GETTING YOUR KIDS TO EAT Getting Your Kids To Eat Right This School Year

(NAPSI)-Parents aren't the only ones trying to make sure their kids eat better this school year. Depending on where you live, you can expect to see schools take steps like teaming with local farmers to put more fresh fruits and vegetables on lunchroom menus, and even ending New York City's time-honored bake sales to fund extras like field trips. The sense of urgency can be traced to the latest warning from medical experts: Today's youths may be the first to have shorter life spans than their parents as a result of being overweight or obese. One concrete measure that parents are taking, according to a new survey by Wakefield Research, is checking nutrition labels for no-nos. High on their radar screens: fats, especially trans fats--the overconsumption of which worried 86 percent of those parents polled. Remember, though, there are two kinds of fats the body can't make itself and yet are essential for a balanced diet: omega-6 linoleic acid (omega-6 LA) and omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid (omega ALA) polyunsaturated fatty acids. Since those fats are found in every tub of Country Crock--which also recently eliminated trans fats--here's a recipe for a pork dish kids should love that uses the soft spread instead of butter. As nutrition expert Ruth Carey, RD, CCSD, notes: "The key is making small, simple changes that add up to a hugely positive impact on diet." Cilantro Pork With Sweet Potato Rice 4 servings Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 40 minutes 4 bone-in pork chops, 1-inch thick (about 2 lbs.) 4 Tbsp. Shedd's Spread Country Crock® Spread, divided 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 1 large onion, thinly sliced 1 large sweet potato or yam, peeled and cubed 3½ cups water 1½ cups uncooked long-grain rice 3 Tbsp. Knorr® Chicken Flavor Bouillon, divided 1 can (15.5 oz.) black beans, drained 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro Sprinkle pork chops evenly with 1 Tbsp. Knorr® Chicken Flavor Bouillon and rub into meat. Melt 2 Tbsp. Shedd's Spread Country Crock® Spread in deep 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat and brown chops. Remove chops and set aside. Melt remaining 2 Tbsp. Country Crock. Spread in same skillet over medium-high heat and cook onion and garlic with sweet potato, stirring occasionally, 8 minutes or until starting to brown. Stir in water, rice and remaining bouillon. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered 15 minutes. Stir in beans and cilantro, then top with chops. Cover and cook an additional 10 minutes or until chops are done and rice is tender. For more info and recipes, visit www.countrycrock.com. % Note to Editors: Regular has 70 calories; Churn Style, 60 calories, and contain 7g of fat and 2g saturated fat. Light and Calcium Plus Vitamin D have 50 calories, contain 5g of fat and 1.5g saturated fat. All Country Crock tubs have 0g trans fat per serving. Country Crock is not a low-fat food. Butter has 100 calories, 11g of fat and 7g saturated fat per serving.

Word Count: 486 Cilantro Pork With Sweet Potato Rice Copy/Paste HTML Article