Kids Corner

Make a holiday quiz for the family. Find out where your holiday originates and why you are celebrating. Then look for the holiday’s world traditions, family traditions, recipes, games/activities and common gifts. Use this information and more to create a mini holiday quiz for the family. Present the quiz at family gatherings this season and design a personalized delivery method, for example:

play a game, jeopardy style (answer with a question)
create teams
make a bingo card using your questions
involve a buzzer and family members can “buzz in first” with the answer
share with family members who live outside of town (call them with the questions and see if they know the answers)
mail the quiz with your homemade holiday card

Ask the Food Dude – Nutritionist

What does the health claim on the cereal box really mean?

Health Claims have some guidelines, therefore if you see “low sodium” or “low fat” it indicates what the producer of the product abides by per serving. Keep in mind that sometimes the claim was added to a food because the serving size was decreased to meet the health claim guideline. For example, a serving of a food is a cup and considered not low in fat, but by reducing the serving size of the food to less than a cup, it now will meet the health claim of “low in fat”. This month go grocery shopping as a family and see how many different health claims you can find. The following are examples of what the claim indicates about the product:

Low sodium = 140 mg or less per serving
Low fat = less than 3 grams of fat per serving
Low calorie = less than 40 calories/serving
Reduced = 25% less of the specified nutrient or calories than the usual product
Fat free or sugar free = less than ½ gram of fat or sugar per serving
Light = 1/3 fewer calories or ½ the fat of the usual food
A good source = must contain 10-19% of the Daily Value per serving

Family Time

During the holiday season, regardless of what is being celebrated, set aside some time to make homemade decorations, cards and gifts as a family. Make your family holiday cards this year. Create decorations for the inside and outside of your home.

If your family will wrap gifts this month, be creative with the type of gift wrap you use. Search for recycled newspapers or create a patch work from several gift wrap. Find cardboard boxes (cereal, pasta, mixes, etc.) and use them as gift boxes.

Have a family winter picnic – think of warm treats that can be enjoyed outside as a family (hot cocoa, hot cider, warm soup/broth, etc.). Plan a picnic with a variety of fun tasting treats (use those thermoses) and activities (football, relay races, simply play catch). Enjoy the family time while snuggling under a blanket and enjoying the outdoors.

Schedule family walks to see all the decorations in your neighborhood. Share with each other what you like about the yards and homes and make a top 10 list of the best liked. Look for any new decorations added to homes over the next few weeks. Continue to walk as a family well past the holidays and see whose decorations stay up the longest.

Fun with Fruits and Vegetables

Cauliflower can be fun, festive and affordable this time of year. Remember shopping for fruits and vegetables in season is a quick and easy way to save money and keep your family healthy. Enjoy cauliflower cooked, raw, in food or on food and reap the benefits. Cauliflower is a great source of fiber, vitamin C and B vitamins biotin and folic acid. There are three main varieties of this fun vegetable;

broccoflower (a combination of cauliflower and broccoli);
white cauliflower and
romanesco (yellow-green in color).

You can even find purple cauliflower! It is a member of the crucifer vegetables, where its health impact has been found to contain cancer-fighting and prevention benefits. This month select white or creamy-colored heads of cauliflower and refrigerate them with the stem side up. Rinse the florets in cold water and enjoy either raw or cooked. During your holiday meals this season, add cooked cauliflower to your mashed potatoes or soups or casseroles and serve raw pieces on a vegetable tray with low-fat dips or on salads.
Fruits that are in season this month include pears, pomegranates, grape fruit and papayas.

Snack Ideas

Mix a spice blend into a container of low-fat cottage cheese and dip cucumber slices into the cottage cheese spice mixture.

Toss baby carrots with toasted sesame seeds, thyme and a little black pepper.

Festive fruit salad: combine a bunch of green and red fruits (grapes, apples, pomegranate seeds, honey dew melon, dried cranberries) and dip into fat-free whip topping.

Ask the Play Ground Guru

We play as a family out of doors most days of the week, should we still do this during the cooler winter months?

Yes, everyone in the family should be physically active all year long and get some fresh air and a little sunshine when possible. The winter months should not deter a family from being physically active outdoors. Make a plan as a family and prepare for the great outdoors any time of year. Remember to dress appropriately for the weather (the goal is to keep the body warm and minimize sweating and avoid shivering), and stay hydrated, because water is important even in the winter. When playing in the cold weather keep the following in mind:

Drink water
Fluids, especially water, are important in cold weather. Without proper hydration the body may have difficulty regulating body heat and increases the risk for frostbite.
Layer clothing
Several thin layers are warmer than one heavy layer. Use a fabric that will wick perspiration away from the skin. Layers are easier to add or remove allowing us to better regulate our core temperature.
Keep your Head Covered and Neck too
The head loses heat the quickest – as much as 50% of the total heat being lost by your body is from your head and neck.
Cover your Mouth
Warm the air before you breathe it, use a scarf, neck gaiter (a turtle neck like scarf) or mask. Do this especially if you are prone to upper respiratory problems. This will also help to prevent heat loss through exposed skin of the face and neck.
Stay Dry
Wet or damp clothing and/or skin will cause the body to lose heat rapidly.