Help Your Kids Grow & Glow!
 Kids may be eating plenty of food, but not eating the right foods that give their bodies the nutrients needed for good health. The best way to help kids grow and glow is to plan nutritious menus that provide a variety of nutrient packed foods each day. A healthy eating plan is one that:
• Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products.
• Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts.
• Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt, and added sugars
Variety is key and it’s important to help children learn to eat well. This can be done by expanding children’s tastes by serving a variety of foods and in various forms (I.e. fruits—canned, fresh, frozen, dried, and juice). It’s also important to mix up your food choices within each of the food groups to provide a greater array of nutrients. Serving children healthful choices is one of the best ways to help them develop a positive attitude toward trying foods that are new to them.
 Here’s a sample of kid friendly recipes from Grow & Glow with NDC’s Collection for Kids!
French Toast Dippers
Let’s Go Fishin’ Snack Mix
Surprise Muffins
Pizza Noodle Bake
Potato Duets
Flavorful Fruit Crisp
French Toast Dippers
4 slices whole wheat bread
3 cups Rice Krispies
1 tbsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
3 eggs
1/2 cup skim milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. melted margarine
Cut each slice of bread into four sticks. Place sticks of bread on a cooling rack for about 20 minutes to dry out a little. Put cereal in a resealable bag and crush into fine crumbs. Pour crumbs into a pie plate and add sugar and cinnamon. Mix well. In a bowl beat together eggs, milk, and vanilla. Dip each bread stick into egg mixture and roll into crumb mixture. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Drizzle melted margarine over bread sticks. Bake at 425 degrees for 17-19 minutes or until crispy. Fill small cups with warm applesauce and let children dip their French toast sticks. Allow 4 sticks for children ages 6-12 yrs. and 2 sticks for ages 1-5 yrs.
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Let’s Go Fishin’ Snack Mix
Fishin’ for a nibble? You’ll need pretzel sticks for fishing poles to catch the fish-shape crackers, nuts for stones that fish can hide behind, and round cereal for air bubbles to let you know where the fish are lurking.
In a small bowl mix together:
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 package Ranch dressing mix (dry packet)
1 tsp. lemon pepper
1 tsp. dill weed
In a large bowl (microwave safe) mix together:
3 1/2 cups toasted oat cereal*
5 cups giant goldfish wheat crackers
4 cups pretzels
1 cup peanuts (optional)
Pour oil/spice mixture over the above mixture. Toss to mix well. Microwave on high for 4—4 1/2 minutes. Cool and store in air tight container. Serve in a clean sand pail and have children scoop out their “Catch of the Day.” Creditable as a grain serving. *Select a whole grain cereal
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Surprise Muffins
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg
1 cup skim milk
1/4 cup jam
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix dry ingredients (except sugar) in a bowl. Combine brown sugar, oil, egg, and milk until smooth. Add brown sugar mixture to dry ingredients and mix until moistened. Fill 12 greased muffin cups 1/4 full. Spoon 1 tsp. jam over batter and fill each cup 3/4 full with remaining batter. Bake 15-20 minutes. Each muffin is creditable as a grain/bread serving.
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Pizza Noodle Bake
3 cups noodles (uncooked)
1 lb. ground beef (90% or more lean)
1/3 cup diced onion
1 1/2 cans (15 oz. size can) tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/8 tsp. ground pepper
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
Brown ground beef and onion. In 11 in. by 7 in. baking dish put uncooked noodles and top with hamburger-onion mixture. Mix tomato sauce, water and seasonings, pour over hamburger. Cover and bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven, top with shredded cheese and return to oven until cheese is melted.
Serves 8 children (ages 6-12 yrs.) and is creditable as one bread, 2 oz. meat/meat alternate, and 1 vegetable serving.
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Potato Duets
3 medium russet potatoes, peeled
2 large fresh sweet potatoes, peeled
2 tbsp. canola oil
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Peel potatoes and slice into thin wedges. Use a large bowl that has a lid and measure the oil into the bowl. Add sliced potatoes to the oil, cover bowl, and shake well. Mix spices together and add to the potatoes, cover bowl, and shake again until well coated. Place potatoes in a single layer on baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes and turn potatoes. Return to oven and bake an additional 10 minutes or until golden brown. Serves 10.
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Flavorful Fruit Crisp
6 cups of seasonal fruit (sliced peeled apples, fresh sliced peaches or canned, or blueberries)
Topping:
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup rolled oats
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
5 tbsp. cold margarine
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 8” by 8” baking dish with cooking spray and place fruit in it. Combine in small bowl the flour, oatmeal, sugar, and spices. Cut in margarine with pastry blender and mix well until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle over fruit. Bake 35-40 minutes or until fruit bubbles and topping is brown.
Slice into 12 portions. Allow 1 portion for ages 1-5 yrs. and 1 1/2 portions for ages 6-12 yrs. Meets requirements for a fruit and grain/bread serving at snack. The sweet dessert rule applies.
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