Dinner Tonight

Dinner Tonight

Healthy Cooking for a Healthy Texas

Kids in the Kitchen

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Kids in the Kitchen

Today, more and more children are diagnosed with childhood obesity. According to Obesity Action Coalition, childhood obesity affects more than 30% of children, making it the most common chronic disease of childhood. This number has tripled since 1980.

Getting kids in the kitchen is an exciting way to teach them about nutrition and help them gain the skills and knowledge to prepare their own meals all while teaching them about important food safety.

Food Safety

As kids get older they get more and more independent in the kitchen. Its important to teach them about food safety to keep them safe when they’re preparing their own snacks and meals. Fight Bac! is a partnership to prevent food poisoning and they have lots of fun activities to teach kids about food safety and safely preparing their own meals and snacks. Check out their website for:

  • Interactive activities
  • Computer Games
  • Coloring pages
  • Fun placemats

Cooking with your Kids

Get them involved in the kitchen! Family meals are important for children and teens because it allows families to grow closer together and eat nutritious foods. This month focus on getting your children or even a spouse to help you prepare meals. View the video below for tips on how to include your family in the cooking process. Click below for kitchen activities for 2-5 year olds from the USDA.Kids in the Kitchen activities for ages 2-5 years old from the USDA

Get your preschooler to try new foods by having them help you in the kitchen. Kids feel good about doing something “grown-up.” Give them small jobs to do. Praise their efforts. Children are less likely to reject foods that they help to make.

As preschoolers grow, they are able to help out with different tasks in the kitchen. While the following suggestions are typical, children may develop these skills at different ages.

At 2 Years Old:

  • Wipe tables
  • Hand items to adult to put away (such as after grocery shopping)
  • Place things in trash
  • Tear lettuce or greens
  • Help “read” a cookbook by turning the pages
  • Make “faces” out of pieces of fruits and vegetables
  • Rinse vegetables or fruits
  • Snap green beans

At 3 Years Old:

  • Add ingredients
  • Talk about cooking
  • Scoop or mash potatoes
  • Squeeze citrus fruits
  • Stir ingredients in a bowl
  • Knead and shape dough
  • Name and count foods
  • Help assemble a pizza

At 4 Years Old:

  • Peel eggs and some fruits, such as oranges and bananas
  • Set the table
  • Crack eggs
  • Help measure dry ingredients
  • Help make sandwiches and tossed salads

At 5 Years Old:

  • Measure liquids
  • Cut soft fruits with a dull knife
  • Use an egg beater

Got picky eaters on your hands?

Check out our tips on dealing with your picky eater.

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Use Your Brain, Go for Whole Grains!

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Courtesy of https://bearygoodstuff.wordpress.com/

There is a lot of controversy in the media over whole grains. Some wonder whether or not they will cause weight gain, and what the health benefits are. Labels can even make it difficult to identify a whole grain. Whole grains are an important part of a nutritious diet and there are many benefits that whole grains can provide to your health. Let’s go over the basics: whole grains vs. refined grains, how much you need, and where you can find it.

Whole grains vs. Refined grains

Whole grains are grains which have not gone through the milling process. Milling removes most of the nutrients in a grain including fiber, B vitamins, Vitamin E and minerals (aka all the good stuff).

Refined grains have been stripped from the bran and germ. Products of refined grains are white flour, white rice and many packaged products. Refined grains are used often in processed foods due to their longer shelf life.

How much do I need?

According to the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans encourage you to prioritize fiber-rich whole grains and reduce consumption of highly processed, refined carbohydrates. Aim for 2-4 servings of whole grains per day, adjusted as needed based on your individual caloric requirements.

 

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Courtesy of 2010 Dietary Guidelines

 

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Courtesy of http://2.bp.blogspot.com

 

How to incorporate whole grains in a meal plan

Try the whole grain options listed above in side dishes, salads or incorporated into your entree. When looking at the nutrition label, look for the words whole grain, whole wheat, whole [other grain], oats ore wheat-berries. If the ingredients have the words enriched flour, germinated, bran or wheat germ. You are NOT getting a whole grain product.

Examples of whole grains

Amaranth
Barley
Bulgur
Corn
Farro
Freekeh
Oats
Quinoa
Brown and wild rice
Spelt
Wheat

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Personalize Your Meal Plan

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Building a personalized eating plan that is sustainable and meet nutritional needs is key to your health and success. A nutritious meal plan should not have extreme limitations on foods, have you eating less than 1200 calories per day or consuming only liquids. All foods can fit within a healthy diet, but portion size and quality of foods is important. Strive to eat fruits and vegetables everyday, limit processed foods and move your body. To help you start eating right follow these 5 steps. [Read more…] about Personalize Your Meal Plan