Healthy Food and Nutrition

Children of all ages need good nutrition, starting with infants. Infants nutritional needs change as they grow. During the first four months of a child’s life a healthy child’s birth weight doubles. A child’s nutrition during its first six months should come from breast milk or formula. Before this time infants do not have the ability to digest solid food. Without proper nutrition during an infant’s first year of life the child can not grow and develop into a healthy toddler. After six months an infant can be introduced to cereals, then vegetables and fruit, then late on other foods such as soft finger foods, meats, chicken and fish.

As children enter toddlerhood teaching children to eat nutritious food can be a challenge. Toddlers are becoming independent and eating can become a power struggle. Toddlers can grow in “spurts” causing their hunger to come and go. Toddlers are developing gross and fine motor skills making meal time often a messy occasion. Patience is needed during this time in a child’s development. Toddlers need good nutrition to be able to run and play, grow and learn, and develop into healthy preschoolers.

Preschoolers are developing the understanding of proper and improper eating habits. They can be influenced by those around them, or by what they see on commercials and in stores. It is the job of parents and caregivers to help the preschoolers understand the value of nutritious food. Preschoolers will also learn by example. If the children see adult drinking soda then they may protest having to drink milk. If teachers and parents snack on cookies and chips the preschooler will want them also. Preschools need to see their teachers and parents drinking water and milk, eating fruits and vegetables. The best way for teachers to be a good example for their preschoolers would be to sit with them during meals and eat the same things that they eat.

School age children may not be developing physically as quick as younger children, but their need for adequate nutrition is just at important. Their activity level is great and they need proper nutrition for the cognitive skills they are developing in school. Many school age children eat fast food and snacks that have no nutritional value. They want food that is quick and easy. They have outside activities that prevent them from sitting down to a nutritious dinner with family. Proper nutrition is needed to develop properly during the years of puberty. Parents need to be aware of the food that their children are eating.

The only way for children to learn healthy eating is for adults to teach them. Adults can teach children proper nutrition through facts and by example. If children know the reasons for healthy eating, and what makes up healthy eating they are more likely to eat the proper foods. Children also follow by example. When they see adults eating unhealthy food then they will believe that it is alright for them to eat that way. If they see adults eating healthy food then they are more likely to eat healthy. We can not expect children to grow into healthy adults if we do not teach them how.

Recipes:

Children love to cook, and when you make the food they make fun they will love eating it too.

Banana Plane

Makes one serving.
1 banana
Peanut butter
Graham crackers
Raisins

Cut banana in half lengthwise. Place one half, cut side up, on a plate; spread on peanut butter. Use a whole graham cracker rectangle for the wings and a quarter rectangle for the horizontal part of the tail. Top with other banana half. Cut a slit at the tail end of the to half, and push a graham cracker rudder piece in place. Apply raisin windows with peanut butter.

This recipe contains fruits, a protein and grain.

From Better Homes and Gardens Kids in the Kitchen, October 2002.


Strawberry Yogurt Crepes
by Kelly Pfeiffer

Preschoolers can complete every step of the cooking process in this nutritious strawberry recipe that can be served as a healthy breakfast or dessert. Ready to use crepes, strawberries and yogurt make this an easy recipe for preschoolers to prepare for themselves or for their whole family.

What You Need
1. Fresh Strawberries – ¾ cup per crepe
2. Vanilla Yogurt (or yogurt flavor of your choice – blueberry, banana, etc.) ½ to ¾ cup per crepe
3. Crepes – You can find pre-packaged ready to use crepes in the produce section of most grocery stores or make your own.
4. A plastic knife or butter knife
Optional – blueberries, bananas or other fruit
Optional – Whipped topping of your choice
Preparation for Strawberry Yogurt Crepes

Preschoolers can do all of the preparation.

Rinse strawberries
Remove strawberry caps
Slice strawberries with a plastic knife or butter knife.
Slice any other fruit (optional) that you want to add.

How to Make Strawberry Yogurt Crepes
For each crepe
Step 1:
Lay crepe flat on plate.
Step 2:
Starting at one corner and ending at the opposite corner, spoon ½ to ¾ cup of yogurt onto crepe in a line approximately 1 ½” wide.
Step 3:
Sprinkle ¾ cup sliced strawberries over yogurt. Add other fruit if desired.
Step 4:
Wrap crepe closed by folding outside corners (the corners without any yogurt or fruit) across the line of yogurt and fruit.
Step 5:
Add whipped topping (optional) and garnish with more few strawberries.

This recipe contains fruit and yogurt (protein and dairy). Crepes are made with eggs (dairy), flour (starch), milk (dairy), water and salt.

From PreschoolRock.com: Learn. Grow. Rock from the site http://nutrition.preschoolrock.com/index.php/recipes_for_preschoolers/strawberry-yogurt-crepes-preschool-cooking-recipe


Me Sandwich

Ingredients

Bread cut into a circle of a rice cake
Softened cream cheese
Raisins
Mandarin orange
Grated cheese or chow mien noodles

Spread bread of rice cake with cream cheese
Place raisins on cream cheese for eyes and nose
Place mandarin orange on cream cheese for a mouth
Place grated cheese or chow mien noodles on cream cheese for hair

This recipe contains bread or rice cake (grain), raisins and mandarin orange (fruit) and cheese (dairy).

From Suzyque.US from the site http://www.suzyque.us/February/Me-Sandwich.htm