Mom it Forward » Healthy Food

Health: How to Make Healthy Eating Yummy and Fun

Jamie Moesser — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 17:00:24 +0000

We like food around here, particularly healthy food. We also recognize that making food that tastes good, is also healthy and is something that even the pickiest young eater will eat and is relatively easy to fix can be difficult. That’s why we made healthy, fun, yummy food the topic of conversation at a recent MomItForward Twitter Girls’ Night Out (#gno) party, sponsored by the National Dairy Council. You’d be surprised at the tips offered for making healthy eating fun and yummy, both for kids and adults. Some of them are common sense. Some of them are not.

Top Ten Tweet Tips for Making Healthy Eating Fun and Yummy

Keep junk food out. This seems inherently obvious, but can be the most difficult to do, not only because of the kids’ tastes but the parents’ as well. However, if there are unhealthy options in the house, those are the ones we all want to go to first. Tweeters agreed wholeheartedly that keeping the junk food out is the best way to cut down on calories.
Involve the kids in the food prep process. As @KimFoodTalk says, “Involvement is key.” This can mean anything from letting younger kids help with measuring and stirring, to letting older kids choose or even find the recipes they’d like to eat.
Lead by example. You cannot tell your kids to eat healthy while chugging diet soda, unfortunately.
Talk with an administrator at your kids’ school(s) about the Fuel Up to Play 60 program, which is “a set of long-term health and wellness solutions in schools to encourage physical activity and good nutrition,” according to @JenniPurcellRD. It is sponsored by the National Dairy Council and the National Football League. More than 70,000 schools are already enrolled. You can find out if your schools enrolled here, says @INDairy.
Dip away. Dips make everything more palatable, and can add to, rather than take away from, the nutritional value of many things. Try mixing Nutella with greek yogurt, for instance, suggests @LizKelsay. Greek yogurt has more protein, less sodium, less carbohydrates, and is easier to digest and creamier than regular yogurt, according to LiveStrong.com.
Walk to the grocery store. Many of us might balk at this, but a surprising number of our tweeters say they do this. Not only does it burn calories, and reduce auto emissions, but it also makes it easy not to buy any extra non-necessities. @Mom4EverEver says her walk is just under two miles there and back.
Look at food from the back end. Explore where food comes from by either planting a garden, buying from a farmers market, or even joining a food co-op. @CoreyAnnKhan says, “Backyard gardens are easy! Even in urban areas!”
Call it something else. For us, calling broccoli “trees” and pretending like we were giants while we ate it worked really well to get our kids to eat it initially. They continue to eat it because they like the taste, especially when I serve it with a pinch of garlic salt or dried cranberries and sesame seeds, and they know it strengthens their bones, helps them digest better, and get sick less.
Make a specific plan. Everyone’s different, but for many, including @HoosierHomemade, making a menu plan for the whole upcoming week or month cuts down on trips to McDonald’s and impulse buying. That’s why we at MomItForward offer a weekly meal plan. Once the plan is made and supplies bought, you’ve got more time for fun!
Mix up the order. @EmmaSamuelsRD says she serves fruits and veggies before other components of meals and snacks so her kids “get the goods!”

Eating healthier and yummier can be done and can be fun. Let us know what’s worked for you!

Feature photo courtesy of Flickr.

Healthy Dessert: Quick and Easy Strawberry Trifle Recipe

Trina Robertson — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:00:18 +0000

Many children and adults enjoy dessert after dinner. Instead of saying “no” to a sweet treat, find something you are comfortable serving your family.

There are many sweet foods that pack good nutrition too —fresh or frozen fruit, hot chocolate made with low-fat milk, peanut butter smeared on a small piece of chocolate. There is no need to feel guilty about indulging in moderation.

Some experts even recommend serving dessert (just one small serving) at the same time as dinner. This allows children to choose dessert on their own terms. While this might not feel natural to some parents, guide your child to return to dinner foods that are still table if they are hungry.

Since I prefer to spend my time in the kitchen preparing dinner, I search for desserts that include foods from the food groups and can be made quickly. This Strawberry Trifle fits the bill and I made it quicker to make than the original. It includes strawberries that I can pick up at the local stands that have popped up around town and fat-free milk, which is always in my refrigerator.

Ruby red, juicy strawberries not only look and taste good, but they are also a low calorie treat that provide plenty of great nutrition. This high-fiber fruit along with blood pressure lowering fat-free milk, makes this recipe a great February treat to celebrate Heart Health Month.

Quick and Easy Strawberry Trifle Recipe

This Strawberry Trifle recipe is a delicious, low-fat dessert that you can quickly assemble and then put in the refrigerator to let the flavors meld together until it is time to serve. This is a perfect dessert for kids to help make too.

Ingredients:

1 package (1.4 ounces) Vanilla Pudding mix
2 cups Fat-free Milk
1 (12 oz) Non-fat Pound Cake; cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup Orange juice
2 pints Baskets California Strawberries , stemmed (divided)
4 Tbsp Sugar
Low-fat whipped topping, thawed mint leaves and additional strawberries, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Prepare pudding with milk according to package directions.
Place cake in 2 1/2 to 3 quart trifle bowl or other glass bowl; pour juice over and set aside.
In blender or food processor puree 1 basket of the strawberries with 4 Tbsp. of the sugar, pour over cake.
Pour pudding over blended strawberries.
Slice the remaining strawberries; arrange over cake and set aside.
Cover and refrigerate 4-24 hours. Garnish, if desired.

Makes 10-12 servings.

What are your favorite healthy desserts? How are you cutting back on fat in your diet?

Photo provided courtesy of the California Strawberry Commission and flickr. Featured image courtesy of flickr.

Trina Robertson is a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in sports nutrition. As a Meals Matter Mom she shares her positive approach to healthy eating with the goal of inspiring others to prepare and enjoy foods. As a Project Manager with the Dairy Council of California, Trina develops, evaluates and promotes nutrition education materials for students and adults. At home she enjoys cooking and sharing meals with her family. Her most rewarding accomplishment is that her tween boys are good eaters and are learning to cook. Trina Robertson, MS, RD. Follow Trina on Twitter (@TrinaR_RD).

Healthy Eating: How To Become a Vegetarian

vegetarianmamma — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 12:00:13 +0000

Creating healthy eating habits for everyone in your family might be important to you. Teaching your kids the importance of vegetables and nutrition might be of interest to you. Becoming a vegetarian might be a big priority for you. It was for me.

Being a vegetarian is not all about eating tofu and raw vegetables all the time; it’s a choice that my family has made to be healthier and kinder to the world around us! Everyone has their own reasons to be or not to be vegetarian and it is a personal choice. I am not here to judge — I am here to give you some tips and tricks if you would like to cut some meat from your diet in the new year!

How To Become a Healthy Vegetarian

Educate Yourself

You first need to educate yourself and know that often times vegetarians may become deficient in vitamin D, protein, Vitamin B12, Zinc, Iron, and Calicum when they remove meat, fish, dairy products, and eggs from their diet. This statement shouldn’t discourage you, but empower you to learn more about what’s in the food that you are eating. Those deficiencies can easily be resolved by eating more green and leafy vegetables, drinking calcium fortified orange juice, and eating more beans/seeds/nuts/grains/etc. Simply put: It’s eating more of “whole” foods. Foods that don’t have preservatives in them or foods that haven’t been cooked, recooked, and cooked again before packaging.

Set Goals

You need to set some goals for yourself, but at the same time be realistic. Becoming a vegetarian is a huge lifestyle style change and it will take time. I found that it was easier for my family to take baby steps during the process.

A simple goal might be to have one family dinner a week that is meatless. I know, I know, that is not very much but if you are coming from a strict meat and potatoes type of family, one night a week is a huge change.

Another small step you can take is to eliminate meat products from breakfasts and lunches before moving to an all meatless dinner plan. I have many friends who have first eliminated red meat from their diets and then moved to removing poultry products.

Find Recipes

You need to find some fun and exciting recipes. Take your favorite recipe and make it without meat. We did that with our favorite stir fry and loved it! My advice would be to not try meat replacement products at first when you are trying to make the switch to a non meat diet. When we first switched over to being vegetarian, we tried many meatless products and they did not taste good. After being vegetarian now for several years, most of those products taste good.

A lot of people ask if we miss meat. Honestly, I don’t miss it. I did think that I would miss hamburgers and steak. Nope, no way, I don’t. It was a pretty big adjustment for our extended family though. It took several years before my husband’s father quit asking us if we wanted turkey at Thanksgiving, after all it was white meat. Again, it’s about education and patience.

Own It

So my advice to you is to explore and educate yourself. There are no rules to this game. I am a vegetarian who eats very little dairy, my husband is a vegetarian who eats fish and dairy, my older son is a vegetarian who eats dairy, and my younger son is a vegetarian who is dairy free but eats eggs. So you can see how diverse it can be. You make your own plan, follow it, and own it! You can do it!

What is your favorite healthy meal? How do make sure you are eating fruits and veggies in your diet?

Pictures courtesy of flickr.

Cindy Gordon, founder of the blog, Vegetarian Mamma, is a wife and mamma of two energetic boys! Cindy loves to dish about recipes, vegetarianism, saving money, home schooling and her new life as a mamma to a child with life threatening allergies. Be sure to follow “Vegetarian Mamma” on Facebook and Twitter @Vegetarianmamma

Mushroom Council: Tuesday #gno Twitter Party on Health and Breast Cancer Awareness

Jen Tilley — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:02:00 +0000

Now that it is October, the spotlight is shining on breast cancer, and rightfully so. According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 232,620 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. this year.

A proven part of cancer prevention is healthier diets. The USDA MyPlate already recommends half a plate of fruits and vegetables. So if you’re looking to pile on the veggies, consider that leading cancer research center, City of Hope, has reported about mushrooms’ cancer fighting abilities. Also, mushrooms help lower cholesterol, and improve immune system with vitamin B complex, Vitamin D, and Vitamin C. Who knew mushrooms can do so much besides add more flavor!

To support important research on mushrooms and cancer, the Mushroom Council has invested $750,000 in grants to the City of Hope since 2002. This fall, the Mushroom Council is providing an additional $50,000 and will sell mushrooms in pink containers in recognition of breast cancer research and Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

If you visit the Mushroom Channel Facebook page you will see that they are also sharing lots of mouth watering recipes that will help us find new and fun ways to add mushrooms to our diets. Whether you are trying to incorporate cancer fighting foods in your diet or just improve your overall health, you will want to join our #gno twitter party on October 4 to learn how.

Party Topic

Join Mushroom Council and our panel of experts as we discuss health,wellness and breast cancer awareness. The party will be held on Tuesday, October 4 from 9-11 ET (8CT, 7MT, 6PT). Click here to see details about the giveaway and enter for a chance to win.

Party Details

What: Girls’ Night Out (#gno) Twitter party (Click here to learn about #gno!)
When: Tuesday, October 4 from 9-11 p.m. EST (8 CT, 7 MT, & 6 PT)
Where: Party with us on our very own Custom Tweetgrid! (Use hashtags #gno and #Mushrooms)
Topic: Health,wellness, and breast cancer awareness
Who: Brand Panelist: @MushroomChannel, Community Panelists: @doughmesstic @FoodforMyFamily @fujimama @goodLifeEats @alisonlewis @aggieskitchen @cookincanuck @bellalimento @RealMomKitchen @cookinlean, Moderators: @jylmomIF @Dadventurous @troypattee @MomItForward
Party Favors: Click here to enter the giveaway.
RSVP: Use Mr. Linky below (enter the twitter URL and your twitter ID (e.g., http://twitter.com/jylmomIF).

RT @MomItForward Join @MushroomChannel #gno party 10/4 (9-11 ET) on Health & Breast Cancer Awareness http://bit.ly/ocf23i #Mushrooms PLS RT

Note: Mom It Forward accepts paid sponsorships for most #gno Twitter parties. During the parties, brand sponsors provide tips, techniques, expert advice, and information on party topics. Mom It Forward is grateful for the giveaway prizes, coupons, and discounts that sponsors also provide to the Mom It Forward community in conjunction with #gno Twitter parties.

Healthy Eating: Three Ways to Eat Local Foods

James Kim — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 17:00:05 +0000

The sad truth is that eating local is tougher and more expensive than eating “regular” mass-produced food. Otherwise, everyone would do it. But eating local does have one major thing going for it: it’s fun! You can eat local and have fun doing it. Find out how by reading the tips below and start using local food in your meal planning.

Simple Ways to Eat Local Food

1. Go to a U-Pick Farm

Take a field trip to a u-pick farm where you can spend a summer afternoon picking ripened fruit or veggies right off the land. Bring containers for carrying your picked goods, wear some comfortable sneakers, slap on some sunscreen, and get pickin’! The types of fruits of vegetables vary from region to region and season to season, but you can find u-pick farms and seasonal lists on the Pick-Your-Own website.

2. Visit a Farmers’ Markets

Going to a farmers’ market is an event. The people watching, the hustle n’ bustle, the aisles of fresh and vibrant food – there is no better way to spend an afternoon for a true foodie. Not only do you feel closer to the food you’re buying, you feel closer to those selling it to you. Find a farmers’ market in your area on the Local Harvest website.

3. Grow a Garden

The cheapest way to go ultra-local? Build a mini-farm in your own backyard! Believe it or not, gardening is therapeutic. According to Eva Shaw, PhD, “hospitalized patients’ wounds heal faster and they require fewer pain killers and antidepressants when they are merely looking at a painting of a garden.” Additionally, “gardening is one of the non-prescription interventions that has the ability to slow the rate of cognitive decline,” says David Carr, MD.

So what if you don’t exactly have a green thumb? Don’t worry, not many of us do. There are plenty of fruits and vegetables out there that are fairly easy to manage. Carrots, cilantro, basil, chives, peppers, and strawberries are among the easiest to grow. Spend your Sunday afternoons digging up fresh earth and feel the therapeutic effects of building your own local food garden.

So there they are, three ways to put your local eating into action. So what are you waiting for? Start eating local today.

How do you eat local? What do you love most about eating locally grown foods?

Photo courtesy of Flickr.

James Kim is a writer for foodonthetable.com. Food on the Table is a company that provides online budget meal planning services. Their goal is to help families eat better and save money.

Healthy Eating: Teaching Kids About Nutrition

mommyniri — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 11:00:28 +0000

“Because my mom does not allow me to!” was a comment often made by my sister when she was asked something about why I did not join in her (often) rambunctious friends. As much as I loved my sister, I hated the response. I felt that it made my mom look like a bully who just wanted to rule the roost with no rhyme or reason as she dished out orders. Needless to say, when my sister was of age she did the exact opposite. I realized that although my mom had good intentions when she told my sister what to do, she never took the time to tell her why she thought so.

Maybe she did not have the time (my mom spent time on useless chores like ironing – blech) or maybe she did not feel the need to explain herself. I just found it hard to see so much good advice getting thrown out. I have my fair share of mess-ups as a mom but I really wanted to make an effort to educate rather than lecture (except I have my moments too). So when I got over my shock that my 2-year-old could read (I simply cannot take the credit for that), I decided to make sure she looked at food with education.

We spoke of calcium when we spoke of milk, and spoke about strong bones, we spoke of vitamins and fighting being sick as we looked at fruits. They knew protein was going to build muscles to make them strong so they ate up their beans. And fiber, well I called fiber the washing machine for their insides, making it all smacking clean. It was pretty close to the truth and I wanted to keep it free from poop talk. Well, not that we did not even discuss that. They know when they are lacking in water based on their stools too. OK, I confess, I lie a little – I do say broccoli helps hair grow longer but let’s keep that between you and me.

When my daughter was diagnosed with Autism, I started taking a finer look at ingredients and checked out food coloring. I found that those artificial colors were bad and have an even worse impact on Autistic kids. I explained to her that eating artificial colors was like eating paint. So now she reads for FDC color red #40 and understands that it is not good for her. She may have it on occasion at a party but it is not the norm and I don’t keep them in my home.

She may scream out someday that “I don’t want strong bones so I don’t want my milk!” but I doubt I will ever hear “Because my mom said drink my milk!”

How do you educate your kids on healthy eating? How does that differ from the way that you were taught?

Niri blogs at www.MommyNiri.com where features news, views, reviews and interviews. Read along to learn more about The World according to Mommy Niri. Follow her on twitter @mommyniri.

Pink Tank Giveaway: Win a $250 Amazon Gift Card

Jen Tilley — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 05:04:15 +0000

The start of the New Year is quickly approaching and with that comes people who take this time to recommit to health. In order to measure success, it’s important to create goals that can be met and celebrated in order to increase motivation levels. By setting family health goals, it will only help to increase motivation levels through healthy competition.

The Prizes

This week’s giveaway is all about family health goals. One lucky winner will receive a $250 Amazon Gift Card.

Entry Requirements

For a chance to enter and win, please complete the following requirements and leave a separate comment for each on this post, including links to your original tweets.

Follow @BeShareworthy on Twitter.
Visit the website beshareworthy.com, check out what brands they think are Shareworthy, and leave a comment on Mom It Forward about which Shareworthy post you like best.
Tweet the following:

RT @MomItForward Join @BeShareworthy #gno Twitter party on Tue 12/14 (9-11 ET) 2 chat family health goals http://bit.ly/g5OpLw PLS RT

RT @MomItForward GIVEAWAY! Enter 4 chance 2 win a $250 Amazon Gift Card http://bit.ly/ejilej #gno #Shop4Health PLS RT

Terms and Conditions

Winners will be selected randomly through http://random.org. No purchase necessary to enter. Giveaway ends at midnight ET Wednesday, December 15. See all terms and conditions here.

Pink Tank: Tuesday #gno Twitter Party on Family Health Goals

Jen Tilley — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 05:03:50 +0000

Now is the time to enjoy all of the delicious flavors that the holiday season has to offer because those dreaded New Year’s resolutions are lurking around the corner. New Year’s resolutions, more often than not, have something to do with people recommitting to health.

Due to cost and availability, people tend to divide purchases between drugstores, supermarket and specialty stores to get the most bang for their buck. In order to make this process easier on your wallet and time, it’s important to discuss ways to improve the entire experience in order to help you reach your family’s health goals.

Party Topic

Join Pink Tank and our panel of experts as we discuss how grocery stores, and brands sold there, can help people meet more family health goals than food alone. The party will be held on Tuesday, December 14 from 9-11 ET (8CT, 7MT, 6PT). Click here to see details about the giveaway and enter for a chance to win.

Party Details

What: Girls’ Night Out (#gno) Twitter party (Click here to learn about #gno!)
When: Tuesday, December 14 from 9-11 p.m. EST (8CT, 7 MT, & 6 PT)
Where: Party with us on our very own Custom Tweetgrid! (Use hashtags #gno and #Shop4Health)
Topic: Family Health Goals
Who: Brand Panelists: @beshareworthy, Community Panelists: @savings_steward @alisonlewis @fujimama @JoyceHarrellRN @banteringblonde @DuongSheahan @CarissaRogers, Moderators: @jylmomIF @Dadventurous @troypattee and @MomItForward
Party Favors: Click here to enter for a chance to win a $250 Amazon Gift Card
RSVP: Use Mr. Linky below (enter the twitter URL and your twitter ID (e.g., http://twitter.com/jylmomIF).

RT @MomItForward Join @BeShareworthy #gno Twitter party Tue 12/14 (9-11 ET) 2 chat family health goals http://bit.ly/g5OpLw PLS RT

Orville Redenbacher’s Giveaway: Win Popcorn, Popcorn Bowl and a Visa Gift Card (5 Winners)

Jen Tilley — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 05:05:12 +0000

We all love the holidays but loathe the added calories we tend to pack on as we snack on cookies, drink eggnog and enjoy feasts with family and friends. Snacking during the holidays doesn’t always have to have a negative impact on your health. Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn has many health benefits and is the perfect snack food to enjoy during the holiday season.

Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn has several advantages over other snacks, including the fact that it is 100 percent whole grain, a good source of fiber, low in fat and it has zero grams of trans-fat. Cook some Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn and enjoy healthy snacking during the holiday season.

The Prizes

This week’s giveaway is all about healthy snacking during the holiday season. There will be one grand prize winner and four runner-ups who will receive the following prizes:

One Grand Prize Winner will receive:

Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn varieties (a mix of Light Butter, Lime and Salt, Cheddar and Kettle Korn)
Popcorn bowl and cups from Crate&Barrel
$50 Visa Gift Card
Healthy Snack Recipe Mix-ins (A mix of nuts, raisins, chocolates, dried cranberries, honey and recipes from the Orville Redenbacher’s website)

Four runner-ups will receive:

Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn varieties (a mix of Light Butter, Lime and Salt, Cheddar and Kettle Korn)
Popcorn bowl from Crate&Barrel
$20 Visa Gift Card

Entry Requirements

For a chance to enter and win, please complete the following requirements and leave a separate comment for each on this post, including links to your original tweets.

Visit the Orville Redenbacher’s website and leave a comment on this post about what dish you would most like to prepare during the holidays.
Tweet the following:

RT @MomItForward – Join #Orville #gno Twitter party Mon 12/6 (9-11 pm ET) 2 chat healthy snacking http://bit.ly/hVi6fA PLS RT

RT @MomItForward- GIVEAWAY! Enter 2 win #Orville popcorn, popcorn bowl and Visa gift card (5 winners) http://bit.ly/g1y4PR #gno PLS RT

Optional Entry

The following extra entry is completely optional and will earn you one extra entry for this giveaway. Leave a separate comment on this post for the completed entry.

Like the Orville Redenbacher’s page on Facebook

Terms and Conditions

Winners will be selected randomly through http://random.org. No purchase necessary to enter. Giveaway ends at midnight ET Tuesday, December 7. See all terms and conditions here.

Orville Redenbacher’s: Monday #gno Twitter Party on Healthy Snacking During the Holiday Season

Jen Tilley — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 05:05:04 +0000

When it comes to the holidays, all attempts at eating healthy tend to go out the window. Health and diets typically are at the bottom of the priority list as buying gifts, baking cookies and attending holiday parties tend to make their way to the top. This is the time of year that we surround ourselves with all of the joys of the holiday season and with those joys comes added, unwanted calories.

Huge dinners, dinner parties and other festivities during the holiday season make it difficult to be health-conscious during the most wonderful time of the year. However, being health-conscious doesn’t have to mean that you can’t enjoy the holidays to the fullest. There are plenty of ways to enjoy food, especially snacks, in a healthy and beneficial way.

Party Topic

Join Orville Redenbacher’s and our panel of experts as we discuss healthy snacking during the holiday season. The party will be held on Monday, December 6 from 9-11 ET (8CT, 7MT, 6PT). Click here to see details about Orville Redenbacher’s giveaway and enter for a chance to win.

Party Details

What: Girls’ Night Out (#gno) Twitter party (Click here to learn about #gno!)
When: Monday, December 6 from 9-11 p.m. EST (8CT, 7 MT, & 6 PT)
Where: Party with us on our very own Custom Tweetgrid! (Use hashtags #gno and #Orville)
Topic: Healthy snacking during the holiday season
Who: Brand Panelists: @GenaMazzeo @bayjb @skpagel, Community Panelists: @DineandDish @goodLifeEats @themommyfiles @TwoPeasandPod @HowToSimplify @7clowncircus @TonyaStaab @Girlfriendology @mommyniri @SeeryusMama, Moderator(s): @jylmomIF @Dadventurous @troypattee and @MomItForward
Party Favors: Click here enter for a chance to win Orville Redenbacher’s giveaway.
RSVP: Use Mr. Linky below (enter the twitter URL and your twitter ID (e.g., http://twitter.com/jylmomIF).

RT @MomItForward – Join #Orville #gno Twitter party Mon 12/6 (9-11 pm ET) 2 chat healthy snacking http://bit.ly/hVi6fA PLS RT