Oatmeal Breakfast Buffet

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Now that Winter is here having a warm breakfast at school makes KES Breakfast Club more important. Sitting around with friends enjoying a warm breakfast brings comfort to our kids. Try serving up this delicious Oatmeal Breakfast Buffet at your KES Club this year.

Oatmeal Breakfast Bar

Ingredients

Oatmeal:

    • 3 cups Rolled Oats (or Steel Cut or GF Rolled Oats)
    • 6 cups Milk (or Almond Milk or Water)
    • 1 teaspoon Salt

Oatmeal buffet toppings:

  • Fresh Fruit (Strawberries, bananas, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, frozen fruit, etc)
  • Nuts and Seeds (that are not allergenic in your KES Club)
  • Dried Fruits (Apricots, cranberries, raisins, coconut, cherries, etc)
  • Spices (Cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, vanilla, etc)
  • Vanilla yogurt or milk for some extra creaminess

Directions

  • Cook oatmeal according to package. Place ingredients in bowls with utensils and let students serve themselves, add toppings of choice and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from: http://www.modernhoney.com/the-oatmeal-love-bar/

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

New Year = New Menu!

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Happy New Year to all of our KES Club Coordinators and Volunteers!

The New Year means most of us are looking at our menus at home and at school to ensure we are making healthy choices.  We all want to ensure we are providing our bodies with the best fuel possible to help us lead a strong and healthy life.  At our KES Clubs we want to make sure we are providing our kids with the healthy balanced meal they require to start their day off right.  Always  provide lots of fruits and veggies as well as milk and a healthy grain daily.

When we return to school let’s make sure we are serving the best menu we can. Check your menu’s to ensure you are serving a balanced breakfast that includes milk, fruit and a healthy whole grain!

For assistance with menu planning please contact your Regional KES Coordinator or call our office @ 722-1996.

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

 

Boxing Day Treat!

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With the many Holiday parties this season there is often times we are asked to bring along food! Try these healthy holiday pita tree appetizers this week. Have the kids help get them together in the kitchen. These can be a fun and festive addition to any holiday party.

Pita Tree Appetizers

Ingredients

  • 4 Whole Wheat plain pita folds or pita (pocket) breads (about 6 inches in diameter)
  • 16 thin pretzel sticks, halved
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup guacamole
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic-pepper blend
  • 1/4 cup very finely chopped red bell pepper

Directions

  • Cut each pita fold into 8 wedges. Insert pretzel stick half into center of bottom of each wedge to form “tree trunk.”
  • In small bowl, mix sour cream, guacamole, parsley and garlic-pepper blend. Spread about 1 teaspoon sour cream mixture on each pita wedge.
  • Blot bell pepper with paper towel to remove excess moisture. Sprinkle about 1/4 teaspoon bell pepper on each wedge or arrange to form a garland. If desired, cover and refrigerate up to 8 hours before serving.

Recipe sourced from: https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/pita-tree-appetizers/65a94ae1-56dd-4767-9816-07f71b2f6832

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

Food Storage over the Holidays! Keeping Food Safe.

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As schools will be closing soon for the Christmas Break be sure to keep food storage and safety of your KES Breakfast Club items in mind. As you prepare to close your KES Clubs for the next two weeks ensure that you properly store you foods; for instance, your dry goods like cereals should be on shelves or in containers.  Produce will likely go bad over the holidays; most fruits can be cleaned and put in baggies and frozen.  You can use these later for smoothies or parfaits – don’t throw it out if you don’t need to.  As well, any cheese and yogurt that are still good can be frozen.  Please ensure all expiration dates are not passed before you freeze them.

As important as it is to save our foods and ensure proper storage over the holidays, it’s also important to make sure our foods are safe once we return. Due to winter storms and high winds, we often lose power here in NL.  If you return to your KES Club and know that the power may have been out for a long period of time, please take the proper precautions to ensure your food is safe. Review this helpful website and if you have further questions you can call us here at KES, 709-722-1996.

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/food/information-for-consumers/fact-sheets-and-infographics/food-handling/emergency/eng/1331578972167/1331579901110

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

 

Christmas Morning Breakfast!

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Every Christmas Morning with all the excitement I always try and have a fun and healthy breakfast for the kids after they open their presents. Keep the excitement of Christmas morning going and have the kids jump in to help prepare your special breakfast. Get creative and by arranging fruits in festive shapes. With all the special holiday meals it is important to include balanced meals and snacks all throughout the day. Ensuring we have fruit and vegetables with every meals allows us to reach our recommended servings each day.

Try this easy fun recipe for your Christmas Morning Breakfast:

What you’ll need:

  • Whole wheat bread
  • Peanut Butter
  • Sliced Bananas
  • Strawberry
  • Grapes
  • Red Berry

Recipe sourced from: http://www.littlefoodjunction.com/2014/12/#.Wje8AlWnEdU

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

 

Merry Christmas Bark

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During the Holiday Season there are usually lots of parties and gatherings in which we like to bring food along. The usual suspects include cookies, cakes and other special treats.  Why not try bringing something like this creative and delicious treat to your next holiday party. Try making it together as a family to get your kids excited about cooking.  You can also try it at a festive breakfast at your Kids Eat Smart Club next week.

Merry Berry Christmas Bark

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ Cup Vanilla Greek Yogurt
  • ½ Cup Granola
  • ½ Cup Blueberries
  • ½ Cup Finely Sliced Strawberries

Directions

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour a thin layer of yogurt on top. Sprinkle granola and berries over the yogurt. Cover in aluminum foil and freeze.  Cut into pieces.

Recipe sourced from: http://www.goeatandrepeat.com/greek-yogurt-breakfast-bark/?utm_source=P-1020&utm_medium=FB&utm_campaign=SocialFabric

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

 

North Pole Fruit & Veggie Kabobs

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Adding red and green fruits to your regular KES Club breakfast can be an easy and fun way to incorporate Christmas into your menu. Serving fruits and vegetables in creative ways help kids get excited about eating healthy. Try this fun recipe below at your KES Club this month.

North Pole Fruit and Veggie Kabobs

Ingredients: 

  • Green fruit and vegetables – sliced kiwi, green grapes, honeydew melon, green apples, broccoli florets, green pepper, celery
  • Red fruit and vegetables – strawberries, raspberries, fresh cherries, red grapes, red grapefruit, red apples, watermelon, radishes, red pepper, cherry tomatoes
  • Skim milk cheese cubes

Directions

Build kabob sticks by alternating various red and green fruit and vegetables and a few small cheese cubes.

Recipe sourced from:http://www.breakfastclubcanada.org (December 2017 Monthly Newsletter)

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

Eating Healthy During the Holiday Rush!

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The holiday season can be a busy time for most people, especially our KES Club volunteers who are busy ensuring our children have a healthy breakfast and getting things ready for the Holidays.   Taking care of yourself and eating healthy during this time of year can be a challenge. Being prepared and thinking ahead is key to staying on track with healthy eating. The best way to ensure we do this is to plan ahead. Having our fridge, freezers and cupboards stocked with healthy foods is key. Having these items prepped and ready to go as always makes it much easier to grab a healthy meal and snack rather then fill up on treats at those holiday parties. Here are few tips you can use during the holiday season:

  • Have fruits a veggies cut and ready to go in your fridge
  • Have frozen and canned, fruits and vegetables on hand to easily add to meals
  • Have meats cooked and prepared so they are easy to add to salads, wraps, meals
  • Batch cooking of healthy meals on the weekends to have during the busy weekdays
  • Ensure we have healthy meals before attending holiday events to make sure we don’t fill up on holiday treats

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

Fun Festive Platters!

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December is here so it is officially holiday season! Making your KES Breakfast Club festive can be as simple as using red and green fruits and placing them in festive shapes to serve up in the morning.  Serving fruits and veggies in creative ways always excites kids to choose fruit options more often. Try these festive trays at your KES Club this month:

 

 

 

 

 

Images sourced from:

https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/399413060686197768/

https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/780530179138804756/

https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/83105555601423727/

https://www.pinterest.ca/explore/fruit-christmas-tree/?lp=true

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

Celebrating National French Toast Day!

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In celebration of National French toast day, here is a delicious breakfast you can try at home for those busy mornings or at your KES Club. Preparing breakfast items ahead of time can make mornings go smoothly. Making items that can be frozen and pulled from the freezer can make things much easier. Usually I try to make bigger batches of breakfast items on the weekend and freeze the rest for my weekday mornings. It’s a great recipe for your KES Club as well, it can be prepared in advance and frozen and popped in the toaster to warm up that morning. Try this recipe today:

Freezable French Toast Sticks

Ingredients

  • 12 slice – bread, whole wheat
  • 8 large – egg white
  • 1 1/2 cup – almond milk, unsweetened
  • 1/4 cup – honey
  • 1 teaspoon – vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoon – almond extract
  • 2 teaspoon – cinnamon
  • 1 – cooking spray
  • 2 cup – blueberries

Toppings:

  • 2 tablespoon – butter, unsalted
  • 1/4 cup – maple syrup, pure

Directions:

  1. Cut bread slices into cubes (enough for 6 cups).
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, milk, honey, vanilla, almond extract, and cinnamon. Whisk well.
  3. Spray a 9X13 baking dish with cooking spray and fill it with the bread. Pour the liquid mixture over top, and toss to ensure all the bread is moistened. Allow to set for at least 30 minutes, then mix in the blueberries.
  4. Bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed and the bread is golden.
  5. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Top with butter and maple syrup if desired.

Recipe sourced from: www.superhealthykids.com

Image sourced from: https://inquiringchef.com/baked-french-toast-sticks/

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