a result, I’ve resumed my habit of being a big label reader.  The general rule is that if there’s an ingredient I can’t pronounce with relative ease – or if I can’t buy the ingredients individually, I don’t buy the product. Some of His Highness’ favourite snacks are not (thank heavens) nutritionally empty foods. We work to make sure that he gets a quality snack that is healthy for him.  And he’s good with that – in fact, we’ve even tried some of the pre-packaged foods – and he’s not a big fan. Our greatest successes come with finger foods that go into a suction-cup-based bowl that I place on the coffee table while he’s running around, along with a sippy cup of water or heavily diluted juice.  I use things like some cheese I’ve cut up into small pieces, or a handful of chopped chicken, or even some chopped up blueberries (he’s crazy about blueberries). Then a few weeks ago, something happened to add more to his snacking experience.  We all went to a Lebanese restaurant – one I know well, where they make all their own food, sauces and breads.  Imagine my son’s surprise when he snatched my spoon and immediately dipped it into a creamy white sauce (that I can only assume he thought was yogurt), only to find out that it was garlic sauce!  His face was priceless!  I then introduced him to the hummus – which he enjoyed much more. It did get me to thinking, though – what about dips and sauces?  So, since then, he’s been trying new dips, like tzatziki (a great recipe is here), or hummus, or even a homemade ranch dressing.  I use softer things, like chicken strips or cooked veggies as the dish alongside them, and I have to admit, he likes them – very much.  He’s not big on the dipping thing yet, so sometimes, I just drizzle the sauces onto the foods.  He’ll get it soon, though! The thing is, I’m hoping that he learns to love a wider variety of healthy foods than, say, his finicky father (love you, honey) for both meals and snacks. By constantly switching things up and trying new things, we’re getting there!

Theresa Albert is a nutritionist, best-selling cookbook author, and Food Network personality, and we're thrilled to have her with us for the next few weeks to provide her unique brand of cooking and nutritional knowledge. One of the toughest things about managing your health is the fact that our culture likes to eat away from home. Restaurants are a true pleasure but when you hand someone else the responsibility of deciding what goes into your meal and how much goes onto your plate, it can too often be a pitfall.  The following is a process excerpted from my book Ace Your Health, 52 Ways to Stack Your Deck (McClelland and Stewart 2010) and it represents the best advice that I have compiled over the years. When you must dine out, offer to choose the restaurant for the party and make the reservation. This will allow you to be sure there is something tasty that you can eat that won’t blow your whole week. Buffets are the very last resort: too many bad choices equals too much temptation. From best to worst, the choices are:

• Asian (only sushi made with brown rice) − stir-fried, grilled or teriyaki chicken or fish
• Greek (grilled meats and veg, go easy on the dips)
• Other Mediterranean
• Seafood or shellfish, grilled
• Contemporary fresh (vegetarian, vegan, raw etc.)

Whatever kind of restaurant you choose; here are some tips on ordering:

• Send away the bread basket if your tablemates agree (you can ask for it back later when you are full of good, worthwhile food).
• Ask for a large glass of ice water and drink it all before you eat anything.
• Decide how many alcoholic drinks you will have now (before you have two and your defenses go down and you tell yourself: “Oh, c’mon, one more won’t make that much difference.” It will!) Avoid mixed drinks and sugary soft drinks. Have one wine or beer or one shot of alcohol with soda water and lime.
• Order a broth or puréed vegetable soup (no cream); this is an even better appetite suppressant than a salad.
• If you have a salad, order the dressing on the side and ask for fresh lemon. A teaspoon of dressing goes much further watered down with zippy lemon. No croutons!
• Ask for a takeout container right away and put half your meal into it. If you are eco-keen, carry a reusable container with you.
• In descending order, animal protein choices should be: fish, chicken, pork tenderloin, lamb chops, beef tenderloin (all animal proteins should be broiled or grilled).
• If you can, skip the starchy side dishes. If not, choose in the following order: baked sweet or white potato, soba noodles, brown rice (only!). If fries are your only option or your first love, choose sweet potato fries and have exactly 10.
• Order double of your vegetable dishes. Go for steamed. Choose green. Ask for no butter or oil.
• If you have pasta as a main course, ask for twice the tomato sauce and veggies and half the pasta. (You may be asked to pay an extra dollar or two, but you won’t have to spend the extra 30 minutes on the treadmill.) Ask for whole-wheat noodles. No oil- or cream-based sauces.
• Choose spicy dishes and/or add black pepper. Hot seasonings increase your metabolism ever so slightly and will help you burn calories.
• For dessert, share or have three bites of anything you want, but only once a week.
• If you are used to having a hot beverage after your meal, make sure it is as low-cal as possible. Mint tea hits the spot, as does a steamed skim milk or decaf espresso. No cream and no sugar. (Having a hot drink at the end of a meal sends a satiety signal to your brain that it is time to stop eating.)

Don’t get me wrong, I love dining out! My strategy is to make sure that the rest of my week is spot on so I can cheat a little when I am out.

Canada’s own Monda Rosenberg retired as Food Editor of CHATELAINE, Canada’s largest circulation magazine, in 2009. She was responsible for the magazine’s entire award-winning Food section, including writing and recipe development of over 2,000 recipes a year and overseeing food photography. Before joining CHATELAINE, Monda Rosenberg was Food Editor of the Toronto Star for five years. Monda has received an impressive number of food writing, styling and publishing awards including the Nabisco Food Writer’s Magazine Food Editor of the Year Award, the New York Art Directors Award for Food Styling and the General Foods Nutrition Writing Award. She has been president of the Ontario Home Economics Association and president of the Toronto Home Economics Association for a double term. A frequent guest on national television and radio shows, Monda is the author of The New Chatelaine Cookbook, two Vitality Cookbooks, the Quickies series of 7 cookbooks and Chatelaine’s Wonder Foods. CHICKEN ROLL CALL When it comes to the starring dish on your dinner plate, you can always count on chicken – it can play any role you can conjure up. Whether you’re craving a curry, chili or chowder, hearty braise or burger, fiery stir-fry or sauté, chicken can be the star of the meal. One smart reason to consider subbing chicken in for other meat in a much-loved dish such as pot roast or paprikash (where we've come to expect beef, for example) is that it brings fewer calories and less fat to the main course but just as much essential protein. Another reason, of course, is dollars and cents. A few pieces of veal for a classic schnitzel can set you back big bucks while a couple of skinless boneless chicken breasts are a fraction of that price. GROUND IS GOOD Let's start with ground chicken. Any dish you make with ground beef you can also do with ground chicken. Extra-lean ground chicken weighs in at 160 calories with 10 grams of fat per 100 grams and it holds a whooping 18 grams of protein (about half our daily requirements) while the same amount of lean ground beef has around 210 calories and a third more fat (15 grams). Burgers are always my go-to quick and easy dinner whether they are a bun mate or a fork-and-knife version. Make them just as you do beef patties but keep in mind that ground chicken is softer, stickier and milder in taste than beef. So, if I'm going to add an egg to bind the mixture together, I also add about a ¼ cup (50 mL) of store-bought fine dry bread crumbs, crushed croutons or a couple slices of torn soft bread to soak up the liquid. The same principles of burger making apply though; work the ground chicken as little as possible because you don't want to squash the airy ground mix together and toughen it. Always make a small indent in the centre of the burger with your thumb so they don't rise to puff ball portions. Keep turning to a minimum. But never sear a chicken burger in a hot pan to a dark brown crust. Chicken is more delicate and leaner than beef so it also crisps up quickly -- always keep it away from high heat. You don't want to bite into a hard shell. Instead, cook burgers in a well oiled pan at a medium heat until they develop a gleaning golden hue on each side. Then cover and turn the heat to low to cook them all the way through. This will take another 3 to 4 minutes per side. For a flavour boost consider grated orange peel and sage, Dijon and tarragon or dill, soy and ginger, grated Asiago and sun dried tomatoes or jalapenos and cumin. Meatballs can be a healthy option as well with ground chicken, ditto meatloaves. My favourite fast pasta sauce is pouring a jar of store-bought sauce – tomato-based or Alfredo – into a pot and then immediately rolling ground chicken into small balls and tossing into the simmering sauce. By the time the pasta is cooked the chicken is beautifully poached. If I have the time I may jazz up the chicken with herbs, Parmesan or whatever I am in the mood for. (Never black pepper, however, because it is too strong and assertive and overpowers the mild chicken, assaulting your taste buds.) But without any additions it is still good because it soaks up flavour from the sauce. This same thing happens when you use ground chicken or diced chicken pieces in a chili. I prefer it to beef because it seems lighter and purer in flavour. You can also substitute one for the other in lasagna, tacos, tourtiere and even shepherd's pie. WARM COMFORT or QUICK COMFORT Comfort dishes and chicken are a heavenly match because chicken is mild and soothing but not scarily rich like a good mac and cheese. You probably have not thought of a chicken pot roast but it is surprisingly easy, cheaper and has fewer calories than typical beef versions. Just create a bed of sliced onions on the bottom of a roasting pan. Sit a whole chicken on top. You might want to tuck a knob of soft butter and a few dried herbs such as sage under the skin, then massage the top of the skin to spread the butter. Scatter some substantial root veggies around the chicken -- pieces of squash, carrots, potatoes, parsnips, turnips, leeks, whole peeled garlic cloves –- whatever turns you on. Now comes the pot roast part. Pour liquid over the chicken so it cooks in a steam bath. About a cup (250 mL) of white wine is my usual, but cider, apple juice and even a drizzle of a flavourful salad dressing such as Greek with a little water works beautifully. Now cover and roast at 350 F (180 C) about an hour. Uncover, baste the chicken and stir the vegetables. Jack the temperature up to 400 F (200 C) and roast, uncovered, until the chicken skin is beautifully browned, at least another half hour.  Spoon the veggies around the chicken on the plates. Smash the garlic into the sauce and spoon over the chicken pieces or use as a dipping sauce. Yummy. Yet another advantage of chicken is that cut into smaller pieces it takes well to simmering in a broth or sauce. Ever think of turning an onion soup into a nutritious whole meal? The soup made from broth and onions alone has little protein; it's the gooey cheese on the bread topper that delivers the protein power. Consider adding either small pieces of leftover cooked chicken or thin slices of uncooked chicken to the finished onion soup along with a good sprinkling of thyme, then letting it simmer away just until they're cooked. Don't take them to the point that the chicken curls and toughens. Finish of course with the bread-and-cheese topping on each bowl, then eat to your heart's content because you have much more than a meal starter - you have created a nutritionally balanced meal with substantial protein that doesn't tip the fat scale. You can take the same route with a can or carton of chicken noodle soup, creamy mushroom, chunky chowder, even minestrone. Or heat broth with fresh ginger slices. Then add strips of chicken, a few broken rice noodles, sliced green onions, a drizzle of sesame oil and some hot garlic chili sauce. Light virtuous and delicious. ­ HAIL AND HEARTY Use cubes of chicken in place of stewing meat in your beef bourguignon recipe, Hungarian paprikash or goulash. The real bonus here is you slash all that cooking time normally needed to tenderize the meat because chicken is tender with a soft taste that seems to instantly melt into the sauce flavour. Prime veal cutlets for schnitzel, a lightning fast cooking entree, is pricey. Switch it up for chicken and save big time. Lightly wet skinless, boneless chicken breasts and place between two pieces of clear wrap, then pound to an even thickness of about 1/4 inch (0.5 cm). When the dinner time crunch comes in my kitchen, having bags of frozen chicken breasts, thighs and leftover cooked chicken in my freezer is always a comforting thought and has proven to be a tremendous lifesaver. (Many times it has saved my bacon as the saying goes.) Think about this the next time chicken is on special in your supermarket.

Judy Scott Welden is a consumer advocate, nutritionist, and media spokesperson. She is passionate about bringing nutritious foods to Canadian families and we're happy to have her unique perspective in her upcoming series of posts at chickenfeeds.ca. Healthy eating at home can be easy and inexpensive, but it does require planning ahead – and an important part of planning is smart food shopping.  Before heading out to the grocery store make a meal plan for the week and include a list of the items you need.  Try selecting meals that share some ingredients, making your shopping trip and meal preparation more efficient.  Check the grocery store flyers to see what’s in season or on sale and plan meals to incorporate these food items to take advantage of the savings. Having a well stocked kitchen can also make meal preparation and healthy eating easier.  Make a list of items that you buy weekly and keep copies on hand to tuck in your pocket or purse.  It’s easy to add extras based on your meal menu for the week and seasonal specials.  Some people make a meal planning binder that includes family favourites and grocery list templates with standard shopping items. Make the most of your trip to the store.  Take the time to plan your meals, check your shelves, fridge and freezer before finalizing your shopping list, add items to your template and mark amounts or quantities required.  Investing a few minutes in meal planning and smart grocery shopping saves you time and money and takes the stress out of cooking. Helpful hints:

• Keep a magnetic notepad on the fridge and make a note of food items that you need.
• Avoid pre-packaged foods as they tend to be more expensive and less healthy.  Stick to the outer aisles of the grocery store where fresh produce, breads, dairy and meats are usually found.
• Buy larger packages of products as they are usually more economical.  Divide a large tray of chicken thighs and repackage them before freezing so you can easily defrost what you need for a meal.
• Try different cuts of meat.  Inexpensive cuts may turn out tough if cooked quickly, but marinating and slow cooking can produce tasty, tender results.
• Make your grocery list and stick to it.

Today’s guest blogger is Carol Gardin, Marketing and Communications Manager at Maple Lodge Farms. She holds a BASc (Hons.) from the University of Guelph in Clinical Nutrition. For more information on the company or their products, please visit www.maplelodgefarms.com Crispy and delightfully golden on the outside, juicy and tender on the inside – but just what are chicken nuggets made of?! Good parents everywhere, the answer is better than you may think! Chicken nuggets, which come in a wide variety of shapes (including dinosaurs!) are actually made with entirely white breast meat. Long-rumoured to be made of that highly misunderstood and generally ill-regarded mechanically separated meat – many parents completely shun, or begrudgingly serve, these delicious little morsels fearing for the nutritional well-being of their children. So, how are they made? Generally, the white meat is coarsely ground or cut-up, blended with a variety of spices and then formed into shapes. A breaded coating is then applied and finally, they are fried. In most cases, all you have to do is heat and serve them, making them a convenient and tasty household favourite. In fact, chicken nuggets can be a nutritious after-school snack or be served as part of a well-balanced meal. The average serving of chicken nuggets (4 – 5 pieces, or approx 100g) provides 230 calories, 12g of fat and 13g of protein. They also provide approx. 10% of the daily requirement of iron. As with everything in life, it is all about variety and balance. To make sure that you are serving a well-balanced meal, be sure to include the other three food groups along with your nuggets – a couple of servings of fruits and vegetables, a serving of grains and a serving of milk and alternatives. And most of all, leave the guilt behind and enjoy! So now that we know what chicken nuggets are made of, what about the question of MSM – otherwise known as ‘mechanically separated meat’? Mechanically separated meat is a form of meat that is used to make products such as bologna, meat loaves (the type you find in a deli counter) and hot dogs. It has long been the target of concerned consumers, who believe that it contains anything from eyeballs to more unmentionable parts of the anatomy or that the entire chicken is crushed and put through a sieve. The truth of the matter is that MSM is made under strict quality control guidelines and procedures and undergoes rigorous testing to ensure that it is both safe and nutritious. There is also strict regulation on the contents of mechanically separated meat. Contrary to the misinformation that is rampant out there, only dressed chicken (a dressed chicken is the whole one you would buy in a grocery store – it is completely cleaned and ready to prepare) or parts of dressed chickens can be used to make mechanically separated chicken. In fact, it can’t even contain kidneys or added skin without listing that on the ingredient label. MSM is made by removing the remaining meat still attached to the bone after various parts (wings, breasts and legs) have been removed earlier in the processing. In this way, the production of MSM prevents perfectly good meat from being wasted – a fact that we should all appreciate! The process works by using equipment which applies pressure to separate the meat from the bones. The equipment uses the differing resistance of bones and meat to pass through small openings in screens which results in a type of meat puree (something akin to the texture of pate).  This “meat puree” is then used to make various ready-to-eat meats such as deli meats and hot dogs. These are all economical and tasty sources of protein to be enjoyed in moderation as part of a well-balanced meal. So fear MSM no more! And, the next time you hear outrageous comments about the contents of “chicken dogs”, let them know the facts or send them here to the experts at the blog!

Theresa Albert is a nutritionist, best-selling cookbook author, and Food Network personality, and we're thrilled to have her with us for the next few weeks to provide her unique brand of cooking and nutritional knowledge. Nutrition Labels in Canada are now standardized and must contain specific information that can help the decision on whether or not to choose a packaged item.  From my perspective, in order to balance a healthy life, we do need to opt for single ingredient foods as often as possible and when it’s not, to understand how to read packages to our greatest advantage. Each person’s required caloric intake is unique depending upon age, height, weight, activity level and metabolism. However, the labels assume that the reader is an average adult and measures the percentages accordingly.  This method isn’t perfect but it does provide some opportunity for you to ‘guess-timate’. It would take a book to explain the entire label, so I find it useful to break the topic down into a few key numbers that can help you decide within seconds at a grocery store if the item in your hand is right for you. By far, the most useful list is the ingredients since they must be ordered (by % weight) from most  to least. This means that you want to see real foods at the top end.

• The best ingredient lists are short and contain things that sound like food.

• Lengthy lists with unpronounceable words are often filled with preservatives or stabilizers.
• Avoiding items that contain the words enriched (meaning white) flour, hydrogenated oils, shortening, food coloring is relatively simple when you make reading this list a habit.

The second reliable piece of information is the calories. But this assumes that you have gone through the process of doing a calculation to know how many you need.  (There are plenty of sources online that will guide you through the process –  try the phrase “calorie calculator”; the best ones allow you to input all the activity done in a day and all the foods consumed in measured amounts).

• Health Canada mandates most of the information on the nutrition facts label including accurate calorie counts.

• Health Canada does not mandate that the “serving size” has to represent the average consumption so if you are using this information, be sure that you are consuming the size on the box.  It is often smaller than we think.

The third piece of valuable information is the sodium count.  (See blog titled xxx for more on salt) The sodium number on the panel is:

• Represented in grams and as a % DV (or daily value).

• But – Know that the numbers here are skewed since the recommended DV is 2500 mg per day or 1 measly teaspoon of table salt. This is the absolute max for someone without risk factors (being over 40 or having high blood pressure are risk factors that reduces the allowable amount) so you’d have to be sure to only get to 65-70% of your DV if you are in this category.

• The % amount is expressed for the average adult but kids are much more sensitive and should be consuming less.  Packages of foods commonly consumed by kids are not adjusted accordingly

The last piece of information that I look for is fibre, which is expressed in grams.  The average person needs between 25-40 grams per day. Canadians average between 4 and 11 grams per day.  Cereals and whole grain breads and crackers are a terrific way to get your fibre numbers up if you pay careful attention in this category. Using this method helps you make a quick 1,2,3,4 calculation and further investigation can happen at home at a more leisurely pace (i.e. when you aren’t screaming home from work and the kids aren’t screaming for some dinner!)

It's hard to believe it's already November. It seems that just a little while ago, it was the beginning of the year, and we were starting our work of planning our website overhaul - finding out what features you wanted, taking a look at some of the leaders to see what they were doing. We looked at multiple designs for the new look of the site, tweaked our site layout, developed new content and axed some of the stuff that we didn't need, and you didn't use, and we're extremely excited to say that we're only about a month away from launch. Here's a sneak preview of what's in store:

• Way better recipe search. You can now search and browse by ingredient, nutritional information, meal type and a whole lot more.
• More interactive features. You'll be able save recipes to an account, comment on recipes, as well as rate and manage your notifications from one place.
• Better content. We've developed video and how-to content and integrated both into the site, and we'll be adding to it all year.
• More Recipes. We've already produced over 300 chicken recipes, and plan to add 200 more this year. That's enough to try a new recipe every night for a year!
• Better design. We've designed the site with you in mind - that means smaller menus, more intuitive interface, and being one click away from almost everything.

We can't wait to show you the site! Stay tuned for the official launch date, and be one of the first to test-drive the new chicken.ca!

For some reason, lately I find myself with less and less time when I get home.  That means less time to get dinner ready for Daddy and myself, and less time to put something together for baby. While he’s at a point where he can pretty much eat what we eat, there are still some things that have to be cut into smaller pieces, trimmed so that he can pick it up, or flail it about the room in his attempt to master the fork and spoon. This is where kitchen shears are a real blessing.  Firstly, they can cut up meat in no time at all – making sliced chicken for fajitas or chicken parmesan a breeze.  Also, they’re great for the times when I put all the meat and vegetables I’ve made into a small bowl for him and use the shears to quickly chop the meal into manageable chunks – much easier than chopping! Of course, shears, with their smaller parts and nooks and crannies, have to be well cleaned when I alternate between raw and cooked meats and vegetables.  I soak and scrub my shears in a bleach/detergent bath, scrubbing with a long-toothed brush to make sure it all gets clean.  I rinse them well and dry them quickly, so that they don’t have a chance to rust (I once made the mistake of soaking a pair of shears too long – big mistake!). I make every effort to keep them sharp, too.  Here’s a tip from my mom that works to keep shears (and any scissors) sharp and effective (just remember to keep such things away from baby’s reach, of course): Tear off a piece of aluminum foil (about 8 inches or so) and fold lengthwise – into a thick strip, as though you were making a fan.  Cut along the longest edge of the foil with your shears – do this a few times.  Test the shears on a piece of twine or a piece of celery or something. For sharpening the tip of the shears, fold the remaining pieces a few more times and snip the foil just at the tip of the shears. Oh kitchen shears – I sing your praises, as a mom and as a person who loves finding tools that make my time in the kitchen more efficient.  Baby thanks you, too.

Theresa Albert is a nutritionist, best-selling cookbook author, and Food Network personality, and we're thrilled to have her with us for the next few weeks to provide her unique brand of cooking and nutritional knowledge. I shared with some of my colleagues the fact that I am working with the Chicken Farmers of Canada to help Canadians get wholesome, simple meals on their tables.  Luckily, my colleagues are some of the smartest, busiest women and mothers around. Even more luckily, they agreed to let me mine their lives and share their tips for doing just that.  What you will find over the next 6 blogs are those interviews.  The names have not been changed to protect the innocent; in fact, they are proudly displayed so we can all see that every family has its way of doing things and learn from each other! This edition’s interviewee: Jen Maier Jen Maier is a mom of 2, a marketer, a blogger, and founder of the online community, UrbanMoms. Jen can be found at her blog, Mom's The Word (www.urbanmoms.ca/moms_the_word), where she philosophizes about modern day mothering, social media, and the true value of community. Theresa: Why is breakfast the most important meal of the day? Jen: I am not a huge breakfast eater. By mid morning, I have my latte and banana but I am not hungry first thing. I hear that it is supposed to be the best start to your day. Even as a kid, I didn’t feel hungry first thing in the morning.  I typically grab a banana and  latte which does me ‘til lunch. On a long weekend or vacation I love brunch! Either something light with salads, fruits, etc. or the traditional bacon and egg kind.  I remember having a great brunch at a friend’s cottage where they served breakfast burritos filled with pulled chicken, melted cheese and eggs. Theresa: What do your kids eat before going to school? Jen: I am a big believer that kids need to learn to do things for themselves.  We have set up a system where kids can make cereal, milk, juice, and toast for themselves. Theresa: This is all good stuff but one of the most important things is to get kids to have some protein at breakfast.  It helps to set their blood sugar levels to keep them going all day.  What are some tips that you can share with other mothers who are time starved? Jen: I find it is helpful to set kids up for success by being prepared.  My kids are too young to make their own eggs for breakfast but that could be coming since my very picky daughter does love them! To be prepared:

• Have yogurt, cheese and fruit cleaned and cut for them to grab
• A cereal dispenser filled with healthy cereal makes it fun for them to do on their own
• Make extra pancakes on the weekend so they can pop them in the toaster
• A smoothie in the blender would be a great thing for me too!

Theresa’s Wrap Up Jen is a typical mom on a typical day and her story is illustrative of some of the pitfalls of breakfast.  It is the most important meal of the day because it helps to set the blood sugar level if done well.  Too much carbohydrate and there will be the inevitable crash. What she really needs is for her life to accommodate that brunch every day! Protein at breakfast is crucial as is fibre since both help slow down the digestion of the carbohydrates and provide long burning fuel. As she mentioned, most moms struggle with time and her ideas to get the deal done quickly but healthily are great. The trick is going to be training your kids to all want something savory rather than sweet in the morning. If you think about it, we are one of the few cultures that rely on carbs for breakfast.  For most of the world, breakfast looks a lot like lunch. Eggs, rice and beans in South America, fish, broth and rice in Asia as well as soups and beans in the Middle East.  When we start the day with sweet flavours, we are setting up the palate for more. If Jen could add a teaspoon of peanut butter to her banana she’d be doing better. Even a handful of almonds would help her sustain the energy she needs to keep it all going. For the kids, I’d love to see something like a homemade egg muffin. It can be as simple as a fried egg on a whole wheat English Muffin or as tasty as the Chicken and Mushroom baked version in this podcast. Heck, they can eat it single handed on the way to school. BREAKFAST - THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY / VIDEO It’s important to set your blood sugar for the day with a good breakfast. Nutritionist, best-selling cookbook author and Food Network personality Theresa Albert gives us a healthy, protein-rich option in this video. httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sZEHkxOQGs