“Meal
Times”
SC School for the Deaf and the Blind
April 2012
The food and physical activity choices made
today, and every day, affect your health
and how you feel today and in the future.
Eating right and being physically active are
keys to a healthy lifestyle. Give your body
the balanced nutrition it needs by eating a
variety of nutrient-packed foods every day.
Regular physical activity is important for
your overall health and fitness, plus, it
helps control body weight. Physical activity
also promotes a feeling of well-being and
reduces the risk of chronic diseases.
Here are a few helpful tips for a
“Healthy Diet”:
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Emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole
grains and fat-free or low-fat milk and
milk products.
Include lean meats, poultry, fish, beans,
eggs and nuts.
Stay low in saturated fats, trans fats,
cholesterol, salt and added sugars.
Be physically active for at least 30
minutes most days of the week.
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For even greater health benefits and to
help control body weight, be physically
active for about 60 minutes a day.
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Children and teenagers should be
physically active for 60 minutes every
day, or most days.
Color Your Plate….Eat A Rainbow
Pack more nutrition into your day with a
colorful main dish or side salad. Keep basic
ingredients on hand for a quick addition to
any meal. Encourage kids to eat more
vegetables by setting out ingredients to make
their own salad creations. For a healthier
snack, let them choose individual items with
light salad dressing as a dip.
Mix and match ingredients by choosing favorite
flavors, texture and color. Another way to
enjoy more fruits and vegetables is PIZZA!
That’s right…….Go Picasso with Pizza. Variety
abounds when using vegetables as pizza
toppings. Try broccoli, spinach, green peppers,
tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini, pineapple
apples and pears.
Don’t knock it until you try it!
Student Well-Being
SC School for the Deaf and the Blind
Let’s Get Cooking
Creamy Cucumber Tomato Salad
(SERVES 31 - 4 oz)
Ingredients:
• 1 pint plain, nonfat yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
• 1 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
• 6 large red tomatoes, diced
• 5 medium peeled cucumbers, sliced
• 1 large red onion, sliced
Directions:
1. Combine yogurt, pepper, salt, basil, parsley and mint for
dressing. Mix until well-blended.
2. Combine tomato, cucumber, onion and dressing. Toss gently to
evenly coat.
3. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
NUTRITION FACTS:
30 calories, 0g fat,
41mg sodium, 1g fiber
Did You Know?
*Cucumbers age faster when stored with tomatoes, melons or
apples and at temperatures over 50 degrees. * The seeds of
the cucumbers are what produce their flavor. *Medium sized
cucumbers with soft small seeds tend to have a better
flavor. * The older cucumbers get the bitterer their seeds
become. *When cucumbers were still unknown, people
thought that they were poisonous and would scrape their skin
with a fork in order to let the poisons out. *Cucumbers
originated in India where they have been grown for 3,000
years. *Florida produces the most cucumbers in the United
States.
PRODUCE OF THE MONTH:
Cucumbers
Be Cool As A Cucumber
Cucumbers are a member of the gourd family along
with melons, squash, pumpkins and watermelon. There
are two primary varieties of cucumbers, the slicers
and the picklers. The slicers are for fresh use like in
salads or in vegetable trays, while the picklers are
typically used to make pickles! Both varieties make
for a perfect snack on a warm summer’s day and are
essential for building and maintaining a healthy
lifestyle. Cucumbers are one of the oldest
vegetables having been cultivated for more than
three thousand years. They are now being produced
in Florida, as well as California, Georgia, Michigan
and New Jersey. Cucumbers grow the fastest in the
month of April as the soil becomes warmer, providing
a more favorable growing environment for the
crunchy and refreshing vegetable. When picking out
the perfect cucumber, look for one that that is firm
and is a dark shade of green. Once refrigerated,
cucumbers only typically last for about one week.
Nutrition notes
Believe it or not, cucumbers and their juice have
been recommended since ancient times for the
improvement of skin complexion and the
enhancement of our skin’s overall health. Cucumbers
are 95% water, making them the perfect natural
hydrating agent. The juice from the cucumbers can
also provide relief from heartburn, arthritis and can
promote hair growth. They are a good source of
Vitamin C, which is useful in soothing skin irritations
and the reduction of temporary swellings, and can
help increase the level of water, fiber and potassium
in an individual’s diet.
Get Moving! Fitness Tips for Families
Turn It Off: Limiting Screen Time
Screen Time is not just TV, it includes watching DVDs, playing video games or surfing the Internet. All
that time in front of a screen crowds out time for regular physical activity—and experts say that
children should get at least 60 minutes of activity or more every day. That means there has to be a
balance between Screen Time and activity. Plus, sitting in front of a screen can also encourage snacking
on unhealthy foods. So by turning off the screen, you can help crank up your energy, recharge their
minds and improve their health. Fortunately, there are so many things to do that don’t use a screen. Even
if you want to relax, you can read a book, doodle or just take a nap. (Students need those 9 hours of
sleep, remember?)
Helpful tips for caregivers:
Check Yourself: Know how much Screen Time you and your children are getting, and then set limits for the entire
family. You’ll be amazed how much extra time you “find” when you turn off the TV or computer.
Play It Down: Using Screen Time to reward or punish a child makes it seem more important than it is. Use praise,
encouragement and recognition for physical activity, and make Screen Time a “non-event” in your home.
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Watch at Once: If you have a VCR or DVR, you can choose a few of your kids’ favorite shows, record them
and then let them watch them all at once. That way, you’ll have more time during the rest of the week for
activities.
Double Time: When watching TV at home, do jumping jacks, pushups or crunches during commercial breaks.
Set up a stationary bike in the TV room, and encourage kids to move through their favorite shows.
After-School Action Plan: Many kids list watching TV as their No. 1 after-school activity. Sometimes,
they just need help coming up with other things to do. Have your kids make a “Top 10 List” of after-school
activities. Just a few examples include riding bikes, shooting hoops, walking the dog, folding laundry or even
helping with dinner. Post the list on the fridge so your kids can check it when they get home.
No TV Dinners: Turn off the TV during mealtime—and take turns talking about the day.
Cut the Cord: Take the TVs and computers out of your kids’ bedrooms. Children who have TVs in their
rooms spend almost one and a half hours more each day watching them than their peers. Plus, if your kids
are in their rooms watching TV, they’re removed from family time.
Work It Out: Use the TV to watch a video— whether it’s dancing, tae kwon do or yoga. Put on your
sweatbands and have some family fitness time.
10 tips to decrease added sugars
Limit the amount of foods and beverages with added sugars your kids eat and drink. If you don’t buy them,
your kids won’t get them very often. Sweet treats and sugary drinks have a lot of calories but few nutrients.
Most added sugars come from sodas, sports drinks, energy drinks, juice drinks, cakes, cookies, ice cream,
candy, and other desserts.
1 serve small portions
8 play detective in the cereal aisle
It’s not necessary to get rid of all sweets and desserts.
Show kids that a small amount of treats can go a long
way. Use smaller bowls and plates for these foods. Have
them share a candy bar or split a large cupcake.
Show kids how to find the amount of total sugars
in various cereals. Challenge them to compare
cereals they like and select the one with the
lowest amount of sugar.
2 sip smarter
9 make treats “treats,” not everyday foods
Soda and other sweet drinks contain
a lot of sugar and are high in calories.
Offer water, 100% juice, or fat-free milk
when kids are thirsty.
Treats are great once in a while. Just don’t make
treat foods an everyday thing. Limit sweet treats to
special occasions.
3 use the check-out lane
that does not display candy
10 if kids don’t eat their meal, they
don’t need sweet “extras”
Most grocery stores will have a candy-free check-out
lane to help moms out. Waiting in a store line makes it easy
for children to ask for the candy that is right in front of their
faces to tempt them.
Keep in mind that candy or cookies should not
replace foods that are not eaten at meal time.
4 choose not to offer sweets as rewards
By offering food as a reward for good behavior,
children learn to think that some foods are better
than other foods. Reward your child with kind words and
comforting hugs, or give them non-food items, like stickers,
to make them feel special.
5 make fruit the everyday dessert
Serve baked apples, pears, or
enjoy a fruit salad. Or, serve
yummy frozen juice bars (100% juice)
instead of high-calorie desserts.
6 make food fun
Sugary foods that are marketed to kids are
advertised as “fun foods.” Make nutritious foods fun
by preparing them with your child’s help and being creative
together. Create a smiley face with sliced bananas and
raisins. Cut fruit into fun and easy shapes with cookie cutters.
7 encourage kids to invent new snacks
Make your own snack mixes from
dry whole-grain cereal, dried fruit,
and unsalted nuts or seeds. Provide
the ingredients and allow kids to choose
what they want in their “new” snack.
Center for Nutrition
Policy and Promotion
Go to www.ChooseMyPlate.gov for more information