Feast on Nutrition in November
November is a great time of year to talk about nutrition, as the month features a holiday that revolves around food, Thanksgiving. Give thanks for the healthy foods that we can choose to fill our plates with this holiday season, and all throughout the year.
To introduce the feast-focused holiday, read one of the following children’s books about Thanksgiving, and then discuss with the children what a healthy feast could look like. Here are some children’s favorites:
· “The Berenstain Bears Thanksgiving Blessings” by Mike Berenstain
· “One is a Feast for Mouse: A Thanksgiving Tale” by Judy Cox
· “Thanks for Thanksgiving” by Julie Markes
· “Pete the Cat: The First Thanksgiving Book” by Kimberly Dean
· “Thanksgiving Mice!” by Bethany Roberts
Here are some ideas for preparing a healthy feast:
· White Meat Turkey
· Mashed Sweet/White Potatoes (usual equal amounts of sweet & white potatoes; after mashing add nutmeg & cinnamon)
· Oven-Roasted Green Beans (tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper)
· Butternut Squash Soup
· Cloverleaf Rolls (cut unbaked whole-wheat dinner rolls into 4 pieces and arrange in muffin pan cups to bake)
· Pumpkin Muffins (with light cream cheese glaze)
· Cinnamon-Spiced Apples (sprinkled and baked/microwaved with golden raisins)