Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Growing Healthy Kids event at Everything Outdoors Garden Shop is a HOME RUN SUCCESS!



Post-event notes:
Did we have fun? Yes!
Did the kids who attended learn tips for healthy eating and physical activity they can use for the rest of their lives? Yes!
Did the adults who volunteered learn something they can use for the rest of their lives? Yes!

On April 30, Growing Healthy Kids, in partnership with Youth Guidance Mentoring & Activities Program, held its second annual event at Everything Outdoors Garden Shop in Vero Beach, Florida. The 42 kids from Youth Guidance who attended had a blast with the action-packed morning where they all wanted the opportunity to help load up the fresh and locally grown vegetables into our beautiful salad bowl.

Teaching kids how to eat healthy is easy when you make it fun. That's what the Growing Healthy Kids movement is all about. We make it fun to learn how to eat healthy AND economically.

TIP FOR GROWING YOUR OWN HEALTHY KIDS: Plan some color at each meal. For example, at breakfast use fruit that is in season to make fruit shakes. A couple of weeks ago, I had a canteloupe that needed to get used QUICK, so I cut it up, put it in a zip-lock bag and froze it. A couple of days later I put the frozen canteloupe, some frozen strawberries, and some fat-free milk in the blender for a most delicious shake. Use a little splenda or agave nectar if you need to add a dash of sweet!

Back to my post-event notes...Thank you to all the children and the volunteers who attended our little event at the garden shop with the big Adirondack chairs. Let's do it again soon! A special thanks to Spencer Porteous for his fabulous "What's New in the Garden?" talk. Everyone enjoyed learning about pitcher plants and more!

Reversing childhood obesity is our moral responsibility. It begins with your next meal. Set an example for your kids.

Till next time!
Nancy Heinrich
Founder, Growing Healthy Kids

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Breakfast of Champions

I've had a lot of fun reading my current library book: The French Women Don't Get Fat Cookbook by Mireille Guiliano. The former president and CEO of Clicquot, Inc., Guilano said, "I am still not a fan of big breakfasts, but am a devotee of and convert to balanced breakfasts (and lunch and dinner): some protein, some carbohydrates, some fat (a holy trinity of sorts), and fluids. I often do eat a slice (or slivers) of cheese. And, I consider breakfast the most important meal of the day. Don't skip it or your wheels tend to come off in a hurry."

Guiliano specifically used the word "balanced" in describing her relationship to food. She writes elegantly of the same issue I teach in Growing Healthy Kids workshops, that if you want to get to (and stay at) a healthy weight, you must eat small meals and small snacks, including breakfast: BALANCED meals.

So, once again, I ask you, "What are you having for breakfast today? Do you have a little protein, some carbohydrate, and a little fat on your breakfast plate?"

You can visit Mireille Guiliano online at www.FrenchWomenDontGetFat.com.

Growing Healthy Kids is a movement to improve the health - and lives - of America's children by restoring balance to what we eat. Because failure to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic is not an option.

To learn how you can support our educational programs, please visit www.GrowingHealthyKids.me.

Thanks,
Nancy Heinrich
Founder, Growing Healthy Kids

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Making Choices


Everyday we are faced with decisions. What to wear for the day? What route to drive to work? What tasks to accomplish on the "To Do" list? and so on....

What decisions are you making for your own health? Let me ask you one question. What are you having for breakfast today? If your answer is, "Nothing" then let's talk about making choices.

Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day, ESPECIALLY if you are choosing to get to a healthier weight. Breakfast should consist of some protein, a little fat, and the good carbohydrates such as a whole grain muffin or steel cut oats.

Choose to have breakfast. Make sure your kids also have a good breakfast. We all need our brains to be working in high gear throughout the day. If you want to lose weight, have 3 small meals (including breakfast) and a couple of small snacks. The picture I am sharing is the smile of one happy child from a GROWING HEALTHY KIDS program where we taught kids how to make a Fabulous Florida Fruit Shake with frozen blueberries and bananas, non-fat Greek yogurt, and a little almond milk. That shake, together with a slice of whole grain toast or a whole grain muffin, can get the kids off to school with a smile!

Whenever I give a talk about Healthy Eating and Reversing Childhood Obesity, I always include the importance of a good breakfast. Invariably, someone in the audience asks this question, "Did you have breakfast today??" My answer is always YES! Know what my favorite breakfast is? A small bowl of either steel cut oatmeal or shredded wheat with bran, topped with about 3/4 cup of frozen or fresh blueberries, and almond milk. Now, what are YOU choosing for breakfast?

To your perfect health!
Nancy Heinrich
Founder, GROWING HEALTHY KIDS--a movement to improve children's health, one child and one garden at a time

To learn more about our programs and our store, go to www.GrowingHealthyKids.me.