Kids and Color – Of Their Food That Is

          The 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee recently reported that children, teens and adults have diets deficient in dietary fiber, vitamin D, calcium and potassium.  Not a good foundation for a healthy future.  Adding color and variety to the foods kids eat can make a major difference in kids receiving healthy amounts of those all-important nutrients.

          This year’s National Nutrition Month theme of “Eat Right with Color," encourages parents to take time to make sure their children are getting all of the nutrients they need to grow and thrive.           The American Dietetic Association Foundation offers the following guidance for helping your kids "Eat Right with Color":

          -Give kids whole-grain cereals for breakfast, kid-friendly "white" whole-wheat bread for sandwiches, crunchy whole-grain crackers for snacks and whole-grain pastas for dinner.

          -Eat more fruits and vegetables at every meal. At breakfast, enjoy fresh or frozen berries on cereal, slices of melon or a glass of 100 percent orange juice; at lunch, serve baby carrots or sliced apples; for dinner, put brightly colored vegetables at the center of every plate.

          -Most young people in America are not getting enough calcium or potassium. Fortunately, it's easy to consume the three daily dairy servings children and teens need. Try an 8-ounce glass of low-fat milk with breakfast, lunch and dinner; yogurt parfaits for breakfast or an after-school snack; or string cheese for an on-the-go energy snack.

          -Getting enough protein at every meal and snack helps kids feel satisfied after eating. Start their day with egg or bean burritos. For snacks, provide peanut butter or sliced deli meat.

          Try a healthy spin on French fries with carrot fries from eatright.org.  And, yes they taste great with ketchup!

Carrot Fries

Serving Size ¼; Amount per serving - Calories 45; Protein 1g  

Ingredients

1 pound of carrots

Cooking spray

Salt and pepper to taste

          Preheat oven to 400ºF. Peel the carrots and cut into strips about in ¼ inch thick and a few inches long. Coat a baking pan with cooking spray and spread the carrots onto it. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 15 minutes. Flip them over; coat with a bit more cooking spray, salt and pepper and bake another 15 minutes until lightly browned.

          The 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee recently reported that children, teens and adults have diets deficient in dietary fiber, vitamin D, calcium and potassium.  Not a good foundation for a healthy future.  Adding color and variety to the foods kids eat can make a major difference in kids receiving healthy amounts of those all-important nutrients.

          This year’s National Nutrition Month theme of “Eat Right with Color," encourages parents to take time to make sure their children are getting all of the nutrients they need to grow and thrive.           The American Dietetic Association Foundation offers the following guidance for helping your kids "Eat Right with Color":

          -Give kids whole-grain cereals for breakfast, kid-friendly "white" whole-wheat bread for sandwiches, crunchy whole-grain crackers for snacks and whole-grain pastas for dinner.

          -Eat more fruits and vegetables at every meal. At breakfast, enjoy fresh or frozen berries on cereal, slices of melon or a glass of 100 percent orange juice; at lunch, serve baby carrots or sliced apples; for dinner, put brightly colored vegetables at the center of every plate.

          -Most young people in America are not getting enough calcium or potassium. Fortunately, it's easy to consume the three daily dairy servings children and teens need. Try an 8-ounce glass of low-fat milk with breakfast, lunch and dinner; yogurt parfaits for breakfast or an after-school snack; or string cheese for an on-the-go energy snack.

          -Getting enough protein at every meal and snack helps kids feel satisfied after eating. Start their day with egg or bean burritos. For snacks, provide peanut butter or sliced deli meat.

          Try a healthy spin on French fries with carrot fries from eatright.org.  And, yes they taste great with ketchup!

Carrot Fries

Serving Size ¼; Amount per serving - Calories 45; Protein 1g  

Ingredients

1 pound of carrots

Cooking spray

Salt and pepper to taste

          Preheat oven to 400ºF. Peel the carrots and cut into strips about in ¼ inch thick and a few inches long. Coat a baking pan with cooking spray and spread the carrots onto it. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 15 minutes. Flip them over; coat with a bit more cooking spray, salt and pepper and bake another 15 minutes until lightly browned.