Sugar on ice is not nice!

Beverages today are loaded with calories and sugar. Start this week by reading nutrition labels and choosing low-fat milk or water instead of soda or energy drinks.

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!

Resources:

Reading food labels and understanding types of sugar

Sugary drinks include more than just soda

Recent study shows that sugary drinks are linked to childhood obesity

Concerns about energy drinks and kids

Sugar In Kids’ Fruit Juices Articles

Thanks to Healthy Monday organization for sharing their Monday tips.

June is National Dairy Month and a great reminder that we need to help kids develop strong bones and good eating habits to ensure their bones stay strong.  Dairy is so important because it is the main source of vitamin D and calcium for most kids.  Bones need calcium and calcium needs vitamin D in order to get absorbed into the body.  So these two nutrients go hand in hand to help kids form strong bones.

There are so many studies that indicate our children are not getting enough calcium and/or vitamin D.   There could be lots of reasons for this.  Maybe the child does not like milk and refuses to drink it or maybe they are lactose intolerant, or perhaps they are on a vegan diet.  Whatever the reason, it is important to help kids get these two nutrients.

One thing about dairy, it can be very high in fat.  So look for lowfat or even better, if you can wean them down to nonfat (skim) that is the best.

For lactose intolerant kids, there are now plenty of lactose free dairy products.  I know, because both my husband and son are lactose intolerant and so I only carry lactose free products in my home.  They are usually located in the same section as the dairy products but read the labels and make sure it says “lactose free”.

For parents who have kids who don’t like milk- perhaps some creative snacking ideas.

• Make hot meals like oatmeal and soups with low-fat or fat-free milk instead of water
• low fat yogurt goes great with some fresh fruit, you can even add a little fiber cereal to give it some crunch (and fiber)
• Add a little lowfat cheese (1 ounce or 1 slice) to some scrambled eggs and wrap it in a whole grain tortilla
• Kids love to dip!  Try some veggies and a low-fat yogurt-based dip,
• Kids love sticks – try some skewers with low fat cheese cubes and fruit
• Serve low-fat or fat-free milk with meals
• Some may argue with chocolate milk, but sometimes it is the only way to get them to drink, but be careful of the calories and sugar

For our vegan kids:  look for foods that are high in vitamin D and foods that are high in calcium

There are many calcium fortified foods, orange juice, dark green leafy vegetables.

Vitamin D is a little harder to find in foods naturally.  Talk to your pediatrician about how to ensure that your child gets the necessary amounts of vitamin D in their diet. We are not experts on vegan diets but there are many out there and a dietitian consult can be very helpful.

Vegan Resources:

Vegan Health.org

Vegan Mom

You may be interested in:

Family Tips – Calcium Rich Foods for Each Meal

‘Building Strong Bones and Teeth’ Healthy Contract – Printable Agreement

Building Strong Bones and Teeth – Printable Calcium Tracking Sheet

National study shows that many kids in the US don’t get enough vitamin D

New study shows 70% of kids are low in vitamin D

High Calcium Food List

Milk Food Group Learning Sheets

Did anyone see Super Nanny last week.  She had her hands full helping a family with not one but two sets of kids make healthy eating choices!

Super Nanny was right on target with her healthy tips!

Super Nanny noticed that the kids did not eat any fruits or vegetables.  They ate lots of fatty foods followed by doses of sugary sweets and soda!  When she confronted the parents about the children’s poor eating habits, they explained that the kids would not eat anything but frozen and packaged foods.  What was more surprising was the mom was a healthy eater, she just didn’t know how to get the kids to eat healthy!

Hopeless!  Not for Super Nanny!  She gave the parents very specific guidelines on how to get the kids to eat healthier foods!

1.  Parents plan a healthy menu for the week.

2.  Involve the kids in meal planning.  She had mom write down each healthy menu on a triangle and then pasted them onto a large circle with a spinner.  Each child was asked to spin the wheel and see what meal they would land on which was then assigned to a special day.  The kids loved the game and each wanted to spin the wheel.

3.  Get kids curious and interested in fruits and vegetables.  She took the family to the local farmer’s market where the kids could sample different fruits and vegetables.  Some they did not like, others they did.  She kept it all very positive and fun to experiment and try new foods.

4.  Snacks were stopped at least one hour before mealtime so the kids would be hungry.

5.  All soda and other sugary, fatty foods were removed from the house.

6.  At dinnertime, kids were given a choice of milk or water.

7.  There was a colorful variety of fruits and vegetables for the kids to choose from for dinner.

8,  Parents were patient but firm that this was the meal they all agreed upon for dinner.

9.  Parents explained to the kids why the other foods were not good for their bodies and that is why it was not a dinner option, instead it was a once in a while treat.

10.  They all had to sit down as a family for dinner, even if the kids were not going to eat.

What happened? (in case you didn’t see it)  Well, we may have missed out on some of the more difficult moments with film editing, but it was clear that with consistency, patience and keeping it positive and fun,  the kids began to eat healthy foods!

Change takes a little time, even for kids.  But it does happen if you stay the course.  So be patient and keep it positive.  Help kids learn that eating healthy is fun!

Resources:

Kids nutrition games

Parents’ nutrition tools

More tips and tricks on bringing nutrition to the home.

Printable family tips sheets

I have reported on vitamin D levels and kids in previous blogs. vitamin D is so important for kids bones and teeth and may also help to prevent cancer.

This is the first nationally representative study of vitamin D levels and children. Children’s Hospital in Boston analyzed government data (2001-2006) for children aged 11 years and younger.

Here is what they found:

• Approximately 6 million US children are not getting enough vitmain D. This is based on the American Academy of Pediatrics standards. This means about 1 out of every 5 kids!

• However, many experts argue that this standard is too low. Using a higher standard, the study found that 24 million children do not get enough vitamin D! That is about 2/3 of all children.

Rickets is a disease that children can get if their body does not get enough vitamin D causing an inability to absorb calcium. The disease is characterized by soft, weak and deformed bones.

Here are some ways to increase your child’s vitamin D (and calcium) intake. I say both because you really need foods rich in calcium and vitamin D to build strong bones and teeth and fight disease.

1. set some goals with your child. Make it fun to set a goal and then track it.

• Building Strong Bones and Teeth Agreement & Tracking Sheet

2. provide calcium and vitamin D rich foods at every meal

• Family Tips – Calcium Rich Foods for Each Meal

3. Be patient, it takes time to change eating habits.

More resources on vitamin D:

Foods high in vitamin D

Nutrition and building strong bones

Does my child really need milk?

I wanted to share with you a chance to have some fun, promote healthy snacks for kids AND support the World Wildlife Fund this Halloween.

Hershey’s and Organic Valley want to spread the word about milk in single serve, shelf stable cartons, and encourage moms to hand these out as Halloween treats.  To help spread the work they have created a special campaign on  Facebook and Twitter .  On the Facebook and Twitter, you can choose whether your friends deserve to receive a treat or a trick – each and every one you send is a 10 cents donation to World Wildlife Fund. And on the Web, you can upload head shots of yourself and your friends, only to have them appear atop the dancing bodies of monsters, ready to trick or treat at your friends’ doors.

You can also get free coupons for chocolate milk (packed with calcium that kids need for bones and teeth)!

The World Wildlife Fund is a nonprofit organization that protects our wildlife.   Their mission is the conservation of nature.

For more than 45 years, WWF has been protecting the future of nature. The world’s leading conservation organization, WWF works in 100 countries and is supported by 1.2 million members in the United States and close to 5 million globally. WWF’s unique way of working combines global reach with a foundation in science, involves action at every level from local to global, and ensures the delivery of innovative solutions that meet the needs of both people and nature.

This Monday make over your fridge. Switch whole milk with skim, and sugary soft drinks with pure 100%fruit juices. Make sure there is plenty of drinking available. Ditch the processed foods and fill your fridge with fresh produce.

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.

We have heard alot of talking about minimizing sugary drinks. But, what about fruit juice for kids?

It is always best for kids to get their fruit by eating it. When they drink fruit juice, it will have a concentrated dose of natural fruit sugar (fructose). Fruit juice is okay but like other high sugary drinks, it should be in moderation. And let’s not forget about the effects of sugar on children’s developing teeth.

You might be surprised how little is recommended!

Here are some guidelines* to help you in how much juice is okay for kids:

• start by making sure the label says 100% fruit juice
• check to be sure that the label says  ”No Sugar Added”
• for infants up to 6 months, it is not recommended to give them any juice
• for babies 6-12 months old, 4 ounces of fruit juice a day.
• for 1 to 6 year olds, 6 ounces of fruit juice a day
• for kids 7 years old and older, no more than 12 ounces per day

Four ounces (118 milliliters) of 100 percent fruit juice equals one serving of fruit.

*source: Mayo Clinic

Kids Play Free Animated Games & Learn about Making Healthy Choices

Sugary drinks are a concern because often kids will drink them instead of drinking fluids that will help their body:

• water to hydrate the body
• milk or lactose free milk products that provide much needed calcium

Sugary drinks are also high in empty calories. When you hear the word sugary drink, we think of soda.

But there are other drinks that you may not realize also fall into the category of “sugary drinks.”

Here is a list of drinks that are high in sugar:

• Soda
• Fruit juice drinks  (not 100% fruit juice)
• Energy drinks
• Sports drinks
• Flavored sugar drinks
• Powdered drink mixes with sugar added
• Smoothies made with added fruit juice or made with whole yogurt
• Milkshakes
• Creme coffee drinks

Read related topics:

concerns about energy drinks

sugary drinks linked to childhood obesity

Sugar In Kids’ Fruit Juices Article

A new study has finally been able to show a definite link to sugary drinks and childhood obesity.

I don’t think many of us our surprised by this. It seems like common sense that soda (sugary drinks) is not a healthy choice for kids and we know it is is high in sugar. Most 12 oz. cans of sodas have 10-13 teaspoons of sugar and no nutrients. A 20 ounce drink sold at most fast food restaurants has 17 teaspoons of sugar!

But for policies and lawmakers to be able to make sweeping changes, they need proof. So we have finally have it.

Researchers from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research (CHPR) and the California Center for Public Health Advocacy (CCPHA) discovered a strong correlation between soda consumption and weight. Their data is based on 40,000 participants.

Research showed that over the last 30 years Americans consumed 278 more calories per day. One of the biggest changes in diet during that period was the enormous increase in soda consumption, accounting for as much as 43 percent of all new calories!

But I think what was more alarming was the amount of sugary drinks kids are drinking.

• 41 percent of young children (2-11 years of age) are drinking at least one soda or sugar-sweetened beverage every day

• Adolescents (12-17) represent the biggest consumers, with 62 percent (over 2 million youths) drinking one or more sodas every day – the equivalent of consuming 39 pounds of sugar each year in soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages.

Sometimes, as parents we are so busy with our daily busy lives, that we are not seeing the habits that kids are forming before our very eyes. We may not have realized that our kids were actually drinking this amount of sugary drinks throughout the week, or even worse, daily!

So this study is a wake up call for everyone, not just the lawmakers who are debating on how to try to control the advertising and exposure of kids to sugary drinks. Lawmakers will debate and who knows how long before they pass something that may or may not help reduce sugary drink consumption.

But this is a wake call to us parents. Parents, we have the most immediate control over what our child takes in.

To change your habits it starts with the family working together. As a family, you can discuss how much soda or sugary drinks are being drank by the family.

Remember it can be hard at first to change habits. so start with small steps. If your child drinks sugary drinks every day, then move to every other day or three times a week.

• Set family goals.
• Work together to decrease the intake and substitute it with water and milk.
• Be a role model. Kids are watching and action speaks louder than words.
• Don’t nag, keep it positive.
• Celebrate success.

Each small change will add up to a healthier child, a healthier family.

Use our family goal and tracking sheet to help set your child in the right direction while keep it positive and fun.