The United States Department of Agriculture's MyPyramid for Kids emphasizes messages such as “choose healthier foods from each food group” and “eat foods from every food group every day.”
Ready to put MyPyramid for Kids into action? Here are some ways to help kids “take it one step at a time” as they use canned foods to follow MyPyramid for Kids:
Grains – Kids “Can-Dos”: Top oatmeal with canned berries or peaches. Mix canned corn (it’s a whole grain) into soups, salsas or chili for chilidogs.
Vegetable – Kids “Can-Dos”: Let kids take part by mixing canned pumpkin or bean purée into their favorite soups. Blend canned carrots or tomatoes in “smashed” potatoes. Kids will love the color.
Fruit – Kids “Can-Dos”: Try canned pineapple, pears or peaches as a topper on ham pizza. Top French toast or pancakes with vitamin A-rich apricots. Make a smiley face with Mandarin oranges on a slice of bread and peanut butter. Purée canned fruit and freeze it to make fruit pops. Skewer canned pineapple chunks and Mandarin oranges for a fruity kabob snack.
Milk – Kids “Can-Dos”: Whirl a tasty smoothie with low-fat yogurt or fat-free evaporated milk and their favorite canned fruit or juice. Top frozen yogurt with their favorite canned fruit.
Meat and Bean – Kids “Can-Dos”: Add canned beans, turkey, chicken and meat to macaroni and cheese, chili, burritos, tacos, pizza or their favorite pasta dishes.
Oils – Kids “Can-Dos”: Stir in drained, canned sliced olives into your kids’ favorite spaghetti sauce or put it on top of pizza.
Eat Smart. Play Hard.
Click here to visit the Eat Smart. Play Hard Web site.
The Eat Smart. Play Hard.™ Campaign was launched by USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) in 2000. The Campaign encourages and teaches children, parents, and caregivers to eat healthy and be physically active everyday. Eat Smart. Play Hard.™ offers resources and tools to convey and reinforce healthy eating and lifestyle behaviors that are consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the MyPyramid Food Guidance System.
