Hot dogs for Turkey dogs. Once you put dressing on them, you never notice.
The irony of commitment is that it’s deeply liberating-in work, in play, in love. The act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around as rational hesitation. To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life. --Anne Morris
Originally posted by <beignets&coffee>: the hot dog and hamburger buns morphed from white bread to whole wheat.
We did this by accident in the spring. Our donating bakery ran out of white & gave us wheat.
You know what? No one noticed! & the few that did loved them. A small, easy way to make an improvement. Now, if we could just sub the hot dog for some celery...
NjMom.. i think everyone has a " fun" healthy snack idea, and chances are, if their child likes it, so will another one..! Perhaps those room moms can ask parents for ideas, too!
The other great thing is that with cultural diversity, you also get different ethnic foods as well, and that is also a great tool to help families build their food repertoire!
A parent said to me recently that when we were kids ( I am in my 40's.. very early ones! [img]smile.gif[/img] ) the classroom parties and treats were just that -TREATS.. there was not the abundance of junk food and vending and fast food and crazy lifestyles that there is today. So, as parents, although we want all those fun parties for our kids like we had, we are forgetting that for many kids, those treats are now the NORM, not a TREAT!
I am disgusted when I am in the grocery store and I see EVERY category of food offered with chocolate chips, marshmellows and frosting. 99% of the cereals are sugar and corn.. 99% of the carbs are whiet flour BAD carbs.. and EVERYTHING from breakfast to dinner has to have a fatty sugary diupping sauce or topping! How about we teach people how to cook ??
and... while i am on a roll.. how about our government doing a better job subsidizing our farmers so low income families can buy fresh fruit and produce, too??? NO wonder this country is obese! white flour products are the cheapest, and that's all people can afford to buy! [img]smile.gif[/img]
RobinD - I'm sending your suggestions for healthy snacks to my fellow room parents. Fruit kebabs sound yummy as do the pita pockets with hummus and cukes. Perhaps we can add at least one healthy item to the cupcakes and chip menu for our class parties.
Our school has always offered a variety when it came to our events. Ex: our spring dance - we offered soda, juice and waters. Popcorn and pretzes with the snacks. We try to always have self contained fruits (don't need cutting: apples, grapes, bannanas). We do limit candy (thank goodness!), and always have the traditional snacks: brownies, cookeis, chips, etc.....
<font size=""2"">If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain - Maya Angelou</font><br />
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<br>Life is an adventure - Seize each moment and make it your own!
Every year our school holds 2 open house nights, when families are asked to donate a snack to share. For as long as I could remember, it was a " veritable smorgasbord" of sugar.
When I stepped up as PTO Pres 4 years ago, I switched the invitation to say " please bring a nutritious snack to share" instead of " please bring goodies".
What a difference that has made! People bring AMAZING, fun things like fruit - kebobs, melon balls, cheese and crackers, carved watermelon, mini sandwiches, hummus and cukes on pita.. and so on! It has been SO fun seeing the creative ways that people " do" nutritious snacks. MANY people have commented that they love seeing all the ideas, and have added new things to their family's repertoire of healthful snacks, as a result of seeing our snack tables.
Furthermore, MANY parents have thanked us for the change, not only for their kids' health ( and their own) but for the simple fact that they all have come right from work and have not eaten dinner and they have appreciated these things instead of cookies, cupcakes and brownies.
