Food and Fitness for a Healthy Child

March 2018

Sandwiches for dinner
Here’s a no-cook idea for busy weeknights. Have your
child help you set out whole-grain bread plus healthy fixings, and let each person make her own sandwich. You might offer lean sliced turkey and ham, cheese, lettuce, and tomato. Or put
out leftover chicken and canned tuna, light mayonnaise, chopped celery, and halved grapes so family members can whip up chicken or tuna salad.
Let’s fly kites!
Spend a windy March afternoon fly- ing kites together. You can get every-
one’s heart rate up by running across a field, taking turns holding the kite string. If you have two kites, race, and see who can keep
his kite in the air the longest.

Some foods “brush” your youngster’s  teeth! Chew-
ing carrots, celery, leafy greens (spin- ach, kale), and apples with the skin on can help to clear away plaque and food particles. Plus, the acid in apples kills germs that cause cavities. Tip: Suggest that your child eat one of these natural “toothbrushes” at the end of a meal if she isn’t able to brush right away.
Just for fun
Q: What kind of chair is good at yoga?
A: A folding chair!

Farrell Area School District

Just-right portions
A healthy lifestyle includes eating the right kinds of food — and the right amounts. To ensure your youngster doesn’t develop a case of “portion distortion,” try these tips.
Measure it out
Look at nutrition labels together at snack time.
Ask your child to read the
serving size (perhaps 20 mini-pretzels) and count out the amount. Idea: Com- bine math practice with nutrition by posing questions like, “If 1 serving has 110 mg of sodium, how much sodium is

in 2 servings?” (Answer: 110 + 110 = 220 mg.) You can point out that sticking to
1 serving will help limit his salt intake.
Visualize sizes
Making a picture chart can teach your
youngster to “eyeball” servings. First, he

of cards for 3 oz. of chicken, a cupcake wrapper for 1 cup of yogurt.
Divide it up
Restaurant portions are often much bigger than standard servings. Your child
might eat –1 cup of pasta at home, but a

should list his favorite foods. Then, help

2
restaurant may

dish up 2 cups. To control

4

him look up the serving sizes on food packages or online. Beside each food on his list, he could draw an object that’s about the same size as 1 serving. Exam- ples: a golf ball for –1 cup of raisins, a deck

portions while dining out, you and your youngster could share an entree. Or pack- age up half in a to-go box when your food arrives—you’ll both eat less, and you’ll have food for tomorrow!

Dribble and kick
Your youngster and her friends can improve their speed and coordination—and soccer skills—with these games.
Relay race. Have two teams line up at one end of a field or yard, and place two upside-down trash cans about 20 feet away. On “Go,” the first person on each team dribbles a soccer ball down to and
around the can. Then, she kicks it all the way back to the next team member, who does the same thing, until everyone has had a turn. The first team to finish wins.
Keep-away. Draw a giant circle with sidewalk chalk. Everyone stands inside, and one person dribbles a soccer ball. The other players try to steal it and kick it out- side the circle. Whoever steals the ball is the next dribbler.

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Nuuttrriittiioonn NNuuggggeettss		 	March 2018 • Page 2

Busting food myths
Just because a grocery item contains the word fruit, grain, or vegetable doesn’t make the food healthy. Share these common food misconceptions with your child.
Myth: Fruit juice is a good source of nutrients.
Fact: While fruit juice does contain vita- mins, it lacks fiber and is usually full of sugar.
Best bet: Encourage your youngster to eat
whole fruits, such as bananas and oranges, which give her more fiber ounce for ounce than juice.

If your child is bullied

Recently, my son Kevin told me that kids at school had been making fun of him because of his weight. I was glad he confided in me, and I tried to comfort him. But we were both upset and unsure of what to do next.

if

I talked with my neighbor, who’s a school nurse,

Myth: Cereal is always a nutritious breakfast.
Fact: Many cereals, espe- cially those marketed to children, pack in lots of sugar. Look out for “sneaky” sugars in the list of ingredi- ents, such as cane juice or molasses.
Best bet: Opt for 100% whole- grain cereals that are high in fiber (5 grams or more per serv- ing) and low in sugar (less than
8 grams per serving). Send your youngster on a “treasure hunt” in the cereal aisle to find varieties that meet those standards.
Myth: Vegetable chips make a healthy snack.
Fact: Packaged veggie chips can have as many calories as potato chips, and they may be high in sodium, too. Plus, nutrients are lost when the vegetables are  processed.
Best bet: For the crunch without the calories, get your child in the habit of snacking on raw vegetables like carrots and snap peas.

Step up your steps
Keeping track of steps can be a fun challenge

and she said
this is going on repeat- edly, Kevin is being bul- lied. Unfor- tunately, she
said, bullies tend to target overweight kids. She recommended that I tell Kevin’s teacher, and she gave me advice for talk- ing to my son at home.

for the whole family. Use these ideas to help your child take more steps each day.
Count. Let her use an inexpensive pedom- eter, and she’ll enjoy watching the number get higher and higher. Have her write down
her daily steps for a week, and help her tally the total. Each week, challenge her to beat her previous score.

Mix it up. Suggest that your youngster think of different ways to fit in extra steps. She might recommend walking to the store rather than driving, doing laps around the living room, or running in place while watching TV.

I stressed to Kevin that it wasn’t his	 	

fault. I reminded him of healthy changes our family has made lately, such as eating

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Breakfast surprises

more fruits and vegetables, and playing
basketball rather than video games.
I told him that if we keep it up, we’ll feel better and be healthier — and that

These fun twists on breakfast will help your youngster start off his day with a smile.
Ice pops. Add –2  cup nonfat Greek

“Cloud” eggs. Separate 4 eggs, putting the whites in one bowl and each yolk into an individual small bowl. Add –1 tsp. salt to whites, and beat with a mixer

matters more than what others think.

3
vanilla yogurt to

a small paper cup. Mix

until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in
–1 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Drop

eaches	4 m
raft

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

in thin slices of your child’s favorite fruits, such as frozen p
or raspberries. Add a c stick to the center, and freeze overnight. In the morning, peel off the cup, and enjoy breakfast-on-a-stick!

2
ounds of the mixture onto a bak-
ing sheet lined with parchment paper, and use the back of a spoon to indent centers. Bake at 450º for 3 minutes. Carefully add 1 yolk to each “cloud,”

and bake 3 more minutes.

© 2018 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated