Kids Fight The Fat: Corral Kids In Kitchen

BURLINGTON, Vt. -- Parents with finicky kids should invite them into the kitchen and let them help make the meal.

It's a great way to help kids fight fat.

They'll blend right in when they start helping you make tasty treats, like smoothies with frozen fruit, milk, tofu and maple syrup.

"It's a great way to sneak in fruits and veggies, and they don't think about the fact that they're eating fruit," said Jane Kirby, a registered dietician.

Kirby is the owner of the Vermont Cooking School in Charlotte and the author of the book "Dieting For Dummies," which you can find in most bookstores.

To help kids get through those hours between lunch and dinner, they can also snack on fresh veggies and nuts, or top off a tortilla with cheese.

"It's a great balance of protein and carbs," Kirby said. "The fact that (the tortillas) are whole-wheat is even better. We all need fiber."

Kirby said kids should have a hand in helping out with most meals as a good way to introduce them to new foods.

"Let children experiment," she said. "When they cook dinner, they taste things. They will always eat the things they make."

"It's more fun to make it cause you know what's going into it. It's not gross and greasy," said Lilly Canfield, 13.

Kirby recommends laying all ingredients out "because it makes cooking so much easier when you don't have to stop in the middle and go hunting."

Kirby said healthier cooking can be expensive for some families, but she said the benefit far outweighs the long-term cost.

"Think of the doctor bills you won't have to pay by eating healthy now," said Kirby. "With obesity being such a big problem, it comes with all kinds of health risks."

Kirby said meals should have a mix of all flavors -- sour, salty, and bitter. Don't just save sweets for dessert. Jacob Gager, 11, learned that during trips to Paris.

"You look at everyone over there and you realize they have a lot better understanding of how to eat then we do," said Gager. "It's something we should focus on more."

Kirby said studies show that kids should serve themselves.

"They have found that once they are allowed to serve themselves, they eat an appropriate amount," she said.

Kirby said meals need to be a family affair, and parents should be good role models by eating and drinking the same things as the kids.

"If you don't want them to drink a soda with dinner, don't drink a soda with dinner. You have milk, too," she said.

Also, don't discourage the sweets if the kids really want them. Just remind them that all foods, even the healthy stuff, can be fantastic.

Vermon Cooking School Web site

  Other good snack ideas:

      
Hard-cooked eggs, tortilla chips and salsa

     
Apple or pear with an ounce of cheese

    
Crackers with peanut butter and milk

    
Sleeve of peanuts and a tube of yogurt

    
Carrots and hummus





High-Protein Fruit Smoothie Recipe
    
Total time: 10 minutes

      Makes 2 servings

      1 cup frozen peach slices or strawberries

      4 ounces silken tofu

      2 heaping tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate

      1/2 frozen banana

      2 tablespoons honey

      1 cup  milk


Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth.




Quesadillas Recipe

     Total time: 10 minutes

      Makes 1 serving

      2 10-inch whole-wheat flour tortillas

      1/4 cup shredded cheese

      salsa

 Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place one tortilla on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with cheese. Top with second tortilla. Bake 5 to 7 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and cut into four wedges. Serve with salsa for dipping.