LEARN TIPS FOR GROWING HEALTHY KIDS AT THURSDAY'S FREE EVENT

Free Educational Extravaganza for Parents and Kids

This Thursday, September 13, you are invited to join us for an Educational Extravaganza when Growing Healthy Kids, Inc. partners with Jetson TV and Appliance Center to highlight great food, nutrition, and physical fitness at home, school, work and play.   

If you want new ideas for delicious, easy, healthy lunch boxes and tips for cutting back on sweets, sodas, and calories, then bring the kids to this event or come alone.  

Here's a sample of Thursday's menu:

• Meet Michael Haggerty, founder of Hero Pops, and learn about his healthy frozen delights made from locally grown fruits. 
• Kids will learn to read food labels from The Nutrition Detectives.   
• The new limited edition Growing Healthy Kids jewelry line, created by The Petrillo Collection, will be shown for the first time.  A portion of sales will be donated to Growing Healthy Kids. 
• Pick up your autographed copy of Nourish and Flourish, the just-released book for parents from Growing Healthy Kids project founder, Nancy Heinrich.  

The Educational Extravaganza takes place at the Jetson Vero Beach location at 1231 20^th Street (corner of 12^th Avenue and SR 60, across from the main post office in downtown Vero) from 4:00 to 6:30 PM this Thursday, September 13.   Admission is free.  A donation of a gently used household item for the Growing Healthy Kids Thrift Store is appreciated.  

Adults will be entered in a chance to win door prizes donated by companies including Vero Beach Hotel and Spa, Coste d’Este, Vittorio’s Pizza, and Electrolux.  Event parking is plentiful.

Additional companies participating in the Growing Healthy Kids Education Extravaganza include:

• ·         Florida Outdoor Center (meet Kristin and Mike Beck and learn about kayaking and paddle boarding for kids and families)
• ·         Quality Health Care (meet Diane Kingsley-Weir from the office of Dr. Deepti Sadhwani)
• ·         Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company
• ·         Pampered Chef (demos for making healthy snack for kids)
• ·         Organo Gold (organic beverages)
• ·         24/7 Fitness (with information about their new free fitness programs for kids)
• ·         Tupperware (storage ideas)
• ·         Lisa Tylutke (clinical aromatherapist)
• ·         Juice Plus (get all your fruits & veggies)
• ·         Tri Vita Works (products to help with inflammation)
• ·         Chair Massages by Sean Holland
• ·         Local author Lynn E. Mueller, with her first children’s book, Herbert the Hedgehog

For more information, contact Barbara Petrillo at 772-205-7133 or email her at barb@thepetrillocollection.com.

Growing Healthy Kids, Inc., is a nonprofit organization based in Vero Beach creating solutions to improve the health and lives of kids through collaborations with organizations such as Boys & Girls Clubs of Indian River County, Youth Guidance Mentoring & Activities Program, The Willow School, and Vero Beach Elementary School. 

SAVE THE DATE!

Thank you for helping us GROW HEALTHY KIDS!  

See you this Thursday!

Nancy Heinrich

3 BACK TO SCHOOL TIPS FOR GROWING HEALTHY KIDS

Big day today.  It's the first day of school for kids in Indian River, St. Lucie, Okeechobee, and Palm Beach Counties.   

Here are three tips you can use to get and keep your kids (and you) on track for great health and a healthy weight this school year. 

1. Eat breakfast every morning.  The importance of having breakfast every day cannot be understated.  It really is our most important meal of the day.  The problem is many adults still have not learned this lesson.  I’ll give you an example.  Last week, I was given the opportunity to speak with the cafeteria managers of a local school district.  I asked a lot of assessment questions and one of them was, “Did you have breakfast today?”  The surprising answer was that less than half of them said yes.  Breakfast is when we get our mental and physical fuel for the day.  Give your kids their fuel.  Be a good role model and give yourself the fuel you need for the day.  
2. Get enough sleep every night.  Did you know that being sleep deprived is a great way to gain weight?  Ask your child’s pediatrician how much sleep your kids should be getting, then get your family started on some good “sleep hygiene” habits.  These include things like having a regular bedtime (even on the weekends), shutting off the TV and videos an hour before bedtime, and not eating a large meal right before bed. 
3. Plan family dinners a couple of nights every week.  We all have busy lives.  Some of the high school students I’ve worked with in some of Growing Healthy Kids’ education projects have calendars that look like the Metro subway schedule in Washington, D.C. There is a great value to having time together to talk about the day over a meal your kids helped you shop for and prepare.  Eating dinner together is one of the habits proven to contribute to kids being at healthier weights.  Make it one of your family's winning habits!

 I hope you AND your kids have a great school year! 

From one parent to another, I salute you.

Sincerely,

Nancy Heinrich
Founder, Growing Healthy Kids, Inc.

One of our Growing Healthy Kids learns how easy it is to make healthy pizzas using whole grain  English muffins.

HOW TO GET YOUR KIDS TO EAT BETTER

You have been asking us how we get kids to eat more vegetables and for the recipes your kids learn to make when they attend a program.   

Here is one of the recipes that we teach kids to make.  It is delicious and easy to make!  Best of all, it is a meatless recipe.  It is just one of the recipes featured in the first book from the Growing Healthy Kids project (NOURISH AND FLOURISH: Kid-Tested and Approved Tips and Recipes to Prevent Diabetes) which will be released next week.  Happy eating!

Veggie Sloppy Joes

Ingredients:

• ½ cup onions, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ cup chopped green pepper
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 package Morningstar Farms Grillers Recipe Crumbles
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 can (8 oz) no-salt added tomato sauce
• 1 cup ketchup (without high fructose corn syrup)
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 8 whole grain hamburger buns

Directions:

SAUTE onions, garlic, and green pepper in oil in a 2 quart saucepan.

STIR in remaining ingredients (except the buns).

COOK over medium heat, until mixture starts to simmer, stirring occasionally.

REDUCE heat, cover, and simmer 10 minutes.

SERVE hot on hamburger buns.  Serves 8.  

Participant in a Growing Healthy Kids program  at Boys & Girls Club.

Two girls learning how to create a delicious new recipe.

IN GOOD HEALTH,

Nancy Heinrich

For more recipes and tips, go to www.growinghealthykids.me.