June 2010: Summer Snacks on a Stick

It is officially picnic time!  What a great coincidence, since this month’s newsletter takes a new twist on finger foods: summer snacks on a stick!  One of the most important things to remember when feeding kids is that presentation is a huge part of the experience. Your kids won’t try a new food?  Present it in a totally different manner and see what happens!  Remember also that taste buds in children do not develop overnight.  Often it takes many times (often 10-20) for a child to try a food before they develop a taste for it.  Also remember that creativity will take you a long way there.  So this month we have a previous guest author, Jodi Balis, returning to share some inspiration with us.  You may remember Jodi from the December Healthy Kids Ideas Exchange newsletter about Holiday Cooking with Kids.  Jodi is a Registered Dietician with ten years of experience teaching kids how to cook.  She works as the Director of Nutrition Education at the Capital Area Food Bank in Washington DC, is the founder/owner of Red Lentil Consulting, and co-produces “Fooditude, Kids TV with a Bite.”   Jodi gives us reasons to try out snacks on a stick* as well as a few recipe ideas!
*Note on safety:  Children should never walk or run with food on a stick.  Always remember good table manners and sit while eating!  Very young children should not have food on a stick (use your own judgment and supervise).

Jodi’s List:  Why Snacks are more fun to eat on a stick

Here are some reasons to “take a stab” at making snacks on a stick at home with your kids this summer.  Summer snacks on a stick are:

• Fun to Dip. Snacks on a stick are perfect for dipping. Whether it is a sweet yogurt dip, honey, peanut sauce or hummus, food on a stick is meant to be dipped in a variety of flavors!
• Delicious either as Sweet or Savory. Fruit kabobs, veggie kabobs, pizza on a stick (a variation of Crazy Caprese bobs). . . sweet or savory taste good on a stick.
• Portable. Snacks on a stick are portable and can be eaten at picnics, before a music recital, or after a sports game.
• Provide Variety and Nutrition. Sticks can be stacked with a variety of fruits, veggies, cheeses, whole grain breads, or cereals.
• Artistic. Lay out a variety of ingredients on a table and kids can arrange ingredients into an artistic creation they can call their own!
• Assembled by kids. If they have a role in making it, they are more likely to eat it!

Jodi’s Kid-Tested Recipes

Crazy Caprese Kabobs

(See this recipe also for Pizza on a Stick, a variation of Crazy Caprese Kabobs)

Fruit Kabobs

More information about our guest author:  Jodi Balis RD is the Director of Nutrition Education Programs at the Capital Area Food Bank in Washington DC. At the food bank, Jodi creates and teaches nutrition education trainings for food bank agencies, manages and oversees grants and administrative aspects of the department, develops new nutrition education programs and initiatives, and guides the vision and mission of the Nutrition Education Department.  Previously a Nutrition Educator with the Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program in Maryland, Jodi worked with elementary schools to improve the nutrition environment, trained teachers to incorporate nutrition into the school curriculum, and directly taught youth about cooking, school gardening, and healthy eating. Jodi was also Operation Frontline Manager in St. Louis for four years, where she taught and coordinated classes, and recruited and trained volunteer chefs and nutritionists for the six-week cooking and nutrition program. She also regularly appeared in a cooking segment on Health Matters for five years, a local TV show in St. Louis and made an appearance on “Good Morning America”, demonstrating meal planning and healthy eating on a budget. On the side, Jodi has been a cooking teacher in the community for eight years, teaching at Whole Foods, Wild Oats, St. Louis Community College,  Fontbonne University, and Missouri Botanical Gardens, to name a few. She currently provides cooking classes and value tours at several Whole Foods stores in the DC metro area.  In her spare time, you can find Jodi cooking at home, doing yoga, spending time with her husband, taking leisurely walks, and blogging.

Garden Tales Blog and Simple Dinners for Less Blog
Don’t forget to check out the latest entries on the Healthy Kids Ideas Exchange website garden tales blog and Simple Dinners for less blog.  Both blogs are located on the Healthy Kids Ideas Exchange home page.  The Garden Tales blog, located on the left hand side of the home page, takes you and your kids through a seasonal adventure enjoying all the wonderful bounty of both edible and ornamental gardens.  Simple Dinners for Less, on the right hand side of the home page, provides on-going inspiration for easy meals for you and your family.

Have a great month of June, and happy healthy snacking!

Kathryn

What do your kids like to eat on a stick?  Please share your ideas with us in the comments section below!

---

Back copies of Healthy Kids Ideas Exchange are always available online.

---

---

Disclaimer:

This column is for information only, and no part of its contents should be construed as medical advice, diagnosis, recommendation or endorsement by the author. You should always ask your physician for his or her recommendation before starting any new health-related activity.