For Healthy Eating, we’ve been working on making gradual changes that make a big difference. Like, we started using ground turkey and chicken in our tacos instead of beef. We also put out all the taco ingredients on the table and let the children build their own lunches. Kids were putting spinach on their tacos – they never would have tried that normally! ~Dundonald Child Care Co-operative, SK
We asked our separate classrooms to plan and cook lunch for the whole centre. They got into the kitchen and helped mix and make the meal for everyone else. Before we cooked, they had to decide on their meals and ingredients. ~Dundonald Child Care Co-operative, SK
I was inspired to increase the gross motor activities and invitations throughout our room. I have had great success with the Knock down game [from LEAP HOP, p. 48-49], all while following the principles of Play and Exploration! Some of my students (with my suggestion) used our blocks as bowling pins one day. We kept “score” (numeracy) and followed our names on a list. The students began building beautiful “bowling pin” creations some had ramps, many castles, stacking the blocks, and then the fun part of knocking them down with the ball. This has gone on for several days. So today I suggested we write numbers on paper and tape them to the pins so we knew how many points each one was. They loved it! They did it all themselves with a little guidance from me on how to write certain numbers. So once we did that, we set them up and bowled away. Keeping track of points all the way along. Soon they thought we needed “trophies” and they started using glue bottles as trophies, so I saw an opportunity here for something bigger. I took the group that was interested around the school to look at examples of trophies so that we could make our own bowling trophies. The librarian and secretary gave us some books about trophies and medals which created great conversation about different sports, and the Olympics! Tomorrow I will put the invitation out to possibly make a bowling trophy, and see where it goes. And naturally I think we’ll take a trip to the bowling alley soon. Thank you so much for the inspiration and insight, this is so exciting! ~ Prekindergarten teacher, SK
One of the many exciting (and fast-paced) jobs associated with Healthy Start/Départ Santé is data collection. Run, throw the ball, anthropomorphic measurements, plate waste analysis and environment scans are some of the terms and phrases that you will hear throughout the two days of data collection, when spending time with the Healthy Start team at a childcare centre. During the summer months, the HSDS team has been fortunate to have the assistance of summer students from Quebec as well as a MPH Practicum Student from the University of Saskatchewan. The project`s main objective is to promote physical activity as well as healthy eating to children aged 3 to 5 years old in childcare centres. Here are some recollections from students, in the field, on what they thought of data collection: It`s Day 1 and I am approaching the childcare centre with my colleagues. The first thing we hear is children laughing outside. Upon entering, we are introduced to the Director and some Educators of the centre. We quickly prepare our materials to do anthropometric measures; these include a scale, a measuring tape and will be our tools for the next half hour. To finish this task, we need to have a number assigned to each child to ensure they are anonymously identified. With luck, these stickers will stay in place until the end of the day. Another student stresses the importance of accuracy when recording pertinent information: Data collection is, for one part, a very serious job; you have to be on point with your numbers, practices and concentration in order to gather very specific data. On the other hand, I found data collection to be very entertaining, stimulating and overall a wonderful experience. Here’s why: I had done research before, with animals and in the anthropology field, but this was a first time with children. There are numerous components associated with data collection beyond simply collecting anthropomorphic data. An interesting part is the Test of Gross Motor Development (TGMD-11). The second part of data collection is a recorded series of physical activities that test children’s gross motor skills. Some of these activities, like running, might appear as simple tasks for most of us. They tend to be a little bit more demanding for the kids, who were all between the ages of 3 and 5 years old. They each had to do a series of nine gross motor skills, including kicking a soccer ball, throwing and catching balls, jumping on one foot or even galloping “like a horse”. At this point in the day, the children`s personalities really begin to show as some can be a bit silly by “planting themselves in front of the camera where all you can capture is their performances of grimaces and funny faces.“ At this point the camera person will need to film a second time to ensure the skill is captured on film and can be properly analyzed later on. Lunchtime can also be a lot of fun at the centres and requires a lot of quick handling, measuring and photographing of meals with the Plate Waste App on the tablets. Research assistants need to take note of which children are participating in the study (with prior parental consent) and keep track of extra servings provided. Even another glass of milk needs to be noted. “Meanwhile, Holly Hallikainen, the Evaluation Coordinator, would weigh the children`s full plates before eating and leftovers afterwards to know exactly how many grams of food the children had eating.“ After lunchtime, it is time for a siesta! It is also a moment for us to catch our collective breaths. The environmental scan questionnaire (NAPSAC) will be taken out of its folder and we will walk around the childcare centre to interview Educators on different aspects of the centre. Once naptime is finished, we will continue to evaluate fundamental movement skills until mid-afternoon. When reflecting back on data collection: If this experience has taught me anything, it would be that physical activity and healthy eating are essential to the well-being of children. If we teach them early on how important it is to stay active, sleep well and eat healthy, I think these kids will grow up as functional and healthy adults later on in life. This experience was eye-opening, and I’d do it all over again if asked again! The HSDS Team would love to have them again!
Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef or turkey 1 taco seasoning pouch (low in sodium) 1 cup water 1 tomato, diced 1 yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped Kalamata or black olives, sliced Spinach or lettuce Cheddar cheese, grated Salsa or plain Greek yogurt (optional) Directions: Heat a skillet over medium-heat. Add meat and cook until browned. Drain fat off and add seasoning and water. Mix and cook for 5 minutes. Let it cool. Chop, slice and dice vegetables. On a spinach or lettuce bed, add meat, vegetables and grated cheese. Add salsa and/or Greek yogurt (optional) and serve. Note : For a simple and easy lunch on the go, add ingredients in a jar, starting with salsa/yogurt, meat (cooked and seasoned), vegetables and grated cheese. Top with spinach and put in the fridge until ready to serve.
Ingredients: 3 cups baby spinach 2 cups fresh fruit (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and/or peaches etc.) ½ cup yogurt Directions: Wash baby spinach. Cut fresh fruit into small pieces and add to spinach. Add yogurt and toss salad until everything is coated. Serve immediately and enjoy.
Ingredients 3 cups of chopped cabbage 1 can of red beans, rinsed 2 green onions, chopped 1 red pepper, diced ¼ cup feta cheese, diced ¼ cup chopped parsley ¼ cup lemon juice 2 tbsp olive oil 2 pressed cloves of garlic Directions Mix the chopped vegetables, feta and parsley in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients. Mix well and serve. Reference: Anne Lindsay Light Cooking
Ingredients: 1 & ½ cups of frozen blueberries 1 banana (frozen) 8-10 fresh pineapple chunks ¾ almond milk 1 cup spinach Toppings: Fresh blueberries Fresh strawberries Mandarin pieces 2 tablespoons of unsweetened coconut ¼ cup granola 1 tablespoon hemp seeds 1 tablespoon walnuts 1 tablespoon peanut butter Directions: Put all ingredients in blender and blend. The consistency should be thicker than a regular smoothie so that you can eat the smoothie with a spoon. Add a little more milk if the mixture isn’t blending. Pour mixture into a bowl and add toppings. Enjoy!
Ingredients: Pizza Bush Pie 2 slices of bread Spreadable butter 1-2 tbsp. pizza sauce ¼ cup chopped or sliced meat (chicken, ham, etc.) ¼ cup Mozzarella (more or less depending on personal preference) Extras: Sliced peppers, mushrooms, jalapenos, pineapple, tomatoes, etc. Directions: Make campfire (works best when there is lots of hot coals and fire not blazing). Butter the bread on one side and lay the butter side down in the cold Bush Pie maker. Add pizza sauce, to bread then add meat, cheese, and other toppings. Close the Bush Pie maker. Cook over campfire coals. Cook times will vary with the fire and also depending if the Bush Pie maker is aluminum or cast iron. Take it out of the fire and open to check the color of the bread. Remove from fire when it is a golden brown color (depending of personal preference). Note: Try Dessert Bush Pies- try adding marshmallows, peanut butter, jam, chocolate, canned cherries, cream cheese in any combination that appeals to your taste. Try Breakfast Bush Pies- try sliced boiled eggs, bacon, ham, cheese, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, etc. The options are limitless.
Bush Pies (Erica’s Favorite) Ingredients: Pizza Bush Pie 2 slices of bread Spreadable butter 1-2 tbsp. pizza sauce ¼ cup chopped or sliced meat (chicken, ham, etc.) ¼ cup Mozzarella (more or less depending on personal preference) Extras: Sliced peppers, mushrooms, jalapenos, pineapple, tomatoes, etc. Directions: Make campfire (works best when there is lots of hot coals and fire not blazing). Butter the bread on one side and lay the butter side down in the cold Bush Pie maker. Add pizza sauce, to bread then add meat, cheese, and other toppings. Close the Bush Pie maker. Cook over campfire coals. Cook times will vary with the fire and also depending if the Bush Pie maker is aluminum or cast iron. Take it out of the fire and open to check the color of the bread. Remove from fire when it is a golden brown color (depending of personal preference). Note: Try Dessert Bush Pies- try adding marshmallows, peanut butter, jam, chocolate, canned cherries, cream cheese in any combination that appeals to your taste. Try Breakfast Bush Pies- try sliced boiled eggs, bacon, ham, cheese, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, etc. The options are limitless. Blueberry Smoothie Bowl (Se’era’s Favorite) Ingredients: 1 & ½ cups of frozen blueberries 1 banana (frozen) 8-10 fresh pineapple chunks ¾ almond milk 1 cup spinach Toppings: Fresh blueberries Fresh strawberries Mandarin pieces 2 tablespoons of unsweetened coconut ¼ cup granola 1 tablespoon hemp seeds 1 tablespoon walnuts 1 tablespoon peanut butter Directions: Put all ingredients in blender and blend. The consistency should be thicker than a regular smoothie so that you can eat the smoothie with a spoon. Add a little more milk if the mixture isn’t blending. Pour mixture into a bowl and add toppings. Enjoy! Prosciutto chicken (Corinne’s Favorite) Ingredients: 4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts 2 cups of provincial mustard or Dijon mustard, or pesto (tomatoes or basil) 2 garlic gloves, minced ¼ cup of freshly ground black pepper 8 fresh basil leaves 4 slices of prosciutto Directions: Using a sharp knife, slice the chicken breasts length-wise (without completely cutting them into two). In a bowl, mix the mustard (or pesto), the freshly ground pepper and garlic together. Pour the mixture in the slice of each chicken breast and place the two basil leaves inside. Close the chicken breasts and roll a slice of prosciutto around each one. Place a toothpick in each piece to ensure the prosciutto stays in place. Turn the BBQ on to medium heat and grill the chicken breasts for approximately 12 minutes or until the chicken is fully grilled (turn the chicken breasts while grilling). Serve and eat with a side of your choice (a vegetable dish, mashed potatoes, brown rice, etc.) Makes 4 servings Cabbage and red bean salad (Gabrielle’s Favorite) Ingredients 3 cups of chopped cabbage 1 can of red beans, rinsed 2 green onions, chopped 1 red pepper, diced ¼ cup feta cheese, diced ¼ cup chopped parsley ¼ cup lemon juice 2 tbsp olive oil 2 pressed cloves of garlic Directions Mix the chopped vegetables, feta and parsley in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients. Mix well and serve. Reference: Anne Lindsay Light Cooking Grilled Corn Salad (Tracy’s Favorite) Ingredient: 4 cobs of corn ½ cup green pepper, diced ½ cup red pepper, diced ½ cup cucumber, diced ¼ cup purple onion, finely chopped ½ cup tomato, diced or 10 halved cherry tomatoes 1 green onion, diced ¼ cup black olives, sliced 1 jalapeno, finely chopped ¼ cup feta, crumbled Zest from 1 lime 1 tbsp. olive oil Juice from 1 or 2 limes Directions: Grill corn until nicely browned. Remove corn from cob and place in a large mixing bowl. Combine the remaining vegetables and feta with the corn. Add zest, lime juice and olive oil. Stir together and enjoy! Note: This recipe is very customizable. Feel free to add your favourite vegetables and seasonings. This salad goes great alongside all barbecued meats and fish. Taco Salad (Mélissa’s Favorite) Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef or turkey 1 taco seasoning pouch (low in sodium) 1 cup water 1 tomato, diced 1 yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped Kalamata or black olives, sliced Spinach or lettuce Cheddar cheese, grated Salsa or plain Greek yogurt (optional) Directions: Heat a skillet over medium-heat. Add meat and cook until browned. Drain fat off and add seasoning and water. Mix and cook for 5 minutes. Let it cool. Chop, slice and dice vegetables. On a spinach or lettuce bed, add meat, vegetables and grated cheese. Add salsa and/or Greek yogurt (optional) and serve. Note : For a simple and easy lunch on the go, add ingredients in a jar, starting with salsa/yogurt, meat (cooked and seasoned), vegetables and grated cheese. Top with spinach and put in the fridge until ready to serve. Strawberry-Banana Ice Cream (Geneviève’s Favorite) Ingredients: 3 bananas 6-8 strawberries, hulled 2 tbsp. almond milk (optional) Directions: Dice bananas and strawberries. Freeze banana and strawberry cubes for 2 hours. Blend banana and strawberry cubes until as smooth as ice cream. If hard to blend, ad a little bit of almond milk. Serve immediately. Note: Don’t hesitate to add your favorite toppings like peanut butter, walnuts, fresh fruit or cocoa powder. Use your imagination! Spinach Summer Salad (Erica’s Favorite) Ingredients: 3 cups baby spinach 2 cups fresh fruit (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and/or peaches etc.) ½ cup yogurt Directions: Wash baby spinach. Cut fresh fruit into small pieces and add to spinach. Add yogurt and toss salad until everything is coated. Serve immediately and enjoy.
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