In California, Governor Schwarzenegger is reviewing a bill, SB 1420, that would require certain food chains to put their nutritional information on their menu.

Do you think that would make a difference in food choices, for you, for your children?

Just imagine, you are looking at a menu for one of your family’s local fav dinner spot, and suddenly you see 600 calories next to those fries you always order. Or perhaps, 800 calories. Would you still order it?

It makes you stop and think doesn’t it. Most Americans underestimate the amount of calories in a food item. I am the first to raise my hand. I was reading the book, “Eat this, Not that” by David Zinczenko. I had my mouth opened a few times. I read the calories and fat and thought, I totally got that wrong.

I am a strong advocate for this bill.

At least if we have the information and then we can decide, hopefully, make a better choice.

I took my 4 year old to the San Mateo County fair last week. We had a lot of fun looking at all the different animals (yeah, we are cityfolks) and learning their different names. We even watched a pig race where she was selected to be one of the cheerleaders. And of course, there are the rides and she is big enough to know exactly which ones she wants to go on.

But, then she was hungry and the first thing she asked for as we walked through the food section was, “Corn dog”. I must admit I was surprised she even knew what that was but there it was in bright booth with flashing lights at the top. I told her, “lets do our happy walk and look at all the different foods before we decide”. So, she agreed to that ’cause she loves doing our happy walk (we both skip while we hold hands).

Hmm, what to pick. Corn dogs, cheese curds, gyros, nacho chips smothered in processed cheese…. Hmm, this is not going to be so easy. Oh, but then I saw the barbecue booth with corn-on-the-cob. Okay that looks pretty good at about 250 calories with some of the fixins versus 700 calorie corn dog.

I also found the barbecue chicken (pieces of skinless chicken) on a stick. And then sharing is a great way to get the little ones to eat a more reasonable portion size and try new things. So we got a chicken on a stick and one corn on the cob.

But later there was the sweet tooth attack. How can you avoid that with all the sweet smells floating in the air. Okay, cotton candy or funnel cake? Well cotton candy is about 150 calories while the funnel cake is about 800 calories.

Yup, we got some cotton candy, shared half of it and then threw the rest away. We don’t have to finish our plate, it’s okay to put the rest away!!

More walking and more great memories.

According to Iowa Heart Center: Here are the top 10 healthy Fair Foods!

1. Forego the cave-man-size turkey leg for a turkey tenderloin – they’re both tasty but at 1,400 calories and 55 to 60 grams of fat, that turkey leg could stay with you for years. At just 350 calories and 30 grams of fat, the turkey tenderloin is the heart-healthy alternative.

2. Go with the Pork-Chop-on-a-Stick instead of sausages or brats – Although it sounds decadent, Iowa’s famously flavorful “Pork Chop on a Stick” wins by a mile when it comes to nutrition and calories versus a large Italian sausage. While the meaty pork chop has about 500 calories and around 10 grams of fat, the Italian sausage will pack on 1,200 calories and between 55 and 60 grams of fat.

3. Sweet tooth nagging you? Have a big, sticky cotton candy rather than a funnel cake. Cotton Candy weighs in at about 150 calories against the funnel cake’s whopping 800 calories.

4. Stagger your beers with water – rather than downing beer after beer at 250 calories for a large regular beer, try following each beer with an ice-cold bottle of water. The water will also keep you hydrated and help you avoid the bad effects of too much alcohol in the heat.

5. Kettle corn over nachos with cheese – Just one helping of nachos with cheese will add 900 calories and 35 fat grams. Sure, Kettle Corn has some fat, sugar and salt, but it’s far fewer calories than a much smaller volume of nachos.

6. Dippin’ Dots over a Wonder Bar – Dippin’ Dots calorie and fat count: 170 and 10 grams in a half-cup serving.

7. Feel like something on a stick? Try roasted corn-on-the-cob rather than a corn dog. At just 250 calories and zero grams of fat (not counting butter), you’ll fend off the corn dog’s 700 calories and 35 to 40 grams of fat.

8. Banana-on-a-Stick or watermelon rather than a deep-fried candy bar: How many calories in a deep-fried candy bar? Really, you don’t want to know – OK, we warned you: the deep fried candy bar will set you back 800 calories and 40 grams of fat.

9. Pork loin sandwich over a fried pork tenderloin – For filling, high-quality protein, the lean pork loin sandwich beats the fried tenderloin hands down.

10. Carmel apple rather than a bloomin’ onion or fried cheese curds. Yes, there’s carmel on the outside, but there’s an apple on the inside. At about 500 calories each and nearly 40 fat grams, the carmel apple is a sweet-and-sour treat on the healthier side.

Eating Mexican tonight!

Whole beans… did I say whole beans. This is one of the healthiest sides you can eat. Packed with flavor, packed with fiber and packed with protein! It’s the other stuff that goes into the burrito that you have to be careful about.

First and foremost stay away from refried beans! If you ever saw refried beans made you might gasp. I know I did. And it still is a memory stuck in my brain. I was probably about 15 when I was over a friend’s house (okay that was a while ago, but I still remember it like yesterday) and her mom was making refriend beans.

The top half of the pan was floating with about a good 1 to 1 1/2 inches of grease/oil. And the beans were buried under it and as the beans heated up, the oil slowly absorbed into the beans so you no longer saw the oil just the beans. If I had not seen it made, I would have never known how much fat was secretively hiding in each bite.

But, you say, I love refried beans. Well, here is a tip then. There are fat free refried beans, canned versions you can find.

If you make fresh beans, instead of adding the oil to fry it up, use the juice of the beans and smash it up. It will look like refried without all the extra fat.

Taking the kids to watch the local professional team is always a fun and memorable day. But what should you buy your child to eat that is healthier?

Hot dog or pretzel? well, a hot dog with bun has about 280 calories including the mustard. It is high in fat but it does provide protein.

A pretzel has about 500 calories and is full of processed flour. So lots of calories and that is pretty much it.

Surprised, that a hot dog won out over the pretzel? I was, but there you go, a little knowledge can go a long way in helping reduce the amount of calories your child could eat during one ballgame.

To be fair, if your child is active everyday, eats healthy meaning about five servings of fruits and vegetables on most days than the occasional out of balance meal is not going to hurt. But most kids, unfortunately, are not in this category so it’s best to know which foods are really high in calories and then limit to one.

Hot dogs, chips and a soda adds up to a lot of calories. So ask them to pick one. It will help your pocketbook also.

Don’t buy the pretzel and hot dog. Ouch…That is almost 900 calories.

Another idea is have a cook out before the big game. Tailgating is fun and creates special memories for the family. Plus, you can sneak in those healthy treats and they won’t be hungry during the game!

Families are on the road for a short drive and an enjoyable “staycation” during the last couple of weeks before school starts.  With gas being so expensive, many families are opting out of the usual big travel plans and driving shorter distances for family fun time.  But when driving it can be challenging to keep your children on a healthy nutritious “road” while on the road!

Here is a great little article that gives some practical suggestions about traveling and eating healthy.

Plan ahead is the key.

• Bring a cooler with your kids favorite healthy snacks so you don’t have to stop at the oh-so-many-convenient stores that feature the latest high fats, high sugar foods.

• Don’t forget the disposal eating utensils so that you can easily serve up that delicious healthy dish you prepared.

• Dry healthy snacks are good for eating while in the car (nuts, granola, look for high fiber mixes)

• A planned stop at a rest stop or park for long drives is a great opportunity for the kids to enjoy a family picnic and stretch those legs.  Maybe even through around a football, frisbee or dodgeball.

The point really is to not let the outing dictate your food (cause you know what is mainly available on the road…and not so healthy) but to take a little time and plan the meal/snacks for the road so that fun, healthy and family vacation are combined into one happy memory.

Here is the update on the report just published on top 13 restaurant chains and the calories in the kids meals.  The benchmark was 430 calories.   Meals offered to children should not exceed this amount for one sitting (one meal) based on the recommended total calorie intake for 4-8 year olds.

The center found that 93% of the 1,474 possible choices exceeded the 430 calorie allowance for one meal.

• Chillis has 700 possible kids meal combinations:  94% are too high in calories
  • The report found that many combinations added up to over 1000 calories in one meal.

• Burger King has Big Kids meals that include double cheeseburger, fries and chocolate milk that reaches 910 calories
• Other restaurants mentioned were Jack in the Box, McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Whacky, Sonic, Wendy’s, Dairy Queen,  Arby’s, Chick-fil-A, Taco Bell and Dennys who all had meals that were too high in calories for children
• Subway faired better with 6 out of 18 Fresh Fit for Kids meals

What did the Restaurant’s respond:  they offer choices and it is up to the parents to guide their children in what they should eat.

I have been reading a few blogs who also are tauting the same message.  Don’t discount the power of early nutrition education.  If kids had a better sense of what their bodies needed, it might make it easier for parents and kids to work together in creating healthier meals.  But nutrition education is dominated by high sugar and high fat food companies marketing the wonder and deliciousness and fun of their foods.  Makes it hard.

Just remember, little steps do make a difference.  Every small change is a step to a healthier child.  Start by talking with your kids and making small agreements. If your child drinks coke every day, (I really hope they don’t) then try making an agreement to drink coke every other day and substitute water.  Small steps do make a difference.

What’s the buzz this week? A nonprofit organization has released a report about the calories in kids meals! From the top 13 chain restaurants. The report card was not too good for most of these restaurants. But really, are you surprised?

• 93% of the food offered to kids were over 430 calories.

I think that there are several challenges we parents face.

• how do you know how much calories your kids are supposed to be eating? maybe you think, 500 calories doesn’t sound too bad
• when you go out to to eat, you may be thinking or trusting that when it says “kids menu” that it is sized appropriately for children.
• maybe your child is not overweight so you don’t think you need to worry about their calorie intake
• maybe your child is overweight and you don’t want to harp on them or embarrass them by selecting a lighter meal

So how can I help. First, find out what your child’s calorie intake should be on a regular basis. Yes regular basis, because it’s okay to once in a while eat a little more than we need. Go to the meal planner and enter in three peices of information and you will know what your child’s body needs.

With just a little planning you can find out the calories for most of the major restaurants. If your like most families, you probably frequent 2 or 3 that are convenient for those family outings. Most restaurants have their nutrition information for their menus listed online under some kind of “nutrition” heading. Print out the menu and review it with your kids. Pick out some food choices that are lower in calorie. Help your child begin to think about “larger burger” skip dessert, maybe they will need to play in the backyard or do something active to burn it off. Everything in balance.

But make it an enjoyable experience so look over the menu of your favorite restaurant on a Sunday afternoon not right before you are going to go there.

If your child is overweight or if your child is not overweight, they are in the process of forming habits. All children need to learn about nutrition.

That means they need your help in learning how to make healthy choices now. You are their best role model…afterall. Would you teach math to person right before they are about to look for a job? No, math gets taught when kids are young, over time because it takes time to build that foundation. Nutrition is the foundation subject for good health. Kids need to learn it over time so they too build a strong foundation to help them make better lifestyle choices now and later.

But, I know I always say this, but it is so true. We have got to make it fun. Why? Otherwise, they will not want to learn about it. They will associate bad memories with the topic and shy away from it. We have to be smart like the high sugar companies. We have to make it fun and enjoyable.

Perhaps it is easier to say than do! but what if I told you that if we don’t start to help our children form better habits:

• they will have a shorter lifespan than you
• they have a 1 in 3 chance of developing diabetes before they are 30 years old
• overweight children will most likely be overweight adults
• early heart disease is being found in elementary school children

It is worth the time and effort to make nutrition a priority. Let them create their own balanced meal online and learn what their body needs with our Build-a-Meal game. Use just some of your time everyday to help your child learn about healthy choices.

Send me your ideas and suggestions. I am committed to helping you make nutrition fun for your family.

Burger King is going green and introducing a new healthier kids meal. Well, I am not a big supporter of fast foods but when they try to do something good, well you gotta give ‘em some props.

Burger King will be launching this month:

• a recycleable meal bag (..going green)
• a new snack food: sliced apples which will be packaged to look just like fries but when you take a bite, oh….it’s not fried it fresh sliced apples. It might a little nice surprise for you young ones.
• a Kraft macaroni and cheese dish that will be around 350 calories and less than 25% fat.

Not sure what they will be charging for sliced apples. let’s see if they put the marketing dollars behind it to make it fun and appealing to the kids…like they do with their other higher fat food items. I tried the sliced apples, and they were fresh and good.

If any of you have tried the new foods, let me know. Would love to hear how your kids are responding to it, how it is being marketed to the kids compared to their other food items.

To read, here is the article.

Florida parents are now receiving a health report on their child using a BMI score to measure if the child is at a healthy weight.

In Florida, parents received health report cards that were based on their child’s BMI age-to-percentile score. To learn more about a BMI score and see what your child’s score is, you can go to our parent’s tools page. But back to the article, in one county, over 1600 children received report cards that said they had “excess” weight.

• Some parents felt that it was too negative and were concerned that it may hurt their child’s feelings.
• Other parents were concerned that the score was not accurate and did not reflect their child accurately.
• Finally, some parents blamed the schools for the kind of foods offered to the children and its lack of exercise programs in the schools.

All in all, I think it is pretty natural for a parents first response to be defensive. I think that is why the healthcare community does not use terms like “obese”. They use these terms instead “at risk for overweight” or overweight. Obese sounds so bad.

But we need to look at the reality here. Kids are overweight and we are seeing the trend of childhood obesity rising not declining. Perhaps the state needs to be more sensitive and explain it further rather than send a report card.

But shouldn’t this be a discussion you have with your pediatrician. Shouldn’t the peds be doing BMI scores and talking with parents. I am a nurse and concerned that this important screening tool and discussions are not taking place in the doctor’s office. Maybe, parents will have to become more proactive and ask their child’s pediatrician. “Is my child at a healthy weight?”

This annual event is designed to remind kids of the importance of exercise.

This year, May 8th was the annual ACES (All children exercise simultaneously) event. Millions of children in the United States and from over 50 countries were supposed to partake in the event.

Essentially, the school has the children walk together at a specific time. This was a special walk that was first started by Len Saunders, a physical ed teacher from New Jersey in 1989. This is one day to remind children of the importance of being active. Did your child’s school participate in the annual event?
BTW, next year’s event is scheduled for May 6, 10am east coast time. Here is the website for more information. See if you can get your child’s school to participate.