Authors from the AUC School of Medicine: Students Victoria DeTrolio and Bamba, and Assistant Dean Golden Jackson, PhD.
Hey friends! It’s Bamba here. I wanted to share with you all about one of my favourite snacks! After an exhausting game of football outside, I come inside, and my stomach is growling! I need to eat! It is important to listen to our body and form good nutritional habits so that we can properly fuel ourselves.
We feel hungry – like I did after I played some football – to signal to ourselves that it is time to eat, so that we have energy for another game of football! Being able to listen to our bodies is important, especially when it is trying to tell us that we are hungry or when we are full.
Now that we understand that our bodies are telling us that we are hungry and ready to eat a snack, we want to make sure that what we are eating fills our body with nutrients. Nutrients are fuel for our body. Nutrients are found in foods that give our bodies the ability to function properly. For example, Vitamin C, which is a nutrient found in many fruits and vegetables, helps our bodies to fight infection.
One tasty and healthy snack that is fun and easy to make is something I like to call “ants on a log”. This refreshing snack is prepared with celery, peanut butter, and raisins! It has this name because the raisins on top of the celery look like ants climbing on a tree log.
Celery is a vegetable which gives us vitamins to help protect our bodies. The peanut butter is protein, which builds and maintains our bodies! Finally, the raisins on top are packed with energy and they give the snack a little sweetness.
Did you know that the vitamin A in celery helps your vision; the vitamin C in celery helps with your immune system; the protein in peanut butter helps to build muscle; and the energy in raisins gives you fuel?
Before we get cooking, the chef’s first rule is to wash your hands with soap and water so that you do not spread any germs. Next, you want to grab all your ingredients and the tools you will need: a cutting board, a plate, a napkin, a spoon, and a knife. Before you begin, make sure you have checked with your parents about safely using cooking tools, especially knives. Ask your parents to show you how to use the knife or to help you by cutting the celery.
Here’s how to make ants on a log:
* Start with your celery. Wash and cut three celery stalks in half – as long as your pointer finger!
* Add peanut butter. Take a spoonful of peanut butter and spread it on the hollow centre-part of the celery.
* Add the “ants”. Grab some raisins and press them into the peanut butter.
* Put the ants on a log onto a plate, and enjoy!
After you munch on your snack; it is time to clean up. Put your dish in the sink and use a napkin to wipe your fingers and face of any sticky peanut butter. Wash your hands if they are still sticky. Now that you are a professional snack-maker, you can also share this idea with your friends! It is a nice snack that will give you fuel.
Well, there you have it! It was fun learning with you. Until next time friends! Bamba – out!
P.S. Don’t forget the cool, new science things we learned today: hunger, nutrients, vitamins, protein, healthy snack, hand washing, and knife safety!
Picture credit: SNAP4CT
