Dinosaur Train Celebrates National Nutrition Month with Nutritious Activities and a DVD Giveaway!

Monday, March 14, 2011

This giveaway is now closed.

A winner has been selected.

This March, the American Dietetic Association is celebrating National Nutrition Month® which focuses on nutrition education and the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. The theme this year is “Eat right with Color,” which aims to encourage everyone to include a colorful variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and dairy on a daily basis.

We all know how a healthy diet is important to our well-being. This month, Dinosaur Train invites you and your child to prepare a vegetarian or herbivore picnic full of healthy foods by visiting Dinosaur Train on PBS.org. Further resources for parents can be found on the American Dietetic Association site at www.eatright.org/nnm where you can download a PDF list of healthy snacks for kids. Here is a sampling:

1. Peel a banana and dip it in yogurt. Roll in crushed cereal and freeze.
2. Spread celery sticks with peanut butter or low-fat cream cheese. Top with raisins. Enjoy your “ants on a log.”
3. Stuff a whole-grain pita pocket with ricotta cheese and Granny Smith apple slices. Add a dash of cinnamon.
4. Mix together ready-to-eat cereal, dried fruit and nuts in a sandwich bag for an on-the-go snack.
5. Smear a scoop of frozen yogurt on two graham crackers and add sliced banana to make a yummy
sandwich.

Next, Buddy can help you and your child prepare a vegetarian (herbivore) picnic with The Have A Brachiosaurus Picnic activity which "helps young children to learn what foods fit into an herbivore's diet (fruits and vegetables); reminds children about the importance of hand washing before eating; and also creates an opportunity to discuss why all animals need to eliminate waste from their bodies (a.k.a. “poop”)." This activity is aimed at children ages 3-6 and includes a list of the required ingredients for fun foods such as:

Brachiosaurus Super Salad: The kids will have fun tearing up green leafy veggies into bite-size pieces and mixing ranch dressing with green coloring to make a tasty topping.
Sauropod Sandwich: With a plastic knife, cut pieces of whole wheat bread in the shape of a favorite dinosaur and spread with cheese spread or peanut butter.
Herbivore Herb and Spinach Spread: Mix frozen spinach, dried onion soup mix, sour cream, celery sticks and crackers
Green Juice: Fill a child’s plastic cup with apple juice and add green food color to make a green beverage fit for an herbivore.

In addition to celebrating National Nutrition Month with fun healthy ideas, Dinosaur Train is offering one of my U.S. followers a copy of DINOSAUR TRAIN: PTERANODON FAMILY WORLD TOUR ADVENTURE DVD, which will be released on March 15 from Paramount Home Entertainment and PBS Kids. The hit television series Dinosaur Train® airs daily on PBS KIDS® (check local listings).

Get on board the Dinosaur Train with Buddy, a Tyrannosaurus Rex, and his adoptive family of Pteranodons as they embark on a roaring, exploring world tour adventure to discover a variety of dinosaurs inhabiting the globe as they journey to Asia, Europe and Africa. From the world-renowned Jim Henson Company, PBS KIDS and Paramount Home Entertainment, the DINOSAUR TRAIN: PTERANODON FAMILY WORLD TOUR ADVENTURE DVD includes eight exciting edu-tainment adventures, interactive games, coloring pages, a dinosaur reference guide and parent information. Boasting incredible CGI animation and an average monthly viewership of 11.9 million, the “Dinosaur Train” is a Parents’ Choice recommended PBS KIDS TV series and is one of the top ten shows for kids 2 to 5. SRP $14.99

For a chance to win the DINOSAUR TRAIN: PTERANODON FAMILY WORLD TOUR ADVENTURE DVD, leave a comment on this post with a healthy eating tip that works for your kids. (You need to click on the word "comments" at the bottom of this post to take you to the comment form.)

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Become a follower of Toronto Teacher Mom on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway. Tweet daily for additional entries. Feel free to use the following tweet:

Win the latest Dinosaur Train DVD (US only) @teachermomoftwo http://ht.ly/4dPlV

Contest ends March 26 at 11pm EST and is open to U.S. residents only. Winner will be selected using Random.org and must reply to the notification email within 3 days or a new winner will be drawn.

Disclosure: I was not compensated in any way for posting this giveaway.