Kid Friendly Healthy Winter Meals
Winter doesn’t only bring cold weather but also numerous illnesses, such as cold and flu. Children are more susceptible in catching cold and flu viruses thus its vital that they get all the essential nutrients they need to keep their immune system strong. While a certain amount of sickness may be inevitable, keeping them healthy during the winter months can still be achieved by giving special attention to nutritional intake. There are few foods that are in season during winter, but some of this is actually very beneficial in keeping kids healthy. Examples are pomegranate, dark leafy vegetables, potatoes, citrus fruits, and winter squash. Challenge yourself in incorporating all of these in their every meal and be creative by tweaking recipes to please their palate. Here are several food ideas that can help in fending off the winter sniffles and flu:
Soups
Soup is probably one of the best comfort foods during winter. Most soup recipes consist of vegetables that are high in antioxidants, which can help boost the immune system. Examples of these are carrots and tomatoes. Incorporate these in your wintery soups as much as possible. This will also encourage kids to eat ingredients they wouldn’t normally eat.
Potato Leek Bacon and Bean Soup - Potatoes are a good source of vitamin C and B6, which helps the body to fight infection and works as immunity boosters. It also provides dietary fiber that is essential in keeping the digestion healthy.
Chicken Noodle Soup - A bowl of chicken noodle soup is always a welcoming sight for kids especially during wintertime. It helps in relieving cold and flu symptoms that are usually prevalent during the winter season.
Maple-roasted Carrot Pumpkin and Chickpea ...
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...e buds. Fruits and few vegetables can be used in creating flavourful mixes that every kid will surely enjoy.
Fresh Fruit Juices - Making fruit juices is an easy way to incorporate fruits in a child’s diet. You can try pomegranate, which is rich in antioxidants that keep free radicals from oxidizing bad cholesterol. It also has vitamin C that helps the body develop resistance by boosting immunity against infectious diseases.
Fresh Fruit Smoothies - There are numerous fruits that you can use in making smoothies like banana, oranges, and grapefruit. Banana is an excellent source of fiber, vitamin B6 and C. It is also rich in potassium, which is essential for the body in balancing sodium (salt) intake. Citrus fruits like orange and grapefruit are known to be juiciest in the wintertime. It is loaded with vitamin C and beta carotene that keeps the immune system healthy.
Gardner, Jonathan. "Banning other snacks is key to boosting fruit consumption.” Pediatric News 1 June 2008: 435. Print.
Pediatric Dentists promote dental health of children as well as serve as education resources for parents. Healthy teeth are the results of healthy eating. “Like the rest of the body, the teeth, bones and the soft tissues of the mouth need a well-balanced diet. Children should eat a variety of foods from the five major food groups. Most snacks that children eat can lead to cavity formation. The more frequently a child snacks, the greater the chances for tooth decay.” (dentist4kid.com, 2014). Choose nutritious foods such as vegetables, low fat yogurt, and low fat cheese, if your child must snack, which are healthier and better for children’s teeth.
For example, an excellent juice combination that can be added to a healthy breakfast or for a mid-afternoon snack is a cup of spinach, carrot, and apple juice - less than 50 calories. Beets, celery, spinach, and tomatoes make another great morning juice, while fresh grapefruit and orange juice will help satisfy your sweet tooth in the mid-afternoon.
To be healthy you must have four unsettles ingredients. These four things are eating healthy and the right amount, exercising regularly, sleeping well, and getting the right nutritious vitamins. A child two to eight years old need the same four unsettles to be healthy. The only difference is that they need a different amount of each that an adult. They must eat the recommended intake in each food group corresponding with their age and sex stated in the Canada’s food guide. They must also get daily excurses, with lots of sleep. The National sleep foundation recommends that children one to five years old should get 11 to 14 hours of sleep each night (National sleep foundation, n.d.) They must also get the right nutritious vitamins to help them grow. A good way to achieve this is with a child baste motley vitamin. I will be inspecting the intake of food a child in daycare consumes each day to see if them meet the recommendations set by The Canada food guide. Studying their strengths and weaknesses and how thy can be improved.
Cold and Flu season has begun, the line in the snow has been drawn and it's here folks. The Cold and Flu has rounded up its troops and declared an all out war on the family! We've all been at battle with a cold or flu and most times, it's not until you're ugly crying on the bathroom floor, you've hit rock bottom, and your nose is so red you'd give Rudolph a run for his money, that you admit defeat!
Childhood obesity and diabetes have become increasingly common among youth in our country. Over the last 30 years, obesity among children and adolescents in the U.S has quadrupled from 6 percent to 24 percent, and over 18,000 children are diagnosed with diabetes every year. This can largely be attributed to not having enough access to healthy nutritious foods, such as fresh produce. In most low-income communities families are restricted to the use of small convenience stores and low-quality grocers which are typically not equipped to sell these foods because they cannot afford to purchase them. Almost 90 percent of Americans do not eat enough fruits and vegetables. There are many reasons for this, but a major reason is because so many families are food
Another way to keep healthy during winter is to not eat so much junk food and not so many pies!!! This will help you because if you eat so much junk food you will get unhealthy and that's never good. You also want to keep your summer muscles, and your summer fitness goals.
Three to five daily servings of vegetables and two to four servings of fruits are necessary to supply vitamins, particularly A and C. Recommended fruits include citrus (oranges, grapefruits) as well as apples, bananas, guavas, mangos and dried fruit. Vegetables may be dark green -- such as broccoli, spinach or kale -- or a variety of others including carrots, cabbage, ...
Recently, there has been a federal law change that says schools must provide a drink, whether it is milk or juice, and a larger portion of fruits or vegetables for after-school programs as well as before and during school hours. Milk and juice provide greater nutrient intakes as well as vitamins (4). Milk, in particular, provides a significant amount of calcium and helps build strong bones and teeth. Likewise, larger portions of vegetables and fruits give children vitamins, minerals and fiber that will keep them energized throughout the day (4).
and peas can give a boost full of energy with protein and fiber to a child to help boost
-Berries as they contain vitamin B-6 which helps the body metabolise carbohydrates, proteins and fats and good brain development.
All patients must aim for seven to ten servings from the vegetables and fruit group. Foods rich in vitamin C such as oranges, tangerines, strawberries and red bell peppers ca...
Produce grown locally are healthier for toddlers because they contain more nutrition in the foods, meaning less additives and a better taste, helping them properly develop. I believe that parents, caregivers, or anyone that has contact with a toddler should know about what nutrition they need and why local produce is better for the toddler. I choose toddler’s nutrition because in psychology class, we are studying their development, so something as simple as what fruits and vegetables they eat can affect all points throughout the toddler’s life. In addition, my sister is pregnant so as the aunt of the child, I feel I have the responsibility in helping my younger sister and teaching her nutrition for her baby. After researching, I know that feeding local produce to my niece or nephew when they become toddlers is vital and can, enhance their development.
Some of these additives do not add any nutritional value to the food and may even be harmful to your health. More nutritional factors to consider are the variety of the fruits and vegetables in our diet. Nutritional data shows that dark green vegetables (romaine lettuce, kale, broccoli, etc.), and orange vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and summer squash) provides more nutritional value than some of the less colorful vegetables. Here are even more nutrition facts. Some foods contribute to burning fat. Green tea contributes to fat burning by increasing the body's metabolism and increasing energy level. Foods high in protein are more difficult to digest so they require more calories in the digestive process. Good nutrition practices may not be sufficient for some people they may require unique supplements such as CoEnzimeQ10 or
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, “despite the emphasis by nutritionists and other health professionals on the importance of fruit in a well-rounded healthy diet,” a survey taken during 1994-1996 revealed that “only 57.8 percent of people age 19 and younger ate fruits on a given day” (Fisher, 2004, p. 16).