In this weeks blog we would like to quote some great references from: Better Health Channel about Healthy School Lunches; https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/healthy-eating-school-lunches
“School is a time when children start to make independent choices about their lifestyles. School aged children learn quickly and are influenced by friends and popular trends. This is an important time to talk about and encourage healthy food habits.
Involving children in planning and preparing their own lunchboxes gives them the opportunity to learn about healthy eating, and also gives them a chance to make autonomous decisions about what they will be eating during the day.
Involve your Children in Healthy Choices
Tips to help get your kids involved include:
Talk to your children about what they would like to have in their lunchbox. Discuss healthier food and drink choices and decide what will be in the lunchbox together.
Write a shopping list together. Take your children shopping with you and let them choose foods and drinks from the shopping list.
Encourage your children help prepare their lunchboxes. Older children may be able to prepare most of their lunch themselves, and younger children can help with making sandwiches or cutting up soft fruit. It is a good idea to prepare lunchboxes the evening before to allow children to participate.
What to Put in Healthier School Lunches
The six key parts to a healthy lunchbox include:
Fruit – best choices include fresh or tinned fruit. Dried fruit is sticky and high in sugar, so have it occasionally.
Vegetables – try fresh crunchy vegetable sticks with dip or a small container with mixed vegetables such as cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks, and cucumber.
Milk, yogurt or cheese – you can use reduced-fat options for children over the age of 2 years. For children who cannot tolerate milk products, offer appropriate daily alternatives like calcium fortified soy or rice drink or soy yogurt.
Meat or meat alternative foods – try lean meat (like chicken strips), a hard-boiled egg or peanut butter. If your school has a nut-free policy, peanut butter and other nuts should not be included in your child’s lunchbox.
Grain or cereal foods – like a bread roll, flat bread, fruit bread or some crackers (wholegrain or whole meal options).
Drinks – tap water is best
Tips for Healthy Lunchboxes
Cut up large pieces of fruit and put them in a container – this makes it easier to eat, especially if your child has wobbly teeth or if they have less time to eat than they are used to. Send a damp face washer to help with extra juicy fruit.
Consider giving half a sandwich or roll for morning recess, as this is an easy way to get a healthy fill.
In the hot weather, send frozen milk, yogurt or water, or even frozen orange segments. This makes a great refreshing snack and helps to keep the lunch box cool.
Go for color and crunch in the lunch box by offering a variety of colorful vegetables and fruit.”
In conclusion, the choices we make for our children’s lunchboxes can have a significant impact on their overall health and well-being. By prioritizing fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains, we set them up for success both in and out of the classroom. Remember to involve your children in the decision-making process, as this not only educates them about healthy eating but also empowers them to make smart food choices on their own.
As parents, guardians, or caregivers, our role in shaping their dietary habits is instrumental.. So, as you pack those lunchboxes, think about the nutritious and delicious options that can fuel your child’s day and set them on a path to a lifetime of healthy eating.
Here’s to happy and healthy lunchtimes for our little ones!
Resources:
Better Health Channel. (n.d.). Healthy Eating – School Lunches. Retrieved from https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/healthy-eating-school-lunches
National Health and Medical Research Council, Australian Dietary Guidelines, Australian Government.
Looking for a kid-friendly, nutritious snack that’s perfect for when you’re on the move? Give these Peanut Butter Cereal Bars a try! Whole grain oats, peanut butter, and dried fruit make a crispy, chewy treat.
Ingredients
½ cup honey (see Notes)
1 cup peanut butter
2 cups rice cereal
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup raisins or other dried fruit
Directions
Wash hands with soap and water.
In a saucepan, bring honey to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and stir in peanut butter.
Add cereal, oats and raisins; mix well. Remove from heat.
Lightly grease an 8×8-inch baking pan. Press mixture into pan. When cool, cut into 16 bars.
Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Notes
Try this recipe with 4 cups of unsweetened cereal flakes instead of the rice cereal and oats.
Honey is not recommended for children under 1 year old.
To avoid peanuts or peanut butter, try sunflower seeds or sunflower seed butter.
Photo and recipe credit: https://foodhero.org/recipes/peanut-butter-cereal-bars
2 cups whole kernel corn (fresh, frozen or canned and drained)
2 cups lima beans (fresh, frozen or canned and drained)
2 cups cut okra (fresh or frozen)
1 can (14.5 ounces) stewed or diced tomatoes
1 cup water
1 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Directions
Wash hands with soap and water.
In a large saucepan on medium heat, sauté onion in the oil until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients, reduce heat to medium-low and slowly cook until the veggies are tender, the liquids reduce and the flavors are blended, about 30 to 45 minutes.
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Notes
The amounts of each vegetable are provided as a guide and do not have to be exact. Create your own combination according to your taste and what’s available!
Try adding other vegetables such as black eyed peas, chopped bell pepper, hot pepper or zucchini.
Try adding other seasonings such as garlic powder, thyme, basil or hot sauce.
If using fresh corn, slice 2 cups kernels from 2 to 4 ears, uncooked or cooked.
If using fresh tomatoes, use 4 large to 6 medium (3 cups chopped, peel first if desired).
Looking for a creative way to use up the overflow of zucchini from your garden?! Give this Zucchini Pie a try!
1 tube (8 oz.) refrigerated crescent rolls
3 medium zucchini, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbs. Tillamook butter
2 tsp. minced fresh parsley
1 tsp. snipped fresh dill
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 ¼ cup grated Tillamook Pepper Jack cheese (divided)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Separate crescent dough into eight triangles; place in a greased 9-inch pie plate with points toward the center. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of plate to form a crust; seal perforations.
In a skillet, sauté zucchini and garlic in butter. Add the parsley, dill, salt, pepper and ½ cup cheese.
Spoon into the crust. Pour eggs over top; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover edges loosely with foil.
Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.
Yield: 6 servings.
For a lighter version, turn your pie into a frittata! Remove the crescent rolls from the recipe and add your vegetable and egg mixture directly to a well-greased pan and bake as instructed.
Photo & Recipe Source: Abby Carroll
For more local health and wellness information, visit www.tillamookcountywellness.org or follow Tillamook County Wellness on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
The Tillamook County Fair is this week and we all know what that means – Fun, Fellowship and FOOD! This phrase was the mantra of Tillamook’s former Mayor, Suzanne Weber, who led the Sacred Heart Parish food booth at the fair for many years. Sadly, the Sacred Heart booth will no longer be part of the fair which means no more fresh salads, grilled cheese sandwiches or homemade berry cobbler. This also means, no more garlic fries. Nooooooo!
Just about everyone has their favorite “fair food” they look forward to every year. Whether it is cotton candy, corn dogs or funnel cakes, the key is to enjoy these annual treats without overdoing it. “Fair time is a special time and that means it is okay to indulge,” says Lewis Martin, a registered dietitian with the Oregon Dairy and Nutrition Council. Also a member of the Tillamook County Wellness Advisory Committee, Martin encourages fairgoers to think about sharing treats like elephant ears or giant cinnamon rolls with family and friends.
Other suggestions for ways to enjoy fair food without adding to your waistline or slimming down your wallet include eating a well-balanced meal or snack before you go to the fair. Here are a few suggestions:
Include protein and whole grains with breakfast for lasting energy. Try oatmeal with yogurt and fruit.
Colorful vegetables can be hard to find at the fair, so plan to eat them at other meals that day. Have a salad or vegetables with your lunch before you go or for dinner back at home.
Healthy snacks can be simple and can be packed in a small cooler or lunch bag, such as: individual cheese slices, apples, oranges, sliced vegetables or baby carrots, nuts and dried fruit like raisins.
According to Dusti Linnell, an associate professor of practice with OSU Extension Family & Community Health and Wellness advisory committee member, “The key is to limit high calorie foods to special occasions and consider ways to boost nutrition whenever possible. Great ideas for sweet treats are to add nuts or fruit toppings to ice cream or frozen yogurt or choose desserts with fruit or whole grains like oats in pies and crisps.”
When eating at the fair, Linnell suggests making at least one healthy choice for each meal, like adding a side of grilled vegetables to an order of teriyaki noodles. If curly fries are your go-to fair food, consider sharing those with others and combine with a salad or a burger with lettuce, tomato and onion. Local vendors serving additional options might be found inside the exhibit hall or near the carnival, so be sure to scope out all your options before settling on your final meal plan.
Intentionally combining healthy choices when eating treats helps regulate blood sugar and avoid feeling sluggish. This is always important but especially during Fair, where you’ll need lots of energy to do all that walking and talking! With that in mind, remember to drink lots of water throughout your day. Consider bringing a water bottle or replacing soda with bottled water when ordering meals.
As a final note, the fair can be a crowded, bustling place. Frequent handwashing is another important way to avoid spreading illness. Take advantage of hand washing stations located throughout the fair and have hand sanitizer as an added safety precaution.
Staying connected socially is as important for our well-being as eating healthy foods. Both contribute to a stronger immune system and improved mood. Even if you don’t plan to go to the fair, consider ways you can gather with friends and family to enjoy some fun, fellowship and food this summer.
AUTHOR: Michelle Jenck, Director of Community Well-Being at Adventist Health Tillamook
For more local health and wellness information, follow Tillamook County Wellness on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Gardening can be a wonderful hobby for enjoying fresh veggies and spending time outdoors, but it can also be intimidating to figure out how to get started as a beginner gardener. We recently talked with Sarah Ostermiller, a Tillamook County Master Gardener through OSU Extension, to learn more about her experience as a gardener and any advice she might have for those who want to try their hand this spring.
How did you originally get started in gardening?
I tell people that I do not remember a time I didn’t garden. My grandmother had a garden and when she babysat, we would be outside and she would hand me big seeds that a little kid could handle, and she would show me how to put them in the ground. And I was absolutely fascinated that they would turn into beautiful flowers or peas to eat. I was hooked from the time I was about 4 or 5 years old so when I retired, the first thing I did when moving here was take the master gardening training and I’ve been involved ever since.
What do you wish you had known when you first started gardening on your own?
Don’t over do it! I think the first garden I planted on my own was probably in college and I planted every seed I could find in a relatively small space and it got away from me. I didn’t have the time to take care of it, to weed it, or to preserve it after harvest. I think the best thing first gardeners can do is decide how much time they have and how much space they have, and then choose exactly what is the most special thing that they want to grow. Start small because it can be overwhelming.
I’m a vegetable gardener primarily, and any cold-weather crops are very easy to grow. So this time of year, you can start getting lettuce, radishes and peas started. Other cold crops like cabbages, broccoli, kales are also relatively easy to grow. “Cool weather crops” start easily in the colder soil in the colder early months of the summer.
What are some common mistakes that first time gardeners make?
Growing things that look good in the seed catalog but your family isn’t going to eat – if you have picky kids who don’t like vegetables, it might not be a good idea to grow kohlrabi but corn might be okay. The best thing to do is try to grow things that you or your household will eat and start with few things that you enjoy using in the kitchen. It may not be as exciting as growing something more exotic or unusual, but when it produces well and tastes good, there’s nothing more exciting than that.
What should people know about our climate when it comes to gardening on the coast?
There are two important things to know about your garden space: the weather and the soil. You could be at the beach and have more rain and wind and sandy soil or you could be up on the side of the coastal range and the soil is really forest loam where you get a full sun exposure. Those things make a big difference on what will grow well and how much time you have to grow things until it gets cold again. I always recommend that people try growing things in raised beds where they have more control over the soil and crops.
Do you have a basic overview of what you would tell someone who is just starting out?
The first step is deciding what exactly you would like to grow: vegetables, flowers, or maybe trees? Then spend a little bit of time doing some research: the local libraries have wonderful selections of gardening how-to books. And if you aren’t sure about what kind of soil you have and want to do a soil test, OSU Extension can help make recommendations on how to do that.
Another great way to get started is to talk to your friends and neighbors! If you walk by someone’s house while they’re out gardening, stop and chat with them. Gardeners love to talk about what they’re doing and they absolutely love to talk about their gardens so don’t hesitate to ask questions and then contact us if you have any specific questions.
How can folks utilize the resources and knowledge at OSU Extension?
The best ways to contact the Master Gardeners is to call the Tillamook County OSU Extension office or email directly at tillamook.mastergardeners@oregonstate.edu. People can also visit our website at https://tillamookmastergardeners.com/ and we can message through our Facebook page, the Tillamook County Master Gardener Association.
What do you enjoy most about working for OSU Extension?
Well I love gardening, but I’m also very conscious about wanting to do it well and right. You can go online and get all kinds of odd information about how to deal with problems or insects or diseases but it’s not necessarily the best sources for information. The Master Gardener training is developed to teach people science-based gardening and home horticulture, and that is what we use for making recommendations when faced with problems in the garden (such as a disease or insect attacking your garden). We want to make sure that the information we give out is scientifically based, research-based information. And that really is a good feeling, because you know that the information that you are providing somebody is going to help them make their garden work for them.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I don’t think there is anything better then pushing a few small seeds in the ground and watching them come up and harvesting a bowl full of fresh vegetables to serve to your family. I find that to be just an absolute marvelous process and something everyone should do at least once in their lives. As a beginning gardener, you can get a couple pots and sprinkle a couple lettuce seeds or stick in a tomato plant and see if you like the process – you’ll have salad all summer long with just a pot and a small package of seeds. Trying it out in some containers or pots is a great way to get started.
We also have a “learning garden” at the fairgrounds. If you come in the main entrance where the reader board is and look to the right, there’s a garden there known as the learning garden. Anytime the fairgrounds are open, people can wander through and see what’s going on. Last year we put together a fairly extensive container garden of mostly vegetables. This year we’ll get started at the beginning of April and anyone can stop by to see what’s growing and get in touch with us when we’re there on Thursday mornings.
