Fuel Your Child's Active Life

Whether you are a young athlete with an intensive training plan for your sport, or if you are just starting to play, each athlete should strive to have a proper balance of physical exercise and nutritional intake to fuel your body throughout the day.
Diet plays a huge role in staying healthy and intensifying training regime

• “Eat the rainbow”. Consume fruits and vegetables of every color at least three times a week
• What you put into your body determines what you will get out
• Diet not only builds muscle mass it also assists in recovery

What’s the best way to make sure you are eating nutritious meals? We know that cooking and preparing your meals and snacks at home is the best way to control the amount of sugar, fat and salt in your food. There are so many reasons why cooking at home and learning about the food you eat are good for you! Here are some of the key benefits of cooking:

• Nutrition: Develop a more comprehensive understanding of nutrition because you will see what goes into your meals as you prepare the ingredients
• Independence: Become more capable and independent as you learn cooking skills and get more comfortable preparing your favourite recipes
• Safety: Learn about safety rules in the kitchen; safe use of kitchen appliances and utensils and safe handling of food
• Expand your palate: try new foods and spices and learn about different cultures
• Math Skills: Practical application of math as you use fractions, counting and measuring while working through a recipe
• Reading and comprehension: you will read and follow a recipe and step-by-step instructions while preparing your meal

The best way to encourage and teach healthy habits is to get kids involved in the kitchen. Children of all ages can assist with the preparation of snacks and meals and then you can talk about the ingredient choices. Kids can wash fruits and vegetables and parents can cut and store them in containers in the fridge, so they are easily accessible. Snacks are important for children to help maintain energy levels throughout the day … and we have some simple ideas that they will love to sink their teeth into:

• Cut up various coloured vegetables, like carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, red peppers, cucumbers, etc. and try with a yummy hummus dip. See Recipe included below!
• Similarly, slice or chop up apples, pears, pineapple, peaches, bananas, etc. and eat with your favourite nut/seed butter or yogurt. Create a delicious fruit salad!
• Watermelon and cantaloupe are also great choices; cut into chunks and enjoy. They also contain high water content.
• Nuts, seeds, raisins, and other dried fruit can be mixed together and are easy to munch whenever and where ever.
• Wash and cut up your favourite berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc.) – then you can easily toss them on top of your yogurt bowl with some granola or eat them as is.
• Wraps are so easy and fun – you can use corn or flour tortillas: (a) cream cheese and your favourite veggies, (b) cheddar cheese and apple slices, (c) Nut/seed butter and berries, (d) Yogurt with bananas or your fav fruit.

We suggest eating whole foods and compare the Nutrition Facts table on food labels.  Become familiar with the levels that are “ideal” for us to consume. Keep in mind that nutritional needs differ from one person to another and from one day to the next. With increased activity levels, you might find that you need to eat more food to fuel your activities.  

About Rooks to Cooks

Rooks to Cooks is an innovative Summer Cooking Day Camp with 10 locations in Toronto and the GTA. Experienced instructors inspire and educate children, ages 4+, to reach their full potential in and out of the kitchen. The cooking lessons always emphasize themes of healthy eating and teach students to live a fulfilling healthy life. Children will learn cooking skills, but they will also learn about team-work, responsibility, independence, nutrition, problem-solving, and apply math and science in the real world. No matter your age or skill level, Rooks to Cooks is your child’s recipe for success! For a limited time enjoy $20 off our summer camp registration.with code Rooks20Off and save! Visit www.rookstocooks.ca for more information.