Snacking Basics
Snacks aren’t bad. In fact, they are “mini meals” that are meant to curb hunger and help supplement nutrients you may not be getting enough of from meals (like fiber from fruits and veggies). Studies show that waiting too long to eat between meals can cause you to overeat later in the day — not exactly the best way to lose weight or stay healthy.

Stick to snacks that are between 100 and 200 calories each. You especially need them when you have three to five hours between meals. My snack breaks often fall at 10:30am and 2:30pm — about one and a half to two hours between my meals.

1) Peanut Butter and Whole-Wheat Crackers
Combine lean protein, fiber and healthy fat and you’ve got a satisfying snack. Protein and fiber work for cutting down and controlling hunger, while fat takes a bit longer to digest and keeps you feeling full longer. Peanut butter is high in healthy monounsaturated fats, but be sure to portion out one tablespoon to keep calories in check.

Portion: 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter and 4 whole-wheat crackers
Total: 180 calories, 5 grams of protein

2) Vegetable Soup
Don’t eat enough veggies? Try snacking on a warm, hearty vegetable soup — 20 minutes later you’ll feel like a new person. Vegetables contain fiber, which helps you feel full and also helps stabilize blood sugar throughout the day — meaning no gnawing hunger pains. Try a minestrone or bean soup for additional protein. If you’re feeling extra hungry at snack time, add one or two whole-wheat breadsticks or a small whole-wheat roll.

Portion: 1 cup vegetable soup
Total: 100 calories, 4 grams protein

3) Low-Fat Cottage Cheese and Fruit
With its good balance of protein, carbs and fat, cottage cheese is one of the most underappreciated foods. Add fiber with fresh fruit, such as berries, melon, pears or pineapple, for a perfect snack. A 1/2-cup serving contains 7% of your daily calcium needs, which is important for healthy bones.

Portion: 1/2 cup low-fat or nonfat cottage cheese with 1/2 cup sliced or 1 medium piece of fresh fruit
Total calories: 140 calories, 14 grams protein

4) Hummus with Sliced Veggies
This Middle Eastern chickpea spread is packed with protein, fiber and heart-healthy unsaturated fats. Veggies like carrots, bell peppers and broccoli make great dippers and add good nutrients, including beta-carotene, vitamin C and, of course, more belly-filling fiber. Two tablespoons of plain hummus has 50 calories and 3 grams of fat, so you’re probably better off measuring out two to three tablespoons instead of sitting down with the entire container.

Portion: 3 tablespoons of plain hummus plus 1 cup of sliced veggies
Total calories: 120 calories, 7 grams protein

5) Trail Mix
Almonds, cashews, walnuts, peanuts or pecans are full of healthy fat, fiber and protein. A delicious homemade trail mix is simple: Portion out a handful of nuts and mix in two tablespoons of dried fruit like raisins, cranberries or apricots. To minimize calories, choose nuts that are dry roasted or raw. For a change of pace, throw in whole-wheat pretzels or some of your favorite cereal (I’ve been on a Puffins kick lately). Packing your trail mix in plastic bags or containers makes it easy to grab and go. If you find yourself plowing through your snack mix, try using shelled nuts that will take longer to eat.

Portion: 15 nuts plus 2 tablespoons of dried fruit
Total calories: 170 calories, 7 grams protein

Concern #1: My kid is too picky!
Many parents think their kids are fussy eaters, but it’s all part of being a normal toddler. Youngsters quickly realize that they have some control over mom (or dad) and think it’s fun to see their parent go nuts when they refuse the green beans.

At this age, toddlers go through “food jags,” a period when they get stuck on a particular food they love. Heck, if you just gave me pizza for the first time, I’d also want it for breakfast, lunch and dinner! It’s a normal phase that a kid will outgrow after a few days or weeks, depending on the child. So what can you do to help? Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Create a relaxed eating environment and eliminate all distractions (this means turning off the TV).
• Eat together.
• Offer a variety of foods.
• Continue offering foods even after your child rejects it. It takes 10 to 15 times before kids typically accept something.
• Don’t force feed your child.
• Allow kids to participate in the cooking process (i.e. opening packages and stirring foods).
• Keep portions small — the rule of thumb is one tablespoon per each year.

Concern #2: My toddler love juice.
There are many food issues I address with all my young clients, but one of the biggest has to do with what they’re drinking. Toddlers shouldn’t be guzzling sodas, juice drinks, lemonade and iced teas. They may beg for them and throw a fit, but you’re just filling their little bellies with sugar, which doesn’t leave much room for healthy meals. If they are drinking juice, stick with four ounces of 100% fruit juice a day. Other than that, water and milk are best.

As simple as it may sound, all toddlers should be drinking from a cup — NOT A BOTTLE! Think of your toddler as mini-children and no longer babies; they need to learn how to hold and drink from a cup (all my kids were off a bottle by one). Sippy cups or straws are some easy ways to transition to cups that are less messy.

Concern #3: My toddler loves junk food.
An occasional or small daily sweet treat is fine, but toddlers need plenty of calories that contain vitamins, minerals, protein and other nutrients for proper growth and development. If you find your toddler reaching for junk food, here are some things to try:

• Opt for a few healthier treats — granola bars, yogurt, whole wheat pretzels, animal crackers — and don’t stock up on them.
• Don’t bribe or reward your child for eating with sweets.
• Sometimes junk food comes from various people, so it’s important to set guidelines and communicate with grandparents, caregivers and partners.

Concern #4: My toddler doesn’t like any fruits or veggies.
When parents tell me this, I whip out my box of food models. I sit on the floor with the child, and we play with the fruits and veggies, naming them and counting the strawberries. Sometimes it’s a matter of making it part of their everyday meals. Here are some hints on eating fruits and veggies:

• Offer more of the fruits and veggies they like.
• Slice the foods into bite-sized pieces. Children tend to avoid foods that are too big to fit in their mouths.
• Try offering up a dip on the side — kids love to dip!
• Create dishes that are prepared with veggies such as soups and sauces. I find some of my toddler clients like veggies in soup as opposed to cooked as a side dish.

One of the most important things to remember — don’t be too restrictive or controlling when feeding your kids; it’ll only backfire, as this interesting MSN article explains.

Read more on nutrition for kids:
• Healthy Foods For Toddlers
• Make Your Own Baby Food
• Smarter Snacks: Picks for During & After School
• Packing A Tasty Lunch For Kids

Nutrition Guidelines
Your toddler should eat a variety of foods, just in smaller portions than what you might eat. Young children have smaller stomachs and can’t hold nearly as much food as adults, so feeding them three small meals and two to three snacks daily is key. You don’t want to overdo it. Here are some daily serving sizes to keep in mind:

• Milk and yogurt: 2 cups
• Meat, fish, poultry, peanut butter, beans: 2 ounces
• Veggies: 1 cup
• Fruits: 1 cup
• Grains: 3 servings (a typical serving of rice and pasta is a half cup)
• Fats and Oils: 3 teaspoons

Besides sticking to those portion sizes, it’s also important that your toddler go outside and run around for at least 30 to 60 minutes a day. No doubt you’re tired after a long day of work and want to collapse in front of the TV, but you need to muster up the energy for some playtime.

You’ll find more info about your toddler’s needs at the USDA site.

Foods to Avoid
Even though your baby is growing up, you still need to be mindful of possible choking hazards and food allergies. I still halve grapes for my 4-year-old daughter and my 2-year-old daughter gets them quartered. There are several hazardous foods; here are some to be mindful of:

• Hot dogs: take the skin off and cut it into teeny pieces
• Peanut butter: it can stick in their throat, so make sure to wash it down with some milk or water.
• Popcorn
• Hard candies and lollipops
• Large chunks of fruits or veggies: make sure to slice into very small pieces
• Nuts

If your family has a history of a particular food allergy, avoid that food until your child is two or three years old (make sure your toddler tries the questionable food when a doctor is present). Foods that often cause allergic reactions include:

• Eggs
• Peanuts and tree nuts (i.e. macadamia nuts)
• Shellfish
• Milk
• Wheat
• Soy

Sometimes allergies will show up during the toddler years. So be mindful of any food reactions (hives, trouble breathing, itching) and see a doctor for proper testing if you suspect your child may be allergic.

A Typical Day
So all that’s good to know, but how does that translate to every day? To get a better sense, here is what my youngest daughter might eat throughout a day:

Breakfast (7:30 am):
1 scrambled egg made with non-stick cooking spray
1 slice of raisin bread with 1 pat of unsalted butter
3/4 cup of skim milk

Snack #1 (10:30 am):
A peach

Lunch (12:30 pm):
1/2 cup spaghetti
1/4 cup meat sauce
A few broccoli floret’s chopped
Glass of water

Snack #2 (3:00 pm):
4-ounce kids’ yogurt
A small handful of animal crackers
2 tablespoons of raisins

Dinner (5:30 pm):
1 chicken drumstick
1/4 cup Israeli couscous
Sliced cucumbers
A cup of water

Snack #3 (7:30 pm):
3/4 cup skim milk with 2 teaspoons chocolate syrup
1/4 cup unsalted pretzels and 1 tablespoon of cream cheese for dipping

In all my research, I’ve come across some good books about picking the right foods for kid. One of my favorite authors is Ellyn Satter. I highly recommend these books by her:

• Child of Mine: Feeding with Love and Good Sense
• How to Get Your Kid to Eat: But Not Too Much
• Secrets of Feeding a Healthy Family: Orchestrating and Enjoying the Family Meal

Coming Soon: I’m sure some have questions on how much juice you should let your toddler should drink or what to do if they won’t eat their veggies. Stay tuned for more posts covering those specifics.

Read More:
• Make Your Own Baby Food
• Packing A Healthy School Lunch

Get the recipe »

Kids should get 25% of their daily calories from snacks, so these mini-meals should be full of vitamins and minerals to help them grow. But the question is: what’s a healthy snack that your kid will want to eat?

What Your Kids’ Snacks Need
Snacks should have some nutritional value. Your kids might ask for cookies, chips, donuts and candy, but they’re typically high in fat, sugar or both and offer little in the good-for-you department. Instead, choose foods that have around 150 calories and contain some fiber, calcium, iron or vitamins like A and C.

Most people, including kids, don’t get enough fiber, which has many benefits, including making you feel full and keeping your digestive tract healthy. Your kids of all ages need calcium for healthy bones and teeth. Iron is a key component of red blood cells and one of our most common deficiencies — lacking iron can lead to fatigue and affect your attention span, which isn’t helpful when you’re trying to learn.

During School
It’s tough to find time for a snack during the 4 minutes between classes, but it’s important to do so. If your child gets to school around 7 a.m. and their lunch is late in the day, she will get so hungry that all she’ll think about is food. Take a minute to pack a banana or an apple or put grapes, strawberries or raisins in a small resealable baggie or plastic container. Yogurts, string cheese, dried fruit, natural popcorn, granola bars and homemade trail mixes are also quick snacks that tuck into backpacks easily — and don’t make much mess.

After-School Treats
Typically, schools serve lunch around noon and dinner at home isn’t until 6 or 7 p.m. It’s definitely time for a snack around 3 or 4 p.m. Here are some more creative ideas to try when you have a little more time to prepare:

• Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon of honey, 1/4 cup blueberries
• A slice of angel food cake topped with fresh berries
• An apple dipped in 2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter
• 1/2 whole-wheat pita with hummus and sliced cucumbers
• Hard-boiled egg with sliced veggies like tomatoes, radishes or cucumbers on the side
• 1/2 cup pretzels dipped in 2 tablespoons of low-fat cream cheese
• Edamame (baby soy beans)
• A handful of almonds and dates: stuff 1 almond into each pitted date
• 1 cup of homemade popcorn: try these tips for lighter flavor add-ins
• 1 cup of cereal with 1% or skim milk
• Turkey or ham roll ups: 1 slice lean deli meat rolled with 1 slice reduced fat American cheese

As I’ve learned from my own kids, children love to dip! Slice up some veggies, pretzels or baked chips and make your own dip:

• Hummus
• Salsa
• Ranch Dressing
• Guacamole

And if you need something simple for a pinch, a sweet, juicy piece of fruit works wonders — like a fresh peach or orange slices. (That picture is of my daughter noshing on one of her favorite summer fruits.)

More snack recipes to try:
• Homemade Fruity Ice Pops
• Smoothies
• Rainbow Fruit Skewers
• Cheesy Popcorn
• Date Bar Cookies
• Raspberry Fool
• Honey Whole Wheat Pretzel Sticks
• Zucchini Snack Pizzas

More Ideas?
Check out more recipes I featured in an earlier post here.

Intro to Canning
The workshop’s instructor Sherri Brooks Vinton (also the author of The Real Food Revival) was our canning maven and walked us through the basics. The first thing Sherri told us was that canning doesn’t actually involve cans; instead you use glass jars. Experts have made many improvements to the preserving process since your grandmother’s days — steps to help control the growth of clostridium botulinum, a deadly bacteria that may develop in canned food. Things still do go bad sometimes, but as long as you follow the exact instructions and discard food that is questionable (i.e. foul smelling, foamy, bulging lid), you should be able to enjoy your canned goodies safely.

There are two basic canning techniques: pressure canning and the boiling water method. You use pressure canning under high heat for more alkaline foods like meats and veggies. In class, we stuck with the boiling water method; it isn’t as hot as pressure canning and is good for beginners. When opting for boiling, you need to pick foods that are more acidic because they’ll naturally decrease the chance for bacteria to grow. Typically canned chutneys, jams, pickles and tomatoes use this method.

Before getting started, there are three things to keep in mind:
1. Make sure you choose an updated canning recipe (You may have grandma’s old recipe book, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the safest choice).
2. Go for high-acid foods (i.e., tomatoes, salsas, pickles, relish, fruit jams and jellies, etc.).
3. There’s no rushing the canning process. The boiling time listed on the recipe is the exact time needed — no more and no less.

Equipment for the Boiling Water Method
You can purchase a home canning kit, or you can use some of your own kitchen equipment. You’ll need the following:

• Jar lifter: Don’t use tongs — you’re handing very hot jars and you don’t want them to slip. Look for a lifter at your local hardware store.
• Special 3-part glass jars: These include jar bottom, lid and a lid ring with rubber inside. Don’t use old mayo jars — you need these special ones. The glass parts and lid rings are reusable; you’ll only need to purchase new lids.
• Funnel: Makes it easier to get the food into the jar.
• Lid lifter: These are magnetic to help with lifting.
• Bubble tool: This thin, long stick helps pack food into jars and eliminate air bubbles that form between the pieces of food. Chopsticks are another option.
• Large Pot: You don’t want your jars to sit on the bottom of your pot; look for special canning pots or place jar rims on the bottom of your home pot to keep jars lifted.

Food Safety Alert!
Clean all your equipment with hot water and soap before you start. And don’t forget to wash your hands! An apron will probably be helpful, too. Your empty jars will be sanitized when you place them in the water to boil. You can also dip your tools in the boiling pot to clean them. Skip the bleach; you don’t need it to sterilize (and nobody likes that horrible smell).

Packing Methods
When prepping your jar filling, there are two options: cold pack and hot pack. With the cold pack method, you don’t cook food before placing it in jars. You’ll need to use an acidic ingredient or mixture to help preserve the food and protect against bacteria. I’ve included a pepper recipe below that’s cold packed. It uses vinegar (a highly acidic ingredient) to help preserve.

The hot pack method, as the name implies, involves cooking food before you jar it. Jams are foods that are always cooked before canning.

After Prepping Your Recipe
Many how-tos tell you to pre-heat your jars in the water; this helps keep them from breaking when you introduce a hot food into them. Use the funnel to get food in the jar and then the bubble tool to help push food down and get rid of air bubbles. It’s important to buy the correct bubble tool (or use chopsticks) since you don’t want to scratch the glass in the jar or the metal lid (this causes rusting). Leave space between the liquid and the food and between the liquid and the top of jar (typically 1/4 inch for each).

Once you’ve packed the food, clean the rim of the jar well and use the magnet tool to put the flat lid on. Gently screw the lid ring onto the jar until it is fingertip tight (don’t close it tightly). Use the jar lifters and place the jar in boiling water. Bring the water back up to a boil and start timing. When time is up, turn off the heat and leave jars to cool for 5 minutes in the water and then remove. After some time (it took us about 10 minutes), you’ll hear a pop. Put your jar aside for 24 hours and check that seal is tightly attached. You can keep the jarred food for up to one year in a cool, dry place.

RECIPE: Pickled Peppers
Sherri kindly shared her recipe for Pickled Peppers. The sweet-and-sour brine mellows the chilies, making them perfect for a liberal sprinkling on pizza, rolled into a burrito or chopped up with your morning eggs.

2 cups white distilled vinegar
2 cups water
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 pound chili peppers, sliced

In a medium saucepan, bring vinegar, water, salt and sugar to a boil. Pack peppers into clean, hot, pint-sized jars, leaving a 1/2-inch space between top of the chilis and the top of jar. Pour the hot brine over the peppers, leaving 1/4-inch headspace between top of liquid and top of jar.

For refrigerating: Cool, cover and store in the refrigerator for up to one month.
For longer-term, shelf storage: Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Process, using the boiling water method, for 10 minutes. Remove from water, cool and check seals. Store in a cool, dark place for up to one year.

Read Up on Canning
Here are a few good resources for canning tips and recipes.

• The National Center for Home Food Preservation
• Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving
• Step-by-Step Slideshow of High-Acid Food Preserving
• Step-by-Step Slideshow of Low-Acid Food Preserving
• Well-Preserved: Recipes and Techniques for Putting Up Small Batches of Seasonal Foods

Wondering about freezing foods? Check out Dana’s post from this week.

TELL US: Do you can and, if so, what?

The Recommendations
There are some foods that are just high in sodium, period. Bacon, bouillon cubes, mustard, olives, pickles, sausages and smoked fish are just a few of the more popular ones. Salt is used as a flavor enhancer and as a preservative to lengthen the food’s shelf life and decrease bacterial growth. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, we should only get 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day maximum — that’s about as much as 1 teaspoon of table salt. For folks diagnosed with high blood pressure, the daily sodium limit goes down 1,500 milligrams (around two-thirds of a teaspoon of salt). That’s not a lot!

Reading the Nutrition Facts
Reading the label can get tricky. Don’t fall for the oldest trick in the book (or on the package in this case). If an item says “reduced sodium” (a.k.a. “lower sodium”), it means that the item contains at least 25% less sodium than a “regular” version, but it could still have some heavy doses of salt in it. It’s best to read the Nutrition Facts panel and look at the total milligrams. A food or drink typically is “low sodium” if it contains 140 milligrams of sodium or less per serving — that’s what you should be looking for.

Breads, Crackers, Hot and Cold Cereals
Check the labels on these types of products to make sure they meet the “low sodium” criteria (remember: 140 milligrams or less). Here are a few brand names that make the cut, although there are many more out there:

• Pepperidge Farm Stoneground 100% Whole Wheat Bread
• Vermont Bread Company Organic Multigrain Bread
• Kashi’s TLC Stoneground 7 Grain Crackers
• Ryvita Crispbreads
• Old Fashioned Quaker Oats
• Fiber One cereal
• Post Shredded Wheat
• Kashi Go Lean cereal

Fruits and Veggies
When it comes to produce, it’s the canned veggies that top the high-sodium hit list. Fresh fruits and veggies are always your safest bet, but we know canned is convenient. If you turn to pre-packaged, here are some ones we like:

• Del Monte’s “No Salt Added” veggies
• Many Trader Joe’s brand veggies, including organic green beans and organic peas

Dairy, Especially Cheese
You may be more worried about the high fat content, but sodium is another biggie in cheese. Here are a few companies that sell low-sodium versions:

• Some Organic Valley cheese varieties such as Mild Cheddar
• Some Horizon cheese varieties including Organic American Singles

Canned Legumes and Fish
Again, with canned foods, you need to be on the lookout for high sodium contents. Salt is key to preserving canned foods like beans and tuna. Lower sodium choices might be:

• Starkist Low-Sodium Tuna
• Eden Organic — all varieties of beans
• Westbrae Natural Organic — all bean varieties

Snacks
They don’t call them “salty snacks” for nothing. Check out your favorite packaged, crunchy snacks — pretzels, baked chips, nuts. whatever. Their sodium content might shock you. And the more you munch, the more salt you get. Here are some better choices (notice that they’re all “unsalted”):

• Terra unsalted potato chips
• Guiltless Gourmet unsalted chips
• Snyder’s Mini Unsalted Pretzels

Just Ask!
Some stores such as Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods have created a low-sodium list of all their foods to make your life easier. Trader Joe’s offers their online here, whereas your local Whole Foods has their list in store. Your local grocer may have their own similar list, and if not, suggest that they do it!

Benefits of Juicing
Lots of healthy pros tout juicing as a way to naturally detox, lose weight and keep a healthy colon — unfortunately, there is no significant scientific evidence that juicing necessarily does these things. What we do know, however, is that fruits and veggies have tons of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber.

Making your own juice using fresh ingredients is definitely better than the processed versions you might find at the store. Yours will be free of chemicals or additives (there’s no high-fructose corn syrup when you do it yourself!). Fresh juice blends also contain more fiber from the pulp — the processed versions typically have the pulp extracted.

A homemade juice is also a quick way to get your daily dose of fruits and veggies. The National Cancer Institute encourages 9 servings of fresh fruits and veggies a day to help decrease the risk of cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Creating a cucumber, carrots and celery juice can knock off your veggie requirements in a few gulps.

In some cases, juicing is easier than eating foods whole. Guava has tons of seeds, pomegranates are tough and messy to prep and eat, and wheatgrass is hard on digestion in its whole form. Juicing can get you the B-vitamins from pomegranate, potassium and folate from guava and iron from wheatgrass without a problem.

What To Juice
You can juice almost any fruit or vegetables! Some simple fruits to start with are apples, melons, citrus and berries. Citrus fruit and strawberries have tons of vitamin C and melons are good for both vitamins A and C. Carrots, celery, cucumber, tomatoes, beets and lettuce are common veggies to try, too. Carrots have tons of the antioxidant beta-carotene and tomatoes contain potassium and vitamin C.

When and How Much
Juicing is a healthy option sometimes, but you shouldn’t juice everything or do it all the time. A couple months ago, we talked about how fruit juice can be a high-calorie treat. Minding your portions is a must. Each fruit has 60 calories — add too many and your calories (not to mention sugar intake) will skyrocket. Stick to juicing only once a day. Eating whole, fresh fruits and veggies are also an important part of a healthy diet.

Also, know this: food prep techniques (including juicing) easily destroy vitamins when they’re exposed to air. To get the most out of your juice, drink up right away.

Flavor Combos
There are endless combinations of flavors. Here are some ideas of what goes together:

• Cucumber: carrots and celery
• Spinach: tomatoes, celery and carrots
• Lettuce: parsnips, carrots, spinach, sprouts
• Papaya: pineapple, orange and cucumbers
• Various melons: strawberries
• Grapes: apples, melon, peach and cranberries

Juicers
Before electricity, reamers were the most common way to juice. Nowadays there are endless juicers available — from higher-end, more expensive power juicers to medium-sized citrus juicers to retro-looking juice pressers. Buy a juicer that fits your needs and budget — forgo the $250 juicer if you don’t plan on using it often.

Make sure you take apart and clean your juicer after each use and follow the manufacturer’s directions. A dirty juicer can harbor bacteria — something you don’t want to drink!

Recipes to try:
• Sunrise Juice
• Melon Juice
• Vegetable Juice Cocktail
• Gingered Vegetable Juice

TELL US: What’s your favorite juicing combo?

The Benefits of Steaming
You may have heard this before: steaming is one of the best ways to cook veggies so they keep their nutrients. Vitamins are easily destroyed when you cook with water for long periods of time (i.e. boiling), but steaming uses the steam from boiling water to cook your food — not the water directly.

Another advantage of steaming is no added fat or sodium (do you dab butter in a boiling pot of broccoli or load in the salt?). Any veggie you steam will be around 25 calories per half-cup and chock-full of vitamins and minerals.

Veggies to Choose
Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, asparagus, artichokes, zucchini and green beans are great choices because they’re sturdier and won’t turn to mush too easily. Leafy greens — baby bok choy, spinach and Chinese broccoli — also steam up nicely but take less time. If you want to try something new, steam some radishes or quartered new potatoes.

How to Steam
Large chunks of veggies are tough to steam quickly — so if you’re in a hurry, cut or trim your vegetables into smaller pieces first.

A steaming basket is a cheap way to steam food. Fill a pot with 2 ounces of water and place the basket with the veggies on top. Once the water boils, it takes anywhere from 5 to 12 minutes to cook. It depends on the thickness of the veggie so you may want to check periodically (but don’t keep lifting the lid!) and pull them off when they hit your preferred softness. And, please, don’t forget the lid. You won’t get anywhere unless the steam is trapped in the pot.

Immediately after steaming, have a colander of ice or bowl of ice water ready to plunge — or “shock” — your cooked goodies. This will stop the cooking process so your veggies stay nice and crunchy.

While we prefer the old-fashioned way, you can also steam in the microwave. There are some microwave-ready steam veggie packs you can buy at the grocery store. Or just place evenly cut veggies in a microwave-safe bowl (glass), add a little water to bottom and top with microwave-safe plastic wrap. You’ll want to pull back one corner of the topper so some steam can escape — no need for an explosion. Usually, the stovetop method takes the same amount of time.

Tools to Use
I always have trouble steaming asparagus because it doesn’t fit well. I checked around and found this asparagus steamer, which is my next kitchen purchase. There are also stack & steam sets available, which let you cook pasta and steam veggies at the same time (a real time, energy and dish-washing saver). You might have a bamboo steamer at home — they’re typically used for Chinese dim sum but also work for steaming veggies. A double boiler is a make-shift solution, too, as long as there are holes in it.

The Flavor Traps
Now that you’ve used a healthy cooking method, don’t go adding tons of high-calorie toppings such as oil, cheese or butter (my clients do it all the time!). If you decide to add butter or oil, stick to 1 tablespoon and measure it out. Lemon, garlic or just a dash of black pepper work wonders. I love a spritz of fresh lemon on my steamed asparagus. Try mixing a few minced garlic cloves with a teaspoon of olive oil and drizzle over broccoli.

Recipes to try:
• Steamed Vegetable Ribbons
• Steamed Baby Vegetables
• Steamed Green Beans with Pine nuts
• Steamed Baby Spinach
• Steamed Asian Greens with Honey Soy Sesame Dressing
• Steamed Artichoke

TELL US: Do you have a special steaming trick?

Plus, read our own Organic Shopping: Dos & Don’ts.