E
Elcaro.Nosille
As the beginning of the school year nears, parents once again face the
challenge of preparing healthy lunches and snacks that their kids will
actually eat. After all, you can send your child to school with a
well-balanced lunch a home-ec teacher would be proud of, but if he
trades his carrot sticks for a cupcake, all your efforts go down the
drain.
What parents need are ways to make healthy food fun for kids to eat.
And since September is not only back-to-school month, but also "5 a
Day" month (in honor of the FDA recommendation that everyone eat five
servings of fruits and vegetables every day), what better time to
incorporate these foods into your family's diet.
Every parent knows that some foods are more popular with kids than
others. For example, most kids like bananas, but may not be so sure
about papaya. While you want your child to try new tastes, their lunch
box probably isn't the place for that. Keeping kids' taste buds in
mind, here are some tips from the Produce Marketing Association for
fun, healthy ways to help your kids get their 5 a Day.
For the lunch box:
* Instead of PB&J for lunch, how about PB&B -- peanut butter and
banana. This delicious combination is sure to be a hit with kids.
* Peanut butter can also be used to stuff celery, or try celery stuffed
with low fat cheese.
* Apples are easy to pack and eat -- simply toss one in the lunch box.
Alternatively, pack a container of applesauce.
* Capture your kids' imagination (and their appetites) with unique
and interesting fruits. For example, star fruit, with its astral shape,
is fascinating to kids.
* Kids might turn up their noses at raw carrot sticks served on their
own, but a little ranch-flavored dip can make all the difference. The
dip is available in easy-to-pack single serving containers. Encourage
your child to try dipping other vegetables such as celery, broccoli and
cauliflower for variety.
Any of the ideas above can also work as a healthy after school snack,
but you have a lot of other options as well. Kids love smoothies,
especially when they get to pick the ingredients. All you need is some
yogurt, your favorite fruit, some ice and a blender for a tasty snack
that packs a nutritional punch.
Here's another recipe the kids will go for: Fruiteroni Pizza.
They'll get a kick out of the unconventional ingredients. It's so
easy, the kids can practically put it together themselves.
Fruiteroni Pizza
1 12-inch pre-baked thin pizza crust or 12-inch regular pizza crust
1/2 cup pasta sauce or pizza sauce
1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella or jack cheese
1 large (or 2 small) fresh California peaches, thinly sliced
2 ounces sliced pepperoni
diced green peppers (options)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spread pizza base with sauce. Sprinkle
with cheese. Top with fruit slices and pepperoni, then sprinkle with
green pepper. Bake on cookie sheet at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or
until sauce is bubbling and crust is browned. Cut into wedges.
And remember, it's not just kids who need their 5 a Day. Mom and Dad
should be setting a good example by eating their fruits and vegetables.
A survey conducted by the American Dietetic Association found that
parents have more potential to influence their children's eating
habits than anyone else. These findings underscore the importance of a
parent's involvement in helping their children make good dietary
choices, because children's eating behaviors are influenced by
family-related factors such as the number of meals eaten together.
To help consumers make the most of fruits and vegetables, the Produce
Marketing Association Web site offers tips on how to buy and store
fruits and vegetables, as well as tempting recipes and serving ideas.
For more information, visit www.aboutproduce.com.
challenge of preparing healthy lunches and snacks that their kids will
actually eat. After all, you can send your child to school with a
well-balanced lunch a home-ec teacher would be proud of, but if he
trades his carrot sticks for a cupcake, all your efforts go down the
drain.
What parents need are ways to make healthy food fun for kids to eat.
And since September is not only back-to-school month, but also "5 a
Day" month (in honor of the FDA recommendation that everyone eat five
servings of fruits and vegetables every day), what better time to
incorporate these foods into your family's diet.
Every parent knows that some foods are more popular with kids than
others. For example, most kids like bananas, but may not be so sure
about papaya. While you want your child to try new tastes, their lunch
box probably isn't the place for that. Keeping kids' taste buds in
mind, here are some tips from the Produce Marketing Association for
fun, healthy ways to help your kids get their 5 a Day.
For the lunch box:
* Instead of PB&J for lunch, how about PB&B -- peanut butter and
banana. This delicious combination is sure to be a hit with kids.
* Peanut butter can also be used to stuff celery, or try celery stuffed
with low fat cheese.
* Apples are easy to pack and eat -- simply toss one in the lunch box.
Alternatively, pack a container of applesauce.
* Capture your kids' imagination (and their appetites) with unique
and interesting fruits. For example, star fruit, with its astral shape,
is fascinating to kids.
* Kids might turn up their noses at raw carrot sticks served on their
own, but a little ranch-flavored dip can make all the difference. The
dip is available in easy-to-pack single serving containers. Encourage
your child to try dipping other vegetables such as celery, broccoli and
cauliflower for variety.
Any of the ideas above can also work as a healthy after school snack,
but you have a lot of other options as well. Kids love smoothies,
especially when they get to pick the ingredients. All you need is some
yogurt, your favorite fruit, some ice and a blender for a tasty snack
that packs a nutritional punch.
Here's another recipe the kids will go for: Fruiteroni Pizza.
They'll get a kick out of the unconventional ingredients. It's so
easy, the kids can practically put it together themselves.
Fruiteroni Pizza
1 12-inch pre-baked thin pizza crust or 12-inch regular pizza crust
1/2 cup pasta sauce or pizza sauce
1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella or jack cheese
1 large (or 2 small) fresh California peaches, thinly sliced
2 ounces sliced pepperoni
diced green peppers (options)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spread pizza base with sauce. Sprinkle
with cheese. Top with fruit slices and pepperoni, then sprinkle with
green pepper. Bake on cookie sheet at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or
until sauce is bubbling and crust is browned. Cut into wedges.
And remember, it's not just kids who need their 5 a Day. Mom and Dad
should be setting a good example by eating their fruits and vegetables.
A survey conducted by the American Dietetic Association found that
parents have more potential to influence their children's eating
habits than anyone else. These findings underscore the importance of a
parent's involvement in helping their children make good dietary
choices, because children's eating behaviors are influenced by
family-related factors such as the number of meals eaten together.
To help consumers make the most of fruits and vegetables, the Produce
Marketing Association Web site offers tips on how to buy and store
fruits and vegetables, as well as tempting recipes and serving ideas.
For more information, visit www.aboutproduce.com.