Healthy green not gross green- Classroom ideas for St. Patrick's Day Parties

Green is such a fun color. So  many healthy foods come in fabulous shades of green. Here are a few ideas for an upcoming St. Patrick's Day (or Easter) party. Green can be good and not grossly filled with artificial colors and chemicals.

St. Patrick’s Day

1.Guacamole with green chips, broccoli, celery or sugar snap peas for dipping

2. Green smoothie (combine apple juice, milk, berries, 1 teaspoon honey and an avocado or spinach leaves)

3. Grapes and green apple slices kabobs (vanilla yogurt for dipping)

4. Kale chips (roast kale tossed in olive oil and sea salt until crispy)

5. Veggie Pirate Booty chips

 6. Green jell-o molds with fruit

7. Mini-sandwiches cut with clover molds

8. Healthy, low fat potato salad 

9. Ants on a log (celery with nut butter or hummus sprinkled with raisins)

 10. Pistachio low fat pudding topped with shelled pistachios.

11.Kiwi fruit cut into shamrock shapes. 

If you would like a copy of the template above email me: Brandi@ABCDEatRight.com 

September challenge...growing a garden of herbs!

As an ambassador for Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution we are challenged with monthly tasks. Mostly these tasks are centered around raising awareness of real food. This month one of the three challenges is to start an herb garden. I love this idea because it has been many years since I have attempted the herb garden. I usually purchase the herbs at the grocery store and when I do I always regret the cost that goes into them. So I am going to take the challenge this month to grow a herb garden! Are you with me? It will be fun! Have the kids help by planting the seeds or seedlings. Have them draw out the full grown herb and most importantly have them include it in a fun recipe.

 

Here is a link they sent to provide recipe ideas and tips on growing herbs: http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/seasonalcooking/farmtotable/herbgardenrecipes

 

Happy growing and let us know what you grow and what recipes you enjoyed. I will keep you posted on ours.

 

 

www.ABCDEatRight.com

Brandi@ABCDEatRight.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Corny Corn...Another "in season" food.

Corn can be seen piling up in the produce aisle this time of the year. My kids get a kick out of shucking the corn by tearing off the outer layers leaving the yellow pearls of sweet corn on the cob. Hands on activities like this, so simple, but make it worth while to take the extra time in hopes of sparking an interest in a new food.

Corn is a good source of fiber, thiamine and folate. Corn is a rich source of carbohydrates and for this reason it is utilized to make corn syrup, a cheaper alternative to sugar. I don't personally like corn syrup in my foods but corn as it comes in nature can be a good addition to the diet. Corn syrup is man made through questionable processes and is devoid of any nutritional value.

There are three kinds of corn: sweet corn, dent corn and flint corn. Sweet corn is the type we see in grocery stores and the one most often consumed by humans. Flint corn is still grown in Central America and is the closest to Maize, the original corn seen in the Americas. Dent corn is typically fed to animals and utilized in various industries.

Some ways I have cooked up corn recently include:
Click on the links to go straight to the recipe pages.
Fresh corn salad
Corn griddle cakes

For more information or advice from a Registered and Licensed Dietitian that coaches adults and children with their nutrition and wellness needs visit: www.ABCDEatRight.com or Brandi@ABCDEatRight.com

Springing into spring with healthy kids

What does Spring mean to you? To me it means better weather, longer evenings and healthy, fresher food. It is also a time for me to reflect on how the year is going. And a great time to spring clean! The kitchen is the first place that I start my spring cleaning/reorganizing. I usually clean out the pantry twice a year and this year is no different. Every time I clean the pantry out I ponder over whether or not I should throw away food that I will never use.  I hate to waste food. There is just something inside of me that does not like to be wasteful,  but sometimes it must be done. Food will not keep forever. I look at this de-cluttering time as a time that may open up new waves of creativity in the kitchen.

This Spring my focus is to rid our pantry of processed food. I am slowly considering the transition to a wheat free kitchen after reading a book pertaining to the modification of wheat. I am not 100% sold on the idea so this is a lingering thought. I will still maintain a consistent flow of oatmeal, quinoa, rice, corn and potato products through our house so I feel our carbohydrates will be met but the concept that wheat has been genetically modified that its present form could actually be hurting my family is definitely bothering me.

As I clean out the pantry I reexamine the lower shelves that the kids have access to and determine that there is a decent balance of nuts, dried fruits, granola bars, raisins and pirate booty. Enough to complement the fruit drawer and shelf with yogurt and milk in the refrigerator.

My pantry does not look too bad this time around. I am sure that there is always room for improvement but I am pretty satisfied and now, since I have done a brief nutritional assessment update on our family it is time to move to the next room in the house!

Do you need help with your kitchen and lifestyle changes? Consult a Registered Dietitian today!
Brandi@ABCDEatRight.com. ABCD Eat Right also has recipe boxes to help families make healthier meals and a free weekly e-newsletter. Visit our site at: www.ABCDEatRight.com

Exercise..an important part of kids health

What goes along with kids health? Healthy diets for kids and healthy foods for kids are just the beginning. Getting at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week is important for the overall health of a child. The physical as well as mental and emotional aspects of health.

In a world that is gravitating towards indoor activities there are still ways to get moving.
If you have a Wii or other game box look into their sports and dance games. These are a fun and interactive way to get moving.

An online computer resource with short videos attached to incentives is an online site called www.GetSweaty.com. This program is designed for the school or home setting.

Join an organized sports team, dance class or tumbling class. Community centers are a good place to start for less expensive programs.

Once a child gets into elementary school they may only have physical education once every 3 days, if they are lucky. Some schools no longer have a physical education component. In order to help your school get moving more form a wellness committee and look into the guidelines provided by www.letsmove.gov to give you more ideas.

Even the little ones will benefit from exercise so make it a point to get moving to stay healthy!

Don't miss a letter in ABCD Eat Right's ABC's of Nutrition series.

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