The Cleaner Plate Club by Beth Bader and Ali Benjamin is a wealth of information for not only getting kids to eat, but also for putting clean stuff on their plates.
Much more than just recipes, half of the book is a primer for healthy eating. Beginning with a plan for healthy choices, shopping strategies, and understandable nutrition information, The Cleaner Plate Club highlights specific vegetables and how to use them and educates readers on things like whether or not to coupon and stockpile, when to buy organic, and what to know about farmer’s markets. Recipes include real foods and simple ingredients for mealtime, snacks, and desserts.
The Cleaner Plate Club is empowering in many ways. As consumers, we are bombarded with unhealthy temptations, and our kids are even more targeted. The authors encourage, educate, and motivate without condemning.
The best part of this book is that it’s presented in a straightforward way with “bite size” nuggets of information that don’t overwhelm readers or make us feel like clean eating is just too difficult to attain. It’s all about how to make healthy eating a natural lifestyle, and doing it in a way that kids will naturally respond to. Plus, the featured recipes are delicious and not complicated.
Dealing with Picky Eaters
My youngest son is a picky eater, but he also loves to cook. We can prepare these recipes together, which entices him to try things he wouldn’t taste otherwise. There are plenty of “normal” choices, like burgers, meatloaf, and mac & cheese, along with “new to us” choices like Ginger-Banana-Oatmeal Pancakes, Lemony Couscous Salad. We also happily discovered how to make your own microwave popcorn, free from all the unpronounceable additives in the store-bought kind.
There are quick lists of things like quick and easy breakfast options, lunchbox favorites, and the ten best snacks to have around. As a homeschool mom, I am thankful that my kids aren’t at the mercy of school lunches every day, and The Cleaner Plate Club has provided me with a myriad of ideas for good lunches we can make at home.
The Cleaner Plate Club is educational for parents and kids alike, and it is helping us learn how to make a lifestyle change for the better.
Thank you for taking time to review our book and for the nice comments — Beth, author
Thank you for stopping by, Beth! I am learning so much from this book, and even though I have older kids, my youngest is such an especially picky eater, that this book is re-training me on how to feed him right. I’ve been down the chicken nugget road too often, but we have made lots of changes in the past year.