Health Snacks for Kids in Classrooms

Some schools offer snack time for kids. If that is your case then you might want to ask your child to avoid cookies, cupcakes and doughnuts and instead send them to school with their own healthy snacks.

One healthy choice is fruit kabobs. You can make these out of chunks of strawberries, pineapple, apples, melon and grapes. Your child can help you assemble them on the sticks at home (with adult supervision). The trick to having them keep overnight is to smear a bit of lemon juice on the finished kabobs. This stops the fruit from turning brown. To add excitement to the snack you can also add some strawberry or vanilla yogurt for dipping. To really zap it up you can also add a marshmallow to the kabob for a treat.

You can also send your kid to school with healthy mini muffins. You can bake your muffin in mini-tins. Portion control helps prevent your kid from gaining weight. Great flavors are zucchini, banana, blueberry and carrot. You can also whip together a quick cream cheese frosting for a sweet treat.

Another nice idea is to make cinnamon tortillas with fruit salsa. Simply brush whole wheat flour tortillas with melted butter and then sprinkle liberally with cinnamon sugar. You can then bake them for ten minutes on a cookie sheet until crisp. You can then make a salsa out of any fruit you like by dicing it and mixing g it with sugar and lime juice. Good fruits to use for salsa include blackberries, pineapple, kiwis, strawberries and apples. Serve the salsa in little cups or bowls with the tortilla chips on the side.

Another healthy treat is sweet and salty! You can make your own chocolate-dipped pretzel. Simply buy your favorite pretzels and then melt a bag of dark chocolate chips over a double boiler. Dip the pretzels in the chocolate and then let the dry on wax paper. You can decorate these with sprinkles if you want too.
You can make a portable berries and whipped cream dessert for your children quite easily. Simply take clear plastic glasses and fill them up with any kind of berry. Top with freshly whipped cream and a sprinkling of mini chocolate chips. You can also add chunks of angel cake if you like as well. If you like you could mix a bit of yogurt in with the whipped cream as well.

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As Good As Taking A Chill Pill

If life has you feeling irritable and edgy there is no need anymore to ask the doctor for a valium. Mother Nature has a pharmacy full of natural cures for nervous tension, worry and other problems.

When people are worried they tend to turn to foods that are high in carbs and sugars. That is when it becomes time to consume some yams. These work as powerful stress-busters. They are high in fiber and full of vitamins that support the nervous system such as Vitamin A and E.

Peanut butter can help you if you feel irritable and exhausted from a lack of good sleep. Peanuts are high in Vitamin B6 which helps regulate blood sugar and stabilize mood. It is best eaten on whole wheat toast so that it breaks down slowly in your body. The reason you want to have it on whole wheat toast is because this type of bread contains complex carbohydrates. This is known as the 'feel-good hormone.' If you want to enhance your mood even more try eating a peanut butter, banana, honey and whole wheat bread sandwich.

If you feel as if you cannot get your body to settle down and relax then drink some chamomile tea. It has been shown especially effective when it comes to suppressing muscle spasms.

Dark chocolate is another stress reliever. Just 1.4 ounces of dark chocolate can lower the stress hormones of cortical and ctecholamines in the body. This helps relieve anxiety.

St. John's Wort is a herb that is sometimes called 'The Break Up Remedy. It is useful for treating mild to severe depression. It can be taken in pill form as a supplement or you can take it as a tea.

If you are having trouble falling asleep then try having a few slices of turkey. Turkey contains tryphotan which helps people doze off. However although it may help people fall asleep it does not necessarily help them stay asleep.

Another herbal tea that can help with anxiety, especially the kind that has you worrying about finances or health, is Passionflower. It is very common and is a well –recognized over the counter sedative.

Valerian root is another common herb used to calm people down and put them right to sleep… You can but it as jukes, tablets, teas, tinctures. It is known as Nature's Valium.

Of course before taking any herb or any food in excess you really do need to consult with your doctor to make sure it will not conflict with any existing health conditions or mediations you are taking.

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