Better Food For Kids: Your Essential Guide to Nutrition for all Children from age 2 to 6 - Softcover

Joanne Saab and Daina Kalnins are registered dietitians with The Hospital for Sick Children. Together they have more than 20 years' experience in pediatric nutrition and research, providing advice to both parents and physicians. Daina is also the mother of two young children, both of whom were consulted extensively in creating the recipes for this book.

Margaret Howard, who supplied many of the recipes in this book (and in Better Baby Food) is a registered dietitian, as well as a food and nutrition consultant. She has authored and co-authored a number of other cookbooks.

Nutritional Advice in Brief

Here, in no particular order, we offer our top 10 recommendations for parents of young children. Each provides references for additional information within the book.

Whenever possible, serve your child homemade rather than prepared or convenience foods. Commercially prepared foods can add excess calories (including many derived from fat) and salt to the diet. They can also displace fresh foods such as vegetables and fruits (see pages 13 to 15).
Limit your child's intake of juice (see, page 16). For quenching thirst, water should be the main beverage of choice.
Encourage consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables by having a constant supply readily available.
Eat meals with your children whenever possible (see pages 27 to 30). This time spent together as a family has many benefits, including the opportunity to demonstrate to your children your commitment to healthy eating practices which, in turn, will influence theirs.
Make sure you are knowledgeable about food and nutrition, and its overall effect on health and well-being (see pages 11 and 35 to 56).
Share your knowledge of nutrition with your children (see page 31). Use games or arts and crafts to teach kids about all the good things in the food they eat.
Make sure that iron-rich foods are part of your child's diet (see pages 49 to 51). Iron deficiency can have serious consequences on the health of young children.
Don't rely on vitamin supplements as a substitute for a healthy, balanced diet (see page 21).
Enjoy an active lifestyle together as a family (see pages 31 to 32). Exercise, along with healthy foods, can help decrease the incidence of obesity in children (see pages 100 to 103) -- and adults!
Variety is the spice of life -- and essential to healthy and enjoyable eating. Experiment with new foods and try new recipes (starting with those in this book!).

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Rice and Tofu

Serves 8

Delicious as a complete meal, or as a tasty accompaniment to chicken or fish, this dish makes tofu into something special. In fact, it's so good, you may want to double the recipe.

In a saucepan metl 1 tbsp (15 mL) butter over medium-high heat. Add rice and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until cooked through. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Using same pan, melt 1 tsp (5 mL) butter. Add egg and scramble until cooked. Transfer to another bowl and set aside.
Wipe pan clean, and melt another 1 tsp (5 mL) butter. Add tofu and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to another bowl and set aside.
Wipe pan clean, and melt remaining 1 tsp (5 mL) butter. Add onion and cook for 2 minutes or until softened. Add reserved rice, egg and tofu. Stir in carrots and peas. Cook mixture until heated through. Serve immediately.

KITCHEN TIP
For flavor variety, sprinkle with light soy sauce or teriyaki sauce.

Try different vegetables, such as zucchini, corn, spinach. Diced cooked chicken or beef can also replace tofu.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS
per 1/2-cup (125 mL) serving

Energy: 119 kcal
Protein: 4.8 g
Carbohydrate: 15.1 g
Fat: 4.5 g
Calcium: 6% CDV
Iron: 21% CDV