20 in 2010!

Fitness is a family affair. Behavior change is more likely to "stick" when you set goals and tackle them together. Download this free handout and start setting and meeting family health goals for 2010. Post Twenty Ways to Become a Fitter Family on the refrigerator as a reminder. Be sure to build on "fitter family" ideas by coming up with some family health strategies of your own!

An underused and superbly nutritious vegetable is the sweet potato. Here are five easy and delicious ways to incorporate them into your diet.

Sweet Granny Potatoes
One of my favorites for the holidays, this recipe is a more nutritious alternative to the drippy marshmallow version.

Mashed Curried Sweet Potatoes
I tasted a version of this dish in a restaurant and did my best to re-create the flavors at home. I simply peel, boil and drain 2 medium sweet potatoes, add 1/4 tsp. curry powder, 1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, and a tsp. of trans-fat free margarine. I then use my potato masher and mash them up. Somehow, it tastes better to me when they are a bit lumpy. If you prefer, whip until smooth with your mixer.

Sweet Potato Fries
Preheat oven to 450º. Peel 4 medium sweet potatoes and cut into half-inch slices or strips. Place potato slices in a plastic bag with 1 Tablespoon canola oil and shake well to coat potatoes evenly. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange potatoes in a single layer and bake for 12 -15 minutes, or until golden brown, turning potatoes halfway through cooking. This recipe is from Quick & Healthy Recipes and Ideas, 3rd edition, by registered dietitian Brenda Ponichtera. For more recipes, tips and to sign up for Brenda's free monthly recipe newsletter go to www.QuickandHealthy.net.

Baked Sweet Potatoes
Simply scrub, poke with a knife, and microwave 6-8 minutes, just as you would with a white potato.

Substitute for White Potatoes
Add to soups, stews, pot roast, and any other place you would normally use white potatoes!

Early Childhood Resources

I had the opportunity to work with the National Food Service Management Institute (NFSMI) in the development of nutrition education materials for early childhood. The materials are now available on the NFSMI website. Below is a description.

Getting kids to eat right can be exciting, educational and fun. These kid-tested activity sheets will help you to incorporate nutrition, physical activity, and health education into your daily childcare routine. Each lesson features recommended children's story books to highlight and reinforce lesson concepts.

Cooking Connection
Convincing young children to try new, nutritious foods is a snap with these fun hands-on snack activities. Six cooking lessons geared to young children include an emphasis on each of the five food groups. From Smashed Potato Faces to Moo Juice Smoothies, children will delight in yummy learning!

Craft Connection
Children are encouraged to play, create, and cooperate as they participate in six fun craft activities. As they hop aboard the food train, create food puppet shows, or make a food and play booklet, children will learn about the five food groups and the importance of dietary variety.

Learning Connection
Just about any early education concept can be learned through food! When children engage all of their senses, they learn in a meaningful and memorable way. Shapes, letters, math concepts, science, and multicultural education are all highlighted in this series of six learning lessons.

Music, Movement and Play Connection
Get on your athletic shoes and get ready to move! Adults and children alike are encouraged to dance, move, exercise, and play. Three resource sheets and three food-based movement lessons are included in this series. After a few rounds of Food Group Run-Around and Veggie, Veggie, Fruit, the children will be ready for a healthy snack!

News in Brief

"Too Many Ads" on Facebook
The average American child views more than 40,000 ads each year! Check out the Too Many Ads Facebook page sponsored by the Nutrition Council of Oregon.

Recent Studies of Interest:

• The Negative Impact of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages on Children's Health: A research synthesis from Healthy Eating Research examines the health impacts of sugar-sweetened beverages Link
• Being an Active Preschooler Pays off in later childhood. Link
• Let Kids Eat Dirt: Over-Cleanliness Linked to Heart Disease Link

Recommended: Food Reflections Newsletter
Dietitian, Extension Educator, and fellow Cornhusker Alice Henneman, MS, RD, is one of the most prolific and creative nutrition educators in the US! She has a wealth of information on her site, including the Food Reflections Newsletter. Be sure to check out all of the great resources from UNL Extension in Lancaster County at http://lancaster.unl.edu/food.

©2009 by Connie Liakos Evers, All Rights Reserved. There is a modest reprint fee for reproducing the material in this newsletter in either print or electronic publications. Please send an email to reprint@nutritionforkids.com for details and rates.

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