Beautiful Bites Benefits of Healthy and Visually Appealing Snacks

Agrowth and development. Snack time is a great way to incorporate fruits and vegetables into a child’s daily diet. Children have smaller sized stomachs than adults and therefore are less likely to eat enough at meals to keep them full and energized until the next mealtime which makes snack time a great way for parents to get in those extra nutrients. They also offer a variety of benefits.

Including three meals and two healthy snacks into your child’s daily diet helps kids learn healthy eating habits that will stick with them for a lifetime. Providing a well balanced and healthy diet helps kids learn appropriate portion control, to eat (and enjoy) a variety of foods including fruits and vegetables, and develop a healthy relationship with food. Kids who learn these valuable habits early are less likely to form unhealthy eating habits such as eating out of boredom or based on emotional factors. They also learn to eat when they are hungry and stop eating when they are full, a skill many adults struggle with.

Without snacking, kids are less likely to meet the suggested nutritional intake to maintain a healthy diet because their stomachs are smaller and become full with a smaller meal. Adding two small snacks a day that provide fruit, veggies, low fat dairy, or whole grain helps kids fill in the nutritional gaps they may have been missing from breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In addition, snacks provide a boost of energy to get kids through the rest of the day.

The development of healthy eating habits at a young age decreases the likelihood of children developing diseases like cancer, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Kids who eat more fruits and vegetables and less “junk food” that contain high quantities of sugar are also more likely to have better dental hygiene. Kids who maintain a healthy diet, including smart snack choices, are less likely to binge on foods high in calories and carbohydrates and are more likely to maintain a healthy weight throughout their lives.

Kids who eat healthy snacks are, generally, more prepared to listen and learn at school because their bellies are full. They have more energy and are more attentive in class. Hungry kids become irritable, tired, and less alert. A healthy snack can do a lot to help kids grow and develop properly.

Now that we understand the great benefits to healthy snacking, how can we get our kids to eat the fruits and vegetables their bodies need? Preparing snacks that are fun encourages kids to try new foods and may even help them to forget they are eating healthy food at all. Here are some great snacks that kids will have fun eating. The development of healthy eating habits at a young age decreases the likelihood of children developing diseases like cancer, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

For a tasty sweet treat that is also healthy, simply slice a banana and freeze overnight. The next day put the bananas in a blender or food processor and you will have a creamy, healthy snack that tastes similar to ice cream.

Slices of apple can be more appetizing for kids and are fun to eat. Add a side of peanut butter for dipping to make them even more appealing.

Fun fruit kabobs are visually appealing and fun to eat. Create “caterpillars” out of grapes for a snack that is cute and healthy. Another way to make fruit appealing is to use cookie cutters to cut interesting shapes.

This cute snack is great for an afternoon snack or a fun surprise in the lunchbox. Simply fill celery with peanut butter and top with raisins to make “ants on a log”.

To a kid, broccoli resembles a tree. Why not make it fun and bring the dinosaur toys to the table to “share the trees”. Add some fun dip like ranch, blue cheese, or cottage cheese to the side to make it more appealing.

Kids love spaghetti. This healthier alternative is just as tasty as traditional spaghetti noodles.

Sarah Lyons is a freelance writer and stay at home mom to six children, including 7-yearold triplets.

explains Carlos Trujillo, Chair of Bishop O’Dowd High School’s Math Department. “The standard course sequence dates back to the Industrial Revolution. It’s not setting students up to master the skills they need to succeed in today’s world.”

In an effort to accelerate student access to upper-level courses like Pre Calculus and Finite Math, the O’Dowd Math Department made a decision in 2018 to eliminate a more basic Algebra 2 course, instead offering an unleveled Algebra 2 Trigonometry to all students. “By shifting every student into this more advanced class, we opened the gates for them to engage earlier in college prep courses that

lean more towards their interests, whether that’s traditional STEM, business, or social entrepreneurship,” says Trujillo. Along those lines, the Department also added AP Computer Science Principles in 2016. “We’ve seen that course jump from 24 students in 2016, to 100 students this year,” Trujillo reports.

O’Dowd’s Math Department has also intentionally modernized its teaching methods, transitioning the classroom to a “flipped model” where students might watch a teaching video the night before class to preview concepts, and then come to class prepared to practice. “One of the most necessary skills in today’s world is collaboration,” Trujillo notes. “We’re supporting students to work in groups and attack a problem together. We want classes to be spaces of active learning, instead of passively taking lecture notes. And we’ve found that students master and own the material much more deeply through this model.”

Last year, in accordance with leadingedge research from the Stanford Graduate School of Education, The University of Chicago, and a growing cadre of mathematicians, data scientists, teachers, and education policy leaders, O’Dowd’s

Math Department developed a new two-year geometry, algebra, and trigonometry sequence—an innovative course remodel designed to prepare students to be problem solvers in today’s tech and data economy.

As it stands now, most U.S. math students learn a sequence of Algebra 1 (one year), Geometry (one year), Algebra 2 (one year). “This math track is like learning to play piano one year, switching to cello for another year, then going back to piano as though you never stopped practicing,” Trujillo says. First, the sequence doesn’t support a true command of fundamental math concepts. “It’s how students get frustrated with math,” Trujillo notes. Second, this sequence usually doesn’t create enough time for students to take multiple upper division courses, like Data Science and Multivariable Calculus. “These are the courses that have a big payoff for students,” Trujillo explains. “They start solving real world problems, thinking creatively, and strengthening their college applications.”

O’Dowd’s two-year math sequence is focused on students mastering the concepts they need to be successful. “We don’t want students who just know how to do the mechanics.” Trujillo states. “We want them to gain the technical vocabulary, notational fluency, the analytical skills, and the conceptual

thinking that matter for problem solving. It’s like an exponential function. Our student’s mastery will compound and accelerate over four years and put them at an advantage when it comes to pursuing STEM careers.” The shift also opens the pathways for all students to take AP Calculus by their junior or senior year —something less than 10 percent of students were previously able to achieve.

challenge —in an equation or in life. —Diego, 12th Grade “By creating this intentional two-year sequence, we’re giving students a rock-solid foundation to excel in Pre Calculus, Finite Math, Data Science or even AP Calculus as juniors,” Trujillo emphasizes. From there, there are a range of AP courses they can take, even Multivariable Calculus. “We are one of only a few high schools in the nation that teaches this,” Trujillo says. Multivariable Calculus lays the mathematical foundation for machine learning and theoretical computer science. “We need to be preparing students to be drivers and innovators of the kinds of systems that Google Maps and Spotify

are built on,” Trujillo insists. “They’re going to keep changing the world.”

O’Dowd’s move to modernize the Math Department is already ahead of the curve. Last year, the University of California and the California State Universities made changes to accept courses in data science as equivalent to Algebra II, pointing towards the relevance of data science to analyze and tackle social problems, from climate change to crime. Other elite colleges may follow soon.

“Our Math Department is reading the economic landscape and leading innovation,” declares O’Dowd Board Member and alumna Melinda EisenhutDunn ’74. As the former CFO of Sequoia Capital, a $20B global investment firm, Melinda knows how important it is for education to expose young people to disciplines that connect to our emerging marketplace. “O’Dowd is looking ahead,” she says. “We’re equipping our graduates to become leaders in the next generation of our society.” ✷

If you have school-age children, you are most likely dealing with an ever-growing stack of school papers and artwork. Some of the papers may go straight to the recycle bin but what do you do with the important papers and special artwork you would like to keep?

By Sarah Lyons

Start by Sorting

Before you can start organizing your child’s paperwork and art projects you need to decide what to discard and what to keep. “I keep things that reveal his personality,” says Kara Thomas, mom to a ten-year-old son. Set aside papers that show your child’s writing skills and artwork that you feel is unique to your child’s personality. Discard worksheets or daily papers. Make another stack of papers that have information you need such as calendars, directories, or spelling lists. Try to sort items at least once a week so the paper stack does not get out of control. “Parents may want to feature their child’s artwork by hanging it in frames on the wall. This gives them the opportunity to enjoy it, then change the pictures over time.” says Stephanie Davis, a Certified Professional Organizer.

A keepsake box is a space for you to save items that mean something to you or your child. Davis, suggests using a file box. “A keepsake box causes you to constantly purge and evaluate what you really want to keep,” says Davis. Some parents may have a file for each grade level but Stephanie suggests sorting items by type, such as artwork, invitations, pictures, projects, and adventures. This will give the file box a more defined purpose and is easier for the parent to maintain. “The keepsake boxes should be stored where they are easy to get to. If it is stored on a closet shelf, it is less likely to be used than if it is stored somewhere that is easily accessed.”

As a mom of six, our family has our fair share of paperwork. Creating a family binder for important information has helped me stay organized. Each family member has a tab and their sports calendars, school directories, and medical information are stored there. When I need something in a hurry, I know right where to look. “I encourage families to go digital. They can use one family calendar app so everyone knows what is going on and important papers can be scanned and computerized as well.” says Davis. “I try to be flexible and figure out what works for each family.”

Some parents may find it easier to go digital when it comes to storing their child’s artwork and school papers. Joanna Cline, mother of three, says “I use the Artkive app to store my kids’ art. At the end of the year, I will make a photobook of their artwork.” Other apps that help save artwork are DearMuse or Keepy. Many of these apps have family sharing available.

The main thing to remember is the items we want to keep will develop and change over time. As you add to your keepsake box, you may find that some items don’t seem as important a few years later and it is okay to discard them to make room for the things that you value now. Parents should never feel guilty about not keeping every single paper, painting, and essay. Realistically it’s only important to keep the items that mean the most. 

Sarah Lyons is a freelance writer and stay at home mom to six children, including 7-year-old triplets. She loves reading, cooking, and spending time outdoors. With six children in three schools, she is very familiar with the need to organize school papers and art projects.