If you’re in a food rut, where you eat the same few things week after week, a great way to break free is to go to a farmer’s market. Explore the beautiful and often different (from the grocery store) produce then take something new home and look up a recipe online. I found some absolutely amazing looking Rainbow Chard at the farmer’s market and found a simple recipe online that even my kids would try. I chopped the chard and sauteed it in a little olive oil with minced ginger until the chard wilted down and then drizzled on a touch of real maple syrup. Another new veggie we tried was kohl rabi, which looks like a giant radish on the outside but is white fleshed and crisp on the inside. Peel, chop and toss on your salad. It reminded me a little of fennel or celery root, but I liked the flavor better. And by having the kids come to the farmer’s market with me, they were anxous and willing to try all our new pickins. Talk about breaking free of a mac & cheese food rut and exploring new, healthy foods. 

I still have a bunch of kale we bought and plan to bake it into “kale chips.” Really it’s spraying the kale with olive oil, sprinkling with a pinch of salt and baking in a 450 degree oven for 10-15 minutes until crispy. My kids can’t wait to try kale chips! Ahh, the power of marketing.