A study just released by the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior has been causing headlines like “removing soda from the schools may not make a difference in teen’s consumption of soda”I am not sure what they are trying to imply with this study but teenagers are a pretty hard group to change habits.  These headlines are so misleading, are they implying we should put soda back in the school because it won’t make a difference?We don’t need a study to tell us that soda  IS NOT okay for children.  We know that one can has 10 or more teaspoons of sugar in it.  Who would give that to their child while they were in school?  We know that simple sugar gives us calories for some energy but no nutrition?  no vitamins, no minerals, no fiber…just calories.But regardless of all that, it speaks to one important key point. We need to help our kids form their habits  while they are younger.  Keep high fat and high sugary foods, including soda out of the house.  This is one of the best ways to limit the amount your child eats.  Help your child learn that these are not every day foods but once in a while foods.  Your actions can really send a strong message to your young child.The younger your child is the more impressionable they are to your ideas, thoughts and actions as they are beginning to form their own ideas and habits!  Show your child what foods you really value and love by keeping those foods in your house readily available for eating.And sometimes when you bite into your apple or whatever your favorite fruit or vegetable is, let out that “ahhh, this tastes soooo gooood!” So your child can not only see but hear how good those foods really are!  They are listening and learning…

Here’s an idea for a school or an afterschool program to do.  I have read about some organizations creating plays about healthy eating and daily exercise to help kids learn about nutrition in a fun, engaging way.

But how about if the schools let the kids come up with a list of healthy activities and created short skits about it.  Then they could perform their skits for the younger students and have lots of fun doing it.  Little children often look up to the older children.  And kids are so great at creatively coming up with ways to communicate messages to each other so that it really has meaning to them.

Maybe some of the skits could perform for PTA night.  Talk about giving the parents a little FUN way to learn about nutrition!

If you have other ideas on ways to teach kids about nutrition, please share it with us.

We often don’t think about where food comes from.  We just go to the grocery store and buy what we need.  I asked my niece, she’s eight, where food comes from and she said, “the store”.  Well, of course she said the store!  She is not growing up on a farm so why would she think it came from anywhere else?

There is a whole movement underway to help kids reconnect with  where food really comes from.  The path food travels from “farm to fork”.  This is another great way to have kids connect with healthy foods, helping them not only understand where food really comes from but seeing fresh food growing right before their eyes.  Meeting with local farmers to learn all about how food is grown.

It gives a whole new dimension to fruits and vegetables and also make them very interesting to learn about.

I have been reading about how schools are connecting with local farms to bring healthy foods fresh, organic to the child’s lunch program and even introducing programs that teach children about fresh fruits and vegetables and even growing them.

There is a wonderful organization called farmtoschool.org that is committed to connecting schools with local growers.  The organization has a great deal of information, program support and lists of grants that schools can apply for.

The National Farm to School Network sprouted from this desire to support community-based food systems, strengthen family farms, and improve student health by reducing childhood obesity.

Here is a link to a utube video about a farm to food program in Maynard, Massachusetts public school.  Pass this information on to your child’s school.

October 8th is the national Walk to School Day.  The goal is to promote family fitness by encouraging safe walking and/or riding a bicycle to school year round.

Here is a CDC fact:  Only 15% of students walk to school.  40 years ago 42% walked to school.

We have to improve our family health through more exercise and healthy eating.   This is a good way to start incorporating more activity in your child’s habits.  Another good benefit is some gas savings and of course it is environment friendly!

You can register your school’s event or sign up to a resource person for your state.  Register for 2008, http://www.walktoschool-usa.org/

The organization Healthy Kids Challenge is promoting a  national celebration of dance as a healthy activity for the entire family.  Dance for Health™ is an event designed to raise healthy lifestyle awareness and get kids and adults moving through dance.

It is a national fundraising event where proceeds  will be used to support Healthy Kids Challenge initiatives in your community. 65% of the funds raised stay with your school or youth program to further healthy eating and physical activity efforts.

Just set your Dance for Health™ event anytime between October 3rd and October 25th, 2008. Here are all the details  for how to host a Dance for Health ™ event in your area.

I love to dance and think this is a great idea and a way to raise some funds that you can benefit directly from.

Okay, the ban on soda in elementary schools is growing. There are now several states that don’t allow it in their vending machines nor as a classroom treat. California is one of those states. This week there has been buzz, speculation if this will really make a difference given a study that has just come out.

The study indicated that limiting availability of soft drinks at school is associated with a 4% decrease in the rate of any consumption overall.

I am seeing headlines: Very little impact seen…

I ask you, isn’t any decrease in kids’ overall consumption a good sign. We can’t expect the school to be the one and only driving factor. It is going to take a “village”. (Always wanted to use that line). It is going to take changes in school and at home. It is going to take positive messaging about the importance of nutrition through nutrition education. And, it is going to take time.

Let’s face it. We did not get here in a few years. This has been decades in the making and it is going to take time to change our habits as a society. But every change that a child makes is a step towards a healthier child.

So I say, the heck with all the negative press. We are starting to see a change in some children and that is a good start!

What do you think?

With the continued concern over the health of our children.  Many school districts are beginning to take action.  But my concern is that action is often tied up in “assessment”, “policy writing” and “lack of funding”.

So what can we as parents do.  Well, I think the first step is to find out what kind of physical activity program your child’s school offers.  We know they need an hour a day.  So how much are they getting of structured activity everyday?  every week?  We may not be able to wait for the schools to implement their policies and meetings to figure out when they will implement their new policies.  This could be too long and meanwhile, our  children are growing up.

You may have to find after school activities to get that daily hour in.  Of course there is sports, but sports is not the answer for all kids.  It is not always about competition, how about just plain old fun.  YMCAs are starting to offer after school exercise programs, families can be active together as well.

Check our our new Tips for Getting Active for some good suggestions, ideas and guidelines.

If you have a good way of keeping your family active, please share that with us!!

Here is an interesting new use of technology called MealpayPlus.  Los Angeles Unified School District is using this new software technology.  Essentially, it allows parents to log in and see what their child is buying for lunch.  Parents can add money to their child’s account, flag certain foods in their child’s diet, such as with food allergies.

I imagine, it is some kind of card, almost like an ATM card that kids use to pay for their meals and it automatically tracks what is being bought.  It gives parents a certain amount of control and visibility to what their child is buying and how they are spending their money.

Of course, the flip side is maybe that is too much control.  Maybe kids need some independence to learn how to make decisions and take some responsibility over their food choices.

Not sure, yet, what I think about it.  My kids are too old for this.  What do you think?

With the high cost of food, gas and general living expenses, we are all looking at how to economize a bit to get more for our buck. Back to school means buying food for school lunches or purchasing school lunches. I can’t tell you how many articles I have seen in the last month related to the increasing cost of school lunches. School cafeterias are experiencing the higher cost of providing school lunches and it is going to be passed down to the kids, or I should say parents. But that is to be expected.

What can parents do to try to control food costs, be a bit more economical and still provide their child with a nutritious lunch. This article shared a few ideas that some parents were doing with their children. It also pointed out the opportunity to teach your child about economics.

I do know you pay more for convenience. Here are a few off the top of my head suggestions:

• So one way to economize is to avoid the prepackaged lunches.
• Buying in bulk and packaging it yourself will save some money.
• Fresh fruits and vegetables are still inexpensive compared to high fat foods.
• Looking at what your child actually eats and minimizing the “throwing food away” will help.
• Having kids participate in the lunch making process, food selection will increase the chances that they will eat what you send.

Do any of you parents have other suggestions you can share?

According to a study done at Ulm Unversity, skipping breakfast not only affects children’s ability to stay alert during school but actually may affect boys and girls differently.

Here is what the study found after looking at 104 boarding schools students aged 13 to 20:

• all children reported feeling more alert during testing
• boys reported being in a better mood
• Boys scored better on visuospatial memory

Well the key message is that breakfast is important. Despite the craziness of the morning and everyone getting ready for school and work, we need to make time for breakfast. It will help kids be more alert and help with their memory. Many schools have breakfast programs if you don’t have to time to make it, but you gotta get to school early enough so that they have time to eat their breakfast.

So either way, it means getting up a half an hour earlier so Breakfast is a “must” for the day.

For some helpful breakfast tips, read our Article: Tips for Kids Healthy Breakfasts written by a mother and dietitian.