Snack Healthy, Snack Happy
Big nutrition from the tiniest bites
“Snack Healthy, Snack Happy.” That was the mindset that went into creating a cookbook of the same name, Snack Healthy Snack Happy, an installment in the Family Friendly Recipes Cookbook Series released by the Guelph Family Health Study. This new cookbook—along with its associated cooking videos—focuses on healthy, kid-friendly snacking. Snacking makes up a large portion of the calories we consume daily, and as any parent knows, snacks are an important part of a kid’s day. However, nutrition counts and unfortunately, many of the go-to ‘kid-friendly’ snacks we find on grocery store shelves don’t stack up.
Dr. Andrea Buchholz, Professor of Applied Human Nutrition in the Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition at the University of Guelph, says that everyone on the research project worked in one direction, making a huge difference with the end product. “The George Brown College (GBC) Food Innovation Research Studio (FIRSt) team is amongst the most collegial and fun group of people with whom I’ve had the pleasure of working. I think all of us believed in the value of the project, and we all had the common goal of putting together a really great cookbook. When you share a common vision, it makes working together not only a pleasure; it’s really easy and fun.”
This recipe book is the fourth installment in the study’s cookbook series! Researchers from the Guelph Family Health Study partnered with the Helderleigh Foundation and FIRSt to create recipes to help make even the tiniest bites count.
Putting the cookbook together was no isolated task. Andrea says, “I liked how interdisciplinary our project team was. It was a mix of food scientists, chefs, recipe experts, researchers, dietitians and a graphic artist. Together, the teamwork resulted in a great cookbook. I particularly appreciated the input of the students on both sides–the GBC FIRSt team and also our Guelph Family Health Study team. The students brought energy and fresh ideas.”
Stay tuned for the next installment as a collaboration between the Guelph Family Health Study and FIRSt continues. The current cookbook is available online. Visit the Guelph Family Health Study to download it.
