From Washington Pediatrics

Kids from Washington Pediatrics had a chance to have their hand in cooking and trying new foods in a fun-filled day in the kitchen with Washington Pediatrics’ registered dietitian nutritionist Andrea Nikolai. Four classes were held over the last two weeks with different groups of children aged eight to 13 years from the KidsCAN (Creating Action and Nutrition) program at Washington Pediatrics. Each group started the day at Food Lion on U.S. Highway 264 East in Washington where they got a behind-the-scenes tour of the store by store staff and then spent time with Nikolai measuring out the sugar their favorite drinks and cereals, looking at nutrition labels, and then picking out foods to try for their class. The groups then went to the Beaufort County Cooperative Extension kitchen where they tried some new foods and had a packed afternoon of cooking.

“Kids are more likely to try foods when they help prepare them, and it was great to get to see this in action,” Nikolai said. “All the kids seemed to really have fun, and a number of the kids thought of as ‘picky eaters’ willingly tried multiple new things. I wanted to give the kids an opportunity to apply the things we talk about at appointments, work with other kids with similar habits, and get some ideas on how they can make changes in some of the foods they eat.”

The kids tried foods such as hummus and vegetables and fruit they picked out and then made 10 different dishes in the remaining three and a half hours, including everything from oven-baked fries, kale chips and pita pizzas to mini-muffin frittatas, yeast pretzels and energy balls.

“We did a marathon of cooking,” Nikolai said. “I was so impressed with the kids and how they moved from one thing to another. One of my favorite moments was when I had one of the kids get the blueberry, banana smoothie’s secret ingredient — spinach — from the fridge. The look on their faces was priceless, but they put it in with gusto and then gave it a try. It turned out to be a hit with many of the kids.”

A cooking tip for parents at home to try, other than simply letting your children help out and make some choices in the kitchen: “Let them try different herbs and spices on the foods and then discuss which they liked best. The kids had a lot of fun with this — cinnamon on sweet potato fries is a winner.”

The classes were made possible by an Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Kids Eat Right grant.

Washington Pediatrics, P.A., has served children and their families in Beaufort and the surrounding counties since 1955. Currently employing six board-certified pediatricians, two physician assistants, a family nurse practitioner, two staff psychologists and a dietitian, the staff specializes in the management of well and sick infants and children through age 18 years.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. The Academy is committed to improving the nation’s health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy. Visit the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics at www.eatright.org.