Healthy Kids First

Is It Possible To Eat Too Much Fruit?

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Curry) — Thu, 17 May 2012 00:04:00 +0000

Here it is. The final blog post on our sugar series. We've learned a lot about sugar, but one last question remains. Fruit contains natural sugars. Is it possible for kids to eat too much of it? We go through a ridiculous amount of fruit in our house each week. Could we be doing more harm than good?

Our HKI Dietitian, Sarah Sturgill, gives great advice on this topic:

She says fruit is such a healthy option for children that the question of “too much?” rarely crosses a parent’s mind. However, there are some circumstances where children may be eating too much fruit.

To be clear, fruit comprise a very healthy and vital food group. Fruit are generally high in nutritive value since they contain fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidant flavinoids, and a number of other beneficial phytochemicals. These nutrients can help ward off chronic disease, such as cancer, heart disease and other degenerative conditions, as well as promote normal growth and development.

With benefits such as these, we certainly don’t want to discourage your children from including a variety of fruits in their meals and snacks.

The misconception exists that fruit is not healthy because it contains a high amount of sugar.

As we explained in our previous blog, there are multiple forms of sugar. Of the six types of sugar—sucrose, fructose, glucose, maltose, lactose, galactose—fructose is the form found in fruit. Research has shown that naturally occurring fructose does not have the harmful effects of table sugar and that it is actually beneficial. Antioxidant flavinoids are one of the main reasons that fruit intake can help prevent chronic disease. However, without fructose, these flavinoids are poorly absorbed into the bloodstream. Fructose stimulates the production of uric acid, which increases the capacity of our blood to absorb the antioxidant flavinoids.

The danger in eating too much fruit comes when that is the only (or one of the only) food a child is served.

Children need to be offered a variety of foods because it is impossible to get all of our daily nutrition from just one food group.

Fruit should be included every day, but it should never replace other foods like whole grains, vegetables, and high protein foods like lean meat, beans or legumes.

So that's it in a nutshell. We have officially tackled sugar this month. What an eye opening experience. We hope you and your family are able to put some of the tips we've talked about into practice at your home.

Best of Luck. We'll see you again next week.

Sugary Drinks - The Numbers May Startle You

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Curry) — Thu, 10 May 2012 02:06:00 +0000

Last week we shocked you with the “added sugar” recommended limits for kids- 12 grams/day. Yikes! It’s easy to see how some of our foods can contribute two and three times that daily recommended limit.

Well, if you think the foods we eat are bad, you're in for another shocker when you see the sugar in the drinks we consume.

Check this out.

12 oz can of Coca Cola	39 grams of sugar
20 oz bottle of Mountain Dew	77 grams of sugar
8 oz Glass of Simply Orange Juice	23 grams of sugar
McDonald’s 6.8 fl oz Minute Maid 100% juice box	22 grams
McDonald’s Medium Sweet Tea	45 grams
Gatorade	14 grams

It’s easy to see why obesity is so prevalent in our society. One bottle of Mountain Dew has 6 times the daily sugar recommendations, not to mention the foods we're consuming throughout the day to further add to the totals.

This is one of the most important areas that we, as parents, can focus on to really help our children.

If you're overwhelmed and confused about what's acceptable to drink, here are a few tips to help you on your next trip to the store.

One important note: these rules should apply to the entire family. We can't expect our kids to make a change when we're still indulging in our sweet drinks.

Water,Water, Water. The largest source of sugar comes from our drinks, even those that contain nutrients like Vitamin C. Buy a trendy thermos, make flavored ice cubes, purchase mini bottles…do whatever it takes to get your family drinking water.

4 ounces of juice per day. Yep, that's it. The great news though, is that you can count any sugar coming from a 4-oz serving of 100% juice as a freebie since it can count as one serving of fruit for the day. Even for this serving of juice, look for juice that’s lower in sugar, which is usually orange juice.

Choose 100% juice. So look for small juice boxes that contain 100% juice.

Use water (not sports drinks) for hydration. For older & more active kids, it’s important that they know that water is sufficient to keep the body hydrated. Sports drinks are only necessary when a person is engaging in continuous (non-stop) vigorous physical activity for more than one hour. Running and cycling are good examples of continuous, vigorous physical activity. Most children do not exercise at this level. Even little league soccer and football do not count as “continuous” physical activity because children are given frequent breaks during practice and even during the game. Water is sufficient for hydrating children and doesn’t contain all of the added sugars found in sports drinks.

Use Caution with drinks claiming to be low in sugar. Drinks promoting reduced sugar often contain artificial sweeteners. While no research conclusively points to any physically harmful effects of artificial sweeteners, they still may present a danger to your child’s balanced diet. First, many soft drinks made with artificial sweeteners also contain high levels of caffeine. In both children and adults, too much caffeine can lead to nervousness, upset stomach, headaches, difficulty concentrating, difficulty sleeping, increased heart rate, and increased blood pressure. It doesn't take a lot of caffeine to produce these effects in children. Second, artificial sweeteners are sometimes as much as 600 times as sweet as sugar. Regular intake can increase our threshold for the sweet taste making it harder to satisfy a craving for “sweet” with healthful alternatives like fruit. Some studies even suggest that artificial sweeteners increase our appetite for foods high in sugar and refined carbohydrates (i.e. white bread).

This sounds incredibly strict, but it's for good reason. My friend recently suggested I check out some videos by Dr. Robert Lustig about the harmful effects of sugar. If you're still not ready to ditch the sugar, check out this video to see firsthand the startling impact of sugar on our body.

Still one last blog in our sugar series. Stay tuned next week for more information.

How Much Sugar Can Kids Consume- You'll be Shocked!

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Curry) — Wed, 02 May 2012 23:37:00 +0000

Sugar gets a bad rap, and for good reason. It is killing our bodies and contributing to numerous diseases. It's hard to avoid sugar in our diets, especially when it comes to kid-favorite foods. Cereals, fruit drinks, ice cream, breads, flavored yogurts, ketchup, canned soups...the list goes on and on, and they are all full of sugar.

Here are the shock-and-awe stats that will have you rethinking your next trip to the grocery store.

It is recommended that children limit “added” sugar to 12 grams per day. I know! Sounds nearly impossible, right? Well before you throw your hands up in frustration, let me also note that not all sugars are created equal.

Added sugars (those that we should limit to 12 grams/day) should be considered separate from natural sugars. Added sugars contribute no nutritional value and increase our sugar intake beyond what is healthy for our bodies.

Naturally occurring sugar found in food products like skim milk or fruit contribute to a healthy balanced meal because these foods provide a variety of nutritional benefits.

Perhaps this guide will help you even more. Here are just a few foods that hit the "added" sugar list:

Foods to avoid or limit (they contain “added” sugar- and remember your limit is 12g/day)
1 cup Fruit Loops	12 grams of sugar
2 Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Pop Tarts	30 grams of sugar
1 Strawberry NutriGrain Bar	11 grams of sugar
McDonald’s fruit & maple Oatmeal with brown sugar	32 grams of sugar
Turkey & Cheese Lunchable with Capri Sun and Reeses Peanut Butter Cup	28 grams of sugar

Now you can see why I waited so long to tackle this subject. Added Sugar thrives in kid-favorite food (and we haven’t even approached drinks yet). What's a mom to do when everything we see on the grocery shelves is jam packed with sugar? Here is a list of foods that are fine to eat because they contain natural sugars.

Foods with natural sugars (ok to eat)

100% whole grain bread is good.

Bread needs sugar in order to rise, so even the "sugar-free" breads include a sugar substitute. One of the better brands is Nature's Own 100% whole wheat. 100% whole grain is also good. Buy whole grain/wheat with 2g of sugar or less (anything more counts in the added sugar total)

Milk (no flavor added)

Cheese

Plain Yogurt

Whole grain products.

Whole oats, brown rice, whole grain pasta, whole grain couscous- any whole grain product sold uncooked with no sauce or flavoring.

Fruits & Vegetables

In their natural form. Frozen fruits and vegetables (with no sauce) are ok. Steer clear of anything canned.

So keep this guide in mind during your next trip to the grocery store. And don't worry, we're not done talking about sugar. There are still a lot of unanswered questions like- how does juice factor into all of this, can I successfully limit our diets to 12 grams sugar/day, and is there such a thing as too much fruit?

Lots of great info to come. See you back again next week.

We're Tackling Sugar- Get Ready!

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Curry) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 14:36:00 +0000

Lately, I've found myself on a path of self discovery to learn about sugar, and it's impact on the body. Ignorance can be bliss...but not when it comes to sugar (or so I'm finding out).

I have quite a few reasons for going down this road.

My mother, who has had fibromyalgia for 22 years, suffers from incredible pain each and every day. We've tried every approach to improve her pain, but nothing helped....until she recently began to eliminate sugar from her diet. It turns out that she has an overgrowth of yeast and toxins in her body. Diets high in sugar feed the yeast making it even worse. The pain and fatigue, which has plagued her for half of her life, have drastically reduced simply from eliminating sugar. Follow her story. It is quite intriguing.

I am a big fan of Dr Joseph Mercola- a physician that promotes alternative medicine and healing. My good friend recommended his blog a year ago, and I can not wait every morning to receive his latest email post. Dr Mercola is highly controversial, but his research is so complete and compelling, that I find it hard to overlook. This article is a terrific overview of the implications sugar has on our body and our children. You may also see Dr Mercola occasionally on Dr Oz talking about natural health remedies.

The final straw however, came for me when I finished the book Sugar Blues. I was shocked to see sugar likened to nicotine and heroin in terms of its addictive nature. Obesity, fatigue, depression, diabetes....how could something so prevalent in our diets cause so many problems?

All of this is leading me to a series of posts over the next four weeks to answer some questions that I can't stop thinking about.

We'll talk about the recommended daily sugar intake for kids and what an average day should look like to stay within those limits.
Sugary drinks to avoid. You will be shocked at some of our most common drinks that contain high amounts of sugar.
Natural sugars vs added sugars. Help!!!
Is it possible for our kids to eat too much fruit?

Get ready for some shocking information. See you back again next week.

Are you REALLY a Healthy Eating Role Model for your Kids?

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Curry) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 23:31:00 +0000

As we wrap up National Nutrition Month, I pose one final question. Are you really a healthy eating role model for your child?

In our house, my husband is an extremely picky eater. He grew up with food allergies and a limited diet. If it were up to him, the only vegetable served at dinner would be corn and potatoes (both of which are actually considered starches).

We knew that if we wanted to expose our children to more vegetables, it meant venturing outside of our comfort zone and trying new things. While my husband doesn't love every vegetable we prepare, he certainly takes one for the team and gives it a shot. In the last two years he has included over ten new vegetables to his diet. It may just be a bite, but the kids take note of his efforts and quickly take their own bite too.

So if you find yourself saying "eww" and "yuck to vegetables, purposely not cooking vegetables that you don't like, and expecting your kids to eat foods that you refuse to eat, then it's time for you to take a look at yourself.

As you prepare to embark on healthy eating (and you soon will), keep in mind that children follow your lead. Sometimes that means taking one for the team. Reserving our comments and even more, forcing yourself to take a bite of the food you detest. You won't have to do this forever, but it's an important step as you try to help your kids transition to healthier foods.

Ready to take your first step? Here's an easy recipe for cooked carrots to experiment with. Carrots are a great source of fiber, beta carotene and Vitamin A. Enjoy!

Carrots

1 bag carrots, 16oz bag

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp Honey, for glaze

Either steam or cook carrots in boiling salted water for 8 minutes or until crisp-tender, remove and drain.
Heat oil in a pan over medium heat for 1 minute.
Add the carrots and honey Cook for 2 minutes or until glazed. Remove and serve.

Are You Too Exhausted to Battle Healthy Eating?

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Curry) — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 11:00:00 +0000

As we round out National Nutrition Month, let's talk about the effect that raising healthy eaters can have on us.

We're all in the same boat. We're exhausted. We are constantly torn between the convenience of fast food and healthy cooking at home. Some nights the battle is just too big to fight. And by the way, how long does that journey take? If you embarked on a healthy lifestyle today, when would you see results?

These are tough questions, but perhaps I can share some insight based on my personal experience. Raising healthy eaters is one of the most important things you can do for your kids. Once you make the decision, give yourself a year to make the transition. Within two years your kids will forget what the McDonald's drive thru looks like.

The problem with healthy eating is much like that of dieting. We want instant results and often give up right before we start to see the successes.

Our family's journey toward healthy eating started out rocky. I didn't know what to cook or how to cook it. My time in the produce section consisted of bananas and strawberries - nothing else. I had one cookbook - Betty Crocker. I would occasionally try new recipes but the kids would never try it. I felt alone and frustrated.

Within a year of starting the journey, we had cut our fast food bill in half. We were planning out our meals. Not every meal was a success with the kids, but we confidently added 20+ healthy recipes to our dinner plan and had phased out 75% of the processed and frozen food.

Within two years we had even more healthy dishes in the mix, the kids were helping in the kitchen, buying produce from the farmers market was a given, McDonald's didn't hit the radar, and most of our time was spent in the produce aisle at the grocery store.

Here are a few things that helped us in the first year:

Removed the junk food from the house. Snack cakes, chips, and cookies are a thing of the past. The kids now snack on fruit, popcorn, low sodium string cheese, and multi grain crackers.
Pop Tarts and Fruity Pebbles are gone and over time have been forgotten. Kids eat what you buy. We just stopped buying sugary breakfast cereal. We now do eggs, oatmeal, fruit, or plain cheerios.
We transitioned from white bread to white/wheat bread and then eventually to whole wheat/whole grain bread. This took a few months to complete.
We made the move from Vitamin D milk to 2% and now 1%. Surprisingly this had no impact on the kids. Just took the adults a little getting used to.
We stopped buying canned vegetables and invested in a steamer for fresh vegetables.
Smaller juice boxes (4oz) were purchased and were limited to one or two a day. We started to give new choices for drinks: water or milk. I have found that having a choice is more important than the drink itself.
Meal prep, planning, and organization became key. I started to feel more confident and ready to tackle healthy dinners. Unfortunately for us, there weren't a lot of tools to help so I spent a lot of time learning and experimenting on my own. Hence our creation of Healthy Kids Inc so that you can effortlessly master this step.

So if you feel like climbing Mt Everest may be easier than tackling healthy eating...think again. You can do this. Just give yourself some time and be patient. Work to make one positive change per week- introduce a new food or switch to a healthier product. Don't give up.

Are We Actually Creating Our Own Picky Eaters?

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Curry) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 23:26:00 +0000

In week 2 of National Nutrition Month we pose the question: Are we actually creating picky eaters? If you have a picky eater, you would be the first to admit that this wasn't by design. You hoped your child would effortlessly eat spinach, salmon, and cooked carrots. Instead, your child eats only pizza, pasta, and vegetables loaded with cheese, butter, and salt.

How did it come to this?

It probably started when your child (let's call him Charlie) first began eating table food. Let's assume you tried serving him healthy food at the beginning. After a few attempts he just didn't respond. He has to eat, you say. So you resort to typical kid-food and roll out the frozen chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese. That, along with a few other standard foods, worked. Little Charlie was happy and eating and that was good enough for Mom.

A year passes and you decide it's time to try healthy foods. Your child is still eating mac n cheese and chicken nuggets and by now refuses to venture out of his comfort zone. You try a few new foods with no luck and chalk the failure up to him being a "picky eater." Dinner time becomes nothing but battles and compromises.

This continues. Out of frustration, you beg and plead with Charlie and constantly ask him why he's such a picky eater? You talk about his picky eating habits every day at lunch and then again at dinner. You feel like you're in the movie "Groundhog Day" and just can't seem to get out of this cycle.

It's a common story that you've probably experienced with at least one child at one point in time.

Could we have actually created this?

Indulge me while I get a little metaphysical and "law of attraction-like." If little Charlie were told over and over that he was stupid (hang with me on this one), over time he would start to believe it and would probably stop trying to learn in school. It's very subconscious but very real.

If Little Charlie is told over and over again that he's a "picky" eater, do you think the same thing might happen to him? Over time his subconscious would start to believe it and little Charlie would soon live up to the expectation of a picky eater.

What if the word picky eater were completely taken from your, and his, vocabulary? What if little Charlie is applauded every time he tries something new (even a bite) and is told that he's making progress and becoming a "healthy" eater?

Over time, this positive reinforcement would create more positive behaviors, which creates more positive reinforcement. It's an amazing approach that really does work.

We're not quite done though. Now Mom, what if you put the Laws of Attraction in place and approached dinner time with excitement and optimism? You begin to pair some of his favorite foods with some new foods. You proudly put dinner on the table and mentally prepare to celebrate even the smallest success. It may just be one bite and that's ok. Do you think little Charlie would soon follow suit and begin to enjoy dinner time too?

After a few months (yes- it may take that long), dinner time now becomes high energy and full of celebration. Before you know it, you're serving less of his old favorites and more of his healthy new favorites. It's an amazing shift in mindset that will transform your family dinner experience.

Strangely enough, people have a way of meeting even our subconscious expectations of them. If you change your thinking, you just may change your life... and little Charlie's too. Give this a try. You'll be happy you did!

Your Child is a Picky Eater. Are You Sure?

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Curry) — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 16:12:00 +0000

Yesterday I had an opportunity to represent Healthy Kids Inc at a local community event. My goals were simple - to introduce Moms and Kids to HKI and let them sample a recipe from our website.

I chose Kale & Edamame Pesto Pasta. Kale, known as one of the healthiest vegetables on the planet, is so rich in vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants. Edamame is just as powerful with antioxidants, protein, vitamins, and fiber. It's easy to see why this dish is an HKI favorite.

I was pumped for the day and couldn't wait to showcase this awesome dish. Ding Ding Ding...it's 10am. Let the event begin.

The first child approached the table and offered to give it a try. The noodles barely made it to her mouth before she gagged and quickly threw away her plate. My heart fell to the floor. It was all I could do to not pack up and go home in the first 5 minutes.

Fortunately, the tide shifted and the sampling went uphill from there. Nearly 50 kids tried the pasta and guess what? Only three didn't like it. It was amazing!

I spent hours watching kids and parents interact over healthy eating and the experience was truly enlightening. I heard over and over again from parents that their child is a picky eater and probably wouldn't like it. Remarkably, the child tried it and more importantly, liked it. Kids were using words like "delicious," "best pasta I've ever had," and "Mom, can we make this at home?"

Was there anything special about this pasta dish? No! In fact, it was a little bland and by the end of the day started to taste incredibly smokey (forgot to turn the heat off of the chafing dish).

A few things happened that contributed to the success of the day:

1. Kids were able to try something new. Most families circulate the same 7-10 dishes over and over again. How often are our kids trying new foods?

2. Kids often took Mom and Dad's lead. 95% of the time, if Mom ate it (and appeared to like it), the child ate it.

3. Kids enjoyed knowing that they were trying something healthy. The older kids found it "cool" to try a healthy dish. In many cases, the older kids had more of an interest in healthy food than the parent.

3. It was an upbeat and encouraging environment. We celebrated their healthy bites with high fives, cheers, and pats on the back.

This event posed a few questions:

Can kids influence parents to make healthy eating changes at home?

Are we actually reinforcing "picky eating" habits by continually telling our children that they're picky eaters.

Do we sometimes give up too early because we, as parents, get discouraged?

Are we really serving as role models with our own eating habits?

Give these some thought. I'll share my own ideas with you, and give you a few tips to overcome these challenges as we kickoff National Nutrition Month.

The Ultimate Organization Tool for Healthy Meals

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Curry) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

We know that the key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle is planning. Without a plan, we are more likely to grab donuts for breakfast, fast food for lunch, and a bowl of cereal for dinner. If you're a busy parent, and wish to embark on a healthy lifestyle for you and your family, then it's important to plan not only your dinner meals, but your breakfast and lunch meals too.

Check out this tool created by the Healthy Kids Inc team. The upper portion of the spreadsheet allows you to plan out your meals for the week. In our household, breakfast is usually "grab-n-go," so a homemade bran muffin or piece of fruit generally goes here. The lunch section allows me to be creative and plan fun lunches for the whole family. Dinners are incredibly easy to plan out- thanks to the HKI website.

Once your meals are planned, simply use the columns below to chart the grocery items needed to pull off each day. This is one of my favorite sections. It keeps me from overspending at the store and ensures that I have everything I need to pull off meals for the week. The bottom section is used for any additional grocery options that may not fall in the weekly plan (drinks, paper products, etc).

Once the shopping is complete, I simply tear off the top section and tack it to a cork board conveniently placed on the inside of the pantry door as a daily reminder.

Hesitant, Reluctant, Skeptical? Give this a try for even one week. You'll be thoroughly impressed with the results. A downloadable version is available on the Healthy Kids Inc website. Let us know how you like it.

Kids in the Kitchen- Frustrating or Beneficial?

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Curry) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:36:00 +0000

Have you ever wondered if involving your kids in the kitchen really makes a difference? Let's face it. The task can be quite frustrating. Check out this testimonial from a former "kid-in-the-kitchen" turned Chef. It just might change your mind.

Some of my earliest memories center on being in the kitchen with my parents. I remember many things from childhood but nothing as strongly, nothing as vividly as I do memories of days spent cooking in our family home. The sights, the sounds, the smells and especially the tastes. I strongly believe that I would not be who I am or where I am as a chef if it were not for spending my formative years at my parents sides in the kitchen regularly.

It is not only highly important that children learn about the food that they eat and its purpose but also HOW to cook. Cooking is a fundamental life skill that has sadly been lost to some generations. The illusion of convenience that the fast food industry and even your local supermarket generates to sustain their billion dollar industries is in my humble opinion the culprit. Children are conditioned from an early age in our country to want the red and yellow packaging that hides nothing nutritious within. This is why it is time to get back to a time where cooking was not only a necessary part of life but one we enjoyed no matter our age.

I have instructed hundreds of children of all ages the basics of cooking and it is my experience that children are excited at the thought of participating in an adult activity. Being able to be hands on gives kids a true sense of what it takes to put food on the table and affords them a sense of ownership over the food that they eat. Being able to touch, see, smell, and taste the ingredients that they are cooking with is the best way to get them to try new foods. It is important that kids understand that in order to cook well you must first know what every ingredient is and how it tastes both cooked and raw. If we all took this approach with our kids from the very start there would be no opposition because they would never have the disadvantage of knowing any other way.

The next time that you are about to cook dinner ask the kids if they would like to help. Start with small tasks and work up to more complex ones. Remember to teach safety and explain to them everything you are doing from seasoning, to why you cut the vegetables all the same size. They’ll soak up all of your cooking knowledge and with a bit of practice before you know it you may just have a young chef on your hands.

- Chef Joe Crockett

Joe Crockett is the Chef for Healthy Kids, Inc. In 2009 Joe worked alongside celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver on his Emmy award winning television series, “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution.” After the show wrapped and at the young age of twenty-one, Joe was given the position as chef at the kitchen Chef Oliver established in downtown Huntington where he remained until 2011. Joe now devotes his time to Healthy Kids Inc while pursuing his bachelors degree. Check out the Chef in action at www.healthykidsinc.com

Sugar and Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Curry) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Most of us know too much sugar isn’t a good thing for our children. The reasons why may be less obvious. Sugar itself isn’t necessarily bad. In fact, sugar occurs naturally in many foods we consider to be healthy, including milk and fruit.

The real danger of sugar is when it is added to foods or occurs in highly concentrated amounts. Foods high in added sugars are bad for children when they replace healthy foods in their diet. It’s not uncommon for kids to enter the lunch room at school, lunch box in hand packed with honey buns instead of an apple or soda instead of milk. These highly processed, sugar packed treats are robbing children of the vitamins, minerals, and fiber found in fruits, vegetables, milk, and whole grains and replacing them with over processed foods containing a list of additives a mile long.

Foods high in sugar also tend to shift our taste preferences. Exposing ourselves and our children to foods that are increasingly sweet increases our tolerance for sugar. Eventually cake isn’t good enough without icing, our cereal isn’t edible without a tablespoon or two of sugar sprinkled on top, and strawberries aren’t appealing without a chocolate dip. Increasing our sugar tolerance decreases our ability to appreciate the taste of natural whole foods, like unprocessed almonds or walnuts, both of which have a slightly sweet flavor. We want our children to desire healthier foods like fruits and vegetables, but allowing them too much access to high sugar foods can produce the opposite effect.

Sweets aren’t the only sugar laden culprits. Fruit juice can be just as bad as soda. Many fruit juices are packed with added sugars, usually in the form of high fructose corn syrup. Even 100% natural fruit juice is highly concentrated in natural sugars. One cup of orange juice delivers the sugar of 13 oranges, but doesn’t make us feel nearly as full, nor does it contain near the amount of vitamins and minerals, and it completely lacks fiber. This high concentration of sugar is not good for your child’s dental health. Sugary drinks, including fruit juice, are one of the major causes of tooth decay among children. Really, fruit juice should be considered a treat, not a regular beverage at meals, and should be limited to 4oz or 1/2 cup per day.

How then do we handle sugar in our childrens’ diets? Do we eliminated it completely? Even if you could, that would not be in the best interest of your child. Sugary foods are a great opportunity for you to teach moderation to your children. Someday they will be adults and will have to make their own choices regarding food. In a world where sugary foods are in every convenience store and checkout line, children need to know how to eat in moderation and say no when appropriate.

Emphasizing that sweets are a treat and should not be eaten everyday is one good place to start. Next, try to assess how many added sugars you and your family are allowing into your diet. You can find this by looking at the food label under carbohydrates. In foods with sugars, you’ll notice a line labeled “sugar.” Set your goals to be in line with the current recommendations for added sugar limitations: 36g for men, 20g for women, and 12g for children. If these are a giant leap down from what you’re accustomed to, it’s okay to use a more gradual method to step yourselves down to these appropriate levels. It’s also essential to involve the whole family. Children are excellent observers and tend to model the behavior of their parents. Finally, don’t use sweets as a reward for good behavior or as motivation for eating other foods...like their vegetables. This teaches an unhealthy perception of food and places undue value on foods with less nutrition and benefit to offer.

Improving the way your family handles sugary foods will help to construct positive food behaviors in your children, which is a lesson that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.

This guest blog is brought to you by Sarah Sturgill. Sarah is a member of the Healthy Kids Inc. team. She is a Registered Dietitian with both her Bachelor's and Master's in Dietetics. She is also a certified specialist in child and adolescent weight management. Sarah is author of the blog Slicing the Apple- http://slicingtheapple.wordpress.com

Happy New Year: R.I.P Little Debbie

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Curry) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 05:26:00 +0000

I feel compelled to share something my son experienced today at school. My oldest started kindergarten this year. Naturally, we made the decision to pack his lunch every day.   This is the highlight of my day. He and I plan out his meals. I pack creative cut outs, fun dips and use cool containers. It's the lunch of a King....or so I thought.

A few months ago my son started asking if he could have lunchables. A little strange considering we don't buy them, talk about them, or even pass them in the grocery store. He said the kids at school bring them and it looks cool. Sure- what's not to love about tons of sodium, a chocolate cookie and a Kool Aid Jammer. I offered to make him an even better lunchable with a healthy twist. So we started buying low sodium ham, low fat cheese, and a healthier cracker to create our own version. Voila! Mom saves the day....or so I thought.

For an entire week leading up to Christmas break our son came home with his lunchbox essentially untouched. He would eat it when he got home, but appeared to show no interest in eating it at school. His reasons varied each day: he forgot to eat lunch, he didn't have time, he wasn't hungry. He hasn't forgotten a meal at home EVER and sixty minutes rarely passes without him being hungry. Something was up. Hopefully this would pass.

Yeahh! First day back to school from Christmas break. We pack an awesome "new year" lunch. He gets home and the lunchbox was yet again, untouched. We sit down for our heart-to-heart and he admits that he doesn't want to eat in front of the kids at school because they make fun of what he brings. Are you kidding me? My brain immediately kicks into fight mode. I couldn't process the ramifications of my responses quick enough. My gut responses would have only made the situation worse.   (1) These kid are idiots. Don't believe them. Great way to make new friends Mom. (2) These kids will probably be overweight one day from eating twinkies and lunchables for their entire life. Don't attack the kids. They only eat what their parents give them. (3) You're going to be stronger, smarter and more athletic than them. Too competitive. My mother's initial response was even worse. (1) I'm going to drive to Charleston and beat up every five year old that makes fun of my grandson.

After my brain settled down, my husband and I began to have a logical conversation with our son. Our approach was simple. We explained that he eats good food to keep his body healthy and strong. It helps him to learn more in school and he's rarely ever sick. As for handling the lunchable bullies at school, we simply told him to ignore what they say, sit with a different person, or tell them that you really enjoy eating healthy food (and he really does). Not sure this was the perfect response, but it seemed to be the pep talk that he needed.

So my son's in bed, he's happy and ready for a new day...and Mom is still fired up.  My frustration is mounting but we refuse to waiver. We will not give in to Little Debbie's and Dorito's for lunch. This is why we have so many health problems in the US. This is why our obesity rates are worse than ever. This is why 1 in 4 kids are overweight. Why is "cool" defined by pre-packaged products with a cartoon character on them. My kids want to drink out of a juice bottle shaped like Buzz Lightyear. That's not juice. It's sugar and water. The bottle clearly says "This produce contains 0% juice" yet people still buy it because it's cool. I'm drawing space rockets on water bottles just trying to make it look a little more appealing than Batman on a juice box.  How do you compete with that?

The stigma attached to healthy foods is nearly as bad as the stigma attached to twinkies and big macs.   Until we change our thoughts we will never change our life.  Our future will be more grim than our past. In fact, studies show that for the first time since the Great Depression, children may have a shorter life expectancy than their parent's generation due to an alarming increase in childhood obesity. This is insane! And the most disappointing part of it all...it doesn't have to be this way.

So, today's experience has further inspired my mission to help families adopt a healthy eating lifestyle.  Think you don't need it? Think again. We all need it.

I know this is overwhelming and for our "little debbie lovers" this can seem like a challenge too big to tackle. Let me assure you though, it can happen.  My family did it and you can too. It doesn't need to happen over night. It took our family over one year to transition to healthy family meals. We're not perfect, but we've come a long way.  My kids went from eating microwave chicken nuggets and canned green beans to salmon, fresh vegetables and Mc...who?   Our grocery bill actually dropped (processed food is expensive), our kids are healthier, energy levels are up, moods are good and weight is at a good level for all.

We owe it to our kids to give this a try. Remember...they eat what we buy. Now is the perfect time to set a goal of making small changes each day. If you can improve just 1% a day, imagine what December 2012 will look like for you and your family. Just 1% a day.  You don't need to go at this with "guns a blazin."  This is a lifestyle change. My friends just made the switch to 100% juice. That's awesome! It's a small improvement with a huge payoff.

To give you a little boost, my goal is to post a tip or motivational statement each day in 2012 to help you make the transition. Check out our HKI facebook page to get started.

Best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year.

Parents are Role Models

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Curry) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:13:00 +0000

Parents are Role Models

One of the most important roles of parenting is feeding your child and setting them up with healthy eating habits. You are your child's first and most important role model, especially when it comes to eating. They are relying on you to teach them about the food they eat.

Humans aren't the only parents with this important task! Animals also teach their young about food...they must show them the right foods to eat and which poisonous foods to avoid. They do this by role modeling to their young what foods are safe to eat and where to find them. In the wild it's crucial young animals learn the difference; it's a matter of life or death. The young watch their parents over and over again and eventually learn how to find the right foods to eat for themselves. Ultimately this is what we would all like for our children -- to learn what foods are right for their bodies in order to be healthy and which foods to avoid.

However unlike animals we human parents tend to also pass down our not so healthy eating habits as well. I find it interesting how we sometimes teach our children to eat foods our bodies don’t consider safe to eat. Our bodies don't know what to do with these highly processed "foods" and our children end up facing many health issues such as obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure.

I'm not suggesting we strive for perfection when it comes to healthy eating! I think we need to focus on setting the habit of eating whole foods on a daily basis so our children (like the animal young) see us eating the right foods day after day.

Your children are watching you and they are little intelligent sponges so it really doesn't work to follow the "do as I say and not as I do rule"! They will do as you do - if you eat junk food they probably will too! On the flip side if they see you enjoying healthy food every day - they most likely will too!

This guest blog is brought to you by Kia Robertson. Kia is a mom, children's book author and the creator of the Today I Ate A Rainbow kit; a tool that helps parents establish healthy habits by setting the goal of eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day. Kia is passionate about creating tools to help parents raise healthy kids!

A Few Parting Words For the Deep Fryer

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Curry) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 23:51:00 +0000

It's fun talking with parents about their favorite kitchen tools. Inevitably the conversation turns to their use of the good old deep fryer. Who hasn't had a deep fryer at some point in their life? We had one of all sizes growing up and it was the first wedding gift that comes to mind. The question is whether you still have it and more importantly, do you still use it?

Simply put, deep frying is placing your food in a wire basket and submerging your food in extremely hot oil. Your food cooks really fast and the finished product is generally a golden brown, crispy dish that unfortunately tastes pretty good.

The disadvantages are too numerous to mention. The biggest disadvantage however, is that the food soaks up the bad oils. You know, the oil that you had to scoop out of the large tub with a spatula.

So as the coming year approaches and you embark on a renewed healthy lifestyle, I encourage families to make a change and toss the deep fryer. You won't miss it. In fact, you'll appreciate not having the mess. So cut your calories in half (yes in half) by ditching the deep fryer and begin baking your food.

Remember, raising healthy kids starts one step at a time. The #1 vegetable consumed in the US is french fries. Let's do our part and commit to healthier cooking methods.

Check out our website at www.healthykidsinc.com for healthy recipes that your kids are sure to enjoy.

Family Style Dinners Work!

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Curry) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:43:00 +0000

Family Style Meals has been a hot topic lately. Simply put, this method fosters healthy eating decisions at the dinner table. Each dish is passed around the table and kids are encouraged to plate their own food. This teaches them serving sizes, independence and hunger/fullness cues.

During the Healthy Kids, Healthy WV week, Sarah Sturgill (Registered Dietitian and HKI Dietitian) hosted a workshop on family style dinners. Brave families tested this approached TOGETHER with their kids while Sarah instructued us. The menu was perfect: spinach salad with grapes, green beans, baked chicken and roasted potatoes. This was a lineup destined to generate success. I've recreated the events over and over in mind and can't seem to figure out what caused the dinner to go from success to hell in less than 5 minutes.

For two years we have conditioned our children to understand and appreciate healthy food. Why, in the presence of a dietitian, did my kids suddenly profess a newfound love for hot dogs and ice cream? Kids were throwing food back in the bowls, refusing to eat anything on the plate, begging to go home and get "new"food. Parents were struggling just as much. We tried every method the Dietitian suggested and then quickly reverted back to our "not-suggested" bag of tricks when she wasn't looking. Kids busted the parents on everything from TV time, family dinners, and eating out. Disaster was an understatement.

We left Project: Family Style Dinner with our ego's deflated. To our surprise though, a little something happened on the nights following the project. Our family continued to practice the approach and we immediately started to see results. The kids now enjoy building their own plates. More importantly, they are eating the food on their plates and know they must try a bite of everything. In addition, table manners are beginning to improve and the process has generated some great discussions about the benefits of healthy eating. Picky-eater-Dad is also giving some new foods a try in an effort to set a good example. It's been two weeks and we are thrilled with this approach and have no plans of reverting back. Hats off to Sarah Sturgill. Great work!

Want to see Sarah in action during our workshop? Check out this short video.

Family Style Dinners: What's This?

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Curry) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:36:00 +0000

This week marks the 2nd annual Healthy Kids, Healthy WV event. Groups from across the state are partnering together to bring awareness to our childhood obesity epidemic. Generation Putnam is hosting a unique workshop designed to show parents how to deal with picky eaters and how to serve a family style meal. Serve a what?

I know what you're thinking. Most of us make childs plate in advance. We fill it with all the things we think they should have, we proudly serve them with our masterpiece, and then hope for the best. Family style meals are totally different. In this case, kids essentially learn to serve themselves. Skeptical? Here's why this works:

Children begin to learn proper table etiquette. "Please" and "thank you" are biggies. Sharing is another great lesson learned from this approach. If fully implemented, children also learn how to make their drinks, set the table and clear their dishes at the end of the meal.
Children begin to learn about portion size. They determine what and how much they can eat. Clearly this prevents waste, gets the child in tune with their hunger and fullness ques, and encourages independence.
As the foods are passed around the table, mom can talk about the benefits of each item and why the child should try it.

It's really a complete twist on the dinner experience that so many families experience, but the logic is perfect. Promoting table manners, encouraging independence, and reinforcing healthy eating benefits. Sounds like a no-brainer to me.

The Healthy Kids, Inc. crew will be on hand to film a family style meal in action. Stay tuned for a video update next week.

Healthy Food for a Week: Final Results

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Curry) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 23:05:00 +0000

It's official. My friends 5-day healthy food challenge is over. Her final meal was a baked chicken nugget with panko bread crumbs. After her last chicken experience, we were all a little nervous for this one. She is still soaking the pan from Tuesday's meal. To top that, little Jake has barely touched dinners this week so we were less than optimistic this would be a success.

To our complete surprise, mom pulled it off. The chicken nuggets really weren't that hard for her to make. The greatest news of all is that little Jake actually tried them. Yeah!!!!! According to Jake the panko breading made for an "ugly looking nugget," but the taste was ok. I'll take that as a win any day.

So the challenge is officially over. Our family made some major improvements and I look for many of these changes to continue. Mom is paying close attention to the food she packs for lunches. She purchased three times more fruit than normal at the store this week. Whole grain spaghetti will now be a staple as well as some garden vegetables. Lastly, they went five days without eating fast food. That's a home run in and of itself.

My heartfelt thanks to the family for letting us follow them for the week. What a great experience.

Stay tuned to the Healthy Kids Inc Facebook page for updates on our business launch next week.

Healthy Food for a Week: Day 4 Results

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Curry) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:02:00 +0000

We're up to day 4 of our challenge. By design, we structured days three and four to be really easy. We knew a few easy days would give them the motivation to make it to Thursday- homemade chicken nuggets.

Last night was spaghetti with whole grain noodles and an organic sauce. She paired that with a whole wheat roll. Whole grain pasta was another first for the family. Up to now, mom hasn't been able to sneak a thing past these kids. They can spot a different color, smell, look or texture from a mile away. I'm excited to announce that the kids didn't even notice the difference in noodles. Dinner was a hit. WooHoo! Nice job mom!

Whole wheat or whole grain pastas are a nice alternative to traditional white pastas. Include a low-sodium or even homemade tomato sauce and you've managed to pull off a much improved meal.

I have to give my friend lots of credit. She's hanging in there and not giving up. Four days of new foods and most importantly without fast food, is a huge step in their right direction.

One more day to go. I hope the culinary gods are watching over her tonight. She needs all the help she can get on this one.

Healthy Food For A Week: Day 3 Results

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Curry) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:02:00 +0000

Nothing like launching a reality blog series two weeks prior to our business launch to either boost or completely damage our credibility. Quite gutsy, but I must admit our family is slowly turning the corner. This could be their start to a more healthy lifestyle.

Last night was Grilled Cheese and Broccoli. Grilled Cheese is an easy win with her family. Instead of the typical french fry pairing, we experimented with steamed broccoli. We are using low fat cheese, but sticking with white bread for now. We don't want to send their bodies into shock. We have plenty of time to introduce healthier breads down the road.

So how did it go? Slam Dunk! Touchdown! Grand Slam! It was an easy win for the family. To mom's surprise, her oldest actually enjoyed the broccoli. Keep in mind, this was their first time buying real broccoli so we couldn't be more thrilled. Little Jake wouldn't attempt broccoli this time, but we're not giving up on him. He'll eventually come around...once I figure out how to make broccoli look like a donut!

The biggest success story so far is that the family has been 3 days without fast food. They typically eat out 3-4 times a week. This is HUGE!

Tomorrow is spaghetti and then we conclude the week with homemade chicken nuggets. Stay tuned! Still lots of action around the corner- especially with the nuggets. I'm determined to get little Jake on board.

Dietitian's Tip: Broccoli can be a tough sell for little kids. A good approach is to talk with your kids about the health benefits of vegetables. Broccoli contains high amounts of potassium which improve brain function and promote muscle growth. Kids, especially little boys, love the idea of eating something that makes their body big and strong.

Healthy Food For A Week: Day 2 Results

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Curry) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 21:40:00 +0000

Did I mention that the journey toward raising healthy eaters is often paved with road blocks, construction, and massive holes in the road? So day two's meal was grilled chicken, parmesan garlic orzo, and edamame. The family loves chicken...but this was their first time making and buying real chicken. Most of the chicken they consume is the processed, frozen kind. They love mac n cheese so parmesan orzo was a nice healthy alternative, or so I thought.

Mom had one challenge right off the bat. I gave her very little instruction on how to cook chicken. Fortunately, our soon-to-launch site will overcome this obstacles as every recipe will feature a video demonstration by our HKI chef. My friend is optimistic that the burnt pan will restore its natural color after soaking for a few weeks. Great!

So how did the kids do with the food?

What went good: chicken was a hit with one child. The fact that they even tried real chicken is a success story in and of itself. Great job family! Fresh corn on the cob and green beans from the local market (a last minute addition) were also a hit with the entire family.

Not so good: edamame was a total bust. Orzo was a bust last night but mom is attempting to introduce it again tonight to see if Round 2 is more successful.

It's easy to get discouraged, but moms everywhere need to understand that this is a process. It's one meal at a time. Not everything will be great. It may take ten attempts at orzo before you hit the jackpot. What's important is that we don't give up and that we encourage our kids to at least try a bite of every food. It's very likely that they will eventually like a version of your food.

In this case, I still think the good outweighs the bad so I'm counting this as a win for HKI. It wasn't a pretty "W" but we'll take it any way we can get it.

Tonight is grilled cheese and broccoli.

Healthy Food For A Week: Day 1 Results

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Curry) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 23:35:00 +0000

One night down and this is turning out to be quite the experience...for me at least! So after we left the grocery store, my friend rushed home to unpack her groceries. Little Jake (5 yrs old) pilfered through the bags in excitement...until he noticed the food. He quickly pointed out that he hated EVERYTHING and wanted to know where the donuts and cookies were. The healthy challenge was off to a rocky start.

To win the heart and soul of our family, we kicked off a series of healthy meals with homemade pizza. It's an absolute favorite. There's no way this could fail. Right?

The ingredients were simple. I made the pizza shells in advance and supplied her with two for the night. We found a low-sodium pizza sauce and part-skim mozzarella cheese. Healthy Kids Inc ("HKI") needed a win, so this clearly wasn't the time for experimentation with vegetables. Plain pizza it was!

To get little Jake on board, Mom asked for his help making the pizza. Nice job! That's bonus points for Mom. Having your kids assist in the cooking process is a great way to get their buy in. Not only did Jake enjoy the preparation but THEY ALL LOVED THE PIZZA! Woo Hoo! Homemade pizza was a success.

That's 2 points for HKI and 0 points for Junk Food (not that we're keeping score or anything).

Tonight they are testing grilled chicken, orzo, and edamame. This is their first time making real chicken and my friend had never heard of orzo or edamame. I may not sleep tonight in anticipation. Stay tuned!

Healthy Food For A Week: Let The Challenge Begin.

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Curry) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:55:00 +0000

My typical-family-friend and I met this morning to embark on her journey toward healthy eating for one week. Step one- visit the local grocery store to purchase some new foods. We started out slow and super easy for the week. My goal was simply to show her healthier versions of the food she and her family already eat each week while also introducing her to a few new foods- like broccoli (seriously!).

We barely touched the frozen food aisle, an aisle that she typically spends the most time in. We steered clear of the snack cake aisle to make room for new additions like kiwi, organic milk, whole grain pasta, real chicken breasts, yogurt ice cream, 100% juice for the kids and panko bread crumbs.

Her menu for the week is easy:

Sunday- homemade pizza.

Monday- Grilled chicken, parmesan garlic orzo pasta and edamame.

Tuesday- Grilled Cheese and Broccoli.

Wednesday- Spaghetti.

Thursday- Panko breaded chicken nuggets and corn on the cob.

Friday- Celebrate an amazing week!

Dessert- low fat yogurt ice cream topped with strawberries and bananas.

So that's the breakdown. We have a lot of skeptics, her husband being one of them. It's unrealistic to expect every meal to be a hit. That's just not the way it works. We have to take this one meal at a time. I have a feeling this just may work though.

By the way, we have debunked one myth. Healthy cooking is NOT more expensive. My total bill for today was $45.78. If we were shopping for lunch and breakfast, the bill may top $95. She normally spends $150/week in groceries (buying prepackaged, processed foods) and an estimated $75 eating fast food each week.

So I'll consider this 1 point for the Healthy Kids Inc Team. Yeahhh!!!

Stay tuned. Updates are coming each night.

A Family Challenge: Healthy Food for One Week

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Curry) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 22:15:00 +0000

Imagine your typical family. Mom and Dad work full time jobs. Mom is a Superstar by day and Superwoman by night. Dad works midnight shift so Mom does pickup, dinner, homework, and bath with the kids. Boys are active. Evenings are filled with sports and church while weekends are jam packed with even more activities.  Quite busy...but very common in today's world.

Well my "typical-family-friend" sent me into shock last week when she shared her family's eating habits. Her diet: pasta, mac n cheese, mashed potatoes, and red bull. Her husband: spaghetti O's and frozen pizza. The boys: Happy Meals, cereal, snack cakes, juices, goldfish, value meals and drive thru pizza.

Holy cow! I certainly can't be critical. My life was very similar to this, minus the red bull, five years ago. This is life for so many. We're busy and pulled in so many directions. When faced with a decision of convenience or health...convenience often rules.

I shared with my typical-family-friend the services that we will offer on our soon-to-launch website. She gave me the "oh that's cool" response and then proceeded to tell me all the reasons why this wouldn't work for her family: healthy cooking is too expensive; I don't have time to spend hours in the kitchen; my kids (and me) are picky eaters - we won't like it.

My competitive nature and extreme persuasion skills kicked into overdrive as I convinced my typical-family-friend that she could do this.  Our website is designed to make healthy cooking easy.   We are setting out to prove that healthy eating can be done, your kids just may like it, you won't spend hours in the kitchen each night, and healthy cooking won't break your bank. The family met and made the executive decision to give this a try for ONE week. Yikes! Just one week? Ok friend...I would love more time, but I'll take what I can get.  Let the challenge begin!

So that's where we're at right now.  My friend and I reviewed their current meals and created a menu that is guaranteed to be a success (fingers crossed!).  We've simply created healthier versions of the packaged, fast food products they are already eating:homemade pizza, healthier mac n cheese, baked chicken nuggets, fish sticks, spaghetti, from the market green beans, corn, and some fun desserts for the kids.

We are food shopping this week, prepping on Sunday and then kicking off a new and improved menu on Monday. My typical-family-friend has allowed me to chronicle her journey, so I'll send a blog each evening next week detailing the adventure. Stay tuned. This could be a reality show in the making.

Your kids eat healthy...until they go to Grandma's

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Curry) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 02:24:00 +0000

So you've managed to transition your kids to healthy food. Congratulations! There's just one small glitch...Grandma doesn't follow the same healthy eating rules that you do. In fact, Grandma doesn’t follow rules.

At Grandma's, anything with the word "pop" is readily available and widely acceptable. Soda pop, pop tarts, popsicles, ring pops...the list is never ending and the time of day is irrelevant. Fruit Snacks must be good for you because they contain the word "fruit." And let’s not forget candy and cookies. How bad could high fructose corn syrup really be?

You want your kids to eat healthy foods, but spending time with grandparents is important too. What’s a healthy mom to do?

After talking with numerous parents and even more grandparents, I offer the following advice:

Time with grandparents is precious and should be treated as such. At the end of the day, it’s all about creating a fun and memorable experience with your child and his/her grandparent. These experiences may include chocolate chip cookies, ice cream and candy. That’s ok (as painful as that is to say). Remember: everything in moderation. Just make sure they get a few extra servings of fruits and vegetables the following day to make up for it.

Don’t underestimate your child’s ability to influence his/her grandparent. The first time my Dad took our oldest out to eat, my son ordered a fruit cup and milk. Once kids begin to realize the benefits of healthy eating, they begin to make healthier decisions on their own. It’s an amazing experience.

So while you may feel like this is a battle worth fighting, let me suggest that you simply step back and look at the big picture. These are critical bonding times between your child and your parents. Let's let them create their own experiences and traditions. As my mother always says, "what happens at grandma's, stays at grandma's." I think I'll just leave it at that knowing that this is all a part of their experience together.

Don't forget to sign up for the Healthy Kids Inc monthly newsletter filled with kid friendly recipes, healthy eating tips and more. http://eepurl.com/flHKM

Using Food as a Reward: Good or Bad?

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy Curry) — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 17:57:00 +0000

Uh-oh...I've used food as a reward (a few hundred times). You too? Studies show that over 80% of families have used food rewards to get their child to eat more.

So what's wrong with this approach?

When we use food as a reward we encourage eating regardless of hunger. Ex...finish your plate and you get dessert.

We place greater value on the reward than on what we want them eat. Ex...chocolate cake appears greater than the vegetables we want them to eat.

Scratch the rewards and bribes and give these tips a try:

Pair new foods with liked foods.

Don't give up...it make take 10-15 times before your child develops a taste for a healthier food.

Try cooking vegetables different ways. Steamed, raw, grilled, sauteed and roasted veggies are all simple and easy ways to cook your vegetables.

Serve fruits and vegetables first. Research shows kids eat 45% more when this approach is used.

Kids want a say in their food choice. Let them help with dinner and dessert menu planning.

Eat together as a family. Kids learn by watching us. What if you're the picky eater? Put on your game face and take a bite. Remember, you're the role model!

Most of us have been conditioned our entire life to use food as a reward. This isn't an easy habit to kick, but the benefits are worth it. Good Luck!