Frequenting fast food places, 2 out of 3 meals are eaten away from the home
Coffee and soda drinkers at age 10, maybe younger
Many snacks contain addictive ingredients like salt, sugar
High fructose corn syrup, trans fats…
With so much time spent on computers, it’s not possible to exercise
Eating while watching television, limits stimulating and important personal conversations
WHAT ARE WE THINKING WHEN IT COMES TO FEEDING AND CARING FOR OUR CHILDREN?
Why are fast food companies being blamed for the obesity epidemic? We are too busy to buy or make food, too tired and worn down to say “No you can’t” have pizza or fast food for lunch today” and even too tired to spend quality time with our children by taking a walk, reading a book or just asking, “How was your day?” Many kids get little attention unless a note was sent home about poor behavior or they are being picked up from school after detention.
Next time you go to a child friendly park look around and see what is really happening. Children that are capable of walking are being pushed in strollers, everyone eats fries, shakes, ice cream…OK special vacation, special meal many people feel like what the heck we are on vacation…but what kind of example are we setting when everyday and every meal is the same pizza, fries, hot dogs, shakes and ice cream? Some people say well its just one meal, but its not! The next day when too pressed for time, to the drive thru we go.
While her little boy practically inhaled my child’s whole bag of strawberries, one mom said to me, “Strawberries, I never knew he would eat those? This was a mom who was thin but ate junk because she does not like fruits or veggies. She NEVER thought to offer him a strawberry. By the way he was not fat but at three years old he was already heavy in the middle. And, I do know for a fact he visited fast food joints frequently.
Its no wonder 1 in 3 kids are overweight or obese and the prevalence of diabetes in children has skyrocketed. Research shows that kids eat better when they eat even one meal with their family.
What happened to water, fruits, vegetables or snacks that are void of excessive amounts of additives like sugar, soy, corn, trans fats, high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners? If adults don’t eat ‘em neither will their children. You can learn more about how these additives wreak havoc in your body, check out my book at http://www.amazon.com/Stubborn-Fat-Fix-Metabolic-Exercise/dp/159486828X.
5 WaysTo Make The Grade: Feed Your Child Healthy Today
1. Eat at home as often as possible, start with breakfast on the weekend sit down, eat and talk
2. Use popsicle sticks as skewers for apples, pears, melons, pineapples
3. Dress vegetables
a. Ants on a log (celery, peanut butter, raisins)
b. Open face cucumber cream cheese sandwich (spread thin layer cream cheese on a thick cucumber that has been sliced down the middle, top off with another cucumber, sprinkle with diced peppers, stick a carrot on the top or create your own masterpiece
c. Dip it! Any dip will do (hummus, Greek yogurt, guacamole, olive oil based salad dressing or one that does not contain corn syrup, trans fats
d. Steamed mashed cauliflower with butter, they’ll think it potatoes
4. Use herbal flavored teas, its not the same sugar load as juice but it does have flavor
5. Veggie or fruit bowl
a. Set the mood, cut or buy different colored veggies (carrots, red pepper, celery) or fruit (red apple, green pear,
b. Convenience is important, get a few different plates and display the different colored foods on a table. Leave them there and watch your family enjoy good food without having to say a word
