Tips for helping keep food safe and clean for preschooler
Keeping your preschooler safe is your number one priority. Building safe habits will be valuable throughout their lives. Follow these simple tips to keep food safe and clean for your preschooler.
■ Develop a healthy habit for life. Encourage handwashing after using the bathroom, before and after eating, after playing with pets, or whenever they are dirty. Preschoolers are less likely to get sick if they wash their hands often. Keep a stool by the sink to make handwashing easier.
■ Make handwashing fun! Sing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” or the “Alphabet” song or count for 20 seconds each time to make sure your child is washing long enough. Have them pick out a favorite soap to keep them interested.
■ Send a safe healthy lunch. Keep foods cold by adding a frozen juice box or small ice pack to an insulated lunch box. When using paper lunch bags, double bag to help maintain the temperature.
■ Keep hot lunches hot. Use an insulated thermos to keep foods like soup warm until lunchtime. Fill your thermos with boiling water and let stand for a few minutes. Then empty the water and fill with piping hot food.
■ Safe snacking. Many hands touching snacks can result in the spread of germs. Divide snacks up into small bags or buy single-serve packets. Rinse fruits and vegetables before slicing and serving them as snacks.
■ Stay Clean. Young children can easily get sick because their immune systems are not fully developed. Keep food and surfaces clean. Wash surfaces before and after you prepare foods like fish, meat, eggs and cheese for preschooler.
■ Holiday eggs. Hardcooked eggs are a fun tradition for many families. After boiling eggs, dye them in a food-safe coloring and return them to the refrigerator within 2 hours to keep them safe to eat.
■ Some foods are hard to swallow. Avoid foods that are hard to swallow or cut them into small pieces, about ½ inch. Hard-toswallow foods can include peanuts, popcorn, round slices of hotdog, hard candy, whole grapes and cherry tomatoes.
■ Watch how they eat. To prevent choking, have your preschoolers sit down when they eat. Avoid letting them run, walk, play or lie down with food in their mouth.
POZOLE WITH CHICKEN
Makes 6 Servings
170 Calories per Serving 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced or ½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 can (10 ounces) red chile sauce
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon oregano
1 can (15 ounces) hominy, drained and rinsed
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken Toppings (optional) Shredded cabbage or lettuce Sliced radishes Chopped onion Lime Chopped cilantro Chopped or sliced avocado
In a large saucepan on medium heat, sauté onion in oil until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute.
Add the chile sauce, broth, cumin, oregano, and hominy to the onion and bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Stir in the chicken and heat through, about 2 minutes.
Spoon into shallow bowls and add toppings as desired.
BAKED MEATBALLS
Makes 7 Servings
150 Calories per Serving ½ cup finely grated carrot
1 egg ½ cup oats (old-fashioned or quick cooking)
¼ cup skim or 1% milk
½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon oregano
1 lb. lean ground meat
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients except ground meat.
Add the ground meat and mix it in evenly.
Shape the mixture into 21 (about 2-inch) meatballs. Arrange the meatballs on the baking sheet with space between each one. Bake in 2 batches or on 2 baking sheets if needed.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through and the outsides are browned.
Tips: Try other seasonings such as Italian seasoning or use soy sauce instead of salt. No carrot? Use chopped frozen spinach or grated zucchini instead.
BANANA OATMEAL COOKIES
Makes 14 Cookies 60 Calories per cookie 2 very ripe bananas
1 cup oats (quick-cooking or old fashioned rolled)
½ teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon vanilla
½ cup raisins
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, mash bananas with a fork until mostly smooth.
Add oats, cinnamon, vanilla and raisins. Mix well.
Drop spoonsful of dough onto lightly sprayed or oiled baking sheet. Flatten with the back of a spoon or bottom of a drinking glass.
Bake 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool before serving.
Tip: Try dried cranberries or chopped nuts instead of raisins.