I no longer have any little ones in my home, but I am always looking for ways to stay healthier for myself. I appreciate you dropping in and sharing this simple suggestion, Kalifa.

Nutrition Hack: Using fruits to replace sugar

Hello! My name is Kalifa, I’m a registered dietitian, certified breastfeeding specialist and the author of Eating These Foods Makes Me… I have a passion for everything nutrition, food and a healthy lifestyle. One thing I’m constantly noticing in my career is the re-occurring issue I notice many of my clients struggling with and that’s the adverse health outcomes having excess sugar in their diet is causing them to experience.

In our westernized diet, sugar is one of the top nutrients we tend to inadvertently consume in excess amounts, and it can be very challenging to cut down. The problem is too much sugar in our diet promotes the onset of many health-related issues and chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity. So today I’ll share 3 quick and easy tips on how you can swap out the refined sugar and use fruit instead.

1^st off, the sugar found in our foods and drinks comes in various forms.  Fruits contain natural sugars, which are a mix of sucrose, fructose and glucose, but primarily fructose. I often suggest using fruits whenever possible to achieve the sweetness you desire as a healthy nutrition hack. For example, berries (raspberries, blackberries and strawberries) are quite low in sugar compared to other fruits and sometimes just a handful added to your cereal, yogurt or pancakes is all you need to satisfy a sweet craving as opposed to sprinkling on the sugar, honey or syrup. 

For those of you who love pastries and baking, you can actually use banana, papaya or even apple sauce as a sugar swap. Put any of these fruits in a blender and pulse until a smooth consistency, and there you have it, if a recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar, you can use ½ cup of the puree.  Figs and dates are also great sugar swaps and provide the added benefits of fibre and minerals such as potassium, calcium and iron. 

Lastly, the hot summer weather is just around the corner so you and your little ones might be craving a sweet treat to cool down, why not get the kiddos involved by making their own 3 ingredient fruit sorbet ice-cream. You can take almost any fruit you want and transform them into a delicious and refreshing treat. Raspberry, Pineapple, Peach and Honey Melon are our favourites! Simply peel and cut up your fresh fruit into cubes then freeze them. If you’re using smaller fruits like berries skip this step and freeze them whole! Once frozen, add your fruit and a small amount of lemonade, orange juice or apple juice to your ice-crushing blender or small food processor. Feel free to add some ripened banana to make it taste a little sweeter. Keep in mind this sorbet is best eaten immediately because unlike traditional store-bought sorbets, which contain high amounts of added sugar which acts as interference for freezing resulting in a softer/scoopable texture even at freezing temperatures, this homemade one has way less sugar therefore if stored in the freezer it will harden.

Remember, there are always ways to improve our nutrition by simply being open-minded to trying different alternatives!

Thanks so much for sharing, Kalifa. I hope others found this as helpful as I did.

Eating These Foods Makes Me… by Kalifa Rodriguez

GENRE: Children’s Non-Fiction

BLURB

Is your kid a picky eater? Do you want your child to enjoy eating a variety of foods? Reading can be a proactive way to introduce your little one to the amazing world of nutrition! In this book, readers will explore healthy foods and learn how key nutrients benefit the body. These pages repeat positive affirmations that will empower and build your child’s mindfulness about the foods they eat.

It is never too early to instill life-long healthy eating habits. Happy reading! Or should I say, happy eating!

EXCERPT

Eating these foods makes me… Strong.

These foods give us protein which builds our muscles and bones to make us strong!

Fun Learning Activities to Promote Healthy Nutrition

1. Using paper and crayons or coloured pencils, draw a rainbow, and then draw a fruit or vegetable that is the same colour as each colour of the rainbow. You can even use this book for ideas. Remember to eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables (at least 5 servings) each day! How many have you eaten today?

2. Do you like to play any sports or games? Do you like to walk to the park? Help your parents choose and prepare an energizing snack before the next game or walk to the park.

3. Eat your water? That sounds silly! Did you know that some fruits and veggies such as celery are mostly made up of water and can also help to keep you hydrated? Can you think of any others? Now try adding those slices of fruit or even cucumber to your water bottle to give it some pizazz.

4. Try introducing interactive sensory play for preschoolers (age 3 and older). Gather a variety of beans, nuts, or seeds on a tray or in a bowl with a spoon. Under adult supervision, let the preschooler feel, grab, and scoop the legumes, nuts, and seeds. See if the toddler can separate them based on different colours, sizes, and textures while the adult names each food and talks about how these foods make us strong from the proteins and smart from the healthy omega fats.

These foods give us protein which builds our muscles and bones to make us strong!

AUTHOR Bio and Links

Kalifa Rodriguez is a registered dietitian and certified breastfeeding specialist. She currently works as a clinical nutritionist in Montreal, Canada. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in nutritional biochemistry, she went on to complete a master’s degree in human nutrition and dietetics at McGill University. Kalifa is passionate about promoting healthy lifestyle choices through nutrition, exercise, and mindfulness. She also hopes to leave a positive impact in the community through her work by giving nutrition education sessions to community groups and organizations. Kalifa and her husband are parents to their delightful toddler, who is the inspiration for this book.

CONNECT WITH KALIFA RODRIGUEZ

• WEBSITE – Kalifa Rodriguez (kalifarodriguezbooks.com)
• FACEBOOK – Kalifa Rodriguez Books | Facebook
• INSTAGRAM – Kalifa Rodriguez M.Sc, RD, CBS (@the.nutrition.connection)
• YOUTUBE – Power of Nutrition – YouTube
• GOODREADS – Kalifa Rodriguez (Author of Eating These Foods Makes Me…) | Goodreads

PURCHASE LINKS EATING THESE FOODS MAKES ME…                     

• AMAZON.COM – https://amazon.com/dp/0228860911
• AMAZON.CA – https://amazon.ca/dp/0228860911
• INDIGO CHAPTERS – https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/eating-these-foods-makes-me/9780228860914-item.html
• BARNES & NOBLE – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/eating-these-foods-makes-me-rd-cbs-rodriguez-m-sc/1140561192
• BOOK DEPOSITORY – https://www.bookdepository.com/Eating-These-Foods-Makes-Me-Rd-Cbs-Rodriguez-M-Sc-Madeleine-Migallos/9780228860914

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