Jump Into Healthy Living

Tasty Tips for Eating Healthy on Family Road Trips  2004

Summer is often a time for family vacations and trips to visit friends.  Travel during the summer, particularly car travel, is a given for many of us. As we pack for these trips, packing “provisions”-snacks and beverages is often part of the planning.  How can families eat healthy while they’re on the road? 

Consider how long you’ll be in the car.  If the trip is two hours or less, members of the Coulee Region Childhood Obesity Coalition encourage you to forget the snacks and just pack healthy beverages.  Pack a cooler with plain or flavored water, small cans or boxes of 100% fruit juices or 8 ounce cartons of low fat milk. 

Bring food with you.  The best way to encourage healthy eating habits is to surround your family with healthy choices. 

• Bring along nature’s original fast food—fruits and veggies.  Include whole or cut up versions of the old standbys—apples, pears and bananas or dried fruits such as raisins, craisins, plums and apricots for another sweet option.

• Try bite size pieces of veggies such as carrot sticks or baby carrots, celery sticks, grape tomatoes or pepper slices.  Be aware of their shape and avoid anything young children may choke on.  

• Try bite size sandwiches made with lean meat or string cheese and cheese curds for a high calcium treat.

Make meal stops at a local grocery store.  Pit stops at a local grocery store rather than a fast food restaurant or convenience store can often yield healthier options.  Many grocery stores are only a few blocks from the highway, so you won’t need to go far out of your way.  Check out the deli counter or salad bar.  Today’s deli counters have a number of healthy options—baked turkey, vegetable and fruit salads, made to order sandwiches just to name a few.  A quick trip around a salad bar can restock your fruit and vegetable stash.  Fill a container with fresh fruit chucks and refresh your veggie selection with cut vegetables and low fat dressing for dipping. 

Choose wisely at the gas station.  Gas stations and convenience stores do carry healthy choices.  Rather than grabbing a pop, grab water, juice or low fat milk.  Avoid the chips and go for the nuts in the snack aisle.  Nuts and seeds are a healthy alternative to salty snack foods—just watch your portion size.  Buy the regular rather than the supersized bag unless you will be sharing it with all the others. 

For more healthy eating and activity suggestions visit the Coulee Region Childhood Obesity web site at www.co.la-crosse.wi.us/Health/Nutrition/CRCOC/default.htm 

Helping Your Kids Lead a Healthier Life

Eat healthy, be active your kids are watching!  Children watch what we, the important adults in their lives, do.  They imitate the people they admire.  How then can you be a role model for your children who helps them develop a healthy lifestyle that will serve them well into their adult years? 

• Let your kids see you be active.  Encourage family walks, bike rides, skating and other favorite family activities.  During the summer or over holiday breaks encourage your kids to earn money by being active—shoveling snow, mowing lawns, washing windows can all keep children moving and can yield cash for those items they want. 

• Incorporate public service and volunteering with activity & include your kids!  Volunteer at the community gardens or participate in clean up projects.  You and your family help your community and stay active.

• Limit screen time.  Limit the time your kids watch TV, play video games and spend time on the computer to 2 hours/day.  Make a deal with them—after each hour of screen time, they must move for at least 10 minutes.

• Refrain from talking about dieting and your food likes and dislikes in front of the kids.  Remember kids imitate what the important adults in their lives do.  If you won’t eat vegetables and you spend 4-5 hours every night in front of the TV, your kids will too.

• Use nonfood items for rewards.  If your kids behave as you’ve asked, take them to the park or do something with them that they’ve been asking to do—don’t give them candy!

Establishing Healthy Holiday Traditions  2003

Whether its grandma’s special stuffing, watching football after the big meal, or going shopping the day after Thanksgiving, the holidays are often a time of special traditions that family members look forward to all year long.  Consider the traditions your family holds dear and make it a goal this holiday season to start a new family tradition by adding physical activity to your holiday festivities.

 Need ideas on how to do this? 

• Gather the whole family, including the dog, and take a walk after your Thanksgiving meal.  Enjoy the holiday lights starting to spring up in your neighborhood.

• Plan a scavenger hunt for Thanksgiving Day.  Assign one family member the task of assembling the list of items to be collected then divide the family up into teams and give each team a container or paper bag for their collections.  Be creative in what you have people hunt for including both indoor and outdoor items.

• Play an active game like charades after the big meal.  Assign several family members the task of developing the list of things players will act out and divide the family into teams.  The “losing team” then becomes the clean up crew or prepares the next family meal or snack.

• Teach each other your favorite dances.  What dances were popular when your parents or grandparents were young?  Bring music and learn your parents or children’s favorite dance steps.

• Play flashlight tag.  This nighttime version of traditional tag will get you moving rather than sitting in front of the television.  Players are caught when the person who is “it” shines the flashlight on them.

With planning, families can build activity into their family holiday traditions to make their holiday season just a little healthier.

Restaurant Savvy-Part 1  2003

 Eating out has become a way of life for busy families. Restaurant meals however can easily add extra pounds to unsuspecting diners.  How can we eat healthy and still enjoy meals out?  Take a good look at the menu description before ordering.  It’s a key to how the food has been prepared and gives you a hint as to whether the dish will be high in fat and calories or a healthier alternative. 

Making Fast Food Your Friend:  Restaurant Savvy-Part 2  2003

Americans are eating fast food on average 3-6 times each week.  Many fast food meals can be high in calories and fat—especially when you supersize them!  How then can you make them a part of a healthy diet?  Follow Coalition member Carol Klitzke’s advice and try the Fast + 4 Plan.  What is the Fast + 4 Plan?? 

1.  Purchase an entree for each family member at your favorite fast food restaurant.  Choose regular size entrees rather than double or triple size items to keep portion sizes healthy.  Rather than eating at the restaurant—take your food home

2.  Once you’ve got your entrees home, pair them with these 4 items:

o       raw veggies such as baby carrots

o       Sliced fruit (try canned fruit in its own juice for a fast side dish)

o       Low fat milk (1% or fat free)

o       Small dessert—1 scoop of ice cream, 1-2 cookies, etc

Fast + 4 offers you and your family a way to enjoy your favorite fast food entrees in a healthier fashion!!

Rate Your Shopping Habits  2003

 Healthy eating starts with healthy shopping.  While you can’t control what your kids eat at the neighbors’ you can ensure they eat healthy at home.  Take the quiz below, adapted from Bridget Swinney’s book Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids, & see how your shopping habits rate health-wise.  Answer yes or no to the quiz questions. 

1. Is your refrigerator usually stocked with low fat milk?

2. Do you buy low fat or reduced fat products and lean meats regularly?

3. Do you rarely buy snacks such as chips or candy?

4. Do you rarely buy hot dogs and lunch meat?

5. Do you buy many different kinds of protein foods including beef, pork, poultry, fish, cheese and dried beans & peas?

6. Do you always have a supply of fresh fruits and vegetables on hand?

7. Do you usually buy whole grain breads & cereals?

8. Do you rarely buy meals in a box?

9. Do the contents of your shopping cart resemble the food guide pyramid and include all the components (grains, fruits, vegetables, meats/protein & dairy)

10. Do you seldom buy fried foods such as chicken nuggets, fish sticks, pot pies and fried potatoes?

11. Do you buy reduced fat milk, cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt and sour cream?

How did you do?

Yes to 10 or more – Your family’s food shopping habits are great!

Yes to 7-9 – Your doing good, but there’s room to improve

Yes to 6 or less – Commit yourself to eating in a more healthy fashion!  Start slow--Take a good look at how you shop and think of 1 or 2 ways you and your family can improve.  Work on those areas & when you’ve achieved your goals, set new goals and keep working on it!

Yo—Yogurt!  2003

Did you know that yogurt contains more calcium per ounce than most other dairy products?  Yogurt is truly a nutritional gold mine!  Not only is yogurt a great source of calcium for your children’s growing bones—but—children who have problems digesting lactose can also usually eat it.  In addition, since yogurt is made with live cultures, it encourages the growth of healthy bacteria in your intestinal tract.  These healthy bacteria help protect you (and your kids!) from the “bugs” that can cause stomach upsets & infections.  Because of this benefit, health professionals will often recommend you eat yogurt when you’re taking antibiotics  to prevent diarrhea and help build up friendly bacteria in your GI tract.  When buying yogurt—look for the words “live” and “active cultures” to get the most benefit.  (from…Healthy Food for Healthy Kids, Bridget Swinney)

Eat Healthy this Holiday Season & Find Ways to be Active!  2002

The Holiday season is upon us once again. For most of us, that means more hours spent shopping and children anxiously awaiting Santa’s return. A long day at the mall can translate into “fast food” and impulse eating. Grabbing a burger and fries followed by a cookie chaser is often the meal of the moment. A few tips on “packing light” for shopping can boost your lagging energy level and save you a few pennies as well. 

Packable Snacks Kids Can Make 

Here are some ideas to chase those hunger pangs away!

 

Carry sliced apples, pears, or bananas with a small container of peanut butter dip. Peanut butter can be thinned with a little milk and packed in one of those air-tight containers that are so popular now for storing leftovers.

 

Rice cakes spread with peanut butter and topped with raisins, banana slices, or sweet apple slices accompanied by a cold carton of milk chases the doldrums and provides a quick energy boost. (Great for parents too!)

 

Air popped popcorn topped with Parmesan cheese is a great filler-upper and is easily transported.

 

Yogurt grahams are a great way to pack and go. Spread fruit-flavored yogurt on a graham cracker square, top with a second square, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze. Pack in your favorite small cooler lunch bag and its ready to go when you are.

 

Trail mix is always a favorite.  Make yours with your kids’ favorite low sugar cereal, raisins, nuts, pretzels, and other dried fruits.

 

Ants on a Log are another perennial favorite with kids. Stuff celery with peanut butter or low fat cream cheese and top it with a line of raisins to create this simple delight.

 

If you are a parent who shops at Cub Foods, Festival or Hansen’s IGA in West Salem, stop in the produce section and pick up a “Fruit Club” card (at Festival) or a 5-a-Day Club card (at Cub or Hansens) for the kids. While you are shopping for a holiday meal, they can enjoy a piece of fruit (or bite size vegetables) free from the produce department. The fruit or veggies will fill that little empty spot in a small tummy rather quickly and will make the shopping trip a reward. 

 

If you do find yourself eating at the mall, choose items such as a small slice of cheese pizza with a carton of low fat milk. Skip the empty calories from the super-sized carbonated beverages.

 

Consider these comparisons when snack hunting:  

Vending Machine Eats vs. Healthy Treats

Lastly, when it comes to healthy snacking and shopping, use your imagination where your children are concerned.  Make shopping fun and exciting, an outing the kids can be involved in planning. To chase those munchies away…have them choose the snack, prepare it and then pack it along.

Time during the holidays it at a premium.  How do you find time for activity and exercise during this busy season? 

 

Park in the back row of the mall’s parking lot and add a few extra steps. This is just what you need to walk off the “antsy’s” kids get from too many hours at the mall. The same goes for the parents as well.

 

If the idea of shopping with the kids is more than you can even contemplate, check into the local churches, Y programs, and schools to see if they have a holiday shopping afternoon where the kids can be engaged in healthy play while you shop.  This way--both you and the kids can enjoy an afternoon of fun.

 

Before snow becomes an issue, enlist the kids in decorating for the holidays. It keeps them away from the television monster and engages them in a family project. Even the little ones can help untangle lights.

 

When the snow does arrive (and we all know it’s inevitable!) playing in the snow with a parent can be the ultimate time for a child. Making snow people, snow forts, snow angels, and ice-skating can help anyone get through the holidays and create special memories for a family.  

 

And most of all…enjoy the holidays.  We at the Coulee Region Childhood Obesity Coalition wish everyone an enjoyable, healthy, and happy Holiday season.

Happy Holidays!

Ten Tips to Get Your Kids to Eat Their Veggies  2002

Some children turn up their noses at vegetables—but yours don’t have to!  Try some of these ideas to get your kids eating their 5 fruits & veggies everyday: 

Dip It!  Most kids love to dip.  Try low fat ranch dip, melted cheese dip or bean dip.  Try offering raw veggies with dip as a first course while you make dinner.  This’ll keep the kids busy while you’re in the kitchen. 

Hide it!  Try sneaking veggies into foods your kids love.  For example--Add grated or finely chopped vegetables to spaghetti sauce, meatballs, pizza or taco filling or add cooked carrots to mashed potatoes before whipping them.  

Leaf it!  Many kids who hate veggies love salad.  Raw veggies are milder in flavor & of course have that dressing that kids love! 

Make it fun!  Try serving veggies in new & interesting ways.  Try raw, steamed or grilled veggie kabobs.  Be careful with the skewers for younger kids.  Some parents skewer steamed or grilled veggies on thin coffee straws after they are cooked. 

Fry it!  Make oven fried veggies such as zucchini, pepper or potato sticks.  Cut veggies in 3 inch x ½ inch sticks, spray with cooking spray & bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until tender. 

Stuff it or wrap it!  Chop your kids (or your) favorite vegetables, toss with low fat Italian dressing & pack the mixture into pita pockets or wrap in flour tortillas.  Try stuffing large pasta shells with a mixture of spinach & ricotta cheese & top with your favorite pasta sauce. 

Sauce it!  Sometimes adding a small amount of sauce does the trick.  Try tomato or pasta sauce over green beans or broccoli or try melting cheese over cauliflower or sliced zucchini. 

Drink it!  What about a glass of tomato juice or V-8?  Even kids who don’t like tomatoes may drink tomato juice! 

Squish it!  Cook veggies and puree them with a little cooking liquid into a creamy soup or dip. 

Grate it!  Some kids like their veggies finely grated—Try a grated carrot & raisin salad topped with a mixture of mayonnaise & plain yogurt or some of your family’s favorite coleslaw.

Get your 5-a-Day the Farmer’s Market Way!  2002

 

Know that you need to eat 5 fruits and veggies daily for good health but frustrated by “fresh” produce that doesn’t always seem fresh?  Look no further than the local farmer’s market!  From May-October, local farmers sell their fresh from the garden produce every week in La Crosse, Holmen & Onalaska.  Not only is the produce as fresh as it can get—in some cases a few hours from the garden—but prices are often cheaper than the local supermarket.  Check the dates & times of the market nearest you…

Try an alternative to burgers on the grill-

Try Veggie Burgers!  2002

Served in many restaurants, you’ll find veggie burgers in the frozen & refrigerated sections of your grocer’s shelves.  They are quick to cook & can provide a healthy grilling alternative to burgers & hot dogs.  Veggie burgers are typically made from a variety of vegetables, grains, beans, spices & egg whites.  Do read the label as some also have nuts & cheese as major ingredients which can make these versions high in fat. 

How do you serve them?  Grill according to package directions & serve on a toasted bun with lettuce, tomato & salsa. 

 Are you Size Wise??  2002

For your good health—keep your food portions in proportion! 

New Year Resolutions—resolve to be active this year!  2002

Do you & your family never seem to find the time to be physically active?  As parents it’s important to let your children know that fitness is a family priority and that we can’t be fit without being physically active!   Physical activity helps kids and adults manage their weight and enhances our emotional health.  By being physically active we are less anxious, less likely to be depressed, handle stress better and feel better about ourselves. 

How can parents help their children (& themselves!) be more physically active?

• Schedule a regular time throughout the week for physical activity.

• Take turns selecting an activity for the family to do as a group each week.

• Use physical activity rather than food as a reward (e.g. family goes in-line skating rather than being rewarded by going to McDonalds)

• Give fitness.  For birthdays & celebrations, buy toys or equipment that promote physical activity.

• With younger children, encourage creativity.  Instead of going for a walk, go on a scavenger hunt or play games that require movement. 

• Even chores can be a family affair…

  • Rake leaves…then jump in!

  • Shovel snow…build a snow sculpture; make snow angels; build a snow fort!

• As a parent, it is important to be a good role model.  Children copy what they see.  So—be active by yourself along with being active with your children.

• Encourage walking or biking rather than riding in the car.  Walk to the store, school or work if where you need to go isn’t that far.

• Whatever you do, emphasize having fun and be sure that every child can be successful!

Healthy Holiday Dining  2001

Who says you can’t have your cake & eat it too??  Don’t let the holidays discourage you from your commitment to healthy eating.  Whether you’re catching a bite at a favorite restaurant, visiting grandma or going to a holiday party, dining out can be both fun & healthy.

Just keep these 10 tips in mind!

1. Keep hunger in check
   Avoid skipping meals on the day you’re going out to eat.  Going into a restaurant hungry means you’ll be more likely to order the extra appetizer or eat half the basket of chips.  Consider eating a light snack an hour or so before you’re due to leave.  Have a piece of fruit or a few low fat crackers to take the edge off you’re appetite.

2. Pick plants
   Choose entrees that emphasize pasta, rice or grains.  At parties, look for fruit or vegetable appetizers rather than those laddened with cheese or meat.

3. Watch your portions

Remember— 

4.  Watch how foods are cooked 

   Choose…	Instead of…
   Baked or roasted	Alfredo, creamed, a la king
   Broiled or grilled	Fried or broasted
   Poached or steamed	Fricasseed
   Broth or tomato based sauces	Butter, oil or cream based sauces

5. Watch the condiments
   Put or order sauces & dressing on the side—that way you control how much you eat.  Choose mustard instead of mayonnaise or use salsa.  Taste your food before automatically adding butter or sour cream.

6.  Avoid standing next to the buffet table at parties
   Standing next to the buffet table means you have easy access to the food.  If you stand in the next room, you’ll be too busy talking with friends to over snack!

7.  Savor your food
   Eat slowly!  Not only is it better for digestion, but it will also mean you won’t over eat. 

8. Drink low calorie/no calorie beverages
   Limit yourself to 1 glass of eggnog or choose juice mixed with sparkling water or diet soda instead.

9. Split dessert with a family member or friend
   That way you get to enjoy those tasty holiday treats & only eat ½ the calories!

10. Leave food on your plate
    Don’t be tempted to clean your plate even though you’re full.  If you’re at a restaurant, ask the server to remove it or give you a doggy bag.  If you’re at a party, take your plate to the kitchen or dispose of unwanted food where your hostess suggests.

                Most of all… Have a happy Holiday Season!!

Cut the fat in cakes, brownies or other baked goods

Try substituting apple sauce or banana or prune baby food for an equal amount of oil, margarine or butter in a recipe.  It can significantly reduce the fat & add important vitamins & minerals to your cakes, quick breads & cookies.  

Choose dark salad greens

The darker the salad green the more vitamins & minerals it contains.  Romaine lettuce has 6 times as much vitamin C and 8 times as much beta carotene as iceberg lettuce It also has twice as much folic acid (a nutrient that is needed in the early weeks of pregnancy, often before you know you’re pregnant, that helps prevent neural tube defects in children).   

Your kids don’t like darker colored greens because they are stronger flavored?  Mix them ½ & ½ with iceberg lettuce! 

Lower fat substitutions