|
 |
   |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
New Year's Day may be the traditional time to take inventory of our lives and kick it into resolution mode, but if you have school aged kids let's face it, fall is ultimately the season of change. From stocking up on spiral notebooks to creating the latest back-to-school ensembles to carrying the perfect lunch bag, its time for everyone from K-college to redefine this year's cool. Now, I'm not a big stickler on dressing my kids a certain way, or even combing their hair smoothly for that matter, I'm confident that they'll figure it out eventually. However, as far as that lunch cooler is concerned, I've got some major opinions. Oh, I'm not talking about choosing the flower design instead of the princesses (which my kindergartener debated for nearly three weeks). It's what's inside that matters! Grains, veggies, lean meats…you bet. Chips, processed foods, trans fats…no way. You see, unlike the New Year's resolution set that gets all diet crazy when the ball drops, I'd like to see my kids develop a taste for the good life by eating right in the first place and never having to skimp. With childhood obesity on the rise for over a decade, we're seeing more and more kids who would probably love to be able to control their health problems with a simple dietary change and some exercise. Compared to treating asthma, diabetes and heart disease among other chronic and sometimes life threatening illnesses with doctor visits, inhalers and icky meds, eating healthfully is a real treat, right? The good news is that the earlier you introduce healthy choices into your child's life, the easier it is. Not to mention, better for them too. From packing your second grader's superman lunch bag with wheat bread rather than white to dropping your junior high schooler off five blocks away from school rather than the requisite two, these little changes can make a significant difference in the development of your kids. But remember, you've got some homework to do as well. If you really want your kids to keep fit, trim and healthy, you've got to teach them how to eat right, exercise and make healthy choices at home, otherwise you can only imagine where that whole grain, turkey and tomato sandwich will end up at school. For instance, serve plenty of lean meats, veggies and monounsaturated fats from foods like California Ripe Olives, almonds and avocados at the dinner table so that everyone can enjoy eating together. Tasty lessons like this are certain to last a long lifetime. Interested in extra credit? Check out what nutritionists are reading about the issues of childhood obesity. TOP Swapping sandwiches is so prevalent, it's practically part of the curriculum. For the kids it's all about getting the tastiest treats. It's us parents who have to figure out how to fuel 'em up on things that not only look and taste delicious, but are good for them too. Nearly impossible right? No way. Remember, we're the adults here. We can figure them out. Start with foods that your kids already love and work from there. I'm not talking orange cheesy puff sandwiches, but take something else, say ketchup and run with it… High in the antioxidant licopene, ketchup actually does "count" in the veggie category in my book. Incorporate it into and on top of these "Meatloaf Minis" and you’ve got some delicious delights for the tots, tweens and teens. What they do know is that they're yummy. What they don't is that they're loaded with protein from low fat ground turkey, whole grains from rolled oats and monounsaturated fats from California Ripe Olives. Now that's using your thinking cap! TOP Health foods get a bad rap. Once the word "healthy" is attached to something, it's likely to get the thumbs down from most kids. So instead of trying to serve them "healthy stuff", let's just go with a goal of not serving them junk food. You know, no fast food burgers, no processed cheese, no fried chips…you get my drift. You see, if we can just make food that seems pretty cool, instead of obviously nutritious, our kids will be less likely to go running for the nearest drive thru after school. Take these pizza tacos for example. Made with ground chicken, California Ripe Olives and green peppers, they're full of familiar flavors that kids already love, without all of the added fat and preservatives that they can do without. In fact, they're so delicious, I'm thinking they're a little too cool for school. Serve them at dinnertime with a side salad or steamed broccoli so the whole family (including mom) can enjoy 'em! TOP
|
