IN THIS ISSUE:
Garden Variety Learning
MyPyramid Makes its Debut
Just for Kids: Veggie Plant Parts (free download)
RECIPE: Stir-Fry Your Way!
NEWS IN BRIEF:
IOM report on recommendations for WIC food package
Linking Education, Activity and Food (LEAF) Report Available
Recommended Site: kidsgardening.com

Garden-Variety Learning

Besides the many opportunities for active learning, gardening entices kids to prepare and eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.

A Classroom Made of Dirt

Science concepts abound in the vegetable garden. The curious young gardener may wonder why seeds never grow upside down — they always know to sprout their leaves up, roots down (ANSWER: plants know about the law of gravity, also known as gravitropism). Or why do plants, especially those in shady areas, always lean toward the sun? (ANSWER: Plants have a response to light called "phototropism") What is a "beneficial insect?"(ANSWER: They eat the pests that feed on garden plants). How do plants produce carbohydrate? (ANSWER: photosynthesis). Researching garden questions could keep a young botanist in the library all summer!

Kids can also gain skills in language arts, math, art and social studies. Encourage children to write, graph and draw pictures about the garden and its changes throughout the season. Check out books on how other cultures grow and use food. Share the garden harvest with food banks or homeless shelters in the community.

A garden patch also teaches kids responsibility, yet they don't have to house-train or walk it! They do learn that work precedes results though. Besides planting, they must weed, water, fertilize, thin, deal with pests and keep up with the harvesting.

Tips for the Young Gardener

To achieve success in the garden, it's best to start out simple. Keep in mind the following points before planting a garden with your child:

• Even the smallest yard or apartment balcony affords the aspiring young gardener a place to cultivate fresh vegetables. A small plot (2 feet by 4 feet) is easier to manage, especially for a child under the age of five. Container gardening is also an option when space is limited.
• Provide tools that children can easily handle. Make sure the tools really work, avoiding the plastic garden "toys" that are marketed to kids. A shovel, spade, hoe, watering can and wagon are essentials for the young gardener.
• Kids love to help prepare the soil by digging and breaking up large clumps. Make sure the soil is well loosened prior to planting. Add compost to ensure good drainage.
• Choose some vegetables that germinate quickly and have short growing seasons such as radishes, leaf lettuce and pea pods. Kids won't have to wait all summer to enjoy the harvest if you combine short-season vegetables along with later maturing produce.
• To make planting easier, mark a wooden stick at the quarter-inch, half-inch and inch marks. Following the recommendation on the seed packet, poke the stick in the ground to the appropriate planting depth, and have your child place a seed in the hole. For very tiny seeds, try using seed tape or a dispenser designed for planting small seeds.
• When deciding what to plant, be sure to include some old favorites along with some new-to-try fruits and vegetables.
• April/May is a good time to plant cool weather crops like peas, lettuce, radishes, broccoli, and carrots. Hot weather crops such as tomatoes, squash, green beans, melons, corn and peppers do best when planted late May or early June. To determine the best time to plant in your region, visit http://www.garden.org/zipzone/index.php, type in your zip code and it will give you information on your planting/growing "zone."

Click here to download a mini-poster with food groups and more detailed information

MyPyramid "Steps to a Healthier You" Makes its Debut

The Food Guide Pyramid has been updated and revised. The revision has paralleled and been coordinated with the development of the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which USDA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released in January 2005.

According to the USDA press release, a child-friendly version of MyPyramid for teachers and children is being developed. This version of MyPyramid is intended to reach children 6 to 11 years old with targeted messages about the importance of making smart eating and physical activity choices. Additional information about USDA’s MyPyramid is available at MyPyramid.gov.

The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and consumer brochure are available at www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines.

 

Just for Kids: Veggie Plant Parts
(free download)

This worksheet features both the science and art of vegetables, including a fun no-cook food activity.

Click here to download this activity sheet, targeted for the 9 - 12 year-old age group.

 

RECIPE: Stir-Fry Your Way

The following recipe is a great way to highlight fresh summer produce from the farmer's market or your own garden.

¼ c. light soy sauce
¼ c. pineapple juice
¼ c. rice vinegar
2 T. honey
¼ tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 T. cornstarch

2-3 T. canola or olive oil
6 cups fresh cut-up vegetables

1. Mix together soy sauce, pineapple juice, rice vinegar, honey, garlic powder, ground ginger and cornstarch. Set aside.

2. Choose some or all of the following vegetables (to equal about 6 cups total):

__Sweet Peppers (red or green)
__Green Onions
__Grated Carrots
__Pea Pods
__Broccoli
__Cauliflower
__Mushrooms
__Eggplant
__Baby Corn
__Bok Choy
__Fresh Spinach
__Other Veggies___________________

3. Using a cutting board and sharp knife, cut up vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Grate carrots.

4. Heat 2-3 tablespoons canola or olive oil in a large skillet or wok on medium high heat. Add vegetables and stir 3-5 minutes or until tender. Pour sauce over vegetables and cook 1-2 minutes longer.

5. Serve over brown rice, whole wheat couscous, noodles, pasta, baked potato or alone as a side dish. Or try wrapping the veggies up in a tortilla.

Variations: To make this a complete one-dish meal, add chunks of tofu, cooked chicken, shrimp or lean beef along with the veggies at step #4.

Serves 4

NEWS IN BRIEF

Institute of Medicine Issues report on recommended changes in WIC food package
WIC Food Packages: Time for a Change is a new report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) that describes how changes are needed in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). The report recommends that WIC participants receive more whole grains, fruits and vegetables and less cheese, eggs and fruit juice. The proposed revisions are designed to keep the cost of the food program the same while reflecting more current nutrition science and dietary guidance. The full report can be accessed at http://www.fns.usda.gov/oane/menu/Published/WIC/WIC.htm.

Linking Education, Activity and Food (LEAF) Report Available
When schools kick high-sugar sodas and high-fat chips off their campuses, food service department revenues tend to increase, according to a new report by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley. The findings by UC Berkeley's Center for Weight and Health, provide encouraging news to school officials concerned about the budgetary hit they might take if they eliminate junk food from school grounds.

"Our results show that when kids have less access to high fat, high sugar snack foods and beverages, they will switch to healthier meals," said Patricia Crawford, co-director of UC Berkeley's Center for Weight and Health and co-author of the report. "This trend can benefit the students' health as well as the school food service department's bottom line."

The conclusion comes from a fiscal analysis of 16 middle and high schools in nine school districts in California that participated in a pilot program called Linking Education, Activity and Food (LEAF). A full copy of the report is available online at http://www.cnr.berkeley.edu/cwh/activities/LEAF.shtml.

Recommended Site: Kidsgardening.com
"Helping young minds grow" is the motto for this site. Kidsgardening.com features excellent gardening resources for family, teachers and beginner or experienced gardeners. http://kidsgardening.com

The information contained in this newsletter is not intended as a substitute for medical and/or nutrition advice. See your physician and/or registered dietitian for individual health and/or dietary concerns.

©2005, by Connie 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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