Skinny kids, fat world

Tip #8

2010-10-09T15:02:00.004-06:00

I seriously need to be doing this more often. I need to commit. I need to focus.

Raising kids can sometimes be the most rewarding, blissful, difficult, thankless, amazing, awful, messy experience a person can have. There are ups and downs, with a few horizontal slides in the middle. It's great. It can be a little bit like planning for retirement. You put a lot in, sometimes all at once and sometimes a little bit here or there. Then you wait about 20 or 30 years and hope that it pays off.

This blog is about raising healthy kids. In addition to their healthy bodies, lets talk about their healthy minds. Everyone says it, but if there is one thing that you can do to help out a child it's to read them a book. That seems simple enough.

Reading a book to a child helps them realize that learning to read will open up doors for them. Showing them that reading a recipe helped get a delicious dinner on the table, or showing them that reading a book taught you how to build a swing set will show them that everything they need to know or want to know can be learned. It's all accessible if they just learn how to read.

Reading a book to a child shows them that you have time for them. Everyone is busy and everyone is tired. I think lately it seems that the people in society are even more busy and more tired than they have ever been. Some people don't have time to wave at neighbors. Some people don't have time to smile at the cashier at the grocery store. Some people can't even get off their phone to thank the person passing food to them from a drive-thru window. Everyone is tired and busy. When you take a moment and sit down to read a book, time stops. You are showing your child that you are not too busy to spend that time with them. When you read to them, you aren't watching TV or ignoring them. You are telling them a story and they are listening to you. Find the beauty in that moment. Your child may not listen when you tell them to pick up their dirty socks or rinse off their dinner plate, but when Snow White eats the poisoned apple, I promise, they are listening to you. Cherish that.

Reading a book to a child helps them to use their imagination. I think this is tragically becoming an underutilized part of our minds. Children need to play dress-up. They need to have sword fights with sticks in the park. They need to know that no matter what dark castle they get locked in, someone will ride up on a white horse and rescue them. They need to know there are happy endings, and they need to know that there is magic.

Children also need to see that their parents read. Read the newspaper. Read a book. Read a blog on the computer (wink wink). Read to yourself, for yourself. If a child grows up seeing their parents reading, then they will know that it is normal and acceptable to do the same. They will want to learn to read because they want to be like you.

Read children books with happy endings, someone later in life will try to tell them that there is no such thing and they will need to know different. Read children books that teach them about sharing, telling the truth, and being a good person. They can never hear those messages too many times.

Get a library card! Reading is NOT an expensive hobby. Take kids to the library. Show them the rows and rows of books filled with knowledge that they can access for free. Getting library books can also teach them about taking care of someone else's property and about returning things the way you received them. My daughter is five and thinks the library is a magical place where you can constantly get books about anything and everything and all you have to do is bring them back when your done! How awesome is that!?

So skinny kids, fat world tip #8

Raise a healthy family.... Read!

Not a tip, not a recipe

2010-09-26T15:14:00.003-06:00

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.

Tip #7

2010-09-23T18:05:00.003-06:00

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....

Tip #6

2010-09-14T08:30:00.003-06:00

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.

Tip #5

2010-09-12T13:50:00.003-06:00

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.

Kool-Aid is NOT JUICE

2010-09-08T19:41:00.002-06:00

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.

Recipe #4

2010-09-07T11:42:00.002-06:00

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.

Challenge #2

2010-09-03T07:42:00.003-06:00

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!

Tip #4 (with bonus recipe)

2010-09-01T17:03:00.004-06:00

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.

Recipe #3

2010-08-31T10:20:00.003-06:00

Today's recipe is super simple and delicious. You can use it as a snack or side dish or even place along side a bagel for breakfast. With a little whipped cream it can be a super dessert on a hot day. So, without further delay...

Vanilla Berry Salad

4 cups of berries, (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries all work)
4 tbsp sugar
1/2 of a vanilla bean

Wash your berries and halve the strawberries into bite size pieces. Mix in a bowl. Split open the vanilla bean pod and remove the tiny seeds from half the pod. Mix the vanilla seeds into the sugar until combined, then add to the mixed berries and stir. Let sit for 20-30 minutes so that the berries begin to release their juices and then serve. This is also very good as a dessert with a little whipped cream on top. You can make a variation on this by adding sliced, fresh or frozen peaches. The fresh vanilla adds a subtle surprise to this and the extra sweetness makes this seem a lot worse for you than it is.

If you add up the calories in one cup each of blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries, the total is 259 calories! Think about that! There is more calories in a pint of ice cream than in FOUR CUPS of berries. If you just took that alone, the berries are looking like a winner, but lets not stop there. If you have one cup of this mixed berry salad, you will have almost 70% of your daily vitamin C and 22% of your vitamin K. There is Iron, Magnesium, Calcium, and Potassium. There is also Folate which is the natural form of Folic Acid which has shown to help reduce neural tube defects in babies and is strongly recommended for all pregnant and nursing mothers.

The addition of 4 tbsp of sugar to this dish adds 180 calories (total) which makes the approximate total calories for the entire 4 cups of fruit salad 439 calories, or approximately 110 calories for each 1 cup serving. Think about that...

Lets put this in perspective. There are 675 calories in one, small, cookie dough blizzard from Dairy Queen. There are 439 calories in FOUR CUPS of mixed berries, with 4 tbsp of sugar mixed in and that doesn't account for the high nutritional value that the berries bring with them. So, if you want to give your kids a dessert... give them a delicious bowl of mixed berries with vanilla sugar mixed in. If you want to really splurge, add a little whipped cream to the top. This is refreshing and sweet and not anywhere close to being the same amount of fat and calories as what you might normally have.

Don't get me wrong, my kids still get ice cream.... I'm not cruel. However, if you normally get ice cream once a week and you replace a mixed berry salad for one of those times... well... you've made an improvement.

Raising healthy children isn't about raising a child who is completely deprived of things like ice cream and cookies. It's about raising a child who knows how to eat healthy alternatives to those things, and eat fatty or sugary foods in moderation. That's it.

I hope you find this easy recipe helpful and can work it into your everyday meal planning!

Tip #3

2010-08-30T07:29:00.002-06:00

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a great weekend and is ready for the week they have ahead of them. I hope that someone was able to squeeze a family dinner or breakfast in over the weekend and share some quality time with those that you love. It's always worth it.

Is anyone reading this? I keep typing this as if I am talking to the masses... but am I really just talking to myself? Well, either way...

Skinny kid fat world tip #3 is great for picky eaters:

Hide the vegis!

Ok. Some parents find this to be a little deceptive, but if you can't get your kids to eat the vegis you need to get creative. I also think that after you have slipped an extra squash into their spaghetti sauce, you should tell them. Always let them know, even after the fact, that the vegi was added so that they can start to realize that the things they might think they "hate" really can be tasty if cooked right or made differently. It will open them up to trying more new things.

Spaghetti sauce is my favorite "hide all" dish. If you like a chunky sauce, I find that adding fresh tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, and mushrooms can add texture and blend well with the sauce. It adds a nice flavor, but doesn't change the flavor enough to cause a child to turn down a bowl of noodles and sauce. Make sure you chop it small enough that it doesn't stick out too much. If using a jar sauce, just brown the hamburger, drain, then add the chopped vegis for a few minutes to soften before adding the jar of sauce. Really, it's that simple.

This is also a very good idea when certain produce is on sale. During certain times of the year you can find yellow squash and zucchini extremely cheap. Later it might be bell peppers or carrots. Sometimes we either pass by the sale because we don't have any idea what we would do with an extra 3 pounds of zucchini... or we stock ourselves so full of it that our entire family swears they will never look at one again. It doesn't have to be this way! Stock up on the vegis that are on sale. Hide some in spaghetti sauce one night. Chop small and add to meatloaf. You can roast carrots, squash, zucchini, onions, and bell pepper in the oven. Either serve as a side dish, or puree in the blender with a little chicken stock to make a delicious roasted vegi soup. Make omelets and stuff them with vegis and cheese.

If your child loves mashed potatoes, try to mix in cauliflower. When boiling the potatoes, use half potatoes and throw in a head of cauliflower. Boil until both are tender, then mash together as usual. It adds a serving of vegis right into their potatoes and they will probably never know.

Another thing you can try, if your brave, is to switch out their regular chicken nuggets for vegan chicken nuggets. They will not taste the same, but they do taste very good and pack a lot of good protein and nutrition. I'm not saying to toss the chicken nuggets all together, but if on occasion you switch it up, it is something new and different but in a familiar shape that kids already know they love. It's another way to substitute something not so good for them with something better. And besides, what kid wouldn't be happy if mom or dad made chicken nuggets at home for dinner once in a while, right!?

So, tip #3 is:

Get creative and hide the vegis! You might even discover that the new recipes are better than the old ones.

Challenge #1

2010-08-27T10:18:00.004-06:00

Happy Friday to everyone out there.... whoever you are.

Friday is going to be challenge day here on this blog. So.... The first challenge is going to be:

Make time for one family meal each day.

It is a busy world and we all lead busy lives. I know that some days this just isn't possible but the challenge I put forth to you is to pick one meal every day and sit down, TV off, at the dinner table and eat together. Dinner is sometimes the easiest, but in some families there are too many things going on in the evenings. That's ok. Try having breakfast as a family. Now, I'm not saying that everyone gather around in their Sunday best and eat pot roast that has taken all day to prepare. Even if there are toys all over the floor, and the kids are going crazy, just sit down. Turn the TV off. Have sandwiches and chips (or that delicious salad that I posted yesterday) and eat dinner together. Take turns asking how every one's day was. Don't accept "fine" for the answer. Ask what the kids learned, what was the favorite part of the day. Ask your spouse what work was like, or if they stay at home, ask them if they heard anything of interest on the news or went anywhere. If you don't do this very often, it might be uncomfortable at first. There might be silence. That's ok. Keep doing it.

We started having "family dinner" every night when my daughter was very young. It became a game to her. If I would ask my husband how his day was, she would say "No momma, I ask daddy. He ask you, you ask me." She knew even at two exactly what to expect when we sat at the table. This taught her table manners and patients. She had to learn to not interrupt. She learned to try new foods. We would use the time to work on her pronunciation of words. If she wanted more peas, she had to say "peas, please." It helped her language skills. What I think has been most important is that talking to my husband and I has become a routine part of her day. She notices if we don't have family dinner. Asking about each other's day and talking about our own day is something that she sees as normal and natural. When she turns into a teenager, I hope that this lays the groundwork for further communication.

It isn't easy every night, and sometimes my husband works late or is out of town. Sometimes there is a special movie on and we decide that we will eat in the living room and watch as a "treat," however, eight out of ten nights, between 5:30 and 6:00 pm, we sit down at our kitchen table and eat dinner. Some nights we have pot roast, some nights we have leftovers. The important thing is that we do it as a family. We are communicating and taking interest in each others lives. We, as parents, are showing our girls that we care about them and each other.

Now, you might be wondering what this has to do with serving a healthy dinner, but studies have shown that eating in front of the TV actually causes a person to "zone out" and eat more. If we constantly eat as we are running out of the house, it is hard on our digestion. Sitting down and eating while having good conversation will slow down how fast your eating and help aid in digestion. Studies have also noted that children in houses where a meal is shared are less likely to use drugs and alcohol. This is mainly attributed to the increased communication with parents as well as parental involvement. If you have older kids, this might be the one time each day that you can make sure they are getting a healthy meal. And finally, getting a healthier family is done by getting healthier as a family. If you serve healthier food, but your kids just end up snacking on chips because they are off to soccer practice, your efforts aren't going to work.

So... skinny kids fat world challenge #1 is:

Slow down, sit down, and eat as a family. It's worth it.

Recipe #2

2010-08-26T08:06:00.004-06:00

This morning, when I pulled up to the school, kiddo said " Mom, I'm ready to be a real big kid and go in by myself. I know where my class is... love you, bye!". There it was... she started Kindergarten just yesterday, and all of a sudden today she already needs me just a little less. *Sigh* I'm actually excited and proud of her, but lets be honest, the kids are always ready before the moms are. Always.

Today is a recipe day and this is an easy go-to recipe that you can use as a side dish, especially in the hot summer months when you don't want to turn on the stove. With a few additions it can turn into a delicious main coarse. It has very few ingredients, but packs in a lot of nutrition, flavor, and is very satisfying. The trick to getting your family healthy isn't throwing out everything you love, it's just serving the junk a little less and the healthy stuff a little more. It's easy to do that with good tasting recipes like this:

Cucumber Tomato Salad

1 pint of tomatoes, either halved cherry tomatoes or chunks of other tomatoes
1 large cucumber
1 small shallot (or finely chopped red onion)
3-4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Seed your cucumber and cut into bit size pieces. If you are using cherry tomatoes, halve them. If using larger tomatoes that are very juicy, scoop the seeds out and either discard or save to add to spaghetti sauce. The extra moisture will make the salad a little watery. Mix the cucumber and tomatoes into a bowl. Chop the shallot into a small dice and add that. Add the balsamic vineger, salt and pepper and mix. This tastes best if you let it sit for a little bit before serving, 20 -30 minutes. It is also great eaten immediately, so if your in a hurry don't worry about it.

There are a lot of variations that I have seen on this recipe and many things that can be added. If you have some leftover cooked pasta you can toss that with this to make a cold pasta salad that is delicious. If you add some chopped chicken with the pasta you have a wonderful summer dinner! I have also used this on top of salad greens in place of a salad dressing. It is light and tangy, and the balsamic and tomatoes add a nice sweetness. This is a very versatile recipe, takes only a few minutes to make, and doesn't even require a stove.

On a night when you just can't bring yourself to cook dinner, you can throw together this quick salad and serve it instead of potato chips along side sandwiches. If there are leftovers, they will keep in the refrigerator. You can serve the following day on a green salad or even in a pita for lunch.

There is roughly 45 calories in an entire cucumber. It has lots of Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and potassium. It has almost no fat at all and is mostly water. It makes a great, healthy addition to any salad or meal, so don't just walk past the cucumbers anymore in the produce isle. In addition to all of this, I find that cucumbers are usually one of the cheaper items in the produce section as long as they are in season.

So, now you know cucumbers pack an awesome nutritional punch, they are economical, and you are armed with one great recipe that can be turned into a side dish, main dish, salad dressing, or lunch.... what are you waiting for!? Get out there and get your family a little healthier! It's really that simple.

Tip #2

2010-08-25T08:34:00.002-06:00

Well, today was the day. Kiddo started Kindergarten. I kept it together, I didn't cry... in front of her. Actually, I got a little misty on the way to the car, but I hugged the baby tight and told her that she doesn't get to grow up. Just because all the other kids seem to be doing it these days doesn't mean she needs to. She gave me a little smile. I'm pretty sure we have a deal. :)

Well, I decided to give another tip today.

Skinny kids fat world tip #2 is:

Serve the appetizer!

Ok. I know that seems very counterproductive to eating healthy. However, this is what I have started doing in my house and it works great. Every night when I start getting dinner ready, the first thing I do is get out a plate and put vegis or fruit on it. This can really be as simple as a bowl of pre-washed baby carrots that you dump out of the bag. Some nights I put out broccoli and carrots, other nights are celery. I occasionally slice up a plum or two instead of vegis. I think tonight will be apples.

It doesn't really matter what you put out, just make it healthy and simple. if I put out vegis, I put out dip or salad dressing with it. For my kiddo, I put a spoonful of dip on a salad plate. She knows this is the amount of dip she can have before dinner. I just leave the fruit or vegis on the table and go back to making dinner. I never have to hear "Mom, I'm hungry... whens dinner!?!?" There is something to snack on right there on the table. When my husband comes home "starving" according to him, he can sit down and have apple slices until dinner is ready. If there are any vegis left when I serve dinner, I leave them on the table. I serve smaller portions of the main coarse and I find that if people want seconds, they will tend to eat whats in front of them before getting up and walking into the kitchen for more spaghetti (or whatever we are having).

Some nights the whole plate of vegis is gone before we sit down and other nights maybe half will get eaten. It's just a simple way to get more vegis and fruits into our diets without really much effort on my part. It also buys me some time when I'm making dinner so that everyone isn't standing around hungry watching me, making me feel like I need to hurry up and get it on the table right away.

So... tonight when you are trying to decide what to serve for dinner, buy yourself some time and serve the appetizer!

Tip #1

2010-08-24T06:18:00.005-06:00

Hello out there! I was woken up this morning by my five year old who came to tell me at 6:30 that tomorrow is her first day of school and that she just can't wait. The second thing that I heard was my almost 6 month old daughter laying in her crib making fart noises and laughing at herself. I can't think of a better way to wake up in the morning. The first day of school is indeed a little bitter-sweet. I can't believe that my little kiddo is this big already! It just doesn't seem possible.

Anyways...

I was debating quite a bit about what my tip today should be. I think a good way to start my tips is to tell you how I started talking to my oldest daughter about food. Many parents don't talk to their kids about nutrition and food choices at a young age because they think that they aren't old enough to understand. Not true. We started talking about these things when kiddo was 2.

Obviously, you don't need to explain to your 2 year old the in's and outs of fiber content or the complexity of the calories per serving measurements. We explained food in a very simply classification system. There are two categories, "Always foods" and "Sometimes foods." We haven't labeled anything a "Never food" to avoid making it seem more glamorous or desirable than it needs to be. The way that you decide which category something falls into is to ask yourself one simply question "Does this make me grow?"

So, lets use some examples:

Carrots... Does it make me grow? Yes. So it falls into the "Always" category. This means it is a food that we should always take if it is served or always include in our diet when possible. That of coarse includes all vegis, lean proteins, whole grains, and fruits. Now, I know that this might ignore the complexity of eating the right portions of meat or bread, but we are also talking about kids here. Make it simple and easy. Carrots are something you should always eat if given the option. That's pretty easy.

Now, the sometimes category.

Potato chips... Does it make me grow? No. So, it falls into the "Sometimes" category. This means that it is a food that should be eaten once in a while. "Sometimes foods" usually taste very good, but do not help little bodies grow up big and strong. If it doesn't help you grow, then you should eat it occasionally, but not use it as a meal or something to fill your belly. "Sometimes foods" are just that, occasional treats rather than staples in our diet.

As children get older, you can replace the "makes me grow" with "makes me healthy," but when you have a little one, growing means health to them. Think about it. They walk around putting on our shoes and pretend to go to work or the store. They play dress up and pretend to be doctors and teachers. Little kids want to grow. They want to be big and strong like daddy and mommy. So, tell them how. Tell them that eating vegetables will make them big and strong and that potato chips won't. They will listen.

Now, the second part to this is that you, as the adult, need to set the example. You need to take an inventory of your eating habits. The same questions apply. "Will eating 10 chocolate chip cookies for dinner make me healthy?" No. "Can I have a pork chop with a side of vegis and then eat 1 or 2 cookies for dessert?" Yes.

This isn't a diet. It's simply eating consciously. It's not standing in front of the fridge, eating spoonfuls of ice cream while deciding what to make for dinner... and then wondering why your not that hungry when you sit down to eat. If you, as the adult, implement the same system of asking yourself what will make you healthy and what won't, you will set the example for your kids. Eat the healthy food more and the unhealthy food occasionally. If you eat more healthy, your kids will too. Empower your kids as well as yourself.

So, skinny kids fat world tip #1 is:

Empower yourself and your kids to choose healthy food over chips and cookies. Educate your kids (and start early) about how to make healthy decisions to help them grow big and strong. You will be surprised at how quickly they catch on.

Here we go.....

2010-08-23T06:57:00.003-06:00

Today's entry is going to be the first in what I hope to be many "skinny kids, fat world" recipes. I love this recipe. Its easy and delicious.

Dark Chocolate Brownies

1 Duncan Hines (or other brand) Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips(optional)
1 3.9 oz individual serving cup of applesauce (no sugar added)

Mix the eggs with the applesauce, add the brownie mix, and mix until combined. Add the chocolate chips. Spread into a 9x13in baking pan that you have greased on the bottom only. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 24-26 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Cool, cut, and serve! I actually make a pan and freeze them. Right out of the freezer, they are cold and fudgey.

This recipe omits the oil that you would normally add when making brownies and substitutes applesauce. Yes, it's still brownies. No, you can't eat the whole pan, but you can give your kids brownies once in a while that taste delicious without giving them extra fat that just isn't necessary. The other nice thing about this recipe is that you don't have to even get out a measuring cup. The applesauce is pre-measured and you can simply toss in a handful of chocolate chips. These brownies will turn bad more quickly than the traditional recipe, but if you keep them in the freezer they will stay fresh longer and you don't even need to thaw them out to eat them, they stay chewy in the freezer.

I hope you (whoever you are) enjoy this recipe. Just substituting applesauce for oil in one pan of brownies may not save the world, but it just might help.

Hello out there!

2010-08-22T19:39:00.002-06:00

Hello out there!

I guess this is where I should take a little time to introduce myself. My name is Nicole. I am a stay-at-home mom. In two days, my five year old will be starting her Kindergarten and I am in need of a project. Ta-da... my project is this blog.

Lately, everywhere you turn is a new news story about the rate of obesity among American youth. There are shows about weight loss and eating healthy. There are segments on the Today show that tell you how terrible some of the meals for kids are at our favorite restaurants. I take my girls to the playground and see overweight children everywhere. When I talk to other moms, I hear them say things like "I just have a picky eater", "He/She just won't eat vegetables", and my personal favorite "he/she throws a fit if I don't order pizza (or McDonald's, or deep fat fried butter sticks)".... Well world, here I am, and I'm going to say it. YOUR THE PARENT! Tell them "No."

Ok. This isn't an angry blog. This isn't a rage against the fast food industry. This is me, blogging about my every day life. This is me, telling you (whoever you are) how I am educating my little girls about how to eat and what to eat. I will post the recipes, the tips, and tricks about how I get more fruits and vegis into their diets. I am not sitting here on my high horse telling anyone that my daughter doesn't eat mac 'n' cheese, because she does. I am not under the assumption that everyone has 2 hours every night to cook a gourmet meal or the budget to put the best food in front of their family every day. I work within a budget and I try to have dinner come together quickly, doing the prep work I can ahead of time.

I just can't sit around muttering my disgust under my breath anymore when I hear people talk about how they just can't feed their kids healthy food. So... here it is. My blog. :)