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The cool air is here and the kids are back at school. Time for us to take a moment to think about what we're teaching them at home, particularly in the kitchen. With childhood obesity reaching epidemic proportions, we have an official health crisis on our hands and we all need to do our part to fix it. Certainly no one's saying you should keep your kids on a strict diet of rice cakes and soy cheese from the time they're off the bottle, but what happened to treating snacks as treats and focusing on healthy family meals?
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Hey, with a demanding 2-1/2 year old ruling my house, I promise you I dole out my fair share of Teddy Grahams, but I also sit with my daughter for 2-3 meals a day when we chow down on a variety of healthier options. Do I want her to be so body conscious that she's obsessively dieting by fourth grade? Of course not. My thought is that if you feed your kids right and start them off fit, they won't need to worry about their weights as they get older. And neither will you.
The thing is, while kids may be concerned with getting teased
about their chubby cheeks, most don't think about the health
consequences of poor eating habits. That's left over for parents,
health care providers and teachers. If we don't step in now,
we're talking diabetes, heart disease and other chronic health
problems for these little tykes just over the horizon. What
happened to the good ol' days when we had time to worry about
good grades and manners?
Well, do you think I would've brought this up if I didn't have some idea of how we could try to help? Most important, we need to provide kids with good role models, so they see what healthy grown-ups are eating and doing to stay fit. Yes, you heard me...That may mean changing your own diet and hopping back on the exercise bike! Also, treat them like they are "grown-up" enough to eat real healthy foods, rather than preparing special orders of chicken nuggets, hot dogs and happy meals for the little people at your table. And make sure to offer healthy snacks that fill them up with vitamins, minerals and healthy fats like nuts, California Ripe Olives and carrot sticks rather than bulking them up with empty calories from sodas, chips and cookies.. Remember, there's a whole generation destined for problems if we don't step in.
Ready to learn more about California Ripe Olives and serving food for fit kids? Check out what nutritionists are reading. TOP
We're Graining on 'em
Did
it ever occur to you that most of our kids happily scarfed
down bowls of healthy oatmeal and other grain cereals as babies
only to transition to white bread and sugar cereals before
they even hit preschool? Something's wrong with that picture.
We are actually training our kids to eat processed foods.
Now that tons of whole grains are available in local supermarkets, your next homework assignment is to pick out a few and experiment. With a variety of toasty, sweet and mellow flavors, I've found that as long as I keep 'em simple, my daughter's as likely to polish off her polenta and wolf down her wheatberries as she is Spaghettios. Imagine that, serving healthy foods because your kids like it, now there's a concept!
Say goodbye to that white bread with the crusts cut-off, and stuff your kids with spelt. A slightly sweet and nutty grain, here's a really simple recipe that the whole family will enjoy. Delicately flavored with California Ripe Olives, parmesan and almonds, what's not to like? Serve it with chicken or fish and you'll have a healthy meal with all-family appeal. Oh, and while the grains are cooking, you've got plenty of time to help the kids with homework, unless of course, you're afraid of learning something new!
Looking for more healthy recipes for kids and adults? Check out our latest salad creations including Dijon Roasted Chicken Salad, Mexican Cabbage Slaw and Southwestern Cobb Salad. Once you've prepared them, you'll go to the head of the class without ever having to brave another pop quiz. TOP
A Vegetable with Any Other Name Sneaking veggies into kids' diets has always been a bit of a puzzle, so here's my thought. Quit sneaking around! Even as adults many of us have trouble with one vegetable or another, so give the kids a break. Instead, experiment with a different fruits and veggies until you find the ones your kids will enjoy. Come up with creative cooking techniques and presentations and your job will be that much easier.
California Ripe Olives, peas and corn have been particularly
successful in my household. It seems the more you can pick
'em up, the better. (In my household we worry more about healthy
eating than strict table manners, but enough about that...)
Another big hit, edamame, those soy beans that you shell yourself
in sushi restaurants, are now sold in the frozen foods aisle
of most supermarkets. Take your time and look around, eventually
you'll find an assortment that works for your family.
Once you've got your veggies, work on making them sound and look as good as possible. At first blush, broccoli may not be appealing, but it's kind of fun to nibble the leaves off of those "little trees" lining your child's plate. In this case, your kids will have fun finding the chicken in the woods (broccoli), while adults at the table will enjoy a simple, healthy and tasty dinner with no hidden guilt attached. TOP
