March for Change 2/14/13 Hartford, CT (by Redding MarchforChange)
This might work better…. another video with our children from the town next to Newtown, Connecticut.
Please reblog.
Thank you to all my 50,000+ followers. Thank you for following me. Thank you for understanding my purpose. I hope I help you or others.
Just for the record… it’s been really difficult with my youngest son lately. He’s my pickiest eater. Getting him to eat a variety of foods has been really challenging in the past couple of weeks. Actually seemingly overnight he’s gone off some of his old favorites (salmon, seaweed, mushrooms, cheese) so I’m not cooking/serving most of them right now. Instead of trying too hard with lots of different foods, I am going with healthful foods I know he will eat.
So for his health and our sanity I am serving mostly the following foods: broccoli, sugar and snap peas, green beans, celery, carrots, apples, oranges, bananas, strawberries, pears, yogurts, milk, and fairly plain salads. He’ll eat other things apart from these fruits and vegetables as well, but really limited considering the rest of the family— brown rice, pasta (plain), chicken, baked white fish, couscous, hummus, peanut butter, steak, lamb.
He won’t eat soup, chili, stew, stir fry, and most foods that are a one pot meals. Last week was difficult since that’s mostly what I made. Makes it challenging but I am still making him eat a little of the food if I’ve made it. I figure just like he is “off” certain former favorites and not liking things mixed, he will eventually come back to a greater variety if I don’t push too hard, but remain firm. I remember when I was his age taking a dislike to the cheese on pizza and sauce on spaghetti, but I got adventurous again not long after and my mother didn’t push. Instead of any possibility of a fight, most of this week I am cooking things I know he’ll eat.
As a child I remember going to some friends’ homes where the mom made my brother and I eat the overcooked zucchini and squash. Big-seeded, mushy, thin-cut vegetables are not appealing to many young kids. I held my nose and choked it down. My brother sat at that table all night. We wouldn’t touch them for years. Now, it’s a different story. I think if the vegetables are cooked right they are more appealing, but it’s not a guarantee that they’ll pass muster. Also if you push too hard, if you aren’t flexible, it can backfire. It’s a fine line and not an easy thing to decide. Being firm yet flexible. Not giving in every time, but understanding when you must bend the rules. So making sure the alternatives aren’t full of sugar and that his dietary needs are met. Thankfully he still loves his broccoli.
And now to prepare for another storm. Hopefully we won’t lose power in this one because no power equals no heat or water (hot or cold).
Is there anything you wish to know? A recipe I didn’t share? A story you’d like to share or something you wish I’d share? Let me know!
Our kids’ school year just began the other day and I have decided to try something different to help our elementary school students eat more fruits and vegetables. At the last school year’s PTA meeting I had been given the idea to get some parent volunteers to come in to help the first graders get through the lunch lines on those first few days of school. Although they’d had a run-though of what to do/expect at the end of their Kindergarten year, it could be overwhelming for the wee ones when returning after their long summer break. I decided to use the opportunity to do a little coaxing when it came to the fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately our school lunch provider doesn’t automatically give the kids those, they usually just offer them. And not only are they just offered, they are in small plastic containers (except a couple of whole apples, oranges or bananas) that are set in a bin the kids have to reach to get (which can be tough for the smaller ones).
So, I organized my volunteers to gently persuade all the kids (grades1 through 4) to take as many of the small containers as they’d like by telling them what’s in them and to say, “which one would you like sweet red peppers or coleslaw… or both?” instead of just saying “would you like some vegetables?” And if they refused try to convince them they needed their vegetables and fruits for a well-rounded meal, to be strong, to be smart, to be healthy. Whatever they could think of that would work.
Interestingly I found that the lunch ladies hadn’t planned on the kids taking so many of these containers of vegetables and fruits as we’d run out during service for each grade every time in the first week (they were prepared but in the walk-in inside the kitchen — where I wasn’t allowed to go). Continue reading
Every now and then I just need to let one out— get up on my soapbox and shout about something. The time has come for one of those rants. I recently took my kids to Peachwave, a self-serve soft yogurt place. Seemed like a fun idea, plus I’d used it as an incentive to get my reluctant 4th grader to get over his Mondayitis and go to school that morning (when you get home from school I’ll take you). Peachwave is a franchise that is similar (but not the same) as other frozen yogurt places that have cropped up not only here but overseas. They have a wall of self-serve yogurt flavors and then a buffet of toppings (fresh fruit, cookies, candies). 
Then it’s all weighed and you pay by the ounce or gram. Well, sounds innocuous enough, but then I ate some and really started looking around and paying attention. All over the place “healthy” was emblazoned. Now, I’m all for healthy and eating healthful foods, but something seemed off. I should have become aware when I saw the plentiful vibrantly colored candies as the most common toppings. 
First I noticed that the two cup sizes were huge and massive (the smallest was 16oz). Then when I was really tasting the yogurt I kept getting this kvetchy sensation in the back of my throat and a strange aftertaste. I decided to ask the staff if they had a list of ingredients. They looked at me as though I had two heads then rolled their eyes at each other like this was the strangest thing each of them had ever been asked. One older woman did try to help and said that there was probably a list of ingredients on the bags of mix in the back. Bags of mix? That didn’t sound appealing. Then she pointed out that there was a nutritional contents list near the front of the store. So, upon reading that I noticed that a serving size was3 oz. Wait? 3 ounces per serving when the smallest cup to hold a “serving” in was16 ounces. Hmm… so the smallest cup holds 5+ servings. The amount of sugar on average was 18g. 
So, if someone filled their small cup to the top and didn’t load it with candies, strawberry syrup, chocolate fudge, whipped cream or even fruit… and they ate it all it would be over 86 grams of sugar! That’s without the toppings. Healthy? How is that healthy? Average calories per serving (sampled 20 off their list alphabetically) is 92. I noticed most people there ate at least half. So, if they ate the whole cup that would equal 491 calories. This is how we’ve gotten to be an obese society— by increasing the portion size while pretending to be health food.
Since I’ve got an iPhone I decided to look up on their website for ingredients, etc. Four of the yogurt flavors were listed, most were not. But, for example vanilla has sugar as its second ingredient and it’s flavored artificially. Yet, they claim their yogurt to be “natural” on the products page. I highly doubt most people would consider their newest brightly colored cotton candy or bubblegum flavors to be natural.
Personally I would rather go to our local creamery ice cream spot (when they’re open for the season) and get full-fat, sweet ice cream that is made on premises with their own cow’s milk. It’s rich, delicious and you only need a tiny bit to feel satisfied (because they left the fat in there). I’m not saying don’t go to Peachwave. What I’m trying to point out is that their “healthy” claims are not as they seem. I really think people are trying to do the right thing and this takes advantage of that. I believe that people should make informed decisions with food and food-like substances.
(Disclaimer- I used to eat ice cream 5 times a week when I was pregnant and nursing. Can’t do that anymore, but I really love ice cream. Now only buy hormone-free, mostly natural ingredients-especially colored.)
You will often find, “Cook with them” or “Let them help in the kitchen” high up on the list of suggestions on how to get kids to eat healthier foods. I agree. I do sometimes see parents or even teachers letting the kids help when it comes to making cookies or baking a cake, but it’s not as often that I notice them help make a healthier meal or a salad. I do think it’s good to get them involved in helping prepare many different foods so they learn more about them and may be more interested in eating that food they had a hand in. 
I’m not saying my kids help me on a daily basis but they do love to help and do it often enough that they feel involved and interested. They do seem more enthusiastic about the meal and even more eager to try it because they’re proud of their contribution. I also may go further than some would ever consider at my sons’ ages; like letting them use knives. 
They need to learn; so who better to teach them and what safer place than at home? It took a while for my husband to let my eldest son use a chef’s knife, but even he relaxed a bit and realized we needed to show him how to handle it properly and to position his fingers that hold whatever he’s cutting. Now they all help. 
My eldest isn’t very coordinated but he’s doing a fine job and loves to feel empowered with the trust we’ve given him. He now feels confident enough to fix himself sandwiches and other quick meals when he’s hungry. We even give my 4 year old a steak knife at the dinner table. I feel it’s often safer to give a sharp knife than a dull one, and serrated knives are less likely to slip. Again, as long as they’re supervised and shown the proper way to handle the knives, they should be fine and it should be good for their confidence. 
So, get them involved in food preparation even teach them how to use knives— they’ll be better off for it all! And before you know it, they might create a great meal for you!
