I no longer have any little ones in my home, but I am always looking for ways to stay healthier for myself. I appreciate you dropping in and sharing this simple suggestion, Kalifa.
Nutrition Hack:
Using fruits to replace sugar
Hello! My name is Kalifa, I’m a registered dietitian,
certified breastfeeding specialist and the author of Eating These Foods Makes
Me… I have a passion for everything nutrition, food and a healthy lifestyle. One
thing I’m constantly noticing in my career is the re-occurring issue I notice
many of my clients struggling with and that’s the adverse health outcomes
having excess sugar in their diet is causing them to experience.
In our westernized diet, sugar is one of the top
nutrients we tend to inadvertently consume in excess amounts, and it can be
very challenging to cut down. The problem is too much sugar in our diet
promotes the onset of many health-related issues and chronic diseases such as
diabetes and obesity. So today I’ll share 3 quick and easy tips on how you can
swap out the refined sugar and use fruit instead.
1st off, the sugar found in our foods and
drinks comes in various forms. Fruits
contain natural sugars, which are a mix of sucrose, fructose and glucose, but primarily
fructose. I often suggest using fruits whenever possible to achieve the
sweetness you desire as a healthy nutrition hack. For example, berries
(raspberries, blackberries and strawberries) are quite low in sugar compared to
other fruits and sometimes just a handful added to your cereal, yogurt or
pancakes is all you need to satisfy a sweet craving as opposed to sprinkling on
the sugar, honey or syrup.
For those of you who love pastries and baking, you can
actually use banana, papaya or even apple sauce as a sugar swap. Put any of
these fruits in a blender and pulse until a smooth consistency, and there you
have it, if a recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar, you can use ½ cup of the
puree. Figs and dates are also great
sugar swaps and provide the added benefits of fibre and minerals such as
potassium, calcium and iron.
Lastly, the hot summer weather is just around the
corner so you and your little ones might be craving a sweet treat to cool down,
why not get the kiddos involved by making their own 3 ingredient fruit sorbet
ice-cream. You can take almost any fruit you
want and transform them into a delicious and refreshing treat. Raspberry,
Pineapple, Peach and Honey Melon are our favourites! Simply peel and cut up
your fresh fruit into cubes then freeze them. If you’re using smaller fruits
like berries skip this step and freeze them whole! Once frozen, add your fruit
and a small amount of lemonade, orange juice or apple juice to your ice-crushing
blender or small food processor. Feel free to add some ripened banana to make
it taste a little sweeter. Keep in mind this sorbet is best eaten immediately
because unlike traditional store-bought sorbets, which contain high amounts of
added sugar which acts as interference for freezing resulting in a
softer/scoopable texture even at freezing temperatures, this homemade one has
way less sugar therefore if stored in the freezer it will harden.
Remember, there are always ways to improve our nutrition by simply being open-minded to trying different alternatives!
Thanks so much for sharing, Kalifa. I hope others found this as helpful as I did.
Eating These Foods Makes Me… by Kalifa Rodriguez
GENRE: Children’s Non-Fiction
BLURB
Is
your kid a picky eater? Do you want your child to enjoy eating a variety of
foods? Reading can be a proactive way to introduce your little one to the
amazing world of nutrition! In this book, readers will explore healthy foods
and learn how key nutrients benefit the body. These pages repeat positive
affirmations that will empower and build your child’s mindfulness about the
foods they eat.
It is never too early
to instill life-long healthy eating habits. Happy reading! Or should I say,
happy eating!
EXCERPT
Eating these foods makes me… Strong.
These foods give us protein which builds our muscles and bones to make us strong!
Fun Learning Activities to Promote Healthy Nutrition
1. Using paper and crayons or coloured pencils, draw a
rainbow, and then draw a fruit or vegetable that is the same colour as each
colour of the rainbow. You can even use this book for ideas. Remember to eat a
rainbow of fruits and vegetables (at least 5 servings) each day! How many have
you eaten today?
2. Do you like to play any sports or games? Do you like to
walk to the park? Help your parents choose and prepare an energizing snack
before the next game or walk to the park.
3. Eat your water? That sounds silly! Did you know that some
fruits and veggies such as celery are mostly made up of water and can also help
to keep you hydrated? Can you think of any others? Now try adding those slices
of fruit or even cucumber to your water bottle to give it some pizazz.
4. Try introducing interactive sensory play for preschoolers
(age 3 and older). Gather a variety of beans, nuts, or seeds on a tray or in a
bowl with a spoon. Under adult supervision, let the preschooler feel, grab, and
scoop the legumes, nuts, and seeds. See if the toddler can separate them based
on different colours, sizes, and textures while the adult names each food and
talks about how these foods make us strong from the proteins and smart from the
healthy omega fats.
These foods give us protein which builds our muscles and bones to make us strong!
AUTHOR Bio and Links
Kalifa Rodriguez is a registered dietitian and certified breastfeeding specialist. She currently works as a clinical nutritionist in Montreal, Canada. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in nutritional biochemistry, she went on to complete a master’s degree in human nutrition and dietetics at McGill University. Kalifa is passionate about promoting healthy lifestyle choices through nutrition, exercise, and mindfulness. She also hopes to leave a positive impact in the community through her work by giving nutrition education sessions to community groups and organizations. Kalifa and her husband are parents to their delightful toddler, who is the inspiration for this book.
CONNECT WITH
KALIFA RODRIGUEZ
- WEBSITE – Kalifa Rodriguez (kalifarodriguezbooks.com)
- FACEBOOK – Kalifa Rodriguez Books | Facebook
- INSTAGRAM – Kalifa Rodriguez M.Sc, RD, CBS (@the.nutrition.connection)
- YOUTUBE – Power of Nutrition – YouTube
- GOODREADS – Kalifa Rodriguez (Author of Eating These Foods Makes Me…) | Goodreads
PURCHASE LINKS
EATING THESE FOODS MAKES ME…
- AMAZON.COM – https://amazon.com/dp/0228860911
- AMAZON.CA – https://amazon.ca/dp/0228860911
- INDIGO CHAPTERS – https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/eating-these-foods-makes-me/9780228860914-item.html
- BARNES & NOBLE – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/eating-these-foods-makes-me-rd-cbs-rodriguez-m-sc/1140561192
- BOOK DEPOSITORY – https://www.bookdepository.com/Eating-These-Foods-Makes-Me-Rd-Cbs-Rodriguez-M-Sc-Madeleine-Migallos/9780228860914
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Nico Bell is a horror writer from America who dabbles in both the dark and humorous. She’s had several short stories published, and her debut novel Food Fright is available March 26, 2020.
