'Of kids, commissaries, peas and carrots'

Shopping can be an educational adventure for young patrons

By Kay Blakley, DeCA consumer advocate

FORT LEE, Va., April 10, 2012 — Do you routinely arrange for commissary shopping to be a solo affair because it’s just too much trouble having the kids in tow? Too bad, because you’re missing a whole store full of teaching opportunities.

A lesson in identifying primary colors is as easy as collecting some red apples, yellow bananas, green grapes and blue (purple) plums. If the child has been involved in choosing these fruits, they’re a lot more likely to eat them, and like them, as well. And, you might be surprised to know the same goes for vegetables of all kinds.

During April, Month of the Military Child, commissaries everywhere will be hosting special kid-focused activities which demonstrate just how important it is to introduce fruits and vegetables to children at an early age.

Encourage your child to participate in your commissary’s activities, then reinforce the lessons learned at home. Next time you have a fresh sweet potato on hand, peel a portion of it, slice it into carrot-stick-like pieces and plunge immediately into a bowl of ice water to prevent browning. Serve as an after-school snack or a before-dinner appetizer. Kids and adults alike will love it and swear they’re eating carrots. If sweet potato is not a normal vegetable at your table, bake what’s left of the potato and serve with dinner. You may be amazed at how good your family says it tastes.

If your second grader is having trouble with remembering spelling words or retaining math facts, try a quarter-cup snack of blueberries a day as a great-tasting home remedy. Raw blueberries eaten daily are said to have memory-boosting properties. Try to include as wide a variety of fruits and vegetables as the taste buds in your family will allow. That’s the best way to make sure growing bodies get all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients they need.

This week’s recipe collection is especially geared to kids. There’s no question about kids liking a recipe such as Animals in the Swamp, but don’t shy away from the Strawberry Spinach Salad recipe. Most kids won’t recognize the fact that they’re eating spinach until they’ve eaten every bite and loved it. Same advice goes for the Brown Rice Tabbouleh. It provides the nutrients of whole grain in addition to those of vegetables.

Choose the dish that appeals to you and your family and, as always, get the ingredients at the commissary. Saving an average of 32 percent will help you manage your grocery budget and show your children the benefits of stretching your buying power. To see more, visit Kay’s Kitchen.

Below are links to featured recipes:

• Animals in the Swamp
• Banana Sammies
• Zucchini Apple Salad
• Apple-Banana Salad with Peanuts
• Strawberry Spinach Salad
• Brown Rice Tabbouleh