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Mostly sugar, in some form or another. Nearly all list pear concentrate as the first ingredient (meaning that's what they have the most of), and all of them include corn syrup and sugar. Citric acid gives them tang and shelf life; pectin makes them gelatinous. Partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil facilitates blending, as do the additives acetylated mono and diglycerides. General Mills, the maker of Fruity Peel-Outs, also adds vitamin C. As processed snack foods go, they aren't the worst nutritionwise. One 4-ounce serving is 50 calories, no fat, 12 grams of carbohydrates and 55 milligrams of sodium.
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cooking class
To prevent sandwiches from getting soggy in your child's lunch box, keep the driest items (such as meat or cheese) closest to the bread. Pack tomatoes separately. For salad fillings, such as tuna or egg, use well-dried lettuce to buffer the bread.this web site cooks
Ask Jeeves for Kids is a safe site where children can find out all sorts of information, from the number of calories in an apple to when the Taj Mahal was built to Michael Jordan's highest-scoring game. Type in a question, or even just key words, and the search engine will find sites to supply the answers. For instance, "What is chocolate made of?" links the questioner to several sites, including encyclopedia references. (It's believed that the Aztecs of Mexico popularized cocoa in the 16th century.) Sites that include adult content are locked out.
constant comment
"Drinking your milk and talking at the same time may result in your having to be patted on the back and dried for quite a long time afterwards."
-- Winnie-the-Pooh, A.A. Milne's lovable bear of little brain.
keeping it cool
Yes, you can still find lunch boxes adorned with cartoon characters and pop singers, but nowadays, the most important feature of a lunch carrier is the ability to keep food at the proper temperature. Insulated bags, especially those made by Arctic Zone and Igloo, are what most kids carry. It's wise to drop in an ice pack, too, to keep drinks and food cold. Soft-sided carriers are easier to stuff in backpacks than hard plastic boxes. What about the brown paper lunch sack? Nearly extinct.
chips for the choosy
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helping students
When you buy the new Ben & Jerry's Island Paradise and Apple Crumble ice creams this summer, you help support students at historically black colleges and universities. The flavors -- pineapple-passion fruit with a hint of coconut, and cinnamon-apple-caramel -- were suggested by listeners of Tom Joyner's nationally syndicated talk show, which airs mornings on WTMP-AM 1150.
snacks in lunches
Don't forget these snack ideas when packing lunches: pretzel sticks, graham crackers, bread sticks, trail mix, granola bars, applesauce cups, rice cakes, popcorn, yogurt, pudding, raisins, dried fruit, fresh fruit, carrot sticks, cheese sticks, carrot or zucchini minimuffins and celery sticks with peanut butter.
good nutrition
Dole Food Co. is offering 5 a Day Adventures, a CD-ROM of educational songs and games for kids featuring 42 fruit and vegetable characters. In the "5 a Day Stadium" game, Bobby Banana and Barney Broccoli encourage students to set goals and keep track of the fruits and vegetables they eat. The stadium's Jumbotron features a Yes I Can music video. On the field, kids can build their own food guide pyramid. The software is available for $14.95 from Dole Food Co., 100 Hegenberger Road (Suite 100), Oakland, CA 94621. Or fax your order to (510) 639-5556. For more information, visit www.dole5aday.com.
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111
From the Times Taste section
From the features wire
