Monster Smoothies – calcium rich and delicious!

Parents know that it’s important for growing boys and girls to get the calcium they need to build strong bones and teeth. By the time teens finish their growth spurts around age 17, 90 percent of their adult bone mass is established.  Unfortunately, fewer than one in ten girls and only one in four boys ages 9 to 13 are at or above their adequate intake of calcium. This lack of calcium has a big impact on bones and teeth.

Low-fat and non-fat dairy foods such as milk and yogurt can have up to 25% of the calcium kids need every day in just one cup. Kids can also get some of their needed calcium from dark green, leafy vegetables, such as kale, spinach, broccoli, and bok choy.

Foods with calcium added are also an option. Check the ingredient list for added calcium in:

• Tofu (with added calcium sulfate)
• Calcium-fortified orange juice
• Soy beverages with added calcium
• Calcium-fortified breakfast cereals or breads

In the latest Food $ense lesson students identified calcium rich foods that they enjoy and tasted the Monster Smoothie recipe from the latest issue of ChopChop. The smoothie includes many calcium packed foods –  kale, yogurt, almonds and calcium fortified orange juice –as well as apples, bananas and blueberries.  Students love it,  give it a try at your house!

Sources:

Milk Matters

ChopChop Magazine

Homemade Instant Oatmeal

In recent weeks, kids have enjoyed making their own “Homemade Instant Oatmeal”, a recipe featured in the winter issue of ChopChop magazine. It’s simple, less expensive and better for you than store bought. It just takes a few minutes to whip up a week’s worth. Make additions or changes to suit your families tastes.

Equipment

Measuring Cup
Measuring Spoons
Food Processor or Blender (Adult Needed)
Airtight Container
Heatproof Bowl
Spoon

Ingredients

• 3 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1⁄4 cup dates or date pieces
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar (if you like)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Wash your hands with soap and water, then gather all your kitchen gear and ingredients and put them on a clean counter.

1. Put 1 cup oats, the dates, brown sugar (if you like), cinnamon, and salt in the blender or food processor. Turn the blender to medium, and blend until the oats are powdered. Make sure the top is on tight, so you don’t spray the powder all over the kitchen!
2. Add the rest of the oats and then turn the blender or food processor on and off (this is called “pulsing”) until the oats are mostly broken down. You may need to stop and shake up the blender jar if the oat powder at the bottom is stopping the blade from moving.
3. Store the mixture in an airtight container or plastic bag up to 3 months.
4. For each bowl:
   ½ cup oatmeal mixture
   ¾ cup boiling water (adult needed)
   Milk or plain low-fat yogurt (if you like)
5. Put ½ cup oatmeal mixture in a heatproof bowl.
6. Pour the boiling water over it, stir, and let stand for a minute. Stir again, add a few spoonfuls of milk or plain low-fat yogurt, and serve right away.

Notes

For extra goodness, add dried fruit, cut-up fresh fruit, or nuts.

Cereal Challenge

Nowadays, there is a befuddling number of choices in the breakfast cereal aisle. In our current Food$ense lesson, students are taking a close look at popular breakfast cereals in terms of added sugar, sodium and fiber, the best choices being those with less sugar and sodium and more fiber. The results are often surprising! Some popular cereals have almost 4 teaspoons of sugar in a ¾ cup serving while others have none. Sodium and fiber content varies greatly too.

As a follow up, we are challenging students to find a cereal they like that’s low in sugar and sodium, and high in fiber, and to record the results and the name of the cereal and return it to school. Please help your child find a cereal they enjoy that is low in sugar and sodium and high in fiber.

Our next cooking activity will feature Homemade Instant Oatmeal from ChopChop magazine’s winter 2011 issue. It’s healthier, cheaper, and just as quick as what is sold in stores.

For more information on specific cereals marketed to children, you can visit www.cerealfacts.org.

Confetti Rice Salad

In our last classroom cooking activity of 2011, students made Confetti Rice Salad inspired by ChopChop’s Confetti Orzo Salad. We substituted brown rice for the orzo in the ChopChop version, to add whole grains and make the salad work for students with gluten sensitivities. Everyone loved it! You can find the recipe on page 36 of the Fall issue of ChopChop, or here .  Ask your student/chef to help you make it at home to enjoy over the holidays!

Switch to Whole Grains

You may already be eating whole grains. When you munch popcorn in the theater, give Toasty-O’s to your toddler, enjoy a bowl of hot oatmeal, or eat whole grain toast, you’re probably focusing more on the delicious taste than on the fact that these foods are whole grains.

This month, students sampled a variety of whole grain products; 100% Whole Grain bread, whole grain crackers, popcorn and Toasted O’s. Kids identified whole grain foods they would like to eat in place of refined versions. You can help them make the switch to more flavorful, healthful whole grains by making sure that your kitchen is stocked with delicious whole grain foods.

What are some of your family’s favorite whole grain foods and recipes? Please share!

Zucchini Ribbons

In our first cooking activity of the year, students made “Zucchini Ribbons” from the Summer issue of ChopChop. They began by cutting the zucchini with a vegetable peeler to make beautiful green and white ribbons. An adult finished the recipe by lightly sautéing the ribbons in a bit of olive oil until just tender. The kids loved hearing the pan “sing” as the zucchini cooked. Students topped their ribbons with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and devoured them!

I hope you have a chance to make Zucchini Ribbons and other great ChopChop  recipes at home.

Ingredients

4 small zucchini, ends trimmed and cut in half to make two short columns

2 teaspoons olive oil

¼ cup water

Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Using a peeler or a small knife, cut the zucchini into ribbons.
2. Put the zucchini, oil and water in a large skillet and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir well and cook until the zucchini is tender, about 2 minutes.
3. Serve warm, or at room temperature, topped with Parmesan cheese.

Students on the Cutting Edge

In our first lesson of the year, students practiced using knives to slice, dice and mince an apple! We broke the process down into a few simple steps:

1. Focus!! Watch what you’re cutting at all time
2. Place food to be cut on a flat edge (cut it first to make a flat side if necessary)
3. Hold the food with curled fingers
4. Hold the knife with the other hand close to the blade
5. Saw back and forth with the knife (the knives we used had serrated blades)

Students did a fantastic job, and felt great about developing such a grown-up skill.  Catherine Newman has a great blog entry about her daughter, Birdy’s, first experiences with cutting. Take a look; Cooking with Birdy: Cutting Stuff Up