Author Archives: viviankirkfield

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About viviankirkfield

Writer for children - Reader forever - Mom of 3, educator, author of FOUR OTTERS TOBOGGAN: AN ANIMAL COUNTING BOOK (PomegranateKids, PIPPA'S PASSOVER PLATE (Holiday House), SWEET DREAMS, SARAH (Creston Books); MAKING THEIR VOICES HEARD: THE INSPIRING FRIENDSHIP OF ELLA FITZGERALD AND MARILYN MONROE (Little Bee Books); FROM HERE TO THERE: INVENTIONS THAT CHANGED THE WAY THE WORLD MOVES (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Jan 19, 2021); PEDAL, BALANCE, STEER: Annie Londonderry, First Woman to Bike Around the World (Calkins Creek/Astra, Feb 20, 2024) picture book junkie, lover of travel, hiking, fly-fishing, cooking, and playing Monopoly with my grandson.

Some MoreThoughts on Healthy Eating…for Summer-time and Beyond

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Small child with head down on highchair.

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As parents, we are responsible for what our children eat…at least when they are little.

We plan the meals, shop for the ingredients, prepare the food and serve it.

So every young child should be eating a healthy balanced diet, right?

Unfortunately, many young children are NOT eating a healthy balanced diet because:

  • Many parents didn’t have a healthy diet themselves as children and don’t really know what to serve!
  • The media overloads us with commercials about fast food and sugary desserts!
  • Young children can be fussy about eating and concerned parents just want them to eat SOMETHING!

Here are some simple steps parents can take to help:

1.     Plan regular meal-times…if children know they can get something to eat at any time of the day or night, they will not be motivated to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner.  And having family meals together provides so many other emotional and social benefits as well. 

2.     Snacks are important additions to a young child’s daily food intake… provide nutritious ones like veggie sticks dipped in hummus, cheese cubes with whole grain crackers and fruit slices in yogurt.

3.     Serve small portions…young children can be overwhelmed when a plate piled with food is put in front of them…for instance, if your child is having a sandwich, cut it in quarters and serve one quarter at a time.

4.     Use your imagination to make meals pleasing to the eye…attractive plates and servings arranged in an interesting way…for example, a small bowl of spaghetti with two meatballs for the eyes, a steamed baby carrot for the nose and several steamed green beans for the smile.  What fun!  You can always add a new “nose” and new “smile” when your child finishes the first ones.   Or how about using cookie cutters to make interesting shapes of sandwiches?

5.     Avoid processed foods as much as possible…they are usually filled with salt, sugar, preservatives and artificial colors and flavors.  When your children become accustomed to these, they can lose their appreciation for the flavor and goodness of wholesome natural foods.

There are many websites that can help with nutrition information and meal planning.

http://nutritiondata.self.com/

http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=4&tax_level=1

http://www.mealsmatter.org/

http://www.healthy-eating-made-easy.com/healthy-meal-planning.html

For more meal-planning tips, fresh ideas and simple recipes that your children can help prepare, you can get a copy of Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking…now on sale for 50% off the cover price on my website.  For only $22.50, you will have 100 child-friendly recipes, 100 arts and crafts activities and 100 picture book summaries that all build self-esteem, develop pre-literacy skills and create a life-long parent-child bond.  Did you know that this great resource is also a memory book…with lined spaces on every other page for you to record your child’s highlights?

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Watch The Sweets This Summer: What Are The Alternatives?

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An arrangement of confections

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We are a nation that loves sweet things.

If you read the ingredient label of almost every boxed or packaged food (we’re all reading the labels, aren’t we?), you’ll find that sugar, or some sugar substitute, has been added.

Cereals, breads, macaroni and cheese, beverages, frozen dinners…the list is endless and I’m not even talking about “sweet” treats like cookies, candies and ice cream.

“Today, (beet and cane) sugar has become a devastating American habit; it is quite impossible to find a commercial or canned food of any kind that does not contain it.  In a lifetime, the average American eats three tons of sugar.  Sugar injures the heart, causes overweight, decays teeth and creates diabetes, yet once upon a time it had no place at all in the American diet.  When sweetening was confined to honey and maple syrup, the American was indeed a healthier being.”

This quote is from Eric Sloane’s Once Upon A Time: The Way America Was.  It was published in 1982 and the sugar situation has not gotten better…it has gotten worse and many of the artificial sugar substitutes turned out to be worse than the product they were replacing.

Parents have an obligation to “raise up their children as they would have them go on” in life.  The time to set the parameters of what is good to eat and what is not is when children are young. 

How can we help our children avoid too much sugar and develop good eating habits?

  • Read the ingredient labels and put back a product that has unnecessary sugar.
  • Know that “sugar” comes in many forms and is called by many different names: glucose, fructose, high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, maltose, crystalline fructose, polysaccharide, monosaccharide, galactose, dextrose, corn syrup…you get the picture.
  • Try making at least some of your menu items from “scratch” because then you will know exactly what you are putting into the food your family is eating. 
  • Get into the habit of offering water when children are thirsty…flavored beverages and soda are FULL of sugar…empty calories and no nutrition.  100% juice has lots of “natural” sugar as well…try using ½ juice with ½ water…you will have a healthier, cheaper and more thirst-quenching drink.  Pour this mixture into ice-pop molds and you will have inexpensive and refreshing pops.
  • Put a limit on the number of “sweet” treats…keep cut up carrot and cucumber sticks in the fridge.
  • Be a good role model…does your child see you having a donut with your coffee, spooning sugar on your morning cereal, eating a chocolate covered ice-cream pop after lunch and then sitting down with a piece of cake after dinner?

If you are looking for some simple healthful recipes that your child can help you prepare in the kitchen, Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking provides 100 of them.  Head over to my website and buy a copy of this award-winning book at 50% off the cover price.  You won’t be wondering what to do with your little ones this summer because there are also 100 arts and crafts activities and summaries of the 100 picture books every young child should hear.

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Three Cheers for the Red, White and Blue: A 4th of July Dessert

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Flag of the United States

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 Happy Birthday, America…and Happy July 4th to all!

Whether you are on the road or close to home, enjoy the day and stay safe!

I looked through Show Me How! and found the perfect dessert to serve on this auspicious day…it’s quick, easy, healthy and…RED, WHITE and BLUE!

CHILD-FRIENDLY RAINBOW FRUIT AND RICE PUDDING PARFAITS

Color does lift one’s mood…help your child create a multi-colored dessert for the entire family to enjoy…when everyone compliments this delicious and beautiful treat, your child’s self-esteem will be lifted also.

You will need: 1½ cups cooked white rice (you can use brown rice for more nutrition another time…we want the white for the red, white and blue), ¼ cup honey, ½ cup coconut flakes, ½ cup sliced strawberries, ½ cup blueberries, 1 sliced banana, 1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt, a large bowl and 4 parfait glasses.

1.     Mix the rice, honey, yogurt and coconut in a large bowl.

2.     Drop a spoonful of this mixture into each parfait glass.

3.     Now spoon in some sliced bananas and cover with another spoonful of the rice mixture.

4.     Add a spoonful of sliced strawberries and cover with the remaining rice mixture.

5.     Top with blueberries.

6.     Makes 4 servings…refrigerate any leftovers.

7.     Creative tip: you can substitute other fruits and or yogurt flavors.

 If this is the type of recipe you enjoy preparing, treat yourself to a copy of my award-winning book, Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking.  There are 100 simple child-friendly healthful cooking activities AND 100 easy eco-friendly craft projects.  And that’s not all…you’ll find picture book summaries of the 100 books every young child should hear!  You deserve a hassle-free summer with your kids…be good to yourself and them and grab a copy at 50% off the cover price and you will have fresh ideas and activities for the entire summer and beyond!  Click on this link.