I have one daughter that will eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the rest of her school lunch life and would rather eat almost anything than the lunch offered by the school - in fact, she has a hard time even sitting next to kids who get the school lunch, she says it smells that bad! My other daughter is fine picking and choosing from the school lunch offerings and seems to get enough to get through the day. But, they just changed the school lunch rate from $1.25 to $2.25 per day.
I know economic times are tough, but I also know that the extra dollar for school lunch isn't going for healthier or better tasting options. A few simple tips to packing your child's lunch are:
1. Keep it simple - offer a few simple food items such as a sandwich, cheese squares, and fruit. Nothing fancy, or gourmet. Chances are they don't have a lot of time to eat whats in there anyway.
2. Aim for protein - its hard to make protein appealing after its been sitting in a lunchbox for a few hours, but peanut butter on rice cakes, PBJs, sliced meat or tuna and veggies in a pita, a cheese stick, or even a frozen go-gurt or other yogurts with mix-ins for fun (granola, dried fruit, etc).
3. Ask for help - take you child grocery shopping - you might be surprised when they ask for carrots or celery because one of their friends brings that. They can give you some good ideas at the store, although steer clear of the cookies and candies aisle!
4. Think outside the box - make a big pot of pasta salad at the beginning of the week and pack it in tupperware for a few days of lunches, or even heated foods like soups or cold foods like smoothies in a thermos as the main course supplemented with a few other things like crackers or fruit. Bagels with cream cheese or tortilla wraps are also good sandwich alternatives.
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Friday, January 8, 2010
Friday, December 18, 2009
Carrots for Santa?
A newly published article in the British Medical Journal entitled "Santa Claus: A Public Health Pariah?" suggests that the current image of Santa promotes an unhealthy lifestyle. According to Dr. Nathan Grills from Monash University in Australia, the image of Santa promotes obesity, drinking and (sleigh) driving, smoking cigars, and speeding, and that Santa's popularity could instead be used to encourage a more healthy lifestyle. The author even argues that Santa could potentially be a vector for infectious diseases if children sitting on his lap multiple times a day are exposed to any sniffle or flu bug he might be carrying.
I'm all for healthy living, and yes, maybe Santa could stand to lose a few pounds, but what happens if you take away the reindeer, sleigh, and christmas cookies? A tanned, toned Santa in a Speedo drinking protein shakes wearing a flu mask? Wait, haven't I seen that skating around Venice Beach already? I'll take the jolly guy in the red suit for a month every year over that...the next thing you know they'll be blaming Santa and his reindeer emissions for global warming. Sheesh, give the guy a break!
I'm all for healthy living, and yes, maybe Santa could stand to lose a few pounds, but what happens if you take away the reindeer, sleigh, and christmas cookies? A tanned, toned Santa in a Speedo drinking protein shakes wearing a flu mask? Wait, haven't I seen that skating around Venice Beach already? I'll take the jolly guy in the red suit for a month every year over that...the next thing you know they'll be blaming Santa and his reindeer emissions for global warming. Sheesh, give the guy a break!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Children's H1N1 Vaccine recall
The news today is reporting to the public that 800,000 doses of H1N1 vaccine directed at children ages 6 months to 3 years have been recalled due to a suspected decrease in strength and potency. Physicians have been notified of the voluntary recall, however it is believed that most of the vaccine has been administered to children. The CDC is reassuring parents however that there is no need to be concerned; the vaccine their child received is safe, it just may be lacking in potency.
You can see a link to today's headline at FOX news here.
I suppose the take home message for parents is keep washing hands religiously and keep kids home when they don't feel well and away from others who are sick. It will be challenging to keep kids healthy this season when family members get together for holiday festivities and everyone is sleeping over at Grandma's. It may be a good idea to arrive at your holiday parties with bottles of hand sanitizer (or germ blaster as we call it!) to have around the house and try to keep those nasty contagious germs at bay.
Stay healthy this holiday!!
Friday, December 4, 2009
Ideas for Reducing Screen Time for Kids
I realized after writing recently about the need to limit screen time for our kids that there was no “how” involved! I’ve been trying to limit my kid’s TV time a little more (especially for my 3 year old who is bored while the big kids are at school) but I wasn’t too sure where to start. So I’ve been thinking about it and came up with a few ideas. I also found some great tips on limiting TV time here.
1. Set limits and rules as a family--timers work great for kids and if they know they have X amount of time to watch or play computer, they will be less likely to be mad at mom when time’s up--blame the timer!
2. Set the example as the adults--Kid’s won’t take the rules seriously if they see us sitting in front of the tube for hours on end instead of doing something active.
3. Keep TV’s and computers OUT of children’s rooms. Both should really be family items and whatever is viewed on them should be available and reasonably appropriate for most members of the family. 4. No TV during meal time--make meal time about sharing a meal and socializing with each other and discussing the events of the day. This will take the focus off of food and kids will stop eating when they are full rather than eating mindlessly in front of the TV which can lead to obesity.
5. Don’t use TV as a reward--this puts too much emphasis on TV and it will become even that much more important to children.
6. Plan out your shows--let the kids pick a few programs they will want to watch during the week. Then either record them or set aside that time its on for your kids to watch. This way there is more purpose to the TV watching and they can look forward to their TV time and their show. (Honestly, how did we survive before Tivo and DVRs?!)
2. Set the example as the adults--Kid’s won’t take the rules seriously if they see us sitting in front of the tube for hours on end instead of doing something active.
3. Keep TV’s and computers OUT of children’s rooms. Both should really be family items and whatever is viewed on them should be available and reasonably appropriate for most members of the family. 4. No TV during meal time--make meal time about sharing a meal and socializing with each other and discussing the events of the day. This will take the focus off of food and kids will stop eating when they are full rather than eating mindlessly in front of the TV which can lead to obesity.
5. Don’t use TV as a reward--this puts too much emphasis on TV and it will become even that much more important to children.
6. Plan out your shows--let the kids pick a few programs they will want to watch during the week. Then either record them or set aside that time its on for your kids to watch. This way there is more purpose to the TV watching and they can look forward to their TV time and their show. (Honestly, how did we survive before Tivo and DVRs?!)
I have four *avid* computer lovers. They love sites like PBS.org, nickjr.com, star fall.com, and playhouseDisney.com. One thing we do that works right now is “Stations”. Each gets about 15 min. at each station--one of course being computer. The other stations are a chore, homework, reading, free play, etc, but it allows some good computer time but it isn’t the main focus--its just part of the station rotation.
What has worked in your family to control screen time with your kids? How do you limit it without making it a huge battle? I’d love to hear what works for others, since I can tell as my kids get older, the challenge is different.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Too much TV??
I stuck my kids in front of a movie the other day and one of my boys chided me by saying, “our brains are going to turn to mush if we watch so much TV.” I laughed, but his wisdom came flooding back to me as I read a recent article in The Oregonian, a Portland based newspaper. The article, TV time a health hazard for children (Nov. 23, 2009), compares screen time to the most dangerous substance in our homes. It is an issue that has been studied at length, and I feel there is merit to many of their claims.
The general guidelines for screen time (which includes television, video games, and computers) are that kids 2 and older should be limited to two hours a day (unless doing homework) and children under 2 should NEVER use screen media. The article claims that children who exceed these guidelines are more likely to:
*be overweight
*smoke
*have high blood pressure
*bully other children
*have sleeping problems
*develop ADD
*lag behind in language and social skills
*drink alcohol
TV time is inactive time. By allowing children so much inactive time in front of a screen we are putting them at higher risks for bad health habits they will carry with them as they age and which will seriously affect their physical, emotional, and social health.
Sorry Moms, I don’t mean this to be a guilt-trigger! I can tell I use the TV more at different times. This summer I had a brand new baby and five kids in my house under the age of 7. You can BET we watched some good movies and a little PBS, and frankly, I didn’t feel guilty about it. Now that they are in school, they watch *maybe* two hours a week, because our time is more limited. I think we need to use common sense and look for balance and moderation in individual circumstances.
As a parent you have to find what works for your family, but this article was a good reminder and wake up call for me to realize how affected children truly are by screen time and how it can have long lasting health implications.
Maybe my son was right after all…too much TV will turn his brain to mush.
Other interesting links:
Center for Screen Time Awareness:
http://www.tvturnoff.org/
American Academy of Pediatrics Media Violence policy:
http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/pediatrics;124/5/1495
The general guidelines for screen time (which includes television, video games, and computers) are that kids 2 and older should be limited to two hours a day (unless doing homework) and children under 2 should NEVER use screen media. The article claims that children who exceed these guidelines are more likely to:
*be overweight
*smoke
*have high blood pressure
*bully other children
*have sleeping problems
*develop ADD
*lag behind in language and social skills
*drink alcohol
TV time is inactive time. By allowing children so much inactive time in front of a screen we are putting them at higher risks for bad health habits they will carry with them as they age and which will seriously affect their physical, emotional, and social health.
Sorry Moms, I don’t mean this to be a guilt-trigger! I can tell I use the TV more at different times. This summer I had a brand new baby and five kids in my house under the age of 7. You can BET we watched some good movies and a little PBS, and frankly, I didn’t feel guilty about it. Now that they are in school, they watch *maybe* two hours a week, because our time is more limited. I think we need to use common sense and look for balance and moderation in individual circumstances.
As a parent you have to find what works for your family, but this article was a good reminder and wake up call for me to realize how affected children truly are by screen time and how it can have long lasting health implications.
Maybe my son was right after all…too much TV will turn his brain to mush.
Other interesting links:
Center for Screen Time Awareness:
http://www.tvturnoff.org/
American Academy of Pediatrics Media Violence policy:
http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/pediatrics;124/5/1495
Friday, November 20, 2009
Quick Guide to Cold and Flu Season
It’s that time of year again…and this year it seems to be hitting more people pretty hard. The good news is that many of the cold and flu symptoms are treated in the same way -- through comfort measures done at home. Here are a few tips from our resident RN:
1. Don’t panic over a fever. Our body’s temperature rises to fight off infection, and fever itself is not necessarily bad. Carefully monitor your child’s fever. Only treat the fever to the point of increasing comfort for your child. Give Tylenol or Motrin (per doctor’s orders or on the medication labels), let your child soak in a lukewarm bath, and dress them in light clothing. Call your doctor immediately if your child has a high fever (103 or higher), is listless, or cannot be roused from sleep.
2. Drink plenty of fluids. Let children drink whatever fluids appeal to them. Water is best, but if they will drink watered down juice or milk that helps too. It is a myth that drinking milk will increase congestion. If it’s what your child will drink, it should be encouraged. Dehydration is one of the most common complications from flu in children, so encouraging fluids of any kind (popsicles, juices, milk, water, etc.) can help keep your child from getting worse.
3. Encourage rest. Your child will dictate how much activity they can tolerate when sick. Let them rest when they want to rest. If your child is having trouble sleeping, using a cool-mist humidifier in their room can help. Also, a warm bath before bed can give some comforting relief to the body aches.
4. Nutrition. Kids usually don’t have big appetites when they are sick, but try to encourage light, easy-to-digest foods such as broths and soups.
5. Wash hands often and throw used tissues away immediately after use. Keep your children home from school if they are sick. Children can’t learn and be effective when they don’t feel well.
Remember that as your child’s body is fighting off illness, they are also building antibodies to an illness that may come their way again. It is inconvenient and uncomfortable for the week or so that the cold or flu lingers, but by keeping your child comfortable, rested, and well hydrated, the illness will pass and they will be back on track in no time!
**This is not intended as medical advice. They are merely suggestions for home care for common colds and flu. Always contact your child’s physician when you have questions or concerns about their health.**
1. Don’t panic over a fever. Our body’s temperature rises to fight off infection, and fever itself is not necessarily bad. Carefully monitor your child’s fever. Only treat the fever to the point of increasing comfort for your child. Give Tylenol or Motrin (per doctor’s orders or on the medication labels), let your child soak in a lukewarm bath, and dress them in light clothing. Call your doctor immediately if your child has a high fever (103 or higher), is listless, or cannot be roused from sleep.
2. Drink plenty of fluids. Let children drink whatever fluids appeal to them. Water is best, but if they will drink watered down juice or milk that helps too. It is a myth that drinking milk will increase congestion. If it’s what your child will drink, it should be encouraged. Dehydration is one of the most common complications from flu in children, so encouraging fluids of any kind (popsicles, juices, milk, water, etc.) can help keep your child from getting worse.
3. Encourage rest. Your child will dictate how much activity they can tolerate when sick. Let them rest when they want to rest. If your child is having trouble sleeping, using a cool-mist humidifier in their room can help. Also, a warm bath before bed can give some comforting relief to the body aches.
4. Nutrition. Kids usually don’t have big appetites when they are sick, but try to encourage light, easy-to-digest foods such as broths and soups.
5. Wash hands often and throw used tissues away immediately after use. Keep your children home from school if they are sick. Children can’t learn and be effective when they don’t feel well.
Remember that as your child’s body is fighting off illness, they are also building antibodies to an illness that may come their way again. It is inconvenient and uncomfortable for the week or so that the cold or flu lingers, but by keeping your child comfortable, rested, and well hydrated, the illness will pass and they will be back on track in no time!
**This is not intended as medical advice. They are merely suggestions for home care for common colds and flu. Always contact your child’s physician when you have questions or concerns about their health.**
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