Encourage
HEALTHY EATING
Jerky Trail Mix
Recipe courtesy of The Beef Checkoff
BC Health, Beauty & Fitness 44
Habits
Of the many challenges parents face daily,
encouraging healthy eating habits for
their children can be one of the most
vexing. While the consumption of nutritious foods like
vegetables is good for kids while they’re young, it can
also serve an important role in encouraging lifelong
healthy habits.
One strategy for achieving that goal is to pair familiar
foods with vegetables and prepare them in interesting
ways. This tactic – pairing foods kids already enjoy with
the foods you want them to start eating willingly – is
called “associative conditioning,” and can help encourage
children to try the new food, according to research
conducted by Elizabeth Capaldi-Phillips and Devina
Wadhera and published in the “Journal of the Academy
of Nutrition and Dietetics.”
For example, prepared beef products like hot dogs,
deli roast beef, salami and summer sausage provide
sources of nutrients like protein, zinc and vitamin B12.
In addition to the direct benefits, these meats can also
be used in recipes like Green Bean Twists and Salami-
Babs to help encourage the consumption of vegetables.
Easy-to-make recipes such as Jerky Trail Mix, Fried
Bologna Cups and Beefy Lettuce Cups also provide
simple snacking solutions for kids that include the nutritional
benefits of both beef and veggies.
Find more family-friendly recipes and tips to encourage
nutritious eating habits from the North American
Meat Institute, a contractor of The Beef Checkoff,
at meatpoultrynutrition.org.
Yield: 4 cups
1 1/2 cups kettle corn with no added sugars
1 cup mini unsalted pretzels
1/2 cup unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts
1/2 cup beef jerky, broken or
chopped into 1/4-inch bits
1/2 cup golden raisins
In large bowl, stir kettle corn, pretzels, peanuts, beef
jerky and raisins together. Seal in sandwich bags or
serve in bowl.
/meatpoultrynutrition.org