Summer Snacks and Safety

By: Stephanie Scott, Registered Dietician

Summer brings many opportunities for unhealthy meals and snacks, so take the time to include nutritious snacks instead.  Fresh fruits and vegetables are healthy, nutrient-dense choices to refuel and refresh you.  Keep safety in mind when enjoying these foods by rinsing fresh produce with clean running water before cutting or eating.   Practicing safe knife handling can make fresh produce an easy snack choice as well.  Teaching safe knife handling skills to any children in your care can empower them to choose healthy snacks too and give you peace of mind that they are safe and confident using a knife on their own to prepare carrot or celery sticks, bell pepper strips, broccoli florets, sliced apples, melon, kiwi, and more!

Practice these safety tips at home (and take time to teach these to any children in your care)

• Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables with running water before eating or cutting
• Go slowly when handling knives – you can’t un-cut a finger!
• Carry knives point down
• When moving food off a cutting board, set your knife down first
• Never try to catch a falling knife – just step back and let it fall
• Keep fingers out of the path of your knife blade
• Choose the right knife for the job. Examples include: A short paring knife is good for small, delicate produce like pears, strawberries, or mushrooms.   A serrated knife (bread knife) works well for cutting tomatoes, ripe melons, and of course, bread.   A Chef’s knife is a large, all-purpose knife great for slicing, dicing, and finely chopping a variety of produce.  I often use this to slice carrots, celery, and cucumbers or chop delicate herbs like cilantro and basil.  Practice and go slowly with larger knives until you are comfortable with their weight and size.
• Keep knives sharp – dull knives are more likely to cause an injury

Make the rest of your summer safe and healthy! You can explore online cooking courses for kids and families at Kidscookrealfood.com. For more information or any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me at 402-395-3144.