Section 4: Healthy Food and Nutrition

    Good nutrition and eating habits are so important to children in each age group because it leads to a longer and healthier lifestyle. When you practice these healthy habits it will also prevent nutrition risks such as diseases, obesity and dental cavies. In the article, Nutrition and Overweight, “Nutrition is essential for growth and development, health, and well-being. Behaviors to promote health should start early in life with breastfeeding and continue through life with the development of healthful eating habits. Nutritional, or dietary, factors contribute substantially to the burden of preventable illnesses and premature deaths in the United States. Indeed, dietary factors are associated with 4 of the 10 leading causes of death: coronary heart disease (CHD), some types of cancer, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. These health conditions are estimated to cost society over $200 billion each year in medical expenses and lost productivity. Dietary factors also are associated with osteoporosis, which affects more than 25 million persons in the United States and is the major underlying cause of bone fractures in postmenopausal women and elderly persons” ( USDHHS, 2010).

    Adults should actively help children develop healthy eating habits because it will be beneficial to their growth and developmental stages.  Two ways this can be accomplished is to model exercise and encourage children to do the same and the another is to provide only good food choices, according to this Table 6-8 GOOD NUTRTION PRACTICES (Robertson p. 244). 

Here are some recipes that family members can prepare for preschoolers:

Tuscan Broccoli Stovetop Mac and Cheese

 Prep time 5 minutes

Cook time 15 minutes

Total time 20 minutes

 Skip the box - this stovetop mac and cheese recipe is done in 20 minutes and is creamy and filled with vegetables.

Serves: 4 servings
The nutritional value of the broccoli is dietary fiber 6g, protein 6g, Vitamin A 37%,Vitamin C 123%, Calicum and Iron 6%

Ingredients

8 oz. elbow macaroni

1 (11.8 oz.) package Green Giant Tuscan Seasoned Broccoli

2 tablespoons butter

1 egg yolk

1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk

8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the macaroni until al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, cook the vegetables according to the package directions.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain and return to the pan set over medium heat. Add the butter and the egg yolk and stir vigorously until it is completely combined. Stir in the evaporated milk, cheese and mustard. Stir until the cheese is melted and it has formed a creamy sauce. Stir in the vegetables and then season to taste with salt and pepper. (Monson, Super Healthy Kids).

Sweet Potato Tots

Ingredients

2 large sweet potatoes

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1 egg, whisked

Cooking spray

 The sweet potatoes are a great alternative for yellow ones. They contain dietary fiber of 6g, 4g of protein, Vitamin C 65%, and 8% of Calcium and Iron.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Boil sweet potatoes in salted water in a pot for 10-15 minutes or until you can stick a fork in the center.

Drain and cool.

Grate the potatoes into a bowl.

Place the flours, panko and cinnamon in a bowl and stir to combine.

Place the whisked egg in another bowl.

Take a small amount of the potato mixture and shape into a tot.

Roll the tot the whisked egg, then the flour/panko mixture.

Place onto a sprayed baking sheet and coat evenly with cooking spray.

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.

10. Cool and serve.

Apricot Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup apricot preserves

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon mustard

1 tablespoon orange juice

Mix ingredients together until blended.  Chill for 1 hour before serving (Roskelley, Super Healthy Kids).

Yogurt Cheese Butterflies

Scoop plain yogurt into cheese cloth (double layered), over a colander, over a bowl.

Put in fridge till desired consistency (the longer in the fridge, the thicker it will get).  But generally overnight at least!

This time we spread it on bagels.  Plain is good, but I had some strawberries, so we mixed them in.

Arranging it to look like a butterfly is always a fun way for breakfast or a snack for some kids.

Plain yogurt has its benefits, which are 13g of protein and 45% Calcium.

    Some suggestions to families are to make food attractive to children. If it does not look good, they would not want to try it. Also, you can incorporate vegetables into foods that they like to eat. Broccoli and Kale are two great veggies that will blend well into any meal (Monson, Super Healthy Kids).

Resources

Monson, N.  Tuscan Broccoli Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese. Retrieved from from http://www.superhealthykids.com

 Monson, N. Yogurt Cheese Bites. Retrieved from from http://www.superhealthykids.com

Robertson, C. (2013). Safety, Nutrition, and Health in Early Education (5th Ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.

Roskelley, A. Sweet Potato Tots. Retrieved from http://www.superhealthykids.com

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2000, November). Nutrition and overweight. In Healthy people 2010 (2nd ed.) (Vol. 2). Retrieved from www.healthypeople.gov