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like elves or magic wands inspired by The Nutcracker’s Sugar Plum Fairy.
Gingerbread House Update “Building a gingerbread house is a time-honored tradition for many families,” says Jacquie Fisher, a Kansas City, Missouri, mom who masterminds the educational blog and kid-friendly adventure postings at KCEdventures. com. Learning to construct the edible structure is intriguing fun. “Testing out how to balance the
MERRY MUNCHING W
Sugar-Free Treats Kids Love by Judith Fertig
hen sugar was a commodity only the wealthy could afford, “visions of
sugarplums” danced in the heads of children ensconced in Clement Moore’s ’Twas the Night Before Christmas. Now, cheap candy is everywhere and not all that special. What is special is making memories aligned with contemporary traditions while enjoying naturally sweet, healthy treats that kids will remember helping to create. “It’s important to limit sugary snacks,
even during the holidays,” says Claire McCarthy, a Boston Children’s Hospital pediatrician, Harvard Medical School assistant professor of pediatrics and senior editor for Harvard Health Publications. She is also a mother of elementary school kids. “We need to use the opportunity—any opportunity these days—to teach children and families about eating healthy.”
Healthier Holiday Snacks
Mothers Amy Roskelley and Natalie Monson, of Provo, Utah, agree that raising healthy kids is a challenge. Dealing with picky eaters, getting family members to exercise and sourcing organic baby care products are all in a day’s work for them. It’s why they founded SuperHealthyKids. com. Subscribers have access to meal plans, recipes and healthy parenting tips. Recent advice includes ditching prepackaged popcorn (listing unpronounceable ingredients) and instead making the treat at home— popping kernels in coconut oil and topping the result with maple snickerdoodle fl avorings. Many moms turn to online boards for party ideas. Fun photos posted there guide kids in creating naturally sweet treats, such as fresh fruit skewers shaped
Natural Awakenings recommends using organic and non-GMO (genetically modifi ed) ingredients whenever possible.
30 Central Florida natural awakenings
walls, construct a roof and put together a fun little structure is the perfect intro to some basic physics principles,” she notes. Because she’s not a fan of sugar icing and candy add-ons, Fisher’s kids connect over how to make Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’s stable with whole-wheat graham crackers “glued” together with a homemade maple caramel mixed with coconut milk. They decorate using dried fruit, nuts, dry cereal and fl aked coconut.
Christmas Stocking Stuffer
and Hanukkah Gelt For healthy alternatives to sugary candy, savvy parents source sweet treats made with 100 percent fruit juice and fair trade chocolate available at health food stores and markets. Registered Dietitian Abbie Gellman, in New York City, reinvents the Hanukkah gelt, or foil-wrapped chocolate coins, that Jewish children traditionally receive. She fl attens dried apricots with a kitchen mallet, dips them in melted dark chocolate and then sprinkles the treats with sea salt. We can always make wonderful memories true to the spirit of holiday traditions, and do it today in a healthier way.
Judith Fertig writes cookbooks and foodie fi ction from Overland Park, KS (
JudithFertig.com).
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