Makeover that lunch box.

If the latest study that showed school lunches are linked to obesity didn’t convince you how important lunchtime is for a child’s health, I’m not sure what will. Today we have yet another creative way to take a typical school lunch and flip it into something health and tasty. Presenting chicken nuggets, the healthy way!

Chicken Nuggets the original way.

• Tyson Chicken nuggets in Tupperware or Thermos
• Ketchup
• Veggie chips
• Motts Cinnamon-flavored applesauce
• Oreo cookies
• Chocolate milk

Chicken nuggets the healthy way.

• Tyson All Natural chicken nuggets in Tupperware or Thermos
• Mustard
• Cucumber spears
• Motts All Natural applesauce
• Animal crackers
• 1% or fat free milk

Want more great healthy lunch ideas?  Play our lunchably fun health games Lunch Crunch and Lunch Crunch 2 or visit the My Body’s Kid Page.

Veggie-phobia.

All of this blogging about our newest health game V for Vegetable made me think about a really pretty poster we created a while back for The Woodlands Children’s Museum that talks about picky eating and how to deal with it. After all, many childhood picky eaters don’t like vegetables. I realized that we never really shared this helpful information with you. Now is as good a time as any!

So without further ado, here are some ways that you can encourage your picky eater to try something new, like a new vegetable.

1 – Learn Together

• Stay positive–remember that picky eating is often temporary.
• Learn how to handle eating challenges together by talking about it with your child.
• Avoid conflict so your child won’t learn to use food as a way to exert control.
• Consider what your child eats over several days, not just in one meal.

2 – Shop Together

• Allow your child to pick produce at the grocery store.
• Select one new food to try eat time you visit the store.
• Describe the color and texture of fruits and vegetables.
• Offer “this or that” choices for less desirable foods.

3 – Cook Together

• As a team, read recipes or explore cookbooks.
• Name your dishes or create new ones together.
• Get hands-on with food–stir, measure, kneed, tear greens, and crack eggs.

4 – Eat Together

• Plan times to eat together by putting it on the calendar.
• Focus on food and family by turning off the TV.
• Offer the same foods to the whole family–no special meals for kids or adults.
• Teach your children about small portions by letting them serve themselves.  Teach them to start with a small portion and take seconds if they are still hungry.
• Don’t praise a clean plate.  Allow children to stop eating when full.

Get the poster.

Love these tips? Want a poster so you’ll remember them?  Our Picky Eater Poster is available today in our online store. Pick up your own today!

Eat better, beautiful America.

I think food websites are some of the most beautiful websites out there, don’t you? There’s just something about food that allows for some of the most phenomenal photographs and creative web designs. Some of my personal favorites are Cheese & Burger Society, Fishful Thinking, Emerald Nuts, Chocolate & Zucchini, and Hello Sour Sally.

As you can see, most of these don’t deal with healthy items. However, I did come across a pretty nice one from General Mills called Eat Better America. On this site you can find healthy recipes, coupons, and nutrition information. Discover how to use vegetables like rhubarb and the latest healthy cooking techniques, all while enjoying beautiful food photography (and a few ads). Hope you like it as much as I did.

World-renowned.

The International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, better known as ISBNPA, is one of the most highly regarded nutrition societies in the world. Their vision and mission is to stimulate, promote and advocate innovative research and policy in the area of behavioral nutrition and physical activity toward the betterment of human health worldwide.

Their website is small, but they do have a resource list which is pretty amazing. If you want to credible resources on physical activity and nutrition, this is the place to go. Here are just a few of the resources you will find:

• Action for Healthy Kids
• American Dietetic Association
• European Food Guide Pyramid
• CDC Nutrition and Physical Activity
• International Association for the Study of Obesity
• National Center for Bicycling & Walking
• Physical Educators Network
• Public Health Association of Australia
• Society for Nutrition Education
• And more…

Enjoy all those amazing resources!

The reveal. 

I’m pleased to announce that our Playnormous Health Games Recipalooza partner in crime, The Kids Cook Monday, has launched a brand new website today. Just like us, The Kids Cook Monday initiative believes that good nutrition is part of living a happy and healthy life. Their campaign encourages families to set aside the first night of every week for cooking and eating together as a family.

Their new website has examples of family friendly recipes and video demonstrations along with a free starter family dinner toolkit- making it easy for families to cook and eat together every Monday.

Why cook with kids?

When kids pitch in making meals, they’re empowered to consider the portions, the vitamins and the nutrients of what they’re eating. And since the family that cooks together eats together, parents can check in with their children during dinner.  Cooking also reinforces skills to help kids succeed like math, teamwork and following instructions.

Ready, set, cook!

Making tonight a Kids Cook Monday night is super easy, and the new Kids Cook Monday is chocked full of amazing resources.

• Kid-friendly recipes
• Hygiene and Safety Guidelines
• Kitchen Tasks for Different Age Groups
• TKCM Recipes by Age
• Playnormous Monstrously Healthy Recipes

Happy cooking and happy Monday!