I really need to commit to getting on here more often. I'm going to allow myself to deviate from the theme of "healthy eating with the kids" occasionally. I think that will help give me an incentive. However, I think it will probably still be about food most of the time. I mean, lets face it. My life seems to be mostly about food sometimes anyways.
I would like to take this time to publicly thank Ms. Alana, the most fabulous sister-in-law ever. Last week, she sent me the most wonderful assortment of Indian spices. I made "Bombay Sloppy Joes" and "Basmati Rice with Apricots." Both of these recipes are on foodnetwork.com. The food was wonderful and the fragrance of cinnamon and cloves filled my home. It was delicious.
I think there might actually be a little tip in here somewhere. I think it's important to introduce your kids (and yourself) to different kinds of foods. I truly believe that if you want to know about a culture, then a good place to start is to learn about their foods. I also think that if you occasionally allow yourself to get outside of your comfort zone, you will find things that you didn't even know you would like. It can influence your cooking in so many ways.
In America, cinnamon and cloves are a staple in pumpkin pie and many sweet dishes. In Indian cooking however, cinnamon and cloves are present in savory dishes. It adds such a depth to the flavor of the dishes. It really wakes up your taste buds.
I think if I could offer a bit of advice about kids and eating, it would be not to tell them they won't like something. If your eating sushi and they ask what it tastes like, give them a piece. Don't tell them that it's not something that they would like. When you do this, they start closing their mouths (and minds) to foods simply because of what they look like or sound like. Nothing is damaged by allowing them to taste spicy food. Don't say things like "my kids don't like vegetables." Your writing off the vegis before you even try them.
I can't wait to cook some more Indian food, and tomorrow, I am planning on using the Bombay sloppy joe sauce with shredded chicken to make Indian Chicken sandwiches. I think they will be delicious.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Tip #7
It has been a few days since I blogged, and I apologize. Things occasionally become hectic and the next thing you know, my blog is being neglected. I'm going to try and make it a priority in the upcoming week to get back into the habit of blogging often, but please forgive me if I end up skipping a day here or there.
Without further delay,
Skinny kids fat world tip #7:
BEANS!
Beans are an easy, cheap addition to many different dishes and they often pack more nutrition than you might think. They can be purchased (very inexpensive) in cans and drained and added to dishes to add protein and fiber without always adding fat or excessive calories.
Tonight, I decided to take the easy way out for dinner and make spaghetti. Yes, I used a jar of sauce. I will discuss my philosophy on spaghetti sauce another day, but today I'm talking beans. So, here is the tip. When you make your spaghetti sauce, add one can of cannellini (white kidney) beans. I have the can in front of me and for every 1/2 cup serving, it offers 6% of your daily calcium, 10% of your daily iron, 25% of your daily fiber, 8g of protein, and NO FAT. Seriously!
If you make a jar of sauce, sub out turkey for beef or just cut the amount of hamburger by 1/2. Add a can of canellini beans, and serve with whole wheat pasta instead of regular. It takes absolutely no more time to make. A can of beans costs about a dollar, and if you cut the amount of beef you will actually be saving money. You are adding fiber and protein with the use of whole wheat pasta and beans. By cutting out some of the beef you are cutting out some of the fat. You are adding calcium and iron, and making it a little more filling because of the additional fiber content. This takes no extra time. The only extra work is opening a can of beans, and the only extra waste is an empty can.
I'm not thrilled by the amount of sodium in canned foods and I generally advocate for getting fresh or frozen when possible, but for the sake of time savings, canned beans are a great addition.
The tip for today is to find a way to incorporate beans into your meals more often, they bring a lot of nutrition with them without a lot of fat. I will do my best in the next week to get at least one recipe on here that includes beans. Maybe a nice black bean and corn side dish perhaps? We shall see....
Without further delay,
Skinny kids fat world tip #7:
BEANS!
Beans are an easy, cheap addition to many different dishes and they often pack more nutrition than you might think. They can be purchased (very inexpensive) in cans and drained and added to dishes to add protein and fiber without always adding fat or excessive calories.
Tonight, I decided to take the easy way out for dinner and make spaghetti. Yes, I used a jar of sauce. I will discuss my philosophy on spaghetti sauce another day, but today I'm talking beans. So, here is the tip. When you make your spaghetti sauce, add one can of cannellini (white kidney) beans. I have the can in front of me and for every 1/2 cup serving, it offers 6% of your daily calcium, 10% of your daily iron, 25% of your daily fiber, 8g of protein, and NO FAT. Seriously!
If you make a jar of sauce, sub out turkey for beef or just cut the amount of hamburger by 1/2. Add a can of canellini beans, and serve with whole wheat pasta instead of regular. It takes absolutely no more time to make. A can of beans costs about a dollar, and if you cut the amount of beef you will actually be saving money. You are adding fiber and protein with the use of whole wheat pasta and beans. By cutting out some of the beef you are cutting out some of the fat. You are adding calcium and iron, and making it a little more filling because of the additional fiber content. This takes no extra time. The only extra work is opening a can of beans, and the only extra waste is an empty can.
I'm not thrilled by the amount of sodium in canned foods and I generally advocate for getting fresh or frozen when possible, but for the sake of time savings, canned beans are a great addition.
The tip for today is to find a way to incorporate beans into your meals more often, they bring a lot of nutrition with them without a lot of fat. I will do my best in the next week to get at least one recipe on here that includes beans. Maybe a nice black bean and corn side dish perhaps? We shall see....
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Tip #6
I'm going to switch gears today and give a tip for parents of very little ones. Most of my tips are for kids that are a little older, but I don't think that the babies should be ignored. In fact, their eating habits and the food you choose to introduce to them can shape the kinds of foods they will eat for the rest of their lives.
Skinny kids fat world tip #6 is:
Start your baby with healthy, nutritious food from the very beginning.
My youngest daughter is just over 6 months old. Now, I know that some people hold to the belief that children should not have solids until 6 months, or 9 months, or until they have teeth, or until their mother tells them. Yes, I am aware that for every mother, there is a different method of introducing solids. Now, I am not here to tell you that my way is the best or that your way is the worst. I am just going to tell you what we are doing with my daughter and tell you why. Maybe you will read it and it will make sense, maybe it won't. At any rate, I think we can all agree that healthy eating habits start early.
First, we started by introducing a grain. Rice cereal is rich in in iron and most baby cereals have extra iron added in. this is important, especially for breast-fed babies because they may not be getting all of the iron they need from milk alone. We gave our daughter about a week with just one meal in the evening of rice cereal to start getting used to the process of eating and to allow her digestive system to get acquainted with how to process solids. Then, we started to introduce vegetables.
We made sure that we introduced 3 or 4 vegis before we switched to fruits. We wanted her to get used to the flavor and find them enjoyable before giving her something sweet as an alternative. We allowed a few days in between the introduction of each new food to watch for any reactions.
The thing to keep in mind is that some foods might not seem very tasty at first. Your child might hate peas at first (mine did), however you can't just say "Well, baby doesn't like peas" and just stop giving your child peas. Try warming up the peas, try room temperature, and try cold. Some foods might taste different to your child at different temperatures and you may find that they won't eat warm squash but cold squash is great. Also, try mixing in a little breast milk or formula to the vegetable. This can help mellow out the flavor a bit and sometimes by mixing it with something familiar they will find it more desirable. Slowly reduce the amount of milk (or formula) that you mix in until you don't need to mix anything in at all. As you continue to add things together, you will find that some vegis will be received much better than others.
The first time you present a new fruit or vegi, give it your baby straight. For example, instead of giving them mixed vegis with carrots to start them on carrots, actually give them carrots without milk or formula mixed in. Let them taste the food "as is" before trying to disguise it or doctor it up. If it isn't received well, then go ahead and try to change it up a bit.
The last part of this tip is actually the biggest part. Do not, DO NOT add sugar or salt to the fruits and vegis. As your child gets older, you want them to know what apples taste like, not what apples with sugar taste like. If every time they eat apples you add sugar, then they will grow to understand that apples should be sweeter than they are. Regular apples will then taste like something is missing. We don't want that. We do not need to teach our children that all foods need sugar and salt. We need them to learn that vegis and fruits taste good as is, not with extra stuff that they don't need.
A baby (toddler) has a small stomach. When you begin to decide what you are putting into that belly, consider that you don't want them to have sugar going in instead of healthy food. Do not give them "baby apple pie" instead of baby apples. Look at the contents on the jar of food. It should list things that you recognize and nothing that sounds like an added sugar. Baby apples should contain apples (and maybe some water). That's it.
I will not get onto the big organic kick right now, but suffice it to say that it's a good thing. If you can buy some things organic and not others, then do. Just do what you can and try to do what's best for your kids. It will pay off in the long run.
Now, after saying all this, I'm also going to tell you to realize that some foods just don't always appeal to your child. My daughter, for example, decided that apples must have been put here by the devil himself. She hated them. Now, I tried to mix it with her oatmeal and I attempted to mix it with breast milk. I tried it cold and warm. She spit it right back at me. She eats green beans like they are going out of style but apples were just not her thing. So, I took a tiny bit of cinnamon and mixed it into her apples. Well, it was amazing. I swear I heard her say "yum" but that's probably my imagination.
Introducing herbs and spices should be treated the same way as introducing new vegis and fruits. You should not introduce more than one at a time and you should keep an eye out for a rare reaction. I actually found some peas and green beans packaged with mint. It smelled like gum, but a child that isn't very happy about eating dark green vegis might find it quite appealing. Cinnamon or nutmeg might be a nice addition to apples or pears. In many other cultures, children are introduced to spices and herbs at the same time as they are introduced to solids. Many American children aren't introduced to these flavors until they are much older. Instead, we start mixing sugar into their oatmeal instead of cinnamon. Let's change that.
So, lets start being conscientious of what we feed our children, especially the littlest ones. A jar of baby apples costs the exact same as a jar of baby apple pie, so please make the better choice. If you really want to give your baby an "apple pie" kind of dessert, mix a little baby oatmeal with apples and cinnamon. There is no added sugar but will give them a very nice alternative to plain apples.
Skinny kids fat world tip #6
Start early to build healthy eating habits and leave the salt and sugar in the pantry, there are many better alternatives to dumping sugar into their oatmeal.
Skinny kids fat world tip #6 is:
Start your baby with healthy, nutritious food from the very beginning.
My youngest daughter is just over 6 months old. Now, I know that some people hold to the belief that children should not have solids until 6 months, or 9 months, or until they have teeth, or until their mother tells them. Yes, I am aware that for every mother, there is a different method of introducing solids. Now, I am not here to tell you that my way is the best or that your way is the worst. I am just going to tell you what we are doing with my daughter and tell you why. Maybe you will read it and it will make sense, maybe it won't. At any rate, I think we can all agree that healthy eating habits start early.
First, we started by introducing a grain. Rice cereal is rich in in iron and most baby cereals have extra iron added in. this is important, especially for breast-fed babies because they may not be getting all of the iron they need from milk alone. We gave our daughter about a week with just one meal in the evening of rice cereal to start getting used to the process of eating and to allow her digestive system to get acquainted with how to process solids. Then, we started to introduce vegetables.
We made sure that we introduced 3 or 4 vegis before we switched to fruits. We wanted her to get used to the flavor and find them enjoyable before giving her something sweet as an alternative. We allowed a few days in between the introduction of each new food to watch for any reactions.
The thing to keep in mind is that some foods might not seem very tasty at first. Your child might hate peas at first (mine did), however you can't just say "Well, baby doesn't like peas" and just stop giving your child peas. Try warming up the peas, try room temperature, and try cold. Some foods might taste different to your child at different temperatures and you may find that they won't eat warm squash but cold squash is great. Also, try mixing in a little breast milk or formula to the vegetable. This can help mellow out the flavor a bit and sometimes by mixing it with something familiar they will find it more desirable. Slowly reduce the amount of milk (or formula) that you mix in until you don't need to mix anything in at all. As you continue to add things together, you will find that some vegis will be received much better than others.
The first time you present a new fruit or vegi, give it your baby straight. For example, instead of giving them mixed vegis with carrots to start them on carrots, actually give them carrots without milk or formula mixed in. Let them taste the food "as is" before trying to disguise it or doctor it up. If it isn't received well, then go ahead and try to change it up a bit.
The last part of this tip is actually the biggest part. Do not, DO NOT add sugar or salt to the fruits and vegis. As your child gets older, you want them to know what apples taste like, not what apples with sugar taste like. If every time they eat apples you add sugar, then they will grow to understand that apples should be sweeter than they are. Regular apples will then taste like something is missing. We don't want that. We do not need to teach our children that all foods need sugar and salt. We need them to learn that vegis and fruits taste good as is, not with extra stuff that they don't need.
A baby (toddler) has a small stomach. When you begin to decide what you are putting into that belly, consider that you don't want them to have sugar going in instead of healthy food. Do not give them "baby apple pie" instead of baby apples. Look at the contents on the jar of food. It should list things that you recognize and nothing that sounds like an added sugar. Baby apples should contain apples (and maybe some water). That's it.
I will not get onto the big organic kick right now, but suffice it to say that it's a good thing. If you can buy some things organic and not others, then do. Just do what you can and try to do what's best for your kids. It will pay off in the long run.
Now, after saying all this, I'm also going to tell you to realize that some foods just don't always appeal to your child. My daughter, for example, decided that apples must have been put here by the devil himself. She hated them. Now, I tried to mix it with her oatmeal and I attempted to mix it with breast milk. I tried it cold and warm. She spit it right back at me. She eats green beans like they are going out of style but apples were just not her thing. So, I took a tiny bit of cinnamon and mixed it into her apples. Well, it was amazing. I swear I heard her say "yum" but that's probably my imagination.
Introducing herbs and spices should be treated the same way as introducing new vegis and fruits. You should not introduce more than one at a time and you should keep an eye out for a rare reaction. I actually found some peas and green beans packaged with mint. It smelled like gum, but a child that isn't very happy about eating dark green vegis might find it quite appealing. Cinnamon or nutmeg might be a nice addition to apples or pears. In many other cultures, children are introduced to spices and herbs at the same time as they are introduced to solids. Many American children aren't introduced to these flavors until they are much older. Instead, we start mixing sugar into their oatmeal instead of cinnamon. Let's change that.
So, lets start being conscientious of what we feed our children, especially the littlest ones. A jar of baby apples costs the exact same as a jar of baby apple pie, so please make the better choice. If you really want to give your baby an "apple pie" kind of dessert, mix a little baby oatmeal with apples and cinnamon. There is no added sugar but will give them a very nice alternative to plain apples.
Skinny kids fat world tip #6
Start early to build healthy eating habits and leave the salt and sugar in the pantry, there are many better alternatives to dumping sugar into their oatmeal.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Tip #5
Well, due to an uncooperative internet connection, two sick munchkins, and a new mom's group that I joined (so awesome!), I have been too distracted to blog. Don't worry though, I'm popping in with a quick tip to keep the kids, and yourself, on the right track to a healthy lifestyle.
Skinny kids, fat world tip #5 is:
Get some sleep!
Look it up if you don't believe me, but children who don't get enough sleep on a regular basis are way more likely to have problems with health and weight as they grow into adulthood. This one can be very simple and very difficult at the same time. Some kids just struggle with bedtime and others seem to just LOVE to fall asleep. If you have a little one that resists bedtime, here are a few additional tips to help you out.
Set a bedtime routine. Whatever you determine the routine might be, make a commitment to yourself and your family that this routine will be followed every day. Now, I know that it's almost impossible to never ever deviate your schedule, but commit to at least two weeks straight of your new bedtime routine and then only allow yourself to deviate from it when absolutely necessary.
Put the house to bed. Start about an hour before bedtime and start making the house a place the encourages sleep. You can shut off lights in the rooms that you aren't using, close the shades, even turn down the thermostat a couple degrees. Give rambunctious children a nice bath, you can even use a nice lavender scented soap to encourage a soothing, calming feeling. Turn down the volume on the TV slightly so that everyone will need to talk a little quieter if they want to still here or even turn the TV off completely. Pick up any clutter in your immediate view so that you can allow yourself to relax for a few minutes as well. Put away all the noisy toys and get out something "quiet" like a book or a puzzle.
Prepare the children for what is coming. Tell your kids that bedtime will be in an hour. At this time, put them into the bath with a few toys and let them play. Take them out, get them into their pajamas, brush hair, brush teeth, and put away any toys that might be out. At this point, inform them that there is 30 minutes until bedtime. By actually telling them how much longer they have, they will begin to prepare for bedtime rather than having it abruptly occur in the middle of playtime. Now, if you want to read a bedtime story, pick one out. Discuss it BEFORE bedtime. Tell them they have five minutes until bedtime, give kisses and hugs and get moving to bed. Read a bedtime story, shut off lights and let them go to sleep. DO NOT let them fall asleep watching TV.
A child that doesn't normally have a routine is going to resist this. There will be arguments and they might protest. Oh well. This is something that helps their health and will ultimately eliminate so much of the bedtime stress and problems. If they know that every day certain things occur prior to bedtime, they will eventually find themselves actually becoming tired as you move through the bedtime routine. Stick with this. Ultimately, all of the protests will fade and you will end up with a happier, healthier child. It also eliminates all of the stress that you have when you try to put your kids to bed now, kicking and screaming , and protesting all the way.
So tip #5 is:
Make sure your kids are getting plenty of sleep every night. It's one small thing that can make a huge difference.
Skinny kids, fat world tip #5 is:
Get some sleep!
Look it up if you don't believe me, but children who don't get enough sleep on a regular basis are way more likely to have problems with health and weight as they grow into adulthood. This one can be very simple and very difficult at the same time. Some kids just struggle with bedtime and others seem to just LOVE to fall asleep. If you have a little one that resists bedtime, here are a few additional tips to help you out.
Set a bedtime routine. Whatever you determine the routine might be, make a commitment to yourself and your family that this routine will be followed every day. Now, I know that it's almost impossible to never ever deviate your schedule, but commit to at least two weeks straight of your new bedtime routine and then only allow yourself to deviate from it when absolutely necessary.
Put the house to bed. Start about an hour before bedtime and start making the house a place the encourages sleep. You can shut off lights in the rooms that you aren't using, close the shades, even turn down the thermostat a couple degrees. Give rambunctious children a nice bath, you can even use a nice lavender scented soap to encourage a soothing, calming feeling. Turn down the volume on the TV slightly so that everyone will need to talk a little quieter if they want to still here or even turn the TV off completely. Pick up any clutter in your immediate view so that you can allow yourself to relax for a few minutes as well. Put away all the noisy toys and get out something "quiet" like a book or a puzzle.
Prepare the children for what is coming. Tell your kids that bedtime will be in an hour. At this time, put them into the bath with a few toys and let them play. Take them out, get them into their pajamas, brush hair, brush teeth, and put away any toys that might be out. At this point, inform them that there is 30 minutes until bedtime. By actually telling them how much longer they have, they will begin to prepare for bedtime rather than having it abruptly occur in the middle of playtime. Now, if you want to read a bedtime story, pick one out. Discuss it BEFORE bedtime. Tell them they have five minutes until bedtime, give kisses and hugs and get moving to bed. Read a bedtime story, shut off lights and let them go to sleep. DO NOT let them fall asleep watching TV.
A child that doesn't normally have a routine is going to resist this. There will be arguments and they might protest. Oh well. This is something that helps their health and will ultimately eliminate so much of the bedtime stress and problems. If they know that every day certain things occur prior to bedtime, they will eventually find themselves actually becoming tired as you move through the bedtime routine. Stick with this. Ultimately, all of the protests will fade and you will end up with a happier, healthier child. It also eliminates all of the stress that you have when you try to put your kids to bed now, kicking and screaming , and protesting all the way.
So tip #5 is:
Make sure your kids are getting plenty of sleep every night. It's one small thing that can make a huge difference.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Kool-Aid is NOT JUICE
People... it's simple. Kool-aid is NOT juice. Please stop calling it juice. This goes for the gallon jug of fruit punch that you buy at the grocery store. Today I overheard it, and it reminded me of someone I knew a few years ago. She would tell her kids to go grab the juice out of the fridge, or ask if they wanted juice, and she would be speaking of sugary fruit punch. If its a powder in an envelope, it is not a fruit. When you call them the same thing, you are telling your kids that they are they same thing. CUT IT OUT! If you are going to teach your children how to eat healthy, it starts with educating them about what they are eating. If you ordered a steak at a restaurant and they brought you a hamburger, you wouldn't be happy. If you wanted a new purse, so your husband bought you a drill, you'd be livid. So, when your child asks for juice, why would you give them flavored sugar in a cup?
Does my child get Kool-Aid? Yes. How often? Probably once every 2 months I will make a batch. It calls for a cup of sugar and I usually use 3/4 a cup or less and it tastes just fine. I'm not saying that kids can't have fruit punch or soda, but it shouldn't be a substitute for water, milk, and fruit juice. Yes, in that order. Children need to drink water. They need calcium from milk and they need fruit. Now, I am fully aware that it says right on the container that 8 ounces of apple juice counts as a serving of fruit, but seriously, so does an apple. It is always better to get the servings of fruit from whole fruits such as apples, grapes, bananas, and oranges. Teach your kids to drink water when they are thirsty. We have a water dispenser in the door of our fridge and we sit a cup on the counter for our daughter. She uses it to get a drink whenever she is thirsty. Milk is for meal times, and so is fruit juice.
So... go forth... and call it like it is. Teach your kids to drink water and teach your kids the difference between Kool-Aid and juice.
Does my child get Kool-Aid? Yes. How often? Probably once every 2 months I will make a batch. It calls for a cup of sugar and I usually use 3/4 a cup or less and it tastes just fine. I'm not saying that kids can't have fruit punch or soda, but it shouldn't be a substitute for water, milk, and fruit juice. Yes, in that order. Children need to drink water. They need calcium from milk and they need fruit. Now, I am fully aware that it says right on the container that 8 ounces of apple juice counts as a serving of fruit, but seriously, so does an apple. It is always better to get the servings of fruit from whole fruits such as apples, grapes, bananas, and oranges. Teach your kids to drink water when they are thirsty. We have a water dispenser in the door of our fridge and we sit a cup on the counter for our daughter. She uses it to get a drink whenever she is thirsty. Milk is for meal times, and so is fruit juice.
So... go forth... and call it like it is. Teach your kids to drink water and teach your kids the difference between Kool-Aid and juice.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Recipe #4
I hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend! The weather has been great and I'm enjoying getting outside as well as opening the windows up in the house and letting in the fresh air. I'm hoping to soak as much of the good weather up as I can before it turns cold.
Today's recipe is super simple
1 whole wheat tortilla
2 tbsp peanut butter (all natural if you have it)
1 tsp honey
sliced bananas or apples
raisins
I heat up the tortilla in the microwave for about 10 seconds just to make it a little more pliable but that isn't necessary. Smear the peanut butter on the tortilla, top with sliced bananas or apples, sprinkle on some raisins, drizzle with honey, and your done! It's easy. In the time it takes to make toast, you have a breakfast, lunch, or snack that has protein from the peanut butter, potassium, Vitamin C, B vitamins, iron, and even calcium from bananas and raisins. The honey adds a great sweetness and flavor without adding any fat. This is something that you can make and take with you if you are hurrying out the door in the morning or pack for the kids in their lunch as a substitute to a sandwich.
Well, I'm off to go enjoy the weather and the rest of my day. I hope you find this simple recipe for a healthy breakfast, lunch or snack useful and delicious.
Today's recipe is super simple
1 whole wheat tortilla
2 tbsp peanut butter (all natural if you have it)
1 tsp honey
sliced bananas or apples
raisins
I heat up the tortilla in the microwave for about 10 seconds just to make it a little more pliable but that isn't necessary. Smear the peanut butter on the tortilla, top with sliced bananas or apples, sprinkle on some raisins, drizzle with honey, and your done! It's easy. In the time it takes to make toast, you have a breakfast, lunch, or snack that has protein from the peanut butter, potassium, Vitamin C, B vitamins, iron, and even calcium from bananas and raisins. The honey adds a great sweetness and flavor without adding any fat. This is something that you can make and take with you if you are hurrying out the door in the morning or pack for the kids in their lunch as a substitute to a sandwich.
Well, I'm off to go enjoy the weather and the rest of my day. I hope you find this simple recipe for a healthy breakfast, lunch or snack useful and delicious.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Challenge #2
Good morning! Yesterday was such a busy day that as I fell asleep last night I realized that I hadn't blogged at all.... *sigh*... something was sure to get missed in my busy day and I apologize to you, the unknown masses, that you were the thing that got put on the back burner. With that said, it is Friday (YAY) and I have another Challenge for you.
Skinny kids fat world challenge #2
Park your car already!
Here's the challenge... next time you go to the grocery store, mall, hardware store, or wherever it is that you go... just park your car. Don't drive around for 10 minutes waiting for a spot right next to the door. Park in the back of the lot. Yes, this means you will have to walk. No, it won't take longer because now you are not circling the parking lot like a vulture stocking a dying rabbit.
Do I honestly think that walking an extra 50 feet is going to make your family healthy? Well, it might. How does that saying go? "A journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step" or something like that? Well, getting a healthier family starts the same way... with a single carrot stick or a single extra walk each day. If you sit down and tell your kids that you are going to make them walk a mile every day they are going to slump down, cross their arms, and tell you (again) how you are ruining their life. However, if every day you park the car at the end of the parking lot and walk into the store, eventually you will walk an extra mile. Then two miles. Then five.
They say you should exercise for 30 minutes a day. Some of us just can't find an extra half hour. Let's face it, we are busy. It's not just as extra 30 minutes. It's 5 minutes to get changed into workout clothes, 20 minutes to drive to the gym, 10 minutes to decide what we are going to do, 30 minutes of working out, and then 20 minutes home. The next thing you know, that 30 minute work out is pushing an hour and a half of your precious time out the door. Sometimes, the extra time just isn't there. What we do have is an extra five minutes before we stop at the store to circle the lot and find a parking spot. OR.... We can use that 5 minutes to walk. It's only 50 feet more. Now, if you do this at the store, then at soccer practice, then at the doctors office, and at school... Well, now you've added a small workout into your day.
This is not going to save the world from the clutches of obesity, but it might help. If your kids start building healthy habits now, it will carry them into adulthood. If you find ways to work a little extra movement into your day, so will they.
Now, I know the excuses... "I have a baby and don't want to carry the car seat all the way into the store..." Yes. So do I. So, I park next to a wayward shopping cart or the far off cart corral. I pop the car seat out of my car and into the cart. I then can push her into the store without having to carry the awkward car seat. This also works for toddlers who just can't quite keep up yet. "My 4 year old hates to walk that far..." Well, they also hate bedtime and sharing toys. Sometimes the best things for your kids are the things they resist. After a couple weeks of this, they will realize that arguing is silly and they will get used to walking. That's really what we want, isn't it? We want our kids to get used to a healthy way of life. It starts right here.... a 30 minute workout starts with a single extra walk. You can do this.
There it is. Our Friday challenge....
Park your car already and WALK!
Skinny kids fat world challenge #2
Park your car already!
Here's the challenge... next time you go to the grocery store, mall, hardware store, or wherever it is that you go... just park your car. Don't drive around for 10 minutes waiting for a spot right next to the door. Park in the back of the lot. Yes, this means you will have to walk. No, it won't take longer because now you are not circling the parking lot like a vulture stocking a dying rabbit.
Do I honestly think that walking an extra 50 feet is going to make your family healthy? Well, it might. How does that saying go? "A journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step" or something like that? Well, getting a healthier family starts the same way... with a single carrot stick or a single extra walk each day. If you sit down and tell your kids that you are going to make them walk a mile every day they are going to slump down, cross their arms, and tell you (again) how you are ruining their life. However, if every day you park the car at the end of the parking lot and walk into the store, eventually you will walk an extra mile. Then two miles. Then five.
They say you should exercise for 30 minutes a day. Some of us just can't find an extra half hour. Let's face it, we are busy. It's not just as extra 30 minutes. It's 5 minutes to get changed into workout clothes, 20 minutes to drive to the gym, 10 minutes to decide what we are going to do, 30 minutes of working out, and then 20 minutes home. The next thing you know, that 30 minute work out is pushing an hour and a half of your precious time out the door. Sometimes, the extra time just isn't there. What we do have is an extra five minutes before we stop at the store to circle the lot and find a parking spot. OR.... We can use that 5 minutes to walk. It's only 50 feet more. Now, if you do this at the store, then at soccer practice, then at the doctors office, and at school... Well, now you've added a small workout into your day.
This is not going to save the world from the clutches of obesity, but it might help. If your kids start building healthy habits now, it will carry them into adulthood. If you find ways to work a little extra movement into your day, so will they.
Now, I know the excuses... "I have a baby and don't want to carry the car seat all the way into the store..." Yes. So do I. So, I park next to a wayward shopping cart or the far off cart corral. I pop the car seat out of my car and into the cart. I then can push her into the store without having to carry the awkward car seat. This also works for toddlers who just can't quite keep up yet. "My 4 year old hates to walk that far..." Well, they also hate bedtime and sharing toys. Sometimes the best things for your kids are the things they resist. After a couple weeks of this, they will realize that arguing is silly and they will get used to walking. That's really what we want, isn't it? We want our kids to get used to a healthy way of life. It starts right here.... a 30 minute workout starts with a single extra walk. You can do this.
There it is. Our Friday challenge....
Park your car already and WALK!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Tip #4 (with bonus recipe)
Today's tip is good both for your health and your pocket book.
Skinny kids fat world tip #4 is:
Save the scraps!
We have all had it happen. You go to the fridge and your carrots, while not "bad", have started to get dried out. They look woody and taste like cardboard. That's ok. Chop them up into pieces and throw them into a large zip top bag and place them in your freezer. Did you buy broccoli and chop off all the pretty green "tree" parts? Now your left with the whole stem, which you payed for, but you just end up tossing. WAIT. Use a vegi peeler and peel the stem the way you would a carrot. Chop into 1 inch pieces and throw that into the bag with the carrots. What to do when you only use 1/2 of a jalapeno? Chop it and toss it into the bag. Asparagus works great for this. You always trim off the bottoms, sometimes 2 inches comes off. Trim the very bottom 1/4 inch off the bottom and throw the woody stems into the frozen vegi bag. You can add onions, bell pepper, celery and green beans. Really just about any leftover vegis work. Obviously use parts of the plant you want to eat, not stems or peels, but just keep adding to the bag.
When you have a full gallon size bag of vegis in your freezer, it's time to make soup. Take the vegis out and thaw them either in the sink for a few hours or in the refrigerator over night. It comes in handy to have chopped the vegis before putting them into the bag because then you are completely ready to make soup without even having to chop anything. To make the most basic soup using your vegis, use a combination of low sodium vegetable juice and beef broth that adds up to 6 cups. I prefer 3 cups vegi juice and 3 cups beef broth. Bring this to a simmer. Add the vegis. That's it. seriously. It's vegi parts that you normally would have payed for and then thrown away and now you have a fast easy meal. To "jazz" this up a bit, you can add 2 cups of cooked pasta or cooked chicken (use chicken broth instead of beef). If you like a spicy soup, use spicy vegi juice or add cayenne pepper to taste. Want vegetable beef soup? Brown one pound of stew meat in a dutch oven, add 3 cups beef broth and 3 cups vegetable juice. Simmer for 1 hour or until beef is tender. Add the vegis and simmer for 30 minutes more. There it is... vegetable beef soup. Be creative with this recipe. You can add herbs such as parsley and rosemary. Once you have cooked the soup, you could put it in your blender to make a smooth, thick vegi soup and the kids won't be able to see the vegis if that's a concern.
The best part of this very basic soup recipe is that it can be made 1000 different ways. The most important part is simply using the technique of freezing all those parts of the vegis that you would normally waste or saving the vegis that are about to go bad. If you don't like vegetable juice you can use beef broth only. If your not a fan of pasta, you could use barley. The options are endless, so get creative!
Skinny kids fat world tip #4 (with bonus recipe)
Save the vegi scraps... it adds up to delicious vegetable soup later.
Skinny kids fat world tip #4 is:
Save the scraps!
We have all had it happen. You go to the fridge and your carrots, while not "bad", have started to get dried out. They look woody and taste like cardboard. That's ok. Chop them up into pieces and throw them into a large zip top bag and place them in your freezer. Did you buy broccoli and chop off all the pretty green "tree" parts? Now your left with the whole stem, which you payed for, but you just end up tossing. WAIT. Use a vegi peeler and peel the stem the way you would a carrot. Chop into 1 inch pieces and throw that into the bag with the carrots. What to do when you only use 1/2 of a jalapeno? Chop it and toss it into the bag. Asparagus works great for this. You always trim off the bottoms, sometimes 2 inches comes off. Trim the very bottom 1/4 inch off the bottom and throw the woody stems into the frozen vegi bag. You can add onions, bell pepper, celery and green beans. Really just about any leftover vegis work. Obviously use parts of the plant you want to eat, not stems or peels, but just keep adding to the bag.
When you have a full gallon size bag of vegis in your freezer, it's time to make soup. Take the vegis out and thaw them either in the sink for a few hours or in the refrigerator over night. It comes in handy to have chopped the vegis before putting them into the bag because then you are completely ready to make soup without even having to chop anything. To make the most basic soup using your vegis, use a combination of low sodium vegetable juice and beef broth that adds up to 6 cups. I prefer 3 cups vegi juice and 3 cups beef broth. Bring this to a simmer. Add the vegis. That's it. seriously. It's vegi parts that you normally would have payed for and then thrown away and now you have a fast easy meal. To "jazz" this up a bit, you can add 2 cups of cooked pasta or cooked chicken (use chicken broth instead of beef). If you like a spicy soup, use spicy vegi juice or add cayenne pepper to taste. Want vegetable beef soup? Brown one pound of stew meat in a dutch oven, add 3 cups beef broth and 3 cups vegetable juice. Simmer for 1 hour or until beef is tender. Add the vegis and simmer for 30 minutes more. There it is... vegetable beef soup. Be creative with this recipe. You can add herbs such as parsley and rosemary. Once you have cooked the soup, you could put it in your blender to make a smooth, thick vegi soup and the kids won't be able to see the vegis if that's a concern.
The best part of this very basic soup recipe is that it can be made 1000 different ways. The most important part is simply using the technique of freezing all those parts of the vegis that you would normally waste or saving the vegis that are about to go bad. If you don't like vegetable juice you can use beef broth only. If your not a fan of pasta, you could use barley. The options are endless, so get creative!
Skinny kids fat world tip #4 (with bonus recipe)
Save the vegi scraps... it adds up to delicious vegetable soup later.
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