Healthy Kids
News, Tips & Resources for Healthy Happy Families
Help! My Kids are Such Picky Eaters
PIcky eating can be so frustrating but it really is normal for toddlers. As they explore new foods, they are also learning to communicate their needs and preferences. Offer a variety and know much of this behavior will pass in time.
Try the following tips to help your picky kiddos in a positive way:
- Your child may be unwilling to try new foods. Try serving a new food alongside a familiar food in the same meal. It may take a child up to 8-10 tries to accept a new food.
- Your child may not eat the exact amounts suggested every day. Try to balance the amounts over a few days or a week.
- Offer different foods from all five food groups each day. Encourage your child to choose from a variety of foods.
- Serve foods in small portions at scheduled meals and snacks.
- Toddlers can easily fill up on beverages. Offer water if your child is thirsty between meals.
- Let your child help prepare meals. Even young children can rinse fruits and vegetables, tear lettuce, or stir ingredients. Children get excited about tasting items when they've been involved in the preparation.
- For more ideas, check out:
Help for Healthier Eating
Saving Money - Fruits & Veggies
- Find fruits and veggies in the produce, frozen, and canned/pantry aisles. Compare $ to find the best buys.
- Buy “in season” which is usually less expensive & at peak flavor. Buy only what you can use before it spoils.
- Choose fruit canned in 100% fruit juice & vegetables with “low-sodium” or “no salt added” on the label. They're just as nutritious as fresh, and often cost less.
- If you have the freezer space, stock up on frozen vegetables without added sauces or butter. Frozen vegetables are as good for you as fresh & may cost less.
- Canned and frozen fruits & veggies last longer than fresh & are a quick way to add fruits/vegetables to your meal.
Understanding Labels Can Save You Money
The price tag on the shelf includes a lot of helpful information. Learn what the numbers mean!
Retail Price – This is the price you pay for each item.
Unit Price – This tells you how much an item costs per pound, ounce, quart, etc. It can be very useful when comparing two items.
This image shows two different price tags on a shelf. Based on the unit price, you can see that the larger container is a better buy because you are getting more for your money.
Read Aloud to Give Your Kids a Boost
Reading aloud for 15 minutes a day can make a gigantic difference in your child’s development! Every time you read to your child you are improving their learning advantage. Some children begin kindergarten having been read to at home as few as 25 hours while some have been read to as much as 1,000 hours.
Sometimes, it may seem like your kids aren't paying attention or are frequently distracted. That's ok. Know they are probably absorbing more than you think they may be.
Give them that reading aloud advantage! Read to your child every day beginning at birth. Watch for resources around our preschool or go to https://readaloud.org/why.html.
SNACK ATTACK - Fruit & Nut Energy Bar Recipe
These fruit-and-nut bars from ChopChop Family are super-easy to make and easy to adapt to your own tastes. Love pecans? Use all pecans. More of a mixed-nut person? Use mixed nuts. Keep trying these bars with different ingredients: We also like toasted sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and/or pumpkin seeds in place of some of the nuts. We’re not sure why, but every now and then, these don’t turn out quite right — they’re crumbly instead of firm. If this happens, use it as a fruit or yogurt topping and call it “granola”! Looking for more ideas? https://www.chopchopfamily.org/recipes/?recipe_types=snacks&pg=4
INGREDIENTS
1⁄2 cup lightly toasted nuts
3⁄4 cup dried fruit
3⁄4 cup quick-cooking oats
3⁄4 cup crispy-rice cereal
2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut
1⁄2 cup nut butter, including almond, peanut, or cashew
1⁄4 cup honey or maple syrup
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
Line an 8"x8" pan with wax or parchment paper and leave enough hanging so that you can use it to cover the bars later. (You will need a piece a little longer than twice the size of the bottom of the pan.)
Put the nuts, dried fruit, oats, rice cereal, and coconut in the medium-sized bowl and toss well.
Put the nut butter, honey, and oil in the small bowl and microwave until the nut butter is softened, about 30 seconds (depending on your microwave). Stir until smooth. Add the vanilla and stir again until smooth.
Pour the nut butter mixture into the medium bowl and mix with the large spoon until well combined.
Dump the mixture into the prepared pan and pat down as hard as you can. You want to make the bars solid (rather than airy). Using the overhanging wax paper, cover the bars completely. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to one week.
Cut into 16 pieces.
NOTES
To toast nuts: put them on a small baking sheet in a 350-degree oven until they are fragrant and look a shade darker, around 5 minutes.
PLAY it Safe in the High Country Winter
Sledding Safety
According to the Mayo Clinic, nearly 25,000 children age 15 are seen in the emergency department each year for sledding injuries, many of which are severe. Choose a hill away from roadways or obstructions such as trees. Ideally, it should have less than a 30-degree incline and end with a flat bottom. Children should ride sitting up or feet-first, rather than head-first. Know that sleds or toboggans are safer and easier to control than saucers or tubes.
Skiing and Snowboarding Safety
Consider a lesson with a professional before venturing out on your own as a family. Check that equipment fits properly, especially at the beginning of each season.
Avalanche Awareness and Safety
Mountains are great fun but also can have serious safety concerns. Look for information, maps, videos & self-paced education athttps://avalanche.state.co.us/
Edith Teter Preschool
Email: preschool@parkcountyre2.org
Website: https://etps.parkcountyre2.org/en-US
Location: 640 Hathaway Street, Fairplay, CO, USA
Phone: 719-836-4434