Protein is Power for Kids!

This healthy post is provided by The Chester County Hospital and Health System. To learn more about nutrition, visit us online. >>

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If you have picky eaters on your hands, you may worry about whether or not your kids are getting the nutrients they need. Protein is one component you definitely don’t want your little ones passing up – protein is important for growth and development during childhood.  Just how much protein, though, do your kiddos need to grow big and strong? You’ll find out here along with some tasty ideas that might just have them crying, “More, please!”

Why protein?  Proteins are the building blocks that repair and maintain a healthy body. A balanced meal of lean protein, fiber-rich fruits and veggies along with unsaturated fats will provide long-lasting energy and keep your kids feeling fuller longer.

How much protein should children have each day?  Chances are, they’re getting enough protein in the foods they already eat. If your kiddos turn their noses up at any type of meat, they are more than likely finding protein in other food sources. Dairy foods, grains and veggies are good sources that you may not think of as traditional proteins.

According to KidsHealth from Nemours, a 70 lb. child should have about 35 grams of protein each day. So, how much is 35 grams? Here’s how your little ones can add it all up:

•  7 grams – 2 tbsp. peanut butter
• 8 grams – 1 c. low-fat milk
•  7 grams – 2 domino-sized pieces of cheese
• 2 grams – ½ c. broccoli
• 11 grams – 1.5 oz. chicken breast

Check out these protein-packed foods and see if your kids are on the right track:

• Milk or soy milk
• Eggs
• Cheese
• Yogurt
• Peanut butter
• Lean meats, fish, poultry
• Beans
• Nuts or seeds

But my kids are picky….VERY picky. I’ve never met a kid who didn’t like chicken nuggets – while nuggets may not be the absolute healthiest option, the protein power in chicken is something to be grateful for. Here are some ideas for protein-packed meals all day long:

Breakfast

• Oatmeal made with milk, not water
• Oatmeal with peanut butter stirred in (add bananas for a yummy variation)
• Egg sandwich on whole grain toast
• Breakfast burrito with egg and cheese (maybe even some cooked veggies) on a wheat wrap

Lunch

• Ants on a log (peanut butter on celery dotted with raisins)
• Ham and cheese rollup
• Apple slices with peanut butter
• PB&J (switch up the classic by adding honey or bananas instead of jelly)
• Tuna fish on whole grain bread
• Chicken salad on whole grain wrap

Dinner

• Lean burger with cheese on whole grain bun
• Grilled cheese sandwich (add in some ham or turkey for a change)
• Macaroni and cheese
• Serve a glass of milk as their dinner beverage (this was my mom’s trick…“Can’t get up till you finish your milk!”)

If you think you have a child who is still not getting enough protein, check with your pediatrician.  Protein is a necessary nutrient for all age groups, so having your children learn to enjoy protein-filled foods at an early age is important. Remember, don’t be afraid to get creative with your approach – if you have to be sneaky, your kids may never find those mashed up cannellini beans mixed into their mashed potatoes.

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Real Mom Media and Muller Yogurt

Now that kids are back to school and life is in full force it’s totally time to get down to business with the meals.

I try as hard as possible to keep my son healthy, especially since I grew up battling the bulge.  It’s not always an easy task to get your kids to really and truly understand the value of health and eating well! And if your house is like mine-you’re always fighting the food fits. I’ve learned a few lessons along the way and would love to share my tips with you!  Remember..I’m not a doctor or dietician.  

I’m just a REAL MOM sharing my real life.
 

Tips to Fight the Food Fits

 

1)  NEVER label your foods.  “Good” or “Bad”.  Mega no-no and lesson learned here.  Always turn your statement to your kids more positive like “Eating this will help you be great at baseball”  or “Eating this isn’t going to help you be a better dancer.”

2) NEVER reward with food.  Oh dear heavens.  I know I have personally disobeyed this one.  “I’ll give you a cookie if you give me 5 minutes!”  Don’t do that.  Cause that is soooo counter productive to all the hard work you’re already doing.

3)  YOU plate the meals… not them.  By doing this at a young age, you can teach your kids the right portion size.  I remember as a kid growing up (which I think could be a contributing factor to my food struggles) at family parties I plated my own foods.  And my parents never told me that I could load up my plate.  When your kids get to a certain age, then use it as a lesson to them.  Teach them how to do it and do it right!

4) If you’re packing lunches, pack something FUN.  My kid is a yogurt junky.  He would eat yogurt for breakfast, lunch and dinner if I let him.  I actually found a yogurt that is FUN that he adores!  Muller Yogurt, a new brand of yogurt from Europe is FILLED with fun!  There are tons of flavors to choose from and the ‘dunking’ ones?  Yes.  My kid feels like a pro baller with that ‘dunk’!  He loves the corners.

5)  Make it a GAME!  Take a favorite food that your kids love and 2 others.  Put them on a plate, blindfold your kid & have them do a taste test.  Sometimes we use a dip to go along with the fruits.  And once again the Muller Yogurt has been a lifesaver.  I make a yogurt dip out of the plain Muller great for veggies & we use the yogurt mix like the Corners or FruitUps for fruit dips.  YUM!  Not only is Muller Yogurt fun, but they are great for calcium and protein too!

What is your favorite way to fight the food fits?

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Joey Fortman currently hosts Real Mom Radio on WBEN in Philadelphia & she’s also a contributing parenting expert on Fox, NBC and other traditional media outlets. Joey has been featured nationally on Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, Anderson Cooper, Redbook, The Talk & The Today Show.  Check out her life as a ‘real mom’ in the media at www.RealMomMedia.com.

Free Heart Healthy Recipe Book

This free recipe guide contains more than 60 delicious recipes submitted by members of our online community. Each recipe is low in saturated fat and sodium to fit your heart-healthy needs. Enjoy recipes for beef, pork, chicken, lamb, fish, soups, salads and more, all yours with NO COST OR OBLIGATION! 

Peeled Fruit Snacks, Half Off!

If you aren’t already in love with Peeled Fruit Snacks, try them and you will be!

Peeled Snacks: real food, real apeel. As seen on Oprah’s O List, Rachael Ray, Health Magazine, and MSNBC. Natural source of fiber with no added sugar.

Mission Nutrition:Real Nutrition, Real Moms

Ever sit in a restaurant with your kids and wonder what on the kid’s menu may be even remotely healthy?It seems every place you go, whether it is fast food, fast casual or even more upscale, the choices for kids seem to revolve around high sodium, high fat, foods. Usually with cheese! Burgers, grilled cheese, cheese sauce etc dominate the menu.For those with dairy allergies, this can be a problem. Though those foods are the ones they usually like to eat, if you have them eating healthier foods at home, they may want them out as well! I remember once asking for my son’s grilled cheese to be made on wheat bread and being told “no”, because they used a “special” white bread (smaller size) than adult bread for their kids’ meal. Puzzled???I was, and ended up ordering him the “adult” grilled cheese on wheat. Another time, I was told the same thing when I tried to get a peanut butter and jelly on wheat. I know plenty of people who cart food items around in their bags just so they have options for their kids, whether it was for allergies, health or other reasons.

Well, for those who want healthier options in a kid size portion, a new program is here to help out parents. Finally!

The National Restaurant Association started a new program in July called Kids LiveWell. www.restaurant.org/foodhealthyliving/kidslivewell

Just under 20 “brands”, most well known, now offer items that fit a certain criteria based on the 2010 USDA Dietary Guides for Americans. In summary, the restaurant has to provide a complete meal (with options) that includes an entree, side and beverage that equals 600 calories or less and must include two or more servings of fruit, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein and/or low fat dairy. Additionally, they must have choices that are lower in sugar, sodium, and unhealthy fat. Some well known restaurants include Outback, Friendly’s, IHop, Burger King and Bonefish Grill.
Interestingly, McDonald’s did not yet make the grade, but recently announced that they will meet the criteria starting in September.

Of course, restaurants have always had healthy choices, they are just now making it a little easier for us to evaluate them. In addition to this site, which lists other restaurants that participate, check out healthydiningfinder.com, an excellent site with links to this program, as well as information on how to search healthy items for all members of your family, as well as for ones with specific health concerns as well. Happy dining!

Laura Zurita is a registered dietitian and Montgomery County mom to a 6 and a half year old. She and her family enjoy reading, geocaching, hiking, and watching the Philadelphia Phillies.

Order a Fresh, Organic, Free Range Turkey for Your Family This Thanksgiving

Rent A Runner Now has partnered with local Piper Hill Farm in Bellefonte, PA to offer fresh, organically-fed, free range turkeys for Thanksgiving! All turkeys have been raised on Certified Organic feed and never caged, on grass from Day One. They are freshly prepared the Wednesday morning before Thanksgiving and will be available for pick-up in Exton that evening.

Most of the turkeys are Toms and larger than commercially-grown birds. You are likely to have a lot of wonderful leftover meat for freezing. Hey, if you’re going to go through the trouble of roasting a whole turkey, why not make it count?

If you want to make this Thanksgiving a memorable and healthful one, this is a great way to do it! Orders must be placed by November 7th! For more information and ordering, visit http://www.rentarunnernow.com/turkey.htm

More About Rent A Runner: RARN is the premier concierge and errand service for the individuals, families, and small organizations of Pennsylvania’s Montgomery, Chester, and Delaware Counties by providing them the highest levels of individualized service.

Connect on with RARN on Facebook and Twitter.

ACME Introduces Program to Make it Easier for Customers to Live Gluten-Free

ACME Introduces PROGRAM TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR Customers TO LIVE Gluten-Free – New program assists generally under-served, growing segment of
population with gluten sensitivity issues

Consuming food containing gluten can be debilitating for people with gluten sensitivity or the more severe celiac disease (also known as sprue). They must rely on strict gluten-free diets for good health. Now, as part of its commitment to provide customers with convenient and affordable health and wellness solutions, ACME Markets, part of the nationwide SUPERVALU® family of grocery stores, is offering customers afflicted with gluten sensitivity an informative diet management program at its stores located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland.

The new gluten-free program, developed by SUPERVALU’S Health and Wellness team, including registered dietitians, will roll out in phases over the next three months. As part of the program, SUPERVALU’s family of stores— including ACME®, Albertsons®, Cub Foods®, Farm Fresh®, Hornbacher’s®, Jewel-Osco®, Shaw’s/Star Market™ and Shoppers Food & Pharmacy® —will provide signage and special merchandising sets in select stores to help make it easier for customers to find gluten-free products. Customers can also visit the customer service department to pick up an in-store shopping list/guide to gluten-free products as well as get their gluten-related questions answered. More extensive gluten-free shopping lists as well as recipes and snack and meal solutions will be available on the stores’ websites.

“For people suffering from gluten intolerance, eating foods with gluten causes inflammation and damage to the lining of the small intestine, which can result in nutrients passing through the body without being absorbed. This may contribute to other health concerns, including: malnutrition, some types of cancers and a variety of autoimmune diseases,” said Anthony Provenzano, SUPERVALU pharmacy director of clinical programs.

“As a whole, the U.S. population is seeing an uptick in gluten intolerance, and there are many more people who have it — but don’t know it. This program is designed to help people manage a gluten-free diet and hopefully encourage others to seek advice from a health care professional about a possible sensitivity to gluten.”

According to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, 3 million Americans currently suffer from the inherited celiac disease, and an astonishing 97 percent of Celiacs go undiagnosed or are initially given an incorrect diagnosis. In addition, there is no pharmaceutical cure for the disease. A 100 percent gluten-free diet is the only existing treatment. The foundation says that about 500,000 celiac diagnoses are expected to occur during the next five years*.
*National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, http://www.celiaccentral.org *

More in-store gluten-free help and convenience
Gluten-free foods don’t have to be special or specially made, although some are. “Most people don’t realize that some foods are naturally gluten-free, such as fruits, vegetables, beef, poultry, fish, nuts, eggs, amaranth, corn, rice, millet, flax, lentils, potato and soy,” said Jennifer Shea, registered dietitian for ACME. “While most grocery stores have many of these items on hand, the challenge for customers is knowing which products are gluten-free, where to find them and how they can be made into a gluten-free and tasty meal. ACME’s gluten-free program hopes to provide answers to all of these questions.”

“Since there are no existing medical therapies or medications available to relieve symptoms, celiacs and gluten-sensitive people must eat a gluten-free diet for good health,” said Mary Schluckebier, executive director, Celiac Sprue Association. “A program like ACME’s is extremely helpful in two ways: it provides valuable information and resources to people who rely on finding gluten-free foods for their diet and it also helps educate the general population about gluten sensitivity issues and needs.”

“Our gluten-free program is one of a number of programs we’ve implemented to promote healthy lifestyles for the benefit of the 22 million customers nationwide we serve each week,” Provenzano said. “This program, along with our nutrition iQ program, which features easy-to-see, color-coded shelf tags to help consumers quickly identify healthier food choices, will help to provide our gluten-free customers the shopping ease and convenience they deserve.”

Most people who eat a gluten-free diet do so because they must. However, a gluten-free diet can also appeal to health-conscious consumers, or those who desire a gluten-free lifestyle for various reasons, such as helping to manage celiac-related dermatitis.

What is gluten and what are the symptoms of gluten intolerance?
Gluten is found in wheat, barley and rye. Those living with Celiac Disease must avoid gluten – for more information on Celiac Disease and an extensive glossary of gluten-free grains and flours, visit csaceliacs.org.

Our friend Kelly from The Centsible Life has recently gone Gluten Free – hop on over to her site and learn more about why she did it and the difference going Gleten Free has made in her overall health.

Welcome Guest Post Contributor Trina from O’Boy! Organic

Chester County Moms welcomes a new contributing author, Trina from O’Boy! Organic. O’Boy! Organic strives to change a parents perception of the foods they feed their children through education, interaction, and know how in a manner that is fun and exciting for mommies, daddies, and children alike. Trina will be sharing her knowledge and insight to help parents feed their children healthy, tasty, fresh, organic meals will help shape their tastes and nutritional values for life!

Watch for Trina’s post every other Wednesday on Chester County Moms! To learn more about O’Boy Organic, please visit http://www.oboyorganic.com/.