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GRAB THIS BADGE!
No Whine With Dinner When Michelle Obama announced her Let’s Move initiative to combat childhood obesity, we jumped for joy (okay, maybe not literally, but certainly figuratively). The goal of Let’s Move, in the words of the First Lady, is “to solve the problem of childhood obesity in a generation, so that children born today can reach adulthood at a healthy weight.” Sadly, since 1980, rates of childhood overweight and obesity have tripled. Today, over a third of America’s youth weigh too much.
Here at Meal Makeover Moms’ Kitchen, we applaud the First Lady’s efforts (in fact, we devoted this week’s Cooking with the Moms podcast to the topic). Her initiative strives to tackle four things: Healthier Schools, Physical Activity, Accessible and Affordable Healthy Food, and Healthy Choices. That’s certainly a tall order, but we believe Obama’s challenge to all of us — parents, school administrators, the food industry — is not just timely and critical … it’s doable.
Giving parents the tools they need to get nutritious meals on the table AND to get their kids to eat it happily without complaint has been our mission for the better part of the last decade. So we’re thrilled the issue of kids’ nutrition is receiving the national attention it deserves. Clearly, there are a lot of people out there who share our delight in Let’s Move and who are doing amazing things to promote a healthier future for children. Everywhere we look, we see positive changes taking place. Here are a few examples of things that caught our eye just this week (and it’s only Tuesday).
> Mandy, who writes the blog, Gourmet Mom on the Go, introduced a fun ne
w Secret Mission Worksheet to encourage kids to try new fruits & vegetables. You can download it at her blog.
> Sally Sampson, a Boston-based cookbook author, launched a free cooking magazine for kids called Chop Chop. It features nutritious, kid-friendly recipes, games, and lots of cool food factoids.
> In Liz’s town, two amazing moms founded an after-school program for kids ages 7 to 12 called Kids Cooking Green. They teach hands-on classes about the value of cooking and eating locally grown foods, and the program culminates with a delicious dinner party hosted by the students, which Liz attended on Friday night (Liz helps with the program’s nutrition component and will be blogging all about it soon)!
Michelle Obama has added fuel to the exciting national discussion about new ways to improve the food choices available to children in schools, restaurants, at the corner grocery store, and at home, and it’s the “at home” part that got us thinking about our latest blog giveaway. To encourage everyone to cook more at home (we believe cooking at home offers parents the most control over what goes into their kids’ tummies), one lucky winner will become the proud owner of a 10-piece set of Anolon® Nouvelle Copper cookware! This giveaway is valued at $399.00.
In the spirit of full disclosure, we don’t work for Anolon. Janice met some of the Anolon folks at an International Association of Culinary Professionals conference a few years ago, and they have generously donated several items since then. Anolon® Nouvelle Copper, suitable for all cooktops, provides even heat distribution, and is nonstick (so it’s easy to clean, which, as busy moms, is something we appreciate). The giveaway includes a 1.5 Quart Covered Saucepan, 3 Quart Covered Saucepan, 8 Quart Covered Stockpot, 8 1/2-inch French Skillet, 10-inch French Skillet, and a 3 Quart Covered Saute.
To Enter our Giveaway (U.S. residents only, please), leave a comment on this post or on our Facebook Fan page, and tell us what you have been doing at home or in your community to bring better nutrition and/or physical activity to children … or tell us what you like about the Let’s Move campaign … or tell us about a change you’d love to see — a wishful thought, if you will — to improve the way kids eat. Over the next two weeks, we’ll “tweet” about your activities and ideas on Twitter to further the dialog (we’ll use the hash tag #LetsMove).
The giveaway ends on Friday, April 9th at noon EST, and we’ll use Random.org to select our winner. We can’t wait to hear from all of you. This is sure to be a very interesting discussion!
In the meantime, here are a few simple, under-the-radar things you can do at home to improve your family’s diet:
> Add vegetables such as shredded carrots, finely diced red bell peppers, or beans to main dishes like Sloppy Joes, tacos, and soups to increase the amount of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients (plant nutrients), and fiber.
> To increase the fiber and nutrients in baked goods, incorporate ground flaxseed and whole grains including whole wheat flour, wheat germ, and oats.
> Cook with omega-3 eggs for more heart-healthy fats. They cost a few pennies more per egg, but we think it’s more than worth it.
> Add chopped nuts to baked goods and to breadings to increase the nutrients and good-for-you fats.
> Switch to lowfat dairy and lean meats to lower the saturated fat and calories.
> Chose convenience foods wisely to provide desperately needed shortcuts in the kitchen without the addition of trans fats or too much sodium.
> Replace butter, margarine, and shortening with healthier oils such as canola oil and olive oil to reduce the saturated fat and trans fats.
> Kept a watchful eye on portion sizes to keep the calories in check.
> Eat local and organic when possible.
128 Responses to “Michelle Obama Launches Let’s Move … and a Giveaway for Anolon Cookware”
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We try to take long family walks as much as possible and get outdoors.
We have a food blog that has (mostly) healthy recipes! We make exercise fun and do it together. We like bike rides in the summer!
In winter, we grow some herbs and tropical limes indoors. In spring and summer, we grow our own spinach, tomatoes, scallions, peppers, beans, cilantro and parsley in our outdoor garden. This involves a lot of physical activity but the it’s all worth it after reaping the fruits of our labor.
BTW, I’m also doing a giveaway in my blog if you or any of your readers might be interested.
I listen to your podcast every week and make your recipes. It has been helping my family as well as others get on track (I share your tips and recipes with many other families). Thank you! Keep up the good work.
We take walks/go for bike rides after school when the weather permits. We go to a swim and tennis club daily in the summer to play for hours and get lots of exercise in doing so. We have also just joined a CSA for veggies as well as one for meat to eat locally and in season and to also add variety to our diets in a healthy way. We eat organic and local as much as possible and are fading out as many processed foods as possible. I’m beginning to cook more often and would LOVE new pots and pans to make it that much more fun!
Our biggest step towards being healthier is monthly meal planning. Both my husband and I are committed to cooking more dinners than we eat out, have delivered or microwave. All our plans for the month are posted on a calendar in the kitchen along with the main dish for the night. We still have 1-2 nights each work week when we’re too beat to care, but we feel so much better for the progress made on the other nights.
Our family eats a varied diet. My toddler loves things like eggplant parmesan, chickpea curries, and roasted brussels sprouts. She’d rather eat fruit than any other snack. She really enjoys running around and going on nature walks.
Our family struggles with adding in those vegetables to our meals of meat and potatoes. Last night I made a dish containing spinach…………did not go over well with the 5 year old. Tonight I am hiding spinach in the meatballs for meatball subs. One way or another, I am going to get more veges in these kids! This week we are starting seedlings to plant in a garden out back. This is a family project and the kids are excited to see what will pop up out of those little peat pots. I am hoping that the experience will help them discover just how wonderful vegetables really are. I just discovered that our local food bank is creating a garden for its clients. I think we will be volunteering to help with it as well. Hopefully this will reinforce that this is important to not just our family but our whole community.
We have two young girls (7 & 4) and want to teach them a healthy lifestyle – with their food as well as their values. At night, we’ve started taking walks, exercising the dog and reducing computer time to 1 hour per week.
And, of course, listening to your podcast and buying your book. Please hurry with the second one!
I’m glad you asked… (and I want to win
) As far as what I’ve done in the community… I’m headed out the door in about 40 minutes with a Fruits and Veggies presentation to give to my son’s first grade class. It was so easy to get the teacher on board. Last time I taught this to a group of pre-schoolers I had a mom “complaining” that her 4 year old was asking where the fruit was cause she was hungry!! But there was no fruit in the house. lol. She promptly went out to buy some so excited that her daughter was asking.
I LOVE the Let’s Move program! I have been involved with the President’s Active Lifestyle program for about a year now and am really enjoying it! (It’s for adults too, not just kids!) I love their newsletter and I’m so happy that this program is tightly linked with the existing program!
I check out a lot of cookbooks (including yours) at the library, both for adults and kids. I keep the cookbooks by the kids’ books and find the boys pouring over them all.
We’ve also joined a dairy and veggie CSA and are working on a meat CSA: this way the kids will know where their food comes and how it gets to our table.
I’ve started letting my 2 year old walk more (e.g. from the car to the store) I’m collecting kid friendly recipes to keep supplies on hand for no excuse healthy lunches and snacks (which are the worst offenders in our house). I’ve also started playing on the ground with my son more than usual. He loves to fly through the air and practice jumping. He loves to go for walks around the neighborhood, especially when he doesn’t have to ride in the stroller. It’s been a lot of fun!
I love the let’s move campaign! I’ve really liked all the attention being shown to school lunches. It’s ridiculous all the junk they serve. I don’t remember a single vegetable ever being offered, unless you could potatoes, which I don’t. I would like to see more emphasis on nutrition for children at home. I never bought food at school, I always ate food from home, so having healthy food at home what is really important.
Here is my “wishful thinking” suggestion…better quality school lunches! The school my children attend has the very typical school lunch fare. My children have the school lunch once or twice a week so they won’t feel “different” from most of the kids by bringing their lunch every day. I have chatted with the lunch ladies about easy, more nutritious substitutions and options. I need to take it a bit higher up into the school district, but it’s nice to know that they are willing to consider some changes.
We cook at home and have our son help prepare the meal, sometimes just chopping mushrooms or stripping kale leaves, I add chopped nuts, steel cut oats and flax meal to most baked bread and muffins, we buy local ingredients, eggs come from within our zip code!, we make our own ricotta cheese, pasta, bread, muffins, we only eat meat 2-3 times a week, we try to focus all meals on vegetables, fruit or dairy, we make our own preserves and add them to organic plain yogurt with flax meal and homemade granola to avoid the hidden ingredients in packaged yogurt, we go fishing as a family and eat what we catch, we take healthy snacks of fresh fruit, homemade muffins and yogurt to preschool, homemade pasta with vegetables to potlucks and fruits and breads to sporting events.
We are excited to see our son eat any fruit or vegetable put in front of except onions!
Hoping that peer pressure and school lunches do not change his healthy eating habits!
Oh gosh, so many things!
As a family we aim for 2 meatless meals a week, incorporating more beans/veggies. Chickpeas are one of my kindergartner’s favorite snacks!
We turn the tv OFF more and get moving. Dance parties in our living room, family bike rides, and every sunny day we head to one of the parks after school. (5 w/in walking distance)
I try avoid buying products w/ HFCS and artificial colors. I would love to see my son’s school get on board! The school lunches they offer are far from healthy.
Great post!
I have been only offering healthy food to my daughter since she could eat! Some of her favorites are frozen blueberries, which she loves to snack on.
To keep moving, I will walk my dogs while she rides her bike or we will head over to the park for some play. After, we reward ourselves at the local Starbucks with skim milk with a pump of vanilla.
We have started taking neighborhood nature walks/bike rides after dinner. We got into the habit of eating and then watching TV and going to bed and we needed to break that routine. Our DD, 7, loves going out for a ride or walk after dinner!
I’ve been talking with our town’s librarian about the possibilities of a community garden…it’s still in the “seed of an idea” phase but it’s something that could really help folks here.
So many wonderful ideas and actions here! Our family does many of these things also — one of the most influential has been the seemingly small (but huge) act of eating a home-cooked dinner together everyday. It gives us that all-important chance to talk and connect. Of course, on busy days, it has to be a quick meal — but it still provides that vital connection time.
I am one of the founders and members in our school’s wellness council (WC). It is the only school in Montgomery county MD with a wellness council. The primary focus of the WC is the physical well-being of our children, and helping our children make informed decisions regarding their personal nutrition and physical activity, ultimately creating a healthier school environment. I am in charge of our monthly article that informs our community about healthy living, including articles about healthy nutritious.
We try to eat as much as possible from our garden in the summer time. Nothing like fresh fruits and veggies. The winter is harder – especially once we have used up the frozen summer leftovers. I also agree that getting moving after meals has really helped our family.
I can’t wait to start trying out some of your recipes! My toddler is just starting to get picky and I always swore I wouldn’t have a picky child. We’re big on going for evening walks in our house. I can’t wait for summer so we can do that more often.
For healthy meals and snacks we started early with our son Max and his two favorite snacks to have after school are a bowl of sliced cucumbers or a bowl of edamame. Newest fav snack is Organic air-popped popcorn.
We keep a limit on mac n cheese (1x a week, and it’s the organic version) and have added more fish. Broccoli about 3x a week.
Max only drinks milk or water and 1 glass of OJ a day for breakfast.
Rarely a chocolate milk.
We are out walking in NYC every day! It’s a great walking town. And we are very active with biking, scooting, and with Max’s semester project walking and bird watching. In the summer in Nova Scotia, we are outdoors all day, walking on hiking trails, swimming, involved in a lot of activities. There is a fort in the small town of Annapolis Royal with HUGE hills (earthworks) and Max runs up and down them with friends.
Could sure use the cookware!
And Thank you so-o-o much for promoting Jamie Oliver’s show. A friend did publicity for his cookbooks and gave me a copy of his BBC school meals overhaul show and it inspired me so much! That was years ago. Yay for Michelle for spearheading the movement which I’m sure got Jamie’s show on ABC!
I’ll be tuning in. He is BRILLIANT!
I have been working hard on getting my family to eat healthier. I stopped letting my kids buy lunch at school since all they eat there is pizza. I now make lunches with whole grains, fruits and veggies, and low fat dairy. My daughter loves her new bento box! I use a number of cookbooks, including yours, to plan a healthy menu for the week so I am never caught off guard and pressured to eat processed food or take out. I buy all the ingredients for the week and seperate them into bags in the outside fridge so all I have to do is grab the bag for the evening and everything I need is in there! This has been a godsend for a busy schedule! I have taught my kids to read labels and what the “secret words” are for sugar. My kids have been taking martial arts for several years now, but now I have joined them so it can be a family activity. Getting my family healthy has been a fun challenge that has brought us together! As far as at the school, I am meeting with the principal and the school board to discuss the food that is given to the kids while at school. I want candy and treats to be rated PG, parental guidance. I get to decide if they eat it, not the school. The Jamie Oliver show has helped open a dialog amoung our parents and now I have more people on board to help me!
We love to go out for walks or a hike after dinner (if it’s good weather). My husband likes to play “drill instructor” with the kids. They do all kinds of push-ups, sit-ups, running, etc., and think it’s a funny game.
Hi Ladies! Around here, of course, we make many of your recipes and Jasmine and Jade are very involved. Yesterday, Jade made the Banana Chip Muffins and they are almost gone (kinda defeats the purpose to inhale the whole batch in on sitting, huh?). Just proves once again that they are more prone to eat it when they make it!
The other favorite is a healthy smoothie – you know we love those creations. The girls have no problem putting in the flax and wheat germ. “Can’t taste it anyway mom.” Awesome!!!
Thanks for all you do,
Jen
we homeschool our four children, which automatically removes the “school lunch” question–i was appalled the one year they were in public school by the lunch room options as well as some of the stories i heard of what kids would bring from home. we eat fruits and veggies and whole grains at home. snacks full of preservatives, bad sweeteners and ugly fats are RARE around here. homeschooling also presents MUCH more time for all of my children to have more time to run, ride bikes or scooters, play ball, or work on our gardening projects–all of which are great exercise. i think that the hours kids spend sitting in school, paired with the pressure to eat and do what their peers are, creates a monster that is hard for parents to combat in the few short hours they DO have at home. i am curious as to whether Mrs. Obama’s initiative takes any steps to address the marketing of highly-processed foods to school lunchrooms–as well as the advertising that takes place in the classrooms. think boxtops for education and the campbell’s labels for education campaigns. these types of drives are sabotaging kids’ health because they encourage parents to feed these preservative-packed, trans-fat-full, sodium-saturated products at home so kids can earn “rewards” at school for turning in labels! the sad thing is, these companies do it under the guise of donating monies to educational purposes, while undermining the health of families. if they were truly interested in helping kids, they would change what their INGREDIENT labels contain, making them good options for the convenience-starved mom or dad juggling homework, practice, and getting ready for the next school day.
I loved the comment from Tiffany about frozen blueberries. Our three year old loves frozen blueberries and cherries as snacks, and we always make sure that there are at least two veggie dishes on the table. Offer good tasting vegetables, and kids will eat them.
I am making a commitment to write to my local and state representatives about the importance of increasing the amount of time kids get in PE class. I have 2 kids, one in elementary and one in middle school. My elementary child has PE 3x/week, not bad. My middle schooler has PE every other day so 3x/week one week and 2x/week the next. My boyfriend lives in a different school district and his elementary school aged daughter only had PE 1x/week. That is appauling!!
Please join me in writing your representatives to express the importance of PE in schools.
We eat more beans and homemade soups for dinners plus we eat out maybe twice a month…saves money and calories. Our favorite soup is Pasta Faglioli made with spinach, chickpeas, tomatoes…delicious!
I have been choosing more nutritious foods using NuVal scores. I also have been teaching my children how to grocery shop and how to cook. My four-year-old knows just how to pick a perfectly ripe avocado and what ingredients go into our favorite healthy soups.
I have a couple of Analon pans (strays found in TJ Maxx). I’ve had them for many years and they are the BEST!
Melissa, Thanks for the heads up on NuVal!! I just looked them up online and although they are not at stores near me I’m sure they will be soon. Looks like a great system! ~Kristine
We are trying to be more active as a family and eat more whole grains, fruits and veggies. It’s a challenge – especially when we’re on the go. Thanks for good ideas and links!
Thanks so much for all this valuable info! Our kids depend on us to teach them these important life lessons. My best tips are to get your kids involved in food prep, they will definitely be more open to trying new things. And, if possible, walk your kids to school — it’s a great way to start the day.
I look for ways to get two or more servings of veggies into our dinners. I’ll make “confetti rice” (with corn and peas) as the starch, for example, and also serve a side of broccoli or carrots.
We’re also working toward reducing the amount of meat on our plates and replacing it with veggies. Just last week, we made ground beef stroganoff with 3/4 lb of ground beef (instead of a pound) and doubled the mushrooms to make up the difference. Nobody minds, and it’s better for our bodies and our budget.
Our family grows a garden, so that we have fresh vegies all summer. I make all of our bread, some of it sourdough. We make several of your recipes.
We are outside as much as possible! This whole in initiative makes me think of how what we really need to do is just get back to basics, cooking at home and sending out kids out to play every day. Would that it was always possible (working moms, not-so-safe neighborhoods, learning how to make those great home-made meals), but if we create new habits, new routines, it won’t be that hard, and we’ll be more energized for it!
Bike rides with the kids are a great way to get them moving. We also take walks after dinner most nights of the week.
I sooooo want to see the quality of school lunches changed! I try to give my kids good food to eat and teach them them importance of eating well and getting regular exercise. We’ve been trying to walk the dogs several nights a week and are looking forward to warm weather and bike riding season. I’m also hoping to join a csa this spring to put local, fresh veggies on our table.
As a family we have made it a practice that if it’s not raining or freezing we will spend time outside. Whether were running around chasing bubbles, our dogs, bouncy balls we want to instill in our daughter a love for the outdoors. We are slowly trying to integrate more vegetables and less candy into our diet.
I am glad that First Lady Obama has created this program to address juvenile obestiy. The impacts of juvenile obesity should be a good cause for concern for all Americans. We should be working to make our country healthier and hopefully happier.
We always try to strike a balance. If the kids want “bad” things (cookie, donut, etc.) they must have a lot of something “good” first. And, we try to leave out healthy snacks for them throughout the day, using Dr. Sears’ idea of a snack tray. I have two boys who are quite active, so I’m not terribly worried about their organized physical activity at this point since they pretty much run everywhere they’re going.
I try to set a good example, so my kids see me exercising and eating fruit, vegetables, salads, and whole grains. Also, I make sure the kids get to the farmers market with me occasionally.
My favorite way to get the kids involved in exercise is to walk the dog with them. Good for the kids, good for the dog, good for me!
Keep podcasting, i’ll keep listening!
I just think it’s so neat what everyone is doing to get kids involved in nutrition and physical activity. It makes such a difference to get them started on the right path to health. I help teach 8th graders the importance of calcium and have also been trying to help my dad learn to cook with some simple, healthy recipes for his 3 kids. It’s always good to let the kids pick out a new fruit or veggie each week and try it out
I’d really like to see the quality of school lunches change. Much of the things offered I wouldn’t even want to eat, and even though the economy is really taking a beating, I think nutrition should be a top priority for learning.
In our family, after hearing about the Lets Move campaign, I decided that getting my family involved in small healthy changes would encourage me to succeed at trying to be healthier and would be beneficial for all of us! We have started making a Family Move night instead of Family Movie night. This includes walking around the block, a trip to the local Ymca to workout, a comical tennis match at the park (very comical since we are not good at tennis! LOL!) and a few other ideas. We also are eating more healthy foods. I constantly have a bowl of fruit front and center on the counter! We buy very few soda pops and have replaced them with water, flavored water, almond milk and green tea. Funny thing is, we never thought we would like green tea or almond milk or some of the other new things we like, but all it took was trying them and then judging them instead of the old way of judging without trying! So every trip to the grocery store, we try to get one or two, new healthy items we havent had before. Its wonderful to have the whole family involved in getting healthier, and I think seeing Michelle Obama talk about it, makes it a little bit easier of a “sell” to the kids. So Kudos to her for that!
Thanks, Melissa
jimmiss71@aol.com
We rarely eat fast food and try to eat nothing with high-fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated oils…the less overly-processed foods the better! Also, my kids have never had soda and rarely drink juice, except orange juice with breakfast!
Hi! What a great giveaway and I have been shopping for new cookware. Thank you Analon!
I have lots of thoughts….my children are 9, 13, 15 and we’ve tried to find an activity they enjoy that keeps them moving. One child has different sports for different seasons, one child dances year round. One has too much on her plate and needs to eliminate something!
8 of my children’s 10 cousins are overweight or obese. I watched and learned from their mistakes. These kids did not have an activity that they enjoyed – something to get them moving – and they didn’t move as a family. I saw food restriction, dieting, no fat, no sweets, 2 meals a day and other methods of food control backfire. I love Ellyn Satter’s division of responsibility – it has been a big help to me – and helps me curb my enthusiasm for methods that ultimately backfire. I want my children to enjoy food and be in tune with when they are full/hungry.
I love the meal makeover moms…..great ideas…..great recipes….great resources…..I’m looking forward to the new cookbook!
Oh, we garden, ride bikes, take walks on the local trail. We also eat meatless several meals per week.
Thanks for this great giveaway!
I would love to see school lunches without all of the processed ‘stuff’ and HFCS and more fresh (‘real’) food. My 14 yr old takes his lunch to school (his choice).
thank oyy os much for entering me. I love your blog and love all the recipes. It’s fun to find new things to cook for my three kids. I would love a new set of pots. Cooking three meals a day wears on my old pots and pans. Thank you
We are trying harder to get outside after dinner. The best investment we made for indoor fun were two “Hoppity” balls. The kids have fun racing around the house on those and don’t even know that it is good exercise!
We cook about 90% of our meals from scratch. It isn’t as hard or cumbersome as you might think and it allows us to know what we’re eating. We also pack our boys lunches for school. Thank goodness they love PB&J!
We try to have at least one fruit and/or vegetable with every meal. This works for 4 out of the 5 of us. I have one child who is super picky – yet he’ll eat tofu!! He is now required to eat one bite of vegetable/fruit at every meal in order to get his allowance. The kids go outside to play each afternoon after school and have to pick a sport to play each season. This keeps them moving. We also got Wii Fit Plus and the boys love to do the running.
Going on walks after dinner everyday as well as trying to lighten up baked goods with substitutions, like applesauce to replace some oil, cutting the sugar, etc.
We’re starting our first backyard raised vegetable garden this year! I’m very excited and my twins, who halfway love veggie to begin with, will be excited to see first hand where their food comes from.
We love to take walks, go bike riding or hiking together. We try to incorporate fruits and veggies with our meals. We substitue natural applesauce for the oil in cakes when I bake and replace 1/2 the white flour in recipies with whole wheat…can’t even tell!
I’ve recently started baking fresh herb breads and going on walks to the park and library with my 1 1/2 year old nephew.
We rarely eat out, and I try to rotate a roster of healthy dinners. We also use some of your recipes, so keep them coming! Watched Jamie Oliver’s show last night, and loved it. What a great guy! I so hope he and others like him can encourage change at home and at school! I pack my kids lunch as much as I can, so we don’t have to worry about the unhealthy school lunches. I am also trying to be more diligent about reading labels, and not assuming things are healthy when they may not be.
I think just being aware of what you are feeding yourself and your family is the most important thing. So often we just eat without the thought of how it is going to help our bodies. Being conscious is the first big step
Every day after school I pick the kids up and we play at the playground for 30-60 minutes. Rain, snow, and sunshine. My son has showed an interest in running, like myself, so in three weeks he’ll be running the children’s 1K while I’m doing the marathon. We’ve taught our children the difference between snacks and treats. Our children frequently ask us what a certain food is good for and why we should eat it. Makes for great discussions.
Although I am thrilled to see such high-profile attention on the issue of childhood obesity, I am frankly disappointed by the lack of creativity in Mrs Obama’s Let’s Move campaign. I normally do not consider myself a glass-half-empty-kinda-guy, but honestly, I expected more. I wrote an article on my blog explaining the reasons for my criticism, which you can read here:
http://www.littlestomaks.com/2010/02/5-reasons-mrs-obamas-lets-move-is-destined-to-disappoint/
Having said that, surely, something is better than nothing. And I hope this program works as a catalyst in creating the kind of change Mrs Obama is looking for.
I am so thrilled to read these comments left by your readers. Kudos to all of them in taking small steps in their homes, lifestyle and communities. As an example, I would have loved to see Mrs Obama try to mobilize such parents in spreading the message through social media, rather than rely on sponsorship by food companies.
Now to answer your question – here is what we are doing to establish a foundation of good nutrition and healthy eating habits in our 4 yo twins:
1. Don’t label food as good or bad. Even sweet treats have a place.
2. The only thing we say a NO to is soda. And yes, our twins have never been to a McDonald’s.
3. We try to follow “division of responsibility ” in eating
4. We believe in balance, variety and moderation. We don’t push; we try to encourage veggies and fruits. We don’t use rewards or punishment to influence what they eat and how they eat
5. Dinner is a family affair with a home cooked meal. We are working on having them sit with us on the table, share stories and try whatever is on the table
6. We are not against processed food – but we are very critical and very selective. We read the labels, stick to brands we like and whenever possible, opt for organic and natural products
7. We are constantly expanding our own knowledge by learning from experts and writing a blog
Thanks for the opportunity!
We make a point of talking to our three kids about healthy foods, what is healthy and what isn’t. We also talk about food labels, they compare numbers and try to read them – great way to get more reading minutes for school. We’ll go over what was eaten in a day to see what else is needed – fruits, veggies, grains, etc…
I pack their lunch, staying away from the school lunch where they would be more likely to eat the not so good food first, and not have enough time to eat the healthier food afterwards.
We’ll have chips or snacks, but only after they’ve eaten something healthy like fruit, yogurt, veggies. I don’t very often put chips on the table like I used to, now it’s more of a treat and less of a common item. I think it’s important to show them it’s okay to have the not-so-great foods every so often, I don’t want them to sneak it or hide it and go overboard when it’s around.
We make our own fruit rollups using a dehydrator – they love them and often have to fend off classmates who want them. It’s so simple with flavored applesauce or blending my own at home. This way they have something like the fruit snacks so prevelant on store shelves and in lunch boxes, but without all the preservatives and processing.
We’re making more meals at home, more meals from scratch.
We have a garden and the kids help pick out what to grow, plant the seeds, water them, pull weeds, pick, clean, eat. It’s a great start for their future health.
I am trying to get my husband on board with the healthy food program. My son benefits from a diet without artificial flavors and colors and preservatives. It was helping his hyperactivity but stopped working so well. I found out my husband was stopping by the local gas and shop and buying donuts and pop for him. Anyway, my latest attempt is to start making our meals meatless once or twice a week.
We walk around the house and play in the yard. I limit the amount of junk food in the house to special occasions only.
I talk about nutrition with my son. When he comes home from school he must have a healthy snack before the sweet treat. Drink milk. Love trying your recipes. We like to play Wii Sports.
My husband and I try to lead by example. We emphasize to our children that we exercise and try to eat well and we talk about eating heathy good tasting foods. We have three children and the other two follow our example but we constantly struggle with our youngest child’s poor eating habits. We very rarely have junk food in the house. She would rather not eat, than eat the meals that we have.
We live in Florida, so during the cool months, I have tried to get my family out and active as much as possible. I am also trying to get my son to eat what the rest of the family eats.
My six year old really enjoys riding her bike. I try to encourage it as much as possible, but I can’t let her ride around the neighborhood by herself. We have been taking family bike rides recently now that my 8-month old can sit up in the bike trailer. When my daughter is at school, I take my toddler and infant on long stroller walks in the morning with a friend, then we do circuit training workouts from our DVR. Sometimes my toddler joins me, or she watches. Either way, it is important for her to see that I’m making exercise a priority.
It does not seem like much, because I surely dont try to hide veggies from them.. But I do give them the fruits and veggies that they like.. Carrots, corn, and all fruits. I try to make meals from fresh products and not processed items at least 5 times a week. Out of my two younger boys, My 4 year old is super picky and its trying sometimes to get him to eat, but my 3 year old is a great eater. He will eat almost anything I give him.. which is nice.
My 7yo brought home a cookbook from school and we have been searching for recipes to try together. If she cooks it she is more likely to eat it. Finding healthy choices is hard for us because she is allergic to milk, eggs and nuts. However, I have noticed both my daughters have been a bit more adventerous lately and I better strike while the iron is hot!
I would love a new set of cookware. Or should i say a set of matching cookware. All of my cookware is hand me downs. I have two kids a 10 yr old and a 3 yr old. I cook dinner every night or use my crock pot. I believe my time with my kids is very important. My kids will be little for a little while and i do not want to miss anything. My daughter helps me cook and my son sits on my island and watches what me are making. We have made alot of your recipes and the kids like to help and they get to see what is in the recipe. My son is a picky eater my daughter is the more adventurous type she loves mahi mahi and squid. My husband just finished his last chemo treatment so the kids and i are hoping he can start eat with us again. He says the smell of anything other than mashed potatoes makes him sick. I listen to your podcast everynight. I listen to them over and over again. It gets my mind on making food. Not my husband and work. I love your show. Wish you would do more than one podcast a week. Thanks Dana in Tucson az
Our daughter’s grade school had small garden plots in the huge grassy area between the different buildings. The kids had fun and wanted to try it at home to get the whole family interested in gardening.
Also at home we sit down at the table to eat together and talk. Instead of just eating in front of the tv.
The kids spend too much time texting and not talking out loud to ‘live’ human beings’. So this is a good time for them to see and feel expressions of others.
It’s all about balance in my house but always trying to put more emphasis on healthier foods like fruits, vegetables, grains and leaner meats. I always present my teenage daughters with different salads and vegetables at dinner. It is not always easy but we talk about nutrition and about different foods. Teaching kids better choices and to try new foods is a good thing. Also, mostly cooking meals at home and not going to take-out is a much better way to eat which is what we practice in our house.
Thank you very much for the giveaway!
i would love to see family as a whole eat and be more heathly i think that Let’s Move campaign is a great ideal
We try to take our dogs for a walk several times per week. I think we’ve done a good job of teaching both of our daughters about good, healthy eating. Luckily, they are both tall and slender, but they’ve watched me battle my weight. Glad to say I’m winning that battle!
As a former nutrition researcher I’m convinced that cutting down on fast and junk foods, eliminating sweet drinks–regardless of the type of sweetener–and preparing meals and snacks from scratch is where we need to be heading. It’s never been easier to find clear and sensible information to get us started. The Mom’s cookbook is tops. That book plus Mark Bittman’s food wrting and cook books and following Michael Pollan’s rules for food as closely as possible can tip the balance to good nutrition for all. There are many sensible, safe, non-fad approaches to great eating. Just start making little changes and the big ones will follow. Cheers to Michelle Obama and Jamie Oliver for going high profile!
The first thing is that there is no junk food in my house! You would be hard pressed to find a bag of chips or cookies sitting in my pantry. I try to make my kids realize that chips and cookies are a treat (like at grandmas house) Also when I pack my kids lunches they only get yogurt, sugar-free applesauce, or fruit for their snack. We’ve started incorporating more brown rice since we are Latin and eat lots of rice! And finally I kick my kids out of the house and turn off the tv.
Yea for Giveaways!!!
I love the “sneaking in healthy items” into your every day cooking. It’s just easy things to do that don’t take any extra time!!!
Thanks!
Pat Ford
I use the Mom’s Guide to Meal Makeovers cookbook. I have tried some of the recipes from the cookbook and the website with my family. It has inspired me to be healthier for them. We try not to use to much processed foods and besides cooking from scratch tastes so much better!
Thanks for the great podcast!
I try to use MealMakeoverMom recipes and tips in my cooking now, as well as having my whole family on whole bread and whole wheat pasta. I also try to walk places with my kids (though that’s a bit hit and miss). My favorite trick is this: when I make smoothies (which I and one of my daughters love, but the other won’t touch), I pour the leftovers into a popsicle mold and put it in the freezer. Then when it’s hot out and my kids (2 & 5) play in water in the backyard and want a treat afterwards, they get a popsicle. They love it because it’s a treat and I love it because (having made it myself) I know it’s healthy fruit (and maybe juice or yogurt) rather than colored sugar water. Since that’s the only popsicle they’ve ever really had, they don’t know any different and we’re all happy
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I try to use my cookbooks, the internet, and sometimes my own imagination to come up with homemade alternatives to our favorite store bought foods. Ground chicken coated in egg and bread crumbs can replace frozen chicken nuggets, macaroni and cheese can be made with whole wheat macaroni and different types of cheeses. I also try to follow your advice and stick in some extra nutrition (shredded veggies) wherever I can!
i try to cook dinner at least 5 nights a week, pack healthy lunches and have the kids play outside to get in daily physical activity. I am so grateful Mrs. Obama is shining some light on this topic. HOpefully with the media attention some changes to school lunches. Love the show Jamie Olivers food revolution.! As a dietitian I felt like the show really captures what it is like to try to change peoples eating habits.
Since having kids we’ve been much more aware of our eating habits. We’ve joined a CSA in our town and are discovering lots vegetables we didn’t know before!
I cook most meals from scratch and always pack a very healthy lunch for my kindergarten son, who just last night told me his classmates always want his lunch because it looks so good! This summer I am going to join a CSA to incorporate more fresh vegetables into our diets. I am also on maternity leave through out the summer due to baby #3 and as a result am looking forward to taking advantage of that to get out and enjoy the outdoors and be more active. I love your podcast and recipes!
I’ve been trying to make healthy recipes, and only have healthy snacks on hand. We also encourage our kids to participate in as many sports as possible. They also go outside to play instead of sitting in front of the tv.
I try to model healthy eating choices by keeping mostly fresh, non-processed food in the house.
We hope to get a vegetable garden going this summer. The few things we’ve grown in the past are a huge hit with the kids. Also, I’ve found letting my 4 year old and 20 moth old cook with me helps with getting them to eat as they cooked it!
Like most busy families, we struggle with getting enough veggies and nutritious food into our diets. My 10 year old has a bad habit of saying she doesn’t want something when you tell her what it is (but will always eat it and usually enjoy it) so I don’t tell her what I’m making when I’m experimenting or putting *GASP* healthy ingredients into a dish. She HAS to know so our conversations usually go something like this:
“What are you making?”
“Food”
“What kind of food?”
“Good food”
“What kind of good food?”
“The kind that goes in your mouth.”
“Mom – what are you making?”
“Edible bites that taste good”
(You see where this is going…lol)
After she eats it, I triumphantly tell her what I snuck into her belly. Thankfully she takes this all in good humor and from that point on doesn’t give me guff about that new thing or twist on an old classic.
We are trying a veggie garden again this year. Hopefully they will do better than last year!
We are also making exercise a priority this year, since we could all stand to shed a few pounds and firm up the giggly bits. Family walks are becoming more regular now that the weather in MI has broken. Now that my daughter is a bit older, she can bike down the couple blocks to Great-Grandma’s house for visits. She might a cookie while she is there, but at least she worked for that cookie!
Reading the labels on packaged foods is a real eye-opener! It has changed our eating habits for good! If the label contains more than 6 ingredients, I won’t buy it.
One way that our family cuts back on fast food is menu planning. I plan a weekly menu and shope once a week and could not be more pleased at how easy and healthy it has been for us. Instead of heading for the nearest fast food restaurant I know that I have each nights meal planned out and available right in my pantry.
Sounds silly, but Wii Fit works for me and my kids! Everyone gets addicted to it!
Spring soccer starts next week. The mad dash from school to field is a 20 minute drive. My daughter will eat a low-fat cheese stick, whole grain granola bar, and water prior to her practice. She’s ready to go by time she gets to the field with lots of energy…..
My daughter is only 1 and just starting to eat non-pureed food. I have been trying very hard to get her started on lots of healthier foods. Whole grain bread instead of white, lots of veggies, water and fruits instead of juice, whole grain pasta, etc…
One of my favorite ways to keep my 6 year old daughter moving (although she doesn’t need much help, she’s pretty much always on the go!) is this bouncy ball I bought her. http://www.amazon.com/Gymnic-Hop-45-Hop-Ball-Yellow/dp/B000NZW6BS She LOVES bouncing around the house, in the yard, down the sidewalk… pretty much whatever she’s doing she tries to do while on the ball. She has discovered that brushing your teeth while bouncing on the ball is not recommended!
I like the community spirit of the Let’s Move campaign and hope it will be successful in reducing child obesity
*Thanks* for the giveaway!
We have a small one-acre farm where we grow and sell eggs and organic veggies and herbs. The Let’s Move campaign has inspired us to outreach and educate others about organic gardening at home and composting. We are also trying to grow more of our food at home, including shiitake mushrooms on old willow logs, always seeking to make good use of every inch
We have encouraged the kids to run, walk, or use their scooter to go with us on the trails near our home. Walking together is a great time to have conversation with the kids away from the noise of electronics at home. We all plan to take part in the RUNorwalk 8k run 5k walk our city hosts each year. http://www.norwalkchamber.org/
I try and get my son out with me when I walk the dog and usually make sure we stop at the playground. I have a jogging stroller and a bike carriage so when I exercising my little boy is with me. As a family we eat really healthy and I make sure we have small healthy snacks through out the day. I hate my cookware, and could really use some new pots and pans!
Excellent post, thanks for encouraging the mission to feed our children healthy meals cooked at home. At my blog Family Fresh Cooking I create recipes and inspire the home cook to get those fresh home cooked meals on the table.
We are sneaking in more fruits and veggies in the form of smoothies and soups … in our new VitaMix … sure come up with some funny colors but great tastes!
I limit my kids’ screen time and (weather permitting) they have to match at least that amount of time playing outside. They usually end up forgetting that they “have to” be outside for half an hour and end up playing until I make them come in for dinner. Also, I make sure that they get lots of fruit, veggies, and dairy to try to get as many nutrients in as possible.
I never buy chips or soda.
I make a lot of stuff from scratch that would normally be bought at the store. This ensures I know what’s in it and it saves me money. Some of the things I make are cookie bars, granola and granola bars.
We are anctously awaiting the opening of our local farmer’s market. I like to take the kid’s there to pick the local fruits and vegs & they get to meet the families that grow the food. On your recommendation I’m also considering joining a CSA.
Our community is sponsoring a “safe routes to school” campaign to increase walking and biking in our community. In March my son participated in the “walking school bus”. These efforts stress the importance of physical activity, and hopefully will reduce reliance on cars and fuel.
Thanks for the giveaway!
Amy B.
adennispac@yahoo.com
We are using our bikes more. My husband and son rode bikes to the grocery store this weekend. My husband and daughter biked 13 miles round trip to see the Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin and my daughter and I have decided that we will start biking to her school at least once a week. The nice weather certainly helps our motivation.
We like to take the dog on walks around the neighborhood, and on long hikes during the summer. It’s fun for us, and she certainly enjoys it too! We also plan healthy vegetarian meals, and try to maintain a daily exercise routine.
We try and get our to hike a lot in the summer. I add veggies whenever I can to my food. I have learned it is better if I don’t try and hide them. My little boy (who is 2) is slowly developing taste for many different veggies and is getting use to seeing veggies as a regular part of dinner. This leads to him being willing to try out new veggies when they appear. Avocado is the only thing he continually refuses to eat. More for me I guess.
I love the show! I especially love when you give basic ideas of how to better a recipe, such as in the teenager show. Since I know you can makeover every recipe, it makes it easier for me to learn to slowly makeover my own. Keep up the great work.
Even though my four year old daughter doesn’t like the taste of many types of vegetables, I try to get her to understand the variety and quality that is out there. She knows the difference in taste, texture, and smell of a store bought versus garden grown cucumber. At every meal we use “No thank-you bites” as a way to try new things.
At home, we plant a garden full of many types of vegetables. My daughter helps me dig the holes, plant the seeds and water the plants. When its time to pick the veggies, she helps and we try them before we bring them in the house.
At the store, my daughter helps with the shopping, especially in the produce section or farm stand. She is the official plastic bag opener, food counter, and produce weigher. I always explain how to pick out ripe fruits and vegetables. We touch and smell at the store and taste at home. Last week I used an online shopping tool and the people at the store picked out the produce. I was putting away the tomatoes and my daughter told me they looked sad. Why? Because the tomatoes were pink and not red.
She may not like the taste of all these veggies, but she understands them. And her favorite part of shopping is the produce section.
We try to get our kids outside every chance we can to do something; walking, biking, soccer, or just exploring the world. We try to introduce new foods also. We have a small veggie garden that seems to help the kids to eat veggies.
I try and involve my son in the cooking (real cooking!) process and play outside / take walks at least 1 time a day. Even when it’s cold!
One of the most important things I do to keep my family eating healthy and nutritious meals is listen to this podcast. Seriously! With the craziness that goes along with being a two-working-parent family, being continuously inspired to get nutritional food on the table at dinner time is a challenge. Listening to this podcast inspires me weekly to remember nutrition and to try new recipes. Thanks for that!
We’ve been preparing healthy recipes from this site and others since before our daughter was born. Now that she’s an active preschooler, we sing songs about the importance of a balanced diet, exercise and playtime. Somehow, those lessons are sneaking in.
My and couple of co-workers have been walking on our breaks.
I cook everything we eat from scratch, we live a whole foods lifestyle so I know exactly what is going in my children’s mouths. They are somewhat picky eaters, however there are many healthy things they enjoy, my son cannot get enough kale, so we have organic kale twice a week with our meal!
We stay active with geocaching and hiking, my daughter takes ballet and my son will be starting boxing soon. They are constantly out on their bikes when the weather is nice!
We drink skim milk, try to avoid partially hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup, eat lean meats, and try to stay active.
So my daughter has a big…always has. I’ve never forced food or done anything to encourage it; since she was born I’ve followed the rule of only feeding her when she’s hungry and encouraged stopping when begin to feel full. I nursed and bottle-fed, and I didn’t leave her with a bottle or offer one as a soothing option. Basically don’t know why she is like that, but I deal with it the best I can. She is and has been a little chubby, but not obese. Anyway, I can’t deny my daughter food when she says she’s hungry over and over and dinner is two hours away, so I give the option of eating fruits as a filler between meals. I also let her eat fruit if she is hungry for more after I feel she should be full. Any other advice from anyone that’s had this issue is appreciated.
correction to prev. post….It should say has a big “appetite” in the first line..sorry
I try and set a good example for my 9 month old daughter…we all eat together as a family, and always have vegetables and healthy meals, so that she sees the healthy food as she’s growing up! We feed her homemade fruits and vegetables, and don’t give her the processed baby foods. We also like to take walks together as a family and hikes on the weekend!
I have been trying to sneak healthy foods into our regular meals. My 6 year old eats very healthfully….but my 3 year old has some ‘texture’ issues. We have started a routine of making smoothies every morning to try to pump him full of fruits and veggies. I also stock those freeze dried fruits and veggies. The kids think they are chips.
We are out biking/riding scooters/running all the time. My small boys also like to teach me yoga classes. They use a deck of yoga cards as their guide and try to lead me through a series of poses. Much fun.
I get my 2 boys outside as much as possible, especially now that the weather is getting warmer. We go to a park and kick around a soccer ball or play on the playground, we ride bikes or shoot hoops in the cul-de-sac, we go for nature walks and short hikes on weekends.
I want to clear my backyard of weeds and use the space to start a vegetable garden. I think that if the boys help with growing food, they might be more inclined to eat it!
I like to tie snack time into outdoor, let’s have fun, connect time. In good weather, the afternoon/after school snack is served outside on the picnic table. I bring out some uno or other quick card game or a difficult small puzzle and we engage with one another as we have fresh fruit or home-made muffins with lots of water in fun glasses. The dog, frisbees, balls, rackets, sidewalk chalk are scattered about, so once the table activity winds down they can hit the yard for some crazy running around. In addition to moving in the great outdoors, this compels us to spend time together.
Our school has a jumprope program and the kids love it! It has inspired them to do all the tricks on their own at home, just for fun, and also when they want to eat a cookie or have some ice cream–they know i’ll say ok if they say they’ll go jump rope for a while!
We have been inspired. As a family we are running (with some walking) the 10K in Fargo, ND in May. We are spending our time 30-60 minutes everyday getting fit for this event. Two years ago we did the 5K and found it to be positive family activity to do. I encourage anyone needing an inspiring activity to do to sign up for a 5K event near you. Very motivating and energizing!
Two friends and myself are training for the 10K in Fargo in May, therefore I’m running for the first time in nine years trying to prepare for the 6.2 miles. Plus since I’m training, I’m adjusting my diet to include more whole grain pasta and fruits and veggies.
We are delighted to announce that Jane D., a mom of three from Grand Junction, CO, is the winner of our latest giveaway for a 10-piece set of Anolon cookware. Congratulations Jane, and thanks to everyone for entering and sharing what you are doing to bring good nutrition to your family and community. You are all amazing!
we brought milk back to our meals! So many choices, so many beverages vying for my family’s attention…..we went back to the wholesome goodness and nutrition of milk…