Family Matters Newsletter - July 2008

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Healthy meals may not be enough

By: Joy Akey, Colorado State University Extension - Yuma County

A couple of tablespoons of applesauce may not look like much, but to a toddler's tummy, it looks like plenty. Children's stomachs may be no bigger than their fist, so they are not able to eat large portions at a time. They need to eat more often. That is where snacks come in.

Snacks should be an important part of the child's daily diet. Many people think of snacks only as sweet or salty foods such as pop, Kool-aid, cookies, chips and crackers. However, snacks are a very beneficial way to get the amounts of nutrients needed each day.

When a snack attack occurs, offer healthy foods, such as carrot sticks, apple slices, cheese sticks and milk. Help your child realize that snack time is not just for sweet and salty treats. Foods and drinks that are high in fat, sugar, and sodium and low in nutritional value should be limited to once or twice a week.

Children's eating habits develop at a very early age. If they learn to make wise choices now, chances are their health and eating behaviors will be more positive in the future, reducing their risks for diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and osteoporosis.

Children like to copy. They will follow a parent's example, if it is consistent. If parents drink milk and eat vegetables and fruits, so will kids. Children model their parents' behavior, so be a good role model and make healthy food choices.

Snack Tips:

  • Let youngsters help pick out fruits, vegetables and cheeses when shopping; they will be more willing to eat them.
  • Plan and prepare extra servings at mealtimes for snacks later - cold chicken, cups of soup and mini-salads.
  • Have a "snack spot" in the refrigerator and cupboard that is stocked with nutritious, ready-to-eat snacks.
  • Offer snacks at regular times so children are not constantly nibbling during the day.
  • Serve different types of foods for snacks - crunchy, soft, chewy, smooth, hot, and cold.
  • Do not offer food as a reward for good behavior.
  • Avoid high sugar, fatty and salty snacks, and caffeine-containing beverages.
  • Make "special" snacks projects. Make bread in a bag, yogurt parfaits or peanut butter sandwich faces.
  • Encourage your child to help you pick out or make a new food to try, rather than a sweet and gooey treat.
  • Visit your local farmer's market.

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Healthy Kids - What's to eat?

Clever parents can provide healthful snacks from a simply stocked pantry. These healthy snack starters will see your family through any munchies attack.

Bread: Toast and slice into quarters for dipping into hummus, low-fat cheese dips and extra-chunky salsa. For a sweet treat, top with cinnamon-sugar, jelly, honey or applesauce. Use toasted whole wheat bread as a base for vegetable and low-fat cream cheese sandwiches. Try topping bread with sliced apples or applesauce.

Cereal: The quickest breakfast in town is also one of the speediest snacks. Munch on dry cereal, or use it to top yogurt and ice cream. Combine cereal with dried fruit, pretzels and marshmallows for a tasty trail mix delight.

Crackers: With the wide variety of crackers available, this snack is never boring. Team crackers with low-fat cheese and luncheon meats. Use wheat crackers as a platform for a chunky fruit and yogurt dip.

Pasta: Small children especially love plain pasta as a snack. Try different shapes and colors of pasta sprinkled with parmesan cheese. Older snackers go for cold pasta salads kept handy in the refrigerator as a healthy way to curb hunger between meals. Try mixing whole grain with more traditional types of pasta.

Tortillas: Spread a wheat tortilla with low-fat peanut butter and jelly and roll up a new snack. Make a quick quesadilla by placing slices of cheese on a tortilla. Microwave until the cheese melts and fold the tortilla in half.

Grain foods make great snacks because they help curb hunger. They do not come with many added fat and extra calories. Snacking is a healthy, tasty way to get the carbohydrate energy boost needed daily.

Adapted from: The Wheat Foods Council. 2008. www.wheatfoods.org.

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Active Kids - Drink plenty of water

July is a perfect month to play outside with your kids. Encourage healthy outdoor activity. But add to everyone's fun and energy by making sure to get plenty of fluids. Whether biking, roller skating or swimming, you will all do it better if you drink enough fluid (and be sure to wear sunscreen). You will enjoy these summer activities more if water is handy. Pack plastic water bottles on your bikes. Take water bottles to the pool. You and your whole family will last longer at your summer activities and you will enjoy them more if you are well hydrated. Drink plenty of water.

Information provided by America On the Move. Visit: www.americaonthemove.org.

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Safe Kids - Vacation travel stress

We can take some simple steps to prepare children for travel. We can often eliminate missed snacks, meals or naps, and limit whining, sibling rivalry, frequent potty breaks and endless hours of car travel that leaves everyone feeling at the end of their rope.

Taking some time before a trip to do a little planning can be important, especially when children are involved. When children are told and understand what to expect during the vacation, they usually cope with any changes in their schedule. Consider these tips before your next vacation.

Share basic knowledge about the trip. Share the day and time you will be leaving; will you travel by car, bus, train, boat or plane; the length of the vacation, the people and places you will visit and the things, especially unusual things that the children will get to do.

Order brochures and maps of your vacation destination. Mark the places you go each day. With a pen, highlight the route on a map. Check your library for videos or DVDs you can watch about the places you are going.

Plan that the trip will take longer with children. Schedule rest stops at least every two hours to let your children stretch and burn off some energy. You can make these stops a part of your family fun. Take a beach ball or frisbee to toss back and forth. Plan a picnic or snack on a blanket or picnic table. Blow and chase bubbles. Have children empty their bladders before you start your trip and remind them to go at every stop along the way.

Start each day with a good breakfast and take nutritious snacks for between meals. Children will travel better when they have eaten.

Use proper restraints for all passengers in vehicles. Follow requirements of the law for child seat restraints. Secure infants up to 1 year old and at least 20 lbs. in a rear-facing child safety seat. Children ages one to four years who weigh 20 to 40 pounds should be restrained in a forward-facing child safety seat. Keep the doors securely shut and locked.

Take a favorite blanket or stuffed animal to help with napping. Soft music or listen-to story books provide a more comforting background noise.

Pack a travel kit for children with favorite activities they can do during the ride or flight. Crayons or markers and coloring books or paper, small travel games, storybooks, or a favorite doll or stuffed animal will provide enjoyment for the child. Consider adding items along the way if the trip is long.

For flights, explain each step you will need to do. Help your child understand things that will be important to them such as, "After we find our seats on the plane, buckle up, and listen to the flight attendant." Do not forget to bring gum during air flight take-offs and landings. This will help your child's ears adjust to the pressure changes in the plane. Infants can nurse or suck on a pacifier.

When you return home, settling back into everyday life can be bumpy for everyone. Do not be surprised if your children are extra touchy for a couple of days. Remember to give your family a day of rest before returning to life as usual. Realizing children may become crabby or overexcited by all the different changes in their routines during a vacation can help you to stay positive and make some small preparations that make a difference.

Adapted from: Working Families. Faughn, Pattti. Family Life Educator. University of Illinois Extension. Summer 2008.

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