• It will be much easier for the beverage and food industry to influence one national standard. ie lobbying
• It will be much more difficult to deal with different laws and regulations for each set by the county or even state.  Each one will undoubtedly be slightly different, making it harder to comply with them.
• Many of these high sugar, high fat beverage and food manufacturers have already begun to market healthier products that they can sell to the school instead.

But given their motives, let’s not kick a gift horse in the mouth.  It is great that we are finally realizing that if we all know we have a problem with kids not eating healthy, then why are we selling them unhealthy foods right in school!So this is good that we are moving in the right direction.  The food manufacturers will make what we are willing to buy.  The funny thing is we have always had the power in our hands, or I should say pocketbooks!

For me, Queen Latifah’s speech really hit home.  When she talked about buying his records and trying to do the “robot”.  I remembered singing and dancing as a kid to his music.  I had forgotten that I learned the robot from Michael (I still pull my move out at family parties, even though the kids laugh at me!)

I had a lot of fun as a kid pretending to be a star and trying to do the latest dance moves with my cousins and friends.It reminds me that music and dance is a fun and great calorie burning activity for kids.  Sometimes, we, as parents, try to find structured activities and sports to get our kids active when it can be so simple.

Turn on the radio or put on your favorite cd (or your kids favorite cd) and join the kids dancing around the house.  It won’t be long before you are all laughing!  And these are some of the memories that kids will look fondly back upon with a smile.

Thank you Michael Jackson for all the wonderful music and dance moves!   You will be missed but not forgotten.

I like to promote this event because it reminds all us how important it for kids to keep learning even when school is out. You may be thinking, give the kids a break, it is summer time. And I agree, that learning during summer should not be as structured as regular school but learning can be fun and can occur in many different ways.

Here are some facts from the Summer Learning Center that may change your mind (or if you agree with me, validate your position)

• All young people experience learning losses when they do not engage in educational activities during the summer. Research spanning 100 years shows that students typically score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than they do on the same tests at the beginning of the summer (White, 1906; Entwisle & Alexander, 1992; Cooper et al., 1996; Downey et al., 2004).
• Most students lose about two months of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation skills over the summer months. Low-income students also lose more than two months in reading achievement, despite the fact that their middle-class peers make slight gains (Cooper et al., 1996).

• About two-thirds of the ninth-grade achievement gap between lower and higher income youth can be explained by unequal access to summer learning opportunities during the elementary school years. As a result, low-income youth are less likely to graduate from high school or enter college (Alexander et al., 2007).

• Children lose more than academic knowledge over the summer. Most children—particularly children at high risk of obesity—gain weight more rapidly when they are out of school during summer break (von Hippel et al., 2007).

• Parents consistently cite summer as the most difficult time to ensure that their children have productive things to do (Duffett et al., 2004).

Many programs are celebrating National Summer Learning Day throughout the country. Click here to find an event in your area. You can even look for an event that is designed for your child’s age.

It’s not too late for any program that promotes summer learning to register and participate in this national event. You can obtain a free event planning kit full of ideas and resources to make it a fun event for everyone.

Kids make their own cute “Nutrition is Fun” bookmarks to use during their summer reading.

You can even plan your own at home summer learning program for free! Have the kids learn about nutrition and the importance of being active with nutrition games, nutrition and health worksheets and kids healthy tips monthly page.

Mondays are a great day to renew Family Health vows. Every Monday, you will find some healthy tip to help your family start the week off on a Healthy Note!

Thanks to Healthy Monday organization for sharing their Monday tips.

Grilling is a fun way to promote healthy eating for the family. You don’t have to add grease when cooking and there is less clean up! These are just a few of the benefits. Hanging outside together while the food is grilling as a family is also a huge plus!

Here are some easy tips when grilling:

• Thermometers are often not used, but they actually help avoid under cooking and overcooking. So pull out the thermometer.

• Weather affects grilling times. Windy and cool weather will add grilling time and hot weather speeds up cooking

• Most foods will cook better with the lid down. This helps foods cook evenly and thoroughly.

Don’t forget the vegetables. Kids can help wash them and place them in skewers for some great kabobs.
Read more about healthy grilling tips.

Happy 4th everyone!

Healthy Barbecue Tips- Fruits and Vegetables on the Grill

• there should always be an adult present when kids are in the pool, even backyard pools
• review swimming pool rules with the kids, they are usually posted nearby
• teach kids to walk not run in pool areas, watery floors makes it too easy to slip
• don’t rely on blow up water toys as safety devices for kids who can’t swim, they can easily lose air
• review with your child where the depth markers are and how far is appropriate for their age, height and swimming level
• avoid eating or chewing candy/food while swimming, kids could choke
• remind children not to push or jump on each other while in the pool

Lakes and Ponds

• all of the above
• kids who are not good swimmers should wear a life vest, the bottoms of lakes can change depth
• water shoes may be required for areas that may have jagged edges or debris
• teach kids to avoid swimming nearing weeds and tall grass where they could get tangled

Beaches

• all of the above
• teach kids to face the wave so they know when it is coming
• allow swimming only on beaches that have a lifeguard
• teach kids to swim within your sight, not too far out

• Make sure the burner tubes are not blocked. Insects often make this their home during winter! Clear blockage and push it through to the main part of the burner.
• Check for cracked or brittle gas tubes. Check for sharp bends in the tubes.
• Move the hoses far away from hot surfaces and dripping hot grease.
• Keep the drip tray or can clean and free of debris
• Check for leaks; always follow manufacturer’s instructions if you smell gas or when you reconnect the grill to the LP gas container.
• If you find a leak, immediately turn off the gas. Don’t attempt to light the grill until the leak is fixed.
• Keep lighted cigarettes, matches, and open flames away from a leaking grill.
• Do not attempt to repair the tank valve or the appliance yourself, always use the services of a qualified appliance repair person.

Now you are ready to barbecue:

• Keep grills at least 10 feet away from the house or any building.
• Do not use the grill in a garage, breezeway, carport, porch, or under a surface that can catch fire.
• When charcoal grilling, never use lighter fluid after the fire has started. Only use fluid to soak briquettes before starting the grill.

When you are barbecuing:

• Use long-handled tools and long barbecue mitts to prevent burns.
• Never use water to put out a fire on a gas grill.
• In case of flare up, turn burners off (in gas grilling). Gas or Charcoal, move food off of fire.

Mondays are a great day to renew Family Health vows. Every Monday, you will find some healthy tip to help your family start the week off on a Healthy Note!

Thanks to Healthy Monday organization for sharing their Monday tips.

Here are some easy, time saving planning tips to help the family stay on their breakfast track:

• some breakfast food can be prepared the night before - like boiled eggs or oatmeal
• set your kids alarm clock to get up 15 minutes earlier to allow time for breakfast
• have the kids backpacks and what clothes they’ll where laid out the night before
• cut up fruit the night before - the kids can eat them whole or in a quick smoothie
• make sure you make time for breakfast also, remember kids model your behavior and learn from your example
• breakfast food doesn’t have to be “traditional” leftovers can make a good breakfast
• shoot for at least 3 food groups
• have your children help plan the breakfast meals for the week

Resources: Healthy Breakfast Pointers for Kids

Kids fun Printable Eat Breakfast Goals

Kid friendly Free Printable Breakfast Tracking Sheet

The students helped pick the vegetables and then taking it another step further…kids worked with the White House chefs to prepare a meal using the freshly picked vegetables

What I love about Michelle Obama (among many of her inspirational acts) is that she does more than just put on a show for the kids. She is an example and role model for her own kids and those she reaches out to. She uses the vegetables from her garden for her family meals and for formal dinners.

Michelle Obama has really used the garden as a fun way to teach kids about nutrition and the fun of vegetables. By having them help plant and then harvest them, kids are more willing to try vegetables that helped grow.

She continues to remind us that kids need to be involved. It is the best way to help them learn first hand about healthy eating.

More healthy kid eating tips