Halloween the holiday of ’sweets and treats’ can be like a nightmare for parents who are concerned about childhood nutrition, health and the rising rates of childhood obesity. Hopefully you have visited our website to find alternative low sugar treat ideas, easy ways to make Halloween healthier, and fun holiday coloring pages for kids!

Just in time for Halloween comes some new scary facts, this time about everyday breakfast foods for kids, high sugar cereals, foods advertising to kids, and childhood obesity. We highlight some of the facts and give some solutions and tips for parents to take steps to combat ‘high sugar’ food advertising to kids (or see our resources section to read the full study.)

Food advertising to children and the nutrition of content of kids’ cereals takes center stage in a new study by Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity.

The study gives alarming facts for parents; the average preschooler sees 642 cereal advertisement per year and “cereals marketed directly to children have 85% more sugar, 65% less fiber, and 60% more sodium than cereals marketed to adults for adult consumption.”

Also of concern to parents, is the fact that ,”if one looks at the rank order list of the worst nutrition cereals, it’s stunning how the worst cereals are marketed so aggressively to children” as stated by Kelly Brownell from Yale’s Rudd Center. Kelly Brownell, says Yale’s new research finds that kids will eat low-sugar cereals when offered. “There are ways to train kids to eat healthier food. It’s all about what they’re exposed to,” said Brownell.

As parents we can limit TV time to reduce exposure to marketing aimed at children, have children watch ad free media such as PBS, discuss advertising with our kids to help them to become aware of advertising tactics, and offer healthier breakfast food alternatives.

Cereal can be a fast and convenient breakfast food for busy parents. We can offer children a variety of healthy breakfast foods beyond cereal. But since cereal is ‘quick and easy’ it is important to find other breakfast foods that are quick to make or even good for eating on the go. Try a breakfast burrito, whole grain egg sandwich, or healthy smoothie which can all be the night before and refrigerated for a quick ‘on the go ‘breakfast.

Taking steps to introduce and expose children to healthier cereals is another great way for parents to take action for their children’s health. We can steps away from sugar cereals by introducing healthier cereal options, after some complaining children usually adjust to the healthier alternatives. For example, we can limit sugar cereals by offering more cereal from the Top Healthy 10 Cereals by Nutrition Score

As parents we also have to be careful with food labeling claims, we can’t trust the ‘good for you” food label claims on packaged foods. Reading food labels for nutrition information is a great way to get the facts. We have developed food label reader tool for parents and food labeling facts game for kids – for a fun, interactive and easy way to learn more about food labels!

What is your opinion about food advertising and this new study ? Parents please share your ideas and comments on how you encourage healthier breakfast foods or cereals at home.

Resources:

Cereal Ads Fuel Childhood Obesity

Cereal Facts

Yale press release Cereal Advertising Study

PBS Kids TV Schedule- Find your local shows- quality ad-free children’s TV programs

From our family nutrition website Nourish Interactive- The Fun Way to Learn About Nutrition! Winner of 2009 Parents Choice Award

Printable Chart: food label claims and nutrition facts

Interactive nutrition tools for parents

Family nutrition articles and tips

“Every positive change, no matter how small, is a step to creating a healthier child. Together we can give children the knowledge, facts and skills to develop healthy habits for a lifetime!” Maggie LaBarbera RN Founder of Nourish Interactive

A new study conducted at the Center for Childhood Obesity Research at Pennsylvania State University looked at childrens’ self control (inhibitory control), food restrictions and weight gain.

In general, they found that the combination of high parental restriction and low self-control put girls at the highest risk for weight gain among the group studied.

So what does this mean to us parents.  It is better to help children learn better self control habits instead of restricting foods.

Here are some tips on helping kids eat healthier:

• first, kids need to be involved
• teach kids what healthy foods are
• let them choose which healthy foods they would like to eat
• it is best not to forbid your child from eating certain foods because that will only make them want it more
• it is better not to bring junk food in the house so it won’t be tempting for the family
• work together as a family to eat healthier, it is too hard on the child when he/she is singled out
• keep it positive

Start with small goals so kids can feel successful even with small changes.  Be patient, it can take a little time to change habits and replace them with new habits.

Resources

printable fun goal setting sheets

printable kid-friendly tracking sheet

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.

It is Latino Nutrition Month from September 15 through October 15. This was announced by the Latino Nutrition Coalition and Oldways organization. Their goal is to raise awareness amongst the Latino community that making healthy choices can reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

The Latino population has a high rate of diabetes and heart disease:

• 10.4% of Hispanics aged 20 years or older have been diagnosed with diabetes, according to the CDC
• one in four Hispanic adults living in the U. S. was obese
• 16.8%Hispanic high school students in overweight
• 16.7% of Hispanic high school youth are at risk of b becoming overweight

As a nurse and Latina, I am very much aware of the impact that childhood obesity has amongst Latinos. This is one of the main reasons I made a commitment to have a Spanish version of all our nutrition games and tools for Hispanic speaking kids and parents.

What I love about the organization is that they are not focusing on the negative, but promoting and celebrating the healthy foods in a Latino diet.

They are offering toolkits with recipes, tips and cooking ideas on how to make healthier choices. You don’t have to be a Latino to love Spanish food! There are so many delicious recipes.

In honor of this Latino Nutrition Month, they are holding a recipe contest this month.

Here are the details from their website:

Consumers should submit a recipe that uses at least two Latin American diet products (list is featured below). Winners will be drawn at the end of October, and announced on our websites. Prizes include wonderful Latino products, a new poster of the Latin American Diet Pyramid, and autographed copies of our widely praised recipe book, The Oldways Table.

*** Submit a recipe for a soup, side, main dish or dessert to Adriene Worthington (aworthington@oldwayspt.org) using at least 2 of the following ingredients: Amaranth, Avocado, Bell Peppers, Beans, Carrots, Cheese, Chicken, Chickpeas, Chilies, Cilantro, Fish, Guava, Kiwifruit, Lemons, Limes, Maize, Mango, Okra, Olive Oil, Orange, Papaya, Pasta, Peanuts, Pineapple, Plantains, Potatoes, Pork, Quinoa, Rice, Salsa, Shellfish, Soybeans, Soy Milk, Squash, Sugar/Sugar Substitutes, Tomatillos, Tomatoes, Watermelon, Whole Grain Cereals, Yuca, Yogurt.

Good luck and happy Latino Nutrition Month!

I wrote a few months ago about my mother-in-law (ma) and my father-in-law (pa) who went out to dinner and were surprised to learn the calorie count of the dinner they ate. Read the story

I spoke with ma about the new law that is being proposed that would actually require restaurants chains to list their calories.

She told me that her and pa went back to the same restaurant for dinner. This time she did not quickly select a salad but wanted to look at the calories first. She could not find them on the back of the menu. She called over the waitress and asked her where are the calories listed for the meals. The waitress replied, “We took those off the menu because too many people were walking out of the restaurant when they read the calories!”

I have to say. I had a similar experience. I was also at a restaurant with my cousin and noticed that all the calories were listed. So I thought, “Great! This will make it easy for me to pick my lunch!” Nope. All the salads were over 1000 calories and the sandwiches were 750-900 calories. I was actually stuck and couldn’t find something to eat because the calories were so high! I called over the waitress and she mentioned that many patrons had complained to her about the calories of their meals!”

It is a proven fact that most Americans underestimate the calories of foods, (and that includes me too) .

So I say to all those lawmakers that are taking so long to pass this restaurant food labeling bill (there a few currently being debated)

“This is a no brainer! Help us Americans eat healthier by giving us the information we need. We are facing a huge crisis with childhood obesity. We need this bill to pass now, not months or years from now. Do your job.”

Please write your congressman to help get this bill passed.

In the meantime, there are some helpful tips you can use to help your child eat healthier when you eat out as a family.

Eating out Guide to helping your child make healthier choices.

A new book, title “The Adventures of Captain Heart, has just been published.

A pediatrician, Eugene Lipov M.D., wrote this clever book with the help of his six year old son to help kids, ages 3 -7 years old, learn about a healthy heart.

The book features a heart that is an superhero.The story portrays the Superhero, Captain Heart (who looked like a heart with legs), who helps a young boy and his grandfather become strong again by eating right and exercising.

You may be thinking, three year old kids are too young to be learning about how to keep a heart healthy. Well think again.

Studies show that by the time children start kindergarten, 40% will have one or more risk factors for heart disease (obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes.). In addition, a study using ultrasound imaging and presented earlier this year at a meeting of the American Heart Association, suggested that the carotid arteries in the necks of teenagers and children as young as 10 had fatty buildup and signs of other cardiovascular disease similar to that of an average 45-year-old!

Resources:

Tips on promoting a healthy heart for your family

Make moving fun for kids this Monday

Ask kids what they like, then invite their friends. The more fun they have, the longer they will stick with it.

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.

Watch this new video to learn about Nourish Interactive’s family nutrition website. Visit us for nutrition tools for parents and kids nutrition games

The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) has developed a one day course to train nurses in the assessment for childhood obesity and to provide them with tools for school nurses to use to assist students, families and the school community to address obesity.

The name of this program is S.C.O.P.E. which stands for “School Nurse Childhood Obesity Prevention Education.”

As a nurse, I know that School Nurses have been spread too thin to be able to do the type of community and outreach programs that are necessary to help families. I am glad to hear that the NASN is taking an active role in helping School Nurses take a leadership role in addressing this issue through the school system.

Check with your child’s school to find it if their School Nurse is participating in this very important program.
Share your thoughts and ideas for effective childhood obesity prevention strategies.

Resources from Nourish Interactive:

Find out your child’s BMI score- online bmi calculator

Learn more about children’s BMI score

Nutrition education tools and resources for schools

Back to school time can signify hectic schedules, homework and lots of eating on-the-go, but it doesn’t mean your family can afford to slack off on their physical fitness or healthy lifestyle. Jango Mango, official mango ambassador for the National Mango Board (and overall health nut), shares his tips to help keep your family in tip-top shape for back-to-school and all year long.

1. A fresh start: A new school year is a landmark that can bring new traditions, resolutions and decisions. All you have to do is make them. Make a list of goals for you and your family to get ahead of the game. Some great ideas include a central chalkboard in the house to track which chore each family member is responsible for, or get a calendar marking down family nights to ensure you get together at least once a week.

2. Stick to the pyramid: Mangos are an excellent source of vitamins A, C and good source of fiber. Energize your children with the healthy diet they need by avoiding junk food and offering nutritious options such as some Mango Oat Breakfast Bars to start your day off right or Sweet and Savory Mango Roll Ups for a fun after-school snack.

3. Meals at the ready: Need to get dinner on the table quick? There are quick and healthier alternatives to takeout that take the same amount of time to prepare. Try this Mango and Bacon Barbecue Pizza for starters which can be prepared in 20 minutes! You can also prepare snacks and meals a few days in advance to relieve some of the pressure. Try serving some baked tortilla chips with a fresh and healthy Cinco de Mango Salsa and storing it in the fridge for when hunger strikes.

4. Find the time to get active: Things can get busy, but try to set aside time each week to get the whole family together for an active day of fun. Play soccer, hold your own family marathon or get the whole family singing and dancing the Mango Fandango.

5. Make Learning Together Fun: Learning doesn’t have to stop when the bell rings. Try quizzing your child about geography and other fun facts in unique way with the Jango Geography online game.

I grew up on many fruits and vegetables.  Mango was one of my favorites.  It is so sweet and a great substitute for candy!