Healthy Kids Inc.

What would you do to cure your child of autism or ADHD? This interview is incredible!

Mandy — Fri, 03 May 2013 17:45:12 +0000

To what lengths would you go to cure your child of autism or ADHD? Would you give up your career to figure it out? Would you turn your back to traditional doctors and medicine forever? Would you travel the country looking for resources and new treatments that may advance your child just a little more in his or her development? For four years I have watched with complete inspiration and admiration as my good friend, Carrie Fick, did just that. Carrie’s oldest son was diagnosed with autism four years ago and has since made it her life’s work to figure out what caused his development of autism and cure it if she can. She studies this subject so intensely. I have urged her to blog about this for many years, so today I am beyond excited to share her knowledge with you as she joins me on camera to talk about her journey.

If you are not directly impacted by autism or ADHD in your family, you likely know someone that is. The number of kids with autism is growing at an alarming rate. Now, 1 in 88 American children have some form of autism spectrum disorder, a 78% increase compared to a decade ago. Add to that the fact that 6.4 million children aged 4 to 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD at some point in their lives, a 53% increase over the past decade at which two thirds of kids take prescription drugs for.

Why is this happening and how could Autism and ADHD be related? You’ll soon find out.

In this interview, we talk about:

Why the first 2 months of a baby’s life are crucial in setting the tone for your child’s overall health.
Signs to look for in autistic children.
The impact a child’s diet has on Autism, ADHD, and Celiacs.
Why gluten and dairy can have the same effects as an opiate drug on a child with a leaky gut.
What common items contribute to metals and toxins in all kids’ bodies.
Hand sanitizers, antibacterial soaps, air fresheners, cleaners, pots/pans, plastics. You’ll learn which ones are good and which to stay away from.
3 tips for kids health.

Click the video play button below to get started.

If you can’t watch this entire video, use the “Next” button in the player to advance to specific chapters.

Chapter Markers

0:00 Introductions
1:11     Learning the signs of autism
5:20    Gut Flora and How it impacts your Immune System and Overall Health
9:28    Leaky Gut Syndrome
13:21   Diets: GAPS & Specific Carbohydrate
18:15   Fermenting foods
22:45 Toxins in the body
27:09 Detoxifying the home
36:50 3 steps to get your home less toxic
37:50 Top tips for a healthy gut
43:30 Recommended resources

Resources:

Nourishing Hope for Autism
Dr Joseph Mercola
GAPS Diet
TACA Journey Guide

What, When, and How to Fuel your Young Athlete before the Next Game

Mandy — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 18:43:08 +0000

HKI is excited to introduce Christina Estrada as our guest blogger. Christina shares a similar passion for kids health and is incredibly knowledgeable about youth fitness. From toddler to high school athlete, she breaks down what to eat, how much to eat, and when to eat it for optimum energy and performance.

Sports and play activities aren’t just great ways to occupy your time and add enrichment to your child’s daily routine. Studies have shown that sports can help to boost a child’s self-confidence, build character, promote health (all the way into adulthood), encourage team work, and enhance the physical and emotional development of your child. Depending upon your child’s age, there are all kinds of wonderful things happening to their body while they play.

Have you ever watched a bunch of three and four year old children playing soccer? You know what I’m talking about…the huge flock of children all trying to get the ball, none of them concerned about where the goal is or who they’re trying to steal the ball from. Well, even though it makes some parents giggle and other (more competitive) parent’s cringe, it’s really good for their young little bodies to be able to explore the space around them, to feel their feet running, kicking, and tripping! All these seemingly disorganized actions are helping to develop your child’s gross motor skills.

Introducing kids to endurance sports is critical for preventing the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Kids between four and ten years old increase their cardiovascular capacity and muscular endurance when they engage in sports that require whole body movements, like swim, tennis, or lacrosse. Not only that, but new research is looking into the connection between practiced sports skills and the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease later in life.

All of these activities are building bones, strengthening your child’s lungs, repairing and building strong muscles, increasing blood volume, establishing nerve connections, and burning calories! Even when kids are just goofing around on the playground, they are preparing their bodies for more specialized training in later years.

Every young person needs quality nutrition to grow. But the young athlete who is growing and training and performing needs quality nutrition – in a greater amount – and at certain times. If both you and your athlete take the time to learn these simple concepts now, you’ll both be ready for a lifetime of good health and vitality.

WHAT should you feed your athlete?

There are six types of nutrients necessary for good health and optimum performance. These include fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and water. The body creates energy from fats and carbohydrates, it builds and rebuilds cells with proteins, and it regulates all those processes with the vitamins, minerals and water you consume.

HOW MUCH should your young athlete eat?

In order to ensure that your child gets adequate nutrition, you should strive to feed them at least five meals each day. A good way to keep track of portion sizes is the “rule of palm.”

1 – 2 palm-sized portions of protein
1 – 2 fist-sized portions of veggies
1 – 2 cupped handfuls of whole grains or fruit
1 – 2 thumb-sized bits of healthy fats
Low calorie beverage – NOT DIET SODA

A vitamin or mineral supplement is not necessary as long as you make sure to include a colorful assortment of vegetables and fruits into their diet.

WHEN is the best time to eat?

Nutrient timing can become a very complex process when your child gets into collegiate or professional sports, but at an amateur level there are really just four things to remember:

Carbohydrates are the high performance fuel. Eat one or two servings of fruit or some vegetables or whole grains about an hour before a sports event to give your athlete increased energy to start off strong.
Fats are the most energy rich food source. Consuming a serving of fat about an hour before a sports event will give your athlete a long-lasting source of energy.
Proteins are the body’s most important structural material – they are the building blocks of our cells. Have a serving of protein about an hour before any sports-related event and then again about 30 minutes to an hour afterward to promote recovery.
Water makes up sixty percent of the body. It is vitally important for controlling metabolism, digesting food, delivering nutrition to the cells, cellular communication, and temperature regulation. The easiest way to check hydration is to ensure that the urine is clear or very pale yellow. Then, after each practice or game, make sure to replenish lost fluids before engaging in another vigorous activity.

Encourage your athlete to find out how protein turns into muscle and how carbohydrates give the body energy. Teach them how to eat healthy and why it’s important. You’ll set them up for success in sports and life!

Leave a comment below with one of your kids favorite pregame meals.

Christina Estrada holds her AS degree in Exercise Science with specialties in Youth Fitness, Fitness Nutrition, Strength and Conditioning, Senior Fitness, and Exercise Therapy. Her lofty goals include bettering the lives of 1 million families by 2018 by improving their financial, physical, and emotional wellness. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband, Tony, and their three young sons. To connect with Christina and find out more about youth fitness or family wellness, please like her company Facebook page by searching for Hopscotch Family Company.

Is Your Spouse Impacting your Kid’s Heath?

Mandy — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 17:39:42 +0000

It’s a common scenario. One parent is ready to tackle healthy eating, but the other isn’t. It’s not because we don’t want to be healthy. Sure, we all do. In many cases, we simply look at food from different perspectives. In fact, this very subject was recently covered in Parents Magazine where Mom tries to serve her child fruits and vegetables, but Dad doesn’t.

Dad Says:

“Growing up, I was forced to eat whatever was put in front of me. One time my mom made me eat cream of broccoli soup, and it made me gag. When I see my daughter struggle with food, I understand. If she refuses what I offer her, I replace the offending food with something she likes.I don’t push vegetables on her; she doesn’t like them. We’ve tried to steam or sauté broccoli with different sauces, but she refuses it. When I pick her up from day care, we have a snack: popcorn, chocolates, or yogurt, or I’ll give her a frozen mango fruit puree. I have a sweet tooth, so if she eats what I give her I’ll share a treat with her. We definitely eat junk food between meals. We also use candy as a counting tool. We’ll lay little chocolates on the table and ask, ‘How many will we eat today?’ I try to make it fun for her!”

Read the entire article here, but Dad’s perspective on the situation is not uncommon. Naturally, the thought of candy and sweets lights up our brain a bit and we want our kids to experience that same blissful feeling. It’s a sign of love to them and in many cases that trumps healthy choices in every situation. Strike a nerve? We’ll cover the psychology behind that very thought soon enough (that’s a blog series in and of itself).

In this week’s series, we cover how to get your significant other on board with your healthy eating efforts because getting this person on board with making healthy changes is usually the hardest step. The good news is, once you do, it only gets easier from here. The support of your spouse or significant other will make dealing with your children and other members of your family much easier during this time of transition to a healthier lifestyle.

Everyone is different. Your significant other may jump at the chance to adopt healthy habits, or they may be entirely resistant. It’s helpful to understand where they fall on this continuum of desire-to-change. Their level of desire to change will affect how you approach helping them toward a healthier lifestyle.

Here’s how to respond to where they’re at:
1. Ready and willing to change. Great! If your spouse is ready and willing to change, jump on their motivation and start planning, as a team, ways you will both live healthier. Team work is key…you are each others support system and you’ll be much more successful if your spouse is part of the decision making.

Motivation is only part of the equation, though. Ask the questions: Why haven’t we made these changes already? What are our barriers? Understanding what has inhibited you in the past will enable you to plan solutions to help guarantee your success in the future.

2. Thinking about change. Sometimes the idea of change sounds good, but your spouse just isn’t sure about making the commitment. Discuss with them: Why wouldn’t you want to change? Many times your spouse has fears of failure, fear of giving up foods or leisure time, or they see themselves as too busy to make time for healthy changes. Encourage them by showing that change doesn’t mean giving up the things they love. There are almost always healthier versions of favorite foods. Even less healthy foods can be enjoyed with moderation and portion control. Many leisure activities can be made into opportunities for physical activity, such as golf, shopping, and dancing.

It’s also helpful to focus on making gradual change to avoid overwhelming you or your spouse. Work together to come up with short term goals that you both can agree on. This may be drinking less soda, getting a little more physical activity each week, or eating one more serving of fruits and vegetables each day.

3. Refusal to change. The biggest mistake you can make with a spouse in this stage (or any stage) is nag. When your spouse hears what he or she “should” be doing, they hear judgment and are going to react negatively and resist. Instead, make healthy lifestyle changes look attractive. Be a good role model and find enjoyment in your own personal health victories. Is your exercise habit giving you more energy throughout the day? Do you feel better since you’ve cut out unhealthy foods? Share any positives you experience with your spouse.

Focus on positives in their own lives, as well. I have yet to meet someone who doesn’t do anything positive in regard to their health. Do they already get 7-8 hours of sleep at night? Is there a healthy food they already enjoy? No matter how small, find the positives in their life and show them that they aren’t as far from a healthy lifestyle as they think.

You can even entice the desire to change by discussing the possibilities of a healthier lifestyle. What would they hope to gain? What do you hope to gain? A smaller waistline, more energy, feeling younger, or reduced disease risk and/or symptoms are all benefits of a healthier lifestyle.

No matter where your spouse is on this scale, remember that team work, a positive approach, and being a good role model are the most important things you can do to influence their success. You can’t force your spouse to change, but with a little patience and persistence, you can help guide them in the right direction.

Good Luck with your efforts and stay tuned for our next release as we talk about how to get your kids and the extended family (aka- all the grandparents) on board with your healthy eating plans.

p.s. You have more influence than anyone else to create change in your household, so be encouraged to make changes! Let us know if your spouse is impacting your kids health in the comments below.

Mandy Curry is the Co-Founder of Healthy Kids Inc and Sarah Sturgill is a Registered Dietitian with a certification in childhood and adolescent weight management. They are the co-author to the “Step by Step Guide to Overcoming Picky Eaters,” a free eBook download helping parents overcome their child’s picky tendencies.

You’re Ready for Healthy Eating. Now Time to Convince The Family!

Mandy — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 22:48:20 +0000

You’re finally taking steps down the right path with your health. You’ve started working exercise into your day, even if it’s just a ten minute walk. You’re avoiding fast food and coffee houses with cream-laden temptations. You’ve even added a serving of vegetables at lunch. You’re on your way to success…until you get home. There, your spouse keeps sugary sodas within easy reach, your kids want the pantry stocked full of chips and snack cakes, and lifting the remote or game console is the only physical activity anybody is planning for the rest of the evening.

Family is often the number one barrier people face when trying to adopt a healthy lifestyle. It’s very hard to make real and lasting changes when you don’t have the support and participation of the rest of your household. Your family members aren’t trying to sabotage your efforts, but when they bring their unhealthy habits into your home, it becomes a temptation and a barrier to your success.

When people ask me what they can do, I tell them the most effective thing they can do is bring their family on board with the healthy changes they are making in their own lives. “Healthy” is a lifestyle, and your family needs to be part of it.

Motivating someone else to change with you can be difficult. Here are a few tips to make the process easier and more effective:

Create buy-in. People don’t change because someone else tells them to; they change only because they want to.
Start with a family conversation. Bring your family together to discuss the changes you are making and let them know it’s important for them to participate.
Answer the “why” question. Not with “because I said so.” Children, especially, will call into question these new changes. Prepare yourself beforehand to give truthful and personal answers that focus on the benefits of a healthy lifestyle for you, your spouse, and your children.
Bring your family into the decision making process. Just because you initiate the process, does not mean you get to make all of the decisions. Get their input, challenge them to make real change, but don’t ask them to do more than they are ready to do. Questions to ask include: What changes are you willing to make? How can we help each other?
Deal with resistance. Don’t let this turn into a fight, but do encourage participation. If your spouse is resisting any change, focus conversation on the benefits to the whole family when they make a change. Try suggesting an easy and convenient change, just for the sake of participation with the group. Examples may include: one less soda per day (or week), ordering small instead of medium or medium instead of large at restaurants, or going for a 5 minute walk on their lunch break. If children are resisting, try suggesting some fun options, such as increasing physical activity by taking them to a playground or a facility with indoor play equipment.
Make it convenient. You’re making headway by getting the gang on board; now help them succeed, just as their changes will help you succeed. Have healthy pre-made snacks that are convenient to grab-and-go, preplan for days that are rushed and leave little to no time for healthy food prep, and offer words of encouragement and motivation.
Keep the momentum. Making small changes is sometimes the best you can do with your family, but don’t let it stop there. Revisit #4 every few weeks and continue to make more healthy changes.

In the end, remember that your spouse is an adult and your children are children. You should not “boss” your spouse, but as a parent, you do have the responsibility to make healthy choices for your children.

You have more influence than anyone else to create change in your household, so be encouraged and make some changes!

Sarah Sturgill is a Registered Dietitian. Graduating from Marshall University with both her Bachelor’s and Master’s in Dietetics, Sarah is a Families and Health Agent for the West Virginia University Extension Service and Dietetic Consultant to Healthy Kids Inc. Sarah is also a certified specialist in child and adolescent weight management. Sarah is the co-author to the “Step by Step Guide to Overcoming Picky Eaters,” a free eBook download helping parents overcome their child’s picky tendencies.

Your Kids Will Think Twice Before Downing a Sugary Drink After This…

Mandy — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 17:40:00 +0000

We talk a lot about sugar but sometimes visuals are the best way to create true shock-n-awe when it comes to just how much sugar our families consume each day.

March marks National Nutrition Month and if there’s one thing that we could all do to improve nutrition in our households, it’s to reduce the amount of sugary drink consumption. From soda to juice boxes to sports drinks, these beverages are loaded with added sugar and they’re packing on the pounds for both kids and adults.

If you think a healthy alternative is diet pop or artificially sweetened drinks, think again. Artificial sweeteners are actually worse than sugar. In fact, according to alternative health and wellness expert, Dr Joseph Mercola, “..sweetener lesson 101 is to avoid artificial sweeteners like the plague.”

Sometimes it’s hard to realize just how much sugar is in our drinks, so check out this video where my kids learn just how much sugar is in their favorite drinks. You can also find me doing hands-on demos throughout the day with the kids at Simpson Elementary during their Health Fair on Thursday March 28^th. I can speak from experience how impactful this exercise has been with my family. Hope it has the same effect with yours.

Press the play button to watch the video below.

Use this Step to Determine if You Can Pull Off 5 Healthy Meals This Week

Mandy — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 20:34:12 +0000

Over the last few weeks we have been talking about a few steps that parents can take to pull off dance, sports, work meetings, and still find time for healthy meals.

Step One was to Set the Plan. The concept was simple. Spend 10 minutes with the family on Sunday jotting down your activities for the week. Determine which nights you can actually sit down for a family dinner and which nights are grab-n-go. Then plan your menu accordingly.

Step Two was to Meal Plan & Grocery Shop. If you want to reduce your time in the grocery store, reduce your food waste, and ensure you’re eating healthy meals, this is an important step to put into place. Simply jot down what your family plans to eat for all 5 meals that week. Then create a shopping list based on the needs for each day’s meals. Take this with you to the store as a guide- only buying what you need. Then when you get home, toss the grocery list and post the meal planner as your guide for the week. Yep, it’s just that easy.

The final step is where the true power lies. This is what took our family from eating Banquet pot pies, and Spaghetti O’s to dinners full of fresh, healthy ingredients.

Just yesterday I was walking through the grocery store and saw an end cap full of hot pockets. It was an instant flashback to those days of five-minute dinners. Frozen chicken nuggets, microwave mac-n-cheese, and canned vegetables. We never shopped in the produce section EVER. The only fruit our kids ate was from a packaged product such as applesauce or fruit submerged in a cup of sugary syrup.

Not knowing what to cook or how to cook were definite obstacles, but not having time was the biggest on my list. We were begging for energy every night, so the thought of spending an hour in the kitchen was overwhelming. Little did we know that much of our energy shortage had to do with our diet?

It wasn’t until we started really organizing our meals for the week that everything changed.

Yes, it took about 2 hours of my weekend time to pull it off, but the return was incredible.

That time in the kitchen meant stress free dinners each night- when I needed it the most. That time in the kitchen meant that I no longer had to choose between convenience and health when it was 5pm and I was too exhausted to cook. The heavy lifting and planning had already been done for me. I had found a way to make healthy eating a thoughtless action each night (I call it dummy-proof). Seriously, it had become just that easy.

So this final step in the process is the true game changer for families. Step three is where you chop, prep, and package your meals for the week. I go to the extreme with containers and food savers, but this is because I coach and teach families about this every week. You don’t need that to get started. Just a few zip top bags and you’re ready to start.

Let’s assume we’re making Shrimp Pesto Pasta for dinner.

You may have followed Steps 1 and 2 and know that this is what you want for dinner, but Monday night comes around and you’ve had a long day at work. You take a look at the recipe and become overwhelmed by the ingredient list and time it will take you to pull this off. Instantly, you’re thinking of an alternate dish that you could whip up a little quicker (hmm…maybe those hot pockets). Sound familiar? Yeah, we’ve all been there.

So what if you took this a little further and added a Step 3 in the mix?

What if you spent some time on Sunday getting everything ready for this meal? As soon as you get home from the grocery store, you start organizing this meal. In 15 minutes, you can have the shrimp thawed, cleaned and in a container. You grate the Parmesan cheese, measure out the pine nuts and edamame, and prepare the garlic cloves. You could even go a step further and just make the entire pesto in advance if you want. All of this can be placed in a plastic container or large zip top bag that’s ready to pull out Monday night. This means that all you have to do when you get home is simply follow the recipe directions and dinner is now ready in 20 minutes instead of 40.

Think that would make a difference in your healthy eating efforts? You bet! It’s a game changer and something that even the busiest of families can adopt to improve their time in the kitchen.

So that’s our final step in the process. If you want to see it in action, watch this video below where I show you exactly how to prep this meal. It’s one of our favorites and oh-so-healthy. Enjoy!!

From Stressed Out to Organized…This Tip Has Transformed a Busy Mom’s Meals for the Week.

Mandy — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 01:48:33 +0000

Last week we talked about what it takes to pull off sports, dance, board meetings, and still make time for a healthy dinner. This week we take it one step further in your organization.

(Step 1): Set the Plan:

Setting a weekly plan ensures that your hectic week is accounted for and planned around. The concept is simple. Spend 10 minutes with the family on Sunday jotting down your activities for the week. Determine which nights you can actually sit down for a family dinner and which nights are grab-n-go. Then plan your menu accordingly.

(Step 2): Meal Planner & Grocery List:

If you want to reduce your time in the grocery store, reduce your food waste, and ensure you’re eating healthy meals, this next step is for you. Introducing the Weekly Meal Planner template.

This is a tool I’ve been using for quite some time and it works! This meal planner takes into account all of your meals for the week (because for some a healthy breakfast or lunch is just as challenging). Simply jot down what your family plans to eat for all 3 meals that week. Then create a shopping list based on the needs for each day’s meals. Take this with you to the store as a guide- only buying what you need. Then when you get home, toss the grocery list and post the meal planner as your guide for the week. Yep, it’s just that easy.

Our family tends to stick with the same breakfast and lunch menu for a week at a time simply out of convenience. You may prefer to mix it up a bit. This template allows for both.

Give this a shot next week. You’ll impress yourself with how easy and effective this tip is. Download our free template or make your own. Either way, you’ll be ready to roll in no time.

I hope you’re enjoying February’s “organization” series. The number one way to overcome obstacles with time is to plan and prepare. The two tips presented take a total of 30 minutes. That’s it. Just one more tip as we tackle time management, and it’s our best tip yet. Stay tuned.

You’re Gearing up for a Wild Week. One Step to Ensure you Don’t Eat Out.

Mandy — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 17:56:04 +0000

For parents that want their family to develop healthy eating habits, two road blocks always come up every time: Picky Eaters and a lack of Time. We tackled picky eaters last week and as difficult as that can be, it doesn’t even compare to the burden that “lack of time” seems to have on families. Parents love to talk about how busy they are in the evening. In fact, it’s becoming a competition between parents. From kids sports to school events to work meetings to board meetings…the work-day is no match for what happens between the hours of 5pm and 10pm.

Today, 35 million kids play an organized sport each year. Out of necessity, a family often eats for convenience, not health and nutrition.

So what’s a family to do that is torn between health and convenience? This topic is so big that we are devoting the entire month of February to tips and techniques to help.

We all have the same gift- 24 hours a day. Why is it that some can accomplish so much in that time span and others can’t seem to get anything done? Well, it all starts with a Plan. If you really want to raise health and nutrition a little higher on the priority list with your family, then we need a Plan.

Did you know that most American’s wait until just a few hours before dinner to decide what they want to eat that night? What’s wrong with that? Well, EVERYTHING!

It’s proven that our willpower decreases as the day progresses. In fact, most healthy eating efforts start off strong in the morning but as the demands and stresses of the day hit, our willpower diminishes and by dinner time most healthy efforts fail. Without a plan, and by the end of the day, the drive thru or takeout is just too tempting. Sheer exhaustion has set in and what’s worse, we have 2 hours of sports practice tonight.

Set the Plan:

“Under 30 Meals” can be made in less than 30 minutes. It’s still very easy to pull off a healthy meal in 30 minutes. Just takes a little organization and preparation. ”Family dinner” nights are meals where we’re not watching the clock. “Grab-n-Go” nights are 15-minute meals that generally require no cooking. My favorite grab-n-go is a veggie wrap (recipe here). Simply mix your ingredients up the night before so that your wrap is rolled, ready and served in 5 minutes.

This seems like such common sense, but you would be amazing at how many families “wing it” and end up with either fast food or cereal for dinner.

So spend a little time this week on your plan. This ten-minute step will go a long way in pulling off a hectic week. Next week we’ll go over tip #2 in pulling off your crazy week. Relief is just around the corner…

Is a Picky Eater Holding Your Family Back from meeting your New Year’s Resolution?

Mandy — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 23:26:02 +0000

It’s January 2013 and like the 100 million Americans that make New Years Resolutions, you may have “eat right” or “develop healthy eating habits” on your list of goals for the year. Most do! It sounds like such an easy thing to do…until you try to include the family in your efforts. Immediately, your challenges multiply and the goal becomes too big to handle.

For parents that want their family to develop healthy eating habits, two road blocks inevitably come up every time: Picky Eaters and a lack of Time.

I was at the hair salon yesterday. The subject of healthy kids came up and just like clockwork, the usual scenario’s came up again. In one, the child won’t eat anything. The parent resorts to only a handful of meals just to get their child to eat (and those meals generally have no nutritional value). The second scenario is a family without picky eaters but desperate for time to actually sit down and have a family dinner. Torn between work, gymnastics, and soccer class, dinner is a quick grab-and-go sandwich or a trip through the drive thru. I’m devoting the entire month of January to scenario number two. For now, let’s tackle number one.

Picky eaters plague household after household. In most cases, the picky tendencies work themselves out at a young age. In some cases however, that’s not the case. And despite our best attempt as parents, we are often the reason this lingers on for many years (sometimes even through adulthood).

A few things to keep in mind:

Kids tend to show wariness of new foods, especially between the ages of 2 and 6. This is a normal part of their development process.

It may take a child 10-15 times before they develop a preference toward a particular food. This is normal too.

Children’s taste buds are very different from adults. Most have a preference for sweets at an early age, and are averse to sour or salty foods. These taste buds will continue to evolve and change as they age, so don’t be surprised if they like cooked carrots today but prefer them raw in a few years.

As a parent, the most important thing we can do for our child is to help them through this time. Giving in to their requests for frozen chicken nuggets every night or making multiple meals each night just to make everyone happy isn’t in the best interest of the child’s health.

I was plagued with picky children and a picky husband. It took a little time, but my husband went from eating spaghetti, pizza, and plain hamburgers (only) to a diet full of healthy meats, fruits, and vegetables. Kale, Mushrooms, Onions, Carrots, Broccoli…he eats it all now. The kids now shock me with what they’ll try too. The dinner table now feels like a science lab. Wow- it certainly wasn’t always that way.

If you’re ready to propel your family forward, here are a few simple steps to get you started:

Making time for dinner as a family. If even for 15 minutes a few nights a week, you’ll find this a great opportunity to experiment with new foods and talk to your children about the importance of eating healthy foods. It’s nearly impossible to talk to kids about healthy foods when you’re in the car or going through the local drive thru.
Cook the same food- different ways. My kids love cooked broccoli, but not raw. They loved raw carrots, but not cooked. It took a while to figure this out. There’s nothing wrong with serving raw vegetables at dinner. In fact, that’s the healthiest way to eat them as the cooking process can diminish their nutritional value. Keep experimenting. There are hosts of cooking applications for each food (steam, raw, sauté, roast, puree). The options are plentiful. Keep trying until you find the right one.
Experiment with different vegetables. Always serving the same vegetable at dinner doesn’t give our kids the variety of nutrients they need. At any given season, you can likely find 20 different vegetables at your local grocery store. Choose fresh vegetables or even frozen vegetables (with no sauces or additives). Steer clear of canned vegetables though as they contain sodium, preservatives, and artificial colors. So that your child doesn’t panic at the site of a new food, serve a familiar vegetable with the new vegetable.

Some families find that they can quickly transition away from picky tendencies in just a few months. For others, the process is a little longer. Regardless, this is one of the most important things you can do for your family. We need to fill their little bodies with as much nutrients as possible.

Parents generally get a little defensive when I say this, but if you’ve never had a picky eater problem, then you’re probably not serving your kids the right foods. This isn’t true in every case, but think about it for a minute. What child objects to French fries, chicken nuggets, and pizza all the time? It’s usually when we venture off that path that we start to meet the resistance.

If you want to learn more tips to overcome picky eaters, then check out my most recent eBook, The Step-by-Step Guide to Overcome Picky Eaters. It’s a free download that you can view on your computer, Kindle, iPad or smart phone device. It’s filled with tips and techniques that will help your family. It also contains a video bonus showing parents what a family-style meal looks like and why this is key to tacking picky eaters.

Best of luck with your 2013 resolutions and here’s to “eating right” for you and your family.

Four Easy Steps for Healthy Families in 2013

Mandy — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 20:30:55 +0000

A new year is the perfect time to pull the family together and launch a series of healthy goals.

Knowing that our lives are incredibly busy, I am kicking off a series of webinars in 2013 showing parents tools, tips and techniques to raise healthy kids in our hectic world. In this on-demand webinar, you’ll learn the 4 steps your family can put into place to make the biggest impact.

Learn just how much physical activity kids should be getting daily and determine if your child is on track.
Learn what just one can of soda can do to wreak havoc on our children’s body and what our kids should be drinking each day.
Learn exactly what we should be putting into their bodies to ensure our kids are getting the right nutrients each day.

Transitioning your children to a healthier lifestyle really isn’t as hard as some think. In fact, just a few little changes will go a long way. Even the most active children can benefit from just a few new ideas.

Enjoy & Cheers to your healthy family!