March is National Nutrition Month!

Here are some great tips!!

Grocery shopping:

★ Let the kids help put the fruit or vegetable into the grocery cart
★ Teach them how fruits and vegetables gives us clues on how ripe they are
★ Ask them “What is this banana telling us?” “Is it ready to eat yet?” “Should we pick that
bunch?”
★ Teach kids to read food labels, as a great way to learn how some foods are better for you than
other
★ Choose cereals with low or no added sugar
★ Look for whole grain cereals and breads with at least 4 gram of fiber
★ Take an outing to a local farmers market to teach kids about where their food comes from
At Home:
★ Let the kids help put away the fruits and vegetables
★ Try to arrange the fruit bowl so you have many different colors showing- make it a game,
★ As they are putting away the fruits and vegetables, guess where they came from
Cooking Tips:
★ Involve your child in cooking and preparing meals
★ Limit the amount of added sugar in your child’s diet
★ Cook with less fat—bake, roast, or poach foods instead of frying
★ Choose and prepare foods with less salt

Mealtime:

★ Make sure your child eats breakfast. Breakfast provides children with the energy
they need to listen and learn in school.
★ Eat Together As a Family for at least one meal a day
★ Set a regular time for family meals
★ Eat at the table since it is easier to talk with each other, rather than in front of the TV
★ Actually, turn off the TV at mealtime so you can talk and share the events of the day
★ Serve water, low-fat milk or 100% fruit juice more often than sugar-sweetened sodas and
fruit-flavored drinks
★ Introduce new foods, vegetables and fruits at mealtime
★ Encourage your child to put a small quantity on their plate, even if they won’t eat it
★ Don’t nag, its okay if they refuse initially, introduce the food again in a few weeks
★ Demonstrate how delicious it is to taste that food
★ Don’t get upset if they don’t like the food or meal, don’t take it personally
★ Have a contest on which plate is the most colorful (fruits and vegetables in a rainbow of
color!)
★ Try new recipes, often kids will try vegetables when mixed with other foods or special sauces
★ Keep the salt shaker off the table
★ Offer fresh fruit for dessert

Little Chefs favorite snack ideas:
• Prepare snacks in advance and have them easy to reach
• Have fruits and vegetables washed and cut up for convenience. Kids often reach for the
ready to go snack
• Try low fat dip recipes for fruits and veggies, kids love dipping!
• Fruits and nuts
• Low-fat yogurt and fresh fruit
• Peanut butter and celery
• Low-fat cheese quesadilla
• Bowl of whole grain cereal plain or with low fat milk or fat-free milk
• String cheese and crackers
• Turkey sandwich on a piece of whole wheat bread
• Cottage cheese and fruit
• Fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables or fruit served plain or with low-fat yogurt
• Rice cakes, whole-grain crackers, or whole-grain bread served with low-fat cheese, fruit
spread, peanut butter, almond butter, or soy nut butter
• Pretzels or air-popped popcorn sprinkled with salt-free seasoning mix
• Homemade fruit smoothie made with low-fat milk or yogurt and frozen or fresh fruit

Cook Up Some Fun Today!

Yours in good health,

Lori
Little Chefs

519-940-1131
littlechefs@sympatico.ca