emptying the CSA bag, originally uploaded by dcaCRL.

I talk a good game about healthy eating, but I have to confess that despite my best efforts, there are still nights we just order pizza, or times I can’t help but head for the nearest McDonald’s drive-thru. (Not for the boy, but sometimes a cheeseburger is the easiest way I can think of to get some protein, fast. I have given up the fry addiction, at least.) When I decided to focus on healthier eating, I set three goals:

• Eat more vegetables
• Eat more protein
• Eat more whole grains/fiber

Joining a CSA (community-supported agriculture) farm this year was a key step towards meeting the first goal. Having a steady supply of fresh veggies on hand is enormously helpful, so when we do resort to fast food, we can still add fresh veggies on the side. And for back-up, I always keep a few bags of frozen, organic veggies in the freezer. The boy will always eat succotash, peas & carrots, or edamame. (But not green beans. Yet.)

As for protein and whole grains, I’m trying to look for quick meals that will reduce our dependence on pasta (I’m Italian, it’s always the fall-back option!). I’ve been having a lot of fun with the fabulous selection of grains at Trader Joe’s, many of which will be featured here. And while we only eat meat a couple times a week, I started the boy off on tofu early in hopes of incorporating more non-meat proteins in our diet. So those are the three items I’ll be focusing on here. I’m always looking for new ideas, so please feel free to comment and share.

And if you want to know what the FoodieTot family is really eating every night, check out our Twitter updates.

Making homemade baby food is quick and easy. It tastes better, is fresher and healthier and most importantly, you control what’s in it. Here are ten quick tips to get you started:

1. Start fresh. Organic produce is best, or make sure you use a vegetable wash if you can’t or don’t want to buy organic.

2. You don’t need a lot of fancy equipment: a pot with steamer basket & lid, something to puree with (hand blender or food processor), ice cube trays, plastic wrap & plastic baggies or freezable containers.

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