Day Care Services to Use Yogurt as a Protein Source

Diane Gaspard, a registered dietitian, wrote The Times asking for yogurt recipes that would be popular with young children at snack time.

According to Gaspard, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Child Care Food Program has recently allowed family day care providers, who generally care for six young children or less, to use yogurt as a protein source at snack times.

Yogurt is made from either whole milk or low-fat milk enriched with nonfat dry milk solids. Sometimes the product contains fruits and flavoring.

Most U.S. plain yogurt contains 120 to 160 calories per eight ounces, depending on whether it is made from skim, partially skim or whole milk. Flavored yogurts, because of added sugars and fruits, provide 240 to 260 calories.

Following are easy, child-pleasing yogurt recipes that older children can prepare themselves. If you want to add yogurt to the lunch box for school children, an easy lunch box trick is to stir up a fruit-at-the bottom flavored yogurt well and place it in the freezer overnight. Remove it before going to school and leave at room temperature until ready to eat. Yogurt will be just right to eat at noontime.

YOGURT FRUIT DIP

1 (6-ounce) carton yogurt, plain or any flavor

1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

Assorted fruit

Mix yogurt with cream cheese until smooth. Serve with assorted fruit as dip. Makes 8 servings.

BREAKFAST-IN-GLASS

1 cup lemon yogurt

1/4 cup egg substitute

1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate

1/2 banana

1 tablespoon wheat germ

Combine yogurt, egg, orange juice concentrate, banana and wheat germ in blender and process until smooth. Makes 1 serving.

YOGURT POPS

1 (6-ounce) can frozen juice concentrate, thawed

1 cup plain yogurt

Mix thawed juice concentrate with yogurt. Pour into pop molds or use paper cups and sticks (insert sticks when mixture has started to freeze). Makes 6 pops.

INDIAN SUMMER SOUP

1 cup plain yogurt

1/2 (10-ounce) can tomato soup

Salt, pepper

Milk, optional

Stir yogurt with tomato soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Thin with milk if too thick. Serve cold. Makes 1 to 2 servings.