It’s National Nutrition Month® and a great reminder to all of us about the importance of eating healthy.

The American Dietetic Association promotes March as National Nutrition Month®.  This organization reminds us every year that nutrition is a very important part of our well-being.  In fact, a key component, especially for our children.  Each year, the ADA challenges us to find ways to improve our nutrition.  This year, they are asking us to build “Nutrition from the Ground Up”.

I was thinking about that, what does that really mean?

I think that building nutrition from the ground up means that nutrition really starts at home.  Food associations, preferences and habits are really formed at a young age at home.  Kids are learning every day from their parents about nutrition and how important it really is (or not).  And we, parents, are solidifying our family’s habits every day by the foods we choose to buy, the meals we decide to cook, the way we eat our meals etc.

I believe that if we are going to improve our nutrition and overall well-being, then we need to start with our foundation (the ground floor!)  - our home.

But sometimes it can be challenging to come up with a plan of action to change your family’s eating habits.  We know that with everyone’s busy schedule, who has time?    I think that nutrition habits at home don’t have to be drastic.  In fact, sometimes it is the little changes that can really help you and your family “build nutrition from the ground up!”

We want to help you.  We have a very simple “3 steps to a healthier family” to help you begin.  Three doesn’t sound too overwhelming and our suggestions our very doable.

1. Decide as a family that nutrition is important.  National Nutrition Month gives you a great reason to talk as a family about nutrition and how nutrition impacts a body’s health.
2. Evaluate your current eating habits.  Think about the kinds of foods you eat, meal time for the family, snacks, fast foods, cooking and eating out routines
3. Pick just one or two changes your family will make together to improve your nutrition

Building nutrition from the ground up starts with acknowledgment that it is important.

And remember, it is important to change habits gradually and to keep positive.  Oh, and keep it fun!

Resources:

Learn more about National Nutrition Month and healthy eating- Many topics of interest to parents from the American Dietetic Association

Helping Kids Develop a Taste for Healthy Foods-  American Dietetic Association

“Improving your family’s nutrition one step at a time“- ‘Nourish Healthy Kids – March Edition’

Setting Family Goals and Fun Tracking sheets for the family- Printable healthy eating and physical activity trackers

Note to bloggers:  National Nutrition Month® is asking bloggers to share their ideas and thoughts this month on “What it means to you to build nutrition from the ground up”.  Read more information about how to participate in this campaign.

Start your week by doing the Monday 2000! Stay within the recommended 2000 calorie limit by snacking on 
fruits, vegetables and low-fat cheese.  Help your kids learn from you how to snack smarter!

Most holiday pledges are broken in the first few weeks of the New Year. Teach your children how to focus on healthy goals each and every Monday to maintain the momentum you need to make real change!

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.

A new study published in Pediatrics was conducted using McDonald’s menus.  The research showed that when parents were provided with calorie information, they chose foods that were about 100 calories less per meal.   The study surveyed 99 parents of 3-6 years.  The researchers showed parents food items, half with calorie information and the other half without calorie information.

• On average, parents with calorie information would select a meal that had 102 calories less than if they did not have the calorie information

• An interesting side note, in this study there was no difference in the food choices parents made for themselves.

This is obviously a very small study and there is a lot of press discussing how this study is really hopeful in fighting childhood obesity.

I personally think this gives mixed results.  I am not trying to down play the importance of calorie information because I do believe that it will be helpful.  I have written several blogs on this topic and even I, myself, have changed my menu choices when I saw the calories!  So I do think menus should show the calories.

But my concern is that kids are learning from their parents, we are the role models.  So if this study shows that parents continued to choose high calorie foods despite the fact they chose a lower calorie option for their child, I think that is a big red flag.  Eventually when the child becomes more independent, they will probably choose food items similar to their parents’ choices.  AKA high calorie foods!

The child may also resent that they are given a “lower calorie option” while their parents are eating the higher calorie foods.  This could make them want their parents’ food choices even more.

So, my take away is simple.  Changing a child’s food choices and helping them form healthy habits starts with the family making a commitment to eat healthier.  Changing habits as a family doesn’t have to be this awful, depriving experience.  Gradually changing choices and setting small goals is the best way to change habits.  And finally, celebrating each small step towards a healthier lifestyle.

Here are more tips on how to work with kids to set goals and track changes, all in a fun and positive way.

Free Cute Friendly Goal Contracts

Free Kid Friendly Tracking Sheets

Do we need an electronic plate to help kids learn to eat healthy food portions?  According to a new study published in the British Medical Journal, a new computerized “plate” is more successful in helping overweight children and teens lose weight than standard treatments. Also see below for strategies to try at home that don’t require an electronic plate!

Essentially, this new device is an electronic plate that weighs food and gives feedback on how fast or slow kids are eating.  It is teaching them at the table to eat slower and put less on their plate.  The device plots a graph showing the child, the rate at which food actually disappears from the plate, compared to the ideal graph programmed in by a food therapist.

The study found the overweight kids that were participating in this study tended to eat larger portions very quickly. There is a couple things we know.

• The body takes about 20 minutes to tell your brain, you are full.  So if you it too quickly, you may be full, but not really know it yet.  So you eat more.
• The more you put on your plate, the more you tend to eat.

What can you do to help teach your kids to slow down and eat healthier portions?

Eating slower tips:

• Talk as a family during meal time.  When you are talking, you are not eating.  So it slows down the eating time.
• Teach kids to take a bite and then put their fork down.  This helps kids take a pause instead of eating one bite after another.
• Teach kids to take a sip of water in between bites.
• This might sound extreme, but announce the start of dinner (i.e. 5pm is dinner)  and let kids know that you will sit together and talk and eat for 20 minutes.  In other words, help kids realize that this is not a rush or race to “finish and then go do something”.  This is part of family time.
• Teach kids that it is healthy for the body to eat slower so that your brain has time to know when you are really full.  Kids are smart and learn fast.
• Take a look at your own eating habits, lead by example.

Smaller portions:

• Use 6 inch plates or the “salad plate” for dinner.  Kids are less likely to put the same amount on a 6 inch plate versus an 8 inch plate.
• Place smaller serving utensils on the platters.  Instead of a large serving spoon, how about a spoon that is larger than a tablespoon.  Even a tablespoon can work.
• Ask kids to put only one serving on their plate to start.  If they are still hungry, they can always put a second serving afterward.
• Cut up meat (you can usually ask the butcher to do this for no extra charge) into 4 ounce servings.
• Place larger serving spoons for the vegetables and fruits.  We want the kids to eat more of this healthy, low calorie food!

Serving Size and Portion Information-Resources from Nourish Interactive:

Healthy Serving for Kids

Portion Size Reference Guide

Healthy Nutrition- Food Games for Kids

I wanted to share with you a recipe contest that is open to all  7 and 8th graders.

Our partner, Healthy Kids Challenge, is hosting a Stirring Up Health™ National Middle School Recipe Contest.

March 13, 2010         Entry deadline
April 9, 2010             Contest winners notified
May, 2010                Chef for a Day visit or prizes
June, 2010               Contest results posted on HKC Web site

To read more about the entry rules, click here.

Good luck and Happy Cooking!

New childhood obesity study from University of Montreal indicates that how close a child lives to a convenience store promotes childhood obesity.

Well, it makes sense.  Convenience store carry food items that are processed and usually high in fat and/or sugar.  Do you go to a convenience store to buy fruit or vegetables?  Well, no, because they don’t really sell that.  So what do you get at a convenience store?  slushies, chips, candy, soda, cookies…

Another study done in urban areas found that kids who lived near convenience store purchased:

• On average, the students spent about $1 and purchased 356 calories of snack foods and drinks each visit.
• Chips, candy, sugary beverages and gum were the most frequent purchases

It is probably not a good idea for kids to go to these convenience stores to buy their snacks.   But in all honesty, even if you had a grocery store full of fruits and vegetables at the corner, would your child go there and still buy the processed high calorie food?   And of course the older a child is, the harder it is to control their “away from home” eating habits.  This is very true.

That is why it is so important to help kids develop healthy habits and a love for healthy foods while they are young and have not formed their habits yet.  That is what we are all about.  Helping parents and educators teach kids about healthy eating and activity while they are still young and just starting to form habits.

This could be a very good healthy goal for your child and family to work on.  It can be as simple as having one healthy snack a day!  Simplicity and fun are the key to helping your child be successful.  Children like to do things that are positive and they feel successful.  Don’t we all?

More resources to help kids eat healthy snacks:

Healthy Kids Snacks Agreement

Healthy Kids Snacks Fun Tracking Sheets

Take the Healthy Eating Challenge Article

Healthy Summer Snack Foods For Kids Article

This is that time of year where everyone is making New year resolutions and for many, losing weight will be their resolution.

When we tend to focus on a “losing weight” goal, it usually means some extreme restrictive diet that makes us feel like we are “sacrificing”.  But it is hard to sacrifice forever and to maintain a healthy weight is a life long commitment.  So in a way, we have already set ourselves up for failure by committing to do something we already know we can’t do for the rest of our lives.  And yes, I am certainly guilty of doing that to.

But for kids, the focus should not be on losing weight but rather eating healthy and being active.  Eating healthy means eating foods from all the food groups in the correct proportion.  This is also good advice for us adults.  This is something we can do for the long term and the only sacrifice is really learning to eat in proper servings.

This year, I say, throw out the diet resolution and instead work as a family to eat healthy foods and a balanced meal.  Work on increasing activity steadily.   By working as a family, you help kids learn the importance of being healthy but in a positive way rather than a restrictive way.

To start, set small steps towards changing your habits because it is too hard to make big leaps in eating and activity levels.  Help kids learn how to set healthy goals as part of a family activity that is fun and positive.  Here is a great article written by our dietitian that gives a step by step planning process on how to set and achieve goals in a very fun and positive way with the kids.

If you haven’t set your family goals, it is never too late.  Keep it positive and keep it fun.  And remember that each small change will add up to a healthier child (and family!)

Setting Goals as a Family and Keeping Kids Motivated

Setting Goals and Tracking Success Activity Page

Free Printable Kids Healthy Goals Contracts and Activity Tracking Sheets

It’s Oatmeal Month!  So I guess I should start by saying “Happy Oatmeal”!

Did you know that more oatmeal will be eaten this month than any other month of the year.  In fact, according to the Quaker Oats company, Americans buy enough oatmeal in January to make 470 million bowls.  That’s a lot of healthy fiber which is good for your heart and a healthy breakfast for your child.

Healthy benefits of oats:

• Oats have been proven to lower cholesterol.
• Their high fiber level also is good for the digestion system and fills you up.

I love oatmeal and other hot cereals for breakfast.  It brings back memories when I was a kid and my mom used to leave us oatmeal ready to eat before she went to work.  She would put different fruits and even chocolate sometimes to change it up.  My son still likes his oatmeal with some butter.  My daughter likes hers with brown sugar and some fruit.  I think that is one of the fun and versatile features of oatmeal.  You can let your child be creative and try putting in some favorite ingredients to make hot cereal a morning favorite.

Here are some ideas for adding some oats into you child’s diet:

• Add oats when baking- substitute oats for 1/4 of the flour
• Add oats on top of fruit
• Add oats to yogurt
• Make a crunchy salad crouton just toast some oats. Lightly brown oats by baking 1/2 cup oats at 350 F, about 15 to 20 minutes until lightly brown. Let cool and sprinkle on salad
• For a healthy snack add 1/3 cup toasted oats to 1 cup peanut butter and 1/4 cup honey. Spread on apple slices or whole wheat bread or crackers
• Try oats instead of bread crumbs or cracker crumbs
• Use ground oat flour for bread or cracker crumbs when coating chicken, just put oats in blender or food processor until finely ground and follow your existing breaded chicken recipe.
• Add 1/4 to 1/3 cup oats to your child’s fruit smoothie.

Comment to share your favorite oatmeal recipes and ideas for adding oats to healthy recipe makeovers!

Visit our website for more resources on healthy breakfast habits for kids:

Healthy Breakfast Family Contract

Healthy Breakfast Printable Tracking Sheet

Healthy Breakfast Planner for Kids

Children and Fiber Article

The Children’s Fruit and Vegetable Act of 2009 was introduced to Capitol Hill on December 16th.  This bill essentially would require all elementary schools to offer a salad bar as part of their lunch program.

Research has shown that having a variety of fruits and vegetables in the cafeteria significantly increases the amount of fruits and vegetables kids eat.

We also have learned that kids will be more apt to try new items when a variety of fruits and vegetables are offered.

This makes sense.  Kids, just like us, need variety and have personal likes and dislikes.  A salad bar would give them a nice array of choices to meet most kids preferences.  Getting kids to eat more fruits and vegetables is so important for a balanced and healthy diet.  Unfortunately, most kids don’t get the required amount of these foods which means their body is not getting the nutrition it needs to be healthy, fight diseases and build a strong immune system.

We know that schools across America are trying to find ways to offer better, healthier foods but are strapped by their current budget.  We need to step up and support them.  Kids are the future of our country.

The Child Reauthorization is happening in early 2010 and important decisions about funding, food quality and requirements will be decided.  You can make a difference by contacting your local congressperson.

Tell congress you want healthy school lunches for kids

More resources and information about this campaign.

Other resources for creating a healthy lunch for your child

Get the kids involved in easy and fun “back to school healthy lunch food” ideas

Put a smile on your child’s face at lunchtime with fun printable healthy lunch cards

Tips on handling the picky eater’s school lunch- healthy school lunch foods for kids

Simple solution to get kids eating their school lunch.

Back to school – help kids make healthy food choices in the school cafeteria