Numbers are great, aren't they? Somehow, they have the capacity to pack power into any statement, even more than mere words alone. Just imagine...if I were to tell you...
I've lost some weight recently.
contrasted with...
I've lost 10 lbs in the last 6 weeks!!
What gets your attention more?
Don't answer that, I already know! :D And that's exactly how I felt when I saw the 5-a-day principle at work between my friend and her 4 kids. Now I knew the recommendation of the "certain" number of servings of fruits and veggies a day per kid. Okayyyyyy, so the number is 5, and though that's a number to begin with, it didn't sink in to me with any emphasis, until I saw the fun way it was applied in their household.
She had taught the kids to do the math themselves and keep tracking of how many servings of f's and v's they were having throughout the day, with a minimum target of 5! And the very success of this application was evident in the way the kids exclaimed to me one day, over spring break...
We had 15 yesterday!!
15!!!!????!!!! They were thrilled with the flabbergasted look on my face and what followed what a delightful game of memory and math, and taking notes on the ingenious way in which my friend had worked in all those extra servings, making it a day of multi-veggie soups and multi-veggie salads and fruit snacks for all those times in between meals.
I was terribly inspired and began the same initiative at home. It will be a while more before Thambi catches on, but for now, Winkie's on fire with it. Where before, I would have given him some wholegrain cereal for breakfast, now I add 1/2 a fruit into the mix. We are not going exactly with the standard serving size, but rather what is a Winkie serving size. Which is, everytime he eats a fruit or finishes his veggie mixed into meals, that counts as 1 serving.
For instance, the day before, we did 6. 1/2 a fruit with breakfast, a banana for snack at school, the veggie component of his lunch, another fruit alongwith his evening snack, and the veggie component of dinner, alongwith baby carrots on the side. He likes the game so much that he takes responsibility for reaching his quota, reminding me often of the number he's at so far. And where before, I carried a vague daily idea that I'd cooked healthy for the kids, now I have the surety that with 5-a-day, he is definitely getting enough of what he needs.
Do you practice the 5-a-day at home? What other tricks do you have up your sleeve? This is the time to brag about it! So write in and I promise to take notes and shake my head admiringly, at your creative sneak-nesses....or you can write in and shake your head admiringly @ mine!!! :D
[For an actual recommendation on how much you and yours should be having, here's the official word on it!]
Friday, April 09, 2010
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11 comments:
Yep..here its 5+ a day. And I am going to brag here :D we easily do more than 5 servings of fruits and veges everyday. One serving is actually the amount that fits in your fist. For a child it will be his/her fist and for adult it's theirs.
My children's lunch box itself provides them 3+ servings of fruits and veges. And since we are vegetarians..there's always vegetable curry/veg soup/veg stirfry/sprout salad/fruit salad for dinner so 2+ comes from dinner easily.
I have recently done a post on the 2Bs lunch-boxes, u can have a peek if you like @ http://2bsmommy.blogspot.com/2010/03/2-april-2010-whats-in-your-childs-lunch.html
Wow! I like this idea. Maybe I can implement it with my older daughter also. Thanks! Even though I know about 5-a-day I have never implemented it at home.
Like you so aptly mentioned, with 5-a-day, I will definitely know!
Thanks once again
Nice tips. My two cents: I always carry veggies or fruits instead of juice or store bought snack for my daughter when i am running an errand.
She loves to eat them during the ride more than at home :) It could be the veggie made for that day(poriyal) or baby carrots or cucumbers or I just boil some frozen peas or frozen mixed veggies(carrot+beans+corn type).
This is a great idea! I don't have kids yet, but I definitely will try it when I do!
I cheat and make a mixed vegetable soup of some 6-7 vegetables for my 26 month daughter and that's the only way the count can get so high! I also do the pureed apple with the morning cereal, and some veg paratha in the night, but i mainly rely on the soup for the nutrients and its quite a challenge to get my daughter to have the soup!
M's class teacher helps me in enforcing the 5-a-day concept by forbidding us to send fried/baked/unhealthy snacks. SO we have the regular fare of rice + 2 veggies, fruit snacks or sundal in between and then after dinner time (usually we finish it early around 7 to 7:30) we usually have a fruit bowl with at least two varieties of seasonal fruit. So I think I am on the better side :D
i recently got a fwd abt baby carrots...
The small cocktail (baby) carrots you buy in small plastic bags are made using the larger crooked or deformed carrots which are put through a
machine which cuts and shapes them into cocktail carrots . most people
probably know this already.
What you may not know and should know is the following: once the carrots
are cut and shaped into cocktail carrots they are dipped in a solution
of water and chlorine in order to preserve them (this is the same
chlorine used your pool) since they do not have their skin or natural
protective covering, they give the m a higher dose of chlorine.
You will notice that once you keep these carrots in your refrigerator
for a few days, a white covering will form on the carrots, this is the
chlorine which resurfaces. At what cost do we put our health at risk to
have esthetically pleasing vegetables which are practically plastic?
For mim: please check out
http://www.snopes.com/food/tainted/carrots.asp
thanks for note on the carrots.
plus.
i hate most vegetables and my kids hate most fruits.
this post is helping us both do better:-)
I can't believe I haven't written to you guys back yet. I really apologise...
2BM : Thanks for telling me what makes a serving. It cleared up some confusion for me. And you have every right and spot to brag....you're doing great! Now are you being as good to yourself? Cos I know that's where I am lacking...extending this same philosophy to myself.
Shankari : Hope 5 a day is helping you, and is something you do automatically now. :)
Vidhya : That's a great tip!!! What a great start to have veggie based snacks. Great!
Jira : Make sure you try it on yourself too. We benefit from this just as much as the kids.
Mum's delight : I like the sound of your cheating. Though it requires a lot of chopping no? Awesome!
Mnamma : Nice to hear from you. :) What a yum healthy meal plan. Good for you!
mim : Reading this shocked me. But have to research some more into it to find out (relatively) how much of it is fact. Thanks for the info.
hey your blog design is very nice, neat and fresh and with updated content, make people feel peace and I always enjoy browsing your site.
- Norman
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