The Cleaner Plate Club
The Cleaner Plate Club is a new book with a unique philosophy. Co-written by concerned mother Ali Benjamin and chef Beth Bader, the book includes recipes and lots of tips about how to help your whole family eat healthy foods and enjoy every minute of it. Full of seasonal items and everyday basics, the recipes are easy to make and delicious to eat.
The Cleaner Plate Club Book
LoveToKnow (LTK): What gave you the idea for this book?
Beth Bader (BB): The seeds that started the book were planted, for me, when I became involved in the Eat Local Challenge. As I learned more and more about the health and safety issues with our food system, the childhood obesity epidemic, food recalls, and more, I thought, parents need to know about this. We need a better way to feed our kids.
LTK: When did you develop a deep interest in food?
Ali Benjamin (AB): My interest really took off when my older daughter, now 9.5, became a toddler. I had a few recipes under my belt, but I wasn't terribly confident in the kitchen. Let me state that more plainly: I couldn't cook. I had in my arsenal a tiny handful of recipes that it generally took me a day to prepare, and half of them were for things that involved chocolate and butter.
When I did cook complete meals, my daughter turned up her nose at them. I fully understood the lure of frozen chicken nuggets and French fries, and we did start to go down that path. However, I didn't feel good about it; it wasn't what I wanted for her, for our family, and for the world we live in. So I took a deep breath, and started reading more, experimenting more. That's where it all began in terms of the book.
LTK: What prompted you to look for kid-friendly recipes?
AB: I guess I'd make a distinction between kid-friendly and family-friendly. What I wanted was something family-friendly: meals that we could eat together, meals in which we could all find something we could enjoy. We might enjoy different things in the same meal, of course, but that's just fine.
Some of my motivation was for healthy living, certainly. Another was the local economy; we are fortunate to live in a community with many small farms, and I'd prefer to support my neighbors than an anonymous global food corporation. Some of it was laziness: I didn't want to prepare different meals for different family members. An awful lot of it came down to pleasure, that idea of sharing a good meal with loved ones.
Cleaner Plate Club Recipes
LTK: How are the recipes for the book different from what you'd do in a professional kitchen?
BB: Well, the quantities are definitely smaller! I also like to explain each technique instead of assuming that the reader will just know what "roux" is or "chiffonade." The dishes are simpler, with fewer sauces, take less time and focus on making the vegetables and fruits the center of the dishes, in ways that kids will be most likely to enjoy them.
LTK: Where did you get the inspiration for these recipes?
BB: I have many farmers to thank for the inspiration. Even on days when I don't feel like cooking, I get excited about what's fresh at the market and find myself in the kitchen. My other inspiration is my child and the joy of sharing new flavors with her. Sometimes, however, it was also her dislikes and texture preferences that challenged me to be more creative, to figure out how to make a vegetable appeal to kids. I learned a lot from the experience of cooking as a parent versus just cooking for adults.
LTK: What is the difficulty level of the recipes?
BB: To quote from Ratatouille, "Anyone can cook." The recipes are simple, basic cooking, with a lot of flavor. Growing up, I was always taught that "If you can read, you can cook." I find this true, but only if the recipes are written well. We really tried hard not to just write recipes, but to write the instructions in ways that teach cooking basics. For example, the section in the book on soups will teach readers all the methods they need to know to make any soup without a recipe.
LTK: What is the average number of ingredients in each recipe, and how long does each one take to prepare?
BB: There are many recipes with only four or five ingredients in the book. Recipes for main dishes, soups and baked goods have more ingredients. All the recipes use one basic pantry of staples with the fresh ingredients, so readers won't have to buy one exotic ingredient that can't be used in more than a single recipe. The pantry list is included in the book as well. All the recipes were created in a home kitchen on a budget!
LTK: Can kids work alongside Mom and Dad to prepare these dishes?
BB: Absolutely, and our kids did help, too. Younger kids can help wash and choose produce, measure and mix. Around five and up, grating and peeling are pretty safe (with precautions). Knife skills and using the stove or oven can wait until kids are a bit older, with better attention spans. All kids can help decide what vegetables and fruits to try, how they would like to try them, etc.
The Cleaner Plate Philosophy
LTK: What is the philosophy of the cleaner plate?
AB: First of all: relax. If you're fighting with your kid about food, it doesn't do them, or you, an ounce of good. In fact, the research seems pretty clear that it backfires; cajoling your kid to eat something actually makes her like it less. Restricting it makes her desire it more.
However, we all know that kids don't always make the healthiest choices without guidance. So how can a parent relax and still encourage good habits? I think it comes down to shaping your environment so that most of the options are good ones. That's a very selfish reason I love shopping at farmers' markets: because I get tired of saying, "no" all the time. When most of the choices are good ones, you don't have to say no. Personally, I think "yes" is just a lot more fun than "no."
LTK: What kind of advice would you provide parents who are struggling with what to feed their kids?
AB: I'd just encourage parents to keep an open mind about things, and to keep their sense of humor. Sometimes a previously-hated food turns, overnight, into a beloved food. Sometimes a child doesn't think he likes tomatoes, or turnips, until he tastes a new recipe…and then he devours it. Sometimes the reverse happens: they go on strike against a food they once loved. Kids are funny, they're changing every single day, and you just never really know.
One other piece of advice: remember that "healthy" doesn't have to mean "gourmet." You don't need to impress anyone with your meals. In fact, I've found that the simplest meals: a simple egg frittata, no more difficult than scrambled eggs, or a humble soup with crusty bread are often the ones that bring out the best in our family.
Bringing Cleaner Plates to Your Home
LTK: What is the setup of the book? How can parents use the book?
BB: Parents will find helpful guides and text as well as recipes. We felt it was important to address all the issues parents face with feeding our kids: not just picky eating, but the whole picture. We also wanted to help parents relax and not feel judged or talked down to as many parent "advice" books can do.
Ali and I had a unique approach with the recipes. Since she was more of a beginner with cooking, she would test the recipes, and we would modify the instructions and preparation to be sure any cook could prepare each dish. Because we both belong to CSAs (Community Sponsored Agriculture), and shop farmers' markets, the recipes are seasonal and based on whole foods. In many places, we use the recipes to teach basic techniques that can be applied to any dish. We wanted to empower parents to be able to cook without a recipe, with ingredients on hand instead of having to rely on the book completely. Key research points are called out for easy scanning to make the text easy to read and skim.
Benjamin and Bader's Book
The Cleaner Plate Club is a book filled with the latest research from experts on feeding kids, pantry lists, a know-your-veggies guide, and lots of upbeat facts that will make parents feel empowered instead of overwhelmed. Order a copy from Amazon, or follow the Cleaner Plate Club online to get your kids' plates cleaner. Added benefits are seeing bright smiles at the dinner table from your whole family, not to mention enjoying cooking once you embrace the philosophy Bader and Benjamin set out in their book.
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