ST. ROBERT CATHOLIC SCHOOL - PARENT NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2013 “ Nutrition Ignition!” is an exciting program that teaches students about the importance of healthy eating and physical activity. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It helps prepare your child for a day of learning at school and provides the energy needed to be physically active throughout the day! Breakfast Tips for Parents Fitness Challenge: Walking Lunges 1.Take a large step forward with your right leg. 2.Bend your knees and lower yourself down until your back knee is just a few inches above the floor. Your front knee shouldn’t go over your toes. 3.Push off with your left foot and bring it next to your right foot. 4.Repeat with left leg. 5.Try doing these down the block or around the back yard, or during commercial breaks. Creating a Balanced Breakfast A balanced breakfast includes at least 3 of the 4 food groups from Canada’s Food Guide: Vegetables & Fruits – e.g., fresh, frozen, dried, or canned fruits and vegetables Grain Products – e.g., whole grain cereal, oatmeal, whole wheat bread, naan, brown rice Milk & Alternatives – e.g., yogurt, cottage cheese, cow’s milk, soy milk Meat & Alternatives – e.g., eggs, tofu, peanut butter, nuts Breakfast Facts for Families Breakfast gives you energy to start your day and it even improves concentration and memory! Breakfast helps you get all your daily nutrients. Eating breakfast regularly helps you achieve a healthy body weight. Children who help plan and prepare breakfast are more excited to eat it. People who skip breakfast are more likely to eat sugary, high-fat foods later in the day. Eating fiber at breakfast helps fill you up and keeps your blood sugars controlled throughout the day. and-School-Age/Eat-Well-Play-Well-At-Home.aspx breakfast

Tropical Fruit-Yogurt Smoothie Try this tropical smoothie for a boost of energy in the morning. It’s nutritious, delicious, and easy to make! Ingredients: ¾ cup blueberry yogurt or any other fruit-flavoured yogurt 1 cup frozen mango chunks 1 small banana ⅓ cup uncooked, large flake oats 2 tsp grated fresh ginger ½ cup orange juice ½ cup milk Directions: 1.Put yogurt, mango chunks, banana, oats, and ginger in a blender. Add orange juice and milk. 2. Blend for 30 seconds or until smooth. 3. If smoothie is too thick, add more milk or orange juice. Yield: 2 servings Tropical Fruit-Yogurt Smoothie Recipe Cost Total Recipe Cost (2 servings): $4.07 Cost per Serving: $2.04 IngredientCost of Ingredient as Purchased Quantity in Recipe Cost per Ingredient in Recipe Danone Activia blueberry yogurt$4.99 per 650 grams¾ cup$1.64 PC frozen mango chunks$5.49 per 600 grams1 cup$1.83 Banana, fresh69 cents per pound1 $0.12 No Name large flake oats$2.99 per kilogram1/3 cup$0.08 Ginger, fresh$3.73 per kilogram2 tsp$0.03 PC Blue Menu orange juice$5.19 per 2.63 litres½ cup$0.25 Neilsen 2% milk$3.97 per 4 litres½ cup$0.12 ► Grab a homemade muffin from the freezer along with a juice box and cheesestring ► Whip up a fruit-yogurt smoothie with oats and put it into a thermos ► Layer cheese, tomato, and lettuce on a whole wheat English muffin ►Spread peanut butter on a whole wheat tortilla and top with sliced banana or pear, or apple ►Spread hummus on a whole wheat bagel and grab an apple ► Grab a hard-boiled egg from the fridge along with a container of milk and a piece of fruit Too busy to eat breakfast at home? Consider the following ideas for a quick and easy breakfast that you can eat on the go: /Food-Preparation/Quick-and-Easy-Breakfast- Ideas.aspx Created by: S. Pilat for Nutrition Ignition!