Eat

The word shrimp comes from the Middle English, "shrimpe," meaning "pygmy." While shrimp may be small, they are anything but shrimp-y in their nutrition profile. Low in calories and saturated fat, shrimp are a wonderfully nutritious alternative to meat proteins. Shrimp also offer beneficial doses of omega-3 fatty acids, which improve heart health, offer protection against Alzheimer's and may improve mood and reduce depression. Shrimp also provides great sources of vitamins and minerals including vitamin B12, niacin, iron, selenium, zinc and copper.

Years ago, it was a family tradition to pass down the secrets to treasured recipes and spend hours in the kitchen teaching children to cook. Somewhere between the addiction to video games and the overactive schedules of parents and children, cooking lessons have been neglected.

While there are many reasons for teaching kids to cook—it’s less expensive than eating out, preserves family heritage, etc—the most important reason is that by teaching your child to cook, you're giving them a better chance to be a healthy grown-up.

Domesticity starts in the kitchen. Whether your building your kitchen from the wedding registry or marrying two former kitchens together, here’s a list of what you must keep and what you can toss:

The Big Bowl
With one large bowl, you can make a variety of dishes, from salads to ceviches. We prefer metal to glass because we can bang it around on the counter and in the sink without worrying that it will break. Wood is fine for salads, but don’t use it for ceviche because the bowl will get a fishy smell. Mixing bowls are one of the few pieces of equipment that you can cheap out on. Save your money for a good quality skillet, roasting pan, or Dutch oven instead.

A parfait is an old-fashioned layered dessert that looks pretty, and is fun to eat. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, we thought you would enjoy a nice sweet treat to serve for dessert to your special loved one.

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp strawberries, diced (3-4 large strawberries)
1 Tbsp chocolate syrup
1/3 Cup vanilla yogurt
Whipped cream and sprinkles (optional)

Here are some great recipes that offer a new twist to your child’s vegetarian diet!

White beans have a great mild flavor that most children find appealing.

Ingredients for each burrito:

4 Tbsp canned, white beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 Tsp lemon juice

Homemade foods are healthier than processed, prepared or restaurant meals. Take-out foods and prepared foods are generally much higher in fat, salt and calories than home-cooked foods. We encourage you or your spouse to make home-cooked dinners at least three times per week.

If just the thought of making dinner exhausts you, here are a few tips to ease the burden of getting dinner on the table during your busy week:

1. Set aside time on the weekends to make foods in advance and freeze them. Connect with a friend, double the recipes and split up the meals for both families.

It’s nice to have food traditions; they make for fond memories, lasting impressions and great stories. Whether you carry on the traditions of your family or invent new ones, they provide your family with something to talk about, something to look forward to and something to remember.

Outside of serving traditional meals during your holiday feast, here are a few ideas for starting a new tradition that may remain with your family for years: