Better Breakfast Month

September is Better Breakfast Month!  Take this quiz and check back next week to see how much you know about the Most Important Meal of the Day:

Breakfast: Test Your Knowledge

1. Which breakfast has fewer than 400 calories?
   1. Two medium pancakes and 2 tablespoons (Tbsp) of syrup
   2. One medium muffin made with fruit and/or nuts
   3. ¾ cup (C) granola with 1 C skim milk
2. Which Starbucks® drink has more than 500 calories?
   1. Grande Caramel Frappuccino® with whipped cream (2% milk)
   2. Grande Iced Berry Chai Infusion (2% milk)
   3. Grande Iced Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha with whipped cream (2% milk)
3. Which breakfast meat contains the least amount of calories?
   1. Three slices of turkey bacon
   2. Two pork sausage links
   3. 2 ounces of Canadian bacon
4. Which breakfast cereal contains the most sugar?
   1. 1 C Honey Nut Cheerios®
   2. 1 C Special K®
   3. 1 C Kellogg’s Frosted Mini Wheats®
5. Which type of bread contains the least calories?
   1. One regular-sized bagel
   2. One medium-sized cinnamon roll
   3. Two slices of raisin bread

Monday Message - Breakfast Before School

Whether kids have breakfast at home or when then arrive at school, this important meal will give them the energy they need to learn, play and grow every day.  A survey among American Households indicated that only 40% of kids have breakfast before they leave the house in the morning.  Although they may get breakfast in school or at a daycare facility, most families are too rushed, have long bus rides or commutes to school or give in to the "I'm not hungry" claim.  Unfortunately, these children are not developing the habit to eat breakfast right when they wake up in the morning.  This may lead to increased fast food breakfast stops later in life - which we know contains increased calories - or it may decrease the importance of starting out each day with a proper breakfast meal for daily fuel.

Breakfast Benefits from Kids Eat Right:

Breakfast eaters are significantly less likely to be overweight

•  Skipping breakfast is associated with a higher risk of being   overweight

Adolescents who eat breakfast tend to have lower BMI’s

•  Girls who eat breakfast are more likely to have a lower BMI than girls who skip a morning meal

•   Many young women skip breakfast in effort to manage weight

Children with access to school breakfast

•  Eat more fruit, drink more milk and eat a wider variety of foods

Better nutrient intakes than skippers

•  More nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, including calcium, fiber, folate, and protein

School breakfast improves performance

•  Improved test results, as well as memory and verbal skills

•  Improved speed and memory on cognitive tests

•  Fewer mistakes and faster work in math and number checking

•  Improvement on concentration for mental tasks and reaction to frustration

School breakfast improves behavior

•  Reduced rates of absence and tardiness

•  Reduced discipline referrals to principal and school nurses’ visits

•  Reduced classroom behavioral problems

A school breakfast can help your kids learn more and improve their behavior!  Click on this link from Kids Eat Right for more information.


Need breakfast ideas?  Liz's Lemon Bowl has several whole-grain breakfast meals that can be made on Sunday and frozen or stored in the refrigerator for the rest of the week!  http://www.lizslemonbowl.blogspot.com/

Monday Message - Recipe of the Week

Zucchini Fritters

What's good about Zucchini?  Nutrition, Flavor, Color and Summer Freshness!

1. High in Vitamins A & C
2. Good Source of Potassium - more than a banana!
3. 95% Water
4. Low calories - 25 Calories per Zucchini
5. Dark Colored Skin = more nutrients

View the recipe video here.

Kids Eat Right is back!

It is nearly back to school time and that means our Monday Messages will be back in session!  As a volunteer for the Kids Eat Right Campaign, I have made it a priority to distribute health messages for kids and families via social media outlets.  This blog will showcase nutrition tips, weekly recipes and health messages from http://www.kidseatright.org/.  Please check back each week! The picture below is a Kids Eat Right Campaign Billboard spotted in Iowa.  Stay on the lookout for billboards in you area.

Is Seafood Safe?

Meet Valerie!  Val is a coworker of mine and I am pleased to share this fantastic article about her from Cooking Light.  The article is based on the every day consumer challenge of obtaining information about safe fish and sushi in their own local waters and "over seas." Monterey Bay Aquarium is showcased as being an excellent educational resource tool for consumers in assessing ecomonic safety of the fish we consume.  Here is a previous post with the Monterey Bay Aquarium App instructions: Healthy Fish

Monday Message - Summer Vacation

Monday Messages are going on Summer Vacation until after Labor Day!  Need a potluck recipe?  Search the site for your favorite recipes or browse through old posts for tips and tricks for feeding your family the healthy way this summer. 

Once school is back in session, Monday Messages will resume with lunch ideas, tips for raising healthy eaters, recipes and much more.  In the mean time, be sure to leave your comments and suggestions for future blogposts.  Better yet, post your Nutrition Questions and check back in September for the answers.

Going on Vacation?  Check out these tips for eating right while traveling:  Kids Eat Right  Enjoy the last few weeks of summer everyone! :)

Monday Message - More Grilling Tips!

Have you ever tried Grilled Pineapple? Grilling fruits and vegetables makes it easy to get in 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

This week, Kids Eat Right provides us with Hot Tips on Grilling up our summertime favorites.  Check out the article here.

Monday Message - Recipe of the Week

 

Fresh Strawberry Pie 

 

 

Recipe By:  Carol Mergen, MS RD

 

Across California and across the country, gardeners gather strawberries at their peak of perfection. And there is no better way to showcase nature's bounty than in a strawberry pie. If you don't have your own strawberry patch, check out a u-pick patch or a farmers' market for the most flavorful berries.

 

Ingredients

1 (9-inch) baked pie crust
5 cups whole strawberries, washed and hulled (reserve 1 cup for glaze)
⅔ cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup nonfat whipped topping

 

Directions

1. Line the baked pie crust with select strawberries placed large end down.
2. For the glaze, crush the remaining 1 cup of strawberries with a fork or in a food processor or blender.
3. Combine the strawberries and sugar in a 2-quart saucepan. Slowly bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat; simmer 1 minute.
4. Mix ¾ cup cold water and the cornstarch until smooth; gradually add to the hot strawberry mixture. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Boil and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in the lemon juice; cool slightly.
5. Spoon the glaze over berries. Gently shake the pan to evenly distribute the glaze. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
6. Top each serving with whipped topping. Serve chilled.

 

CookingTip

You will need about 20 to 25 medium-size strawberries to place in the pan. Hull the strawberries (remove the green leaves and stem) just before using to keep them at their freshest.

Monday Message - 4th of July Food Safety

Getting ready for that backyard barbecue on the 4th? Make sure your grill is clean and ready before throwing on your favorite food.

Hot soapy water and a meat thermometer are the two most important food safety tools you need for grilling up your favorites foods without bacteria that can cause foodborne illness.  Check out this link from Kids Eat Right for more Grilling Safety:  Fire Up the Barbeque

Looking for marinade and rub ideas?  Monday Message - Rubs and Marinades

Pack a Healthy Picnic cooler ahead of time for your 4th of July outing.  Keep it Simple, Safe and Savory!

Monday Message - Recipe of the Week - 4th of July

Nutty Fruit Crumble

Recipe By: Elizabeth Weiss, MS RD and Janice Bissex, MS RD

Need a last minute 4th of July dessert? Made with red delicious apples and blueberries and then topped with vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt, this red, white, and blue dessert is the perfect ending to any July 4th feast.

 

Ingredients

3 large Red or Golden Delicious apples (about 2 pounds), unpeeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 cup walnuts, very finely chopped
1/2 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed or wheat germ
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons canola oil

 

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the apples, brown sugar, flour, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large bowl and toss to coat. Gently stir in the blueberries.
• Place the apple mixture in an 8 x 8-inch baking pan or dish and set aside.
• To make the topping, place the walnuts, oats, brown sugar, flour, flaxseed, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Add the oil and stir until the oat mixture is  well coated. Spread the topping evenly over the fruit mixture.
• Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until the fruit is tender and the topping is golden brown (cover with foil about halfway through if the topping browns too quickly).  Tip: Top each serving with low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt or a dollop of light whipped cream.

Recipe Link: Nutrition Facts