Food and Fitness for a Healthy Child

Salad + whole grains Here’s an easy idea for get-
ting more whole grains into your youngster’s diet. Toss cooked grains like brown rice or whole-wheat pasta into salads. He will probably enjoy the contrast of the warm grains and cool greens. Tip: Keep things interesting by swapping in different grains like barley or farro.

Active musical chairs
Put a twist on musical chairs the next time your child has friends over. For each round, call out a movement to
do when the music stops and before players sit down. Example: “Jump up high to touch the sky.” If a player forgets,
or doesn’t get a chair, she’s out. The last person left wins the round and calls the next movement.

If your child gets free or reduced-price meals at
school, he can continue getting free meals through the summer under the Summer Food Service Program. Ask the school counselor about sites in your community. These may include schools, parks, or rec centers, and transportation may be provided.

Just for fun

Q: What do you have when there are five oranges in your left hand and seven in your
right?

A: Big hands!

© 2019 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated

May 2019

Farrell Area School District

Smart summer snacking Without the routine of school
days to structure your youngster’s eating, she may need a little extra guidance to make good choices. Consider these tips for healthy summer snacking.

Stock up
Let your youngster choose nutritious snacks at the grocery store and keep them in convenient spots at home. Maybe she’ll put string cheese,
carrot sticks, and grapes in a refrigerator drawer. Or she might
place whole-wheat crackers, plain pop-corn, and unsalted nuts in a basket in
the pantry. Idea: Stick notes on the	leftover chicken and vegetables in a let-snacks with messages like “Pick me!	tuce wrap, for instance.
I’m good for you!”	Go on a snack-nic
Make a menu	Combine snacking with physical activ-Does your child need snacks for                ity. Together, pack healthy snacks like
day care or camp? Let her post a weekly	hummus and celery sticks or bananas and snack menu, just like her school lunch	peanut butter. Then, take along a ball, menu. She’ll have a say in what she eats,	and walk or bike to a playground for a and she’ll know what to take each morn-	“snack-nic.” Spread out a blanket on the ing. You might help her roll up apple slices	grass or eat at a picnic table. Afterward, and cheese in a whole-wheat tortilla or	play a game of catch.

Fun under the stars

Playing outside on a warm summer night can create wonderful memories for your child. Get inspired with these active ideas.

● Follow the stars.Point out constellations, such as the Big Dipper. Your youngster can copy the “star picture” in the grass by laying small toys in the same pattern. Have him walk or jump along the starry path. Tip: Use
a library book or smartphone app to identify constellations.

● Flashlight tag.In this version of tag, “It” tags other players with a beam of light. If the flashlight shines on a player, he’s caught. Continue until only one player is left. That person becomes “It.”

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

with chopped walnuts.
Nutrition Nuggets

Around the world
Looking for a healthy way to teach your child about different cultures? Try a mix of traditional games and foods to explore how people play and eat.
Here are two countries to choose from.

Armenia
Play egg jousting. Each player holds a hard-boiled egg like a sword. Tap your eggs together until one
cracks. Then, save the eggs for a snack.

Eat cucumber and tomato salad. Cut 3 cucumbers and 2 tomatoes into 1-inch chunks. Combine with
–
3
1
4
1 cup each chopped cilantro and parsley. In a separate bowl, stir together 2 tbsp. lemon juice and– cup olive oil, then drizzle over the salad.

May 2019 · Page 2

Ghana
Play pilolo. With a group of five or more, paint a dozen rocks, and have a “leader” hide them around a yard. For each round, he stands at a finish line and yells pilolo (“time to search for”). The first player to find a stone
and cross the finish line with
it scores a point and becomes the leader. The new leader hides the
rocks and the group plays again. The player with the most points
after 10 rounds wins.

Eat omo tuo (rice balls). Prepare rice according to package directions, mash with a potato masher until smooth, and use an ice cream scoop or melon baller to form balls. Place omo tuo in bowls of your favorite soup.

Sunday brunch

Between school, work, soccer practice, and Cub
Scouts, our family’s life had become so busy there was barely time for dinner together. So I came up with the idea of a regular Sunday brunch.
I told my sons about the plan and asked for menu ideas. Pancakes, my younger son suggested. Scrambled
eggs, my older
one said. We decided on a month of menus and agreed we would all help to prepare the food.
After just a few weeks, Sunday brunch has become a family tradition. We look forward to a healthy meal— and each other’s company! Here’s the recipe for one of our favorites, cinnamon French toast. Beat 3 eggs with 1 tsp. cin-namon and 1 tsp. sugar. Dip 6 slices of whole-grain bread in the mixture. In a pan coated with nonstick spray, saute until crisp.

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

© 2019 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated

Tip: Help your youngster locate each country on a map. He could research foods from nearby countries—he’ll notice that similar dishes may be popular within the same region.

Discover your parks

Trails, nature programs, sports… parks are full of opportunities for
your family to stay active. And many are free! Get to know your county, regional, state, or national parks with these suggestions.

● Explore trails.Hike trails that will interest your youngster—perhaps she’d like one with a
waterfall or stream crossing. Or if a trail has fitness stations along the way, stop to do chin-ups, crunches, or other exercises.

● Sign up for a special event.Help the environment or learn about nature while you stay active. Maybe you can participate in a park cleanup day or go on a bird-watching expedition with other families.

● Try a sport.Look for courts or courses where your child can play tennis, disc golf, or beach volleyball, for example. She may find something she’d like to play regularly.

Fruity desserts
Celebrate the juicy fruits	Berry sundae
of summer with desserts that taste as	Have your youngster mix blueberries, good as they look. Your youngster will          raspberries, and blackberries with fat-have fun making them with you, too.           free whipped cream. She can fill an ice Watermelon “layer cake”                cream cone with the mixture and top
Cut three round slices from a water-
melon. Let your child stir	Fruit kebabs
1
4
together 1 cup plain fat-free	Help your child Greek yogurt, 1 tbsp. honey,                                               thread a wooden skewer and–tsp. vanilla extract. Then,                                         with grapes and chunks she should spread the mixture                                         of apple, banana, and
on each watermelon slice and                                        cantaloupe—alternating stack the “layers” into a cake.                                      to make a colorful pattern.