I heart double stuff Oreos. And – are you ready for this – I also eat them. Shocked?? Many people are often quite shocked to hear that a dietitian would consume Oreos and, that said dietitian would also admit to this in written print. It is true that Oreos are a pretty sugary, processed, nutritional zero of a food, one of those types of foods often referred to as “bad” or “junk” food. That being said, allowing oneself to include foods such as Oreos in the diet, is a key element to healthy, functional eating because there are no bad foods, only bad amounts. Whole foods with minimal processing tend to be more nutrient dense and should make up the vast majority of the diet. If this is the case, adding the occasional less nutritious food won’t throw off the overall average intake. For example, a bad amount of Oreos would be to eat them many times a week or in large quantities, particularly if not physically hungry. Teach your child this tidbit of nutritional wisdom to help them understand the concept of moderation.
September, 2013
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Almond Crusted Tilapia
Thursday, September 19th, 2013
Tilapia, a mild tasting, white fish, can be a kid friendly way to increase your family’s intake of fish closer to the American Heart Association’s recommendation of 2 servings per week. In this recipe, almonds are added to create a fun coating that gives a bit of crunch appeal, not to mention additional unsaturated fatty acids, vitamin E, and calcium.
Almond Crusted Tilapia
1 ½ # fresh tilapia
For the breading:
1 cup very finely chopped almonds
¼ cup plain breadcrumbs
2 tbsp brown sugar
½ tsp Old Bay seasoning
½ tsp salt
Slice tilapia into two halves.
Mix together the breading ingredients in a shallow dish.
In another bowl, place ~1/4 cup flour. Beat 1 egg in a third, separate bowl.
Dip tilapia in flour, coating both sides. Then dip in beaten egg. Then place in almond mixture and press to coat well. Place on nonstick cooking sheet. Repeat with other piece of tilapia. Bake at 425 for about 15 minutes, depending upon the size of your filets.
Ummmmm, snacks
Tuesday, September 10th, 2013
Most kids often get ¼ of their diet from snacks. That’s enough to make snacks count essentially as a fourth meal so its important to make those snacks as nutritious as possible. Unfortunately, most snacks are desserts, sugary drinks, salty foods or simply heavily processed nutritional duds. Start a snick-snack-paddy-whack revolution and fuel your kids up with foods that will help them perform better in school, sports, and life!
Dazzle it – Sometimes fancy packaging is enough to excite kids about a healthy snack. Get creative!
- Fill muffin cups with pistachios and dried cranberries.
- Put popcorn in a brown lunch bag that you have decorated with stickers and drawings or messages.
Wrap it –
- Spread nut butter on whole wheat tortilla or flatbread and sprinkle with strawberries, bananas, or peaches on one third of the wrap before rolling.
- Combine hummus and shredded carrots on rolled flatbread.
- Fill small tortilla with variety of diced and shredded vegetables and a small dab of dressing.
Dip it –
- Mix taco seasoning into plain yogurt and serve with cut up veggie strips.
- Serve baked tortilla chips with salsa or bean dip.
- Try olive tapenade or pesto as a dip or sandwich spread to expose your child to different tastes. For a less-intense dip, mix it will plain yogurt or low fat sour cream.
Mix it – To ease the transition to healthier snacks, mix a little bit of less health with the more healthy.
- Create a trail mix of chocolate chips or broken cookies to nuts, dried fruit, and whole grain cereal.
- Send a plain or vanilla yogurt with mini chocolate chips and sliced strawberries.