Here you go

The running theme of my blog has primarily focused on my youngest daughter Vaeda. I was deployed when my oldest daughter was her age, and my new found career path has me analyzing a lot of things currently going on with her and her food intake. Currently, like any parent I suppose, I often find myself dissatisfied with her current intake. The following links provide good tips, ideas, and remind you that, as a parent, it's OK to concern yourself with these issues, but don't obsess over them. Many of these tips, such as limiting snacks, promoting fruit and water, and how to view portions for your child all help in the self-efficacy of the parent and can only lead to better times for your child. I have had a fun time doing this, and this activity might be revisited in the near future. Thanks for reading!


http://life.familyeducation.com/toddler/nutrition/44253.html

http://www.whattoexpect.com/toddler-nutrition/toddler-eating-habits.aspx

Snacking For Success

As a dad it is often so easy to stop off and get a candy bar, ice cream or something quick, fatty and not very good for your child. Lately, I've been getting better at choosing better snacks for my kids, pre-planning trips and taking into account duration, food access, and having snacks handy from recent grocery purchases to keep costs down. I hate buying anything other than gas at a gas station. I usually try to keep things clean, simple and shelf-stable depending on where we're headed. Things like beef jerky, sandwiches, organic suckers, cereal/granola bars, fruit bars, and nuts are snacks we usually incorporate into a busy day. I've attached some links that also have some good ideas to maintain your child's health during busy work weeks. If you have any other ideas let me know! I fall into habits pretty easily.

http://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/feeding/healthy-eating/the-20-best-snacks-for-kids/

http://www.whattoexpect.com/toddler-nutrition/healthy-snacks-for-kids.aspx

Follow the Leader

I guess the whole spongy aspect of parenting has again impressed me. Tonight, I actually witness my daughter research a menu, and pick out a reasonably good choice as opposed to her normal hamberger and fries, which is what I usually get! She chose some chicken strips and mac and cheese as opposed to the greasy burger and fries, so I considered it a step up! I myself, have also been making improvements like this for the past few weeks and I would like to think that maybe I had an impression on her. We will see I guess.

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health released a study that disputes this.....but I still like what I saw tonight! It's a quick read that does throw a little more logic into my perceived influence.

http://www.jhsph.edu/news/news-releases/2010/wang-parent-child-diet.html

A family that eats together....uses less illicit drugs!

Anyone who remembers eating with their family as a kid likely remembers funny stories, inappropriate behavior and likely some less than desirable meals at times. As a father, it is so easy to eat in front of the TV, especially since there is one mounted in my kitchen!

Since we purchased our home in June, I have made it a priority to eat at least two meals a day in the kitchen, TV off, once for breakfast and at dinner to catch up on the day with my oldest. I have always known it was important to do this, but I had let myself get into the habit of letting my oldest daughter eat in her room, and the toddler with me in front of the tv, which we still do occasionally, but not like before. I hope those of you who have read this also understand the importance of this, not just regarding diet, but for the many other reasons its beneficial for you and your families. attached are some links that may bring some things to light if this isn't a practice you currently employ, and reasons to do so.

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/features/family-dinners-are-important

http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/eatsmart/eat-smart.-play-hard.-magazines-1/2009-eat-smart-play-hard-magazine/test-item

Food as a reward

I know, and I'm sure that anyone who reads this can either remember back to when they were kids or practice food as a reward currently with their own children, I know I do! Unfortunately I am also aware of how their perception of foods is impacted by this, so I try to minimize it when I can. In the past few months, we have dramatically reduced out fast-food consumption, although I am sad to say that often I succumb to demands and drive to Sonic, McDonalds and places like that for a shake or ice cream or something less than desirable health-wise. Similar to the issues addressed in the blog from Maryann Jacobson RD, I have made an effort to curb the manner in which these "rewards" are set up. I no longer try to use food that they wouldn't typically eat as retribution for anything, nor do I coax behavior out of them with sugary snacks, instead I try to associate a treat with an independent activity, done without my oversight, as a suprise or unique occasion. I try to be mindful of distorted eating patterns, and I guess the future will determine how successful I was.


http://www.raisehealthyeaters.com/2011/05/what-rewarding-kids-with-food-looks-like-20-years-later/

Extra tips:

http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=160&ContentID=32

Jello Again.....

Tonight was "lets make something in the kitchen" night, and my oldest picked, as she likes to do, Jello. She measures 2 cups of water in a measuring cup, poured it into a saucepan, and waited for it to boil. She did the mixing, we put in in the fridge carefully and she's excited about her Jello tomorrow. Now I know that Jello isn't the greatest nutritional food out there, but her enthusiasm about creating things in the kitchen is beginning to increase and I love that, because the kitchen is my favorite room in the house and I want it to be hers as well. I have posted links to two different sites that give some ideas involving getting kids involved with cooking, and I'm sure there are many more out there, but they're nice in shedding some light on simple, safe methods to get your child excited about making food, and eating it too. We have made many things together over the years, but of course the sweets are her favorites. Cookies, cupcakes, icing.....but we'll see if we can get that focus shifted here in the next few years (fingers crossed).




http://voices.yahoo.com/simple-food-preparation-activities-young-children-1390287.html
http://www.inccrra.org/childhood-obesity-project/182-tips-for-involving-young-children-in-food

"Should we just gab something here...."

Week two is "Eating Out" week. Often I find myself running errands, grocery shopping or simply finding ways to entertain my kids (parks, the zoo, the mall) and run into the small dilemma of should we just grab something to eat here, or go home, make it, eat it (hopefully) and clean up after it all. I'm getting better, but often I have settled for the first option, knowing chicken, fries, and simple, quick snacks will be eaten and kids will be happy relatively quickly. Lately I have been better about bringing snacks with me, but sometimes its easy to forget or maybe you didn't realize you were out of something. Snacks like the small squeezable food pouches for my youngest, and protein/cereal bars, apples, and things of that nature for the both of them.

For those in similar situations, this is a good link to refrence prior to decision making:
http://www.calorieking.com/foods/calories-in-fast-food-chains-restaurants_c-Y2lkPTIx.html

I provided this link for two reasons: the first, and the primary reason is so you/I can use the appropriate options to determine caloric/nutrient content and use it as a motivator to pick the 2nd option from above, since restaurant food is often higher in kcal and in large portions. The other use is to better educate yourself regarding foods commonly consumed while eating out to enhance knowledge, fat content, etc. to make better choices if eating out tends to be unavoidable. I know most of us have our little indulgences, but as they say...knowledge is power.