Berry Pinwheels

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Kids always love something fun they can grab and something that looks appealing for them to eat. This is an easy recipe which includes lots of berries. Sometimes kids don’t like fruit on it’s own so introducing fruit in fun ways can help kids get excited about eating foods they may not try.  We often find kids eat what their friends are eating.  It’s amazing to hear from parents that their child tried a new fruit or vegetable at their KES Club for the first time. We encourage all of our KES Clubs to serve fruits and vegetables each day, and we also encourage them to experiment with new fruits!

Berry Pinwheels

What You’ll Need:

  • 2 8″ whole wheat flour  tortillas
  • 4 tbsp. cream cheese
  • 1 cup strawberries, blueberries or raspberries

Directions:

1. Spread 2 tbsp. of cream cheese evenly over each tortilla.

2. Chop the berries into small pieces and divide them evenly between tortillas.

3. Roll tortillas tightly and slice into six pieces each. Makes three pinwheels per serving.

Recipe & Image sourced from: http://www.cbc.ca/parents/food/view/berry-pinwheels

Kristin Hedges is a Registered Dietitian with Kids Eat Smart Foundation NL.

Simple Summer Apple Dessert

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With summer on the horizon I found this fun and healthy dessert you can try at your KES Clubs or at home over the summer months.  Including fruits and vegetables with every meal is so important to ensure we get enough servings from the Canada’s Food Guide each day. Even including fruit in a healthy way with dessert is great way to get kids excited about healthy eating. This recipe is so simple and easy, and is a great one to include the kids in the kitchen to help prepare. Simple ingredients and great to serve with a barbeque on a nice summer day.

 Simple Summer Apple Dessert

 Ingredients (serves 4)

  • ◾4 medium – apple
  • ◾1/2 tablespoon – butter, unsalted
  • ◾1 tablespoon – cinnamon
  • ◾1/4 cup – oats, dry
  • ◾2 teaspoon – brown sugar

Directions

1.Chop the apples.

2.Add all ingredients to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute.  Take out and stir.  Return to microwave for 3-4 more minutes, or until apples are tender.

 Recipe and image sourced from: https://www.superhealthykids.com/simple-summer-apple-dessert/

 Kristin Hedges is a Registered Dietitian with Kids Eat Smart Foundation NL.

 

Breakfast Warm Up!

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Having a warm breakfast can be a great start to a child’s day! What could be nicer then a warm bowl of cereal to start your day on these cold and rainy mornings.  Some of our KES Clubs serve oatmeal on a regular basis. All you’ll need are simple ingredients and a stove top to get things going.  Be sure to allow the cereal to cool before serving especially for the younger kids. Here’s a simple recipe to serve at home or at your KES Club this week:

Kitty Cat Oatmeal Bowl Recipe
Ingredients:
  • 1 cup reduced-fat milk
  • ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup or honey
  • 1 medium strawberry, 1 slice cut crosswise off top, remaining portion cut in half lengthwise
  • 2 round slices banana, plus 4 matchstick slices
  • 2 blueberries

Directions:

  1. Bring milk and oats to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer; cook, stirring often, until thick, about 5 minutes. Stir in syrup (or honey). Transfer to a bowl.
  2. Decorate the oatmeal to resemble a cat face using strawberry slices, banana slices and blueberries.

If you don’t want to use rolled oats you could go with instant oatmeal, just be sure to pay attention to the added sugar in these packages, the lower the sugar added the better.

Recipe sourced from: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/258646/kitty-cat-oatmeal-bowl/

Kristin Hedges is a Registered Dietitian with Kids Eat Smart Foundation NL.

Easy Breakfast Yogurt Pops!

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With summer just around the corner (hopefully) we can look forward to those hot summer days and fun healthy snacks to help us cool down.  Kids usually love anything they can easily grab and go, and anything that’s on a stick! Try this fun recipe in your KES Club or at home over the next few weeks:

Easy Breakfast Yogurt Pops!                                                              

Ingredients

    • 1 Cup Greek Yogurt
    • 1/2 Cup Milk
    • 2 teaspoons Honey
    • 1/2 Cup Granola
    • 1 Cup Berries/chopped Fruits

Instructions

Mix together the milk, yogurt and 1 tsp of the honey. Divide the mixture between your popsicle moulds. Place a few berries into each mould. Mix the last teaspoon of honey with the granola (you can place the honey in the microwave for 10 sec if you are struggling to mix it) and top the yogurt with a little granola mixture. Place a wooden ice cream stick into each mould and place the popsicles into the freezer for at least 4 hours before consuming. To remove the popsicles, run the mould under a little hot water until they come loose.

Recipe adapted from:  https://www.iheartnaptime.net/breakfast-popsicles/

Kristin Hedges is a Registered Dietitian with Kids Eat Smart Foundation NL.

Fruit Sheet Pan Pancakes

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Sometimes the thought of serving  200 pancakes at your KES Club can seem overwhelming. I found this easy recipe that can help alleviate a lot of the flipping and making of that many pancakes. Making pancakes in bulk on sheet pans can allow you to make up to 24 pancakes per sheet pan, depending on the size (the bigger the better). You can try these at home or if your KES Club has access to a kitchen with stoves this a great option for baking a warm breakfast for the children attending your KES Club.

Fruity Sheet Pan Pancakes

Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup – butter, unsalted
  • 2/3 cup – milk
  • 1/2 cup – applesauce, unsweetened
  • 2 large – egg
  • 1 teaspoon – vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cup – flour, whole wheat
  • 1 teaspoon – baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon – baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon – cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon – salt

Toppings:

  • 1/2 medium – banana
  • 1/2 cup – strawberries
  • 1/2 cup – blueberries

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425* F. Cover a 10×15 inch sheet pan in foil. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a microwave safe dish and brush half of it over the foil, coating evenly.
  2. In a medium bowl, pour the remaining half of the melted butter (2 tablespoons). Also add milk, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until combined.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add this mixture to the wet mixture and mix just until combined.
  4. Pour the pancake batter into the prepared sheet pan and even the batter out. Top with half a banana, cut into thin slices, as well as 1 total cup of berries (we used half strawberry, cut into slices, and half blueberry).
  5. Bake for 13-14 minutes in the preheated oven, until slightly risen and cooked through.

Recipe adapted from: https://www.superhealthykids.com/fruit-veggie-sheet-pan-pancakes-recipe/

Kristin Hedges is a Registered Dietitian with Kids Eat Smart Foundation NL.

Scrambled Egg Wraps

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Some of our KES Clubs have the option to serve eggs in their schools on a regular basis. We encourage eggs as a healthy protein choice from Canada’s Food Guide. We have had the privilege to work with Eggs Farmers of Newfoundland and Labrador on many events and encourage all schools to serve eggs if they are able, some schools cannot serve due to allergies. We had a great event at Leary’s Brook Junior High earlier this year and served nutritious and delicious Egg Wraps. Simple ingredients were included and the kids enjoyed a hot healthy breakfast that morning. Try this easy recipe at your KES Club this year:

Easy Egg Wraps

  • 1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
  • 1 medium green pepper, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons canola oil
  • 6 eggs
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup grated cheese
  • 6 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed

 

Directions

In a large non-stick skillet, sauté peppers in oil until tender. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and salt. Reduce heat to medium; add egg mixtures to skillet. Cook and stir until eggs are completely set. Spoon 2/3 cup mixture down center of tortilla, add cheese; roll up. Serves 6 wraps.  

Recipe sourced from: https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/scrambled-egg-wraps

Kristin Hedges is a Registered Dietitian with Kids Eat Smart Foundation NL.

Nutritional Facts

Fruit and Yogurt Wraps

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Our KES Clubs are always looking for fun and different ways to serve fruit at their clubs in the morning and this recipe is a great fun way to do it! You can use all different kinds of fruit and whichever yogurt your kids love best. The recipe is a balanced meal which includes foods from 3 of the 4 food groups on Canada’s Food Guide. Always ensure you are considering allergies in the school when creating special menu items like these.

Fruit and Yogurt Wraps

  • Fruit (Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, bananas, kiwi)
  • Yogurt
  • Soft Wrap (tortilla, flatbread or even a pancake can be used)

Directions

  1. Cut Fruit
  2. Line wrap with yogurt
  3. Add fruit and roll

Recipe sourced from: http://delightfullyfull.com/fruit-breakfast-burrito/

Kristin Hedges is a Registered Dietitian with Kids Eat Smart Foundation NL.

How to Prevent Sliced Fruit from Browning!

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This is a common question we get from our KES Clubs – How do we prevent our apples from turning brown? Our volunteers often find that if the apples are brown, the kids just won’t take them.  We have seen many different solutions to help with this. Here are a few that have worked for our KES Clubs:

1) Lemon Juice.   To make a lemon juice solution you will mix 1 tablespoon of lemon juice per 1 cup of water. You can also use other citrus juices like pineapple, or orange for a different flavor.

2) Citric Acid.  This is usually found by the canning supplies and is used to prevent browning in your canned goods or increase the acidity of certain foods when canning.  You will dissolve 3 tsp. of citric acid in 1 cup of water.

3) Soda Water.  You can find this in stores and it is called Club Soda, or Soda Water.  No mixing 🙂

4) Plain Cold Water.   No mixing here.  Just use cold water!

Place the slices of fruit in a small bowl and soak them for 5 minutes only. I’ve also seen the mixtures put in a spray bottle and sprayed on the apples. Another common rule of thumb volunteers use is to cut up the apples last, this allows less time for them to turn brown before they are gobbled up at breakfast.

Information sourced from: Our KES Club Volunteers & https://www.superhealthykids.com/how-to-prevent-sliced-fruit-from-turning-brown/

Kristin Hedges is a Registered Dietitian with Kids Eat Smart Foundation NL.

 

Snowy Owl Rice Cake Recipe

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I always love finding creative kids recipes that can make kids excited about healthy eating. Putting food in fun shapes and getting the kids involved in preparing their meals can get them to enjoy healthy eating more. We often ask kids at our Breakfast Clubs what they like about their menu and what they would like to see served. We see great things happen when kids and volunteers work together to create their Kids Eat Smart Club menus.

Try this fun recipe with simple ingredients. As most schools have peanut allergies, I’d suggest a light cream cheese as the base. We can call our recipe a Snowy Owl Rice Cake!

Snowy Owl Rice Cake

Ingredients

  • 4 each – rice cakes, brown rice, plain
  • 1 medium – banana
  • 4 tablespoon – light cream cheese
  • 1 cup – blueberries
  • 1 medium – apple
  • 1 medium – carrot
  • 1 cup – cereal, Cheerios
  1. Lay out rice cakes on a baking sheet (this will keep the mess in one area).
  2. Slice banana and set aside.
  3. Spread peanut butter over each rice cake and then place 2 slices of banana towards the upper part of each of the rice cakes. This will serve as your owl’s eyes. Dab a small amount of light cream cheese on the center of the owls eyes and add a blueberry for the pupil of the eye.
  4. Slice apple in half and then slice the halves into very thin wedges (1/8 inch thick). Place 2 onto each rice cake, (peel side outward) to serve as the owl’s wings.
  5. Peel carrot and slice thinly. Using 4 slices, cut into triangles for the nose.
  6. Finally, add some cheerios for feathers between the wings.

Recipe sourced from: https://www.superhealthykids.com/fun-food-kids-owl-rice-cakes/

Kristin Hedges is a Registered Dietitian with Kids Eat Smart Foundation NL.

Serving Milk on your Menu!

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We encourage all our Kids Eat Smart Clubs to serve Milk daily, as a great way to ensure we are getting the appropriate servings from Milk & Alternatives on Canada’s Food Guide. We came across this fun idea, a while back, and it’s such a great idea, and it saves the additional bowl needed to serve your cereal in.  Simply open the complete spout of your milk container and pour your cereal into the carton.  Kids always love a new creative way to enjoy their breakfast. It is also a great way to introduce cereal to your KES Club if you don’t serve it already. It also avoids the need for additional supplies of bowls which is a cost savings!

Kristin Hedges is a Registered Dietitian with Kids Eat Smart Foundation NL.