Great Hints For Healthful Kid-Friendly Meals 

Many may recall when classroom bulletin boards displayed the food pyramid. The pyramid – there was only one. One size fit all. Everyone needed to subscribe to the same nutritional guidelines. Everyone was needed to merely glance at the pyramid and find out how many servings were needed each day.

Many would agree that it is a good thing that obsolete food pyramid is now history! It may have taken a while, but the notion that not all people want the same food intake finally caught on. Nor are children expected to follow the same nutritional guidelines as the adults.

If you're hoping we'll show you the "kid's guidelines" there simply isn't a predetermined guideline. The amount of food from each food group that each person needs to eat to maintain a healthy lifestyle is dependent on their age, sex and physical activity level. One size doesn’t fit all. You can go to mypyramid.gov to type in some variables to get an idea of how much from each food category to eat every day.

Keep in mind balance is the name of the game. Make sure your kids are consuming fruits and vegetables, dairy, meats and beans and grains every day. Then top it off with water, fresh air and exercise. To help you get started, below you will find a couple of healthy meals for children.

This turkey avocado sandwich wrap uses kid-friendly ingredients for a nutritious lunch or treat.

INGREDIENTS:
• Whole wheat tortillas
• 1 avocado mashed
• Sliced deli turkey
• Shredded carrots
• Shredded lettuce
• Shredded Monterey jack cheese

PREPARATION:
Prepare wraps in the following order: Spread mashed avocado on tortilla; Sprinkle shredded carrots and lettuce on avocado; Lay on slices of deli turkey; Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

In addition, you won't get any looks of disappointment if you inform the children you're making chicken nuggets for supper. This kid favorite is delicious in the low-fat, oven-baked version. For simple clean-up and maximum crispiness, lay a sheet of foil on a cookie sheet; and, then place a wire rack over the foil.

INGREDIENTS:
• skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut in 1-2 inch sections
• non-fat or low-fat buttermilk
• flour for dredging
• finely crushed corn flakes for dredging
• salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 375. Prepare three large bowls for dredging chicken - 1 with flour seasoned with salt and pepper, 1 with buttermilk, and 1 with crushed corn flakes. Prepare baking pan by laying a sheet of foil on top of a cookie sheet; and then place a wire rack over the foil. Season chicken with salt and cut into 1-2 inch section.

Dredge chicken pieces in flour. Shake off excess flour and coat with buttermilk. Next, generously coat chicken with corn flakes, and place on rack of your baking pan. Bake nuggets for 15 minutes. These keep well for the next day's lunch box so make plenty!

The next time you reach into the pantry or freezer to grab something simple to make for dinner, take a good analytical look at the ingredients. The mission is not to serve food that is adequate but instead food that is healthy. Keep in mind that not all of your kids may require the same portions of food.

Sustainable Living Articles @ http://www.articlegarden.com