Oatmeal is always a great breakfast choice – whether you eat it by itself or add different ingredients such as fruit, raisins or yogurt – it’s a great way to start your day! On these cold winter mornings, many of our Clubs have started serving hot cereal, oatmeal in particular.  Oatmeal is a food that many children tend to not eat or are hesitant to try.  Making foods like these more attractive and appealing, will likely get you a more positive response from the children you serve.  Try this recipe, Oatmeal Breakfast Banana Split, for the students who attend your Club each morning.  If the students at your Club are a little older they can make their own, just set up an assembly line of various delicious ingredients they can add themselves.  They will love it!

Ingredients (adjust amounts as needed for large group)

• 1 cup prepared oatmeal
• 4 strawberries
• ⅛ cup greek yogurt
• honey (optional)
• 1 cherry
• any other popular toppings (ie. raisins, bran, granola, etc)

Directions

Make your oatmeal thick and flavor as desired (ie. add cinnamon). Slice banana lengthwise in half.  Scoop the oatmeal using a cookie scoop onto the banana.  Chop strawberries and add to your banana split.  Scoop on the Greek yogurt and then add your desired toppings.  You can put all these ingredients in buffet style for your students and they can add the toppings they prefer.  Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from: http://www.courtneyssweets.com/oatmeal-breakfast-banana-split/

Janel Genge is a Registered Dietitian with Kids Eat Smart Foundation Newfoundland and Labrador

Calcium and Vitamin D are two nutrients that are very important. We all need to ensure they are in our diet for healthy growth and development, especially for our children.  Calcium helps build and maintain strong bones and teeth, very important for the growing children attending our clubs!  What many people don’t realize is that one of the main roles of vitamin D is to help absorb the calcium in our bodies from the foods we eat.  In turn, eating calcium rich foods can be of no benefit if your body does not have the vitamin D it requires to help you absorb it.  Vitamin D also plays a very important role in our immune system.  Since vitamin D is known as the “sunshine vitamin” and we live in a climate that we get limited sun exposure throughout the year, we may have to consume a little bit extra of the foods that are a good source of vitamin D during the Fall and Winter months.

Below are some Calcium and Vitamin D rich foods that you should try to offer in your clubs, and at home, to ensure that everyone is getting enough:

Calcium:

• milk, powder milk, cheese, yogurt
• fortified orange juice (labels will say this)
• spinach, turnip greens
• salmon, beans, almonds

Vitamin D: 

• milk, yogurt, eggs (specifically the yolk)
• margarine
• fortified orange juice
• pork, salmon, trout, tuna

An Example of a nutritious calcium and vitamin D rich breakfast:

• Scrambled eggs
• Slice of whole wheat toast with margarine
• A piece of hard cheese
• A glass of milk 
• A side of fruit (berries, banana, apple, etc.)

Information was retrieved from: www.pennutrition.com

Janel Genge is a registered dietitian with Kids Eat Smart Foundation Newfoundland and Labrador

Thanks to our friends at Egg Farmers of Canada and our National Partner, Breakfast Club of Canada, many of our KES Clubs will receive egg coupons this week. If you are trying to add creativity to the menu with your eggs and you do not want to serve the basic scrambled and boiled eggs, I found a great recipe you can try.  These Breakfast Egg Muffins will be something students of all ages will want to try!

Ingredients (serves 12)

• 3-4 pieces whole wheat bread, torn into small pieces (enough to fill muffin tins almost to top)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 8 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tsp ground mustard (optional – careful of allergies)
• 1 tsp ground pepper (or more or less to taste)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease muffins tins well.
• Drop bread pieces evenly in muffin tins until they come about ⅔ of the way up the tin.
• Sprinkle cheese evenly in each tin.
• Whisk together eggs, milk, ground mustard, and pepper.
• Pour egg mixture evenly in each muffin tin.
• Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown on top and cooked through the middle.*Note: You can make these yummy muffins in bulk and freeze them for another time!

Recipe adapted from: http://thrivinghomeblog.com/2010/01/easy-breakfast-casserole-muffins/

Janel Genge is a Registered Dietitian with Kids Eat Smart Foundation Newfoundland and Labrador

This past week, in this part of the province at least, mornings have been cold, dark and wet. It’s been a struggle to head out the door to start the day when the weather is awful and you’re frozen!  Children heading off to school in the morning are no different.  When the weather is awful it’s always nice to start your day with something warm and inviting.  I know many of our KES Clubs do not have the means to bake and cook warm dishes, but even toast can be a nice treat sometimes on cold mornings.  However, if you do have the resources at your KES Club, try treating the children to a nice warm breakfast on occasion.  Below is a recipe that will be great for your KES Club or even at home!

Ingredients

Dry Mixture:

• 2 cups quick-cook oats
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar (optional as you will use honey to help sweeten the mixture as well)

 Wet Mixture:

• 2 cups milk
• 2 eggs
• ½ tbsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsps honey (or to taste)
• 1½ tbsp melted butter/margarine
• 2 cups frozen mixed berries
• Additional toppings of choice (ie. raisins, sliced banana, etc)

 Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the oats, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and brown sugar (optional). Set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla, honey, and butter/margarine. Layer half the berries in a 2 quart baking dish and top evenly with the dry oat mixture. Pour on the wet mixture and then add the rest of the berries on top along with additional toppings. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the oats have absorbed the liquid. Serve and enjoy!!

**Note: If there are egg allergies in your KES Club you do not necessarily have to use the eggs.

Recipe adapted from: http://apple-of-my-eye.com/2014/05/02/baked-honey-berry-oatmeal/#

Janel Genge is a Registered Dietitian with Kids Eat Smart Foundation Newfoundland and Labrador

 

In our last blog we talked a little about the health benefits of pumpkin and pumpkin seeds. I shared with you a delicious recipe that you could try with the seeds you scooped out when you carved your pumpkin.  If you haven’t already tried it, do it!!  Roasting the seeds is a great way to make use of the pumpkin leftovers, but what about the rest of the pumpkin?  Why not make some delicious pumpkin muffins – they are healthy, tasty and great for the whole family.  Try this recipe I came across, it sounds delicious!

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown sugar
• ⅓ cup of plain or vanilla yogurt
• ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
• ¼ cup butter/margarine, softened
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup pumpkin puree (you can puree your own pumpkin – use the leftovers from carving)
• 1 cup finely shredded carrots (about 2 medium carrots)
• 2-3 very ripe bananas, smashed (the riper the better)
• 1 cup quick oats
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2½ tsp cinnamon
• ⅛ tsp nutmeg (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Cream together: sugar, yogurt, applesauce and butter
3. Add eggs, pumpkin, carrots and bananas
4. Mix well add all dry ingredients: oats, wheat flour, all-purpose flour, salt, soda, cinnamon and nutmeg
5. Mix until combined
6. Scoop batter into greased mini or regular muffin tins. Can use cupcake liners if you prefer. Recipe can make 48 mini muffins or 20-24 regular size muffins.
7. Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes for mini-muffins or 15-18 or until toothpick comes out clean for regular size muffins.
8. Remove from pans and cool on cooling rack.

Recipe retrieved from: http://reallifedinner.com/the-best-toddler-muffins/

Janel Genge is a Registered Dietitian with Kids Eat Smart Foundation Newfoundland and Labrador