Fit Food Choices for Family Fun Month

Posted August 2, 2021 by wpengine & filed under Aspartame, Back to School, Lifestyle Articles.

August is Family Fun Month, leaving plenty of time to enjoy summertime activities before school starts again. If theme parks, baseball stadiums or driving trips are on your August schedule, then food will surely be a part of your experience. Fortunately, many of these entertainment spots have a variety of food choices so you can find a nutritious meal for the entire family no matter where you go.

Top Tips for Theme Parks

While spending a day at a Six Flags, Disney or another theme park, staying well hydrated is essential on hot August days. Drinking plenty of water and sugar-free, low-calorie beverages – like diet soda or light lemonade – keeps fluid intake up and calories down. With parks offering an array of dining options, it’s not that difficult to pick nutritious meals. Try a salad with grilled chicken, a brisket or pulled pork sandwich paired with a side of cole slaw. When pizza is on the menu, opt for a cheese pizza for the family with side salads all around.

Best Bets at the Ballpark

When you’re walking into a major or minor-league baseball game, the familiar aroma of hamburgers and hotdogs is sure to greet you. Sometimes it’s not the food but the amount and what you add that makes a difference. So try a small hotdog topped with mustard or catsup, onions and a sprinkle of cheese rather than a foot-long chilidog. Look for other leaner items like grilled chicken sandwiches, entrée salads (but go easy on the dressing) and even sushi at some parks. Peanuts in the shell are a great treat. They take longer to eat and each one (2 nuts) has about 10 calories

Decisions at the Drive-through

When you’re driving the kids around town from camp to sports practice to dance class or taking a vacation by car, fast food restaurants are a quick and easy meal stop. But it doesn’t have to spell diet disaster. Many children’s meals now come standard with fruit, kid-size fries and low fat milk as the beverage. For mom and dad, lighter fare includes a variety of salads and wraps. Even the small burgers are a good choice along with a side salad. You can also ask to hold the mayo and choose grilled over crispy chicken on sandwiches and salads.

Whether your August is spent on the road or at home, good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle can be fun and easy. Just remember to drink plenty of fluid, eat nutritious meals and get active outdoors in the sunny weather.

Neva Cochran, MS, RDN, LD is a registered dietitian nutritionist based in Dallas. She was a freelancer with Woman’s World magazine for 20 years and currently serves as a nutrition communications consultant to a variety of food and nutrition organizations, including the Calorie Control Council and the Egg Nutrition Center. She is passionate about promoting fact-based food and nutrition information to help people enjoy nutritious eating. Follow her on Twitter @NevaRDLD and check out her blog at www.NevaCochranRD.com.

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Getting into the Back to School Groove

Posted by wpengine & filed under Back to School, Fructose, Lifestyle Articles.

By Rosanne Rust MS, RDN, LDN —
School is back in session and this means there’s more on your to-do list, right? The beginning of the school year lends itself to more structured meal schedules, so take advantage of the new routine and enjoy healthy meals and snacks. While you work to keep the children on track, don’t forget about yourself. Who says after school snacks are just for the kids?

Breakfast Counts

Eating breakfast is associated with positive outcomes all around. Children who don’t eat breakfast are less able to learn. Adults who maintain a regular meal schedule often have an easier time managing their weight too. Breakfast is an opportunity to provide macronutrients such as carbohydrates, protein and fats, as well as micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). Your goal is to provide variety, and balance the plate.

There’s no perfect breakfast, the important thing is to nourish the body so it can perform the tasks needed through the morning. Add some bling to your oatmeal, or have a simple slice of whole grain toast with peanut butter and some fruit with a glass of milk.

Fueling the Athlete

While some students may play sports all year round, others get back to sports with the school year. Sometimes, nutrition takes a backseat with the rushed schedules. Be sure your child understands that proper nutrition is important to enhance athletic performance.

Don’t Skip Meals: You don’t want to just eat well on game day, but all of the days leading up to it. Each meal is an opportunity to keep your body fueled, so that you perform your best during competition.
Energy: Carbohydrates provide the energy you need. Include cereal, breads, pasta, rice, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy in your diet.
Protein Power: Protein is needed to build and repair muscles. Be sure to include some protein at all meals. Try a hard-cooked egg, cottage cheese, or peanut butter at breakfast. Beef, chicken, fish, turkey, beans, or ham at lunch, and dinner. Drink milk with each meal as a protein supplement. Milk provides protein as well as carbohydrates and important vitamins and minerals. It’s a perfect nutrition package for athletes.
Fats: Fat helps us stay full, so it helps sustain the energy of a meal. Think of healthy fats as the ones you add to a meal or in cooking at home – such as nut butters, nuts, seeds, avocado, olives, and vegetable oils. Limit packaged baked goods or other high fat packaged foods that often contain trans fats.

After School Snacks

Keep after school snacks on hand that are quick, easy and nutritious. If you are concerned about your child’s sugar intake, keep portion control in mind. These simple snacks can be prepared by school age children with a bit of help from mom, dad, or an older sibling:

An ounce and a half of cheese with 6-8 crackers
A cup of Greek yogurt with fruit
Whip up a banana-peanut butter-chocolate smoothie for the whole family to enjoy
A glass of milk with two cookies
A peanut butter and jelly or toasted cheese sandwich
Sliced apples or pears with peanut butter or fruit dip

Rosanne Rust MS, RDN, LDN is a registered, licensed dietitian-nutritionist with over 25 years experience. As a Nutrition Communications Consultant she delivers clear messages helping you understand the science of nutrition so you can enjoy eating for better health. Rosanne is the co-author of several books, including DASH Diet For Dummies® and the The Glycemic Index Cookbook For Dummies®. A wife, and mother of 3 boys, she practices what she preaches, enjoying regular exercise, good food and festive entertaining. Follow her on Twitter @RustNutrition.

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Back to School: Packing a Healthy Lunch

Posted by wpengine & filed under Aspartame, Back to School, Children.

By: Robyn Flipse, MS. MA, RDN —
Consultant to the Calorie Control Council

If you’ve stepped into an air-conditioned store to get out of the August heat, then you know retailers are all stocked up to help us get our children ready to go back to school. Everything from highlighters to hand sanitizer is on the shelves to satisfy the “must have” list for kids in every grade. I recall one of the biggest back-to-school decisions my sons made each year was finding just the right lunch box they could carry with pride into the cafeteria. Having their favorite superhero on the outside was all that mattered to them!

What goes inside all those carefully selected lunch boxes has taken on greater significance over the last 16 years since September was first declared National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. It was launched to focus attention on the need for kids across the country to lead healthier lives and prevent the early onset of obesity. Providing our children with a balanced and nutritious midday meal is an important way we can do just that.

Feeding Kids Right for Success in School and Life

Children need to be properly nourished to reach both their physical and intellectual potential. Even when they look fit and appear to be thriving, an inadequate diet can set the stage for future health problems. Eating well-planned meals and snacks each day is one of the best ways to ensure that all of the essential nutrients children need for growth and development are being consumed.

The routines of the school day provide an ideal way to help children form good eating habits that can last a lifetime. Starting with breakfast – either at home or in school – kids need to refuel their bodies in the morning after the overnight fast and get key nutrients that will make them ready to learn. A mid-morning snack also may be needed by younger children, or a breakfast split into two parts, to carry them over until their next meal.

When the lunch bell rings at school it’s time for kids of all ages to eat something nourishing, socialize with friends and, hopefully, get some physical activity. Sitting behind a desk all day is not good for children or adults, so taking advantage of this, and every other opportunity to get up and move around is perfect practice for a healthy lifestyle.

By the time the school day ends, most children are hungry and thirsty. That’s a good time to offer them nutrient-rich foods and beverages to replace any they may not have eaten at breakfast or lunch rather than letting them fill up on less nutritious snacks. Some popular options include cut-up vegetables and hummus, whole wheat crackers and cheese or a fruit smoothie made with yogurt. The goal is to reenergize and rehydrate them for their afternoon activities without letting them get too full to eat their dinner.

Making time to eat with your children each evening can provide one of the biggest boosts to their well-being, regardless of what is served. Research reported in the Family Dinner Project indicates children who eat with their family have higher self-confidence, better grades in school and lower rates of obesity among other benefits. Getting them involved in meal planning and preparation adds to their success by teaching them skills they will need the rest of their lives.

What About Weight Gain in Children?

Preventing unwanted weight gain in children requires that they get enough calories to support normal rates of growth and physical activity, but not much more than that. It is a delicate balance that must be adjusted to meet their changing needs, such as when their activity level slows down after their regular sport season ends.

Replacing some of the added sugars in your child’s diet with a low-calorie sweetener, like aspartame, is one way to reduce unneeded calories and make many of the foods and beverages you want them to eat and drink more enjoyable. Lower calorie, reduced fat and/or sugar-free products can also be substituted for their regular counterparts to help create more balanced menus. (See examples in the chart below.)

Making Healthy Meals and Snacks Part of Your Back-to-School Plan

While plenty of attention goes into making sure the first packed lunch of the year a good one, it’s important that every lunch is as good as the first. One way to do that is to create an idea board—like a Pinterest board—to use as a template for packing lunches. Start by drawing a grid similar to the one illustrated, and then let your child list items under each food group heading that he or she likes, will eat in school and can be easily assembled each day. Remind your children they don’t have to limit themselves to “traditional” lunch foods as long as the items belong in the designated group.

You can see sample foods found in each group on ChooseMyPlate.gov along with the recommended daily servings for children of different ages and the suggested portion sizes. Following the My Plate Daily Checklist will allow you to see how many calories your child needs each day and how to be sure they are getting all of the nutrients they need in their meals and snacks, without exceeding their recommended caloric allowance.

Once the chart is completed lunches can be packed using any combination of foods from each list as long as your child will eat them. All you have to do is make sure the items on the chart are on hand at the start of each week!

Sample School Lunch Planning Chart with Lower Sugar Options

FRUITS	VEGETABLES	GRAINS	PROTEIN	DAIRY	FAT	MISC.
Sectioned Clementine	Salsa	Cornmeal Tortillas	Baked Fish Nuggets	Shredded Cheese	Sour Cream	Grape Drink
Strawberries in Gelatin	Shredded Carrot SaladTomato Sauce	Enriched Pasta	Mini Meatballs	Fortified Soymilk	Oil in French Dressing	Lemonade
Canned Peaches in Syrup	Chopped Cucumber in Yogurt	Enriched Pita Pocket	Falafel	Greek Yogurt for Cucumbers	Tahini Sauce	Oatmeal Raisin Cookie
Watermelon Cubes	Minestrone Soup	Whole Wheat Bread	Chicken Leg in Barbecue Sauce	Low Fat Chocolate Milk	Soft Tub Margarine	Wild Cherry Seltzer
Dried Mango Strips	Snow Peas	Whole Wheat Crackers	Baked Beans	Cheese Cubes	Ranch Dip	Water with zero calorie flavor drops
LOWER SUGAR OPTIONS
Strawberries in Sugar Free GelatinPeaches in Light Syrup	No Sugar Added Tomato Sauce	Sugar Free Bread	Lower sugar recipe for Barbecue Sauce Lower sugar recipe for Baked Beans	Lite or No Sugar Added Chocolate	Lower sugar recipe for French Dressing	Light Grape Juice CocktailSugar Free Lemonade Lower sugar recipe for Apple Raisin Oatmeal Cookies

Robyn Flipse, MS, MA, RDN is a registered dietitian, cultural anthropologist and scientific advisor to the Calorie Control Council, whose 30+ year career includes maintaining a busy nutrition counseling practice, teaching food and nutrition courses at the university level, and authoring 2 popular diet books and numerous articles and blogs on health and fitness. Her ability to make sense out of confusing and sometimes controversial nutrition news has made her a frequent guest on major media outlets, including CNBC, FOX News and USA Today. Her passion is communicating practical nutrition information that empowers people to make the best food decisions they can in their everyday diets. Reach her on Twitter @EverydayRD and check out her blog The Everyday RD.

The post Back to School: Packing a Healthy Lunch appeared first on Aspartame.

School is In: Healthy Lunches for All

Posted August 1, 2021 by wpengine & filed under Back to School, Lifestyle Articles, Sucralose.

Lunchtime can get a bit boring for both kids and parents. Sure a turkey sandwich and an apple are wholesome and nutritious, but by the second month of school, it’s pretty monotonous. Start the school year right and stay on a healthful path with these lunch tips for students and parents alike.

Start with balance.

Whether you’re packing your own lunch or lunches for the kids, begin with the notion that food is nourishment and meals should be balanced. Include at least one good source of protein such as chicken, tuna, beans, tofu, eggs and cottage cheese. Always include both fruits and vegetables.

Add some fun.

Balance and fun really can go together, so make lunch something to look forward to. It may be easier to pack the same lunch everyday, but it’s not enjoyable to eat the same lunch everyday.

Think beyond bread. Rotate your meals with whole grain bread, rolls, tortilla, pita bread and crackers. Consider lettuce wraps and rice or quinoa bowls.
Add some extras. Make sandwiches and salads interesting with a few add-ins. Slip roasted peppers and fresh basil leaves into a sandwich. Or add olives, goat cheese and steamed beets to a salad. Dress up tuna with diced avocado and artichoke hearts.
Allow kids to assemble their own food at school. They’ll enjoy cracker stackers with layers of whole grain crackers, sandwich meats or cheese and fruit slices. Let them skewer sliced kiwi, strawberries and grapes onto pretzel sticks.
Be surprising. Make little kids smile with sandwiches cut into fun shapes. Older kids might enjoy a note with a funny joke tucked into their lunchboxes.

Don’t forget the beverage.

Lowfat milk and soymilk are good choices. So are water and other calorie-free beverages. If you’d like a little sweetness in your iced tea, stir in a bit of sucralose or other no-calorie sweetener. A can of zero-calorie flavored seltzer water is also hydrating and fun to drink.

Pack your food in the right containers.

Have an insulated sack or a lunchbox for each family member. Keep cold food cold with reusable freezer packs. And pack hot soups and casseroles in thermal containers. If you can, allow your children to select their own lunch supplies, including a bento box and a lunch bag.

Have easy-to-pack staples.

Sometimes you need to race out the door before your dream lunch is packed. Be sure to have lots of grab-and-go options on hand. A few good choices are yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese sticks, tuna in foil packets, canned fruit, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, nuts and hummus.

Take time to plan a few lunches and gather the proper supplies. The whole family will benefit. An interesting and healthful lunch is just what we need to recharge for a busy or demanding afternoon.

Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDE, FAND is a registered dietitian nutritionist and diabetes educator in SE Virginia and a paid contributor to Sucralose.org. Through speaking, writing and coaching individuals, she helps empower people to live healthier, happier lives. Jill is the author of three books including Diabetes Weight Loss – Week by Week and 21 Things You Need to Know about Diabetes and Your Heart (http://www.jillweisenberger.com/books/).

The post School is In: Healthy Lunches for All appeared first on Sucralose.

Fine-Tune Your Back-to-School Routine

Posted by wpengine & filed under Back to School, Children, Lifestyle Articles, Stevia.

By Carolyn Reynaud, MS, RD, LD —
Heading back to school can be an exciting but stressful time. Good bye to the slow pace of summer and hello to early mornings, rushing out the door. It can be easy to get overwhelmed by a hectic schedule and start ditching healthy behaviors. Planning ahead and creating a healthy back-to-school routine can make for a smooth transition for you and your kiddos.

Here are some tips for a seamless (and healthy) back to school transition:

Start Early

Get ahead of the game by starting your bedtime routine a week BEFORE going back to school. This way, those first mornings will run like clockwork. Make sure your kids are getting adequate sleep for their age. Kids that do not get enough sleep may be cranky, have trouble getting along with others, and have trouble paying attention.

Healthy Breakfast

Set your alarm to make time for a healthy breakfast before school. Starting the day with a healthy breakfast is linked to better concentration, lower cholesterol, and a decrease risk of diabetes, heart disease, and obesity in kids. Short on time in the morning? You can make and freeze these easy Healthy Breakfast Burritos for a grab-and-go breakfast, or whip up this delicious Blueberry Mango Smoothie

Balanced Lunch

A well-balanced lunch can help keep your kid’s energy levels up for the rest of the day. A balanced lunch contains whole grains, fruit, vegetables, dairy and a protein. For example, try a whole wheat pita stuffed with hummus, cucumber and tomatoes with a side of strawberries and a Greek yogurt. Use insulated lunch boxes and thermos to help keep cold food cold and warm food warm. For more lunch ideas check out the Back to School board on Pinterest.

Fit in Exercise

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends that kids get in at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day. After a long day of learning have your kids blow off steam by riding bikes, running, swimming, skating, or playing outside. Exercise can be a family affair, as well. Take a walk, play a sport or a bike ride as a family. This is a great way to spend time together and promote physical fitness for everyone.

Eat Together as a Family

Family dinner is a nice way to catch up on everyone’s day and teach your kids about healthy eating. Research indicates that when families eat together, kids are more likely to eat healthfully, do better in school and have higher self-esteem. To get more buy-in from your kids, let them participate in preparing dinner. This helps them feel more invested in your meals, teaches them important cooking skills, and can eventually be a time saver for you.

Don’t Overschedule

You may want to introduce your kids to as many hobbies, sports, skills as possible, but kids can get overworked and stressed too. Not only do kids experience stress, but they are effected by your stress level, as well. Be realistic about what fits into your family’s schedule. Make sure there is still room for play, relaxation, and family time.

Carolyn Reynaud, MS, RD, LD is a licensed registered dietitian. She received her BS in nutrition from Michigan State University and her Masters and Certificate in Public Health from Georgia State University. She has experience working in several avenues of health care including corporate wellness, clinical disease management, research, and health promotion. She has been working as a health coach specialist for close to 6 years, where she counsels patients on preventative healthcare and helps them meet their health goals. Follow her on Twitter @ReynaudCari.

The post Fine-Tune Your Back-to-School Routine appeared first on Steviabenefits.org.

What Does it Mean to Eat Nutrient Dense Foods?

Posted July 31, 2021 by wpengine & filed under Featured, Healthy Diet, Lifestyle Articles, Stevia.

By Carolyn Reynaud, MS, RD, LD —
Nutrient dense. Before I became a dietitian I always found this to be a confusing term. What are nutrient dense foods? Why are these important in a healthy diet?

Simply put, what determines the nutrient density of food is the amount of nutrients you get for the amount of calories. A nutrient dense food has lots of nutrients for the little calories. You want to look for foods that are rich in vitamins, mineral, complex carbohydrates, lean protein and healthy fats. Choosing nutrient dense foods can help you pack in the most nutrition while staying with your calorie limits.

Let’s get a bit more specific on what constitutes a nutrient dense food.

Vegetables & Fruits

These the power houses of nutrient dense foods. Vegetables and fruits are packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, phytochemicals, and antioxidants and tend to be very low in calories.

Proteins

Lean meat cuts, seafood and poultry are excellent sources of protein, B vitamins, iron, and zinc. Protein is an important nutrient for muscles and skin and also can help you feel satisfied and full. Keeping your meats lean helps to keep the calories low.

Whole Grains

Whole grains like fruits and vegetables provide a variety vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and are an excellent source of fiber. Choose products in which “whole” is one of the first words in ingredient list to get the most nutrition from your grains.

Nuts & Beans

These are great protein alternatives that are brimming with nutrition. Nuts are a great source for healthy fats and beans are a wealth of fiber.

Dairy

Low-fat dairy products provide calcium and Vitamin D for strong and healthy bones. They also a great source of potassium and protein as well.

Get started today and try this delicious fresh fruit oatmeal recipe that uses stevia to keep calories low in this nutrient dense breakfast.

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