Question: What can I do to help my kids enjoy eating better food? I would like to help them develop a healthful lifestyle early so they can avoid some of the problems with body weight that I have had. I enjoy your column and will look forward to your answer.
Answer: It seems clear to me that the most effective way to make any changes in lifestyle is to teach children while they are young. And, the best way to teach children is to get them involved in the process. Several months ago, I was asked to write the forward to a new book called "Recipes for Kids to Lower Their Fat Thermostats" by Larene Gaunt, the author of "Recipes to Lower Your Fat Thermostat," and Ed Parent, one of the authors of "How to Lower Your Fat Thermostat." This new book was written for the purpose of getting kids involved in taking care of themselves in three important aspects of a healthful lifestyle.In the section "Let's Eat," they talk about food. In "Let's Play" they discuss lively physical activity. In "Yes, I Can," the discussion centers on developing a positive attitude and good self-esteem. Part II of the book contains special recipes designed to be used by children so that they can become involved in the food-preparation process. I will discuss each of these areas to help you see what the authors are trying to accomplish.
- Let's Eat. The goal in this area is to help young people (and older ones, too) eat a variety of foods that are low in fat and high in complex carbohydrates. The authors stress the use of grains, pasta and beans as the basis of a good diet, with vegetables and fruits used to "round out" the rest of the meal. They recommend only small portions of meat, and that fat and sugars be used sparingly. They teach youngsters about refined vs. complex carbohydrates, what vitamins and minerals do, and give information about proteins and fats in colorful, creative cartoon presentations.
- Let's Play. The approach to exercise in this section is based on scientific literature but presented creatively for children. For instance, Gaunt and Parent suggest playing "several times a day. Play anything you want, whenever you want, as often as you want, but keep moving." They then have cartoon characters with guidelines such as "use the large muscles of your arms and legs again and again," and "you should be breathing hard, but you should still be able to talk and laugh." They then discuss why being active is so important.
- Yes, I Can. This area was included to help youngsters have a positive attitude and develop self-esteem. They begin with a discussion of differences among people and how it is OK to be different. Then, they talk about some of the reasons people choose the wrong kinds of foods and how to be "in charge" of the things that happen in life.
Part 2, the major portion of the book, includes recipes that are designed specifically for children's use. Also included are topics such as how to read labels, cooking and safety secrets, cooking tools and guidelines for measuring ingredients - all done with cartoon characters and lively color. I will include one of the neat dessert recipes, "Banana Blizzard," to let you get a feeling of their simple approach to good eating.
The recipe requires a medium banana, a cup of skim or 1 percent milk, 1/4 cup vanilla yogurt (low-fat) and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. The night before, peel the banana, wrap it in a plastic sandwich bag and freeze overnight. The next day, put the banana in the blender, add the milk, yogurt and vanilla extract and blend for a smooth, creamy, low-fat drink.