Happy Birthday Healthy Family Home Website!

The site is one year old this month. Thank you for making this website a fun and special place for families in communities everywhere.

Kids Corner

Junior Ranger Day is April 25. This is a day where special activities are held in national parks around the country for kids to learn more about those parks and their history.

You can celebrate Junior Ranger Day in your home by completing this fun activity. Find a piece of paper and draw a map of your state. Ask a grown-up or parent for help in locating a picture of the state if you need help. Fill in your hand-drawn state using pictures, stickers or other forms of artwork to designate areas related to the great outdoors. Draw or create symbols for forest and parks. Make your own legend for this map and use a variety of symbols to show specific areas and the types of physical activity your family can participate in. For example:

higher elevation (mountains, hills): families hiking or skiing
rivers and streams: families fishing or skipping stones
lakes: swimming, sailing
farm land: families gardening, feeding animals
large cities: families walking, running
trails: families biking, walking

Please share your drawing with Healthy Family Home. Ask a grown-up to help you scan your map into your computer and email it to healthyfamilyhome@ymca.net

For more information about the National Park Service’s Junior Ranger Day, go to http://www.nps.gov/npweek/junior.htm

Ask the Food Dude – Nutritionist

Why is potassium an important part of my family’s diet and how can we increase our intake?

Potassium plays a major role in our body’s ability to maintain fluid and electrolyte balance, and has an important job of maintaining the heartbeat. People who consume a diet rich in potassium appear to have a significant decrease in blood pressure, which makes sense when you think about its role regulating the body’s fluid balance. Research also indicates people who eat foods rich in potassium are at a reduced risk for stroke. But most of us do not incorporate enough potassium in our diet.

There are a lot of messages out there telling you to eat more or less of certain foods and it can get confusing. So, let’s stay positive and talk about what to add to your family’s plate: whole fruits and vegetables is an awesome start. Choosing foods that are good sources of potassium can be simple if you consider that most fresh foods are a good choice. The most well known source of potassium is bananas, and yes they are a great source, but other non-processed choices that are good sources of potassium include:

milk (choose non and low fat)
baked potato (top off with vegetables or salsa)
honeydew melon
chicken
spinach
fish
lima beans
apricot

Fun with Fruits and Vegetables

Asparagus peak season typically runs from April to May, in warmer climates these brightly colored spears can appear as early as February. There are several simple ways to prepare asparagus – steamed, grilled, oven roasted. Try a variety of methods and pick your family’s favorite. Cut up leftover asparagus and top off tomorrow’s salad or even add to your sack lunch.

Asparagus is low in calories, fat and cholesterol free, and still manages to provide a whopping amount of folic acid (important for cell growth and helps maintain a healthy cardiovascular system), vitamin K (important for blood clotting and bone health), thiamin and fiber. Enjoy some tall green trees today. Or even purple – yes there is purple asparagus out there.

Meal Ideas

Brown lean ground turkey with diced onions and celery, add a jar of favorite marina sauce. Bring to a boil and add a bag of pasta. Cook for 10-12 minutes then add some sliced zucchini and top off with cheese. Let cook for another 5- 7 minutes.
Brown sliced potatoes in a sauce pan. Add a couple of eggs or 1 cup of egg substitute. After a few minutes, add sliced tomatoes, thawed spinach and onions (option). Top off with some black pepper.

Family Time

Making healthy family meals quickly can be challenging. With a little pre-planning, this fun and creative “casserole” mix can be used in recipes as a substitute for a can of condensed anything. Save money and calories, reduce the fat and sodium substantially. Sounds simple? Have the whole family help with preparing the mix, young children can measure or stir, and older children can practice counting. Combine the following ingredients, and store in an air tight container.
            2 cups nonfat dry milk
            ¾ cup cornstarch
            1 tsp    pepper
            ¼ cup instant chicken bouillon, low
                  sodium
            2 tbsp onion, dried, minced
            1 tbsp garlic powder

Use the above mix as a substitute for one can condensed soup. Mix 1/3 cup of the above dried mix with 1 ¼ cups of water in a saucepan. Cook and stir until thickened. Then begin to add a variety of grains/potatoes, vegetables (raw, frozen, canned, and cooked), with a cooked lean protein (poultry, meat, beans). Thicken your dish with water or nonfat milk. Top off your one dish meal with a low fat cheese and/or whole grain crushed cracker crumbs. Grown-ups, if cooking on the stove, bring to a boil first, then simmer for about 30 minutes (cook until meal is 165°F), or in the oven, bake at 350°F for an hour or until the internal temperature again is 165°F.

Ask the Play Ground Guru

What is Healthy Kids Day?

YMCA Healthy Kids Day is an event where YMCAs across the country open their doors to nearly 800,000 children, parents and community members for an event that celebrates healthy living, encourages families to embrace a more active lifestyle and introduces tools and strategies for families to make healthy changes together. Healthy Kids Day is April 18th this year, and its emphasis is to help families combat increased stress levels with regular physical activity, choosing nutritious food options, and making time to connect as a family. Join your local YMCA this spring as they continue to improve the health of families in every community. Search www.ymca.net to find out what special events your local YMCA has planned.