IN THIS ISSUE:
GRAINS: The Whole Picture
ASK CONNIE: Sneaky Ways to Add Nutrients
FOR KIDS ONLY: Healthy Habits Puzzle
RECIPE: Blueberry Lemon Muffins
NEWS IN BRIEF:
Resources for Homeless Children
Dietary Supplement Resource
Teenshealth.org

Surveys show that most Americans are lucky to consume even one serving of whole grains daily.

GRAINS: The Whole Picture

Nothing is perfect and the Food Guide Pyramid is no exception. While this ubiquitous food graphic features grain-based foods as the foundation, it stops short of pushing the advantages of whole grains. For optimum health, aim for at least three daily servings of whole grains.

What's a whole grain?

Whole grains contain the entire grain kernel (rich in fiber and other nutrients) while refined or "enriched" grains have the outer covering and germ removed, leaving only the starchy endosperm (by law, refined grains have to be enriched with B vitamins and iron since most of these nutrients are lost in processing). To see a graphic of a wheat kernel up close, visit http://www.wheatmania.com/allaboutwheat/wheatfacts/wheatkernel.htm

What's the advantage of eating whole grains?

Whole grains are superior to refined grains because they include additional fiber, vitamins, minerals and hundreds of beneficial phytochemicals. Regular consumption of whole-grains is important for digestive health, reduces the rate of coronary heart disease and decreases the risk of several types of cancer. Surveys show that most Americans are lucky to consume even one serving of whole grains daily.

(Source: Slavin J, Jacobs D, Marquart L, and Wiemer K. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 2001:101(7):780-785).

What are some examples of whole grains?

• Products made with 100% whole wheat flour, such as breads, cereals, pasta, pancakes and waffles
• Bulgur (cracked wheat)
• Brown Rice
• Oatmeal
• Stone ground corn Meal or grits (not the degerminated varieties)
• Cereals made from wheat bran

Is it important for children to eat whole grain foods?

Children also benefit from the nutrient boost that whole grains provide. Most American children eat very few servings of whole grains and prefer products made from refined flours. When children are offered whole grains beginning at a young age, they get used to the coarser texture of whole-grain breads and cereals.

Examples of whole-grain "kid-friendly" cereals currently on the market include Wheat Chex, Wheaties, Cheerios, Frosted Mini Wheats and Cinnamon Life. All of these cereals contain 51% or more whole grain ingredients by weight.

ASK CONNIE: Sneaky Ways to Add Nutrients

Q. My child can be a picky eater at times. Do you have any hints on how to sneak a few extra nutrients into his diet?

A. There's a number of ways to add nutrition without your child noticing. Wait until he's accepted the dish before you let him in on the secret. Here's a few ideas to try:

• Popeye's favorite: Finely chop drained spinach (frozen or canned) and add to tomato-based pasta and pizza sauces (the kids won't notice or they will think they are herbs).

• Make smoothies and freezer pops by blending fruits such as bananas, berries, and various "lite" canned fruits. Because you are using whole fruit (as opposed to juice), you will be providing a fiber boost for your child.

• Use canned pumpkin in muffins and cookies (you can cut down on fat while adding beta-carotene and fiber).

• Toss small white or kidney beans into tuna or chicken salad.

• Add extra vegetables to your child's favorite soup. Often, kids forget they're eating "vegetables" when it's part of a soup or stew.

• When tossing a salad, toss in some or all of the following ingredients: kidney, cannellini, or garbanzo beans; chunks of artichoke hearts, small "grape" tomatoes, grated fresh carrot or summer squash and whole baby corn.

• Substitute whole wheat flour in baked goods. If you are worried about the quality of the product, start with a partial substitution and gradually add a larger percentage each time. The blueberry lemon muffins below contain only whole wheat flour.

• If your child isn't a milk-drinker, think of dishes that you can use nonfat or 1% milk as a major ingredient. Examples include tomato soup, pancakes, puddings, macaroni & cheese and mashed potatoes.

FOR KIDS ONLY: Healthy Habits Puzzle

1. Find and circle the following healthy habit words in the puzzle below:

Breakfast, Rest, Activity, Fun, Vegetables, Calcium, Balance, DrugFree, Fiber, Hygiene

2. Complete the health rhyme at the bottom by writing the first 27uncircled puzzle letters in the blanks.

E E A T S W E L T L E 
N B X E E R C S I S E 
E R R L L A E U G H A 
I E N E B R D R E S M 
G B T B A L A N C E U 
Y I Q H T K T P U B I 
H F M U E S F D H F C 
S G B H G U A A W Q L 
Q D X S E D K A S W A 
T Y T I V I T C A T C 
P I P E E R F G U R D 

To feel great and look your best,

__ __ __   __ __ __ __ ,   __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ , 

__ __ __ __ __   __ __ __   __ __ __ __ ! 


You can find the solution to the puzzle at http://nutritionforkids.com/solution.htm

Blueberry Lemon Muffins

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh, frozen or canned blueberries, rinsed and drained
1 ¾ cups whole wheat flour
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
8 oz. lemon yogurt
¼ cup vegetable oil
Non-stick spray

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray muffin tin with non-stick spray. Mix flour, sugar and baking powder in large mixing bowl. In another bowl, beat eggs and mix in yogurt and vegetable oil. Stir into dry ingredients and mix lightly. Fold in blueberries. Bake 18-20 minutes or until muffin tops are browned. Loosen muffins and serve warm.

Servings: 12 medium muffins

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News in Brief

Resources for Homeless Children
The Division of Community Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital at Montefiore and The Children’s Health Fund have developed resources addressing the nutritional needs of homeless children. “Homeless Family Facility Nutrition Guidelines” and “Improving the Nutrition Status of Homeless Children: Guidelines for Homeless Family Shelters” can be accessed on the web at http://childrenshealthfund.org/hfsni.html

Dietary Supplement Resource
The FDA has published helpful guidelines for those wishing to know more about supplemental vitamins, minerals and herbals. "Tips For The Savvy Supplement User: Making Informed Decisions And Evaluating Information" can be accessed at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/ds-savvy.html

RECOMMENDED SITE: Teenshealth.org
Created by The Nemours Foundation's Center for Children's Health Media, TeensHealth provides teens and families with accurate, up-to-date, and jargon-free health information they can use. Body basics, mind matters, sexual health, food & fitness, Q&A, staying safe and health problems are topic areas covered on this site, located at http://www.teenshealth.org

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.

 

©2002, 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.