School's In: Time to Eat Right! ::

School's In: Time to Eat Right!

When kids are active it can be hard to get them to stop and eat, and if they do, you certainly want to make the most of the opportunity. This month I’m featuring some ideas that provide maximum nutrition per mouthful. Whoever thought that cookies could be healthy? The sesame spice cookies are sugar- and butter-free but provide plenty of sweetness from dates, juice and raisins. They are easy to throw together and freeze well, so make a big batch. The raisins provide vitamin C and iron, and walnut oil is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids that help with brain development and immune system function. No sugar also means no sugar high, a welcome change for the back-to-school season.

In the Healthy Snacks for Kids section of this month’s issue, I mentioned the importance of adding good fats and proteins to fruit and veggie servings. For fruits I recommend whipping up this tofu mix for dipping and dunking, and keep in mind natural yogurt as an option. Use fresh nuts and grind them in a blender for use throughout the week (keep it in the fridge). They too provide essential fats and proteins. The popsicles make a fun after-school treat.

–Sally Errey, RNCP

Sesame Spice Cookies, Fun Fruit Dip ’n’ Dunk

These cookies were designed for children, with walnut oil to provide essential fatty acids for brain development, sesame seeds for calcium and raisins for extra energy. The oatmeal provides sustained energyæas if they need it! These cookies are also sugar free, and spelt flour can also be used as a substitute for wheat.

S trawberry Popsicles

This natural and delightfully sweet treat is perfect for those last days of summer as an after-school snack. Strawberries are very high in vitamin C and contain powerful antioxidants to promote health. The tofu adds protein, and don’t forget to add some essential fats in the form of flax oil. These support the immune system and help with healthy skin and hair.

Party Hardy (and Healthy!)

Children’s birthday parties are always very special events. To be successful and stress-free (especially for the adults involved) they require good planning. The food you serve at the party should be both nutritious and fun to eat. The Mini Pizza recipe is easy, and children can have fun by getting involved and choosing their own toppings. Raspberry Cream makes a refreshing and healthy dessert for any party, and the Children’s Punch Bowl offers healthy fruit juices without a lot of sugar.

–Christel Gursche

Mini Pizzas

Raspberry Cream

Children’s Punch Bowl

Source: alive #251, September 2003

Optimum Bone Health
Healthy kids rarely sit still! They are continuously on the move--and for good reason: they have bone to build. Bone is living tissue that continually renews and regenerates itself throughout the entire lifespan..

How To Raise Athletes Not Couch Potatoes
Children are 10 pounds heavier today at age 10 than they were a decade ag.

Kids First
Living a healthy life in North American society can be like fighting a battle, and the best weapon in this battle is knowledge. Kids need to be brought up knowing which foods are best for them and why: organic fruits and vegetables and whole grains because they provide the nutrients necessary for proper growth.

Healthy Snacking
Children need snacks. In their school lunches and when they come home in the afternoon famished, they need healthy, tasty treats.

Lemon Power Bars

Natural Sweets for School Treats
It's back to school this month, which means kids will need healthy, tasty foods to keep their energy up and provide the nutrients their growing bodies need.

Teen Tanks Need Heavy Fuel
Teenagers need lots of calories each day to keep up their energy for sports and activities and still have some left over for building muscles and bones. The common tendency is to resort to fast and convenient foods that are cheap and abundant. Too often good nutrition gives way to the stimulation of salt, sugar and additives.

Happy in Herb Heaven
When I was growing up, my mother would send me into our herb garden to gather chives, parsley and lovage. I'll never forget being surrounded by the distinctive aromas and how she used these herbs to enhance the flavour of our soups, salads and more. Herbs are nature's special gift to us.

Veg Out for Summer
My mother was quite interested in the "back to raw food" movement sweeping through Germany when I was youn.

Go Wheat-Free
Grains are an integral part of our daily fare. In the West, the word "meal" literally means "ground grain." Similarly, "meal" is synonymous with the predominant grain of the East, rice.

Combating The Childhood Obesity Crisis
Kids and youth are eating worse and exercising less. Something has got to change. In his 29 years as a physical education teacher, David Lively has seen "big" changes in his students. Frightening ones.

Nutrition for Today's Children
For parents and children, September is much like New Year's. The start of the school year presents new challenges, adventures and opportunities. It's time for your children to hit the books again. It's also a perfect time to brush up on your healthy shopping habits.

Struggling at School?
Too often we label a child or teen with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), then prescribe Ritalin, a nervous-system stimulating drug th.

Nutritious Nibbles for Kids
It's that time of the year again. When our precious children head back to school, good whole food nutrition throughout the entire year will give them the essential building blocks for the brain to function well and for the whole body to stay alert and alive.

Mm...Mm...Mm...Mushrooms to Remember
Nature gives us a highly nutritious treat that comes in many different shapes, sizes and colours. It grows either wild in wooded areas and may be harvested late spring to late fall, or it is cultivated and available year-round.

Live, Whole Foods
January is a perfect time to discover the cleansing and healing power of fresh, wholesome food full of live nutrients to support your digestion, lift your spirits and make you feel alive.

Recipes for Romance
Valentine's Day is a perfect time to show your loved one how much you care. This could be as simple as a special tea for two, as gourmet as a four-course meal, or as comfy as breakfast in bed.

Living Foods for Vibrant Health
There is a great difference between cooked food and raw food. Though cooked food provides the basic nutrients of starch, protein and fat, as well as minerals and some heat-resistant vitamins, it doesn't provide enzymes. Heat, when it rises above 48 degrees Celcius, kills enzymes.

Cancer-Fighting Foods
It's easy to take in the power of cancer-preventing plantfoods at all times of the day, for breakfast, lunch and dinner.The anticancer recipes featured this month will certainly put you on the right path.

Gifts From the Kitchen
Mother's Day is as much fun for the kids as for Mom. Giggling and whispering loudly, the darlings tiptoe to the kitchen to whip up traditional breakfast in bed.

Mediterranean Backyard Barbecue
The barbecue season is just around the corner, and it can be easy to forget the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables when an abundance of steak and burgers is being serve.

The Tastes of Summer
Who would ever have thought that barbequing could provide a host of powerful and protective vitamins, flavonoids and carotenes? This is easily achieved through using the grill for sizzling salads that feature colourful ve.

Easy Late-Summer Ideas
August is all about enjoying those last full days of summer to the maximum. So why not grab family, friends or your sweetie and pack a picnic, just perfect for lounging in the sun or enjoying on a yacht, or pull out something special on a hike..

Healthy Snacks for Kids
With the abundance of commercially processed, high sugar and brightly coloured foods available, it can be hard to teach kids about more natural, satisfying options. When preparing healthy snacks it's key to consider nutritional value along with fun presentation.

Brain Food
Don't forget your veggies! One of the questions I get asked most often, is "are there foods to help with memory? My standard reply is a resounding "yes! I make sure to eat some of these foods daily.

Warming Winter Dishes
For many years I worked with Fred Edrissi, a European-trained professional chef, in the alive kitchen experimenting with different whole foods and developing unusual, but tasty recipes. We had a lot of fun together and always enjoyed the approval on the faces of the tasters as we passed out samples of our creations.

Granola Energy Bars

Healthy Holiday Fun
This time of year is often filled with excesses: calories, spending, and parties.

Take Time to Savour Slow Food
Rebellion against the fast-food industry has grown into the Slow-Food Movement, which encourages us to take pleasure in well-prepared, nourishing foods. These recipes incorporate a little slow-food style.

Cleansing Foods
After spending the cozy days of winter sipping hot chocolate and finishing the holiday cookies, our body systems can feel sluggis.

Cancer-Free Living
In order to make healthful choices we need to understand the latest disease-fighting foods. That's why I included the Top 40 cancer-fighting foods in my new book, Staying Alive! Cookbook for Cancer Free Living - so that you can incorporate them into delicious, satisfying meals.

Winning The Food Fight
Do your children refuse to eat their vegetables? Do they prefer sugary foods and drinks to fresh produce and whole-grain breads and pastas? If so, you're not alone. Many parents are frustrated by having to compete with slick advertising campaigns luring their children toward the next sugary treat or fast-food snack..

Cereal Killers Lurking in Your Home?
Let's examine a child's typical breakfast: Processed breakfast cereal (sugar) with milk (more sugar), toast and jam (even more sugar), served with a glass of fruit juice (still more sugar). All carbohydrates break down into sugars in the body.

Omega-3s and Children
Omega-3 fats are polyunsaturated fats that protect against heart disease, have anti-inflammatory properties, aid in proper retinal and brain development, and improve focus and behaviour in children.

Managing the Munchies
With an increasing incidence of type 2 diabetes in young people-so much so they don't even bother calling it "adult onset anymore-it's clear that eating habits play a major role in our health. But for many teens, snacking on high-sugar, high-fat food is as much a part of life as homework or driving lessons.

Cardamom-Cashew Blobs
Spicy, unique flavor in a flash.

Mini Onion and Cheese Pie
It doesn't matter which way you eat the onion, it's always good for you! Onions are antibiotic and can be added to almost any savory dish, along with oregano (also known as marjoram), one of the most versatile herbs.

Beach Blanket Veggie Balls
Veggie balls are great appetizers. To make playful shish kebabs, alternate veggie balls with grape or cherry tomatoes and mushrooms. Serve with a spicy sauce or relish. Another variation is veggie burgers. Form patties from the dough instead of balls and gently sauté in coconut butter. Serve hot with a horseradish gravy, stuffed or double-baked potatoes ("potatoes in jackets") and a leafy green salad.

Fruit Pizza
Ask your children to experiment with this pizza recipe. Even if it doesn't turn out 100 per cent, you can't help enjoying the love and enthusiasm that went into it.

Steamed Asparagus with Tangy Spring Sauce
This very versatile sauce adds zest to any spring or summer vegetable, hot or cold. You can also serve it over rice or tossed with pasta for a satisfying main dish. The sauce can be conveniently made ahead of time and refrigerated up to three days. Serves four.

Potato Baskets with Mushroom and Thyme Filling
These mouthwatering treats make hearty little snacks or a complete meal when served with a green salad or a raw carrot or red beet salad. Makes about 12 baskets.

Goat Cheese in Olive Oil
This recipe can also be made with feta cheese. It tastes excellent with a crisp salad or on toasted rye bread. Serve it as a palatable surprise or when you want to impress guests arriving unannounced and you have no time to prepare an elaborate meal. Thyme's antifungal and antibacterial properties make it perfect for use in canning or preserving foods.

Baked Camembert With Cranberry Preserves

Pickled Pumpkin
This delicately-spiced preserved pumpkin makes the perfect companion to any kind of salad or served as an hors d'oeuvres. It's a winter condiment to accompany your dinner or lunch and keeps for six months in the refrigerator.

Pumpernickel Rounds
Pumpernickel is a dark rye bread from Germany, hearty enough to sustain Bismarck's army on long winter journeys. Apple and cheese accompanied the pumpernickel because the unique combination of tastes and textures satisfies the taste buds.

Blue Cheese Baguette
This is a delicious yet simple recipe you can prepare ahead of time. It's a great finger food and a wonderful marriage of flavours.

Marinated Apple with Plum-Cashew Dip
While King of Pippins and Rubinettes are good eating apples, this recipe makes them great. The juicy, sweet and tart plums supply carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins and silica.

Tortillas
Adding different herbs and spices to your tortilla dough gives it more flavour. Cumin, for example, is a popular favourite. Experiment with organic flours like kamut, hemp or spelt for variety.

EFA Popcorn

Brown Rice Chews
A snack or a meal!

Nutty Carob Squares

Fruit Nut Candies

Royal Snack Mix

Garden Snack Mix

Vegetable Nori Roll-Ups

Home-Roasted Nuts
Nuts can be gently roasted at home by warming them in a fry pan until golden or placing them under the broiler for five minutes. They can also be placed on a baking sheet and placed in the hot oven for five to 10 minutes.

When Food is Love
Although parents find it tempting to use junk food as rewards, this "food is love mentality can create a whole host of problems and set a child up for an eating disorder later in life.

Not Milk?
The best food for babies is their mothers' milk; it is perfectly adapted to their needs. For adults, however, lactose intolerance is just one reason to look for an alternative to cows' milk.

Longevi-Tea
What if there was a magic potion that could lower the risk of a heart attack and stroke, reduce the rate of your arteries becoming clogged, lower your cholesterol, protect against several cancers, and potentially increase bone density? Well, there is! Tea f.

Tex-Mex Barbecue
Do you love hearty steaks, burgers, fries, chicken wings, and lots of beer? By making a few simple substitutions, you can enjoy all the great flavour of your favourite foods yet reduce the risk of disease.

Nutrient-Rich Recipes
With hormones fluctuating monthly and additional changes happening over a lifetime, women can succumb to all kinds of food cravings in an effort to get required nutrients.

Spicy Tomato Salsa
While fresh, vine-ripened tomatoes give you unbeatable taste and valuable live nutrients, you can also use canned tomatoes for this recipe if you're in a rush.

Nag Me Not
In 2000 the Canadian Medical Association Journal reported that children are increasingly choosing to watch TV, surf the Internet, and play video games instead of staying active with sports and outdoor play. Today the average Canadian child sits in front of a screen three to five hours a day.

Bone Health for Children
By the time you are in your early 20s, you have reached your peak in bone mass development. After this age you can expect a slow and steady decline to occur each year.

Soy Beverage
As parents, we want to provide our children with the best food possible. However, kids are sometimes put off by the taste and appearance of healthy foods. Some children, for example, don't like the taste of certain soy-based beverages.

School Lunch Recipes Your Kids Will Love
With a little preplanning and experimentation, packing healthy school lunches doesn't have to be a chore. The key is to focus on the foods your children eat willingly.

Proper Protein Portions
Parents with sport-oriented children want to be involved and informed in both their child's athletic activities and nutritional need. One of their common questions is about protein, which plays a vital role in children's development as well as in their performance.

Feta, Chive and Dandelion Dip

Fantastic Flaxseed
The first time I tasted flax seed oil, I was young and working for Siegfried in his bookstore. We were "going together and he invited me home to meet his family over breakfast.

Summertime Is Tomato Time
Can you think of anything more delicious than biting into a juicy, sun-ripened tomato picked from the vine in your garden or on your balcony?

Go Nuts For The Holidays
During the festive season, it can be a challenge to put together a meal that satisfies all the guests and their many different dietary choices. Adding nuts to the menu can solve a number of challenges.

Strawberry Popsicles
This natural and delightfully sweet treat is perfect for those last days of summer as an after-school snack. Strawberries are very high in vitamin C and contain powerful antioxidants to promote health.

Mini Pizzas

Festive Pizza Popcorn
Popcorn has the benefits of being filling, yet low in calories, which makes it perfect for the holiday season! The following recipe makes about 6 cups of popped corn.

Signy's Homemade Power Bars
"It's great to have healthy snacks handy and it means I don't have to resort to 'power (read: sugar) bars' when my blood sugar levels drop. There are so few good snacks or quick food that you can buy when you're away from home, so I love having my own on hand.-Signy Wilson, cancer survivor

Lentil Pita Pockets
Pita pockets with lentils are a meal rich in fibre and complex carbohydrates, exactly what people should be looking for when choosing a low-carb diet. Lentils have a wide spectrum of essential amino acids and are a good protein source.

Grilled Sesame Tofu Fingers

Spicy Honey Roasted Pecans

Mango Relish
Fruit servings aren't high on the priority foods list of most men so I'm always looking for ways to slip in a serving here and there. Mangoes are rich in antioxidants and vitamins and red bell peppers pack a punch of vitamin C-even more than oranges!

Chocolate and Strawberry Sandwiches
There is one guarantee with this sandwich-the lunch box will be empty when it returns home. Despite its decadent concept, this sandwich provides healthy whole grains, a serving of nuts provides good fats , and the strawberries

Pizza Squares
Pizza is ideal for the lunch box as you can use any combination of vegetables you know your kids will like in order to slip in some veggie servings. To add protein, try using veggie salami slices, or add pineapple tidbits for a little sweetness.

Turnips are Tops for Health
Native to western Asia, the turnip has served as food for humans and their livestock for centuries. The turnip was a daily staple in Europe before potatoes were. As a member of the cruciferous vegetable family, the turnip is considered a top veggie when it comes to disease-preventing phytochemicals.

You Can Have Healthy Children
A young mother, in her mid-20s and grossly overweight, was pulling a four-wheeled cart behind her. In the cart was an obese six-year-old child. The young boy, sitting cross-legged, was eating a mound of pretzels and potato chips piled high in his lap.

Nutrition Tips for Healthy Vegetarian Kids
Parents who eat vegetarian diets are often nutrition savvy, but there are different nutritional requirements for children and adults. Most importantly, children have higher metabolic rates and energy requirements.

Brie and Wild Mushroom Phyllo
Think of this as the phyllo-siphers scone: baked brie, wild mushrooms, and winter thyme wrapped in crisp bundles.

Lead by Example
Raising healthy children isn't just about giving them a vitamin pill with dinner. It's about creating a family life that promotes and sustains health for all. While a holistic diet is the cornerstone of a natural lifestyle, other elements such as fresh air and exercise are also important. When parents eat a balanced natural foods diet, they provide their children with the foundation for future health.

Asparagus Snadwich
Asparagus wrapped in cream cheese and sliced bread. Great for a party appetizer!

We're Pregnant! Now What?
"How do I ensure a healthy pregnancy? You can have a healthy pregnancy by eating a healthy, well-balanced diet augmented with the right supplements for baby and maternal health, making sure exercise is part of your weekly routine, and maintaining a healthy weight.

Teach Your Children Well
There are certain well-researched health and nutritional truths that can improve your children's health and overall well-being. Once implemented in your household, the following practices will optimize your children's health and wellness, both physically and mentally.

Baby Food Basics
New parents want to make the best choices for their children. Proper nutrition and good eating habits should be established at a very young age and affect a child's health for a lifetime.

Healthy Lunches
Are you sometimes faced with the decision between taking a chance on a slice of pizza or picking up a corner-store burrito to stuff into your kid's lunch bag? Instead of relying on those fast-food lunches loaded with calories and fat, here's how you can pack a healthy on-the-go lunch in just minutes.

Eating Well-For Two
The earliest weeks of pregnancy are a critical time for fetal development. In fact, you'll need to start taking care of yourself before you even conceive in order to have the healthiest pregnancy possible. Nutrition will be key to helping you keep your growing baby healthy and safe while inside the womb.

food and nutrition

What's for Lunch?
Encourage your children to take part in selecting the foods they want to find in their lunchboxes.

Sugar and Your Child
Many parents realize that sugar is not their friend when it comes to raising happy, healthy children. Childhood obesity and the accompanying health hazard of childhood diabetes are serious health concerns.

Food Additives and Hyperactivity
If you take your children grocery shopping, you know the draw of brightly packaged food. It doesn't stop there: inside the packaging you'll often find additives and colouring to enhance flavour and fun.

Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese Cucumber Slices
With its low-fat dairy products and smoked salmon, this appetizer gives you a tasty dose of omega-3s and protein. Salmon, cheese, and yogourt also contain the amino acid tryptophan, which helps your body produce serotonin, the feel-good hormone.

Mushroom and Pepper Kebabs
This delicious side pairs perfectly with any burger while providing a nutritious punch to the meal.

Baked Coconut Shrimp with Apricot Dipping Sauce
This classic steakhouse appetizer has been given a healthy makeover by baking instead of deep frying.

Herbed Sweet Potato Fries
Great as a steak sidekick, baked sweet potato fries save you plenty of calories and offer up hefty amounts of the antioxidant beta carotene.

The Organic Picnic
Eating alfresco surrounded by nature makes us realize how much we need to take care of our precious planet. We can start by packing an organic picnic—its positive impact can go much further than just the foods we choose.