Calling all parents and caregivers!

Looking for healthy snack ideas for your little ones? Well, you've come to the right place!

Go Bananas!


This treat is so simple you can prepare it in less than five minutes! All you need is a very ripe banana and some peanut (or other nut) butter. Start by slicing the banana length-wise without cutting it in half. Next, add a generous tablespoon of nut butter of your choice into the centre of the banana where you sliced it. Now, wrap the banana in plastic wrap tightly and place it in the freezer. After several hours in the freezer, this delicious snack is ready to be served.

The great thing about this snack recipe is that it is quick, easy and loaded with vitamins and minerals. Bananas are a wonderful source of potassium. Potassium helps the heart, kidneys, nervous system, and muscles to do their jobs. Eating foods that are packed with potassium can even help lower blood pressure. You can find potassium in many other fruits and vegetables like cantaloupe, kiwis, oranges and avocados.

Tip: If you're in a hurry, you can serve this snack without freezing it!

Photo credit: http://ohsheglows.com/2010/06/26/simple-tricks-to-inspire-a-workout/

Discover the Path to Healthy Eating!


Jennifer Lee, the creator of the game Crunch a Colour™ shared this great (and free!) healthy eating map for kids called "The Road to Healthy Eating". The best part is you have the option to download or print this creative game for your little ones. Your kids will learn how to make healthy eating choices and have fun at the same time! There are many other fantastic printables on this site that will keep your kids entertained for hours. Click here to find out more about what the Crunch a Colour website has to offer!

I'd love to hear about your experiences with The Road to Healthy Eating and Crunch a Colour™ 
Thanks to Jennifer for sharing this awesome game with me :)

Jenna

Happy Easter!


Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate! Hope the Easter bunny is good to everyone today and that you get to spend quality time with family and friends. 


Jenna

The Sunshine Vitamin


In school, I have learned a lot about the benefits of the "sunshine vitamin", or vitamin D. Our amazing bodies can make their own vitamin D from the sun, which gives it it's nickname. You can also get vitamin D from foods like eggs (in the yolk) and fatty fish (i.e. salmon, mackerel, sardines and tuna). Some foods are even fortified to include vitamin D, like cow's milk, infant formulas, margarine and orange juice to name a few. 


What's the big Deal about vitamin D? Well, kids need enough vitamin D in their diets to keep their bones strong and to help them fight infections. In Canada, we don't get as much sunshine as other parts of the world, so it's important to make sure your kids get enough vitamin D from their diets too. 


Since vitamin D plays such a big role in maintaining proper bone and immune system health, Health Canada actually increased the recommendations for vitamin D (and calcium) in 2010. This means it's even more important to get enough to keep you and your family healthy!


So how much is enough?
  • Infants 0-6 months: RDA = 400 IU (10 mcg), UL = 1000 IU (25 mcg)
  • Infants 7-12 months: RDA = 400 IU (10 mcg), UL = 1500 IU (38 mcg)
  • Children 1-3 years: RDA = 600 IU (15 mcg), UL = 2500 IU (63 mcg)
  • Children 4-8 years: RDA = 600 IU (15 mcg), UL = 3000 IU (75 mcg)
  • Children and adults 9-70 years: RDA = 600 IU (15 mcg), UL = 4000 IU (100 mcg)
*You can find this chart and more information on the Health Canada website


The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) gives you an idea of how much vitamin D you and your family should aim for in a day and the Tolerable Upper Intake Level, or UL for short, tells you the amount of vitamin D you should not go over each day. 


You might be wondering what 400 or 600 IUs of vitamin D looks like, so this might help you out:
  • 1 cup of milk = 103 IU
  • 1 cup fortified rice or soy beverage = 88 IU
  • 1/2 cup fortified orange juice = 53 IU
  • 1 egg yolk = 25 IU
  • 75 g trout = 210 IU  
  • 75 g herring = 162 IU
  • 75 g salmon (atlantic) = 246 IU
  • 75 g mackerel = 81 IU
  • 75 g tuna (light or white) = 44 IU
*This can find more info on food sources of vitamin D from British Columbia Health Link


I hope this will help you to make sure your kids get enough of that sunshine vitamin each day to keep their bones strong and healthy! 


Jenna



Ants on a Log

Since it's been a while since I posted any snack recipes, I thought it was time to post a new one! One of my favourite snack foods as a child was the famous "Ants on a Log"...a celery log smothered in peanut butter and topped with raisin ants.


All you need for this VERY simple recipe is:
  • Celery
  • Peanut, almond, or sunflower seed butter
  • Raisins or Craisins®
Start off by loading the centre of the celery pieces with the butter of your choice. If you want to pack these as a school snack, sunflower butter is a great choice since it is peanut-free. Next, add the "ants" to the celery log by sprinkling raisins or Craisins® (or both!) on top.
Now it's crunch time!

Tip: Serve Ants on a Log with slices of apple, the pair make a great combo :)


Nutrition Facts on the Snack:

The protein found in peanut, almond and sunflower seed butters will keep your child satisfied until their next meal. You can also count on this snack to be low in calories and packed with nutrients. Celery is full of fibre, vitamins and minerals, which help to keep your kids healthy. 

Jenna

Crunch a Colour!


I came across a game called Crunch a Colour when I was yet again, browsing the aisles of Chapters. I decided to buy it since I figured it could come in handy in the future when I am a dietitian, or when I have kids of my own.

The description on the box says,
"For less than the cost of a pizza, you can completely change the dynamic at your dinner table! Created by a mom, Crunch a Color™ is an engaging game that gives kids points for eating a balanced and colorful plate of veggies, fruits, proteins and grains. Bonus points for good manners and trying new foods! To win, earn at least 30 points, 3 color cards, and 1 protein card in a meal. Everyone can win! Play the game in one meal, or over the course of a week using the Crunch a Color™ reward chart that is included. Kids have fun racking up points and collecting the veggie characters while trying new foods, learning about healthy eating, and practicing good table manners."


I think this game is a great way to get your little ones to try new foods and learn more about healthy eating. It is important for children to eat a variety of different foods in order to get the most nutrition out of their diets. By serving your kids foods of many different colours, you will be exposing them to a wide variety of nutrients. Vegetables and fruits are a great example of colourful foods that are loaded with vitamins and minerals that will help your kids stay healthy. The Crunch a Colour game will get your child interested in vegetables and fruits, which will hopefully make them more willing to eat them regularly!


You can use this diagram to help you make a rainbow of vegetables and fruits with your kids:







Little Grocery Helpers

I remember when I was a kid I would always go grocery shopping with my parents and throw everything and anything into the cart. As much as I would have loved to have every sugary cereal, baked good, pudding and potato chips that I grabbed off of the shelf, I was often only allowed to choose one. Now that I'm older, I'm happy my parents didn't let me do the grocery shopping as a kid...or else there might have been trouble!

It's not always fun saying no to your child's favourite (...and sometimes very sugary) foods, but getting your kids involved in grocery shopping doesn't have to be a chore.  Have your kids create their own healthy grocery lists by clicking HERE! Kids will love being able to choose their own groceries and soon you will be able to say "yes yes yes" to what they toss into the cart!  You can print off their final grocery list and let them find the foods at the store. Giving kids independence will make them feel special and with this awesome tool, you can feel good about giving your kids the control. 

Here is what the site looks like:

Give it a try!

Jenna

Picky Eater No More!



"I don't like that!", "I won't eat anything green!", "Yuck", "I want something else", "I'm allergic to vegetables"...If any of these are familiar phrases at meal time, you are not alone. Many parents struggle with finding foods that will please the picky palates of their kids. Although I don't have any children of my own yet, I have had many experiences feeding children while babysitting and I know it's not always an easy task! Kids can get pretty creative when it comes to finding excuses to get themselves out of eating what's on their plate. Even though it may be frustrating when your child says "no" to the foods you serve, just remember not to give up!

Here are some great tips from Dietitians of Canada that may help when feeding your picky eater:

  • Add pureed or minced vegetables to spaghetti sauce, hamburgers, soups, muffins or bread. 
  • Offer some nutritious foods that contain fat like peanut or soynut butter, milk or cheese. 
  • Satisfy children’s thirst with water. Drinking lots of juice can fill up their little stomachs so that they are not hungry at regular meal times. 
  • Try new foods in small amounts and in a form that your toddler can easily handle. 
  • Although parents and caregivers are responsible for what, when and where children eat, children are responsible for how much and whether they eat. 

Ellyn Satter is a Registered Dietitian who is known for her expertise in child nutrition. Throughout my university career, I have learned a lot about Ellyn Satter and her great tips and tricks on how to feed children effectively. I like that she really inspires parents to be the best they can be - she is very empowering!

When it comes to picky eating, Ellyn Satter recommends:

  • Teach her to say “no, thank you" rather than "YUK." Have her leave the table if she behaves badly. 
  • Be family friendly with meals. Pair unfamiliar with familiar food, not-yet-liked with liked foods. Don't make special food for her. 
  • Be sure to put one or two foods on the menu that she ordinarily eats. Bread and milk would work. 
  • Let her pick and choose from what you put on the table, even if she eats five slices of bread and nothing else. 
  • Teach her to use her napkin to get food back out of her mouth when she discovers she doesn't want to swallow. (Teach yourself this trick, as well. It will make you braver about trying new food!) 

I hope these tips give you hope that you can help your child combat their picky eating habits! It will get easier over time :)


Tip: It can take up to 15-20 tries of food before a child learns to like it!


Jenna