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Ellie's Cherry Vanilla Oatmeal
By Ellie Krieger, MS, RD
Ingredients
- 3-1/2 cups water
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
- 2 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking rolled oats
- 1/2 cup dried cherries
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup cherry jam, or to taste
- 1 cup nonfat milk, or to taste
Cooking Instructions
- Combine the water, salt (if using), oats, and cherries in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring a few times, until the oats are tender, about 5 minutes for old-fashioned oats or 1 minute for quick-cooking oats.
- Remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla and cherry jam. Place in serving bowls, pour 1/4 cup of milk over each bowl, and serve
Recipe provided courtesy of Ellie Krieger. © 2008-2009 In Balance, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Helpful
Nancy James, Registered Dietitian
You have been working all year to make better food choices and maybe even started to exercise. And now, all those chocolate covered, freshly baked cinnamon-scented holidays are just around the corner. While parties and family gatherings are enjoyable, indulging can lead to unwanted weight gain that sticks around far longer than the celebration. Now is the time to make some healthful changes for the upcoming holidays.
When families gather for the holidays, certain traditional dishes are expected to be on the table. Although an important part of the celebration, many are high in fat and calories. But, before you eliminate, evaluate. Make it special. List all the foods that appear year after year at the holidays. Pick out the ones that hold special meaning for your family and consider discarding the rest. Not only will you save calories and fat, but you will also save money and precious time
Here are some helpful holiday hints for staying healthy.
Season’s eating strategies:
- Think your drink. Eggnog can have up to 400 calories per glass; an 8 oz can of sodas 150 calories; 4 oz of wine contributes 80 calories. So reach for low-cal or calorie free options whenever possible.
- Don’t gobble your food. More than good manners, it takes time for your brain to get the word you’re satisfied.
- Fill up on fresh fruit/vegetables, whole gain, low fat dairy and lean meats…leaving less room for overindulgence.
- Don’t eat while standing (you eat faster in that position).
- Remove the cues: store food in opaque containers.
- Don’t skip meals to make room for overindulgence later.
- Plan family holiday celebration around activities, not the table. Remember, every turkey – or person – need not be stuffed for an enjoyable time.
Baking:
- A few easy substitutions and healthy cooking techniques can help rejuvenate favorite family recipes. Small changes here and there can make a difference. You may use less of an ingredient, our take it out completely, or add a new ingredients. (See Helpful Holiday Hints insert).
Food gift:
- Share. Just because you received a 2 pound box of fudge or basket loaded with goodies doesn’t mean you have to eat if all by yourself.
- When making gifts, consider more nutritious option such as flavored popcorn, spiced nuts, seasoning blend including herbs from you garden or baked item made with healthy recipe modifications (include the recipe).
Develop non-food gifts of love:
- Time (visit a neighbor, caroling, playing games)
- Tasks (cleaning, babysitting, )
- Talent (music, sewing or painting lesson )
Party strategies:
- Eat a light, healthy snack before parties to help curb hunger.
- Savor socializing over snacking.
- No portion distortion: Smaller plates equal smaller portions
- Opt for crackers or bread, fruits and vegetables, lean protein; avoid creamy dips and chips.
- Bring a low-fat holiday dish to the party and go home empty-handed.
Shopping strategies:
· Harness hunger by keeping a low-calorie healthful snack in the car. Munch away at stoplights. By the time you reach the store you will push right by the food demonstration tables.
· Spend calories wisely. Skip the holiday colored M&M…you can have them anytime. Save your calories for those special treats you’ve been waiting for since last year.
Exercise strategies:
- Don’t forget to move. Wouldn’t you rather burn it up than give it up? Physical activity can help burn off extra calories, tone muscles and work off holiday stresses and strains. Lower stress usually means less eating.
- Suggest or plan activities or games at family gatherings.
- Take a walk and invite others to join you. What a great chance to get caught up with family and friends and reap the benefits of physical activities.
Food for thought: All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. 1 Cor. 6:12
Interesting Resources:
www.eatright.org; www.cookinglight.com; www.eatingwell.com
Did you ever wonder how a simple rhyme and holiday turned into the
Halloween conjures up thoughts of cold autumn nights filled with excited children, dressed in ghoulish finery or a favorite super hero running from house to house gathering as much candy as they can carry. But once at home, the inevitable tug of war over the sweets begins. What pieces of candy belong to which child? How many sweets will you let them eat that night? How many treats can you sneak without the kids noticing?
Halloween is the largest candy consumption holiday, with nearly $1.9 billion sold according to the National Confectioners Association. The industry trade group estimated that 80 percent of American families participate in trick-or-treating; with about 90 percent of parents admitting they raid their children’s stash.
Sometimes even the most fun loving parent can’t help but cringe when the kids dump all their collected goodies. And while this is a great time for kids, many of them have difficulty with their weight and no one can argue that candy is nutritionally void and full of sugar that can contribute to obesity and tooth decay.
Halloween offers an excellent opportunity to teach your children about healthy eating and once-in-a-while treats. Teaching them how to include a treat as part of their healthy eating plan, how much they can eat and when treats can be eaten all provide learning opportunities that help your child to establish healthy eating habits.
After the little ghosts and hobgoblins return, and the candy swapping and over- consumption have taken place, you might want to turn your attention to how to fairly ration, store and use the sweets/candy in the near future.
Here are a few ideas to help control your children’s consumption of treats and handle Halloween leftovers:
- Serve your kids healthy dinner or a snack such as a PB&J sandwich and some fruit before trick
- Don’t buy candy early. You will tempt yourself and your kids to eat too much before the big day.
- Let kids choose 1 snack size candy as a lunch box treat for a reasonable number of days. Five days is a good goal and then dispose of the leftovers.
- Have your kids quickly pick out their favorite few handfuls of candy. Package up remaining candy along with other packaged food items and send a care package to soldiers overseas.
- Store for later use. Leftover candy can be stored in airtight containers for up to 6 months.
- Chop it up and use in baking.
- Decorate a gingerbread house at Christmas time.
- Crush hard candy and decorate the sides of cakes
- Throw it away or donate to a local shelter.
Luckily there are ways to promote a healthy Halloween by handing out alternatives to candy that kids will enjoy but won’t stress their parents.
Consider giving:
- Pencils
- Fancy erasers
- Stickers
- Trading cards
- Individually packaged non-sugary treats like: Nuts, raisins, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, cashews, pretzels, whole grain crackers
- Kid sized water bottles
- Individual packets of crayons (check the Dollar Store)
- Glow in the dark bracelets or Glow-sticks
- Miniature Bubbles (can get by the case at the Dollar Store)
- Tiny decks of cards
- Snack size microwave popcorn
Or make Halloween a time to be active:
- Cool autumn weather is a perfect opportunity to enjoy the outdoors as a family.
- Visit a pumpkin patch and pick your own pumpkins and gourds.
- Enjoy walking instead of driving to nearby stores to shop for costumes.
It is not hard to make Halloween a healthy and fun event with just a bit of planning. Candy is one part but it does not have to be the only part. The autumn season offers so many wonderful opportunities for families to make healthy eating, nutrition and being active a priority. So have a happy Halloween and watch out for all the ghouls, ghosts and goblins!
Nancy James, RD, CSP
Pediatric Dietitian
Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital,
2010 Camp video is here!!
