Creating Enticing and Healthy Meals and Snacks Darcy Miller Vicky Boyce, MS, RD Oregon Department of Education

Getting to know You Introduce yourself to others: – Your first name – Shake hands with left hand; or do elbow bump or fist pump (whatever you’re comfortable with) – Use one of the Key words in a sentence “Fantastic” “Awesome” “Sweet” “Incredible” “Fabulous”

Goals & Outcomes of Session To focus on general good nutrition information Learn basics of planning healthful meals / snacks Work in groups to create a menu cycle which you may take back to your program at the end of the session today Receive resources to help plan more nutritious meals / snacks and to add variety to your menus

Types and amounts of foods to eat MyPyramid helps you plan … Getting enough physical activity Alice Henneman

Alice Henneman

MyPyramid: Fruits For meals ½ cup total For Snacks ¾ cup total Alice Henneman

MyPyramid: Vegetables For meals ¼ - ½ cup For snacks ¾ cup Note this equivalent: 2 cups raw leafy greens = 1 cup of vegetable Alice Henneman

Portion sizes: ½ and 1 cup 1 cup = 1 baseball ½ cup = ½ baseball Alice Henneman

When it comes to fruits & veggies … “For optimum health, scientists say eat a rainbow of colors. Your plate should look like a box of Crayolas.” ~ Janice M. Horowitz, TIME, January 12, Alice Henneman

MyPyramid: Dairy products Consume equivalent of 1 cup or 8 oz milk for meals and snacks of fat-free or low-fat milk or equivalent milk products Equivalents: 8 oz. milk 1 cup yogurt 1½ oz. natural cheese 2 oz. processed cheese Alice Henneman

Save calories by switching to a lower fat milk! Whole 165 calories 165 calories Calories saved: 2% 125 calories 125 calories 40 1% 100 calories 100 calories 65 Fat Free 85 calories 80 Alice Henneman

MyPyramid: Grains 1 ounce equivalent –Choose mostly whole grain products Equivalents: 1 slice bread ½ cup cooked pasta, rice or cereal 1 cup ready-to-eat cereal Alice Henneman

An “ounce-equivalent” from the Grain Group is about... ½ cup cooked rice, pasta or cereal 1 slice bread 5 crackers 1 cup dry cereal Alice Henneman

Examples of whole grains Whole wheat Whole oats/oatmeal Whole grain corn Brown & wild rice Whole rye Whole grain barley Buckwheat Tritacale Bulgur Millet Quinoa Sorghum Alice Henneman

MyPyramid: Meat & beans Eat 2ounce-equivalents for meals Eat 1 ounce-equivalents for snacks Choose lean meat and poultry. Vary your choices – more fish, beans, peas, nuts and seeds. Equivalents: 1 oz. meat, poultry or fish ½ oz. of nuts or seeds ¼ c. cooked dry beans or peas 1 tablespoon peanut butter 1 egg Alice Henneman

1 ounce meat, chicken or turkey, or fish 1 egg 1 tablespoon peanut butter ½ ounce nuts ¼ cup dry beans 1 ounce-equivalents: Alice Henneman

Portion sizes: Cheese 1½ ounces* of natural cheese = 6 dice * Equivalent to 1 cup milk; 2 oz. processed cheese (8 dice) also are equivalent to 1 cup milk Alice Henneman

Because oils contain essential fatty acids, MyPyramid includes an oil allowance. Recommended oil intake ranges from 3 to 7 teaspoons daily based on age, gender and physical activity. Alice Henneman

Portion sizes: 1 teaspoon & 1 tablespoon 1 teaspoon = the tip of a thumb to the first joint 1 tablespoon = 3 thumb tips Alice Henneman

The best food “buys” are foods with: No added sugar The least amount of fat, especially solid fat Alice Henneman

These words mean added sugar Brown Sugar Corn Sweetener Corn Syrup Dextrose Fructose Fruit Juice Concentrates Glucose High-fructose Corn Syrup Honey Invert Sugar Lactose Maltose Malt Syrup Molasses Raw Sugar Sucrose Sugar Syrup

Foods high in solid fats include: Many cheeses Creams Ice creams Well-marbled meat cuts Regular ground beef Bacon Sausages Poultry skin Many baked goods, such as cookies, crackers, donuts, croissants

Watch Out for Portion Distortion! Distortion! Slides marked by are adapted from “Portion Distortion” by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute at

Chocolate chip cookie Guess the calorie difference! 220 calories! 20 Years Ago 1.5 inch diameter Today 3.5 inch diameter 55 calories 275 calories

Soda Guess the calorie difference! 85 calories 20 ounces Today 6.5 ounces 20 Years Ago 250 calories 165 calories!

Guess the calorie difference! Cheeseburger 590 calories 20 Years AgoToday 333 calories 257 calories!

20 Years Ago 5 cups Popcorn Today 11 cups Guess the calorie difference! 270 calories 630 calories 360 calories!

A final word on portion control “Never eat more than you can lift.” ~Miss Piggy “Never eat more than you can lift.” ~Miss Piggy Alice Henneman

ACTIVITY 1.Divide into groups 2.Each group will get a flip chart page; each group will be assigned a food group 3.Using what you have learned today about food groups, brainstorm menu food items that are healthy, kid friendly and readily available 4.Write your ideas on the poster paper at your table 5.Choose the person who had the largest number of children in their program to be the scribe and reporter

IDEAS TO START FRUIT GROUP – Apple slices with peanut butter Vegetable Group – Broccoli Crowns with sour cream dip Grain/Bread Group – Goldfish Crackers Meat Group – Bean Dip with Corn Tortilla Chips Dairy Group – Yogurt and Fresh Strawberries