Your kids hit the front door after school and what is the first thing out of their mouths? “I’m starving!” And it’s said with enough enthusiasm that you would think they hadn’t eaten all day. They want food and they want it fast. As tempting as it might be to shove a cookie in their direction, it’s much better if we plan on having some healthier afternoon snacks ready for our little students. Even our older students will benefit from healthier snacks. I have kids that range from elementary to college age at home and what’s good for one is good for the other.

Since kids come home so hungry, this is a good time to get them to eat healthier snacks. They are more willing to eat it. Need some ideas for healthy snacks that won’t ruin their dinner? Here are some great ideas.

• Air popped popcorn (no butter and low salt) is a great snack. You can add a little spice to it by sprinkling a little cayenne or cinnamon on it.
• Greek yogurt with cheese slices or fruit
• Apple slices with cheese slices
• Unsweetened applesauce
• Cottage cheese with fruit
• Frozen bananas with peanut butter
• Green yogurt mixed with peanut butter. Use apple slices for dipping. (This is a favorite of mine)
• Hard boiled eggs

The list is really endless. Just get creative but keep it easy and simple. Much of this can be prepared ahead of time so snacks are ready when your kids are. Keeping ourselves and our families healthy is a wonderful gift we give ourselves and them.

What kind of healthy snacks do you and your kids like? We’d love you to share your ideas with us.

If you have school age children, then you probably know all about the smashed banana or sandwich in the bottom of the lunch sack. It doesn’t take long before kids start to get tired of the same old thing. Not to mention, if you were to take a peek into many children’s lunch bags, you would find they were packed with not so healthy items. So, what’s a parent to do? Here are some great ideas for getting your kids healthy, easy lunches that will keep them excited about “what’s for lunch today.”

• Keep it fun. Kids love to dunk there food. Carrot sticks with some ranch is always a good thing. They also love to scoop their food. A tuna or chicken salad scooped up with Fritos works great. Cut their food into fun shapes with cookie cutters.

 

• Use as little processed food as possible. Lunch isn’t a time for a high carb meal. Try to balance it out with high protein and other nutrients kids need. Avoid all the store bought snacks such as cake snacks (Ding Dongs and Twinkies), fruit roll ups, cookies, etc. There’s way to much sugar in these. Instead opt for fresh fruits and vegetables, or your own homemade low-sugar treats.

 

• Leftovers- Invest in a lunch box that will let you keep food cool or warm. Leftovers is an easy, healthy and yummy lunch that can be a far cry from the same old sandwich.

 

• Is your child a pasta lover? Try a fun pasta salad (even easier if it’s leftover from a meal the night before) in their lunch box.

 

• Use a thermos to pack healthy soups and stews. Once the temps start dropping, your kiddos will really appreciate some warm soup or stew at lunch time.

 

• Really think out of the box. Hard boiled eggs (already peeled) with slices of apples and cheese, healthy popcorn makes a great snack, yogurt parfaits, baked potato with toppings, leftover pizza.

So basically, anything your child could eat for lunch at home, he could eat for lunch at school. No reason for the same old peanut butter and jelly sandwich every day. Unless of course, they happen to like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every day.

What kind of lunches do your kids like to eat at school? Do you have any ideas you’d like to share with us? Bring them on!

We all know they say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right? Then why are approximately 8-12 percent of school age children skipping breakfast? By the time kids hit their teens, as many as 20-30 percent are skipping breakfast.

Why exactly is it so important that kids (and adults as well) eat a good breakfast before school? Well, for starters, how about these reasons?

• Eating breakfast can help improve math, reading, and standardized test scores.
• Children who eat breakfast are more likely to behave better in school than those who don’t.
• Breakfast helps children pay attention, perform problem-solving tasks, and improves memory.
• Studies have shown that children who eat breakfast on a regular basis are less likely to be overweight.
• Eating breakfast as a child is important for establishing healthy habits for later in life.
• More strength and endurance to engage in physical activity

So, what kind of breakfast is the best for our kids and what can we fix them that is fast and easy as well as nutritious? Anything high in protein and fiber will keep hunger at bay and give them the energy they need to make it to lunch. Here’s some healthy (and simple) breakfast ideas that you can quickly make.

Scrambled eggs w/ cheese –Fast, simple and high in protein.
A bowl of oatmeal- Not the instant, it’s loaded in sugar.
Oatmeal Cups to Go- Make them ahead of time and you’ve got breakfast ready in the morning.
Blueberry Oatmeal Smoothie- Throw it all in the blender and you’ve got a healthy breakfast.
Greek yogurt topped with fruit- No cooking required here at all.
Hardboiled egg and yogurt-You can even boil the eggs the night before.
Homemade Trail Mix-Make some up over the weekend and you’ll have it ready during the week.

What breakfast do you and your kids like to eat on a busy school morning? We’d love you to share your ideas!

Back to school season can be a struggle for many parents. Trying to make sure that our kids get healthy meals and snacks throughout the day can seem almost overwhelming. Why is it so important? Well, what our kids are taking into their bodies has a direct effect on their school performance. Studies show that kids who eat a balanced breakfast have higher test scores and can concentrate better and solve problems more easily in class. They can also have fewer behavioral problems. A hungry child can be a cranky child. So, what can we do to make sure our kids are getting what they need?

For starters, avoid feeding kids a breakfast low in fiber and protein, like sugary toaster pastries, sugar laden cereals, etc. I know these are easy to fix but it doesn’t do the body any good. These can lead to a midmorning energy crash. This happens when the carbs are digested and absorbed quickly, causing blood sugar levels to dive after a spike. Kids can also get headaches and cranky. Make sure you provide your children with a high-protein, high-fiber meal like eggs with whole wheat toast. This kind of meal digests more slowly, preventing hunger and keeping blood sugar levels even. This goes for adults as well. I can always tell when I’ve eaten a breakfast too high in carbs. I’m crashing by midmorning. Not a pretty site.

Here are some true but sad facts:

• American children ages 2-18 are eating 40% of their daily calories from “empty calories,” like
  sugar sweetened beverages and desserts.
• 92% of girls ages 9-18 do not get enough calcium from what they eat and drink.
• 75% of children 6-19 do not eat enough fruit every day.
• Only 13.8% of high school students eat enough vegetables every day.
• 65% of high school students skipped breakfast at least one day a week.

We as parents can make some simple changes to ensure that our kids are getting the nutrients they need to succeed in school. When you plan your weekly meal plan, go ahead and include plans for breakfast, lunches and snacks. It doesn’t take much longer and you’ll know have a game plan. If you need help, there are online menu planning services that can help you plan your breakfast, lunch and dinner menus.

Tell us some of your favorite healthy breakfast, lunch or snack ideas you make for your kids. We’d love to hear about them!

For most of us, school has either started back up again or will be starting in the next few days. That means evening homework, sports activities, band activities, etc. You know, all the things that go along with school starting back that can make our lives so hectic.

How do we maintain some sort of control over one of the most important events of the evening? That would be dinner by the way.

Here are 5 easy tips to help you put healthy dinners on the table even during the hectic school year.

1. Plan! You must plan. It really only takes a short amount of time but can save you so much time and money during the week. Without a plan, you’ll be running to the store several times a week to “just pick something up”. You’ll spend twice as much money on groceries as you would with a plan. You’ll also find yourself eating out more. Again, lots of money not to mention how unhealthy it is. If you really want to make it easy on yourself, use a meal planning service. Build A Menu, an online menu planning service, lets you plan your weekly menus, prices the ingredients for you, and gives you the recipes and a shopping list. It takes all of 5 minute to prepare a menu with a week of meals. Or, if you prefer, just sit down and make the menu plan yourself. Either way, you have to plan.

 

2. Use that slow cooker! You and your slow cooker need to become friends during the week. I’m talking real pals. Throw your meal in the slow cooker in the morning and come home in the evening to a meal. You can even put your chicken breast in the slow cooker frozen. Seriously, use that slow cooker!

 

3. Prep for meals during the week. Look at the meals you have planned and see how many call for cooked ground beef. Same goes for chicken. Go ahead and cook it all up and divide it out. If you’re using it up that week then there’s no need to freeze it. It’s ready in the fridge when you need it. Do any of your meals call for onions or bell peppers? Chop up the required amounts on the weekend so you have all the prep work done already. Basically, prepare anything ahead of time that can be. This one little tip can be such a time saver. If you have older children who can handle a knife, then this is a good job for them.

 

4. Plan a leftover night toward the end of the week. Have one night where you don’t cook. Lay out all the left overs (it’s ok if it’s a hodge podge) and let everyone fend for themselves. Or you might find you have enough to make a great stew or soup.

 

5. Check your calendar. Before you start your meal planning for the week, check and see what activities you have going on in the evenings. If you have a PTA meeting or your child has soccer practice on Monday evenings, you might want to make sure you have something quick (this is where they slow cooker comes in) to prepare on that evening. Nothing can run a good meal plan faster than finding out you don’t have time to cook what you had planned.

So, it really comes down to taking just a few minutes to plan. Make your life easier, your evenings calmer and your family healthier. You’re worth it!

Do you have any tips to share with us about meal planning now that school has started? We’d love to hear from you!

Got picky kids when it comes to food, at least nutritious food? Do your kids try to crawl under the table when they see broccoli on the table?  Do they try to slip the dog their squash only to find the dog won’t eat it either? You’re not alone. It seems to be a fairly common phenomenon among households with kids. And, not just young children either. Older kids can be picky eaters as well.

I have been blessed with having both teenagers and younger kids at the same time. Both sets with different dietary needs and different likes and dislikes when it comes to food. My teenage boys are athletic, physical, growing boys. Even though they both look full grown (at 6 feet tall) they are still growing and their bodies, inside and outside, need the right foods to help them with this.

My two younger children have different needs both physically and emotionally when it comes to food. They are both adopted and we’ve had to learn the challenge of dealing with children who have had to go hungry in their past. Hunger can do many things to you emotionally.  We’ve had to learn to help our children understand they won’t ever go hungry again.

All of my kids are different eaters with different taste. My 16-year-old son has a sweet tooth that never seems to end.  I think sweet teeth would be more like it. It’s a constant struggle to get him to lay off the sweets.  My 19 year old could really care less about the sweets. My 9 and 10-year-old are very food focused and just want to eat.

In the process of raising 6 kids (2 of mine are already grown so they and their taste buds are on their wn) I’ve come up with some things that have helped my family over the years.

1. Respect their appetites – If they really aren’t hungry, don’t try to force them to eat. Don’t bribe them to clean their plates. And please don’t use the starving children speech. Likewise, if your child has a tendency toward overeating, help him or her to understand what it means to be full.  We quite often ask one of our younger boys, “is your tummy comfortable?” That’s when you need to stop.  Don’t make them feel guilty or bad for how little or much they eat.
2. Encourage but don’t force – Encourage kids to try new foods but don’t force it on them. They’ll just hate that zucchini even more.
3. Let them help with the meal planning – That’s easy for me since I own a menu planning service.  After the menus are out for that week I will let the whole family decide what we are eating for the week. It makes a huge difference when they have had a say so on what to eat.  They don’t always agree, but we manage.
4. Let them help with the cooking – I hear moms say that they would love to let their kids help in the kitchen but they don’t want to deal with the extra mess. It’s a great bonding time, a time to teach kids responsibility (you helped make the mess, you help clean) and if they cook it they are much more likely to eat it. Trust me, it works.
5. Have fun with meals – My family LOVES breakfast for dinner.  Pancakes, waffles, omelets, you name it.  Try having special dipping sauces (Ranch dressing works wonders) for veggies at meal times and snack times.  For some reason kids love to dip their food in things.
6. Give them their own cookbook – There are a lot of cookbooks out there that are geared to kids of all ages. My younger boys love to look at the pictures and plan on the things they are going to make. My youngest one now wants his own apron, chef hat and cooking show.  Hmmm….
7. Become friends with the smoothie – Do you know how much you can hide in a simple smoothie?  Lots. And, your little picky eaters will never know the difference.  You can pack a lot of nutrition in a smoothie. So what if it’s consumed through a straw?
8. Set the example – You can’t get your little mini me’s to eat nutritiously when they see you eating McDonalds and Dunking Donuts. Show them how to enjoy clean whole foods.
9. Pizza, Fries, Sodas, Oh My! – Teenagers are notorious for wanting to live off junk.  Mine are no exception. They want their bodies to look good but they want to eat junk. As a parent of teens, it can be a real challenge once they start going off on their own more and more. You aren’t always there to control what they are eating. Plan on having as many sit down meals as possible (sitting down at your own table and not McDonalds) during the week. Your family needs the bonding time as well as the proper nutrition they receive from the home cooked meals.
10. Just one bite rule – Let your kids know that if they will just take one bite, they don’t have to take another if they don’t like it. Chances are they will decide they do like it and if they don’t now, next week they might. My kids’ taste buds seem to change from week to week.

What are some creative ways you’ve gotten a picky eater to eat?  We’d love you to share your suggestions.

Ok, I will admit that cooking with my kids can be a lot harder at times (most of the time) than cooking by myself. I like to cook.  I find cooking therapeutic. Cooking with kids is not always therapeutic. Really! Sometimes the thought of managing my kids and their inevitable mess is almost enough for me to ban them from the kitchen. But, I remind myself of all the reasons these little chefs should be allowed to help. What are some of the reasons we should encourage our kids to discover the world of cooking?

• Kids are more likely to eat what they make. This is true. It doesn’t mean that they will devour the spinach or asparagus that they have helped to make. However, they are much more likely to at least try it. And who knows, maybe they will devour the spinach.
• Learning to cook helps kids learn about nutrition. As I’m preparing food with my kids, we talk about the foods we are cooking and how they will benefit our bodies.
• Kids need to be able to contribute to the family and feel like they play an important part. Cooking and creating in the kitchen can give them that sense of contributing to the family.
• Bonding.  Very important.Cooking together is a wonderful bonding experience.  Especially with my two youngest boys who we adopted at the age of 4 and 5, this has proved to be a great way to bond. Just remember, it’s going to take longer to prepare something and don’t worry about every little spill.
• Boosting self-esteem. Talk about a great way to boost a child’s self-esteem and confidence. Let them get creative in the kitchen and then praise them for it
• Remember, cooking with kids doesn’t mean you have to cook a four course meal or a fancy dessert with them. Keep it simple. The more they can do by themselves the better.

What tips and idea do you have for cooking with your kids? We’d love to hear your experiences.

If it seems like nowadays there’s someone in every school classrooms with a food allergy, that’s because almost 1 in 12 kids today have food allergies – and 1 in 32 have serious food allergies, serious enough to have already caused the child to have symptoms like trouble breathing, a drop in blood pressure, or shock, according to a 2011 study of almost 40,000 US households.

Peanuts, milk, and shellfish were the top three foods kids were allergic to at any age. Milk was number one from birth to age 2, peanuts from 3 to 13 years old, and shellfish beyond the 14th birthday. Rounding out the top nine allergic foods throughout childhood, in order, were tree nuts, eggs, fish, strawberries, wheat, and soy.

More than half of those who were allergic to peanuts or tree nuts had experienced a severe reaction. Severe reactions were also found in more than 40% of those allergic to shellfish, soy, or fish. Among the top allergy foods, strawberries were the least likely to have triggered a severe reaction – but it still happened in 1 in 5 strawberry-allergic kids.

Other new findings: peanuts and fish both caused allergies in more kids than previously reported. And among kids allergic to any food, more than 30% had multiple food allergies. As one might guess, those with multiple food allergies were even more likely to have had a severe reaction (makes sense, but not demonstrated before).

Allergies can come and go. Food allergies were common in children of every age, but most common from age 3 to 5. Severe food allergies, on the other hand, got more common with age and were more than twice as likely in kids 14 and over than in those 2 and under.

Gupta RS, Springston EE, Warrier MR, Smith B, Kumar R, Pongracic J, and Holl JL. “The Prevalence, Severity, and Distribution of Childhood Food Allergy in the United States.” Pediatrics. Jul 2011; 128(1):e9-17.

The Food Pyramid: Gone and NOT missed! On June 1, 2011 I logged on to MyPyramid.gov for kids and played their Blast Off Game “An interactive computer game where kids can reach Planet Power by fueling their rocket with food and physical activity.” I registered as Alan, an 11-year-old boy. The results were slightly less horrifying than when I did this in 2006 (and reported my findings). But just barely.

When you launch the game, you’re invited to select food items and physical activity for the day from a list that varies occasionally if you play several times. When you’re satisfied with your choices, press the Blast Off button and the game will analyze your diet to see whether it would give your body the optimal fuel to complete your journey.

My Breakfast

To start the day I chose chocolate sugar cereal. Because the nonfat milk it came with seemed rather bland, I added a cup of chocolate milk to go with it. At this point an alert popped up, but perhaps not the alert you’d expect after a junk food breakfast with a double dose of sugary chocolate:

“STAR PILOT! It’s clear you know your facts. You’ve chosen 2 low-fat/fat-free foods. Great job!”

I was still hungry, so I added a white bread English muffin to my white flour and sugar breakfast.

My Lunch

At school I selected a Sloppy Joe sandwich on a white bun and received a 3-star alert, but again it might not be what you’d expect:

“Well Done! You have enough Grains!”

My Sloppy Joe seemed like it was missing something, so I added French Fries (deep fried). My meal still didn’t seem complete, so I added a second order of French Fries (deep fried). I was feeling a little guilty at this, so wasn’t surprised when an alert popped up – but was surprised at what it said:

“Well done! You have enough Vegetables!”

My lunch was missing something sweet, though, so I grabbed a glass of apple juice. Lo and behold, another alert:

“STAR PILOT! You just grabbed a 100% Fruit Juice. Good job!”

Being called a STAR PILOT is nice, so I went back and added some apple juice to my breakfast and chose apple juice for my afternoon snack, along with a glass of milk. I did receive an alert that whole or cut-up fruit is even better than fruit juice, the best advice I’d gotten so far. For physical activity I did some household chores. I set the table, I emptied the dishwasher, I made my bed, I put away some of my stuff. It seemed like it took an hour, but never got my heart pumping.

My Dinner

It’s been a long day! I chose fried chicken for dinner. This time I got TWO alerts. One suggested that more of my grain choices should be whole grains. I hadn’t expected fried chicken to prompt a grain alert, but I’m glad it did. This alert was one of two improvements I’ve seen in the 2011 version (the other is a much broader selection of healthy foods that a child could select. Kudos for that.). I also got another 3-star alert, this one expected given my Sloppy Joe and fried chicken:

“Well Done! You have enough Meats and Beans!”

Still, something seemed like it was missing from my dinner – from my whole day, really. And I knew just what it was: gravy! So I added an order of gravy for my fried chicken. That sounded so tasty that I chose a second order of gravy as well.

Ready for the Test

I was feeling stuffed, so it seemed like time to push the Blast Off button and have my diet analyzed. My food all tasted great, but I was a bit nervous about what they would suggest I change. How was my fuel? The big moment arrived. Mission Report Received! From Mission Control to Astronaut Alan:

• Grains: Congratulations! You reached optimal levels. (Remember my “optimal” grains? Refined grain sugar cereal, white bread English muffin, white bun. Not a single whole grain.)
• Fruits: Congratulations! You reached optimal levels. (Remember my “optimal” fruits? Apple juice. 4 servings.) ƒ
• Milk: Congratulations! You reached optimal levels. (I didn’t know sugary cereal with chocolate milk was optimal!)
• Meats and Beans: Congratulations! You reached optimal levels. (Sloppy Joe and fried chicken)
• Vegetables: Congratulations! You reached optimal levels. (WHAT??? I don’t remember any vegetables. Oh. Right. Two orders of French fries, and I think there were some chunks in the Sloppy Joe mix.)
• Activity: Congratulations! You reached optimal levels. (And I thought I had to run or dance or jump or do sports or play hard or get outside. I’m glad setting the table counts.)

“Based on your food choices the MyPyramid rocket ship landed on Planet Power. Everyone at Mission Control is very pleased with your fueling choices.”

My food choices made them happy. And to top it all off, I won a certificate! MyPyramid Mission Control Certificate of Commendation to Junior Astronaut Alan for piloting the MyPyramid rocket ship successfully to Planet Power by making healthy food and physical activity choices.

And that is why…

And that is the story of how I came to hate the food pyramid and why I am celebrating its demise. Viva la Plate!

Could this get any worse? See Part 2 of Alan’s Nightmare Food Pyramid Journey.

Alan’s Full Menu from his Nightmare Food Pyramid Journey

Sitting together around the table to eat together just three times per week reduces the odds that kids will be overweight, reduces the odds of their eating unhealthy foods or eating in an unhealthy way, and increases the odds of eating healthy foods, according to a study in the June, 2011 Pediatrics. This study pooled the results of seventeen previous studies involving 182,836 children. Some of these studies have shown significant benefit from seven or more meals together a week – or even five or more – going well beyond measures of diet and weight, to include school performance, mood, and risky behavior.

Taken together, the studies show that even a more modest number of family meals each week is linked to an overall decrease in soda, fast food, fried food, and candy and other sweets throughout the week. Meanwhile, these same kids were more likely to eat fruits and vegetables. It’s no surprise that they would also have a healthier weight overall.

The current study demonstrates the connection between family meals, healthier eating, and healthier weight – but can’t show which causes which. Previous studies have done that. The more data I see, the more I become convinced, one of the best things we can do for our kids is to share meals with them, around a table, in a home – and especially meals they had a hand in preparing.

And cleaning up after.

Hammons, AJ and Fiese BH. “Is Frequency of Shared Family Meals Related to the Nutritional Health of Children and Adolescents?” Pediatrics. June 2011;  127(6):e1-10.