Kid Nutrition Tips and Tricks

Enjoy this educational video about nutrition for your kids:
Kid Nutrition Tips and Tricks

Ways to win the healthy-food battle:
Imprint healthy tastes- "if you only expose your baby to healthy, whole foods from the beginning, taste buds will develop to enjoy and crave those foods.: says Robert Sears, MD. Limit processed foods such as baby crackers.
Try, try again- Offer a wide variety of veggies and fruits and introduce one at least 16 times, Alan Greene, MD author of Feeding Baby Green.
Follow the one-bite rule- When kids know they only need to trey (not finish) new foods, peace reigns at the dinner table.
Presentation is everything- Grate, peel, chop your veggies and fruit. Add sesame oil, curry spice, cinnamon, a scoop of nut butter. Try making faces and shapes. Anything to add some interest in the food.
Dip it- Veggies are more fun when dunked...NOT in high saturated fat dressings like Ranch but a protein-rich, low-fat Greek yogurt....try my Green Goddess Dip.
Give you child the chef's hat- LOVE THIS ONE! Empowerment equals enthusiasm. Plus learning to prepare healthy food is an invaluable lifelong skill,, says Diana Kalnins, RD coauthor of Better Food for Kids.

Update: this podcast about breastfeeding was brought to my attention the other day!
They're not for you, they're for my baby!

Until next time...
look good, feel good, do good
http://www.sarabconsulting.com/

Kids Say the Darnest Things

This email from a client, friend, and fellow Des Moines crossfitter, Katie, shares one of the many reasons I do what I do:

"So I had the greatest experience yesterday with my four-year old (Brady), and I had to share! At preschool yesterday, they traced themselves on a giant piece of paper and then cut out pictures from magazines of their FAVORITE foods. My sweet, sweet child had these things on his poster: bananas, apples, oranges, celery, a turkey sandwich (he calls it a 'salad' b/c he loves salad, and it had lettuce on it), and pancakes :) It was so reaffirming as a parent to see that the good food choices Michael and I are trying to model are carrying through- yipee! So thanks for all you've done for our family!!!! We, of course, hung it up on the kitchen wall.

Later this week we're going to go through "Mommy's cooking magazines" to find more food that we love :)"

Spend some time with your families this week sharing your love of healthy foods and the benefits they have on your health , just as Katie has modeled.

Encourage them to try to "eat the rainbow!"

Until next time...

look good, feel good, do good

www.sarabconsulting.com

Back to School Recipes & B-Day Fun with the Family

On Thursday I did another presentation at Continental Western Group on "Back to School the Healthy Way." The focus was on why it is important for kids to eat healthy, how to pack a healthy lunch, and lunch time makeovers.
Of course, there were food samples! The idea behind the samples is they are all easy recipes with minimal ingredients that can be prepared by both a parent and a child (some may need supervision).

Pizzadillas
from kidshealth.org
Ingredients:
4 whole-wheat tortillas (8 inches) - I use Amy's Organics
2/3 cup fresh or frozen spinach, finely chopped
2/3 cup 2% mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup marinara sauce (store-bought or homemade)
Cooking spray

I found this marinara made in Coralville, Iowa at the Coralville HyVee
Instructions:
Lay 2 tortillas on a flat surface. Divide spinach and cheese between the tortillas.
Top with remaining 2 tortillas.
Place skillet over medium heat. Lightly coat pan with cooking spray.
Gently slide 1 pizzadilla into the pan and cook until light golden brown on one side (about 1-2 minutes).
Using a thin spatula, gently flip over the pizzadilla and cook for 30-60 seconds more or until cheese is fully melted.
Remove pizzadilla and cut into triangles. Repeat with remaining pizzadilla.
Serve with marinara sauce for dipping.
You can wrap and refrigerate leftovers to take to school for lunch.

Strawberry Bars

loosely adapted from kidshealth.org

Ingredients:
1 c white whole wheat flour
1 c rolled oats
1/4 c butter or margarine, softened

1/4 c unsweetened applesauce
1/4 c light brown sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 c strawberry jam - make sure it is a product that does not contain high fructose corn syrup

3/4 c sliced fresh or frozen strawberries

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350° F.
In a large bowl, mix everything together except the strawberry jam and strawberries.
Measure out 1/2 of this mixture. Leave the rest in the bowl, and set it aside.
Take the mixture and press it into the bottom of the greased pan. You can use your hands or a spoon. Make sure you cover the entire bottom of the pan!
Using a large spoon, spread the strawberry jam on top of the mixture in the pan. Follow with the strawberry slices. Spread it evenly all over.
Take the mixture that was left in the bowl, and spread or sprinkle it over the strawberry jam. Press it down lightly.
Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, and allow it to cool for at least 15 minutes.
Cut the bars into 12 squares to eat and share!

Each participant got their own sack of samples!
I also sampled Banana Roll-ups.

Birthday fun with the family!

Mom and Dad had us kids over for cake and homemade ice cream. Mom created another cake masterpiece! It's a baby stroller :)

Peyton looks guilty....is that chocolate on the side of her mouth?

Emmerson tried teaching Peyton how to start a race

it seems she left her in the dust

"Wait for me Emmerson!"

"oh my, a camera....how do I look?"

Jazz (my parents and I's little sister from Big Brothers/Big Sisters)

Emmerson catching a ride from J

I love family time!

Until next time...

look good, feel good, do good

http://www.sarabconsulting.com/