DAVIS • MORGAN • WEBER │ A U G U S T 2 0 1 6
TOP Star N EWSLETTER Believe it or not, it’s already August and the time is getting close to send those older kids off to school! But no fear, we still have great activities to fill those final summer days. In this issue, we discuss a few fun days to celebrate in August, introduce some great water activities, have new meal plan ideas for you to try, and more! Keep reading to discover it all, and enjoy!
T he
Two-Bite Club: How to get the book (and other nutrition resources) for FREE
Contents: The Two-Bite Club ......................... 1 Introducing: Tomatoes .................. 2 Healthy Days to Celebrate .......... 3 Outdoor Water Play ....................... 4 Weekly Meal Plan ........................... 5 Grocery List Template .................. 6
If you’re struggling to get your kids to eat, check out this free storybook, The Two-Bite Club, developed by Food & Nutrition Services (FNS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Two-Bite Club is available in English and Spanish. Download a copy today or order the publication in print (for free!) from Team Nutrition • USDA. Team Nutrition also has posters, recipe books, and other helpful books all available for free in limited-quantity orders.* *Team Nutrition Print Materials are available only to child care providers who participate in Federal Child Nutrition Programs (i.e. CACFP, INCA, Alliance for Children, CMA, etc.) All others are welcome to download materials from their website.
Thank you, Missy Monsivais (Imagination Time, LLC, TOP Star Provider—Syracuse), for letting us know about this great resource and about Cosmic Kids on page 3 of this issue! Page 1
TOP STAR | d avi s c ou n t yu t a h. g ov/ he a lt h • w e be r mo rg a n he a lt h .o rg
Introducing: TOMATOES Did you know? Tomatoes are botanically classified as a fruit, and more specifically, they are actually a berry! So why are they referred to as vegetables? In 1983, the US Department of Agriculture decided to classify them as a vegetable because they were able to charge entry fees on imported vegetables, something they weren’t able to do with imported fruits. So now you know! :) This month we encourage you to introduce (or reintroduce!) your kids to this beloved fruit/ vegetable. Tomatoes are in their prime between the months of July and October, so now is the perfect time to let your kids further explore them. Try out this fun salsa recipe below, and go to Harvest for Healthy Kids to find fun tomato activity ideas, parent handouts, picture cards, family recipes, teacher tidbits and more!
Garden Fresh Salsa 4-5 c diced tomatoes 1 c diced onion 1 poblano AND 1 anaheim pepper, both roasted and chopped 1/2 c sliced green onions
3/4 c cilantro
4 T fresh lime juice
1 tsp kosher salt
1/8-1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder
Optional: 1 jalapeno, diced
1 1/2 T minced garlic 1. Roast the anaheim and poblano peppers. 2. While the peppers are cooking or steaming, combine tomatoes, onions, green onions, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, salt, chipotle powder, and jalapeno (if you’re using it). 3. Once all is stirred, add tomato juice to desired consistency. 4. Process in a food processor until salsa reaches the desired consistency. 5. Then WAIT! Place salsa in fridge for several hours and go play with the kids before you enjoy! Brought to you by: Our Best Bites
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DAVIS • MORGAN • WEBER │ A U G U S T 2 0 1 6
Days to
CELEBRATE!
On Wednesday, August 3, celebrate National Watermelon Day by helping your kids make these sweet frozen treats— watermelon popsicles! Puree water-melon and pour into popsicle molds. Let your kids add chunks of fresh fruit to the popsicle, such as grapes, strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, etc., then freeze and enjoy!
August 3: National Watermelon Day
As the kids eat their popsicles, talk to them about how watermelon is grown, what it tastes like, and how it helps their bodies grow strong and healthy. For more games, activities, and recipes involving watermelon, visit watermelon.org.
Fun Watermelon Facts:
Watermelon is 98% water.
According to Guinness World Records, the world's heaviest watermelon was grown by Chris Kent of Sevierville, Tennessee in 2013, weighing in at 350.5 lbs.!
Early explorers used watermelons as canteens.
You don’t have to use a ton of salt to get fabulous flavor. Utilize this day to introduce your kids to all the great smells and tastes of a variety of fresh herbs such as basil, rosemary, mint, cilantro, thyme, etc.
August 15:
National Relaxation Day Practice a few relaxation techniques with your kids on National Relaxation Day. It’s important for kids to learn how to relax and handle their emotions—and you have a huge opportunity to help them with this. Below are a couple resources we found to help kids with relaxation.
Cosmic Kids is an excellent resource available for FREE on YouTube. It teaches kids yoga and mindfulness through vibrantly animated stories led by Jaime, an energetic hostess from the UK. Stories range from animal adventures to pirates and trips to the moon. There are even fun stories like Frozen and Star Wars!
BUNNY, SNAKE, ELEVATOR
BREATHING
From KidsRelaxation.com, discover three deep breaths that work great with kids!
August 29:
More Herbs Less Salt Day
Bunny—take 3 quick breaths in while wiggling your nose, then wiggle your nose on each breath out. Snake—hold your hand in front of your nose and hiss while breathing out. Elevator—breathing in, raise your arms above your head and say, “Elevator up!” Breathing out, float your arms back down to your sides saying, “Elevator down.” Repeat.
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TOP STAR | d avi s c ou n t yu t a h. g ov/ he a lt h • w e be r mo rg a n he a lt h .o rg
OUTDOOR WATER PLAY
TRICYCLE CAR WASH
If your kids are complaining of the heat, we have the perfect activities for them! Check out this DIY Trike Car Wash, presented by DesignMom.com, that you can easily make with little more than PVC pipes and your garden hose! Your kids will love going through on their toys—and as an added bonus everything gets cleaned! Click here to find a list of supplies needed and step-by-step directions on how to build one yourself.
TOP STAR
APPRECIATION Calling all childcare providers! Davis and Weber-Morgan Health Departments are making our December newsletter into a TOP Star Appreciation Edition. This edition will include feedback from parents who have children in a TOP Star endorsed facility, but we need your help! We’re asking each childcare facility to submit names and contact information for parents willing to provide input about their child's experience with the TOP Star Program. Please submit parent information to your local TOP Star Consultant via phone or email by September 30th. We look forward to hearing from you!
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Another fun water activity is Squirt-Gun Races! We found this idea from AllForTheBoys.com and ThisGrandmaIsFun.com. All you need is sturdy string, plastic cups, something to make holes with, duct tape, and squirt guns. Cut a hole in the bottom of a cup, place cup on the string, then tie or tape the string ends to posts, walls, toys, etc. Have your kids use the squirt guns to move the cups to each end of the string. Set up multiple stages where you have to go over objects or under tables. Turn it into a race! It’ll keep your kids moving and happy for hours.
SQUIRT-GUN RACES
DAVIS • MORGAN • WEBER │ A U G U S T 2 0 1 6
CACFP Reimbursable Serving Sizes
Weekly Meal Plan
Ages 1 & 2: PINK Ages 3-5: BLUE Ages 6-12: GREEN
BREAKFAST
M
Milk—1% or Skim (½ c, ¾ c, 1 c)
T
Milk—1% or Skim (½ c, ¾ c, 1 c)
W
Milk—1% or Skim (½ c, ¾ c, 1 c)
T
Milk—1% or Skim (½ c, ¾ c, 1 c)
F
Milk—1% or Skim (½ c, ¾ c, 1 c)
Orange Slices (¼ c, ½ c, ½ c) Whole-wheat zucchini-carrot muffins (½ , ½ , 1 muffin)
Strawberries/Bananas (¼ c, ½ c, ½ c) Whole Grain Banana Pancakes (½ , ½ , 1 pancake)
Strawberry Melon Summer Salad (¼ c, ½ c, ½ c) Whole Grain Toast (½, ½, 1 slice)
Breakfast Bananas Pops Banana (¼ c, ½ c, ½ c) Granola (⅛ c, ⅛ c, ¼ c)
Rasp/Blueberries (¼ c, ½ c, ½ c) Make-ahead whole-wheat freezer French toast sticks (½, ½, 1 slice)
LUNCH/DINNER Milk—1% or Skim (½ c, ¾ c, 1 c) Chicken (1 oz, 1.5 oz, 2 oz) Quinoa (¼ c, ¼ c, ½ c) Broccoli-Apple Slaw Broccoli (⅛ c, ¼ c, ½ c) Pineapple/Apple/Cranberry (⅛ c, ¼ c, ¼ c)
Milk—1% or Skim (½ c, ¾ c, 1 c) Cantaloupe (⅛ c, ¼ c, ¼ c) Whole Wheat Bread (½, ½, 1 slice) Avocado Cucumber Egg Salad Avocado/Cucumber (⅛ c, ¼ c, ½ c) Egg (½ c, ¾ c, 1 egg)
Milk—1% or Skim (½ c, ¾ c, 1 c) Watermelon (⅛ c, ¼ c, ¼ c) Sweet Potato Mash (⅛ c, ¼ c, ½ c) Black Beans & Rice Brown Rice (¼ c, ¼ c, ½ c) Black Beans (¼ c, ⅜ c, ½ c)
Milk—1% or Skim (½ c, ¾ c, 1 c) Pineapple (⅛ c, ¼ c, ¼ c) Rainbow Veggie Pizza Veggies (⅛ c, ¼ c, ½ c) Whole-wheat English muffin (½, ½, whole) Cheese (1 oz, 1.5 oz, 2 oz)
Milk—1% or Skim (½ c, ¾ c, 1 c) Strawberries (⅛ c, ¼ c, ¼ c) Asparagus & Mushroom Pasta Asparagus/Mushroom (⅛ c, ¼ c, ½ c) Whole Wheat Pasta (¼ c, ¼ c, ½ c) Lemon Sauce/Cheese (1 oz, 1.5 oz, 2 oz)
SNACK Salsa (½ c, ½ c, ¾ c) Whole Grain Crackers (¼, ½, ¾ serving)
Berry Yogurt Popsicles Berries (½ c, ½ c, ¾ c) Yogurt (¼ c, ¼ c, ½ c)
Cheesy Zucchini Caterpillar (½ c, ½ c, ¾ c) Whole Grain Crackers (¼, ½, ¾ serving)
Healthy Home-made Mango Fruit Roll-up (1, 1, 1 ½ roll) Whole-grain Cheerios (½ c, ½ c, 1 c)
Red, orange, yellow, green bell peppers (½ c, ½ c, ¾ c) Hummus or cottage cheese (⅛ c, 3 T, ¼ c)
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G R O C E R Y
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Fresh Produce
Dairy & Eggs
Meat/Poultry/Fish
Breads & Grains
Canned Food
Frozen Food