just for kids

march 99

Too many of our children learn about food and snacks, in particular, from television. Commercial after commercial extols the awesome taste of a new sugary cereal or the extra crunch and delicious flavor of a new kind of chip or cracker. Little Debbie comes on the screen to remind everyone that her little cakes are delicious and as close as the corner grocery store. Is it any surprise that we have an epidemic of children who are overeating? If your child has diabetes, this could easily mean poor blood sugar control and serious complications of the disease. Snacks are a part of a child’s life and a necessary part of a daily meal plan for many people with diabetes, especially children. Your own child’s meal plan will likely indicate two or three snacks in their daily regime. When our own children were little we offered them a piece of fruit as an after school snack. My own granddaughter thinks she’s hit ‘pay dirt’ when she’s given a small bowl of miniature raw carrots as a snack. She actually prefers her carrots to candy -- her untouched stash of Halloween candy was finally thrown out when I was visiting her at Christmas. Sometimes, however, it’s nice to have something really delightful after a hard day at school or after school sport. For this reason, we’ve developed several special, yet healthy snacks, many of which your child can make for themselves. All contain carbohydrates; some are more substantial and include some protein. Since your child has been given a meal plan to follow by his or her physician or dietitian, you’ll know how to fit these into their daily eating plan. All are wholesome with child-pleasing taste. But, hey! These snacks are not just for kids -- adults will love them, too. Chocolate Yogurt Pops (makes 4 servings) 8 ounces (240 g) plain nonfat yogurt 1/4 cup (45 g) sugar-free cocoa mix 4 6-ounce (180 ml) paper cups In a bowl, combine yogurt and cocoa mix. Mix well. Spoon into paper cups and set the cups in a muffin tin. Insert a wooden popsicle stick in the middle of each cup. Freeze solid. To serve peel away the paper cup and eat at once. Per serving: 66 calories (5% calories from fat), 6 g protein, trace fat (0 saturated fat), 10 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 3 mg cholesterol, 132 mg sodium Diabetic exchanges: 1 carbohydrate (skim milk) Strawberry Fluff (makes 4 servings) 1 0.3 ounce (8.5 g) ounce package sugar-free strawberry jello 1 cup (240 ml) boiling water 1 cup (240 ml) fresh orange juice 2 cups (240 g) sliced fresh strawberries Dissolve jello in boiling water, following the package directions. Stir in orange juice. Chill until the jello has the consistency of unbeaten egg whites, about 20 minutes. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat jello mixture until it triples in bulk, about 5 minutes. Fold in strawberries. Transfer mixture to a covered container and chill until ready to serve. To serve, spoon into individual dishes. Per serving: 61 calories (6% calories from fat) 2 g protein, trace total fat (0 saturated fat), 13 g carbohydrate, 2 g dietary fiber, 0 cholesterol, 56 mg sodium Diabetic exchanges: 1 carbohydrate (fruit) Pizza Pockets (makes 4 servings) 1 10-ounce (330 g) can refrigerated pizza dough 1/4 cup (60 ml) jarred pizza sauce 1 cup (112 g) part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup (15 g) reduced-fat ricotta cheese 1 teaspoon (5 ml) crushed dried oregano vegetable cooking spray Open dough can and place on a work surface. Roll out and cut two 6-inch (15 cm) circles. Rework scraps, roll out, and cut out another two 6-inch circles for a total of 4 circles. Discard remaining scraps. Place the dough circles on the work surface. Spread each circle with 1 tablespoon pizza sauce to within 1/4 inch of the edge. Place 1/4 cup (28 g) of the mozzarella cheese near the center of each circle. Top each with 1 tablespoon (15 g) ricotta cheese and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml) oregano. Dampen the edges of each circle with a little water. Fold circles in half, enclosing the cheese filling. Crimp the edges by pressing down with the tines of a fork along the edge. Cut two small slits in the top for steam vents. Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C), Gas Mark 7. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place pizza pockets on prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes before eating. Per serving: 266 calories (27% calories from fat) 15 g protein, 8 g total fat (4.0 g saturated fat), 33 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 19 mg cholesterol, 593 mg sodium Diabetic exchanges: 1 medium fat protein, 2 carbohydrate (bread/starch) Peanut Butter Granola (makes 6 servings) 3 cups (243 g) rolled oats 1/2 cup (52 g) wheat germ 1/2 cup (128 g) creamy peanut butter 1 1/2 tablespoons (14 g) light brown sugar 1/3 cup (48 g) dark raisins Preheat oven to 300°F (149°C). In a medium bowl, combine oats and wheat germ. Place peanut butter and brown sugar in a microwave-safe dish. Mix well. Microwave on HIGH for 20 seconds, until warm. Stir again. Pour peanut butter mixture over the cereal and toss to evenly coat. Stir in raisins. Spread evenly in a baking pan and bake for 20 minutes, stirring once. Cool before serving to eat out of hand. Store any leftover granola in self-sealing plastic bags with eat within 2 days. Per serving: 345 calories (34% calories from fat),, 14 g protein, 14 g total fat (2.9 g saturated fat), 46 g carbohydrate, 7 g dietary fiber, 0 cholesterol, 104 mg sodium Diabetic exchanges: 1 medium fat protein, 3 carbohydrate (2 1/2 bread/starch, 1/2 fruit), 1 fat Fruit Soup (makes 4 servings) 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) orange juice 1/2 cup (122 g) plain nonfat yogurt 1 tablespoon (12 g) sugar 1 10-ounce (300 g) frozen raspberries, thawed 1 medium banana, sliced In a blender, place the orange juice, yogurt, sugar, and thawed raspberries. Blend until smooth. Divide the banana slices between 4 soup bowls. Top with equal amounts of the orange juice mixture. Serve at once to eat with a spoon. Per serving: 133 calories (5% calories from fat), 4 g protein, 1 g total fat (0 saturated fat), 30 g carbohydrate, 6 g dietary fiber, 1 g cholesterol, 25 mg sodium Diabetic exchanges: 2 carbohydrate (fruit) Peach Smoothie (makes 2 servings) 1 medium fresh peach, about 5 ounces (150 g), peeled, pitted, and chopped 1/2 cup (120 ml) skim milk 1 4-ounce (120 g) carton nonfat vanilla yogurt 1 cup ice cubes ground cinnamon Place the peach, milk, yogurt, and ice in a blender. Blend until smooth. Turn off machine and scrape down the sides of the blender with a rubber spatula. Blend again. Pour the mixture into 2 glasses and sprinkle each with a little cinnamon. Serve at once. Per serving: 101 calories (0% calories from fat), 5 g protein, 0 total fat (0 saturated fat), 1 g dietary fiber, 3 mg cholesterol, 65 mg sodium Diabetic exchanges: 1 1/2 carbohydrate (1/2 fruit, 1 skim milk) Asian Popcorn (makes 4 servings) 8 cups (83 g) air-popped popcorn 1 3-ounce (90 g) can chow mein noodles refrigerated butter-flavored cooking spray 2 teaspoons (10 ml) low-sodium soy sauce Preheat oven to 300°F (149°C). In a large baking pan, combine popcorn and chow mein noodles. Lightly coat with cooking spray. Toss to evenly coat. Drizzle with soy sauce and toss again. Bake for 10 minutes, stirring once. Let cool for 10 minutes before eating. Per serving: 169 calories (28% calories from fat), 6 g protein, 5 g total fat (1.1 g saturated fat), 26 g carbohydrate, 4 g dietary fiber, 0 cholesterol, 260 mg sodium Diabetic exchanges: 1 1/2 carbohydrate (bread/starch), 1 fat