810-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 7, 1991
BETH WHITMAN PITZER
G.H.E, M. Ed.
Cumberland Co. Correspondent
SHIREMANSTOWN (Cum
berland Co.) Hey, kids, this is
the season to help your mom in the
kitchen.
Maybe you are too young to
make these recipes by yourself, but
you can measure some of the
ingredients for your mom, place
muffin cups in pans, and watch
muffins and cookies bake.
You might even want to lick the
mixing bowl or wash the dishes.
One thing you will want to defi
nitely do is sample the things you
bake with a cold drink of milk.
Watch out that you don’t eat too
many sweets during this holiday
season
Did you know that Americans
have become more and more
aware of how to include healthy
foods in their diet. For example,
over the past few years the amount
of fat in the “average” American
diet has decreased from 44 to 46%
of calories to 34 to 35% of calories.
That’s quite an accomplishment.
During the holiday season, it’s
easier to let good habits slide
because of traditions we’ve estab
lished over generations and gener
ations. Here are some new, nutri
tious foods that follow dietary
guidelines and may be a lot of fun
to try during the holidays.
The first idea takes a traditional
ly sugar-loaded cupcake and
replaces it with a pumpkin cup
cake. They will smell good while
baking and taste great, too! Serve
them unfrosted for a nutrient-plus
dessert. The pumpkin is high in
vitamin A and the raisins add iron.
Katie Pltzer, age 10, puts finishing touches on a Christ*
mas Fruit Kabob.
Festive Foods For Children To Make
Pumpkin Cupcakes
Makes 24 cupcakes.
Per cupcake: Calories, 140; Tot
al fat, 6 grams: Saturated fatty
acids, 1 gram; Cholesterol 34 mil
ligrams; Sodium 132 milligrams.
VA cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
’/< cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
'A teaspoon ground nutmeg
'A teaspoon salt
3 slightly beaten eggs
1 cup skim milk
'A cup oil
1 cup canned pumpkin
3 A cup chopped raisins
1 tablespoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Place 24 paper baking cups in
muffin tins.
Mix dry ingredients thoroughly.
Mix remaining ingredients: add
to dry ingredients. Stir until dry
ingredients are barely moistened.
Fill paper cups two-thirds full.
Bake about 20 minutes or until
toothpick inserted in center comes
out clean.
Remove from muffin tins and
cool on rack.
Freeze cupcakes that will not be
eaten in the next few days.
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At a recent teleconference,
“Working Together for Healthy
Children”, sponsored by Dairy
Council Inc., it was emphasized
that most children need to include
more fruits, vegetables, and grain
products in their choice of foods.
Here’s another easy idea for kids
of all ages help make and drink
while they’re home from school
over the holidays.
One cup milk Is needed for the cupcakes
Christmas Fruit Kabobs
Ingredients needed: Paper,
markers, scissors, glue to decorate.
Wooden skewers. Variety of col
orful fruit, drained and cut into
pieces: Apples, pears, peaches,
apricots, oranges, mandarin
oranges cut to make colorfully
decorated kabobs.
Use the patterns on this page to
cut and decorate holiday shapes
out of construction paper. Use.
scraps of brightly colored paper
and markers to decorate the cut
outs. Glue carefully onto dull end
of skewer.
Wash hands thoroughly for the
next part. Then spear bite-sized
pieces of fruit onto the wooden
skewers. They’ll be colorful, nutri
tious, and something most kids
enjoy making.
Choose bottled or frozen juice
such as; Cranberry, strawberry
apple, cranapple, or peach
Seltzer water
i Thaw frozen juice or use chilled
bottled juice. Add seltzer water
instead of tap water. This will give
a fizz to the fruit juice and is more
nutritious than soda. Try after the
holidays -with other juices like
orange, grape, or pineapple!
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Exercise
One last idea for the holidays
involves health for children
through physical well-being. Ste
phen G. Rice, Ph. D. of the Univer
sity of Washington defines health
as a positive state of physical and
mental well-being. His perspective
is that physical activity is the key
that leads to fitness. In the 19605,
play was spontaneous. Children
just knew when they were tired. In
the 90s, play seems to be less
available.
Have fun, participating in the
exercise as a family, and enjoy a
sense of freedom in the activity
you choose. A walk on a crisp cool
day or a walk in the snow are just
two suggestions. You’re only lim
ited by your own creativity. Best
wishes for a happy, healthy holi
day season.