Cookie Monster… Me See Cookie… No See Veggie

So just returned from a vacation to Sesame Place where Beanie and Little Roo had the time of their life. I think meeting Abby Cadabby was the highlight of the trip. Beanie even got to hold her wand. Little Roo just stood there in amazement… the rest of the day that’s all anyone talked about.

At night as we say our prayers Beanie tells me what she is grateful for and the best of her day… that day was all about meeting Abby.

No matter where we go I try to stay on path of healthy choices and try to teach the kids about making good choices….BUT that’s not always easy.

So, does anyone remember when Cookie Monster said he was going to eat more veggies and less cookies? Well, I’ll be honest, I don’t think he’s really gone that route.

It was quite difficult to eat healthy at Sesame Place. Aside from the bowl of apples and oranges there was little else that was healthy at our breakfast with Cookie and Friends.

Throughout the park there are all kinds of treats – giant sized lollipops, soft serve ice cream, cotton candy, soft pretzels with gobs of orange gelatinous cheese, a little store filled with snickers, Twizzlers, soda in every flavor and everything else sugar inspired… yet nothing all that healthy… not a carrot stick in sight.

For lunch you have the option of choking down greasy pizza or your typical hot dog or burger. And who could forget the Elmo cup cakes – a heart attack discretely disguised as good ‘ole sweet Elmo!

There was the obligatory salad, however the choice of dressings diminished anything healthy about that option.

 Here’s Cookie back in 2005 when he decided to eat healthier. This is what Cookie Monsters spokesman (yes, apparently Cookie Monster has a spokesman- what am I doing wrong in life???) said in a statement about him eating veggies:

“We are not putting him on a diet,” said his spokesman, Truglio. “And we would never take the position of no sugar. We’re teaching him moderation.”

Hmmm… there is that word “moderation” again…

Hey Cookie – Everything in Moderation – Even Moderation!

Moderation

Moderation: mod·er·a·tion [mod-uh-rey-shuhn] –noun

1.  the quality of being moderate; restraint; avoidance of extremes or excesses; temperance.
2. in moderation, without excess; moderately; temperately: to drink in moderation.

This is the definition of moderation according to dictionary.com.

Here is my soap box rant for the day. I’m tired of people using the term “moderation” as an excuse to over eat.

Clearly these folks have not looked at the food pyramid lately.

 The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s newest food pyramid guide, called MyPyramid, encourages consumers to make healthier food choices and to get regular exercise. Unlike the older model, food groups are arranged in vertically bands, instead of horizontal ones. Band width indicates portion size. The wider the band, the more food from that group you should eat.

Take a look at the various color bands – not one there that represents junk food and fat filled food, yet I see people gorging on unhealthy food options touting “everything in moderation”.

I think the media has give people an excuse by putting this phrase “everything in moderation” out there. Our society does not need more excuses to over eat or make bad food choices.

Here are 5 sad statistcs on why that phrase should be banned:

1. According to data published by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in 2006, obesity rates for preschool children and adolescents have more than tripled in the past 30 years.  One-third of US children are now obese or at risk of being obese.

2. Some nine million children ages six to19 in the US are now classified as overweight or obese. The overall prevalence of obesity in children was 17 percent in 2006.

3. Estimates show that one in three children born in the year 2000 will develop diabetes at some point in their life, according to the ADA.  This statistic is nearly one in two for Hispanic, Native American or African American children.

4. According to a SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Population Study, sponsored by the CDC and NIH, 6 percent of non-Hispanic white 10-19 year-olds currently suffer from type 2 diabetes, which is the type linked to obesity, and which is when the body does not create enough insulin and when cells are resistant to insulin.

5.This figure jumps to 22 percent for Hispanics, 33 percent for African Americans, 40 percent for Asians/Pacific Islanders, and 76 percent for Native Americans.

According to the dietary guidelines, a health diet is one that

• Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products;
• Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts; and
• Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars.

Everything in moderation – EVEN MODERATION!

All That And A Bag of Chips!

So I had dinner with a friend of mine last week and all she did was complain about how much junk food her kids ate.

I sat there and listened… and listened… and listened…

Here’s the thing – JUST DON’T BUY IT.

If you have chips,
Kids will eat them.
If you have cookies,
Kids will eat them.
If you have chocolate bars,
Kids will eat them.

Here’s the other thing - KIDS DON’T HAVE MONEY.

So, JUST DON’T BUY IT!

Since when was little Billy the breadwinner? Apparently the paper route is paying much more money than when I was a kid… *note to self… switch careers – go back to delivering papers…

Don’t complain about what your kids are eating because you, as their parent, are supplying them with their food choices.

There are lots of healthy options out there… gone are the days of rice cakes people!

Yes, we are all busy. And yes, buying “bagged” anything is easy because when your kid comes home from school or summer camp or where ever and you’re still working, but they are hungry, it’s easy for them to open that bag and munch, munch, munch.

Here is sad statistic #485 regarding kids and eating right:
A biomedical researcher at Louisiana State University found that “potato chips and french fries make up more than one-quarter of the vegetable servings eaten by children, and nearly one-third of the vegetables eaten by teen-agers”!

Try this for a week:

Avoid buying processed foods.

How can you tell if it’s processed? Well, the biggest factor is that it keeps forever. Take a look at the date on that flavored coffee creamer tomorrow morning. Since when does milk stay fresh for up to 4 months!

Here are a few other clues:

• The food is produced and manufactured;
• It’s neat and convenient;
• It’s always the same;
• It contains artificial flavors;
• There are lot’s of commercials selling it; and 
• There is no connection to land or culture.

Chips, french fries, sugary drinks and other processed foods are high in trans fats, sodium, and high fructose corn syrup – none of which is good for your health.

Here is a good rule of thumb  - try to make sure half of all you and your family consume is raw. Carrots, apples, zucchini, lettuce, peas, melons, onions, tomatos, broccoli, peppers, spinach… just visit the fresh food area of any local grocery store or go to a farmers market.

Here are a few tips on incorporating healthy snacks into your family’s routine:

1. Prepare Snacks in Advance. Make your own granola, trail mix or dips like hummus and yogurt. Cut up carrots, celery and fruit, then put them in separate baggies for a quick grab by a hungry kid.
2. Snack Healthy on the Go. Keep healthy snack options like whole what crackers, apples or bananas in the car or in a backpack.
3. Read serving sizes. If you have to go pre-made read labels. Often times what appears to be one serving can really be two or three. That means you can triple the amout of fat, calories, sugar, and sodium on the label.

Here is great snack that will keep tummies full and your kids going for hours!

Crunch Munchy Muddle Mix

Ingredients:
1 cup whole-grain toasted oat cerealy
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine all ingredients for a healthy trail mix. Place in snack size baggies for separate servings.

For more recipes visit www.snackertracker.com