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| Make some healthy snacks for kids like I do. Young's Produce Market. |
THIS WEEK I had the pleasure of speaking with a young boy
and his dad at the end of their shopping visit to the eclectic Growing Healthy Kids
Variety Store in Vero Beach, Florida.
The boy was 11 or 12 years old and appeared to be overweight. I asked him what he was doing to stay
active this summer. He told me he was attending
camp at The Skate Factory, a place my own son attended regularly when he
was on the hockey team there.
We talked about the daily exercise he was getting at The
Skate Factory and how important exercise is for keeping kids healthy. His dad silently nodded in agreement with me
(out of his son’s line of vision, of course).
I said to the boy, “You know it's important to cut down on
the number of sodas you drink, right?” I
could tell by his answer that he probably drinks too much soda, as further evidenced
by his dad's smile and comment: “Yes, we’ve been reading the educational
messages you have in your store.”
“When you’re skating at summer camp, drink plenty of water!” (The goal for children is at 5 to 8 cups of
water every day.) “Take some fresh fruit or veggies with you for a healthy snack
instead of the juice boxes.” I ended
our quick educational session by asking the boy if he could help me by teaching
other kids what he had just learned. He
smiled and said yes. His dad seemed
appreciative for having someone talk with his son in a positive way about how to
avoid high sugar foods. I got the clear
message from this concerned dad that he was concerned about his son’s
weight. “Thank you for what you are doing here. We’ll be back!”
Here at 3 tips to help your kids eat less
sugar:
- Drink less soda, including diet soda.
- Drink 5-8 cups of water a day (adults need at least 8 cups a day).
- Eat fruit or veggies instead of drinking fruit juice or fruit drinks.
Sincerely,
Nancy Heinrich
Founder, Growing Healthy Kids, Inc.
A nonprofit organization dedicated to halting, reversing, and preventing childhood obesity, one child and one garden at a time.
To learn
more about our education projects and how you can help, go to www.growinghealthykids.me.
