Healthy Ideas for Middle and High School Students November 2015 Central Islip Union Free School District Lawrence S. Philips, Director of PE, Health & Athletics FAST TAKES Pin healthy recipes Encourage your teen Healthy holiday routines to keep track of healthy recipes on a Around the holidays, celebra- digital bulletin board like Pinterest. tions often center on . Make She can search for healthy by sure your festivities include ingredient name, such as kale or fish, healthy and plenty of look through pictures, and pin the activity with these ideas. items she likes on her board. She might also follow other Pinterest Keep it simple users with similar interests to find Prepare a handful of dishes and creative takes on nutritious . sides instead of a whole . With fewer recipes to make, Did You Frozen vegetables con- you can concentrate on ways Know ? tain as many nutrients to make them healthier, like as fresh ones. In fact, they may even limiting cheese in casseroles, have more. Vegetables are frozen at trying out new vegetable dishes, and after every can lead to habits that their peak ripeness, using whole grains. Tip: See the recipes last well after the holidays—and will which also happens on page 2 for lighter side dishes. pack on the pounds. Instead, finish to be when they’re Skip seconds meals with fresh fruit like pears, pine- richest in nutrients. Talk to your teen about paying atten- apple chunks, kiwi slices, or clementines Keep a variety of tion to when he feels satisfied and to (seedless tangerines). frozen vegetables avoid going back for seconds. He might on hand so you’ll have them available Build in exercise a glass of water before eating so he’ll Encourage your family to spend time to serve with meals or to add to soups already start to feel full and be less likely or casseroles. together away from the table by to overeat. Once he finishes eating, sug- being active. Brainstorm ideas for holi- Prevent shin splints gest he move around and talk to other day breaks, or anytime, such as going Shin splints are common among people instead of getting more food. bowling, playing charades, or organizing youngsters who run or do other sports. Go easy on an impromptu dance contest. Come up To prevent them, encourage your child Enjoying a sweet after a holiday meal with a list to post on the refrigerator for to vary his activity so he uses other is fine. But having a high-calorie future family fun. muscles. Wearing sneakers with added support may also ease discomfort. Note: Make sure to check with your Read, study, and play! child’s doctor if the pain is severe. Combining outdoor activity with reading and Just for fun studying is a great way for your teen to kill two birds with one stone. Here are suggestions. Q: Why did the jelly wobble? “Read” and run. She can take a book along with her on a jog through your neighborhood. Public libraries A: It saw offer audio books to check out or to download for listening on a smartphone. the milk shake. Do homework at a park. Have your child pack up her books and do assignments at a table. When she needs a , it’s easy to take a quick walk around the park. Study and dribble. Encourage her to add activity to studying. For example, she could write facts or test questions in chalk on a sidewalk or driveway. Then, she can dribble over each one while she memorizes the fact or answers the question.

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numbers there. For satu- Finding out the rated fat and sodium, she’ll see both the amounts per serving and the percentage Facts Up Front based on a daily value (DV). Many food products now list the most important It’s probably easier to focus nutrition information right on the front of the package on the amount—the lower in easy-to-read icons. Here’s how your tween or teen the number the better. can use the Facts Up Front labels to her advantage: ● Other icons call out good ● Check out the calories per serving. Does it seem like nutrients. Your child should a lot of calories for a ? How many servings look for the amount and percent- are in the package? Your child may find that the bag of ages of vitamins and minerals, such as potassium or vitamin A. chips she usually eats all at once is really four servings! In general, foods with higher amounts are more nutritious. ● Watch the sugar, saturated fat, and sodium. More sugar Note: Let your youngster know that not all food labels con- means more calories, so encourage her to look for lower tain every icon, so it’s a good idea to read the Nutrition Facts label, too. You can both learn more at factsupfront.org.

Q A “nutritious” & science fair ACTIVITY Family fi tness circuit A project CORNER Circuit training is perfect for a family—you can work out together, with each person moving from one exercise station to Q: My 12-year-old, Andy, wants to do his the next to complete the “circuit.” Follow these steps. science fair project about food. How could he involve nutrition? 1. Gather equipment. Include weights or any other exercise gear you have, along with A: There are many towels, beach balls, and jump ropes. science fair proj- 2. Make fl ashcards. Brainstorm a list of ects that can exercises. Ask your teen to write each one teach your on a card. Example: “Do sit-ups while holding tween more a ball between your knees.” about nutrition. Finding the right one depends on his 3. Set up stations. Put each card next to the gear needed. Spread the stations around interests—or maybe on his favorite foods! a room or several rooms of your home. For instance, he might explore the 4. Begin! Decide how long to spend at each station, maybe 1–3 minutes, and set a amount of vitamin C in fruits or weigh the timer. Idea: Make several cards for each station. On the first time around the circuit, iron in cereals. To measure the do the exercise on the top card. The next time, the next one, and so on. 1 iron, he would crush –2 cup of various cereals in separate baggies, add 1 cup In the water to each, and stir with a strong mag- Better-for-you sides net. By weighing the iron that clings to the K tchen magnet, he will determine which cereal is Keep your family’s Thanksgiving meal 1 tsp. olive oil, then add the cooked richest in the mineral. –1 a little lighter with these side dishes. green beans. Sprinkle with 4 tsp. garlic Encourage your son to look for ideas powder and –1 cup crumbled feta cheese. Mashed sweet potatoes 4 in library books or online and list his Serve hot or at room temperature. favorites. Then, he can discuss them Cut 6 sweet potatoes into cubes, and with his science teacher to come up boil until tender, about 25 minutes. Orange-cranberry sauce –1 with his topic. Mash the potatoes with 3 tbsp. pineapple Bring a 12-oz. bag cranberries, 2 cup –1 –1 juice and 1 tbsp. butter. Pour into a bak- orange juice, 4 cup applesauce, and 4 OUR PURPOSE 1 ing , and top with –2 cup mini marsh- cup water to a boil in a To provide busy parents with practical ways to promote healthy nutrition and physical activity for their children. mallows. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. saucepan. Reduce heat, and simmer for 10 Resources for Educators, Almond green beans a division of CCH Incorporated minutes. Add 2 tbsp. 128 N. Royal Avenue • Front Royal, VA 22630 Microwave a 10-oz. 540-636-4280 • [email protected] honey and the zest and www.rfeonline.com bag of frozen green juice from 1 orange. Teen Food & Fitness™ is reviewed by a registered dietitian. Consult beans. In a skillet, a physician before beginning any major change in diet or exercise. 1 Cool, and refrigerate. –3 cup slivered almonds in ISSN 1935-8865 © 2015 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated