Yours to Discover

In this, the second week of Nutrition Month, I'm going to discuss foods potential to discover: Foster healthy eating habits in children by teaching them to shop and cook.
 
In a culture that is increasingly relying on heavily processed, packaged and take-out foods, many children are growing up lacking basic food skills, including how to shop, cook and build a balanced meal. Teaching children from a young age, how to shop for and prepare healthy meals can set them up for a lifetime of healthy eating. 

​Shopping for and preparing healthy meals is also a great way to help your child learn new skills and build on lessons they learn in school.

• Math: how to measure ingredients, work with fractions or make change at the grocery store.
• Language: how to read a recipe or write a grocery list.
• Science: why does an apple turns brown.
• Health: what makes a healthy meal or snack.
• Social skills: how to work together to accomplish a goal.
• Social studies: what food is grown in Canada and in countries around the world.
• Food skills: how to whisk, stir, chop, and scoop.

​Cooking is also a great way to spend some extra time with your children or to reconnect after a long day apart at work and school. You can also use it as an opportunity to keep your cultural roots alive by teaching your children some of your favourite traditional family recipes.
 
Getting children involved in meal preparation is fun and rewarding! For an easy school lunch that you and your child can make together, give this Rockin' Ranch Roll Up a try!

Makes: 1 serving
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
 
Ingredients
1 10inch whole wheat flour tortilla
2 tsp light ranch style dressing (or honey mustard)
2 slices deli turkey, chicken or ham
2 Tbsp shredded cheddar cheese
1 large leaf of iceberg, Romaine or Bibb lettuce
2 slices of tomato
 
Instructions
1. Spread ranch dressing on tortilla.
2. Top one half of the tortilla with meat, cheese, lettuce and tomato.
3. Starting with the meat/cheese edge of the tortilla, roll up and enjoy!
 
Notes: serve with a side of baby carrots and cucumber slices
 
Visit Cookspiration or download the app for more great recipe ideas!

---

Writer: Stephanie MacNeill (RD)