Pediatric Healthy Holiday

PEDIATRIC HEALTHY HOLIDAY

Healthy Eating Tip of the Month: December 2017

Kelsey King Patient Food and Nutrition Services

300 N. Ingalls Street NIB NI8E20

Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5407

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Holiday Snacking:

Most winter treats are loaded with refined flours and simple sugars. Unfortunately, this means they have little nutritional value. Swap the cookies and sprinkles for these fun and healthy seasonal snack recipes!

Ingredients

* 3 large Medjool dates, pitted * 4 dried apricots * 2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce * 2 Tbsp maple syrup * 1 tsp vanilla extract * 1 cup rolled oats * ? cup coconut flour * ? tsp pumpkin pie spice * 1 cup shredded carrots * unsweetened shredded coconut

No-Bake Snowball Bites

v, veg, gf, nf, df, sf

Yield: 50 snowballs

Directions

1. Blend first five ingredients (Medjool dates through vanilla extract) in a food processor or high speed mixer until well combined and fruits are broken into small pieces

2. Add next four ingredients (rolled oats through shredded carrots) and continue to process until mixture is sticky and wellcombined

3. Add generous amount of coconut to a shallow bowl; form heaping tablespoonsized balls of mixture and roll in the coconut to coat

4. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container

Allergen Key:

v

vegan

veg

vegetarian

gf

gluten free

nf

nut free

df

dairy free

sf

soy free

Penguin Stackers

veg, gf, nf, sf

Snowy Bananamen

3

v, veg, df, nf, sf

*can be made gf with gluten-free pretzel arms

Ingredients

* Bananas * Blueberries * Pretzel sticks * Baby carrots * Purple raisins * Unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)

Ingredients

* Large black olives (for body) * Small black olives (for head) * Baby carrots * Mozzarella balls * Toothpicks

Directions

1. Cut each mozzarella ball into 4 wedges 2. Slice the baby carrots into thin disks; cut

a 90? wedge out of each disk 3. Slice the large olives and insert a wedge

of mozzarella 4. Place the large olive on top of the carrot

disk 5. Stack a small olive horizontally atop the

larger olive 6. Secure with a toothpick 7. Insert a carrot wedge into the small olive

for a nose

Directions

1. Slice bananas horizontally into discs; align three discs vertically to create the body

2. Place three blueberries atop the bottom two discs for buttons 3. Insert pretzel sticks into middle banana disc to create arms 4. Cut carrot into small slivers for noses and insert into the

center of the top disc of banana 5. Cut raisins into small slivers for eyes and place above the

carrot nose 6. Optional: sprinkle with coconut for snowy effect

Allergen Key:

v

vegan

veg

vegetarian

gf

gluten free

nf

nut free

df

dairy free

sf

soy free

Watermelon Carving

4

* Fruit-Filled Snowman *

(1) Organize a small personal melon, medium personal melon, and fullsized melon into a line (2) Decorate a face on the smallest melon and hollow-out the bodies of the larger two melons (3) Fill with fresh cut fruit

* Evergreen Trees *

Slice a watermelon into wedges and remove the rind, leaving only the center third

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10 Tips to Cut Back on the Sweet Treats:

Serve Small Portions

Show kids that a small amount of treats can go a long way. Use smaller bowls and plates for these foods and serve them in bite-size portions.

Sip Smarter

Pop and other sugar-sweetened drinks contain a lot of sugar and are high in calories. Offer water when kids are thirsty.

Select a Checkout Lane Without Candy Displays

Most grocery stores will have a candy-free checkout lane to help avoid temptation. Waiting in a regular checkout lane temps children to ask for candy that is right in front of them.

Choose Not to Offer Sweets as Rewards

By offering food as a reward for good behavior, children learn to think that some foods are better than other foods. Reward your child with kind words and comforting hugs, or give them non-food items, like stickers, to make them feel special.

Make Treats "Treats" ? Not Everyday Foods

Treats are okay once in a while. Just don't make treat foods an everyday thing. Limit sweet treats to special occasions.

Make Fruit the First Choice

Offer a variety of fruits in different ways. Make fruit kabobs using cantaloupe, bananas, and strawberries or offer whole fruits such as pears, clementines, or apples.

Make Food Fun

Sugary foods marketed to kids are advertised as "fun foods". Make nutritious foods fun by preparing them with your child's help and being creative together. Create a smiley face with sliced bananas and raisins. Cut fruit into fun and easy shapes with cookie cutters.

Encourage Kids to Invent New Snacks

Make your own snack mixes from dry wholegrain cereal, dried fruit, and unsalted nuts or seeds. Let school-age kids choose the ingredients to create their own snack.

Play Detective in the Grocery Aisle

Show kids how to find the amount of total sugars on the Nutrition Facts label in various cereals, yogurts, and other products. Challenge them to compare products they like and select the one with the lowest amount of sugar.

If Kids Don't Eat Their Meal, They Don't Get Sweet "Extras"

Keep in mind that candy or cookies should not replace foods that are not eaten at mealtime.

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