Healthy Eats: Avocado Quesadillas with Aguacates Frescos

By: Paulina Lopez

School is back in session, which means I’m busier than ever and with little time to think about what to make for dinner. However, good health is invaluable and I want to be more proactive about the health of my family so I’m always on the lookout for resources that can help me. That’s why I’m excited about our partnership with Aguacates Frescos - Saborea Uno Hoy®, because it helps families learn how delicious fresh avocados support healthy eating patterns that can help minimize the risk of chronic diseases. 

Additionally, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend healthy eating patterns to minimize the risk of chronic diseases. Unfortunately, adherence to the guidelines among all Americans is low, with added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium exceeding suggested limits and even higher among Hispanic Americans. 

This is why when I’m looking for a healthy meal that still delivers on flavor and texture, I turn to recipes with fresh avocado. The American Heart Association recommends eating a variety of nutritious foods from all food groups. Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables may help people control their weight, cholesterol, and blood pressure. Avocados are a healthy, nutrient-dense food that can help boost fruit intake. 

Maybe you grew up thinking that there is little we can do to change our health status? Actually, there is a lot that proactive lifestyle changes can do so listen up and don’t leave health to chance. 

And I love that fresh avocados can help make it easy for us to make healthier decisions! Did you know that one-third of a medium avocado (50 grams) has 80 calories and contributes nearly 20 vitamins and minerals, making it a healthy, nutrient-dense food choice? After taste-testing some of the most delicious avocado recipes from SaboreaUnoHoy.com, we landed on the perfect recipe for family dinner time – an avocado, bean and cheese quesadilla. This meal has become such a hit in our house, and we often pair it with a family game night handout also available on their website. This Lotería-inspired activity is educational and fun, and will motivate you and your loved ones to take control of your health together. 

Want to learn more about the latest research on this? Check out our Interview with Malena Perdomo, a registered dietitian and Avocado Goodness Expert for Aguacates Frescos - Saborea Uno Hoy® to dig in more! One study supported by the Avocado Nutrition Center explored how including fresh avocados in a nutrition education intervention can support weight management while reducing the overconsumption of saturated fat and sodium for Hispanic families. Though, as with all studies there are limitations that prevent the generalization of the findings, this was encouraging news. The results support including fresh avocados – a food we all love and enjoy - in nutrition education can support weight management while reducing the overconsumption of saturated fat and sodium for Hispanic families.

Check out our reel on Instagram for a step-by-step video on how to make this amazing recipe.

Avocado, Bean & Cheese Quesadilla with Avocado Crema

Step By Step Video- IG Reel

Download the Family Game Night Starring Fresh Avocados Handout Here! Loteria Game

Visit SaboreaUnoHoy.com to download the handout, as well as other resources like easy and delicious recipes and how-to tips, among other things.  

What Parents Need to Know About COVID-19 Vaccines for Infants, Toddlers and More

Over the past two years, our list of questions about COVID-19 has grown immensely. As parents, we are looking for the most up to date information from trustworthy sources to help make the best decisions for our families’ health. 

Earlier this summer, infant and toddler COVID-19 vaccines were granted emergency use authorization by the FDA after comprehensive clinical trials showed the COVID-19 vaccines to be safe and effective for those over the age of 6 months. This new recommendation makes roughly 2.2 million children in California and nearly 20 million children in the US younger than 5 years of age eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.

Last week, Bricia and Paulina sat down with Dr. Erica Pan, State Epidemiologist and mom of two, to ask her questions that many of us are thinking.

Our Interview with Dr. Erica Pan

Q: Are children receiving the same dosage as adults?

A: The different drug manufacturers have their own formulas for their COVID-19 vaccine, and their dosages reflect what a person needs to gain protection from the virus with these safe and effective vaccines.

The dosages are based on a child’s average size at a certain age. Doctors have found the right dosage for children that show the same amount of antibody responses that adult dosages have provided. 

Q: What does the vaccine dose schedule look like for kids?

A: Moderna is a two-dose COVID-19 vaccination for kids ages 6 months to 5 years and for ages 6-17. The two doses are given at least 28 days apart. 

Pfizer is a three-dose vaccine for kids ages 6 months to 4 years (5-17 already authorized). The first two doses are given at least 21 days apart, with the third dose given at least 60 days later. 

Q: Is there a better vaccine choice for our children? Pfizer or Moderna?

A: It is important to remember that COVID-19 vaccines remain the safest way to prevent hospitalization and death from the disease for everyone 6 months and older – no brand is better than the other.

Q: What do the clinical trials for the children’s vaccine entail? 

A: Clinical trials involving thousands of infants and toddlers 6 months and older firmly show that the COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective in this population.

Pfizer vaccine trials involved roughly 4,500 infants and toddlers while Moderna vaccine trials involved over 6,500 infants and toddlers all over the age of 6 months. The scientific review found that completion of either vaccine series produced antibody levels similar to those achieved in individuals 16-25 years.

With their parent’s permission, children are enrolled in the trial randomly. They either receive a placebo (saltwater) or the vaccine. The children receive regular blood tests and are tested for how much their immune systems respond to the vaccine. Doctors check the levels of the antibodies over time to learn about overall effectiveness of the vaccine. Any side effects to a vaccine would typically present themselves within the first month or two after receiving the vaccine. This is typical of any vaccine. 

Q: Where can parents take their children to receive their COVID-19 vaccines?

A: Families can schedule an appointment for their children to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in select pharmacy locations. By law, pharmacies can independently vaccinate children 3 and older and can vaccinate children under 3 if they work in partnership with another provider. However, this varies by pharmacy. Contact your local pharmacy to see which ages they vaccinate.

Call your pediatrician or health clinic to get your child vaccinated or, for readers in California, go to MyTurn.ca.gov or call the hotline at 833-422-4255 to find a vaccine near you.

You can listen to the rest of our conversation with Dr. Pan on one of our most recent podcast episodes. This episode and blog post are brought to you by the CA Department of Public Health

More about Dr. Erica Pan: Erica Pan, MD, MPH, FAAP, the Deputy Director of the Center for Infectious Diseases and State Epidemiologist, was sworn in July 13, 2020. Prior to joining CDPH, Pan served in several positions at both the Alameda County Public Health Department since 2011, and the San Francisco Department of Public Health from 2004 – 2011. She is also a Clinical Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of California, San Francisco. She maintained her clinical work at San Francisco General Hospital and at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals in San Francisco and Oakland in Infectious Diseases until 2019.

Top Tips and Activities for a Safe Halloween

Halloween is almost here! But what can we do for our kids when the CDC recommends skipping trick or treating this year?!

You can still make the holidays fun while making it safe. We’ll definitely be dressing up in costume this year, but we’re staying home and celebrating indoors instead. We put together some activities we’ll be trying at home with our families.

Halloweekend Celebration Alternatives

• Halloween Movie Night - Cuddle up in costume, eat halloween candy, and watch a spooky movie or two. Common Sense Media has a great list of Halloween movies the whole family will love.

• Trick or Treat Scavenger Hunt - Even if you’re not taking the kids trick-or-treating this year, they can still get some candy in a fun way! During last week’s episode, Bricia mentions that she will be putting together a scavenger hunt for Eduardo in the backyard. You can base it off of an Easter egg hunt and hide candy or little Halloween treats in the yard, or use these free printables like this one or this one to give you some ideas. 

• Halloween Bake Off - Put on your aprons and chefs hats, it’s time to bake! These spooky recipes are fun and easy to make with the kids. You can make them all in one night or spread them out for a Halloweekend of fun.

• Virtual Halloween Party - call up your family, friends, neighbors, and/or kid’s classmates for a Zoom party. You can have a dance party, carve pumpkins, and download spooky halloween backgrounds.

• Pumpkin Carving Contest - Carve pumpkins with your neighbors in your driveway, on the sidewalk, or in the backyard, but of course at a safe distance. You can even carve them via Zoom with your friends! Best carving that can be seen from across the yard wins! 

• Local Halloween Drive Ups - In Los Angeles, you can visit Not So Spooky Farms in the Inland Empire or get a little spookier and see Stranger Things Drive in Downtown LA. If you’re willing to venture out of your car and try some socially distanced halloween events, then LA Mag has some options for you here. Google Halloween drive up events in your city and find one near you this week!

We also spoke with Dr. Ilan Shapiro, Medical Director of Health Education & Wellness at Altamed Health Service in Los Angeles and friend of the Super Mamas, about the best ways to safe and healthy during Halloween. While the CDC recommends staying home and celebrating Halloween in other ways, if you do live in an area where you’re allowed to trick or treat, here’s what Dr. Shapiro recommends. 

Top Tips for a Safe Halloween 

1. Social distance. Don’t trick or treat with big groups, keep at least 6ft distance between groups walking ahead of you, wait for groups to finish trick-or-treating before you walk up to a house with your kids, and cross the street (if you can) when others are coming your way.

2. Wear a mask. You can even make it part of your costume!

3. Wash your hands with soap and water for at least twenty seconds when you’re home and after handling candy.

Learn more about how to make trick-or-treating safer on the CDC website.

Dr. Shapiro says, “The reality is that we know everything is still changing. Living in covid times is stressful for everyone, but halloween doesn’t have to be - it can still be a joyful celebration!” And he’s right! He reminds us that if we want to continue celebrating now and in the future, we have to make sure it’s possible for everyone in a safe way. He’ll also be celebrating Halloween at home by playing the Switch Witch game; in partnership with the Tooth Fairy, the Switch Witch exchanges Halloween candy for something better (and safer). It can be a new book, stickers, or a small toy. Less candy is safer and healthier!

If you have more questions about coronavirus and how to celebrate the holidays safely, talk to your doctor and refer to the CDC website.  

What are your halloween plans? Will you be trying one of our activities? Tag us, we want to see what you do!