NUTRITION

Good nutrition is imperative to the well being and proper growth of a child. According to the food pyramid, children in the age group that we serve need; Grains (6 oz each day) Vegetables (2 ½ cups) Fruit (1 ½ cup) Milk (3 cups) children 2-8 (2 cups) and meat (5 oz each day) http://www.mypyramid.gov/kids/index.html
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As stated previously, adults MUST help children develop healthy eating habits because it is so vital to their development. One way that we as adults and caregivers can do this is to practice healthy eating in front of the child. Instead of grabbing sugary snacks to munch on, make an effort to grab that yogurt instead. And when we grab the yogurt, do so and make mention out loud why we are not grabbing the alternate choice. Tell the child we are choosing this snack over the other because it will help our bones become stronger, it will increase our vision and make our skin softer. Fun games are great ways to teach children about proper nutrition.


APPLE COOKIES
1/2 cup margarine1/2 cup sugar1/2 cup brown sugar1 teaspoon cloves1 teaspoon cinnamon1/2 teaspoon nutmeg2 cups enriched flour1 teaspoon soda1 cup chopped and pared apples1/4 cup apple juice or milk1 egg1/2 cup golden raisins (optional)
Combine margarine, sugars, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Sift flour with soda.
Add 1/2 of flour mixture to margarine mixture and blend.
Stir in apples, raisins, apple juice or milk, and egg.
Add the remaining flour; mix.
Drop by teaspoonful onto greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 400 degrees for 11 to 14 minutes.
Remove from cookie sheet while hot.
Optional: Spread with a thin glaze of powdered sugar and vanilla. Although this may not be a good alternative for a healthy nutritional snack, it does make for a nice (optional) treat!Yield: 30 servingsServing size: 1 cookieSnack Suggestion: One apple cookie and 1/2 cup of chocolate milk

BAHAMA BAGELS
1/3 cup low fat cream cheese1 tablespoon chopped walnuts1 tablespoon crushed pineapple2 bagels, sliced in halfMix cream cheese, pineapple, and nuts in small bowl. Spread on each half of the bagels. Serve

MELTED CHEESE CHEWS
For the beginning cook, these can be a successful learning experience. Everybody raves because they taste so good. You'll need:Whole-wheat bread (for variety, use taco shells or pita pockets) Cheddar cheese, preferably low fat, gratedCorn oil margarineToast the bread on one side, either under the broiler or in a toaster oven: Spread margarine on the untoasted side, and sprinkle with freshly grated cheese. Cut the bread into strips or triangles, toast until cheese is melted, and enjoy. Or try spreading peanut butter on bread or pita pockets cut in wedges. Pop into a microwave for a really quick treat.


These recipes were taken from the website: http://www.nncc.org/Nutrition/recipe.kid.html
It may sound a bit redundant but we must make nutrition as fun as possible for children. We are competing with so many colorful junk food items these days we must be properly equipped to fight the battle before us. The only way to do this is to make it both fun and enjoyable for the student.