• First take out a medium size dinner plate. Have your child trace the shape on a piece of paper.
• Show them the MyPlate logo and have them divide their circle into 4 almost equal parts. Giving a little more space for veggies than fruits and a little more space for grains than protein.
• Take out some crayons –tell them to pick out the colors that foods come in! Explain to them that each color food has unique powers that protect our body, for example, blueberries may help them remember better and keep their hearts strong or strawberries have vitamin C that helps heal their cuts if they fall on the playground.
• Have them draw and color their favorite foods on the makeshift plate.
• At meal time, have them help you plan the meal together to meet the MyPlate principles. Discuss which foods you’ll need to prepare to fit every category.  Use this as an opportunity to choose whole grains over refined grains.
• Get them involved by having them wash or scrub vegetables, set the table and arrange the foods on their plate to match MyPlate!

The next time your child falls on the playground, instead of hearing, “I need a bandaid” it could be, “mom can we buy some strawberries?”  For more tips on MyPlate principles visit www.MyPlate.gov .  Then visit www.superkidsnutrition.com for your source of fun and practical nutrition tips and tools to help you and your family live their best!

• Heat a little olive, grape seed oil or canola oil in a wok and stir-fry mushrooms and canned water chestnuts for 2 minutes.
• Add celery, pea pods, and 1 tsp honey. Sugar snap peas are a popular alternative with kids.
• Add about ¼ cup water and steam for 2 minutes, then remove all food from the wok.
• Stir-fry chicken for 4-5 minutes until cooked throughly.
• Add back in the vegetables with a little minced ginger, soy sauce and 1 tsp of corn starch mixed with 2 tsp warm water. Stir while heating until sauce thickens. Eat and Enjoy!

Which Foods Bring You Great Harvest, Blessing and Fortune In The Chinese New Year?

Match the foods to the type of good luck they symbolize!

1. Harvest                                     a. Apple

(food with seeds, nuts)

2. Blessing                                    b. Orange

(red food)

3. Fortune                                    c. Walnuts

(golden/yellow food)

See Chinese New Year –Healthy Eating Tips for the answers.

• Red colored foods bring you blessings throughout the year, so red foods such as apples, pomegranates, and blood oranges are a must in  Chinese New Year!

• Golden/yellow colored foods such as apricots, candied tangerines, peaches, yellow peppers, pumpkin, and yellow squash bring you great fortune!

1. Increase your vegetable consumption with fresh, frozen, dried or canned options.
2. Choose colorful vegetables, such as dark green, red & orange to acquire lots of vitamins, minerals and fiber.
3. Steam, sautée or pan-fry your veggies! Add healthy fat with small amounts of olive, grape seed oil or canola oil.
4. When desiring French fries, choose oven baked sweet potato or baking potato fries as a healthy replacement.

Fruit group: Buy fresh, seasonal fruit for best price and flavor!

1. Use frozen berries and make a healthy shake for breakfast.
2. Mix dried fruit with some walnuts for a quick snack.
3. Make a banana, orange and strawberry fruit salad for dessert.

Grain Group: Choose whole grain over refined grain!

Instead of this           Eat that 

White bread        Whole wheat(ww) bread, ww pita, ww naan bread, ww lavash bread.

White rice            Brown/wild rice, amaranth, barley, bulgur, millet, quinoa or whole wheat                                    couscous

Flour tortilla        Yellow or blue  corn tortilla, oat, spelt or whole wheat tortilla

Sugary cereal        Oatmeal /oatmeal squares, bran cereal, whole wheat puffed rice

Noodles                  Whole wheat pasta, buckwheat pasta, corn pasta, quinoa.

• Whole grains are a great source of dietary fiber, B vitamins, iron, magnesium, and selenium.

Dairy group: Get your dairy without the fat!

1. Dairy products are a great source of calcium, potassium, vitamin D, and protein.
2. Make your dairy choice low fat or fat free and lower your overall intake of saturated fats, which might lead to elevated cholesterol and heart diseases.
3. Choose a diet rich in fruit and vegetables to protect your bones. If you don’t include dairy, get plenty of leafy greens, like kale, for vitamin K and choose calcium fortified soy milk or tofu.

Did you know?

• AAP recommends Whole milk only for 1-2 year olds due to high-energy needs and rapid growth.
• Low Fat (1%) or Fat Free (Skim) milk is recommended after the age of two to prevent heart disease.

 Healthy Protein group: Go lean with protein!

1. Choose beans or soy options. (edamame, tofu, tempeh, beans of all colors and lentils)
2. Eat at least 2 serving of fish a week. (salmon, light tuna, sardines, trout etc.)
3. Buy skinless chicken breasts and turkey.
4. Choose lean/extra lean beef, such as eye round roast and steak, sirloin tip side steak, top round roast and steak.
5. Limit consumption of red meats (such as beef, pork and lamb) to special occasions.
6. Use nuts (almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts, cashews) and seeds (buckwheat, durum, oats) as a side dish to any meal.

• For portion control and balance, make sure to start each meal with a side salad and finish it up with a fruit cup!

Think of your plate containing four sections: fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins.

• Fruits and vegetables should fill half the plate and grains and protein should fill the other half of the plate.
• Eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in every color to ensure a range of nutrients.
• Go lean with protein, make at least half of your grains whole grains
• Choose fat-free or low fat dairy options or other sources of calcium and vitamin D rich foods.
• Limit salts, solid fats, and added sugars.
• Balance your calories by enjoying the foods but eating less while avoiding oversized portions.
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks. And overall, find a balance between food and physical activity!

Read our interview with nutrition expert, Elizabeth Ward,  to gain valuable insights into feedding your kids and family right!  Then visit MyPlate to learn more about serving sizes.

Water Tasting

• Make 4 different varieties of water with the kids for them to try
  • Water with Orange slices
  • Mint water
  • Raspberries in ice cubes placed in water
  • Cucumber or Jicama water

Now -Think about What Drink by setting a STOP/START/KEEP GOAL

Start

Ei: Drinking water during school days by packing a reusable BPA free water bottle.

__________________________________________________

Stop

Ei: Stop packing lemonade with artificial chemicals in my child’s lunch bag and pack herbal tea water instead.

__________________________________________________

Keep

EI: Keep including fat free or 1% milk for strong bones in healthy whole grain cereal in the morning.

__________________________________________________

One alternate mode of preparation to microwaving popcorn is popping popcorn on the stovetop (an almost lost art). WhirlyPop makes an inexpensive stove-top popcorn popper, complete with an old fashioned crank handle.   The popcorn made on the stovetop has a much richer flavor and results in less non-popped kernel waste (called old maids).   Try popping it with a small amount of grape seed oil.  This polyunsaturated vegetable oil has a light neutral flavor and a high smoke point, which makes it suitable for frying, or in this case, popping corn.  Grape seed oil also contains beneficial compounds such as linoleic acid (an omega 6 fatty acid) and Vitamin E.   Please keep in mind that popcorn is not recommended for children under 4 years of age due to its potential choking effect.

Another substitute to the stovetop and microwave is the hot air popper, which requires no oil at all!  Air-popped popcorn has only 31 calories per cup vs. oil-popped popcorn with 55 calories per cup.  Look for organic kernels, and pop some corn for a fun-filled family night at home everyone will enjoy! Give blue popcorn a try -which pops up super white. Give an example of a healthy butter substitute to make….

• Popcorn is a whole grain, making it a good-for-you food.
• Popcorn provides energy-producing complex carbohydrates
• Popcorn contains fiber, providing roughage the body needs in the daily diet.
• Popcorn is naturally low in fat and calories.
• Popcorn has no artificial additives or preservatives, and is sugar-free.
• Popcorn is ideal for between-meal snacking since it satisfies hunger and doesn’t spoil the appetite.
• 3 cups of popcorn is equal to one serving from the grain group.

Check out these tasty popcorn recipes.

• Brighten up your breakfast: Fruits add tons of nutrients, natural sweetness and bright colors. Add fresh blueberries to your high fiber cereal. Top oatmeal with fresh or stewed peaches. Build your omelet with blackberries and low-fat Brie cheese.
• Make cookie cutter fruit shapes: Using cookie cutters, cut fun shapes from fruits like watermelon, Cantaloupe and sliced pears. Cut hearts out for Valentine’s Day or four-leaf clovers for St. Patrick’s Day. Entertaining for adults? Use fruit shaped cutters to make a fruit flower bouquet. This makes a beautiful centerpiece and a tasty dessert!
• Accent your salads: You might not realize it, but you are probably already eating fruits in your salads. Commonly mistaken for vegetables, avocado and tomato are technically fruits.  Experiment with others like tossing fresh blueberries into Spring Mix or adding sliced strawberries to spinach salad. Or try substituting sliced peaches for tomatoes.
• Serve “fruit-full” starters: Skip the heavy appetizers like chicken wings or deep-fried potato skins, and entice guests with quick and easy fruit-based combos. Gather ideas from Fruits and Veggies as Unique as your Children and Colorize your Diet.

Test Your Knowledge then check out Lauren’s Blog.

Q: How much fruit is recommend per day for most age groups?

A:  About 1 1/2 to 2 cups, but may vary due to activity level.

Q: How can you get the most out of a fruits flavor and texture?

A. Buy it fresh and in-season and consume according to storage guidelines

Q: What are some ways to make fruit attractive, easy and convenient?

A: Prepare fruit snacks such as a small bowl of grapes, cut up cantaloupe, apple slices (with lemon juice) ahead of time and put them in the center of the refrigerator where they can be seen. Prepare a bowl of fresh fruit to place in the center of your kitchen so you will see it as you enter and leave.

The USDA recommends about 1 1/2 – 2 cups of fruit each day for most age groups*. But, it’s hard to reach that goal when your fruit winds up in the trash. Sure, there are healthy, high-fiber, whole-food based energy bars, crackers and chips with a much longer shelf-life than fruit and make great on-the-go ‘emergency snacks’ out there, but these should never replace fresh fruit in your diet.

Fruit is full of important vitamins, minerals and fiber and when consumed as part of a healthy diet, can assist with weight loss and maintenance. You do the math: one serving of fruit like a medium-sized (2.5″ diagonal / 100g) peach, has just 38 calories. Compare that to a Kid Clif Z Crispy Rice Chocolate bar, which has 110 calories, 9g of added sugars, and does provides zero servings of fruit.

The first step to eating more fruit is to continue buying it. Next, it needs to stay fresh and appealing. Here are some tips to help you:

1. Buy It Fresh, In-season and Often. Fruit tastes best when it’s picked fresh and eaten soon after being picked. This is why farmer’s markets often have the most delicious fruit. The fruit is grown locally so it can stay on the plants longer before being picked and sold. In contrast, fruit sold in grocery stores often travels a great distance so in order to stay fresh it must be picked before it is completely ripe, negatively affecting the taste (not to mention, the environment!). Buying fruits in season will give the opportunity to try different varieties that you may not find at the grocery store. Here is a list of in-season fruits when a farmer’s market is not available.

2. Store your Fruit Properly. Different fruits will keep best when stored in different ways. Tomatoes often lose flavor in the refrigerator, so keep them on the counter, spread out from one another. Grapes will taste wonderful cooled in your refrigerator, but your peaches and nectarines are most flavorful at room temperature.

3. Keep it Front and Center: Make fruit visible and accessible. Move fruit to the front shelves in your refrigerator rather than hidden in a drawer and store in clear containers. Take the time to wash grapes or cut up melons like cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon and put in an easily accessible bowl so they are ready to be eaten as soon as you get hungry for a snack. Or pre-slice apples and sprinkle with lemon or lime juice to keep from browning. For fruits that are kept at room-temperature, arrange in a bowl and leave front and center on your kitchen counter.

4. Make it Sensational: Don’t forget to highlight fruits in your meals and snacks using the guide below

*Note: Needs may vary depending on your activity level. Calculate your specific needs here http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/fruits-amount.html#.

Follow Lauren at http://nutrisavvysblog.wordpress.com/