ParentDishhttp://www.parentdish.comParentDishhttp://www.parentdish.com/media/feedlogo.gifParentDishhttp://www.parentdish.comen-usCopyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Sneak Veggies Into Your Kids' Mealshttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/07/27/sneak-veggies-into-your-kids-meals/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/07/27/sneak-veggies-into-your-kids-meals/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/07/27/sneak-veggies-into-your-kids-meals/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Credit: AP

Can't get your kids to eat their veggies?

Researchers at Pennsylvania State University have a cunning plan. They suggest you discreetly add broccoli, zucchini and all that other green stuff to kids' meals.

Reuters news service reports their research found kids get more vegetables that way. And, while most of us might detect puree of broccoli on our macaroni and cheese, the little rubes don't even seem to notice the difference.

"We think of it as not deception, but recipe improvement," Barbara Rolls, one of the researchers, tells Reuters. "In this group of kids, we got most of them meeting their daily vegetable requirements -- that's pretty amazing."

Although the study was done in day care centers, researcher Maureen Spill tells Reuters parents could easily pull the same stunt at home. All they need is a blender.

Rolls says the technique can even work on older but equally stubborn children ... like husbands.

Adding pureed vegetables into adults' meals meant they ate more veggies and fewer total calories, she adds. Most of them couldn't taste the extra veggies, either.

According to Reuters, researchers fed prepared meals to 40 kids ages 3 to 5 one day a week for three weeks. The meals looked the same each day -- zucchini bread at breakfast, pasta with tomato sauce at lunch and a chicken noodle casserole at dinner.

One day's worth of meals was prepared normally -- with a typical veggie in each entree. On the other two days, researchers added pureed cauliflower, broccoli, squash, zucchini and tomatoes to triple or quadruple every dish's dose of vegetables.

After each meal, researchers weighed the food to determine how much kids ate. The preschoolers were also allowed to eat non-doctored side dishes and snacks during the day -- including fruit, cheese and crackers.

Compared to the day when they ate standard meals, Reuters reports, kids almost doubled their total vegetable intake on the day they ate high-vegetable dishes.

"I would urge parents to try to get vegetables into their kids' meals wherever they can," Rolls tells Reuters. "This is an additional strategy that you put on top of exposing kids to real vegetables, eating the vegetables with the kids, (and) being persistent in exposing them to vegetables."

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]]>healthy eatinghealthyl lunchesnutritionsneak in vegetablessneak in veggiesvegetablesTom HendersonWed, 27 Jul 2011 15:00:00 ESTPotato Chips are Piling on the Pounds, Study Findshttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/06/23/potato-chips-are-piling-on-the-pounds-study-finds/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/06/23/potato-chips-are-piling-on-the-pounds-study-finds/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/06/23/potato-chips-are-piling-on-the-pounds-study-finds/#commentsFiled under: ,

Potato chips make you gain weight? Who knew? Credit: AP

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Blame the potato chip. It's the biggest demon behind that pound-a-year weight creep that plagues many of us, a major diet study found. Bigger than soda, candy and ice cream.

And the reason is partly that old advertising cliche: You can't eat just one.

"They're very tasty and they have a very good texture. People generally don't take one or two chips. They have a whole bag," said obesity expert Dr. F. Xavier Pi-Sunyer of the St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York.

What we eat and how much of it we consume has far more impact than exercise and most other habits do on long-term weight gain, according to the study by Harvard University scientists. It's the most comprehensive look yet at the effect of individual foods and lifestyle choices like sleep time and quitting smoking.

The results are in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine.

Weight problems are epidemic. Two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese. Childhood obesity has tripled in the past three decades. Pounds often are packed on gradually over decades, and many people struggle to limit weight gain without realizing what's causing it.

The new study finds food choices are key. The message: Eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts. Cut back on potatoes, red meat, sweets and soda.

"There is no magic bullet for weight control," said one study leader, Dr. Frank Hu. "Diet and exercise are important for preventing weight gain, but diet clearly plays a bigger role."

Doctors analyzed changes in diet and lifestyle habits of 120,877 people from three long-running medical studies. All were health professionals and not obese at the start. Their weight was measured every four years for up to two decades, and they detailed their diet on questionnaires.

On average, participants gained nearly 17 pounds over the 20-year period.

For each four-year period, food choices contributed nearly 4 pounds. Exercise, for those who did it, cut less than 2 pounds.

Potato chips were the biggest dietary offender. Each daily serving containing 1 ounce (about 15 chips and 160 calories) led to a 1.69-pound uptick over four years. That's compared to sweets and desserts, which added 0.41 pound.

For starchy potatoes other than chips, the gain was 1.28 pounds. Within the spud group, french fries were worse for the waist than boiled, baked or mashed potatoes. That's because a serving of large fries contains between 500 to 600 calories compared with a serving of a large baked potato at 280 calories.

Soda added a pound over four years. Eating more fruits and vegetables and other unprocessed foods led to less weight gain, probably because they are fiber-rich and make people feel fuller.

For each four-year period, these factors had these effects on weight:

- An alcoholic drink a day, 0.41-pound increase.

- Watching an hour of TV a day, 0.31-pound increase.

- Recently quitting smoking, 5-pound increase.

People who slept more or less than six to eight hours a night gained more weight.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and a foundation. Several researchers reported receiving fees from drug and nutrition companies.

"Humans naturally like fat and sweet," said Dr. David Heber, director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition, who had no role in the study. "That's why we always tell people to eat their fruits and vegetables."

Pi-Sunyer, who also wasn't involved in the research, said the study gives useful advice.

"It's hard to lose weight once you gain it," he said. "Anything that will give people a clue about what might prevent weight gain if they follow through with it is helpful."

The federal government earlier this year issued new dietary guidelines advising people to eat smarter. This month, it ditched the food pyramid - the longtime symbol of healthy eating - in favor of a dinner plate divided into four sections containing fruits, vegetables, protein and grains.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. This article was written by Alicia Chang, Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

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]]>healthnutritionpotato chipsAssociated PressThu, 23 Jun 2011 09:30:00 ESTStudy Says 1 in 13 US Children Have Food Allergyhttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/06/20/study-says-1-in-13-us-children-have-food-allergy/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/06/20/study-says-1-in-13-us-children-have-food-allergy/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/06/20/study-says-1-in-13-us-children-have-food-allergy/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

food allergy

1 in 13 children in the U.S. have a food allergy. Credit: Getty Images

CHICAGO (AP) - Food allergies affect about one in 13 U.S. children, double the latest government estimate, a new study suggests.

The researchers say about 40 percent of them have severe reactions - a finding they hope will erase misconceptions that food allergies are just like hay fever and other seasonal allergies that are troublesome but not dangerous.

Overall, 8 percent of the children studied had food allergies; peanuts and milk were the most common sources. That translates to nearly 6 million U.S. children.

The most recent government estimate, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was based on in-home interviews and found that about 3 million children were affected, or about 4 percent. Other estimates based on different methods have ranged from 2 percent to 8 percent.

The new study, funded by an advocacy group, is based on online interviews with parents of kids younger than age 18 and involved 40,104 children. Research firm Knowledge Networks conducted the survey. Families were recruited through random telephone dialing.

Results were released online Monday in Pediatrics.

The findings suggest that food allergies affect two kids per classroom, said lead author Dr. Ruchi Gupta, a pediatrician and researcher with Chicago's Children's Memorial Hospital.

Dr. Calman Prussin, an investigator with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the study "confirms that food allergy is a substantial public health problem."

Prussin said differences in estimates are due to different survey methods and definitions of what constitutes a food allergy. He said the only way to know for sure how many kids are affected would be lab tests on scores of children, which isn't practical.

Because the new figure is within the range of previous estimates, he said the study doesn't mean prevalence has increased, although experts generally believe allergies including those to food are on the rise, Prussin noted.

He said some people mistake food intolerances for food allergies. For instance, many people are lactose intolerant, meaning they can't properly digest milk. That can cause bloating and digestive problems, but not an allergic reaction.

Typical signs of a true food allergy include skin rashes, wheezing, tightness in the throat or difficulty breathing.

The new survey asked parents whether their children had those symptoms - a big strength of the study, Prussin said.

Many children outgrow allergies to some foods, including eggs and wheat, but they're less likely to outgrow allergies to peanuts and other nuts.

The study was funded by the Food Allergy Initiative, a nonprofit advocacy group founded by parents of children with allergies.

Mary Jane Marchisotto, the group's executive director, said the study "paints a more comprehensive picture" of food allergies, and should help raise awareness.

The group, funded privately but without industry money, is working with the CDC on national guidelines on how to manage food allergies in schools, she said.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

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]]>foodfood allergiesfood allergykidsAssociated PressMon, 20 Jun 2011 11:30:00 ESTKids Really Only Need 2 Cups of Milk a Day, Study Sayshttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/06/16/kids-milk/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/06/16/kids-milk/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/06/16/kids-milk/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

milk

Kids only need two cups of milk and not a gallon! Credit: Getty Images


"Fresh, wholesome milk ... Vitamin D, calcium, essential for good strong bones and healthy teeth. But that's all Greek to you, isn't it, Mr. Gingivitis?" -- Sgt. Joe Friday in "Dragnet," 1987

Sgt. Friday probably spent a little too much time listening to Captain Kangaroo.

Jonathon Maguire, a pediatrician and researcher at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, led researchers to find out just how much milk children should really be drinking. The Canadian television network CTV reports he concluded that two cups of milk per day is just about right.

Sgt. Friday was right: Milk is rich in Vitamin D. But previous studies have found too much milk can decrease the iron level in children's blood.

Researchers looked at 3,800 children at St. Michael's Hospital and the Hospital for Sick Children to find out how much milk would give kids the Vitamin D they need without risking iron deficiency.

"So it struck us that, wow, if you drink milk, there's some good parts and some not good parts," Maguire tells CTV. "So how much milk would you need to balance those two things out. And what we came up with is about 470 milliliters [16 ounces] of cow's milk is the balancing point. So it's roughly two cups.

"So this really gets to that, saying to parents that two cups of milk is a healthy amount of milk," he adds. "You're getting great benefit from vitamin D and your child's not in harm's way from being iron-deficient."

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]]>iron deficiencykids milkmilkvitamin dTom HendersonThu, 16 Jun 2011 16:00:00 ESTPrescription for Milk Allergies? Baked Goodshttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/06/03/milk-allergies-baked-goods/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/06/03/milk-allergies-baked-goods/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/06/03/milk-allergies-baked-goods/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Prescription for Milk Allergies

Cooked milk, baked into muffins, could wipe out milk allergies in children faster than just avoiding milk products entirely. Credit: Getty

Not all cures and remedies taste yucky, kids.

For instance, you know what might help you get over your milk allergy? Baked goods!

That's right. Pass the chocolate muffins.

Reuters news service reports cooked milk, baked into muffins, could wipe out milk allergies in children faster than just avoiding milk products entirely. Of course, it still takes years, so you might have to eat a lot of muffins, boys and girls.

Thank researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease. They're the ones who found the Muffin Connection.

Bear in mind that a milk allergy is not the same as being lactose intolerant. When you're lactose intolerant, you can't digest milk products. Kids with milk allergies (affecting some 3 percent of children) react to proteins in milk and cheese with everything from mild itching and potentially fatal anaphylactic shock.

Reuters reports kids with milk allergies in the study who were able to tolerate muffins were more likely to grow out of the allergies. According to the news service, there might eventually be a Muffin Test to tell transient allergies from more serious ones.

Researchers gave 88 children with milk allergies between the ages of 2 and 17 baked goods that included milk. Then they compared them to a group of 60 allergic children who simply abstained from milk entirely.

Reuters reports just under half of children in the experimental group were able to consume dairy products such as skim milk or yogurt without having allergic reactions by the end of the study period.

Researcher Anna Nowak-Wegrzyn, of the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, tells Reuters she is optimistic about the potential of muffins. Cautiously.

"One approach is not right for all children with milk allergy," she adds. "The majority does not need to and should not strictly avoid milk."

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]]>food allergieslactose intolerancemilk allergiesmilk allergyPrescription for Milk AllergiesTom HendersonFri, 03 Jun 2011 13:00:00 ESTLawmakers Defend French Fries as USDA Limits Spudshttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/05/18/lawmakers-defend-french-fries-as-usda-limits-spuds/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/05/18/lawmakers-defend-french-fries-as-usda-limits-spuds/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/05/18/lawmakers-defend-french-fries-as-usda-limits-spuds/#commentsFiled under: ,

French Fries

Its a great vegetable. Credit: MTC

WASHINGTON (AP) - Often maligned, the french fry is fighting back.

The spud has had a tough time lately. In the last year, it has been marginalized by new school lunch rules, demonized by a popular television program and blamed for the nation's obesity epidemic. Health advocates and government officials have pushed to take them off lunch lines, where kids often reach for the crispy treats instead of greener vegetables.

Now some in Washington say they're fed up with the war on fries. In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack this month, 40 Republicans and Democrats in Congress questioned his department's proposal to reduce the amount of potatoes and other starchy vegetables in school meals to about two servings a week, saying they can be a tasty, healthy way to provide potassium, fiber and other nutrients at a low cost.

"It's a great vegetable and I don't know why we are picking on the potato," said Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Ohio, who signed the letter. "I think this is very much an overreach."

It's a refrain some in Congress are using more frequently to describe the Obama administration's efforts to get kids to eat healthier foods - the government shouldn't be telling kids what to eat. Should it be up to USDA to decide that potatoes can't be eaten responsibly?

"I don't think that's what the federal government should be doing in general," says Rep. Bill Owens, D-N.Y. He says he signed the letter after school lunchroom workers in his district came to him with concerns.

Since the guidelines apply to federally subsidized meals, schools are generally fine with broad federal guidelines on nutrition - how many servings a week children are allowed of grains or vegetables, for example. But many schools have balked at attempts to tell them exactly what foods they can't serve.

"I feel that guidance is helpful, but that micromanagement is not," says Doug Davis, food service director for Burlington, Vt., schools. "Having standards is important, but limiting foods by category is really challenging."

Davis says he has worked hard over the past few years to source more foods locally and forgo processed foods. The potato grows well in his part of Vermont - so well that children in his school district are growing their own to eat off the lunch line. His lunchroom features all sorts of healthy potato dishes, including a baked potato bar.

"I don't feel like potatoes or french fries are the enemy," he said. "What we need to do is strike a balance in what our kids are eating."

Health advocates say that is exactly why potatoes should be restricted. Because children eat so many potatoes already, schools should focus on providing more variety.

"Kids are not eating enough vegetables and when they do eat vegetables they are eating potatoes way too often," says Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy at the advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest, which pushed for the standards. "Too much of anything, even a good food, isn't healthy because people need to eat a variety of foods."

Nutrition advocates like Wootan say the problem lies with the volume of fries prepared and consumed in schools every day. This was highlighted on the TV show "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution," where the British chef descended on a West Virginia town and vowed to make school lunches healthier. Getting rid of french fries as vegetables was one of his top priorities.

Several members of Congress who signed the letter - along with potato growers, the frozen foods industry and others lobbying against the proposed rules - say the USDA proposal ignores that many schools that have long since taken the "fry" out of french fry. Though they may be fried as part of initial processing, schools are now preparing them with little grease and no crispiness, serving them to kids as a healthier option.

"They aren't your daddy's french fries," says John Keeling of the National Potato Council. "It seems as if a lot of this is based on perception of the preparation of the product, not the nutritional value of the product."

USDA says it is trying to strike a balance.

"The Institute of Medicine and other experts have advised the department that parents already do a great job of serving potatoes to their kids at home so they don't need to eat as many potatoes at school," USDA spokeswoman Courtney Rowe said in a statement. "The improved nutritional guidelines will add variety to the vegetables our kids currently eat, such as carrots, tomatoes and leafy greens."

When the new rules were released in January, Vilsack said he understands the new standards may pose some challenges for school districts, but he believes they are necessary. He compared obesity and related diseases like diabetes to a truck barreling toward a child, and said the new guidelines are like a parent teaching that child to look both ways before he or she crosses the street.

Dr. Linda Van Horn, a professor of preventative medicine at Northwestern University who works with the American Heart Association, says two servings a week of potatoes are sufficient, and the stakes are high as childhood obesity worsens.

"The bottom line is that it's not the vegetable that is the problem," she says.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. This article was written by MATTHEW PERRONE, Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

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]]>defending french friesfrench friesAssociated PressWed, 18 May 2011 15:00:00 ESTBig Brother is Watching You Snarf Those Fries During School Lunchhttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/05/13/school-lunch-texas-surveilence-grant/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/05/13/school-lunch-texas-surveilence-grant/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/05/13/school-lunch-texas-surveilence-grant/#commentsFiled under: , ,

big brother

Big brother is watching you eat lunch. Credit: Getty Images

Big Brother is watching you. And he's saying, "Whoa, fat boy! Lay off the barbecue chips!"

In an effort to raise a new generation of crazy Texans who wear tinfoil hats and go on paranoid rants about how the "gummit" is reading their thoughts through their hip implants, school officials in San Antonio are spying on kids.

Time magazine reports officials are installing surveillance cameras and rigging cafeteria food trays with computer barcodes with a $2 million grant from -- you guessed it -- the federal gummit.

Meanwhile, toothless conspiracy theorists across the land are cackling, "I knew it! I knew it!"

Hold on. How all this ties into the UFO cover-up remains uncertain. School officials in San Antonio tell the Reuters news service they're just using the grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to find out what children are eating.

Then they report their findings to parents, school nutrition specialists and the Vatican. OK, maybe not the Vatican. (Someone's been reading too many Dan Brown novels.)

The actual conspiracy, according to Reuters, is to create healthier lunches based on what kids actually eat. The information can also help parents plan meals at home. If your kid is practically inhaling fries at school, you might want to know so you can force some green vegetables down his gullet later on.

Scientists who study children's nutrition also can use the data to better understand how kids' diets cause obesity and Type 2 diabetes.

"We will be able to determine whether current programs that are aimed at preventing obesity work and whether they are really changing students' behavior," Roberto Trevino of San Antonio's Social & Health Research Center, which is leading the program, tells Reuters.

In other words, are kids eating more salads and fewer Hostess Ding Dongs? You really need surveillance cameras and barcodes to figure that out?

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]]>big brothercafeterianutritionnutrition grantschool lunchschool lunchesTom HendersonFri, 13 May 2011 15:30:00 ESTGetting Kids to Try New and Healthy Foodshttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/05/06/getting-kids-to-try-healthy-foods/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/05/06/getting-kids-to-try-healthy-foods/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/05/06/getting-kids-to-try-healthy-foods/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Getting Kids to Try New and Healthy Foods

"How do I get my child to eat fruits and veggies?" "Is it OK for my child to take a vitamin supplement and then eat anything he wants?" "My child only eats five foods: chicken fingers, fries, applesauce, cereal and milk."

Do any of these questions and comments sound familiar? As a registered dietitian, I hear them on a weekly basis from parents. I am amazed how many "picky eaters" I encounter. I see it from infancy through adolescence. (Actually, I meet plenty of adults, too, who eat the same foods over and over again.) So what are parents to do when their kids are reluctant to try new foods?

Children learn their habits, attitudes and beliefs from their parents and other caregivers, and that includes their willingness to try new and healthy foods. For National Nutrition Month, the American Dietetic Association encourages parents to be good role models and teach their children how to appreciate nutrition and enjoy healthful eating.

Here is what sometimes happens: A parent introduces applesauce to baby. Baby likes it and eats the entire serving. The next week the parent offers pears. Baby tastes it, spits it out and makes a face. The parent does not force it and thinks, "OK, baby does not like it, so I won't offer it again." So baby is only eating the applesauce.

It is true that it often takes multiple tastes of a new food before a child accepts it -- of course, some foods require more offerings than others, and some foods are never accepted. The most important thing you can do is offer your children as many new foods as possible, as early in life as possible.

It takes much longer to accept new foods when you are older, as you may already know. I meet 10-year-old children who have never tried a fresh pear or red pepper. I am also discouraged by the statistic showing that the number one vegetable consumed by toddlers is the fried potato.

Let's commit to changing that statistic -- these tips will get you started:

  • When infants are at the stage of trying new foods, offer new foods every few days to see if there are any reactions or allergies. By the time baby is 1 year old, hopefully, baby has a varied diet of fruits, vegetables, grains and protein foods, including beans, tofu, soft meats and yogurt.
  • When toddlerhood (and independent eating) arrives, stick with meal times and avoid filling the child up on cheese, crackers and milk, or juice, before mealtime.
  • Let your child see you try new foods. Children are copycats, so if you model an interest in trying new things, there's a stronger chance that your child will, too.
  • The most important tip I can give to help get kids to taste new foods is to make sure they are hungry at mealtime. Halt snacking at least one to two hours beforehand and even longer for older children.
  • If children are labeled as "picky eaters," guess what? They will be! Let's stop the labeling and eat with our children the most nutritious meals we can provide.
If you're looking for more fun ways to get your kids excited about trying new (and nutritious) foods, see what's cooking at Fizzy's Lunch Lab on PBS KIDS GO! There are lots of great ideas and activities to inspire kids to give new foods a try.

This article was originally published on PBS Parents by Sarah Krieger, MPH, RD, LD. A national spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, Sarah Krieger developed and is lead instructor for All Children's Hospital's Fit4AllKids Weight Management and Fitness for Families program in St Petersburg, FL. The program targets families with 8-12 year olds and has a teen program for 13-18 year olds. Krieger and a research team of physicians at the University of South Florida completed a study that determined the outcomes of the program for obese teens. She continues to work per diem for All Children's on the clinical side by working with children at nutritional risk.

More From PBSParents.org:

Child Development Tracker

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]]>eating healthyhealthy foodshow to get kids to eat healthy foodspicky eatersPBSParents.orgFri, 06 May 2011 17:00:00 ESTFood Allergies Becoming More Common Among Kidshttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/04/25/food-allergies-kids/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/04/25/food-allergies-kids/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/04/25/food-allergies-kids/#commentsFiled under: ,

peanut food allergy picture

Nuts are among the most common food allergy. Credit: Getty Images

Food allergies among children are more common today than they were 10 years ago, says Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson, a Seattle-based pediatrician and mom to two young boys.

Swanson cites a report in Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, but why food allergies are more common remains under debate. Some theories suggest it's due to increases in clinical diseases, while others attribute it to greater awareness by physicians and other health care providers, as well as parents.

The most common food allergies are milk, eggs, nuts, soy, wheat and shellfish.

Families with known food allergies should be careful when it comes to the introduction of those particular foods.

Swanson recommends parents be on the alert if a child's brother or sister has a food allergy.

"Siblings are the most like you than anyone on the planet," Swanson tells ParentDish in a phone interview.

If Mom is the one with the food allergy, she might want to not only avoid the trigger foods when breast-feeding, but also during pregnancy.

Children can outgrow allergies over time. Since kids' immune systems are always changing, parents can continue to try certain foods over the years, as there's a possibility that their bodies can outgrow the allergy.

As a general rule, Swanson recommends restricting nuts or nut particles, egg whites and all fish until age 1.

"White fish and shellfish tend to be more allergy provoking," she tells ParentDish. "If there's a strong family history of a shellfish allergy, wait until the child is 2 years old before introducing."

Statistics say 30 to 50 percent of kids who are sensitive to cow's milk are also allergic to soy. Swanson recommends non-cow's milk or non-dairy formula, of which there are two commercially available: Alimentum and Nutramagen.

Wheat is among the top five most common food allergies. If there's a wheat allergy in your family, be mindful of the teething biscuits you give your child. Try brands with barley or rice first.

The appearance of eczema, the itchy red patches on your baby's skin, as well as stringy stools or excessive spit or vomit in infants ages 2 months to 6 months, can be signs of a food allergy.

The baby's sensitivity "could be from the cow's milk or soy protein in standard and soy formula, but if a baby is breast-feeding, it could be from a constituent in Mom's diet," Swanson says. "We often start with dairy elimination with moms who are breast-feeding, but sometimes have to exclude even more, especially if testing confirms sensitivities or allergies in baby."

Antihistamines can work well for eczema, but Swanson advises parents to never self-treat for food allergies. Talk to a pediatrician or family doctor first.

If a child's lips swell or get red immediately after feeding, or he or she breaks out in hives on the face, immediately stop feeding that food until talking with a physician, Swanson says. Splotchy skin is considered mild, but if your child starts to wheeze, cough or experience vast swelling, that's considered an emergency.

As far as prevention goes, Swanson recommends waiting until your child is 6 months old to introduce solid food, at no more than two new foods per week. Wait a few days before introducing something new, as you need a good trial of each new food. And don't halt this trial period once your child turns 1. You need to do this with every new food, she says.

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]]>allergiesallergies peanutsallergy medicationallergy treatmentsevergreenfood allergiesJulie Z. RosenbergMon, 25 Apr 2011 17:00:00 ESTCan What You Eat During Pregnancy Make Your Baby Fat?http://www.parentdish.com/2011/04/20/pregnancy-nutrition/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/04/20/pregnancy-nutrition/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/04/20/pregnancy-nutrition/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Watch a video on what to eat during pregnancy.
baby fat

A mother's diet during pregnancy can alter the DNA of her child. Credit: Keith Brofsky, Getty Images

Moms who pack on the pounds during pregnancy aren't the only ones who end up fat and flabby. It's likely baby will need her own personal trainer and nutrition consultant to stave off obesity if Mom spends nine months giving in to her food cravings.

In a new study, British researchers found that a mother's diet during pregnancy can alter the DNA of her child and increase the risk of obesity, BBC News reports.

The study, to be published in the journal Diabetes, showed that mothers with early pregnancy diets low in carbohydrates, such as sugars and starch, had children with these markers, and that there was a strong link between these markers and a child's obesity at ages 6 and 9. The researchers found kids with these changes were fatter, according to the BBC.

As a result of the findings, the British Heart Foundation called for better nutritional and lifestyle support for pregnant women.

"What is surprising is that it explains a quarter of the difference in the fatness of children six to nine years later," Professor Keith Godfrey, who is from the University of Southampton and led the international study, tells the BBC.

Significantly, the report showed the effect was "considerably greater" than that of birth weight and did not depend on how thin or fat the mother was.

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]]>baby fatpregnancy dietpregnancy nutritionMary Beth SammonsWed, 20 Apr 2011 12:00:00 ESTApril: National Pretzel Day Puts Fun Twist on Family Cookinghttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/04/05/national-pretzel-day/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/04/05/national-pretzel-day/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/04/05/national-pretzel-day/#commentsFiled under: ,


A rather unexpected twist emerged in our search for a special dish to showcase during the month of April. The twist? A baked curlicue of dough that has become one of those all-time favorite snack foods: the pretzel.

Initially, my daughter, Anna, and I had intended to whip up some Easter or Passover favorites during our monthly kitchen klatsch. But, truth be told, we were a little ho-hum on the long lists of traditional springtime dishes, figuring many of you already had plenty of exposure to recipes for hot cross buns, matzo ball soup and the like.

Time for something a little different, we said. So, we turned to one of those funny food holiday calendars and found that April 26 happens to be National Pretzel Day. Who'd a thunk?

It was too great an opportunity to pass up. We love pretzels around our house. They look cool, and they have a long, distinguished culinary history, apparently dating back to medieval Europe, where these baked goodies were associated with various religious holidays or festivals because of their resemblance to praying hands.

Germany, at some point, became the hotbed of pretzeldom, and, by the 1800s, the popular snack food had leapt across the pond to the United States, courtesy of immigrants who knew a good thing when they ate it.

Homemade whole wheat pretzels picture

Homemade whole wheat pretzels. Credit: Deborah Kloha

The recipe we selected for Whole Wheat Pretzels comes from KitchenDaily. Please note a few changes we made along the way.

Ingredients

1 cup warm water
1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour, plus 1/4 cup for rolling dough
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
8 cups water
2 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Non-stick cooking spray

Directions

Place warm water in a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast over the water, then let the mixture sit for 5 minutes so the yeast can proof. Sift together the 2 1/2 cups flour with the sugar and salt onto wax paper or into a medium bowl. Place the flour mixture, butter and yeast mixture in a food processor. Let the motor run until a sticky dough forms.

Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel. Place dough in a warm place and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or coat with cooking spray. Punch down the dough and divide it into 12 or 24 equal pieces. Roll out each piece with the palms of your hands until the piece is about a foot long, using the remaining 1/4 cup flour. Form each long piece into a pretzel shape.

Transfer pretzels to baking sheets, leaving a 1-inch space between pretzels. Set aside and let rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450ºF. In a large stainless steel pot, bring water and baking soda to a boil. Carefully add a quarter of the pretzels, one at a time. Using tongs, flip the pretzels over after about 8 seconds, boiling for about 15 seconds total.

Carefully arrange the pretzels on the parchment-lined baking sheets, again spacing them at least 1 inch apart. Sprinkle each pretzel with sea salt. Repeat the boiling process with the remaining pretzels. Transfer to oven and bake until the pretzels are lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool briefly before eating. Serve with sweet mustard.

(Cook's note: We ended up omitting the dough-boiling portion of preparation. Chalk it up to operator error, but our first twists of dough collapsed as soon as they hit hot water. Additionally, having made pretzels probably 10 years earlier, using a different recipe, we decided to brush an egg wash onto the dough before adding salt. The egg wash gives the finished product a darker brown, glossier finish, more like what you'd expect from a traditional pretzel.)

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]]>pretzel dayDeborah KlohaTue, 05 Apr 2011 11:00:00 ESTOstracized Overweight Kids Eat More, Exercise Lesshttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/04/01/overweight-kids/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/04/01/overweight-kids/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/04/01/overweight-kids/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Check out what our Healthy Family Challengers are doing to stay in shape!
overweight kids

Credit: Getty Images

When overweight kids are teased or ostracized because of their weight, it doesn't inspire them to slim down. Instead, they get depressed. They eat more and exercise less.

It's a vicious cycle -- one you may already know about if you ever watched an after-school special, ever been or known an overweight person or have a lick of common sense.

However, just on the outside chance merciless teasing and social isolation could be the newest diet craze, researchers at the University of Buffalo collected some data. USA Today reports they found out the prevailing theory was right all along. Teasing or excluding fat kids is not nice -- or particularly helpful.

According to USA Today, researchers watched 40 overweight kids play a computer game that simulates tossing a ball alongside 40 kids whose weight is about average. They found the overweight kids chowed down on 200 extra calories or more when their video character was excluded from the game. They average-weight kids didn't do that.

Lead researcher Sarah-Jeanne Salvy, an assistant professor of pediatrics, tells USA Today it could be that corpulent kids seek comfort in food.

She suggests helping kids out by giving them alternative means to deal with their emotions. "Kids may need to talk about their feelings and seek comfort in other activities," she tells the paper.

Other activities might include making friends.

Salvy's previous research shows making friends can have a big impact on children's eating habits.

Last year, Salvy and her fellow researchers conducted a story where 54 overweight and non-overweight youth (24 boys and 30 girls between the ages of 9 and 11) were randomly assigned to bring a friend or to be paired with an unfamiliar peer. The kids worked on a computer game to earn points that could be exchanged for food or time to spend with a friend or an unfamiliar peer.

As the game became more difficult, participants matched with an unfamiliar peer took the path of least resistance. If playing for food was difficult, they played for time with a peer. When playing for peer time became difficult, they played for food.

The story was very different among participants paired with a friend. Everyone wanted to spend time with his or her friend instead of food.

In a University of Buffalo press release, Salvy says those results are telling.

"Consider a person who usually comes home alone after school and eats out of boredom," Salvy says in the release. "But on this day, she has a play date with a friend and socializes instead of eating. In this case, socializing is acting as a substitute for eating. Identifying substitutes provides a potential way to reduce behavior.

"Our findings underscore the importance of considering the child's social network in studying youth's motivation to eat," she adds.


Check out Healthy Families Challenge!

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]]>overweight kidsOverweight Obesity Bullying Ostracization Socialization FriendsTom HendersonFri, 01 Apr 2011 15:30:00 ESTLosing Pregnancy Weight: 5 Diet Tipshttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/04/01/losing-pregnancy-weight/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/04/01/losing-pregnancy-weight/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/04/01/losing-pregnancy-weight/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

losing pregnancy weight

To lose pregnancy weight, start your day with oatmeal and an apple. Credit: Getty Images

Celebrity moms seem to step right back into their pre-baby jeans moments after giving birth. But for most of us, getting rid of the baby weight takes time.

Even fitness pros have to work hard to lose weight after a pregnancy. Two experts tell ParentDish they have new respect for moms trying to get back into shape after having their own children.

However, Lindsay Brin, owner of St. Louis-based Moms Into Fitness, and Kara Mohr, owner of Louisville, Ky.-based Mohr Results, say there are a few secrets to getting back into your favorite jeans.

First : Remember it took nine months to gain the weight, so plan on it taking just as long to lose it. It's a battle to turn off the pregnancy and breastfeeding eating, but with these tips you can control some of it.

  • Never start your day off at a drive-through. An unhealthy breakfast can lead to unhealthy food choices for the rest of the day. "I tell people to eat oatmeal and an apple for breakfast," Brin says in a phone interview. If you're in a hurry, grab an oatmeal bar for the road.
  • Use the plate method. Make sure half your plate is covered with vegetables, one quarter of it with protein and the other quarter with whatever you want. Making sure your meals are veggie focused is not only healthier, but it means fewer calories, too.
  • Don't eat two dinners. Eating with your kids and then eating again when your spouse gets home is a sure-fire way to keep the weight on. Try sitting down with a cup of flavored tea while the kids eat, so there's a sense of ritual, and then eat your meal sitting down with your spouse later.
  • Skip the BLT diet. Moms can add a tremendous amount of calories through a series of bites, licks and tastes, says Mohr. She says cutting that out helped one of her clients lose eight pounds.
  • You bite it, you write it. Keeping track of everything you eat during the day may sound overwhelming. But the "you bite it, you write it" method makes it easier to keep track of calories, Mohr says in a phone interview. It also makes you more aware of the food you're eating throughout the day,not just at mealtime.
The baby is more important than the jean size, so don't beat yourself up by comparing yourself to the latest star who is showing off her post-baby body.

"They're paid to look good," Brin says. "And they have to put in hard work, too."

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]]>baby weightdietevergreenlosing pregnancy weightlosing weightEllen Rooney MartinFri, 01 Apr 2011 11:00:00 ESTArtificial Food Colorings Come Under Scrutiny by Federal Governmenthttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/31/food-coloring/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/31/food-coloring/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/31/food-coloring/#commentsFiled under: ,

food coloring

Credit: Getty Images

If your kids seem to bounce off the walls after their morning bowl of cereal, you may want to take a look at the side of the box and see if artificial food colorings are listed in the ingredients.

The subject of artificial food colorings has been a source of controversy in the U.S. since the 1970s, when pediatrician Benjamin Feingold first insisted there was a link between the colorings and behavioral or health problems, like hyperactivity, in children.

But after ruling years ago that the connection couldn't be proved, the Food and Drug Administration has now publicly convened a panel of experts to re-examine the evidence and advise if a change in policy is needed -- like the addition of warning labels on packaged foods that contain the ingredients, The New York Times reports.

This week's FDA hearing is seen as a victory for consumer advocacy groups, like the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which in 2008 asked the FDA to ban eight of the nine food colorings certified for use in the U.S. It also points to the fact that the mounting body of evidence about the colorings -- like a study published in The Lancet medical journal in 2007 -- has at least caught the agency's attention, the Times reports.

In their recent report on the issue, the FDA's scientists concluded that a "causal relationship between exposure to color additives and hyperactivity in children in the general population has not been established."

However, they did note that the condition of "certain susceptible children" with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder may be exacerbated by exposure to "a number of substances in food, including, but not limited to, synthetic color additives."

Renee Shutters, a mother of two from Jamestown, N.Y., tells the Times that two years ago her then 5-year-old son Trenton was having serious behavioral problems at school until she cut artificial food colorings out of his diet.

"I know for sure I found the root cause of this one because you can turn it on and off like a switch," Shutters tells the newspaper.

But not everyone is convinced.

Dr. Lawrence Diller, a behavioral pediatrician in Walnut Creek, Calif., tells the Times that there is very little, if any, proof that diet plays a significant role in most childhood behavioral disorders.

"These are urban legends that won't die," Diller says.

But the CPSI contends that even if the colorings only affect "susceptible children," there are many parents who don't know their kids are at risk -- and so the FDA should "remove those dangerous and unnecessary substances from the food supply."

Many of the artificial food colorings certified for use today were originally approved by the FDA in 1931, including Blue No. 1, Yellow No. 5 and Red No. 3. But, though these dyes were originally made from coal tar, these days they're made from petroleum products, the Times reports.

Over the years, there has been some movement on the part of the federal government to ensure the safety of the colorings, and some have been banned over the years; like Orange No. 1, which was found to be toxic in the 1950s, and Red. No. 2, which was thought to be carcinogenic and banned in 1976, reports the Times.

But the FDA suggests that issues surrounding artificial food colorings might be most similar to a peanut allergy, according to the newspaper. In which case, the FDA is covered, since the agency already requires manufacturers to list artificial colorings on food labels, as it does with peanuts.

Yet, the FDA is not asking the current panel of experts to consider banning artificial food colorings altogether, only to assess the credibility of the existing research and make policy recommendations. Ultimately, the panel will likely suggest that more research be conducted; however, since research on children is difficult to undertake, the newspaper notes that this recommendation will probably be ignored.

Artificial dyes can be found in many foods targeted to children, including Jell-O, Lucky Charms, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, Cheetos snacks and Hostess Twinkies. The Times reports that some grocery stores, such as Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe's, will not sell foods made with artificial food colorings.

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]]>adhdartificial food coloringfdafood and drug administrationfood coloringhyperactive childrenhyperactivityHoney BerkThu, 31 Mar 2011 18:00:00 ESTGreat Foods to Eat During Pregnancyhttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/31/foods-during-pregnancy/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/31/foods-during-pregnancy/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/31/foods-during-pregnancy/#commentsFiled under: ,

foods during pregnancy

Nuts make a healthy and filling snack during pregnancy. Credit: Getty Images

Pregnancy can be a confusing time when it comes to eating. Sometimes, the very thought of food makes you queasy. Other times, certain foods (potato chips!) have never tasted so good.

To find out how to satisfy your cravings, ParentDish spoke with Allison Tannis, co-author of "The 100 Healthiest Foods to Eat During Pregnancy." Along with the prenatal vitamin your doctor prescribed, her top 10 list includes:


1. Almonds are filled with with calcium, protein, fiber and magnesium and a handful can stave off midday hunger.
2. Apricots are a good source of iron and fiber in your morning oatmeal, in granola or eaten by the handful.
3. Brewer's Yeast, sprinkled on popcorn, is full of B vitamins for energy.
4. Ginger is a great anti-nausea food you can sip in teas or add to stir fries. For a treat, try nibbling on small amounts of candied ginger.
5. Kiwi is high in vitamin C and is delicious when added to a fruit salad or sliced and eaten along with any meal.
6. Popcorn helps fight nausea. Making your own popcorn, as opposed to microwave packages, lets you control the amount of butter and salt.
7. Salmon is a terrific source of omega 3s, is low in calories and is a source of protein that is critical to the baby's development.
8. Spinach and other dark leafy greens are packed with nutrients and a good source of fiber.
9. Water and ice are crucial to staying hydrated during pregnancy. There's no need to drink extra calories in sports drinks and calorie-loaded treats from your coffee place. Water quenches thirst and can fill you up before a meal.
10. Wheat germ is a source of fiber, minerals and energizing B vitamins. Sprinkle it on yogurt or cereal, bake it into muffins or use it in place of breadcrumbs when coating fish or making meatballs.

Make sure to choose from a wide variety when picking out fruits, vegetables, low fat proteins, grains, nuts, seeds and dairy products. If you are planning to become pregnant, be sure to talk to your doctor about the best way to eat for you and your baby.

"Just eat as close to the normal form of the food as possible," says Elisa Zied, registered dietitian and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. Highly processed foods can lose many of the nutrients you need during pregnancy, so stick to fresh cheese over cheese flavored crackers, or a piece of fruit over foods with fruit added.


Related: Does eating for two mean eating double meals?

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]]>eating-healthyevergreenpregnancypregnancy foodspregnancy-dietpregnancy-nutritionEllen Rooney MartinThu, 31 Mar 2011 10:00:00 ESTHow to Make Snack Time Healthy and Funhttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/30/-healthy-snacks/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/30/-healthy-snacks/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/30/-healthy-snacks/#commentsFiled under: ,

children snack time

Fruit before cookies when it comes to snack time. Credit: Getty Images

It's tough to please everyone at snack time. Parents want their kids to eat healthy food, while kids often push for chips and soda.

But experts tell ParentDish the middle ground is attainable with minimal eye rolls from your children.

Elisa Zied, registered dietitian and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, tells ParentDish she tries to empower her two children to make good choices at snack time without prohibiting sugary or salty treats.

Zied suggests offering less processed foods, such as cheese sticks, yogurt, fruit, popcorn, nuts, seeds, whole grain crackers or granola bars. After kids have eaten a healthy snack, you can offer them a couple of cookies or a 100 calorie pack of their favorite chips.

This kind of routine at snack time helps kids understand portion control and how to eat an appropriate balance of foods, Zied says, adding that parents should read food labels to portion out cookies, chips and other treats.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers its own snacking suggestions for different age groups. For instance, preschoolers might like graham crackers dipped in yogurt, whole grain crackers or mini rice cakes and sliced fruit, according to MyPyramid.gov. This site also includes tips on portion control and exercise.

The ADA lists great snack ideas on its website, eatright.org, as well. Try smearing a scoop of frozen yogurt on two graham crackers and add a sliced banana for a tasty sandwich. Another suggestion: Mix together peanut butter and cornflakes in a bowl. Shape into balls and roll in crushed graham crackers. AOL Health also offers after-school treat options that keep kids healthy, active and satisfied.

When kids snack right before dinner, parents may worry their appetites will be ruined. But if the snacks come from one of the major food groups, just consider them a part of the meal, Zied says.

She also tells her kids that eating more fruits and veggies will make them feel better overall, and they'll have more energy when playing their favorite sports.

So, go ahead and offer your kids a snack, just try the healthy one before the cookies.

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]]>evergreenhealthy snakcshealthy-eatinghealthy-snackssnack timesnacksEllen Rooney MartinWed, 30 Mar 2011 16:30:00 ESTPhilly Parents Patrol Corner Stores to Stop Students From Eating Junk Foodhttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/29/philly-parents-patrol-corner-stores-to-stop-students-from-eating/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/29/philly-parents-patrol-corner-stores-to-stop-students-from-eating/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/29/philly-parents-patrol-corner-stores-to-stop-students-from-eating/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

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Junk food patrol picture

Hey, kids! Be careful what you eat in Philly! Credit: Getty Images

The streets of north Philadelphia are no longer safe for kids sipping sugary soft drinks and shoveling bags of potato chips and chocolate bars into their mouths, thanks to a new special victims unit on patrol for bad munchies.

With all the drama of reality TV, this team is stationed just outside food shops in close proximity to schools, ready to pounce on kids purchasing calorie-laden snacks. They are parents who consider themselves foot soldiers in the national battle over the diets of children, The New York Times reports.

Donning bright-colored safety vests and armed with walkie-talkies, this is hardly an undercover operation.

Just ask first grader Tatyana Gray, who recently was busted after stopping at the Oxford Food Shop en route to elementary school for her daily dose of chips and a sweet drink.

With 20 percent of the nation's children suffering from obesity, the United States Department of Agriculture has proposed new standards for federally subsidized school meals that call for more balanced meals and, for the first time, a limit on calories, according to The Times.

That's pushing school leaders and parents with a new fervor to try to clamp down on chips, sugar and all the unhealthy eating habits of today's youth, the newspaper reports.

In Philadelphia, the obesity rate is the nation's highest, according to The Times, prompting parents to patrol the food shops near the William D. Kelley School.

Amelia Brown, principal of the kindergarten through eighth grade school, tells the newspaper the parental patrols were prompted by the students' deplorable diets, which, she says, are causing headaches and stomachaches and undermining academic achievement.

The school has expelled soda and sweet snacks, and, instead of high-calorie fruit juices, the school nurse, Wendy Fine, tells The Times: "I push water."

To match the efforts inside the school, Brown called on the owners of nearby corner stores to stop selling to students in the morning. Frustrated with the lack of compliance, she tells The Times she called on parents to help.

"It's a good thing, what they're trying to do, but I can't control who comes in," Gladys Tejada, who owns the Oxford Food Shop, tells The Times.

Nor can she control what they buy.

"They like it sweet," she tells the newspaper. "They like it cheap."

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]]>junk foodphiladelphiasugary drinksMary Beth SammonsTue, 29 Mar 2011 11:30:00 ESTPicky Eaters? The Sneaky Chef Offers Tips to Get Your Kids to Try Healthy Foodshttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/28/picky-eaters/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/28/picky-eaters/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/28/picky-eaters/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Mac N Cheese muffins from The Sneaky Chef

Mac N Cheese Muffins from The Sneaky Chef. Credit: Photograph (C) Jerry Errico

As The Sneaky Chef, Missy Chase Lapine has spent years perfecting hundreds of recipes for foods kids love -- only sneakily fortified with hidden superfoods such as fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans, wheat germ and more.

The trick is to add the superfoods invisibly. Lapine urges you to try these Sneaky Chef tips to get your picky eaters to eat healthy meals:

  1. 1. Don't plead, beg, threaten or bribe. This will only result in a power struggle. The less you show them that you care about what they are eating, the more likely they are to try the healthy foods you secretly want them to eat.
  2. 2. Shh! Don't tell them it's healthy! Defying some sort of logic, when children know something is good for them, they think it can't possibly taste good, even if it really does.
  3. 3. Hide healthy foods in kids' favorite meals. Puree cauliflower and zucchini and mix them into the cheese sauce for mac 'n' cheese, or puree yams and carrots and mix them into tomato sauce served over pasta.
  4. 4. Borrow smart packaging concepts from the food manufacturers. Let kids make up a funny new name for a vegetable or serve veggies on a skewer, in an ice cream cone or on toothpicks with fun dips. Make eating a new vegetable an adventure by serving a whole artichoke and allowing kids to peel the leaves and scrape the flesh against their teeth. Serve fresh green peas in the shell and let your children pick the sweet peas out of the pod, or cut open a fresh pomegranate and let them pick out each juicy seed. Hint: always serve the new vegetable alone, with no competition from a favorite, less healthy food, and serve it to kids when they are hungriest.

RECIPE: The Sneaky Chef's Mac N Cheese Muffins with Hidden Orange Puree

A handy lunch box alternative for kids who are tired of sandwiches or just won't eat them, The Sneaky Chef mac 'n' cheese formula is tried and true. This version becomes a hand-held meal that can be popped into kids' lunch boxes. No fork is needed -- eat them just like a muffin. (For some reason, children prefer to give up flatware whenever they can, to eat with their hands.) Kids don't mind them cold, so make ahead and freeze, then take them out and put into the fridge the night before.

Makes 8 muffins
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup Orange Puree (see make-ahead recipe below)
  • 2 cups low-fat shredded cheese
  • 2 cups cooked macaroni
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Below are two ways to cook the muffins:

Oven-baked method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with paper liners. Lightly spray liners with oil.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and Orange Puree. Mix in the macaroni and ¾ cup of the cheese. Divide the mixture evenly among the 8 muffin cups. Top each with about 1 tablespoon of cheese and bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until cheese is lightly browned and bubbly on top. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Microwave method: Line 8 microwave-safe ramekins or custard cups with paper muffin liners. Lightly spray liners with oil.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and Orange Puree. Mix in the macaroni and ¾ cup of the cheese. Divide the mixture evenly among the 8 lined ramekins. Top each with about 1 tablespoon of cheese and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

The Sneaky Chef Orange Puree

The following make-ahead recipe blends excellently in pizza, pasta and cheese sauces, bringing a big nutritional boost to meals that usually aren't thought of as health foods.

  • 1 medium sweet potato or yam, peeled and rough chopped
  • 3 medium to large carrots, peeled and sliced into thick chunks
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons water
In a medium pot, cover carrots and potatoes with cold water. Boil 20 minutes until tender. (Thoroughly cook carrots or they'll leave telltale nuggets -- a gigantic no-no for The Sneaky Chef). Drain vegetables. Puree on high in food processor with 2 tablespoons water, until completely smooth. Use the rest of the water to make a smooth puree.

Makes about 2 cups of puree. Store in refrigerator up to 3 days, or freeze in ¼ cup portions in plastic containers.

Missy Chase Lapine is the author of "Sneaky Fitness: Fun, Foolproof Ways to Slip Fitness Into Your Child's Everyday Life."

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]]>eatevergreenmac-n-cheesemealspicky eaterspicky-eatersrecipesuperfoodsJulie Z. RosenbergMon, 28 Mar 2011 17:30:00 ESTSmile While Eating Your Veggies and Your Kids Might Just Eat Their Broccoli, Study Showshttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/24/vegetables-and-kids/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/24/vegetables-and-kids/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/03/24/vegetables-and-kids/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

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vegetables and kids

Want your kids to eat their veggies? Smile next time you chomp on a carrot. Credit: AP


If you want your kids to warm up to kale and carrots and not sneak their veggies under the table to the dog, smile the next time you scarf down a salad.

Mmm, mmm good is what your facial expression should convey if you want your kids to enjoy healthy foods. On the flip side, try wincing at the site of chicken nuggets and french fries to seal the deal, Reuters reports.

French researchers asked 120 adults and children ages 5 to 8 to study photos of people eating and discovered kids paid much closer attention to the facial expressions of people while they ate. Adults, on the other hand, zeroed in on body weight and were less likely to eat a food if an obese person was eating it, according to the news service. The findings were published in the journal Obesity.

Kids' food choices were influenced by their emotions, so, if they saw a happy person eating something, regardless of whether the person was thin or fat, they wanted to taste test it, too. If the person looked "disgusted," it turned the kids off, Reuters reports.

Also, if a child disliked the food, seeing a diner with a pleasant expression made the child more open to that food. But that pleasant face was more effective when the person was thin, rather than obese, leading researchers to believe that kids, too, pay attention to some of the negative stereotypes, but are less influenced by them than adults, according to the news service.

"The children's reactions were unexpected," researcher Sylvie Rousset, of the French National Institute for Agricultural Research, tells Reuters in an email. "To our knowledge, no experiment has shown the influence of 'disgusted' or 'pleasant' faces on children's desire to eat."

The findings suggest parents should put on a happy face when eating healthy foods, Rousset tells the news service, adding that the results should lead researchers to examine more closely the psychological factors involve in eating.

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]]>brocollieating studyhealthy eatingvegetablesvegetables and kidsveggiesMary Beth SammonsThu, 24 Mar 2011 13:30:00 ESTKids Aren't Lovin' the Veggie Trays at Chicago Schoolshttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/02/28/kids-arent-lovin-the-veggie-trays-at-chicago-schools/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/02/28/kids-arent-lovin-the-veggie-trays-at-chicago-schools/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/02/28/kids-arent-lovin-the-veggie-trays-at-chicago-schools/#commentsFiled under: ,

lunch line veggie trays apple slices

Chicago schools are hoping kids will load up on apple slices. Credit: Jim Mone, AP file photo

You can lead a horse to water -- or, in this case, kids to trays of peas and carrots -- but you can't make them eat.

Chicago school administrators, hoping to get students to line up in cafeterias begging for broccoli and Greek yogurt, didn't exactly get the "He likes it!" cheers they were hoping for when they stopped serving nachos and donuts and introduced healthy options for breakfast and lunch.

In fact, the word du jour heard in school dining halls was "nasty," the Chicago Tribune reports.

The proof is in the tofu pudding: Chicago Public School district lunch sales have dropped 5 percent, down 20,000 lunches a day from September through December of 2010, the Tribune reports.

Students tell Tribune reporters they are throwing away their lunches, opting for cookies and slushies from the canteen, or waiting to eat until they get home.

"If they're going to feed us healthy, they need to feed us something good that's healthy," Mijoy Roussell, a sixth-grader at Claremont Academy who was skipping school lunch in favor of a packet of candy, tells the Tribune. "This food is disgusting, which is why I'm not eating lunch."

This year, CPS and its caterer banned Pop-Tarts, donuts and nachos for menus with more whole grain products, vegetables and less sodium, exceeding the U.S. Department of Agriculture meal standards, the newspaper reports.

But it's not just taking the salt away that's keeping kids from embracing healthier foods, Brian Wansink, a professor at Cornell University who specializes in eating behavior, tells the Tribune.

He says abrupt changes to kids' meals often cause a negative reaction, and his Smarter Lunchrooms research project has developed several strategies to help students make better choices through psychology and marketing.

Location, location, location is key, Wansink says in a Cornell press release. When apples were moved in a school lunchroom from a metal bin to an attractive basket lit by an ordinary desk lamp -- and closer to the cash register and away from more tempting, less-healthy chips and other packaged snacks -- their sales jumped 58 percent, he notes.

"The best solution is often the simplest one," Wansink says in the release. "Rather than penalizing a less healthy food choice, we just made the healthier item much more likely to be noticed and chosen."

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]]>chicago schoolsChicagoSchoolslunch standardsLunchStandardsnutritionschool lunchSchoolLunchMary Beth SammonsMon, 28 Feb 2011 13:15:00 EST