RIO & WASHINGTON -- As the Rio Olympics wrapped up this past week, the gold-medal-winning U.S. women's gymnastics team got a little Twitter finger-wagging from first lady Michelle Obama when Aly Raisman tweeted that her favorite "cheat meals" are french fries and chocolate ice cream.
Enter FLOTUS, asking, "What healthy foods keep you fueled as you go for gold?" She added an apple and a tomato emoji to the tweet. The first lady's Let's Move! campaign is aimed at battling childhood obesity.
Raisman, who also won two silvers over the past week, responded with, "Ignore our recent tweet about eating fries & ice cream. Sometimes u gotta splurge."
.@FLOTUS Ignore our recent tweet about eating fries & ice cream. Sometimes u gotta splurge. Moderation, right?https://t.co/XfcH7rqhAZ
— Alexandra Raisman (@Aly_Raisman) August 17, 2016
According to an article in the New York Daily News, some other celebrities got in on the tweeting chain, with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson admitting that he's a "cookie monster" at snack time.
He also asked the team what's the first thing they want to do when they come home from Rio.
"I can't wait to eat more," gymnast Simone Biles wrote.
And the snacking debate continues around the country as school gets under way. Moms and dads are popping up around the internet, blogging, tweeting and "Facebooking" about what to feed their kids during that time between school and dinner.
Brenda Gudex, the director of Agricultural Programs with the Fond du Lac (Wisconsin) Area Association of Commerce, offered some answers in a recent blog. "The first piece of advice that I need to follow myself is this: knowing the difference between a snack and a treat. Something high in fat and sugar does not qualify as a snack, much less a healthy snack," Gudex said.
She also advised having a child help prepare the snacks, noting the preparation time is a great time to speak to your child about healthy foods.
Kids Everyday Health put together a list of 10 healthy snack recipes that improve children's nutrition.
- Frozen bananas. These can be sliced and frozen in a Ziploc bag.
- Quick pizza. This can be made with three ingredients: English muffins, sauce and cheese. The Agricultural Ambassador Program uses a Triscuit cracker as the crust.
- Yogurt treats. Use yogurt with fresh fruit and granola
- Snack mix. Cereal, small crackers, pretzels, etc.
- Snack kabob. Cheese, grapes and pretzel sticks
- All-time favorites such as ants on a log. Add peanut butter or cream cheese to a celery stick.
- Mexican treat. Such as a quick quesadilla--just add cheese to a tortilla and microwave.
- Potpourri. Arrange pita chips, baby carrots and apple slices on a plate. Serve with hummus, low-fat ranch dressing or low-fat yogurt as a dip.
- Smoothies. Blend low-fat milk or yogurt with a banana or strawberries and some ice for a low-fat milkshake.
- Popcorn. Airpop and seal in baggies--skip the butter (or add just a little).
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