Wine is both complex and regional, as it is important and tasty. There’s a vast world of difference between regions through Italy. This can make choosing the right wine a bit tricky.

Wine Display in San Gimignano

In order to choose the right wine, you need to be able to decipher between the labels. Here are some terms to understand and know:

- Anno means vintage
- Amabile means sweet
- Azienda means estate
- Bianco means white
- Cantina means winery
- Dolce means sweet
- Grappa means strong Italian brandy, derived from grapes
- Naturale means sparkling wine, in which bubbles are derived with natural methods, such as with fermentation
- Produttore means producer
- Rossa means red
- Rosato means rose
- Secco means dry
- Spumante means sparkling
- Vino means wine
- Vigna means vineyard

Classifications of wines are as follows:

- Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG): This is the equivalent of the French wine classification. These wines must be made in specified, government-defined zones and in accordance with particular regulations, which are intended to preserve the wine’s character.
- Table wines – Indicazione di Geografica Tipica (IGT): Tables wines, which are often times grown in specific geographical regions. Some wines fall under this category in order to avoid more stringent regulations associated with DOC and DOCG.
- Table wines – Vino Da Tavola (VdT): This category designates wines which reside on the low-end of quality. Compromised mostly of Italian table wines, which can produced anywhere in Italy.

Italian wines go with certain types of food. Here are guidelines to follow:

- Always match the sauce with the wine (i.e. choose a lighter wine to go with a lighter sauce)
- Heavier and fattier dishes sometimes require a more acidic wine to lighten the load
- When serving beef, lamb or rabbit, serve red wine
- Northern game, cheese and prosciutto can be served with fruitier white wines
- Sangiovese wine and Pinot Noir wine can be paired with various types of Italian breads as well as mushroom sauces and heavier Italian dishes
- Chianti, by default, is the wine which is often served with tomato-based sauces
- Chardonnay and Champaign can be served with seafood pasta dishes and mild cheese-stuffed pastas
- Pair creamier sauces with Voigner, but pair Chardonnay with buttery sauces
- Meat lasagna goes well with Valpollicello and Chianti
- Vegetable lasagnas are more mild and should be paired with Pinot Noir
- Italian appetizers and soups go best with lighter and drier wines
- Cured red meats, such as prosciutto, pancetta and salami go well with full-bodied red wines
- Pesto is to be paired with classic red wines
- Classic pizza pairs best with reds, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Chianti and Merlot

Soups may take longer to make, but it’s simple and the reward is well worth the wait. Not only are homemade soups generally more nutritious than the store-bought variety, but children will enjoy helping to make (and sample!) the soup.

Chicken noodle soup

Not only soup extremely economical (it is one of the cheapest meals to make), it is also a great way to be sure your family is getting the vegetables and heart-healthy herbs they need. Soup is also good for dieting, because it is low in fat and is a very satisfying meal.

Large batches of soup can be made over the weekend, and then stored for use in lunch boxes and dinners during the week. In this way, homemade soup can be enjoyed any time—as a healthy snack or as part of a well balanced meal.

Chicken noodle soup is a kid favorite, but there are many other varieties of soups to try. Even if the soup is new to the children, they are usually willing samplers (especially when they helped to make the soup!)

Most soups call for stock in their recipes. Stock can easily be replaced with water, or can be made quickly by using stock cubes or powder.

- Chicken Stock. Next time you roast a chicken, you can save the carcass to make chicken stock. You can also use raw bones. Break up the carcass or bones and place them in a large pot with peeled and roughly chopped carrots, a stick of celery, an onion, a few peppercorns, a little salt and a sprinkle of thyme and parsley. Add enough cold water to cover the ingredients, then bring to a boil. Skim off the foam, then simmer for 3 hours. Freezes well for future use in soups.

- Vegetable Stock. Place vegetable trimmings and peelings—potato, carrot, broccoli, tomato, onion, leek, or anything you have—plus a little salt, a few peppercorns, a bay leaf and a sprinkle of dried herbs into a pot. Add enough cold water to cover the ingredients. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 45 minutes. Allow to cool, then strain.

Here are a couple healthy soup recipes to try with your children:

Vegetable Soup with Orzo

* 2 large onions, cut into chunks
* ½ cup olive oil
* 2 or 3 minced garlic cloves
* 1 pound (about 7 or carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
* 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
* 2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
* 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
* 3 to 4 ounces of green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
* 3 or 4 medium zucchini, sliced into ¼-inch cubes
* 2 cups orzo pasta
* Coarse salt and ground black pepper to taste
* ½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Allow children to place the onions and oil into a heavy, 6-quart stockpot. An adult should sauté the onions until soft, then add the garlic and carrots to the hot oil. Allow the ingredients to cook for 5 minutes.

With adult supervision, children can carefully add the potatoes and stock, 1 cup at a time, to the pot. Simmer until the potatoes are almost tender. Add the green beans and zucchini and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the orzo pasta and cook until the orzo is al dente. With adult supervision, children can season the soup with salt and pepper. Once in individual serving bowls, children can garnish each bowl with a sprinkling of parsley. Serve hot.

Split Pea Soup

* 1 small onion, diced
* 1 carrot, peeled and diced
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 cup rinsed split peas
* 3 cups water
* 3/4 pound ham hock (optional)

In a medium saucepan over low to medium heat, warm the oil. Saute the onions and carrot until the onions are translucent (about 4 minutes). Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for 45 minutes.

Remove the ham hock and let it cool. Puree the soup with a handheld blender until smooth. Cut the meat off the ham hock and into tiny pieces, discarding the fat. Serve the soup with ham mixed in or sprinkled on top.

It is critical that growing children eat healthy, well-balanced diets to support their developing bodies and minds. A carefully planned breakfast, lunch and dinner is a great start, however children grow so quickly that they may feel the need to snack between meals.

Boy with Healthy Fruit Snacks

There is nothing wrong with snacking between meal times, so long as children are eating healthy snacks and not filling up on sugary junk foods. Helping children to choose healthy snacks is vital. It lays the framework for the rest of their lives.

Here are some ideas for quick and tasty healthy snacks that kids will love:

- Chopped raw vegetables with dip
- Chunks of avocado, cucumber or cooked sweet potato
- Breadsticks or pita chips with hummus
- Pretzels or popcorn
- Tortilla chips with bean dip
- Cheerios, granola, or other healthy cereals in a bag
- Toasted whole grain breads or crackers with fruit spread
- Graham crackers or gingersnaps dipped into applesauce
- Mini rice cakes with peanut butter
- Apple slices with hazelnut butter
- Fresh fruits
- Dried fruits, like raisins
- Frozen bananas blended with a little non-dairy milk
- Applesauce or fruit cups
- Nuts, especially when mixed with dried fruit
- Soy yogurt or ice cream
- Homemade muffins or cornbread
- Ramen soup with added vegetables
- Fresh soybeans
- Bite-sized tofu cubes
- Tofu hot dogs

You can also provide your children with the ingredients to make “mini recipes” that they can prepare themselves.

- Spread peanut butter on apple slices.
- Peel a banana and dip it in yogurt. Roll it in crushed cereal and freeze.
- Stuff a whole grain pita-pocket with Granny Smith apple slices and ricotta cheese. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
- Mix together cereal, dried fruits and nuts into a bag for a snack on the go.
- Fill a waffle cone with frozen yogurt and cut-up fruit.
- Spread frozen yogurt on graham crackers and add sliced bananas to make a tasty sandwich.
- Microwave a small baked potato. Sprinkle with reduced fat cheddar cheese and salsa.
- Put cubes of low fat cheese and grapes on pretzel sticks.
- Top a banana with vanilla and strawberry frozen yogurt. Sprinkle with dried cereal or granola.
- Layer vanilla yogurt with fresh fruit (mandarin oranges, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries). Top with dried cereal or granola.
- Crumble a graham cracker over low-fat chocolate pudding. Top with a few miniature marshmallows.
- Put low fat cheese on top of a tortilla. Microwave for 15 to 20 seconds to enjoy a quesadilla snack.
- Spread mustard on a flour tortilla. Top with a slice of turkey or ham and lettuce, then roll it up!