Real Foods. What are they? If you ask an adult, especially one working in our centers, they might tell you strawberries, oranges, potatoes or carrots. But ask a two year old and you may hear a different response. Often, when young children think about food, they identify items that have been transformed. They think about what is literally on their plate – like tomato soup or a muffin. And while both of these items are made up of “real foods” (tomatoes, garlic, onion in the soup and some type of fruit in the muffin), we need to help them develop those critical thinking skills of understanding how parts make up a whole.

Child Development Specialist, Ashley Parks, facilitated an activity with one of our classrooms to help them work on this skill. It was particularly fitting, because the classroom was studying the color orange and this activity aligns perfectly with our Rainbow In My Tummy® curriculum that our program team is currently developing.
Below, you will find a step by step process that illustrates the children’s discovery of oranges.

First, each child was given an orange. They looked at the object and identified its color, smelled it and came to the conclusion that what they were holding was an orange. They felt the texture of the orange and, with a little help from the teachers and Ashley, the children began peeling their oranges. In three short minutes, the children had used three of their senses while developing their fine gross motor skills as they peeled the orange.
Next, they gave each child a bag and told them to put their orange in it. They helped each child seal their bag tightly and asked them to begin squeezing, or “hugging” their orange. The liquid quickly began filling their bags! Once all of the children had squeezed some liquid into their bags, it was time to taste the orange liquid.

The teachers helped each child pour the orange liquid into their cup. Once everyone had some liquid in their cup, the group began tasting. This was where things got very interesting! Some children really enjoyed the liquid and drank several cups of it, while others made faces and were shocked by the tart taste that came out of their orange. And some children tasted the juice, but quickly went back to their bag of oranges and ate the leftover remnants.

​These are the discoveries that we want our children at Verner and all children to experience. This activity was easy and affordable. In a 15 minute activity our children were able to work on many skills.

• They activated 4 of their 5 senses (see, feel, touch, taste).
• They worked on self-help skills, which impact their social/emotional development.
• They stimulated their language and physical development skills by talking about the activity and worked on their fine motor skills.
• Lastly, it gave our teachers another opportunity to talk about foods and the benefits of eating healthy foods.

This activity can easily be adapted to other fruits and vegetables. The key to this activity, is to help children work through this critical thinking process and identify the food, engage their senses and get their minds moving!

Portion size has been a topic of conversation within Rainbow In My Tummy of late.  How do we make sure we are balancing the need for hungry, growing children to get enough to eat and the need to model proper portion sizes in order to establish healthy eating habits?  Recently, I was out to dinner with some out-of-town family and we went to a popular Italian restaurant.  This particular establishment now offers two plates of pasta (for one order) rather than just one.  This got me thinking, so I did a little research. 

Less than 10% of Italians are obese compared to 27.3% of adults and 19.3% of children in NC.  They eat pasta, don’t they? As it turns out, many Italians eat pasta every day, just in much smaller quantities — usually about a cup’s worth (the size of a small fist).  They also combine that with vegetables and salad.  Additionally, restaurants in Italy don’t offer children’s menus like we have in the US. They offer smaller portions of their regular menu.

Portion sizes in the United States are big, sometimes as much as 4-5 times bigger than recommended.  Bagels are big.  Muffins are big.  Beverages are big.  Food packages are big. Many restaurant servings are ginormous (to use a favorite expression of my daughter’s).   We have lost perspective on what is a “normal” portion size.  The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) calls this “super sizing” and it is not just happening at fast food restaurants. It is the new “normal.” CSPI cites that a typical Italian restaurant serving of Fettuccini Alfredo is equivalent to eating three pints of Butter Almond ice cream when it comes to saturated fat.  A 5 ounce blueberry muffin, the size you would find in the grocery store or in a Dunkin Donuts, for example, has the better part of 500 calories.  An actual serving size is less than half of that.

So, what does this have to do with feeding young children? It is hard enough for us as adults to maneuver through the parade of food messages (both good and bad) that are out there.  But children rely on us to model and demonstrate things like proper portion, enjoying a variety of foods, a healthy balance of fruits, vegetables, proteins, grains, and, yes, the occasional treat.  Portion sizes are often way smaller than we think, and sizes for small children are significantly less than for adults.  What can you do to encourage proper portion sizes for your children? 

Here are some tips from Choose My Plate for Preschoolers. http://www.choosemyplate.gov/preschoolers.html
1. Use smaller bowls, plates, and utensils for your child to eat with.
2. Don’t insist that children finish all the food on their plate. Let your child know it is okay to only eat as much as he or she wants at that time.
3. As children are able, allow them to serve themselves. Even your 3 to 5 year old can practice serving from small bowls that you hold for them. They’ll learn new skills and feel “all grown up.”
4. Teach them to take small amounts at first. Tell them they can get more if they are still hungry.

Take a look at the links below for more information and references from this article.
http://www.cspinet.org/nah/ital.html
http://www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/feature_-_super-sized_restaurant_portions.pdf

​Our White Bean and Spinach Stew is a quick and simple stew with fairly flexible ingredients. For variety, feel free to use your favorite greens, herbs and spices. Protein-packed hearty great northern beans are not only tasty, but very nutritious with twice the iron of beef. This recipe can be easily adapted to the items that you have in your pantry. Try substituting spinach for broccoli or kale. You can also substitute the beans for other varieties.
Incorporating meat-alternative protein meals throughout the week help keep food costs down and add variety to your menu. Make a double batch and freeze leftovers for an easy go-to meal.

Ingredients List:
2 tablespoons (2 oz) vegetable oil
1 cup (8 oz) of celery, diced
1 cup (9 oz) onion, diced
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon (~ 2-3 oz) lightly packed baby spinach, chopped* (substitute with 1/2 – 3/4 cup of frozen spinach)
2 cups (16 oz) broth, chicken or vegetable (use 3 cups of broth if you prefer a more soup-like consistency)
2, 15 oz cans (~3 cups) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
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Instructions:
1. Heat oil in large soup pot over medium low heat. Add celery and onions and cook for about 7 minutes, until soft. Add garlic and thyme and cook for 1 minute. Add chopped spinach and cook for 2 minutes.
2. Add broth, white beans and salt. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Mix in lemon juice. Add additional broth to adjust consistency, if desired. Cover and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
Makes: 6 cups
Serving Size: 1 cup