As we all know, kids say the funniest things. Lately I have heard some truly entertaining comments from kids regarding healthy foods.
One evening when we were having a fiesta salad for dinner, Will said, “Mom, I can feel the food going straight to my muscles – see?” He of course then raised his arms in the perfect muscle man pose.
At lunch on Saturday as he was munching on a turkey wrap, tomatoes and figs, he said “Mom, can I have one giant piece of spinach – I want to be really strong today?” He proceeded to eat a pile of baby spinach leave (I did not have just one giant one).
One evening this week, we were having penne with kale, cauliflower, and chicken sausage, and we were discussing how kale was similar to spinach and that it also made you really strong. Will said, “Mom, I love this kale – do I look like a strong man (i.e. a circus strong man)?” He then continued on with, “This cauliflower looks like shrimp, could you add shrimp to this the next time you make it?”
Earlier this week, I spent some time with the 2 and 4 year old daughters of a client teaching them about being fit and healthy and all the important things that healthy food does for their bodies. I just recently started working with them to get their daughters to eat a more varied diet and more fruits, vegetables and whole grains. They have adopted the rule that everyone is required to try a single “no thank you” bite of everything on the plate. The 4 year old has been trying many different fruits and vegetables lately and found that she really enjoys green peas. She told me today, “When I get my special treat I am going to have green peas”. She also told me that she threw up broccoli because she did not like it, but hey you win some and you lose some.
The point in me sharing all of these great quotes is to stress the importance of talking with your kids about the food they are eating or not eating in many cases. Children want to be strong, smart, and independent beings. If we empower them with information they will most likely use it in the right way. No, Will did not decide overnight that spinach was his favorite vegetable because it makes him strong; however after many, many, many discussions about the benefits of spinach and many other foods, that is now his conclusion.
Take the opportunity to get your entire family interested in the food that you are eating. Take a trip to the market or the farmers market and explore. Start out by talking about all of the different colors, textures, smells, and tastes. Trust me when I say that they cannot help but be interested in fruits and vegetables this time of the year – they are gorgeous!
Do you feel at a loss for the nutrition information of the foods you are eating, and so you are not talking with your kids? Do you think that your kids would be more receptive to this type of information from someone other than you? Contact me to come into your home and spend some time with your kids learning about being fit and healthy. It is a fun and interactive presentation where they get to use their artistic abilities to show how much they have learned about filling a healthy, well-balance plate. This presentation also works great with larger classrooms or organizations. In a time when the obesity rates for children are hovering in the high teens and 20s and rapidly rising, it is critical that we start educating early on being healthy and fit for life. Visit my website to learn more…
WHAT'S FOR DINNER?Almost all kids love chicken nuggets. In fact, most adults love chicken nuggets, they just may not eat them because they know that they are generally little fried bits of mashed-up chicken parts and other stuff. Well, here is a great recipe for some delicious and nutritious baked nuggets. They are crunchy, juicy, and perfectly dippable - all the key ingredients of a kid-approved nugget. The crushed cereal coating is made of 7 different whole grains and is combined with the lean proteins of egg and boneless, skinless chicken breasts. They are great for dipping or delicious on top of a big fresh salad. Don't forget to serve with lots of raw fresh veggies...
Servings: 4
Ingredients
· 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 2-3” cubes (can substitute cod)
· 4 cups Kashi 7 Whole Grain Flakes
· Coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
· 1 t garlic powder
· 1 cup whole wheat flour
· 2 eggs
· Ketchup or honey mustard, for dipping
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and spray to sheet pans with olive oil cooking spray. Place the crushed cereal on one dinner plate and mix in the salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Place the whole wheat flour on another dinner plate. On a third dinner plate, crack the eggs and scramble vigorously with a fork or whisk. To prepare nuggets, place a quarter of the chicken cubes in the flour and toss to coat. Shake to remove any excess flour and move the flour coated chicken to the egg plate. Toss to coat in egg. Transfer the flour and egg coated chicken to the crushed cereal plate and toss to coat. Place the cereal coated chicken cubes on the sheet pan and repeat with remaining chicken. Make sure chicken cubes are spread out evenly on sheet pans. Bake chicken in oven until golden and firm to touch (about 15 to 20 minutes), turning once to crisp on all sides. Serve with ketchup or honey mustard for dipping and lots of raw veggies.
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