It’s never too early to start healthy eating habits

May 10, 2016

By Gwen Guerke, Communications Coordinator 

Sarah Woods, one of the Food Bank of Delaware’s WIC Food Demonstration Specialists, spoke to a standing-room-only crowd during last month’s  parent meeting for the Milford and Lincoln Telamon Head Start centers.

Held in a classroom geared for pre-school children, Sarah’s piece of the program was to show parents how to prepare food available with WIC vouchers in a way that is appetizing to young children, and also easy for busy parents to prepare.

She was aided in the presentation by a Spanish-speaking interpreter.

The recipe for the day was Peanut Butter Overnight Oats. No cooking required!

Although parents received a printed recipe in their hand-out bag, Sarah explained step by step how to prepare the meal, offering a few helpful hints as she proceeded.

She emphasized that parents must use old-fashioned oats to absorb the milk; the mixture must rest overnight, and “it looks runny,” she said.

Sarah noted that parents could add more than 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, as the recipe stated. She also suggested they use honey, rather than sugar, as a sweetener.

“Just pop it in the fridge before bed, and it will be ready for breakfast,” Sarah said.

When the oats absorb all the milk, the texture is more like a solid pudding and no longer liquid.

Her samples were topped with a slice of banana to make it even more appealing.

Some parents said they might try the recipe at home, while others did not care for the taste.

Sodonia Worthy, center director, said she was pleased with the parental participation.

The center serves 94 children, ages 3 and 4, in six classes, divided by morning and afternoon sessions.

The pre-schoolers get breakfast or lunch (depending on which session they attend), plus a healthy snack, Worthy said.

Sarah and her New Castle County counterpart, Ciara Martin, also visit state service centers to provide useful tips to WIC parents.

For more information on the Food Bank of Delaware’s programs to alleviate hunger, visit www.fbd.org.