SAN ANTONIO – Each summer, many kids make their own choices for food so the folks at Salud America want to make it easier for them to stay healthy and learn to prepare a fun meal for themselves.
It's called #SaludSummer, a social media campaign aimed at sharing recipes among San Antonio families that will help children out of school keep their fitness goals in mind. It's also part of the Making Awesome Changes partnership between KSAT 12 and the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.
#SaludSummer is working with chef Johnny Hernandez of The Fruteria and La Gloria. These two restaurants are known for their fresh, vibrant Mexican flare.
"I'm taking the recipes, going through them and identifying opportunities where we can save calories; maybe lower sodium, maybe select the right fats," said Hernandez. "He is posting his recipes at www.saludtoday.com. It's Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages, as well as @IamChefJohnny on Twitter and Instagram.
Hernandez is a big fan of agua frescas and smoothies made from fresh ingredients as an alternative to sugary sodas. He says most kids out for the summer don't realize the deliciousness that's available without opening a box, a can or the freezer. Salud America is hoping his recipes inspire, but also motivate you to post your own.
Rosalie Aguilar said, "We are asking people to tweet their recipes using the #SaludSummer. And by doing something so simple, they become part of the solution. They can share with us through Facebook, through Twitter, through Instagram."
Aguilar wants pictures to go viral of great meals with a particular goal in mind. It's got to do with the increase in body mass index that is experienced in many children over the summer, especially Latino children.
"During the school year they might have been a 2 percent decrease in BMI, over the summer that goes up by 6 percent, so everything is lost. We can't let that happen," Aguilar warned.
There's also a contest for those who submit recipes. The winner will get a Jawbone Fitness Tracker to help them in their fitness efforts.
Here's one recipe from my files to get you started!
Ursula's Summertime Watermelon Salad
Cut up seedless watermelon into bite-sized chunks into medium salad bowl
Add Diced avocado into small chucks
Add ¼ cup minced red onion
Grate ½ cup of Queso Fresco cheese over fruit
Drizzle with Olive Oil and toss gently
Add Salt and Pepper to Taste (more Pepper if you're Cajun)
If your kids eat green things, add a sprinkle of cilantro
