a smiley face.
fried egg, cooked black beans, diced
Sandwiches
Middle Eastern twist, set out small

Food and Fitness for a Healthy Child	April 2021

Farrell Area School District

Nature’s paintbrushes Encourage your child to
eat her fruits and vegetables by letting her “paint” with leftover scraps. For instance, she could dip a carrot top, an apple core, and a pine-apple crown into paint. Then, she can use the “paint brushes” to spread or stamp the paint on paper to make a picture.

Dance to the beat
Turn on upbeat music for a dance party with your youngster! Add
props to encourage him to move more. He
might spin in circles while trailing ribbons. Or suggest that he incorpo-rate a hula-hoop or a soccer ball into his moves.

Kids may be tempted by soda and candy if they see their favorite TV and
movie characters enjoying it. Look for examples of product placement when you watch shows with your child. Point out that just because a character drinks or eats something doesn’t make it healthy. Can she think of healthier alternatives?

Just for fun

Q: Why don’t fish play tennis?

A: Because they’re afraid they might get caught in the net.

© 2021 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated

Breakfast around the world What do children in other countries

eat for breakfast? Encourage your youngster to expand his definition of “breakfast food” with these ideas inspired by popular choices from faraway lands.

Noodles
Kids in many Asian countries eat noodles for breakfast. Heat up
leftover pasta in chicken or vegetable broth to make a soup. Or your child might toss noodles with sesame oil and
for crunch and vitamin A. Idea: Learn to
peanut butter. Sprinkle in shredded carrot	countries, kids enjoy beans with their eat noodles with chopsticks by watching	eggs. Top a warm soft corn tortilla with a
online tutorials together.	tomato, and low-fat shredded cheese. Porridge	Your youngster can eat it with a side of
In the United Kingdom, children call	tropical fruit like mango or kiwi. oatmeal porridge. And parents know it
Many countries have their own ver-
sions of a breakfast sandwich. For a
gives kids lasting energy, making it a smart way to start the day. Suggest that your child arrange apple slices, raisins,
and blueberries on his porridge to make	plates of hummus, diced hard-boiled
egg, and cucumber and tomato slices. Beans	Your child can stuff everything into a
Beans make it easy to add extra pro-	whole-wheat pita pocket or eat ingredi-tein to breakfast. In some Latin American	ents separately.

Fitness is in the cards

Tap into your youngster’s love of card games to keep her active. How? By encouraging
her to create her own deck of fitness cards to play with!

1. Have your child write and illustrate 20 exercises on separate index cards. Examples:
“Pose like a flamingo.” “Wiggle like a worm.” “Run backward in a circle.”

2. Now your youngster can shuffle the cards and deal them all out facedown.

3. The first player turns over her top card and rolls two dice. She does the move-ment the number of times rolled and earns that many points.

4. When all the cards have been used, high score wins.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Nutrition Nuggets

Sweet strategies for less sugar Soda and other sweet drinks are the

leading source of sugar in children’s diets. But that’s far from the only source. Help your youngster cut back on the sweet stuff with these strategies.

Stick to water and milk.Get your child in the habit of drinking mainly water (or sparkling water) and plain fat-free milk. She should
have no more than 4 to 8 oz. of 100%

April 2021 • Page 2

fruit juice—including orange juice—per day.

Choose condiments carefully. Teach your youngster to look
for the words “no added sugar” on labels for foods like ketchup, pasta sauce, and
jelly. If a variety without added sugar isn’t available, help her compare to find the
least sugary option. One brand of jelly might have 7 grams of sugar while another
has 12!

Going vegetarian

Q: My daughter wants to become a vegetar-ian. How can I make meals that both she and the meat eaters in our house will eat?

A: Start by presenting your question to your family. Ask them what meatless dishes they like. Your child could make a list of those that everyone agrees on, such as vegetable frittatas, cauliflower curry, and green lentil soup. Then, work them into the rotation a couple of times a week.

On other nights, look for ways to give your daughter a meatless alternative. You might find recipes for foods to make and freeze, like chickpea burgers to heat up for her on burger night. If you cook faji-tas, add mushrooms for hearty flavor, and serve chicken or steak separately.
You may discover that your whole family eats less meat—and enjoys it!

O U R	P U R P O S E
	
To provide busy parents with practical ways to promote healthy nutrition and physical activity for their children.
Resources for Educators,
a division of CCH Incorporated
128 N. Royal Avenue • Front Royal, VA 22630 800-394-5052 • rfecustomer@wolterskluwer.com www.rfeonline.com
Nutrition Nuggets™ is reviewed by a registered dietitian. Consult a physician before beginning any major change in diet or exercise.
ISSN 1935-4630

© 2021 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated

Satisfy with fruit.Have your child sweeten her cereal and yogurt with berries and top pancakes and waffles with banana slices.Lethercreate her own recipe for fruit salad and make it for dessert.

Old-fashioned games

Your youngster will enjoy hearing about games children played in the “olden days.” Share some stories, and then try versions like these with him.

Hoop and stick
Draw lines with chalk up and down a driveway or sidewalk. Then, have each player use a stick to roll a hula-hoop from one end to the other. The first person to the finish line wins.

Stickball
Play this version of baseball with a broom or yardstick and a ball that bounces (such as a tennis ball). Let your child designate bases, perhaps a fire hydrant, trees, or lawn furniture. The pitcher lobs the ball, and the batter tries to hit it on one bounce. Play nine innings, and score runs as in baseball. High score wins.

Inspired by pizza

Pizza is tasty, but it can be hard not	soften and the cheese melts, about to overeat! Experiment with these	12–15 minutes.
1
2
–
4
healthier options.	Chicken bowls.Dice 1 lb. boneless Veggie boats.Use vegetables as the	chicken breasts, 1 green bell pepper, “crust.” Cut 2 zucchinis in half length-	and 1 onion. Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a wise. Brush the cut sides with                      skillet, and sauté chicken and veggies olive oil and arrange on a                                     until chicken is cooked through. baking sheet. Top with a                                          Divide mixture among four thin layer of tomato                                                     bowls. Stir – cup warm mar-sauce, and cover with                                                   inara sauce and 1 cup shredded low-fat moz-                                                  grated Parmesan cheese zarella cheese. Bake at                                                   into each bowl, and sprin-400° until the veggies                                                  kle with oregano.