Kids' Favorite Foods Made Healthy

Make food preparation and shopping a family project when you can. Ask for suggestions for meals and try to follow through, if not just then, on a day when time allows. Remember a lot of your child's responses will rely on your concept of his/her diabetes and its severity. Remembering our own children's favorite foods, in talking with young children and their parents, and in response to your e-mails asking for specific recipes, we decided that macaroni & cheese, chicken nuggets, and enchiladas are amongst the most popular of kid's meals. From a health standpoint, however, these dishes made from traditional recipes are loaded with calories and fat.

We were delighted when we looked at the diabetic recipes posted on Kraft's site, that they had already "made-over" recipes for these three dishes that are reduced fat (Down Home Macaroni & Cheese) or low-fat (Homemade Chicken Nuggets and Cheesy Enchiladas). Judging by the comments posted by people who've tried the recipes, they are certain to please even your most finicky youngster. We appreciate Kraft's willingness to share these recipes with you on our website.

(Recipe courtesy of Kraft Diabetic Choices)

1. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large saucepan on low heat. Blend in flour and salt; cook and stir 1 minute. Gradually add the milk; cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Add prepared cheese product and 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese. Stir until melted. Stir in macaroni.
2. Pour into a 1 1/2-quart casserole. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter; toss with the bread crumbs. Sprinkle casserole with remaining 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese and crumb mixture.
3. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

*Not appropriate for a low-sodium diet.

(Recipe courtesy of Kraft Diabetic Choices)

1. Moisten chicken pieces with water. Shake off excess water.
2. Shake 3 or 4 pieces at a time with coating mix. Discard any remaining coating mix. Place chicken pieces in a 15x10x1-inch pan.
3. Bake at 400°F for 10 to 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Serve with Kraft or Bull's-Eye Barbecue Sauce.

(Recipe courtesy of Kraft Diabetic Choices)

1. Beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add 1 cup of the cheddar cheese and the onions; mix until blended.
2. Spread 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture down the center of each tortilla; roll up. Place, seam side down, in an 11x7-inch baking dish. Pour the salsa over the tortillas. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese; cover with aluminum foil.
3. Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

*Not appropriate for a low-sodium diet.

These are just three of the recipes featured on the site. Visit the site and we're sure you'll find many other meal ideas that the whole family will love.

In a previous article on diabetic children and eating, we cited the following guidelines for children age 3 and older set by The United States Department of Agriculture, based on the USDA Food Guide Pyramid:

6 to 11 servings per day from the bread, cereal, rice, and pasta food group
1 serving = 1 slice of bread, 1/2 cup cooked rice or pasta, 1 ounce cold cereal, 1/2 bagel, or 1/2 English muffin

3 to 5 servings per day from the vegetable group
1 serving = 1/2 cup raw or cooked chopped vegetables or 1 cup raw leafy vegetables

2 to 4 servings per day from the fruit group
1 serving = 1 piece of medium-size fruit, 1/2 cup no sugar added canned fruit, or 1/2 cup no sugar added fruit juice

2 to 3 servings per day from the milk group
1 serving = 1 cup milk (check with your child's doctor whether this should be regular milk, 2% fat, 1% fat, or nonfat), 1 cup low-fat yogurt, or 1 1/2 to 2 ounces cheese

2 to 3 servings of protein: meat, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts

1 serving = 2 to 3 ounces of lean meat, poultry, or fish; 1/2 cup cooked beans or lentils; 1 egg, or 2 tablespoons peanut butter

fats, oils, and sweets to be eaten sparingly
aim for a daily total intake of 30% or less total calories from fat, 10% or less of which may be saturated fat

Sugars (including honey, corn syrup, maple syrup, etc.) should be restricted to 1 teaspoon sugar per serving and eaten only occasionally as they are often accompanied by fat and don't provide vitamins and minerals

Learn all you can about the disease, have a good relationship with your child's health team, and go on with your life. Your diabetic youngster is facing challenges every day living with a chronic disease, and although eating and glucose control will be a continual one, let's try to minimize it and focus on how to give our children good healthy lifetime habits.

FTG