(732) 477-4678
Types: Comedy Magic Shows, Clowns, Lessons and Balloons

Nirit Yadin, a professional chef and a mother of three, is the culinary instructor at the learning kitchen of Whole Foods Market Princeton. For the last year and a half she’s been teaching children and adults about healthy eating and gourmet cooking, which she considers the same thing.

If you have any questions and comments, please email Nirit at nirit.yadin@wholefoods.com

Hopewell, NJ 08525
(609) 429-0880
Website: www.purplecirclephotography.com

The idea came to me some years ago, when I told my picky-eater toddler (for the 100th time) not to eat her shocking-pink, strawberry-scented play dough. I thought: If she likes to eat her art – and not her food – why not giving her edible artwork? This way I can sneak some vitamins into her otherwise mundane all-carbohydrates diet.
Therefore, I chose bright colored, strongly scented berries and some tooth picks to make “Rainbow Skewers” and pretended it was art time. It worked! The girl munched absent mindedly on her art project, peeking at me from the corner of her eye and wondering how come I’m letting her do so…
Years later I applied the trick to my kids’ cooking classes at Whole Foods Market. I call the class “Eating the Rainbow” and offer all kinds of edible art projects to kids. I am always amazed to see how many fruits and vegetables they are willing to try outside of the “Eat your Veggies” context.

This blog is not about nutrition, but briefly: Eating the rainbow is also the latest buzz word in nutritional science. We’ve known for years that fruits and vegetables provide essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber that keep us healthy. Research of late attributes great benefits to phytonutrients (also known as phytochemicals) – substances in plants that are not recognized as vitamins or minerals, but provide a definite health boost.

Many phytonutrients are also pigments responsible for the color of fruits and vegetables. Plants have pigments to protect them against environmental factors (such as sunlight) and from harmful agents. When we consume fruits and vegetables, we receive benefits from the phytonutrients that are similar to what they provide to the plant – protection from environmental factors and cell damaging substances.
In order to receive a full spectrum of phytonutrients you need to eat a full spectrum of colors. Moreover: Strong and bright colors are an indication of a higher level of phytonutrients.

So next time you shop with your kids, choose a market with a wonderful variety of produce and ask the kids to pick up as many as colors as possible. At home, let them create a rainbow on their plate, on a skewer or on a piece of bread (low-fat cream cheese or mayonnaise make great canvases) to decorate their pasta or mashed potatoes. When it comes to kids and art – the sky is the limit….
Many stores carry plastic “lettuce knives” that cut everything but fingers. Kids love to chop with them. So give them those knives and some veggies and have them make Rainbow Israeli Salad:

Israeli Salad
3 Mediterranean cucumbers
3 tomatoes
1 yellow and 1 red pepper
3 green onions
1 carrot
Olive oil
Lemon juice
salt
Freshly chopped mint or parsley

Chop the vegetables in small pieces. The secret to a really good Israeli salad is finely chopped vegetables.

Immediately before serving, season lightly with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and herbs

92 Cortelyous Lane
Somerset, NJ 08873
(732) 422-1394
Website: www.crestwoodmontessorischool.com
Grades: 2.5 to 6 years

Hillsborough, NJ
(800) 756-7669
(908) 281-1050
Website: www.countrytimeponyrides.com
Types: Offering pony rides, miniature petting goats and a pony bounce house at your location.