October - Bone Health Month

How fitting, since this is the same month as Halloween.  

Who can think of Halloween without visualizing a skeleton?  The next image we all have are heaps of candy that our little ghosts and goblins have collected during trick or treating!  That image sends shivers down any parent’s spine!

 The question is how do we meet the challenge of maintaining good nutrition during this creative and fun day?

Here are two recipes for delicious treats that strengthen your bones and titillate your taste buds:

             Fruit Parfait          

Ingredients:

·        ½ cup yogurt

·        1 tbsp. orange juice

·        1 ½ cups, peaches, sliced, fresh or canned

·        1cup raspberries, fresh or frozen

·        1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

·        Slivered almonds

Directions:

In a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt and orange juice.  In 4 parfait glasses, layer half of the peaches, raspberries, blueberries and top with yogurt mixture.  Repeat layering.  Sprinkle slivered almonds over each serving.  ENJOY!

Scrumptious Sundaes

Ingredients

·        1 cup vanilla frozen yogurt

·        1 banana

·        1 tbsp. wheat germ

·        ½ cup chopped walnuts

·        Honey or maple syrup, to taste

·        2 large strawberries, fresh or frozen

Directions:

Spoon frozen yogurt into 2 individual serving bowls.  Slice banana into rounds and drop over frozen yogurt.  Sprinkle with wheat germ and walnuts.  Drizzle honey or syrup over all.  Top with a strawberry. ENJOY

Here are some tips to help you maintain the fun on Halloween but manage this special night.

Before Trick-or-Treating

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  Feed your children a healthy supper before they go out.  They will be less likely to dig into their bag of goodies before they get home.
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  Limit the number of houses they visit – stay on your own street.  Or, limit the amount of time they are out trick or treating.

After Trick-or-Treating

• Buy back candy from your children for money or a special treat, like visiting the zoo or going to the movies.
• Be role model and eat candy in moderation yourself.  Children learn by example.

If your kids get a real haul of candy, here are some simple ideas to prevent it from going to waste:

·        Freeze some and chop it up to use as topping on frozen yogurt or ice-cream.

·        Use crushed suckers to create stained glass in your gingerbread house at Christmas time.

Remember to keep your bones strong – exercise every day and eat 3-4 servings of milk or alternatives from the Canada Food Guide!

Canada's Food Guide