Teach ’em when they’re young…

How do we enforce healthier food habits? By modeling and teaching children when they’re young! This week I shared with the four and five year old preschool and pre-k students why it’s important to eat growing foods so that we can be really strong.

We talked about why want to be strong, what growing foods are, what a balanced meal looks like, whole grains, eating the rainbow, drinking water and eating the right amount until our tummy feels full. We also talked about how important sleep is to get strong, and that moving (and dancing!) makes us happy and strong. And, how do we help our hearts get stronger? When we are kind to our friends it makes their heart strong; so everyone had a turn to make their friend’s heart happy and strong. We played various games to reinforce growing foods, movement and kindness and it was lots of fun!

Food Categories
Veggie story
Balanced Meal
Dancing
Growing foods
Growing food game
Creating a growing meal
Fruit puppets

Tip for the week: Try to keep healthy eating light and fun for your kids and also help them understand it, so that it doesn’t feel forced. When kids feel that they helped make the choice, they will be more excited to embrace growing foods and healthy habits.

Cookies!

Who doesn’t love a good cookie; especially when it’s made with great ingredients, easy to throw together and something that the  kids will love? Win win.

I tried out a few recipes for the Mighty Meteor 4 year old class who are learning about health and nutrition this month and I wanted to share their top two with you. They tasted and voted on all four.

I was in search for a cookie that is nut free (due to kids’ allergies) and healthy-ish without processed sugar, white flour or hydrogenated oils!

kljlkjCHEWY CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL BREAKFAST COOKIE
Voted #1 by the MM kiddos!

INGREDIENTS:
Continue reading “Cookies!” →

How much do you know about your food?

img3Let’s see…

  • Is natural flavor natural?
  • Does fat make you fat?
  • Cage free or pasture raised?
  • How many names of sugar are there?
  • Can you trust the front of a food label?
  • What’s in many brands of pickles and salmon?

Did I spark your curiosity;)? When I give a health lecture, one of my favorite things to do is
Continue reading “How much do you know about your food?” →

What treats do you give your kids?

One of the reasons children crave sugar so much is because they are surrounded by it all the time at parties and special events and the way many food companies create food and treats these days (even cereal, pasta sauces and yogurt) is to make them addictive, so the more you taste, the more you want; and…the more money they make. They even hire food addiction specialists to do that; it’s so sad! Plus,
Continue reading “What treats do you give your kids?” →

Delicious Baked Apple Slices!

Sharing a healthy and quick ‘n easy Passover snack recipe that the kids will love. This can also be made year-round or in different variations; ie: cooked, baked or with any additional flavorings or toppings you like.

baked-apple-slicesBaked Apple Slices

Yields: 2 servings

Ingredients:

  • 2 large Fuji apples, unpeeled
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • Nonstick cooking spray (coconut oil is a good choice)

Do you warm your food in plastic?

BPA-in-plastics-4One of the most harmful things today, known by many as the “cigarettes of our generation” is Plastic. Plastic from food packaging can leach into food and enter the body. The CDC reports that over 92% of people who were tested had detectable levels of BPA and other plastic chemicals in their bodies (including newborn babies).

Unfortunately, almost everything is packed in plastic today, so it’s hard to completely avoid it; but we can do small things to cut it down such as
Continue reading “Do you warm your food in plastic?” →

Dangers of distracted eating…

Many people suffer from stomach and digestive issues and often it can come from simply eating while distracted, stressed or on the run. Scarfing down food while at the desk, eating while driving (on traffic filled roads) or answering emails and texts during meals.
9017745_origWhat happens in your body when eating while taking care of many tasks is
Continue reading “Dangers of distracted eating…” →

Is junk food bad?

A little junk once in a while is not gonna make anyone sick.  Today is Purim, a day of joyous celebration, eating, drinking and being merry (at least that’s how I grew up celebrating…with endless mishloach manot baskets and treats coming through our door).

I believe that everything in life should be done with balance; not too extreme. It goes without saying that we function better with cleaner foods; but a “little” sugar sometimes,  per many nutritionists and dietitians, can even help brain growth in children. No, they don’t need to have it all the time, but if they ask for it,  give them times when they can have it.

all-in-moderation

When I look for treats for children, the main things I avoid is
Continue reading “Is junk food bad?” →

Do you trust your child when they say they are full?

Our relationship with food and our body begins at a young age. Even a young child knows when he or she has eaten enough. However, many adults, with good intention, encourage children to finish their plate or to eat more.

hunger-cues-300x171

What this does is send a message to the child that
Continue reading “Do you trust your child when they say they are full?” →