Family Friday

What better time to emphasize family meal time than during the holiday season? As schedules become more packed with holiday events, shopping trips, and travel time it is difficult to focus on dinner time at home and connecting with your kids.

An excellent way to maximize your time at home is to include your kids in food preparation for family dinner. Not only are your kids learning good skills for life, but they are able to increase their interest in trying new foods. Kids of any age are able to help through cutting, pouring, and mixing.

Pouring, mixing and counting are skills that are appropriate to reinforce with toddlers. Older children can practice their math and measuring skills by preparing the ingredients for toddlers to pour/mix. Teens are perfect for a little more responsibility. It is a prime opportunity to teach them cooking methods like grilling and sauteing.

Try out the meal below for your family cook time:

Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Serves 4

1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat

Non-stick cooking spray

1 tsp The Delicious Dietitian Southern Spice Blend

1/2 cup marmalade

1 Tbsp The Delicious Dietitian Red Muscadine Wine Vinegar

1. Slice the pork into about 4 pieces and sprinkle with Southern Spice Blend.

2. After spraying a skillet with cooking spray, cook pork approximately 4 minutes on each side at medium-high heat. The internal temperature should be 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. Rest pork tenderloin on a separate plate.

4. Add marmalade and Red Muscadine Wine Vinegar to pan. Reduce for 3-5 minutes and pour over pork slices.

Harvest Salad

Serves 4

4 cups of romaine lettuce, chopped
¼ cup pomegranate seeds

1 apple, chopped

¼ cup crumbled bleu cheese or gorgonzola cheese

¼ cup of olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons The Delicious Dietitian Blueberry Wine Vinegar
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon sea salt

1. Mix olive oil, lemon juice, Blueberry Wine Vinegar, black pepper, and sea salt then set aside.

2. Toss together romaine, apple, pomegranate seeds in a large bowl.

3. Add mixed dressing.

4. Sprinkle cheese crumbles over top.

Anna Dean is a registered, licensed dietitian with professional experience in preventative nutrition for cardiac disease and diabetes. She also served as a professor in nutrition and a contract dietitian in pediatrics assisting with menu development. Dean holds a Bachelor of Science in nutrition from Texas A&M University and a Master of Science in nutrition from University of the Incarnate Word. Join her conversation on Twitter @adeanrd