Are you going to eat tomorrow??

Please come to California Pizza Kitchen at Tempe Marketplace (Rio Salado and McClintock) between 11am and close TOMORROW Thursday April 1, 2010. 


A portion of your bill will go to help The Academy Winterguard (one of the many programs of The Arizona Academy of the Performing Arts). Just click the link below to print your flier and The Academy will get 20% of your bill. You don't spend anything extra, just order your food like normal.



It's that easy! I will be there...hope you will too!


BONUS---They have amazing HEALTHY options for your child such as a grilled chicken breast and broccoli, sides of grapes, etc.



CLICK HERE TO PRINT THE FLIER!!

Toddler Trouble? Try this!

Are you having behavior issues with your child? It might be the foods they are eating.

There has been mounting research that food additives and preservatives can increase negative behavior in children. Schools that have taken out preservatives, artificial colorings, and additives have reported significant drops in behavior issues, fighting, attention issues and more.

So what can you do? Mainly, we as parents just need to feed our kids foods with as little "processing" as possible. And YES it can be just as easy as reaching into a box...

Snack ideas:

Diced ham or turkey cubes
String cheese
Cut up fruit
Veggies

The key is to cut up everything when you get home from the store before you even put it away and put it into little pre-portioned snack containers or baggies. That way if you are running out the door, or your child decides with a SCREAM that they are hungry, you can just grab and go. 

The best part- it doesn't hurt to try. If your child regularly has meltdowns, is moody, has short attention spans or any other unwanted behavior- you can change the foods they eat and see if that makes a difference. I normally always recommend you check with your doctor before any food change, but this is a change any doctor will stand behind. And- if it does not help with your child's behavior, at least they will be healthy little crazies!

Check out some of these articles for evidence about how eliminating additives and processed foods changes behavior in children.

Diet and Behavior in Children

Food Additives & Behavior

Food Affects Behavior

If you find other articles or resources on this topic- please leave a comment. This is a very interesting topic and I am sure much more research will come out on these issues.

Fast Food

Everyone knows fast food is not the healthiest option for any of us. With mounting research showing that the first 5 years are crucial in preventing obesity in children, there is even more reason to be sure your children do not eat too many drive-thru meals.

Here is an article that you MUST read from a lady who did an experiment with a Happy Meal from McDonalds. She purchased the meal and left it untouched on a shelf in her office for a year now. And while you would think it would have grown moldy and decayed...NOPE! It pretty much looks exactly the same.

Think about that- it looks pretty much the same a year later. Yikes! Now, I am not on my high horse about anything- I have eaten plenty of fast food meals in my day. And- I have also given my son food from some of these places.

BUT you can make better choices. Every fast food restaurant now has a grilled chicken sandwich and a side of fruit or veggies. I get the grilled chicken without any toppings, sauce or cheese and give my son water. Is it the perfect choice? Of course not, but sometimes it happens. Life gets busy and the thought of cooking or even going into a restaurant seems like too much work, but you can still help that better food is offered to your child.


Click here to read the Happy Meal Experiment article


Click here for a easy list of healthier fast food menu choices


Click here for Health Magazine's "Top Ten Healthiest Fast Food Restaurant" list

Thanks to my friend Erin for the link to the Happy Meal article!

Breastfeeding Statistics

It is widely known that breastfeeding is the best source of food for babies. It provides many health benefits to both mother and baby that last years after breastfeeding stops.


Unfortunately in the United States, women do not breastfeed as much and for as long as other women around the world, and for the duration recommended by leading health organizations.

Some statistics I found from the CDC: As of 2006 (the most current I could find)

• The percentage of babies exclusively breastfed through 3 months is about 33% and through 6 months is about 13%.
• The percentage of babies supplemented with formula before 2 days about 25%, before 3 months about 38% and before 6 months about 48%
• Overall- 74% of mothers initiated breastfeeding at birth, 43% were breastfeeding at 6 months (some with supplementation) and 23% were still breastfeeding at 12 months (some with supplementation)
  

THE FACTS:

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months and continued breastfeeding a year or longer. They also advise for induced lactation for adoptive mothers, support at work for lactating mothers and more! (Click here to read the official statement)

The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months and continued breastfeeding for 2 years or more. (Click here for the official statement)




According to the CDC, the rate of breastfeeding in the United States has been increasing over the last several years. Let's hope that trend continues because the more moms who nurse- the more support and assistance there is for everyone!

Healthified Chocolate Chip Cookies!

One reason I love Facebook, is finding old friends that you have lost contact with over the years. Well, a short time ago, I reconnected with a friend of mine who used to live down the street from me during middle and high school, Hawlie.

She has a wonderful blog and shares her passion for healthy eating, among other things, and one post recently made me very excited! She made a healthy, no refined sugar, version of a favorite- Chocolate Chip Cookies!

She made great substitutions like agave nectar for sugar (very low glycemic index, which makes it easier for your body to process. Even can be safe for diabetics). I love this- because I hate to give my son any refined sugars. I give him all natural, low glycemic, sweeteners.

Enjoy!
(Of course, you may need to substitute all whole wheat flour if you have not introduced nuts and put in dried fruit instead of chocolate chips if you have not introduced chocolate. Both are not recommended until 2 years of age.)

Ingredients

2 1/2 Cups Almond Flour
1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 Cup Grape Seed Oil
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
1/2 Cup Agave Nectar
!/2 Cup Dark Chocolate Pieces or Chips

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2) In a large bowl, combine almond flour, wheat flour, salt, and baking soda
3) In a medium bowl, stir together grape seed oil, vanilla extract, and agave nectar
4) Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients
5) Using a cookie scoop or spoon, form 1/2" balls. Press balls onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet
6) Bake at 350 degrees for 7-10 minutes

Click here to read her entire post! (and don't worry, the recipe is husband approved)

Toddler Super Bowl Fun

So- pretty much everyone watches the Super Bowl, whether you watch it for the commercials or actually for the football. It also seems like it is mandatory to have some "football food" for the big game.

You can still make it healthy and let your toddler join in! Here are some suggestions:



Tortilla Chips and Salsa

Hummus and Veggies

Whole Wheat Pizza Bagels

Fruit Salad

Mini Turkey Burgers

Grilled Chicken Skewers

Pumpkin Muffins/Cupcakes (In this recipe, I would use much less sugar or omit completely for toddler)

And- if you have a favorite recipe, but you want to make it a healthier option for your little one, visit Eat Better America for tons of "healthified" versions of your recipe!

Enjoy!

Chart for food introductions

So- when I started looking up information about feeding my son solids, I came across this handy chart from The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

This chart gives suggested ages for food introductions for a baby NOT at an increased risk for food allergies. (Meaning, if either parent has food allergies, you may need to wait longer before introducing those foods).

For normal babies, following this chart can help decrease the risk of developing food allergies from early introduction. I have read studies that are finding that if you introduce a food too early, even if the baby does not immediately show a reaction, it can lead to the child developing an allergy later in life. Of course, as always, talk to your pediatrician and follow your doctors advice.

Here is the chart. If you would like a copy, you can right click on the image or leave me a comment and I will e-mail it to you!