1. Ants on a Log: This classic camp recipe is a child favorite, but did you know how healthy it really is? The classic recipe for ants on a log is celery, peanut butter, and raisins. Celery is very high in vitamin K, vitamin C, potassium, folate, and dietary fiber. It is also low in calories, and helps in preventing high blood pressure. It lowers blood pressure because celery is full of pthalides, which are active compounds which can help relax the muscles around the arteries, thus lowering the pressure on the arties. Pthalides also help lower the hormones which cause stress levels to rise. All of that in a piece of celery! Peanut butter is very high in monounsaturated fat, the type of fat that is promoted in heart-healthy eating and is often heard in conjunction with the “Mediterranean Diet.” Peanuts are also high in vitamin E, niacin, and folate. New research has also shown that peanuts may be just as high in antioxidants as some fruits and vegetables. Peanuts are one of the best foods to eat, in moderation, to prevent cardiovascular problems and coronary heart disease. Raisins, the ants on the log, are one of the top sources of the trace mineral, boron. Boron is very important, especially for women, in bone health and prevention of osteoporosis. Who know that such a classic and simple after-school snack had such health benefits not just for the kids, but for the adults as well!
2. Elephant and Monkey: While Ants on a Log is an easy after-school snack, sometimes kids crave more sweetness after school. Elephant and Monkey is an easy and sweet snack that you can whip up in a matter of seconds. Take a banana, peel it, spread peanut butter on one side of it and spray a line of whipped cream over the peanut butter. The combination of the sweet banana and salty peanut butter is sure to make any mouth water; the addition of the whipped cream makes it taste desert-like and appealing as a “healthy special-treat” snack. But, how healthy is this special-treat snack? Bananas are an important part of a child’s diet because they are extremely high in vitamin B6, vitamin C, and potassium. Potassium is imperative in maintaining healthy blood pressure and is a heart-healthy nutrient; potassium has been known to reduce the risk of strokes, as well. The potassium in bananas is essential when it comes to children because it promotes bone health; the potassium in bananas counteracts the calcium loss that occurs when one has a diet high in sodium. Further, bananas are known to prevent stomach ulcers; when a banana is ingested, the banana substances stir up the cells that make up the stomach lining, thus creating a thicker mucus membrane in the stomach to protect the stomach from acids. There are also compounds in the makeup of the banana fruit which help eliminate the bacteria that can cause ulcers.
3. Make-Them-Nows: I asked my sister what I should call this recipe and she replied, “Make it now” and then proceeded to ask me when we were going to make it for the rest of the night, thus the name. To make a Make-It-Now you need a cucumber, cream cheese, and walnuts. Cut a cucumber in half and take out the seeds with a spoon; spread cream cheese in the hollowed out half-cucumber and sprinkle walnuts down into the cream cheese. Delicious! Cucumbers are known to bring swelling down; smooth skin; ease burns; and prevent water retention. Cucumbers also contain vitamin C, potassium, and vitamin A.
4. Eggplant Pizza: Eggplant pizza is great as an after-school snack, lunch, or even with some added extras, as dinner for the whole family! We’ve all eaten pizza bagels, but eating cheese, sauce, and a starchy bagel is not an ideal snack for growing kids (or adults). Instead of the bagel, slice an eggplant into slices about 2 inches thick; put the slices on a cookie sheet, spray with some PAM and bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Take out of oven and add some sauce and cheese and pop back in oven for 15 minutes. You can add any other toppings you like, such as meat, pepperoni, peppers, other cheeses, etc. Why is the eggplant so important to eat? The US Agricultural Service has found that eggplants are a great source of antioxidants called phenolic compounds. Chlorogenic acid is the most prominent phenolic compound and the most potent scavenger of free radicals in plant tissues; chlorogenic acid has been known to be an antioxidant against cancer, microbacteria, LDL cholesterol, and certain viruses. Eggplant is also low in calories but high in dietary fiber, potassium, magnesium, vitamin B1 and B6, as well as niacin. Now, you don’t get all that from a bagel!
5. Some other healthy eating tips: When making ice cream sundaes use salt-free, sugar-free nuts, dates, dried fruit, and carob chips; make sure to buy no-sugar added fruit juices; add this fruit juice to flavored seltzer water as a healthy soda alternative; use cookie cutters to make un-healthy foods in smaller portion sizes, they will look fun and the kids wont realize how little food they are getting (for example, make brownies look like pumpkins); use rice cakes to create quick snacks; top the rice cakes with cream cheese, nuts, apples, peanut butter, cinnamon, 100% cocoa powder; always try to buy the lowest or no sugar cereal and food as possible; remember that “brown sugar” is not healthier, it’s just white sugar and molasses mixed; use whole wheat flour instead of white flour; use applesauce instead of butter in cakes and cookies; get the kids in the kitchen and involved—the more they see what’s in the food, the more health conscious they will be!
Olivia March Dreizen, © 2008 butyoudontlooksick.com