Eat a Rainbow
Did you and your family eat a rainbow today? Encouraging your child to make balanced food choices and fill each day with plenty of colorful fruits and vegetables. But, as many parents know, sometimes children can be picky eaters, making it challenging to get their fill of the much needed, nutrient-rich produce. Today I Ate a Rainbow, is a great organization that has found a way to help make eating fruits and vegetables more fun: simply eat a rainbow!
Eat a rainbow? What does that mean?
It’s as simple as it sounds: have your child eat at least one fruit or vegetable from the five major color groups each day: red, orange, yellow, green, and blue/purple. The more colors your child consumes the more varied the nutrients their bodies are receiving. Make it fun! Kids get a sense of pride and satisfaction when they can visually track their progress. Use crayons or markers to keep track of what colors your child has consumed, or check out the assembled game kit below.
- Red: strawberries, watermelons, tomatoes, beets, red peppers
- Orange: mangos, carrots, yams, oranges, cantaloupe (Many orange foods contain beta-carotene, and vitamin C to work with calcium to build healthy bones.)
- Yellow: bananas, lemons, pineapples, yellow peppers, apricots (Yellow foods, like bananas are rich in potassium and help regulate your heart and build strong muscles.)
- Green: spinach, avocados, green apples, green beans, broccoli (Darker green vegetables contain more vitamin C than lighter green vegetables. Vitamin C helps protect us from getting colds.)
- Blue/Purple: blueberries, eggplant, blackberries, plums, purple cabbage (Blue and Purple foods often contain fiber, to help our digestive systems.)
- White: Cauliflower, potatoes, white peaches, mushrooms, turnips (White foods contain beta-glucans to help boost our immune systems.)
Each color group has different vitamins and minerals, making it important for your child to eat all five groups. Also, children are more likely to eat pretty, appetizing foods, so eating a rainbow is a pot of gold!
How do I get my child to eat a rainbow?
Today I ate a rainbow has awesome pre-assembled kits to get your kids excited about eating new foods, you can purchase a kit here (or make your own for free!). First explain to your child the importance of eating different colors of fruits and vegetables. Each time your child eats a fistful of a color group, have her check off that category. Once she eats a fistful of grapes, she can put a magnet in the blue/purple group. As the day progresses and she eats different colors, she can put more magnets on her chart until the whole chart is full. Once she has completed all five groups, she can color the rainbow, and maybe even sing the Rainbow Song, that the Today I Ate a Rainbow organization likes!
Reward your child for eating a rainbow over the long-term (but NOT with junk food). For example, after your child eats a rainbow for a week you can have him choose a family activity he wants to do, like family game night.
The ultimate goal is to get your child to eat a rainbow each day, but if your child is really picky, you can start with smaller goals, like eating a rainbow in a week, or counting a bite of a tomatoes satisfying the red category. Then you can slowly progress until your child is eating a rainbow each day!
Here are some tips on helping your child eat a rainbow each day:
- Have your child help prepare meals. Getting your child to work with vegetables will make her want to eat them! She can do simple tasks like pulling apart pieces of lettuce.
- Keep lots of fruits and vegetables in sight. Your child will grab what’s near when he is hungry, so if he sees accessible fruits and vegetables he will be more likely to eat them.
- Serve simple fruits and vegetables without many sauces, as this is more appealing to children.
- Make sure you eat fruits and vegetables – You are a role model to your child! Lead by example.
- Start with small servings of new fruits and vegetables. Children often have to eat a new food a number of times before accepting it, and pressuring them to finish a large portion will make them less likely to eat the food.
Packing a Safe Lunchbox
A recent study by Fawaz Almansour with the Department of Nutrition at the University of Texas at Austin found that of the 700 tested lunchboxes nearly 40% did not contain any sort of ice pack. Of the 60% that did contain ice packs, more than 90% of the perishable foods had reached the dangerous temperature zone. When foods such as milk, meat or sliced fruits reach 40 degrees Fahrenheit, or above, it is not safe to eat them. The research proved that toddlers’ lunches reached an average temperature of 62 degrees by lunchtime…that’s 22 degrees warmer than it should be!
As parents, it is our job to keep our children safe…and that means what they eat too!
How to Pack a safe lunchbox:
1. Make sure the lunch box is insulated. Gone are the days of brown paper bags. Opt for a reusable lunchbox that is easy to clean, and fully insulated.
2. Plan ahead. If you take the time to plan and pack your child’s lunch the night before, you will be less likely to rush and forget any important details…like the ice pack.
3. If you can freeze it, do it. Pop your child’s juice box or water bottle in the freezer the night before. It will serve as a second ice pack, and will be nice and cool at lunch time. Freeze the turkey for your child’s sandwich—it will help it stay cold longer. Other freezable items include: yogurt, cheese sticks, or apple sauce.
4. DON’T REUSE LUNCHBOX LEFTOVERS. By the time lunchbox remains make it home, the ice packs are no longer doing their job. Dispose of all perishable lunch remnants and start fresh the next day.
What are your safe lunchbox packing tips?
The content of this post is courtesy of the Kids Food Festival, LLC. The Kids Food Festival is dedicated to educating families about making balanced food choices through fun and flavorful activities. Learn more at www.KidsFoodFestival.com.
USDA: Helping your Overweight Child
How can you prevent childhood obesity or help your overweight child bring his weight into a healthy range? To answer this question, the USDA and the Weight-control Information Network (WIN) have provided some palatable tips.The three ideas you want to keep in mind to combat obesity are healthy eating, exercise, and social support.
Healthy Eating
To encourage healthy eating, it is important that you set good examples for your child. Here are some tips:
- Buy healthy foods. Give your child fruits and veggies instead of high-calorie food. Let your child choose which fruits and veggies you buy – this will make it more likely your child will eat them!
- Eat breakfast.Making sure your child eats breakfast will give her more energy for her daily activities and prevent hunger cravings that often lead to junk food indulgence.
- Substitute high-calorie drinks like sodas for drinks like 100% fruit juice or better yet, water!
- Do not use food as a reward. If you give your child dessert as a reward for eating salad, your child will think that the dessert is more valuable and will like it more than the salad.
Exercise
Exercising is a great way to keep your child both happy and healthy. Try these tips:
- Encourage your child to start an exercise activity. If your child joins a sport team, dance class, etc. he can have fun while staying healthy. Don’t force your child to do something he does not like. Instead, let him try a few activities until he finds something he likes.
- Be a good role model. If your child sees you and the rest of your family having fun exercising, she will want to join in the fun. Family activities are great, such as riding bikes, so you can all have fun together!
- Have your child exercise one hour each day. This can come in spurts, such as a 15-minute walk here, and a 15-minute bike ride there.
- Discourage inactivity. Limit TV and do not let your child snack while watching TV – this can lead to mindless eating.
Social Support
Healthy eating and exercise are great, but your love and support while encouraging healthy habits are just as important.
- Tell your child you love him. If your child feels loved, he will be happier and more likely to follow your healthy examples.
- Accept your child’s weight. If you suspect your child is overweight, contact your healthcare provider who will be able to determine if your child’s weight is in the healthy range.
- If your child is overweight, potentially consider a weight-control program. If your child is having emotional difficulties with her weight, this might be a good option. Make sure to consult with your health professional before starting any weight-control programs.
As a little reminder, think HEALTH:
Healthy eating
Exercise
Acceptance
Love and support
Time for fruits and veggies
Have breakfast
For more tips on combating childhood obesity, visit the USDA online.
The content of this post is courtesy of the Kids Food Festival, LLC. The Kids Food Festival is dedicated to educating families about making balanced food choices through fun and flavorful activities. Learn more at www.KidsFoodFestival.com.
Agua…H20…Water!
Did you know that children are supposed to drink 1.5 to 2 liters of water per day?
As adults, we know that drinking water is important for a clear complexion, digestion, weight loss, etc. But, many of us don’t even consider the fact that our toddlers need water for the very same reasons. Just because children have smaller bodies, does not mean that they should drink less water than an adult.
Children should drink an average of 64 ounces of water per day. Although our tots may prefer a can of soda or a carton of juice, the sugary beverages do not take the place of water.
Why kids need water
A child’s body is made up of 70% water. Especially in the summer months, their bodies need constant replenishment of H2O to regulate their body temperature. As they run, jump, and swim, their bodies are sweating out Water also plays an essential role in helping the body eliminate waste, as well as cushioning our spinal cord and joints.
Kids are much more likely to suffer from dehydration. When a child’s body looses 2% of its fluids the body’s performance decreases by 20%. If a child looses 3% body fluids, they are at severe risk for heat stroke, according to researchers at FreeDrinkingWater.com.
How to get kids to drink more water
1. Eliminate other beverages from your fridge. By removing sugary options from your fridge, your child will be more willing to grab what he sees first. Keep a full pitcher of water in the fridge at all times. Adding slices of fruit such as oranges, strawberries or even cucumbers give the water a hint of flavor and makes it look much more appealing.
2. Chart it! Make a tally chart to keep track of how many glasses of water each family member drinks per day. Reward your kids if they drink all 8 glasses of water per day, for one week. Maybe a movie night with a movie of their choice, or a new water bottle might be appropriate?
3. Lead by example. As the parent you need to show your child that drinking water is good for you. Carry a water bottle with you (and your child) at all times and be sure to refill it often. If your child sees you drinking a soda, of course she is going to want one too. So be the role model.
What creative ways do you use to get your child to drink water?
The content of this post is courtesy of the Kids Food Festival, LLC. The Kids Food Festival is dedicated to educating families about making balanced food choices through fun and flavorful activities. Learn more at www.KidsFoodFestival.com.
Summer Snack Tips
The Creative Kitchen loves nutritious and balanced snacks!
This summer snack on fruits and vegetables! Cut pieces of fresh fruits and vegetables to make delicious, refreshing, satisfying and nutritious snacks.
Slice naturally sweet yellow peppers and pack them in a bag, or fill a container with blueberries to carry along … and leave the bag of chips for the birds!
For more easy ways to encourage your little one to eat more fruits and veggies, click here!
And don’t forget to wash down all these healthy snacks with a glass of Organic Valley milk!
Everybody Can Cook
The Creative Kitchen founder Cricket Azima drew from personal experience to create a cooking class that allows children with special needs to learn and grow.
Cricket Azima believes cooking is an essential skill to teach all children. “My whole perspective…is that kids can learn an endless amount while cooking,” says Azima, a Manhattan mom and founder of The Creative Kitchen, a company that teaches children about food and how to cook in a fun, safe, and educational way. While working on her thesis from 2000-2002 for a master’s degree in food studies and food management at New York University, she discovered a lot of research on how cooking can benefit children with special needs. Azima incorporated that knowledge into her lesson plans when she started The Creative Kitchen in 2003, but she had no idea how personally relevant her research would become later in her life.
Azima now teaches a cooking class for kids with physical and developmental disabilities called Everybody Can Cook. Her inspiration for the class came from her son Kingston, now 4, who began an aggressive early intervention plan at 18 months for
severe developmental delays, including apraxia. Azima says she noticed that a lot of the language used and skills taught during her son’s therapy sessions were very similar to those she used in her preschool cooking classes.
Soon afterward, she created a comprehensive curriculum for Everybody Can Cook and piloted the program in fall 2010 at her son’s school, Roosevelt Children’s Center. She will offer it again this spring, and students from the Gramercy School will be integrated into the classes. Azima also teaches a family class at the Manhattan Downtown Youth Community Center and is in the process of reaching out to other venues in the hopes of providing more inclusive recreational activities in the future.
“There was really an ‘Aha!’ moment,” Azima says. “I realized that I was able to combine everything I’ve learned in the past 10 years, whether it was professional or personal, to create this class.” She says her classes teach traditional disciplines such as reading, mathematics, science, music, art, history, and geography, as well as fine motor skills, socialization, independence, and self-esteem—all through cooking.
Azima is ever mindful of her audience. She says the most important part of her curriculum is the ability to customize. “Every child’s needs are unique, so we offer lots of options to make sure everyone can participate,” she says. Whether she’s encouraging students to use their pointer fingers to pinch a dash of salt, focus on their muscles while squeezing out honey, or remember which country a certain spice comes from, Azima aims to make her lessons fun, memorable, and educational. “Everybody likes to eat! It’s really easy to adapt and include everyone in the kitchen,” she says. “It’s a common ground.”
Azima is the founder of The Creative Kitchen and the author of Everybody Eats Lunch. For more information on her philosophy and classes, visit thecreativekitchen.com.
Written by: Vanessa Friedman
Celebrity Kids’ Chef Cricket Azima on Fun, Healthy Eating
See my latest article on genConnect.com:
Your kid will only eat mac & cheese? Your little ones or grandchildren refuse to cook with you in the kitchen? With a growing obesity epidemic threatening our children’s safety and nationwide concerns over the unhealthy foods served in school cafeterias, it’s more important than ever for children to understand the difference between healthy and fatty foods.
genConnect recently caught up with celebrity chef Cricket Azima, an expert in cooking with children. Cricket is the author of Everybody Eats Lunch, founder of The Creative Kitchen, and she launched the Kids Food Festival, held in New York City every year to help fight childhood obesity. This year’s event’s was held in Bryant Park last in January. In this interview, Cricket divulges the benefits of getting kids to cook, tricks to get them to eat healthy, and the one kitchen utensil you need today to get them cooking with you in the kitchen…
genConnect: Please tell me a bit more about your cooking philosophy and the benefits of cooking with children.
Cricket: There is so much to learn from cooking beyond just the traditional perspective of nutrition. You can use cooking to supplement so many disciplines, like math, science, social studies, foreign language, art, geography. I have a four-year old son who has special needs and we do a lot of cooking at his school and I have developed a special needs cooking pre-school program because there is so much in cooking that helps with motor-skills development, following directions, socialization.
Kids, Fruits & Veggies 10 ways to Combine all 3
Tired of feeling like you’re force-feeding your child fruits and vegetables? Here are 10 sure-fire tips to get your family eating and enjoying a produce-packed plate.
1. Play with colors
From the earth, bright-colored, whole foods are rich in nutrients. For example, mango, beets, bell peppers and kiwi are packed with vitamins and minerals. Ask your child to track the colors of the fruits and vegetables he or she consumes each day. Make a chart to color and post it on the refrigerator to chat about as a family during mealtime.
2. Make friends with food
Children are more likely to eat foods they are familiar with, and they’re less likely to eat foods that are foreign to them. By seeing, handling, cooking with or tasting a food a few times, children become more comfortable with that particular ingredient.
How to foster this friendship? Involve the child as much as possible! If you’re including asparagus in a dish, talk about where it grows, the color and shape, and how it’s cooked. Ask your child to assist in the preparation, such as snapping the asparagus ends or cutting with a plastic knife.
Note: It can take 7 to 10 exposures for a child to even try a new food. Be patient and persistent!
Mac & Cheese for Every Type of Mommy!
Cucina Fresca offers a sophisticated spin on this children’s favorite. Their line of gourmet Mac and Cheese dishes are handmade with egg-less penne, rBST-free milk and a variety of artisan cheeses. From aged white cheddar to rich and tangy gorgonzola and more, Cucina Fresca’s all natural Mac & Cheese dishes are perfect for the whole family or a romantic dinner for Mom and Dad.
Ian’s Twisty Mac put a healthy twist on the familiar Mac and Cheese your kids love! Made from all-natural, organic ingredients and put into single-serving sizes this quick microwavable snack is perfect for the little ones after school or away at college.
Serve Mom Made Foods Cheesy Mac to be sure your children get their veggies. MMF Cheesy Mac offers organic durum semolina macaroni loaded with creamy butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and fresh green peas with a light cheesy flavor. It will have your child asking for seconds every time!
More Info, (price: $36.40 / 8-pack)
With Annie’s Shells and White Cheddar tasty Mac and Cheese doesn’t have to mean high calories and high fat. Enjoy a sharp but creamy cheesy taste without tons of butter for about 100 calories per serving. Annie’s line of assorted Mac and Cheese varieties offers up countless shapes and cheese combinations, without that out-of-the-box taste, at an affordable price!
More Info, (price: $2.39 / box)
Kraft Organic is the perfect choice if you want to stick with the brand you trust your kids know. Kraft, infamous makers of Mac and Cheese, updates their traditional recipe with organic ingredients for the health conscious parent and child. Sold in their iconic packaging this Mac and Cheese is only slightly milder than the traditional recipe so your kids won’t ever be able to tell the difference!
Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Mac and Cheese adds decedent buttery, cheesy flavor to the Hodgson whole grains we’ve all come to love. The duram macaroni, made with 100% whole wheat, is the perfect vehicle for the indulgent flavors of this all-American classic without the overpowering taste of grains that sometimes comes along with whole wheat pasta. High in fiber and flavor, you can feel good about treating the kids!
More Info, (price: $1.85 / box)
Make, bake, exchange!
The Creative Kitchen team kicked off our holiday celebrations with a full-blown cookie making day. Nine hours, 22 sticks of butter and 40 dozen cookies later, we could now use a little help digging out of all of these calories! Any takers?
One thing is for sure, we would NEVER have pulled this off without our seriously amazing, can’t live without, God-send Kitchen Aid 5-Quart Stand Mixer. Its monster–sized bowl makes making nine dozen cookies at a time a breeze!
So, nine hours of cookie making is not your thing? We TOTALLY understand!! I am not quite sure if I will ever do it again either, but there are other ways you can still get the variety of holiday cookies you want, for example, host a cookie exchange!
Here are some tips for a successful swap:
1. Invite girlfriends, neighbors, families and co-workers, but be sure to give plenty of notice–we all know how busy the holidays can get!
2. Each guest should bring five dozen* homemade cookies** and storage containers for safe handling.
3. As guests arrive arrange the cookies on a designated table or counter.
4. Encourage your guests to share stories of how they found their recipe, why they chose their recipe, how the baking experience went, etc. You will be surprised to hear some of the funny stories of burnt batches or astounded by some of the accidental masterpieces.
5. Line up around your table, counter, etc. with your empty containers in hand. Each person takes 3 or 4 cookies from each tray and returns to the end of the line. Continue the process until all of the cookies are gone.
*You can change this number to your liking.
**Suggest to your guests that they make the cookies three days prior. Fresh cookies may taste WONDERFUL, but they do not travel so well.
