Monday Message from October 31st

Family Dinners in a Flash




Did you know that kids in families who eat together are more confident, have better vocabularies and score higher on tests? It can be tricky to schedule regular meals together, but the stronger bond your family will share is worth the effort.



Make time to eat with your family using the following tips from registered dietitians—the food and nutrition experts!



Quick Guide to Nutritious Meals

Planning in advance saves you time and allows you the opportunity to pack your family meal with an extra nutritional punch. So before you head to the grocery, consider the following criteria for healthier options:



•Include at least one selection from each of the five food groups: grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy and protein foods.

•Limit your intake of foods that are high in fat.

•Incorporate high-fiber foods like whole-grain breads and cereals, vegetables, fruits, dry beans, nuts and seeds.

Here's a balanced and nutritious dinner that the entire family will love: Mediterranean chicken breast (a boneless, skinless chicken breast baked for 20 minutes with lemon juice and a pinch of oregano and topped with feta cheese); steamed broccoli; brown rice; vanilla low-fat yogurt topped with fresh berries; and a glass of water.



Make Meals a Family Affair

Even if in a rush, families can still work together for meal preparation: adults can be in charge of the entrée, older kids can prepare the salad and little ones can set the table.



Finally, to make the most of your family meals, make conversation part of the dining experience and reduce distractions by turning off the TV and phones and tuning in to your loved ones.

Monday Message from October 24th

Zombies Eat Right Too





Will a zombie, superhero or character from Monster High be knocking on your door this Halloween?



It's easier than ever to find Halloween treats to make kids happy while providing a health benefit. Grocery store shelves are stocked with kid-friendly favorites containing whole grains, extra vitamin C, 100-percent fruit juice and added fiber.



This year, consider mixing up the candy bowl with some of these items that kids might enjoy, even though they may be good for them. All of these items are available in easy to distribute snack-size packages, too.



•Whole-grain cheddar flavored crackers

•Fruit snacks made with 100 percent fruit with added vitamin C

•Fruit leathers made with 100 percent fruit

•Sugar-free gum

•Animal-shaped graham crackers made without trans fat

•Mini rice cereal treat bars

•Cereal bars made with real fruit

•Individual fruit cups

•Mini 100-percent fruit juice boxes

•Low-fat pudding cups

•Baked, unsalted bags of pretzels

Remember to read the labels when buying these treats to be sure they are the healthiest choices. For example, check to see that fruit snacks, fruit leathers, cereal bars and juice boxes are made with 100-percent real fruit; animal crackers are made without trans fats; and that cheddar crackers are made with whole grain.



Other options for your trick-or-treaters are non-food treats such as Halloween pencils, pens, stickers, tattoos and spider rings. If you just can't resist handing out candy, give bite-size candy bars.



Parents and kids should agree ahead of time on how much and when candy can be consumed each day. When they get home from trick-or-treating, have your children sort their candy into piles of "favorites" and "not so favorites" and let your children choose a few favorites to enjoy. As with any treat, candy can be a part of children's healthful eating plans—in moderation.



And don't forget what a workout trick or treating can be. Your kids can burn quite a few calories walking (sometimes in heavy costumes) and climbing up and down stairs!

Monday Message from October 17th

Why Is My Child Overweight?



Many factors contribute to weight problems in children.



A tendency to be overweight runs in families. However, this does not mean that any child is sure to be overweight. Heredity is just one part of the picture. Family patterns such as eating and activity habits may have a much stronger influence on weight than heredity. These habits are considered environmental factors.



Environmental Factors

Many things in a person's environment can lead to weight gain. For example:



•The type and amount of food available

•Activity level

•Snacking habits

•Using food for reward or punishment

•Amount of time spent watching TV, using the computer and playing video games

•Eating at restaurants or fast food places more than once a week

•Drinking lots of sugar-sweetened beverages

Spending a lot of time in front of the TV or computer can lead to weight gain. These activities don't use much energy. Watching TV burns about 50 calories per hour. Playing tag burns about 500 calories per hour.



Help your child to be active every day. Limit total time in front of the screen to one or two hours per day. Have your child get up and move around during commercials. Encourage your child to do other activities. Many children snack on high-calorie foods, such as crackers, chips and cookies while they watch TV or play computer games. This may add to weight gain. Try having a family rule against eating while watching TV, using the computer or playing video games.



Some medicines may increase weight gain or appetite. Check with your child's doctor about this. Maybe your child can take different medicines.



Emotional Factors

Children who are always hungry may be eating for emotional reasons. They may use food to avoid strong feelings that can be uncomfortable or hard to handle.



Feelings can be overwhelming. If your child eats as a way of dealing with feelings, he can forget what physical hunger feels like. If you think that your child is overeating for emotional reasons, help him learn how to deal with his feelings in a healthy way. Remind your child that emotions are normal. Food can't solve anyone's problems. Food may make your child feel better for a little while, but the problems are still there.



Talk to your child's doctor or an RD. They can help you find out what is going on with your child.

Monday Message from October 10th

Best Breakfasts for Your School Crew


by Susan Moores, MS RD



What is the best breakfast for kids this school year? It's the breakfast they will eat, says Jeannie Gazzaniga-Moloo PhD, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. "Breakfasts don't need to be 'breakfast-y.' The most important thing is to get some good nutrition into their stomachs. That can be cereal, eggs or toast, but it can also be leftovers, a quesadilla or cheese and crackers."

The Family Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey asked kids if they eat breakfast all of the time and results indicate that many children don't do so.

And, those numbers have dietitians concerned. Breakfast is a major meal, says Liz Ward, RD, author of My Plate for Moms: How to Feed Yourself and Your Family Better. "It's an opportunity to get some very important nutrients. If kids don't eat in the morning they usually don't catch up on the nutrients they missed out on—especially calcium, vitamin D, fiber and potassium."


Breakfast Benefits

Besides providing important nutrients, breakfast zaps hunger. It gives your body some much needed energy after a six-plus hour fast (bedtime). The benefits are immediate. And, as Ward points out, eating breakfast has a ripple effect. "Giving kids (and adults) bodies timely, consistent nourishment has an impact every day, every week and really throughout life." Skip breakfast and those benefits disappear.

Much is also written about the importance of breakfast in school performance. Eating in the morning is linked with helping kids concentrate and do well in school. No child should miss out on that.

Why Are Kids Not Eating Breakfast?

There are all sorts of hurdles in the morning, says Moloo. "High schoolers usually want to sleep. If they are not waking up in time, breakfast is a bust. Finishing up homework, morning chaos, television distractions, parents leaving the house before kids do and simply not feeling hungry are also common issues." But, hunger kicks in at some point in the morning and it can be very distracting, Ward says.

Breakfast Tips

A little planning can make the morning meal happen. Try these ideas.


•Ask your kids what they'd like to eat. Any food that fits at another meal can fit at breakfast. Get your kids input and even their help in making the meal. It's time well spent. The more invested kids are in planning and ideally helping make breakfast pays off in spades by teaching self-sufficiency, says Moloo.

•Use a formula/checklist to plan and put together healthy breakfasts. Ideally, the meal includes three to four different food groups, says Ward. A protein-rich food is important (think eggs, cheese, peanut butter, yogurt, non-fat milk, cottage cheese, beans, lean sliced deli meats, etc.). It helps kids feel fuller longer. A whole-grain carbohydrate is also a good idea. The brain prefers carbohydrates as its source of energy. Hot or cold whole-grain cereals with at least 3 grams of fiber per serving, whole-wheat crackers, whole-grain frozen waffles, a whole-wheat tortilla or whole grain bread work. (Check the nutrition label to make sure that whole grain or whole wheat is the first ingredient and that there is at least 3 grams of fiber per serving). Low-fat dairy foods, fruits and/or vegetables round out the options.

•Put breakfast fixings in easy-to-grab place. Put the cereal on a lower shelf in the pantry so younger kids can reach it easily and place fruit in a bowl on the counter where kids (and parents) can easily grab something nutritious on their way out the door.

•Eat breakfast yourself and make sure your kids see that you do. If you're short-changing your body, your kids may ask "why can't I?" The good results your kids get when they eat breakfast, can come your way too, including better weight management.

Sample Meals Beyond Traditional Breakfast Foods

1.Banana Dog: Spread a couple of tablespoons of peanut or almond butter on a whole-wheat hot dog bun. Peel a banana, and place inside bun. Eat like a hot dog. Beverage: low-fat or fat-free milk.

2.Leftover Pizza: Partner with a glass of 100% orange juice or a whole fruit such as grapes, mandarin oranges, kiwi or berries.

3.Whole-grain Waffle: Spread with a nut butter and sprinkled with raisins or dried cranberries. Add low-fat or fat-free yogurt or milk.

4.Trail Mix: Make with whole-grain cereal, shelled pistachios, favorite dried fruit (try diced apricot, pineapple or mango). Add a glass of low-fat or fat-free milk.

Monday Message from October 3rd

Help! I'm the Worst Snack Mom


by Jill Weisenberger, MS CDE RD




What should you do when your kids balk at the nutritious snacks you picked out for scouts, sports and other group activities? They complain none of the other moms send the yucky stuff, and they want you to send cookies, sodas and snack cakes too. Should you cave or remain firm in your decision to provide only wholesome food?
Give Kids What They Love

"Most kids get over a quarter of their daily calories from snacks. That's enough to qualify for a fourth meal," says Karen Ansel, MS, RD, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. Unfortunately, most of those snacks are desserts, sugary drinks and salty foods, she adds. Serving healthful alternatives gives your kids the nutritional boost their growing bodies need. Erin Macdonald, RD, nutrition, fitness and wellness coach in Orange County, California, suggests giving them what they love: strawberries, grapes, mini whole-wheat bagels with light cream cheese or almond butter and a selection of nuts (one caveat: for children under the age of 4, nuts may be a choking hazard unless they are finely chopped) and dried fruits. Fill individual muffin cups with pistachios and dried cranberries or put popcorn in colorful bags or paper cups. Sometimes the packaging is enough to excite kids, so tap into your creativity. Decorate muffin cups, bags and paper cups with your child's school or team colors. In scorching weather, help kids cool off with frozen grapes or frozen juice pops.
Kids Like Wraps

•Spread nut butter on a whole-wheat tortilla or flatbread and sprinkle sliced strawberries, bananas or peaches on one-third of the wrap before rolling and slicing.

•Try hummus and shredded carrots on rolled flatbread.

•Fill a small tortilla with a variety of diced and shredded vegetables and reduced-fat ranch dressing.

Kids Love to Dip

•Mix taco seasonings into low-fat plain yogurt and serve with veggie sticks.

•Serve baked tortilla chips with a choice of salsa or bean dip.

Another approach, suggests Ansel, is to send a mix of the good-for-you and not so healthy snacks such as both fruit and cookies. "There’s no reason kids can't have a little of each," she suggests. Or simply toss a sweet into something more nutritious. For example, before rolling a flatbread with peanut butter, sprinkle some mini chocolate chips on top. Add chocolate chips or raisins or broken cookies to your homemade trail mix of nuts, dried fruit and whole grain cereals. Or offer a homemade cookie with oats and dried apricots.

Don't forget to seek support from the other parents. Like you, they may want to send healthful snacks but feel pressure from their children. Slowly start a revolution, suggests Ansel. Start with one parent, then another and another. You may be surprised how many parents jump on board. If you're met with resistance, approach it as feeding your child athlete, says Macdonald. To do well in sports and other physical activities, "your child has to train hard which also means to eat like an athlete," she explains.

By offering nutritious snacks, you're providing the food and nutrients your children need for good health and well-being. Perhaps more importantly, you're also teaching them what a balanced diet looks like and how to eat well. Now that's something that lasts well beyond snack time!