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Having Fun With Healthy Foods That Taste Good, Too!
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Sensational Overnight Vegetable Salad
Food Facts & Tips
Source: Hey Kids! You're Cookin' Now! A Global Awareness Cooking Adventure, by Dianne Pratt, ©1998 by Harvest Hill Press.
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I
recently received a review copy of the new release,
Cooking Up Fun for Kids with Diabetes, ©2003 by Patti Geil and Tami Ross.
It's such a wonderful cookbook for kids and parents alike, that I
decided to create a companion feature to this month's Nutrition Notes on Kids' Picky Eating
in order to share some of these great kid-orient recipes with you. Every day millions of parents struggle to get their picky eaters to eat better, and with childhood obesity (leading to Type 2 diabetes in children) on the rise, the importance of eating healthfully cannot be understated. And, if you're a kid with diabetes, food can seem like medicine--eating certain foods at certain times in certain amounts. Cooking Up Fun for Kids with Diabetes authors Patti B. Geil, MS,RD,FADA,CDE, and Tami Ross, RD, LD, CDE, have their finger on the food tastes that kids really love. The recipes are divided into three sections: Made For A Meal, which includes main dishes, sides, and appetizers; Anytime In Between, chock-full of treats; and Save The Best For Last, which features delicious desserts. Each recipe is divided into simple steps for preparation and degree of difficulty, with complete nutritional information and dietary exchanges per serving. Cooking Up Fun For Kids With Diabetes is much more than just recipes; it opens with a chapter aimed at children themselves. Full of fun food facts, this section offers elementary lessons about nutrition, including easy-to-understand information for those with diabetes. Material just for parents and caregivers, including discussions of meal plan options and frequently asked questions and answers, is also an important part of this chapter. Finally, one of my favorite features in this delightful book are the creative projects incorporating food and/or food ingredients. How to make a Windowsill Herb Garden and Potato Stampers are the two I plan to introduce to Taylor, my seven-year-old granddaughter. It was really difficult to keep the number of recipes from this book to the allowable minimum, so I've selected a variety of recipes from other terrific kids' cookbooks we've reviewed in past issues of Cinnamon Hearts. Included are recipes from the award-winning Hey Kids! You're Cookin' Now! A Global Awareness Cooking Adventure, by Dianne Pratt, and some new ones from the Kids In the Kitchen section of The Holly Clegg Trim & Terrific™Cookbook, by Holly Clegg. Don your aprons and put the fun back in food for kids with these simple, healthy recipes that you and your children can prepare together!
COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO SPREAD 2 ounces fat-free cream cheese (about 1/4 cup) *For convenience, you can purchase grated carrot from a grocery salad bar or prepackaged from the produce section. **If you prefer, you can substitute water-packed tuna here Place cream cheese in a small mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer on the medium setting, whip cream cheese until fluffy. Scrape down bowl with a rubber spatula. Whip in sour cream, then dressing mix, then carrot. Open canned chicken (or tuna), drain well, and break up chicken with a fork. Mix chicken into cream cheese mixture. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to allow flavors to blend. Spread on bread for a sandwich or crackers for a low-fat snack. Makes 13 Servings. Per (1/4-cup) Serving w/o bread or crackers: 74 Cal; 3 g Total Fat (2 g Sat Fat); 4 g Carb; 24 mg Cholesterol; 8 g Protein; 00 g Fiber. Exchanges: 1 Very Lean Meat; 1 Fat.
FLAKY
FISH FINGERS Butter-flavored cooking spray *If you wish to substitute seasoned dry bread crumbs, such as Contadina® Real Italian Bread Crumbs, eliminate these ingredients. Caution: This substitution may increase the sodium content. Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a 9- x 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray; set aside. Cut fish into 1-inch wide "fingers" or strips about 4-inches long; set aside. Pour beaten egg whites into a shallow dish (a pie plate is perfect); set aside. In a separate shallow dish, combine salt, lemon pepper seasoning, garlic powder, Parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs. Stir well with a spoon and set aside. Dip each fish "finger" into egg whites, then into bread crumb mixture, turning over to coat well; shake off extra crumbs back into the dish. Place fish on the prepared baking pan. Continue until all fish "fingers" are coated with crumbs. Spray fish evenly with butter-flavored cooking spray. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes (thicker "fingers" may take a bit longer), or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to overbake. After taking the pan out of the oven, let the fish stand 2 to 3 minutes before moving it to a serving plate. Makes 4 Servings. Per Serving (2 ounces or about 3 "fingers"): 96 Cal; 1 g Total Fat; 6 g Carb; 30 mg Cholesterol; 244 mg Sodium; 14 g Protein. Exchanges: 2 Very Lean Meat; 1/2 Starch.
PIZZA FACE 1/2 English muffin Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast English muffin lightly in a toaster. Lay English muffin on a baking sheet and spread pizza sauce over the top. Make eyes with the olive slices. Make a nose with the cherry tomato half. Make a mouth with the green pepper. Make ears with the pieces of pepperoni by laying them in the pizza sauce near the edge of the English muffin. make hair with the cheese. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the pizza is heated through. Makes 1 Serving. Per Serving (1 Pizza Face): 119 Cal; 4 g Total Fat (2 g Sat Fat); 15 g Carb; 7 mg Cholesterol; 387 mg Sodium; 5 g Protein; 1 g Fiber. Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1 Fat.
SENSATIONAL OVERNIGHT
VEGETABLE SALAD 2 ounces (just over 3/4 cup)
uncooked bow tie pasta *Avoid cutting up the vegetables by using prepackaged veggies from the salad bar or produce section of your grocery store. **If choking is a concern, cut each tomato into 4 pieces. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting any salt. Carefully drain well (let your adult helper do this), rinse in cold water, and drain well again. Pour into serving dish. Add vegetables to the pasta. Drizzle dressing over top then toss to coat well. Cover and refrigerate 6 to 8 hours or overnight. Before serving, toss well again. Makes 8 Servings. Per (1/2-cup) Serving: 64 Cal; 2 g Total Fat; 9 g Carb; 00 mg Cholesterol; 124 mg Sodium; 2 g Protein; 1 g Dietary Fiber. Exchanges: 1/2 Starch; 1/2 Fat.
CAMP KIDS CRUNCH 2-1/2 cups crispy corn puff cereal
(such as Kix®) *Soy nuts can usually be found near the dried fruit in the produce section or natural foods section of the grocery store. Combine all ingredients in an airtight container. Put on lid and seal tightly. Shake to combine. Makes 18 Servings. Per (1/2-cup) Serving: 142 Cal; 2 g Total Fat; 27 g Carb; 00 mg Cholesterol; 4 g Protein; 2 g Fiber. Exchanges: 2 Starch.
SIMPLE STRAWBERRY TART 1/3 cup sliced fresh strawberries If you want sweeter strawberries, place them in a small bowl, sprinkle with artificial sweetener, and stir well with a spoon. Spoon strawberries into graham cracker crust. Drizzle chocolate-flavored syrup over the berries and serve immediately. Makes 1 Serving. Per Serving: 137 Cal; 6 g Total Fat (1 g Sat Fat); 19 g Carb; 00 mg Cholesterol; 147 mg Sodium; 1 g Protein; 2 g Dietary Fiber. Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1 Fat.
BREAKFAST BREAD PUDDING 2 eggs Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8- x 8-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. In bowl, whisk eggs until fluffy. Beat in milk, cinnamon and sugar. Tear bread into 1-inch chunks. Use spoon to mix bread chunks into egg mixture. Gently stir to coat the bread. Let bread mixture set 15 minutes to soak up egg mixture. Peel, core and dice the apple. Stir diced apple and raisins into the bread mixture. Pour bread mixture into prepared baking pan. Bake bread pudding 25 minutes, or until top is light golden in color. Spoon into serving bowls. Serve with a dollop of non-dairy whipped topping, thawed, if desired. Makes 4 Servings. Per Serving: 288 Cal; 5 g Total Fat; 55 g Carb; 109 mg Cholesterol; 251 mg Sodium; 135 mg Calcium; 8 g Protein. Exchanges: 2-1/2 Starch; 1 Fruit; 1 Fat.
HAWAIIAN STUFFED CELERY 6 long celery stalks Rinse celery stalks and pat dry with a clean towel. Using a paring knife, trim off the leaves and ends of the celery on a cutting board. Open pineapple and drain in the strainer (save the juice for another use). In a medium bowl, combine drained pineapple, softened cream cheese, peanut butter and honey. Stir and mash with a rubber spatula until well blended. Stir in raisins. With a table knife, fill the groove of each celery stalk with the pineapple mixture. Sprinkle crushed nuts over celery stalks. Place on a large plate and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cut each stalk into bite-sized pieces and EAT! Makes 6 Servings. Per (1 Stalk) Serving: 114 Cal; 6 g Total Fat; 12 g Carb; 10 mg Cholesterol; 148 mg Sodium; 57 mg Calcium; 4 g Protein. Exchanges: 1/3 Fruit; 2 Veg; 1 Fat.
OVEN-GRILLED CHEESE PITA 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine grated cheeses in mixing bowl. Sprinkle garlic powder over cheeses and lightly toss mixture. Cut pita pockets in half. Fill each half with 2 Tablespoons cheese mixture. Place stuffed pita halves on baking sheet. using pastry brush, lightly brush tops with olive oil. Place baking sheet in preheated oven. Bake 10 minutes. Use oven mitts to remove baking sheet from oven. Cool 3 to 5 minutes before eating pitas. Makes 4 Servings. Per (1/2 Pita) Serving: 138 Cal; 6 g Total Fat; 18 g Carb; 15 mg Cholesterol; 258 mg Sodium; 105 mg Calcium; 6 g Protein. Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1/2 High Fat Meat; 1 Fat.
ALPHABET MINESTRONE 3 garlic cloves *For convenience, you can purchase prepackaged shredded cabbage and carrots from the produce section of your supermarket. Peel and finely dice garlic cloves. Separately chop onion, carrot, celery and zucchini into small pieces. Use grater to shred cabbage. Heat olive oil in large soup kettle over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until soft. Add carrots and celery and cook another 2 minutes. Don't overcook ~ Nobody likes mushy vegetables! Stir in zucchini and cabbage and cook another 2 minutes. Add oregano, basil and pepper. Reduce heat to low; cook 1 minute. Mix in vegetable bouillon cubes, broth, water and stewed tomatoes. Cover kettle and cook 35 minutes. Turn the heat back up to medium. Add cooked red beans and alphabet pasta. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes or until pasta is tender, but not mushy. Serve with Oven-Grilled Cheese Pita, YUM! Makes 6 Servings. Per Serving: 152 Cal; 4 g Total Fat; 23 g Carb; 1 mg Cholesterol; 608 mg Sodium; 73 mg Calcium; 7 g Protein. Exchanges: 4 Veg; 1 Fat.
FRUITY JUICE CRACKERS 1/4 cup canola oil Preheat oven to 375°F. In mixing bowl, combine canola oil, ginger ale, juice, baking powder and cinnamon. Stir in flour a little at a time until dough becomes stiff. Use the rolling pin to roll out dough between sheets of wax paper until it is very thin, about 1/8-inch thick.** Cut dough into 2-inch squares, or use cookie cutters for fun shapes. Let dough stand for 5 minutes, then prick each cracker several times with a fork. Place crackers on the cookie sheet and bake 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until golden brown and crisp. Use oven mitts to remove from oven. Cool completely before serving. Makes 48 Crackers. **Tip: When you need really thin dough, roll it between sheets of wax paper. The dough rolls quicker and doesn't require extra flour. Peel away top sheet before cutting cookies or crackers. Per (3 Cracker) Serving: 137 Cal; 4 g Total Fat; 23 g Carb; 00 mg Cholesterol; 41 mg Sodium; 6 mg Calcium; 3 g Protein. Exchanges: 1-1/2 Starch; 1 Fat.
BANANARAMA BREAD 1/2 cup whole wheat flour Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8- x 4-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flours, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and nutmeg. Use a fork to mash bananas in small bowl. Stir in honey and milk. Add banana mixture to dry mixture, stirring just until slightly moistened. Spread banana bread better evenly in loaf pan. Bake 40 to 45 minutes in preheated oven. Banana bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. use oven mitts to remove pan from oven. Let bread cool in pan 5 minutes then turn it upside down and give it a gentle shake onto the cooling rack. Makes 1 Loaf (12 Slices). Per Slice: 170 Cal; <1 g Total Fat; 41 g Carb; 00 mg Cholesterol; 127 mg Sodium; 47 mg Calcium; 3 g Protein. Exchanges: 3 Starch.
HAM & CHEESE
BREAKFAST BAKE 12 slices white or whole wheat bread, divided Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 3-quart oblong baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Trim the crusts off the bread slices and discard or make crumbs and freeze. Line the bottom of the dish with six slices of bread. Place a slice of cheese on top of each slice of bread. Sprinkle with the pieces of ham. Top with the remaining six slices of bread. In a large bowl, blend together the eggs, egg whites, milk, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper until well mixed. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the layered bread and cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or leave out at room temperature for 1 hour. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until puffed up, lightly browned, and the egg is cooked inside. Serve immediately. Makes 8 Servings. Per Serving: 191 Cal; 5 g Total Fat (2 g Sat Fat); 22 g Carb; 76 mg Cholesterol; 620 mg Sodium; 13 g Protein; 1 g Dietary Fiber. Exchanges: 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Skim Milk; 1-1/2 Starch; 1 Fat.
MEXICAN PIZZA 1/2 pound ground sirloin Preheat oven to 450°F. In a small skillet, cook the meat until browned. Drain any excess grease. Add the chili powder and cumin. Cover the pizza crust with the salsa, cheese and seasoned meat. Bake for 8 minutes, or until crisp. Slice and serve. Makes 8 Servings. Per Serving: 201 Cal; 7 g Total Fat (3 g Sat Fat); 17 g Carb; 27 mg Cholesterol; 486 g Sodium; 16 g Protein; 1 g Dietary Fiber. Exchanges: 2 Lean Meat; 1 Starch; 1-1/2 Fat.
SPECIAL APPLE SALAD 6 cups chopped apples (unpeeled) In a bowl, toss the apples with the lemon juice to coat evenly. Mix in the celery, raisins, and marshmallows. Stir in the mayonnaise until all is well coated and store, covered, in the refrigerator until serving. Makes 8 Servings. Per Serving: 113 Cal; 3 g Total Fat; 24 g Carb; 3 mg Cholesterol; 71 mg Sodium; 1 g Protein; 2 g Fiber. Exchanges: 1 Fruit; 1/2 Other Carb (Starch); 1/2 Fat.
CREEPY CRAWLERS 2 slices bread To make a sandwich, cut circles out of 2 slices of bread with a round cookie cutter or glass. Spread the peanut butter on top of one circle. Place 8 carrot sticks for "legs" on the edge of the circle, sticking out on both sides. Top with the other circle of the bread and put two raisins on top for the eyes. Makes 1 Sandwich. Per Sandwich: 217 Cal; 7 g Total Fat (1 g Sat Fat); 32 g Carb; 00 mg Cholesterol; 317 mg Sodium ; 7 g Protein; 4 g Dietary Fiber. Exchanges: 2 Starch; 1 High Fat Meat; 1 Veg; 1-1/2 Fat.
POPCORN CAKE 1/2 cup unpopped plain popcorn Spray a 13- x 9- x 2-inch or 2-Quart oblong pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Pop the popcorn according to the package directions. Add salt, if desired; set aside to cool. In a medium pot, melt the marshmallows and margarine over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. Combine the candy-coated milk chocolate candies with the popcorn. Remove the marshmallow mixture from the heat and pour over the popcorn and candies. Mix gently. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan. Refrigerate the mixture until it hardens, so it's easier to cut. Makes about 20 Popcorn Cakes. Per (1 Cake) Serving: 126 Cal; 7 g Total Fat (2 g Sat Fat); 16
g Carb; 1 mg Cholesterol; 63 mg Sodium (w/o opt. salt);
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