Back to School with a Dole Foods contest and Marty the Zebra!

It's Back-to-School time and that means new clothes, new books, new classes and should also include new healthy food choices for your family. Here are some tips to create a healthy eating environment in your home:

• For those children who seek comfort in feeling stuffed, let them eat their fill of vegetables and fruit, limiting only higher calorie foods.
  
  
• If your child eats little dinner and complains of hunger at bedtime, offer only a piece of fruit to encourage better mealtime eating.
  
  
• Get creative with presentation. Give young children cut fruits and vegetables and then let them create funny faces or animals.
  
  
• It's easy to fit in extra fruit servings in your child's diet: a large banana = 2, a box of raisins = 1, and a 15 oz bottle of pure juice = 4.
  
  
• Use an assortment of fruit to make a fun fruit kabob for afternoon snacking.
  
  
• Top frozen low fat yogurt with sliced fruit for a sweet and refreshing dessert snack
  
  
• Core an apple, fill it with raisins and other dried fruit, and cook in the microwave or bake

Dole Foods has rolled out two sites in honor of both the return to school and a healthy lifestyle. The first site, www.DoleWaytoSnack.com, has been running a contest for families to submit their favorite healthy-kid friendly snack. Register on the site and vote for your favorite recipes and by doing so, will enter you in a chance to win $100! That's a prize just for voting!

If you submit a recipe, the prizes get better. If you submit a Dole recipe, you have a chance to win one of the following:

• 1 Grand Prize: A trip for four (4) to Hawaii
• 2 First Prizes: A Dole Gift Basket with a TON of cool stuff

Moms and Dad, have you ever had to dress up healthy food to get your kids to eat it? Try out Dole's Limited Edition Marty Snak Pak for your kids to carry their fruit cup. Marty is the favorite star zebra from the new movie, Madagascar 2: Escape 2 Africa, coming out in November. Each pak is insulated and washable and has a key ring for easy carrying. Pay for it online with credit card, check or money order.

When the movie comes out, don't be left in the dust without your very own Marty Snak Pak!