Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Pizza Night! Treats! Balance!

By: Holly L. Goroff MS, RD, CDN

Part of teaching and living in balance is replacing the terms ‘good’ and ‘bad’ with ‘anytime’ and ‘sometimes’. The objective is to stop polarizing foods and show how to enjoy the less nutritious but tasty foods like pizza and mac and cheese without feeling like you were ‘bad’ or ‘cheating’. Polarizing food can cause a ‘binge-purge’ effect. For example, if someone says cookies are bad and never has them in the house, then one day, buys a box and finishes the whole thing in one sitting - they binged. Why? Because this was - in effect- their chance!  Go big or go home! Right? No! Instead, it’s important for this person to prove to themselves that they can have one or two cookies and put the rest away.   It’s easy with the right perspective.  Harder when you’re relying on willpower - we can talk about that in another blog.
It’s also important to intentionally show a family how to balance the nutritional and social elements of meals. For example if you never, or even almost never, allow your child to have ‘junk’ food or treat foods, when they go to their friends birthday party, you can bet they are going to over indulge in the pizza and treats because it’s their only chance! You can help prevent that reflex by not making it the ‘forbidden…food’.

This can be done by scheduling a ‘treat food night’ and letting the children have a say in the treat food. Add a healthy side to show that even for treat foods, a healthy element should be added for a more fulfilled feeling and health benefits. A good example for families is when you have a pizza night, add a salad. Or when you have burgers, swap out French fries for corn on the cob or a baked potato.


Here are a few tips to help children embrace healthier meal options:


  1. Get creative for both you and your children with healthy meals: No need to have grilled chicken salad every night. Learn how to make easy, healthier versions of your favorite meals by using healthy fats to increase fullness and practice portion control.
  2. Try different preparations: Instead of steaming, try roasting or sautéing vegetables with garlic and olive  oil. Flavors change palatability. 
  3. Involve children in choosing or preparing the meal: Let them look at the cookbook with you and make a list of what you will need to purchase at the store. Have them help you find those items when shopping and teach them little facts about each product.
  4. Make a balanced meal: Include a protein, carbohydrate, healthy fat and a vegetable or two.  That way if they legitimately don’t like something they have other options. 
  5. Involve them in planning the treats: See what treats they pick out. This can be both educational and eye opening for parents as you’d be surprised what children consider a treat.
  6. Make the plate look fun: Use a variety of bright and colorful produce since colors appeal to children. You can also cut their meals into fun shapes and make faces with the food. My friend once made a ravioli dish look like a spider web using strips of peppers! How cool is that!?
  7. The “Polite Bite”: I can’t take credit for this one, but again I learned this from a seasoned mom. The rule is that everything made requires at least a bite (or at least taste). The child is free to not like it and will not be forced to eat it, but they are required to taste it to be polite and will be reminded that this IS dinner.  
What are your suggestions for involving children in eating healthy meals? Do you have rules like the “polite bite”?

About the Author: Holly is an experienced dietitian in both clinical and community nutrition. She is currently serving as the Clinical Nutrition Manager at now guest blogger for Choosy Kids!

She received her Master of Science degree in Nutrition and Food Studies from the Steinhardt School at New York University. She is published through her research and contributing work at Burke Rehabilitation Center investigating nutritional factors impacting neurological rehabilitation in stroke patients.

In addition to managing her staff of clinical nutritionists, she has a passion for serving at-need and underserved communities. She teaches outreach programs focused on mindful eating and strategies to make healthier lifestyle choices to at-risk community populations. She has recently been made lead in her hospital for teaching and managing the outreach classes to reduce childhood obesity.

She has expertise in: weight loss and management, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, dealing with polypharmacy and achieving nutrition goals, achieving wellness goals in a creative and resourceful manner and motivating change.

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Free Printable Choosy Activities for Cold, Indoor Days

Winter is here! And even though that means going outside to play in the snow, build snowmen and do snow angels, some days (for those of us who live in colder sections of the country) it is just too cold to even step foot outdoors. The winter season can be especially hard on parents and caregivers because children are stuck inside and “bored”. We have your solution! It is time to plug in your printer and print out some Choosy Kids activities for everyone to do while you are stuck inside on cold, winter days.

This is just a small sample of the free downloads Choosy Kids has to offer. You can check out all of the freebies, plus Choosy Kids products, including music, at www.choosykids.com. Just click on the links to download and print Choosy desktop activities that your young child will enjoy. They serve as great discussion starters too so you can extend the themes into conversational learning opportunities!

Coloring Pages

Dot-to-Dots

Holiday Pages

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

An EGGcellent Source of Protein for Kids

By: Christine Cox, The Choosy Mommy

My in-laws live on a farm and on that farm there are cows, pigs, donkeys, horses and chickens…E-I-E-I-O! 

And now that all of the grandkids are getting older (the oldest is 4), they are becoming more interested in how the farm works and what comes from the farm that they can eat. The farm has "something that's healthy, something that tastes good" which are lyrics from this month's Choosy song of the month - My Choosy Plate. The kids' interest really started to peak this past summer when my daughter, Capri, and her cousin would help Grandma harvest tomatoes from the garden. It was really exciting to both of them as they felt they had a “job” to do. Once the tomato season ended, they moved their interest to the next thing on the farm: free-range chickens.

There are about 25 chickens that roam a clean, uncrowded, green grassy area on the farm. There isn’t a fence to keep them in a specific area but they do have a coop that they are free to go in and out of as they please. The coop is mainly for their safety, and shelter but it is also where they lay their eggs. Capri doesn’t really care to get close to the chickens, but she likes what they produce…meat and eggs!

For the purpose of this blog, we will stick to discussing the benefits of these eggs as a lot of kids, even the pickiest of eaters, will eat eggs and many parents (including myself) worry about their children not having enough protein in their diet.
Free-range chickens seem to be the trendy thing these days, but let me tell you, the freshness of the eggs really makes the taste a lot better. Capri has even noticed they taste better as we haven’t always had these eggs. Even though my in-laws do this as a hobby, there are many farmers who produce eggs for a living. In a previous blog, we discussed buying food from your local farmers. Not only is it a great way to save money, but the produce you buy is more likely to have higher nutrient levels than what you purchase at the store. You should definitely find out if you have a local farmer that produces free-range chicken eggs because they are REALLY good for you!

According to The Sustainable Table, “free-range chickens have 21% less total fat, 30% less saturated fat and 28% fewer calories than their factory-farmed counterparts." Additionally, a study from Mother Earth News found that compared to conventional American eggs, real free-range eggs, like those my in-laws have on their farm, have less cholesterol and saturated fat, plus more vitamins A, B12, D and E, beta carotene and polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids. Free-range eggs are also higher in lutein, zeaxanthin and folic acid.

So not only do these free-range eggs provide my daughter with all of the mentioned vitamins and good fatty acids, she also gets essential amino acids, which are the building blocks for hormones, skin, tissues, and more in the body. According to Parents.com’s article, The Nutritional Benefits of Eggs, they are considered essential because our body cannot make them on its own; we have to get them from food. In kids, protein is vital for growth, while adults use it to maintain lean tissue, repair muscle after exercise, and keep the immune system in tip-top shape.

And one other thing that I always share with everyone about these eggs is their freshness. The eggs that you buy in stores have usually been sitting for well over a month before you even have the chance to purchase them. With the free-range chickens, we collect the eggs, wash them and can eat them right away.

Capri prefers her eggs scrambled (with ketchup!) while I like mine over easy. My husband loves a good hardboiled egg but you have to wait a couple weeks for fresh free-range eggs to be ready to boil due to their softness. Remember that eggs provide so many nutritional benefits so teach your children about this EGGcellent food! 

Don't forget to check out the My Choosy Plate song and while you're listening, why not download a free activity to complete with your children? Choosy loves fan-mail, so once you finish the activity, take picture and send it to info@choosykids.com for a chance to be highlighted!

How do you eat your eggs? Share you recipes with us! Do you buy free-range eggs from a local farmer?
About the Author: Christine Cox is the blog master for Choosy Kids. She has always had a passion for writing and is honored to contribute her work to this blog. Most of her writing inspiration comes from her daughter, Capri, who is fun-loving and full of energy, and newborn son Cam. Click here to learn more about Christine.

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

In 2016, Let’s Go With 5, 2, 1, 0

By: Dr. Linda Carson

When I was in college I had a professor of early childhood who lectured that “children grow predictably, but their development depends.” In other words, growth (or maturation) will unfold inevitably, but development depends on life experiences. This is a very powerful statement worth reflecting on by adults. Healthy child development depends on the living and learning environments that are created and nurtured by grownups. It is awe-inspiring to be reminded that child development actually depends on the many decisions made on behalf of children by parents, grandparents, teachers, or other significant adults in the life of a young person. We are literally responsible for helping a child develop preferences, resiliency, decision-making, self esteem, social skills, respect for others, healthy habits, and the list goes on and on.
The relationship that parents share with their children has lifelong impact. Studies show that the benefits of sustained parental involvement affect all areas of a child's life, including health, academic progress, and life choices. More “family time” is associated with fewer high-risk behaviors such as substance abuse and delinquency, and lower rates of depression, eating disorders, and antisocial behavior. Other studies have shown that family rituals and traditions are associated with positive mental health outcomes.

So I’d like to suggest a healthy family ritual for 2016 that can impact the quality of life for all family members and have impact for years to come. Let’s embrace the 5, 2, 1, 0 campaign advocated by American Academy of Pediatrics and the Head Start National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness. The 5, 2, 1, 0 messages encourage:
  • 5 or more fruits and veggies a day: A diet (meals and snacks) rich in fruits and veggies is associated with lower rates of chronic disease and may help prevent weight gain
  • 2 hours or less screen time per day: Screen time promotes sedentary behavior, attention problems, and takes away from important and influential family time
  • 1 hour or more of physical activity daily: Move more! Children and adults will experience health benefits by increasing and enjoying physical activity each day.
  • 0 sugary beverages: Consumption of soda pop, fruit drinks, sports and energy drinks, powdered drinks, and even bottled sweetened tea is associated with cavities and excessive weight gain.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Head Start National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness have created Growing Healthy resource materials to help us. I especially like the family goal setting worksheet that will help us get started in 2016 with the 5, 2, 1, 0 approach to developing healthy habits. The Family Goal Setting worksheet also has great ideas for getting started. Print copies after downloading it here.
If you have children in your home, use this goal setting approach as a new family ritual and consider downloading our monthly calendars for more ideas for family fun. If you work with families share this information with them. If you do not have children in your home, use this goal setting worksheet for beginning to plan and document a new personal ritual. Be sure that your goals are small and achievable. If five fruits and veggies are unachievable to start, then challenge yourself with a number that can be do-able and increase as you adjust and enjoy. I suggest making your goals visible around your home on the fridge door, bathroom mirror, or a home bulletin board. Maybe you’ll decide to focus on just one of the messages and gradually add each of the others as you make progress. You can decide how to get started and how to use this information to reap health benefits that you will never regret.

So in 2016, let’s remember that children grow predictably, but their development depends---on YOU! And if health is wealth, let’s invest wisely. Happy, healthy New Year from your friends at Choosy Kids!

About the Author: Linda Carson, Ed. D, is the founder and CEO of Choosy Kids, LLC, and the Ware Distinguished Professor Emerita at West Virginia University. An award winning, nationally recognized expert, Dr. Carson has devoted her career to promoting healthy preferences for young children and the adults who make decisions on their behalf. Click here to learn more about Linda.

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