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by Susan Gilliam
How can I limit my daughter’s sugar intake without making her feel deprived during the holidays?
One of the best treats in the whole world is to take fruit and freeze it. You can freeze grapes. You can freeze strawberries (quarter them), or just about any kind of berry. You can also freeze bananas in thick slices, and it’s just like a piece of hard candy to give to your child. A wonderful treat that’s also healthy.
Any time of the year you can buy natural or organic fruit snacks. And it’s a good way to get your child to eat fruit. They might not sit down and eat a banana or an apple, but they will definitely eat fruit Strips (like Fruit Rollups). Here is a really simple recipe for all-natural fruit Strips:
Pre-heat oven to 175 degrees.
Combine 1/2 cup Splenda, 1/8 cup water and 4 cups berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, etc.) in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally with a whisk to help break up the berries. When mixture reaches the consistency of syrup, remove from heat and strain through a seive, leaving any of the seeds behind.
Spread puree into an even layer on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Bake with oven door slightly open for 50 minutes, until set and not sticky. Remove to a rack to cool.
Cut into shapes with cookie cutters or into strips that may be rolled up. Refrigerate until use.
But for the holidays, the best thing I can suggest is using Splenda in place of sugar. Splenda, a no-calorie sweetener, is made from sugar, so it is not a chemical, but it is chemically enhanced. Health food stores and grocery stores, like Lewis Jones, carry sugar alternatives, including some organic varieties that are more natural. You can use these substitutes wherever you would normally use sugar, and then you don’t have to worry about your children being hyped up on sugar.
Every time I make a pound cake or every time I make an apple pie, I use Splenda. The packaging will tell you how to measure in comparison to sugar. There is also a Splenda for baking, which is actually a mix of Splenda and pure sugar. It has half the calories and carbohydrates of sugar, but tastes and acts more like sugar. It rises, spreads, browns and helps retain moisture in soft cakes and cookies.
Get your children in the kitchen so they can help cook or bake what they’re actually going to eat. Explain to them the entire process. Talk to them about the ingredients that they are using. Getting a child talking about what he is cooking, what he is putting into his body, creates a health-conscious child. They are like sponges, so cooking together is really a wonderful way to connect with your child and instill good nutritional values at the same time.
It is so important to start teaching children at a young age healthy eating and how to cook. And what a community effort it is for the family to work together in the kitchen and then gather around the dinner table. Whether you’re cooking for your family or friends, the kitchen becomes the hub of the home.
Susan Gilliam is the director of the Village Kitchen at 1332 13th Street. She can be reached at 706.507.7676.
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