Nutrition Making simple changes to your fam-
ily’s mealtime regimen doesn’t have to be stressful. A few tasty alternatives will quickly become part of your family’s rou- tine. Focusing on two or three recipes that your family enjoys provides consistency and familiarity for your kids — particularly important for toddlers and preschoolers who need repeated exposure to develop a liking for new foods. Basic nutrition guidelines from My
Plate, at right (
http://www.choosemyplate. gov/food-groups/), offer a simple formula to begin. Next, experiment with a few recipes from Web sites such as http://allrecipes. com/howto/meet-myplate-a-guide-for- healthy-eating/ and
http://pinterest.com/ MyPlateRecipes/, which incorporate these guidelines. Choose your favorite kid-friendly dishes, pair them with cut-up fruits and veg- gies and whole-wheat rolls, and you’ll have a complete meal your children will love.
Food-Safety Measures When making meals, it’s important to take safety precautions with preparing, storing and transporting food, to avoid foodborne illness, especially in hot weather. • Don’t let food sit out at room temperature for more than an hour. • Keep foods containing eggs — such as mayonnaise and some salad dressings — cooled to 45° F, to avoid harmful bacteria that could make your child ill. • Pack your prepared food in an easy-to- take-along cooler, to prevent spoilage. Test your favorite recipes to make sure they taste good even when cooled.
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Ordering on the Run? If you do end up stopping on the road for a bite from time to time, remember to be smart about your selections. • Cut back on fat by going for baked, broiled, grilled or roasted foods. Avoid anything fried, breaded, creamed or buttered. • Avoid unnecessary calories by skipping super-size portions, which kids don’t need. Choose regular portion sizes. • Keep foods simple. Eliminate extras such as bacon, mayonnaise and sauces — along with their extra fat and calories. • Ask for salad dressings and sauces on the side, to control the amount you consume.
Simple Additions Count Making healthy additions to some foods that your child already enjoys may be your best option at times. In Your Child’s Weight: Help- ing Without Harming, Ellen Satter explains that simply adding a glass of milk, or fresh fruits and vegetables, to pizza or pre-pack- aged macaroni-and-cheese increases the nutritional value of the meal. If fast food is
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