Back-to-school time is quickly approaching and is an excellent opportunity to improve your child's nutrition and overall health. CLIF BAR & Co. encourages parents to become advocates for positive nutrition changes at home and in their local school districts.

As the maker of Clif Kid - a line of healthy, thoughtful foods and drink mixes just for kids - CLIF BAR & Co. understands the importance of good nutrition for academic success, athletic performance, and overall health.

CLIF ZBaR is an organic baked whole grain energy bar filled with the nutrients that growing bodies need, WITHOUT unnecessary fat and sugar. CLIF ZBaR is the first kids' snack created to comply with SB-12, California's Senate Bill limiting fat and sugar in foods offered within the state's school system.

In addition, Clif Kid offers Organic Twisted Fruit - a real fruit rope equivalent to one piece of organic fruit, AND Splashers Drink Mix - 80% organic, all natural, and contains ½ the sugar of apple juice.

Below are a few tips from the registered dietitian at CLIF BAR & Co. that you can use to make exploring health foods fun for the whole family:

Try something new every day

• Dip apple slices in almond butter
• Ants on a log - celery sticks filled with peanut butter & topped with raisins
• Plain yogurt flavored with honey, fruit, or your favorite jelly

Be a role model

• Show your family that you know what healthy, good food is by eating well yourself everyday.
• Take them on a grocery store tour and point out your favorites.

Use fresh foods to see how many colors you can have on your plate

• Tomatoes in a green salad, broccoli sprinkled with cheddar cheese, chicken with lemon and parsley.
• What other colors could be added?

Add fruit and veggies to foods kids already love

• Add tomato slices to grilled cheese on whole wheat
• Add berries to pancakes, cereal, or yogurt
• Add shredded carrots or zucchinis to casseroles, soups, meat loaf, or quesadillas
• Add dried fruits to trail mix

Keep a variety of healthy grab & go snacks on hand

• Boxes of raisins
• Cheese sticks and mini rounds
• Fresh fruit in a bowl washed and ready to eat
• Clif Kid Organic ZBaR, Organic Twisted Fruit, and Splashers
• Chilled grapes
• Packages of mini carrots with dip

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Dressed to Cook

Make sure that shirt sleeves are not too long and that your hair is pulled back to avoid material catching on fire or getting caught in an appliance. And it's always a good idea to wear an apron. It will help protect your clothing when you cook.

Knife Safety

A knife must always be used with great caution. Here are some rules on how use to use a knife properly and safely.

1. Protect your work surface by always using a cutting board. This will also keep the blade of your knife from being damaged.
2. Make sure the sharp edge of the blade is facing down toward the food you are cutting.
3. Always try to have a flat side on the food you are going to cut. To create a flat surface for round foods, take a thin slice off the top or bottom of the food, or cut it lengthwise in half. This flat surface can then be set on the cutting board.
4. Concentrate on the task you are performing!
5. Always hold the knife by the handle, never by the blade.
6. Always keep the knife visible. If you accidentally cover it with a pot holder or dish towel, you might grab the knife blade while picking up the pot holder or towel and injure yourself.
7. When walking with a knife, hold it by the handle with the point of the blade facing down.

Hot Objects

Use pot holders and mitts to protect you from anything hot you encounter while cooking. Always make sure that pot holders are dry. Wet or damp pot holders will not protect your hands from the heat and might even cause a steam burn.

Stoves

Whether your kitchen is equipped with a gas or an electric stove, it is important to keep the following safety rules in mind while you are cooking or baking.

1. Always pay close attention to the recipe you are following as well as to the action you are to perform. Otherwise, you may have an accident or ruin the recipe.
2. Regulate the heat of the stovetop or oven according to the recipe's instructions.
3. The heat generated from the burners on the stovetop or from the oven can make the stove itself hot. Be very careful not to touch the stove with any part of your body.
4. When cooking on top of the stove, make sure that the handles of all of the pots and pans you are using are turned toward the center of the stove. This will prevent you or someone else from bumping into the handles and accidentally spilling the hot contents.

Boiling Liquids

Boiling liquids are very dangerous and can cause extremely serious burns. Whenever a recipe calls for you to boil a liquid, it is important for you to:

1. Use the size pot indicated in the utensils list.
2. Keep a close eye on the pot. If you leave the food unattended, it may boil away or burn.
3. Keep your face and body a safe distance away. Boiling liquid creates steam that can burn you if you get too close.

Handling Food

1. Always wash your hands with hot, soapy water before handling food. Wash them again after handling raw meat, poultry, and fish as well as fruits and vegetables.
2. Don't put cooked foods on the same plate that held raw meat or poultry.
3. Utensils that have touched raw meat or poultry should be washed with hot, soapy water before they are used for cooked food.
4. Wash all fruits and vegetables with running cold water before you begin your recipe preparation.
5. Thaw any frozen meat, poultry, or fish overnight in the refrigerator, not at room temperature.
6. Refrigerate or freeze any leftover promptly.

Putting Out a Stovetop Fire

1. If a cooking fire starts, never pour water on it.
2. If a pot or pan of food catches fire, using a pot holder, very carefully slide a lid over the pot or pan and turn off the stove.
3. If a fire starts in the oven, close the oven door and turn off the oven.
4. If the flames do not go out immediately, turn off the gas, shut the door, and leave your home. Then call the fire department from a neighbor's home.

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