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Healthy & Green Lifestyle Series: Childhood Weight, Food and Activity

Jennifer Chait — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:39:40 +0000

This year I’ve been working on a series about healthy food and other food issues, exercise and activity, the pressing childhood obesity epidemic and more.

Image by Flickr User Bruce Tuten

All of the posts in this series relate to healthy kids, with a focus on these main topics:

How to be more involved in what and how your kids are eating.
How to recognize and deal with food and activity problems in your home.
How to deal with any food and exercise issues that may be holding you back as a good parent.

The overall goal of this series is for parents to gain the tools to raise kids who are allowed to and able to make healthy and green choices for a lifetime. Following, I’ve broken this series down into more manageable chunks…

If you like, bookmark this page, as I’ll be updating it as the series continues.

Start Here

Image by Flickr User guy schmidt

Understanding Food & Activity Issues in America

Parents in Denial

Health Consequences of an Overweight or Obese Childhood

Healthy Meal Tools

Affordable Healthy Meals

Healthy Activity Tools

Get Over Your Fear of Kids Being Kids – so they can be more active

Parenting Food Fails + How to Solve Them

Image by Flickr User woodleywonderworks

Legal and Public Issues Surrounding Food and Activity

Extras

Saving Money with Reusable Cloth Diapers

Jennifer Chait — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:29:11 +0000

Here at Growing a Green Family we’re looking at how to save $50,000 by going green. In case you’re curious, so far we’ve managed to save $13,761.00, just by taking some basic green actions. That does leave us $36,239 left to go, but cloth diapers should cut a nice big chunk off of this figure.

Image by Flickr User simplyla

How many disposable diapers will you need?

The average newborn baby can speed through 12 diapers in a single day. Older babies and toddlers use less, but still average around 6 to 10 diaper changes a day. That’s a whopping total of 7,500-8,000 disposable diapers over 2.5 years. However, many babies are in diapers longer. Still, for the purpose of this post, we’ll assume you toilet train one of your children super fast.

How much will all these disposable diapers cost you?

It sort of depends on which diapers you use. This being a green blog, I suggest you use the least toxic disposable diapers possible. I’ll be using Seventh Generation Free and Clear Baby Diapers because they’re probably the most popular less toxic disposable diaper around.

Seventh Generation Free and Clear Baby Diapers

Below are typical diaper prices, if you buy in bulk, along with the sizes you’ll need for various baby ages – although note, the sizes are only average estimates. Some babies run bigger or smaller of course.

Newborn diapers – up to 10 lbs – 25 cent per diaper (1 mos to 1.5 mos) – 12 diapers a day – 540 diapers = $135
Stage 1 diapers – 8-14 lbs – 20 cent per diaper (1.5 mos to 4 mos) – 10 diapers a day – 750 diapers = $150
Stage 2 diapers – 12-18 lbs – 25 cent per diaper (5 mos to 7 mos) – 8 diapers a day – 480 diapers = $120
Stage 3 diapers – 16-28 lbs – 18 cent per diaper (8 mos to 23 mos) – 8 diapers a day – 3,600 diapers = $648
Stage 4 diapers – 22-37 lbs – 32 cent per diaper (2 years+) or Stage 5 diapers – 27+ lbs – 37 cent per diaper (2 years+) depending on your kid – 5 diapers a day – 750 diapers = $255

Total diapers needed – 6,120 for one kid, 12,240 for two kids.

Total cost = $1,308 for one kid, $2,616 for two kids.

You’ll also need some Seventh Generation Chlorine Free Training Pants (55 cent per pant). We’ll assume one of your kids potty trains fast, by age 2.5 and the other not until 4. For the first child you’ll need about 5 months of training pants, along with regular diapers, or about $247 worth of training pants. For the second child, you’ll need about $1,133 worth of training pants. That’s a total of $1,380.

Total diapers + training pants for two kids = 14,749

Total costs for two kids = $3,996

Keep in mind that research shows that the average family, with two kids will go through 16,000 diapers, so there’s a good chance I underestimated price.

How many cloth diapers will you need?

Again it depends on what sort of cloth diaper you use. In this case, I’m going with ease of use, which for me, means you use all-in-one-cloth diapers or a hybrid, which are a little more expensive, but also easier than traditional pre-fold cloth diapers. Some choices include:

Once you choose a brand, you’ll need to choose sizes and amounts. I suggest going with real sizes, not one-size-fits-all, mainly because fit can be iffy. To read more about how to choose the best cloth diapers, I suggest reading Eco-nomical Baby Guide, which has an excellent cloth diaper section, or you can simply read Cloth Diapering Myths to get started.

gBaby Bundle

Overall, say you use gDiapers with reusable inserts. You’ll need about 6-8 little gPants per size (small, medium and large). You can get the gBaby Bundle which comes with 12 tiny gPants, 6 small gPants, 80 gRefills and a swishstick for just $125. Then you’ll also need 8 gDiapers Little gPant Diaper Covers Medium ($136), gDiapers Little gPant Diaper Covers Large ($79) and 3 or so packs of reusable gDiapers Cloth Diaper Inserts ($79). Plus probably an extra 6 or so diapers along the way ($79). Total cost for the gDiaper system = $498.00.

Now, if you go with another brand, like FuzziBunz Perfect Size Diaper, you’ll need about 12 small, 12 medium and 12 large diapers. That’s a total cost of $577.

If you don’t want to work too hard, you could also go with a mega set, such as the GroVia Live Package ($349), which pretty much allows you to cloth diaper your baby for his entire childhood so long as you add 24 extra shells ($196). Charlie Banana is also easy, as they offer quick sets with 6 reusable diapers + 12 reusable inserts. Once you buy all the sets you need, it’ll be about $600.

You won’t need training pants, as larger size cloth diapers double up as both diapers and trainers.

Charlie Banana cloth diapers

Other supplies you’ll need for cloth diapering:

A few wet bags, which hold wet cloth diapers and inserts on the go, such as Itzy Ritzy Zippered Wet Bag – $36 for two.
A bin for wet and icky diapers – same cost as the garbage can you’re using for disposables.
Disposable inserts some of the time (maybe) when out and about or on a trip. $34+ depending on how often you use them.
A book about how to use and care for cloth diapers. Again, I suggest Eco-nomical Baby Guide – $14.
Water for washing and laundry soap. You can use basic, natural laundry soap and cold water. You’ll wash maybe every two days or so. I’m not figuring in this cost because you’ll also spend money on gas to go and get disposables, plus extra garbage fees to toss those disposables, so I’m guessing it all evens out.

Total diapers needed for cloth diapering – about 36, although most people collect a few more. Plus you’ll need reusable inserts – about 24 to 30. If you use disposable inserts, you’ll need more and it’ll cost more, but I suggest reusable inserts on most occasions.

Total cost of cloth diapers – it varies depending on brand, but on average about $556 plus supplies = $636.

Note that this is a high estimate in my opinion. You can easily pick up gently used all-in-ones at your local thrift store or baby consignment shop. Seriously, we’re talking $1 to $2 diapers, which would bring your costs down considerably. You can also register for cloth diapers for your baby shower.

Plus, don’t forget, cloth diapers will last through both kids. Assuming you need to replace some diapers and inserts, which you will, your total cloth diaper costs should only be around $700-$800 if you splurge and $120 – $300 if you really shop around at consignment stores. If you use basic pre-fold diapers, you’ll save too.

Here are some more cost comparisons of cloth diapers – what real parents spend, cost of cloth diapers and cost savings of cloth diapers.

Comparing costs

Overall, if you have two children, you’ll spend $3,996+ on disposable diapers. If you go with cloth you’ll spend about $300 to $636 for both kids that’s a savings of $3,360 for two kids. Even if you totally go nuts and splurge on all sorts of adorable reusable cloth diapers, plus buy brand new for both kids you’ll still save around $2,724.

Image by Flickr User IngaMun

PLUS…

Beyond cost benefits you’ll be helping the planet. Most research suggest that 250 to 500 years is a conservative guess as to how long disposable diapers will sit in the landfill after you toss them and most conventional disposable diapers are 100% gross. They’re stuffed with icky SAP, pesticides, perfume, latex, chemicals and plastic (made with non-renewable oil) and other junk.

Where we’re at right now…

Save $3,360 by using cloth diapers
Save $835 per kid by using to reusable baby wipes
Save $1,612 by using homemade green cleaners
Save $2,960 by having a less consumer Christmas
Save $1,000 by ditching paper towels
Save $1,354 by using cloth napkins
Save $6,000 by switching to reusable water bottles

TOTAL SAVINGS SO FAR: $17,121.00

$ left to save: $32,879

Quick Green Tip: Non-toxic Winter Sunscreen

Jennifer Chait — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:06:31 +0000

I know, it’s cold and wet and the last thing you’re thinking about is sunshine and summer-minded stuff like sunscreen. Still, did you know that sunscreen is a year-round issue? It’s true.

During the winter you are far less likely to get an actual sunburn, because the sun sits at a different angle. That said, the sun is still present as are radiating ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet exposure does occur even during the winter months and even when it’s cloudy. When you cut your exposure to these rays you in turn cut your risks for developing skin cancer.

Be sure to apply a safe non-toxic sunscreen to the most exposed areas of your body and your child’s body each day. Usually in winter this means the neck, face and ears.

Image by shuallyo via sxc.

10 Basic Principles for Greener and Healthier Family Meals

Jennifer Chait — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:50:21 +0000

We’ve been discussing healthy food and lifestyle choices this year and now it’s time to put some of this knowledge into action. If you need (or want) to make your meals greener and healthier for the long haul, here are some easy ways your entire family can make it happen.

Image by Flickr User eyeliam

1. Know your strengths and weaknesses

Sit down and make a list of your family’s general food and meal strengths, weaknesses and wishes. It doesn’t have to be a long list. Focus on the biggies. For example, my list would say “I have a picky eater in the house (my son), but he does eat veggies like a champ. I’m a good baker but not so great when it comes to cooking. Plus, I hate grocery shopping and want to cook stuff that’s fast, but still healthy.”

What I might gather from this list is that I need to plan fast meals, do all my shopping once a week, not every night and I should probably look into a good cookbook or two so I can become a better cook. Oh, and I need to consider meals that my overly picky son will like. This list isn’t meant to be major goals you have to work on. The list is just there to get you thinking about food and how it affects your household. For instance, if you tend to cook in the microwave only, and aren’t willing to budge, it’s fine to try and plan healthy meals that can go in the microwave.

In general, a basic list like this means you acknowledge and maybe even embrace your food strengths and weaknesses, so that your attempts to remake your meals is with you, not against you.

Basic healthy actions you should take as a parent

2. Get some quick portion-size education

If you suspect that portion sizes are out of control at your house, it’ll require a bit of education. See the following for some basic food portion primers:

Next, if you don’t have any, get some basic measuring cups and keep them handy. Until you can eyeball proper portions, measuring cups are some of the best friends you can have and may mean the difference between a proper 120 calorie bowl of cereal and a 300 calorie bowl. Use those measuring cups to measure out serving sizes that are recommended in the links above. One more tip – use smaller dishes, as it will help you naturally serve up smaller, more appropriate sizes.

Image by Dor Sela

3. Get lovable with veggies and fruits

In many households, families focus on the main dish the most, which, in America, tends to be some sort of meat or often pasta. Paying more attention to how you cook and serve vegetables and fruits, means your family is more likely to eat them up. If you’re not sure how much love to give veggies and fruits, consider that experts say at least half your plate at meals should be made up of veggies and fruits. I’d say that’s a decent amount of love required.

To improve veggies and fruits, serve the freshest produce you can or on busy days go with frozen, not canned (ick). Frozen are best after fresh and have just as many nutrients. Steam, don’t boil. You can even serve raw veggies, which is super fast – plain or with a low-fat dip. Lastly get a great veggie cookbook and see what looks awesome – in fact, put kids in charge of choosing the veggies and fruits and if necessary cooking them. My son always eats his own cooking more than mine. Oh, and don’t forget, you can serve fruit as dessert.

4. Go organic

You might think I’m nuts to say, “Hey remake your meals” AND “Go organic too!” Doesn’t that sound like a lot of work?

Here’s the catch, going organic can help you eat healthier naturally. Organic food tends to be more expensive, thus requiring you to think about each purchase. Really thinking about the food you buy is a key step to healthier eating. Plus, with organic food costing what it does, you’ll be more inclined to spend the money you have on whole, fresh foods rather than junk.

As you go organic, work on discussing organics with the kids too. This is a great way to work green eating conversations into your family’s life.

One healthy organic meal that’s under $2 per person

5. Eat less meat

Eating less meat lowers your carbon footprint and in many cases is healthier, allowing you to cut fat and calories easily. Going meatless more often isn’t as painful as you might think and bonus, you’ll save tons of money. Meat is expensive! Start with meatless Monday and work up to more meatless meals from there.

6. Institute recipe hour

Once a week, sit down with the family and look through cookbooks, cooking magazines, the web, what have you, and make a semi-solid list of healthy meals and recipes you’d like to try during the week. Do this before you go grocery shopping. If you already have a stocked pantry, head to All Recipes and do an ingredient search, which can show you various ideas for what you have on hand.

Knowing ahead of time what you’ll be eating during the week can cut down on your mealtime stress level, save you money and stops you from eating fast food or junk just because it’s quicker.

Image by BlueOrange Studio

7. Shop less

Daily shopping for groceries encourages impulse buys, overspending and can make you so insane that you buy the first quick (and maybe not healthy) thing you see. I personally HATE shopping, even grocery shopping, so I make it a goal to go only on big shopping trips twice a month, where I stock up on dry goods and such, plus once a week to restock stuff like fresh veggies. Four shopping trips a month is a heck of a lot better than daily trips to the store.

Also this requires I plan healthy meals in advance, to a point. I’m not crazed about it, but we do plan a general menu for the week.

8. Cook together

Some kids really like to help out in the kitchen, and others don’t, but no matter what, your child should be involved, at least somewhat in meal planning, prep and cooking. Even little kids can shred spinach or lettuce, mix batter or scrub potatoes. With all kids, this gives you a chance to talk about why you cook how you do – i.e. why olive oil is a better choice than butter or how come you’re steaming, not boiling veggies.

Cooking is a skill your child will need as an adult, so it’s smart to start getting your child involved early. My own son isn’t that into cooking. I still keep him involved though. He helps to plan meals, sets the table or I’ll have him sit and talk to me while I cook. Once in a while he’ll even brave his way into the kitchen and cook something.

Image by Flickr User tiarescott

9. Eat together at the table

Research shows that eating together, as a family not only makes for more well adjusted kids but encourages healthy eating habits. Kids get enough screen time as it is, they don’t need to watch TV while eating. Plus screen time mixed with eating means you’re less likely to pay attention to normal hunger cues, meaning you may keep eating once you’re full.

Eating at the table helps you pay better attention to your child’s eating habits too. Such as you’ll notice if he’s loading up on unhealthy food toppings, taking three servings or skipping his veggies nightly. In turn, this gives you a chance to discuss healthy eating habits, along with the not so healthy ones. Eating at the table is also fun. If you’re not sure how to talk to your kids, start with high-low. We do it every night. Everyone says the best part and worst part of their day, which usually results in more conversation.

On top of eating together, ban phones, books, electronics and other distractions at mealtime.

10. Be honest about food issues

The biggest focus of my childhood obesity and healthy living series is that families need to talk. Without open and honest conversations about food, calories, weight and so on, kids will never learn to make healthy choices.

As noted before, talking about food is very hard for many parents, with most parents claiming it’s easier to discuss drugs and sex than food with a child. If you’ve got issues with food topics, get over it. You need to use mealtime to set a good example. If your child is loading up on 1,000 calories of tarter sauce, and you just ignore it, or sit and say, “That’s okay” you’re not helping your child. You need to speak up when you see unhealthy habits. Not in a mean way, but in a, “There’s a healthier way to eat” way.

Encourage even picky eaters to try a little of everything. Talk about foods your child likes and doesn’t. Mention why you made the healthier low-calorie fish over the fatty hamburger. These are issues kids can handle, and they should be allowed to handle them too, so they can grow up and make healthy choices for a lifetime.

Common pitfalls parents fall into with kids and food

How to cut screen time and get your kids outside

Jennifer Chait — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:31:18 +0000

I recently wrote, 50 things I did outside as a kid that didn’t kill me, a post that got me thinking about how come I did all this cool stuff outside, but kids today don’t. I think it’s due to two major issues – screens and parent comfort with the outside world.

Photo © Flickr user N8tr0n

Kids are glued, almost literally, to screens nowadays from television to computers to Kindle to cell phones and other screens. Research backs this up and also shows that screen addiction results in some health and social consequences.

Anyhow, I’ve been pondering the situation and I’ve tried to come up with some ideas that will get your kids outside and active vs. constantly sedentary. Later I’ll be posting a challenge about this, since screen time and activity is something we need to work on in my own house. But first, some tips…

Photo © Flickr user KellBailey

Admit that the world is safe to explore

As I noted in that 50 things I did outside as a kid that didn’t kill me post, many parents are scared about letting their kids roam outside on their own. As a kid, I wandered around all the time on my own, as did my peers, and statistically, there was more crime in the 70s and early 80s than now. We survived.

I think about what life would have been like had my mom (or some other adult) shadowed my every movement as a kid and the first thing that pops into my mind is yikes! What a downer. Life would have been considerably less fun had I never gotten any free kid time. I imagine that kids today maybe don’t mind as much, because they’re not used to exploring on their own. Still, I bet many would give their teeth to be allowed some awesome wandering time outside or at a mall or in a big city.

Admit to yourself and your kids that there are bad people and bad times, but for the most part, people are okay. Bad things don’t always happen. Life should be an adventure. If you’re brave enough to accept that being outside is safe and fun, maybe your kids will too.

For help coming to terms with the fact that the world is mostly safe, read the following:

Is it safe to let your kids play outside alone?

Jennifer Chait — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:15:05 +0000

As I noted in that 50 things I did outside as a kid that didn’t kill me post, plenty of parents today are too scared to allow their kids any freedom when it comes to outside play. In fact, the Kids Fighting Chance website notes that a recent study of parents’ worries by pediatricians at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, showed that nearly 3/4 of parents said they feared their children might be abducted and 1/3 of parents said this was a frequent worry, greater than that held for any other concern, including car accidents, sports injuries or drug addiction.

Do you let your five-year-old go to the park alone?

As a parent, you need to get the facts and pass them on to your kids, because it’s not just parents who are scared of this world, but kids too. You don’t need to dwell on and relate the super scary facts you see on cop shows and the news, but the real hard core facts about safety in today’s world.

But kids are kidnapped!

This is true. Some kids are victims of horrid crimes. But very few.

The U.S. Justice Department released a huge report on U.S. child abduction (pdf) in 1999, and noted that during their study year, there were an estimated 115 stereotypical kidnappings, i.e. what we’d call stranger kidnappings. In 40% of such kidnappings the child was killed. In another 4% the child was never recovered. That leaves 56% of kids recovered, meaning, about 50 children are kidnapped never to be seen alive again. Teens, not young children were most frequently abducted.

Of course, those statistics are from 1999. Are more kids being kidnapped now? Some news reports state crazy stuff like 800,000 children disappear every year, but dig deeper into statistics and you’ll find that still very few (still only about 115) kids fall into that stranger-danger kidnapping category. Most child-minded organizations admit readily that cases of stranger-based kidnappings are extremely rare.

Obviously, even one child kidnapped is terrible. Plus, as Free Range Kids points out, it doesn’t much matter that just 50 kids are kidnapped, never to be returned each year, the bigger concern is that most parents think along the lines of, “My kid could be one of those 50.”

However, if you’re so worried about stranger danger that you keep your kids near you and inside at all times, you’d also better be aware of all the other dangers out there in the world.

Your child is more likely to be the victim of…

Fact: Your child is far more likely to be killed by a car crash, a pool, a parent-caused birth defect or your own home than kidnapped and killed by a raving maniac while playing outside.

Injuries suffered in a motor vehicle traffic crashes, not murder, is the leading cause of death among children in the United States. In fact, the CDC states that each day eight teens die in a crash. U.S. National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) statistics show that every single day in the United States, an average of 4 children age 14 and younger are killed and 529 are injured in motor vehicle crashes.

Deaths from fires and burns are the fifth most common cause of unintentional injury deaths in the United States (CDC 2006) and the third leading cause of fatal home injury (Runyan 2004). Four out of five U.S. fire deaths occur in homes, not outside, and kids are in a high risk group.

The CPSC estimates that about 300 children under the age of 5 years drown each year in home swimming pools. Additionally, CPSC points out that almost all child victims “Were being supervised by one or both parents when the swimming pool accident occurred.“

Radon gas affects 8 million homes a year and kills 20,000 in the USA alone annually.

The CDC notes that currently about 1 in 8 pregnant women in the United States reports alcohol use and because of that the March of Dimes notes that up to 40,000 babies are born with FASDs annually.

American Association of Poison Control Centers notes that 1.25 million kids younger than six years of age are unintentionally poisoned in the home each year by common household products.

Last year, a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found more than 1.7 million children live in homes with loaded and unlocked guns and it’s also been reported that there are about 500 child deaths per year due to accidental gun shootings.

According to The Consumer Products and Safety Commission reports over 230,000 toy-related injuries are treated at U.S. emergency rooms annually.

Year after year unintentional injury is the leading cause of death among children in the U.S. NOT kidnapping.

If you’re really hell-bent on protecting your child, then seriously, don’t ever take your child out in your car. Don’t take him to a swimming pool. Don’t give him toys. Don’t allow him to be inside too long, because he might die in a house fire or eat poison.

What happens when kids aren’t allowed outside freedom

Kids miss out on basic rights, such as forming fun childhood memories and making mistakes.
Kids don’t learn how to be brave.
Kids face health consequences such as obesity and other illnesses.
Kids loose out on all the major benefits of free play.
Kids can’t figure out how to entertain themselves or figure out what to do when a screen isn’t available.
Kids miss out on “nature buffers” which have been shown to protect children against the effect of stressful life events.

If you really can’t drop the kidnapping issue, consider that research shows that street-smart kids are less likely to be abducted. Kids cannot, no matter what you think, develop street smarts while sitting safely inside.

Sure, teach your kids basic safety rules. Wear a helmet. Look before crossing the street. Don’t go places with people you don’t know. However, don’t teach your kids that the world will kill them if they step into it. That’s not only a lie but it’s created a society of kids who don’t value outside fun and who have no clue what to do with themselves when they’re on their own.

It is safe and beneficial for your child to play outside alone.

If you’re looking for a good video about “strangers” check out The Safe Side. It encourages safety but not fear and discusses “People we know well” and “People we don’t” vs. “Terrifying strangers.” I thought this video was great and especially liked that it encourages kids to be smart and safe, but not freaked out. If you can’t chill out, read Free-Range Kids, How to Raise Safe, Self-Reliant Children (Without Going Nuts with Worry) – it’ll help I promise.

Healthy Kid Meal Fail – Excess Toppings and Sauces

Jennifer Chait — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:00:15 +0000

If you’re trying to cook healthier and serve your kids the correct food portions, something to watch out for are toppings, sauces and other add-ons.

Excessive toppings and sauces can turn an average healthy meal into a nightmare meal.

In many cases, parents allow their kids to dish up their own sauces and toppings, without discussing health cons, thus, kids are getting way more calories in a day then they should.

Cream cheese on a bagel can add up the calories quickly. Try a lighter spread then top it off with fruit.

5 average kid meal ruined by toppings

MEAL 1: 2 average pieces of fish, scoop of long grain rice, steamed mixed veggies and apple and orange slices = 434 calories

+ A normal size serving of tarter sauce (which is considered 2 tablespoons) = 544 calories
+ 9 servings of tarter sauce = 1,424 calories

MEAL 2: 1 bean burrito (with beans, 1/3 cup of 2% cheese, tortilla), 1/2 cup of peas, fruit on the side = 482 calories

+ 1/4 cup sour cream = 601 calories
+ 1/2 cup of sour cream = 720 calories

MEAL 3: 2 slices of cheese pizza, big bowl of veggie salad plus ranch (1 tablespoon) and fruit 390 = 469 calories

+ 6 tablespoons of ranch = 907 calories

MEAL 4: 1/2 breast of baked chicken, 1/2 cup broccoli, normal sized cornmeal muffin and fruit = 465 calories

+ 1/2 cup of processed cheese sauce on the broccoli = 865 calories

MEAL 5: Small baked potato with tablespoon butter, 1 piece of white fish, cup of steamed veggies and fruit = 451 calories

+ 2 more servings of butter, 1/4 cup sour cream, 3 servings of tarter sauce = 1,104 calories

You may as well serve fast food

The average child or teen in the United States needs about 1,600 to 2,000 calories per day. None of the meals above that include massive additions of toppings, fits into a healthy kid calorie range, unless you’re seriously skimping on breakfast, lunch and snacks (which you shouldn’t).

In almost of these situations, you’d be better off calorie-wise, simply buying your kid a Happy Meal (860 calories). Plus, while it’s not more expensive to eat healthy in general, in the case of the meals above, fish and organic chicken can be expensive unless you find a killer sale. So money wise, you’d also be better off with the cheap Happy Meal.

Beyond calories, another problem with the toppings above – tarter sauce, sour cream, ranch, cheese sauce and so on, is that these toppings get almost 100% of their calories from fat. Basically, you’re just advocating for pure fat when you allow your kid to eat this way.

What to do?

You’ve got a few choices here. It’ll really depend on how you’ve raised your child thus far.

Use fruit, not sugar to top off cereal - Image by blackcat79 via sxc.

Situation one – you’re raising a healthy eater from birth

Role model healthy topping portion sizes for your child when he’s young. No one is saying that you should cut toppings entirely. However, there’s a healthy way to eat them and an unhealthy way to eat them. With young children, it’s best to place the toppings on their food for them, so they can get an idea of what’s healthy and what’s not.

Do not add needless toppings, such as sugar to cereal or fruit ever. Kids should be able to eat a basic food like cereal or fruit without an added sweetener.

Also, before you even add toppings, make sure it’s necessary. Not all foods need toppings. If you raise your child on burritos that are sour-cream-free, and potatoes with light butter or no butter at all, you may be surprised that he’ll simply eat his food without a topping. Kids develop tastes for fatty toppings, they’re not born with a taste for them.

Two – you’ve got an older child or teen who has been raised with toppings galore

Here you’ve got two choices. You can get rid of toppings entirely. I.e don’t keep tarter sauce in your house. I actually hate this plan because kids, once grown will run into toppings and they should know how to use them properly. It’s lame to pretend toppings don’t exist. Secondly it’s not fair to people in the household who use toppings correctly. Banning food, is not, in my opinion, ever a realistic or useful plan.

A better choice is to start changing everyone’s habits. When you serve foods that kids are used to eating with toppings, don’t add the topping right away, see if your child will eat the food without. If your child asks for a topping, say ranch, serve him up a proper amount and serve yourself one too, saying, “This is how much a real serving of salad dressing is.” It’s up to you if you discuss calories or not and fat or not – some kids can handle this conversation in little bits, some can’t. If your child gets defensive saying you didn’t give him enough, point out that the ENTIRE family is attempting to eat healthier and you’d like everyone involved.

Some research says you shouldn’t police food, especially if you’ve allowed your child to eat whatever he wants so far in life. However, I’m not sure what I think about this. Sure, it’s frustrating and hard to have to change habits now, but in my opinion, it’s better to change habits now than to have your child’s belly fat get out of control or have your kid develop diabetes. I guess it’s up to you.

Little things you can do

Buy alternative toppings. Salsa, for example, is a healthier topping than sour cream. Lemon plus a little sugar in ice tea is better than a ton of sugar alone. Italian dressing can be a better salad dressing choice than ranch. BBQ sauce is low fat, low calorie and works well with many foods.

Don’t dress up foods just because. Adding cheese to veggies or even butter should be considered a very once in a while event vs. an every evening sort of deal.

Spice and sweeten up foods with herbs, spices and fruit, not toppings.

Learn to be a better cook. Often I’ve seen people add toppings to make food taste better. If you cook well in the first place, toppings become less necessary.

Role model, role model, role model – there’s no way to emphasize this enough. If you load on toppings it’s totally unfair and confusing for a kid if you limit their toppings.

Don’t keep toppings on the table, such as butter, dressing or sugar.

Plan meals that don’t need toppings, or plan meals that need less calorie-dense toppings.

Use less toppings slowly. For example, if your child insists on 9 tablespoons of tarter sauce, suggest they add just six. The next time you serve fish, bring it down more, to maybe three tablespoons. Eventually, hopefully, they’ll develop a taste for the food you’re serving vs. the topping.

Lead image via Flickr User ozmafan

Encourage healthy lifestyle habits with the bare minimum

Jennifer Chait — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 20:00:04 +0000

As a parent, your child’s health is your responsibility. As such, it’s your job to encourage healthy eating and lifestyle habits. Of course, you can do a lot of good in this area, but at the very least try to make sure you do the following…

Know your child’s weight

If you can’t tell me your child’s weight or BMI right now, then you have no idea where your child stands health-wise. While food issues aren’t all about the scale, those numbers do matter. I’m not talking about making wild guesses in the ballpark either. And, yes, I mean you should know your kid’s weight from babyhood through the teens years.

Talk about food and related health issues

Food portions, healthy vs. less healthy choices, calories and all the other food issues you can imagine shouldn’t be taboo. Your child has a right to know about food issues and it’s your responsibility to discuss said issues with him, ongoing, the entire time he lives in your home.

As I’ve noted before, weight is one aspect of health, but issues related to excessive weight aren’t all you should be discussing with your child. Your child needs to understand that thin, of course, doesn’t mean healthy. Many people who are at a healthy weight still make poor food choices or don’t get enough exercise. Your child should know that it’s not healthy to sit inactive all day long. Your child also needs to realizes that exercise without portion control also isn’t as useful and no matter how healthy your food is, when it’s eaten in excess, that food becomes less healthy. Obviously, exercise and being active, hold many other benefits far beyond maintaining a healthy weight as well. You have to deliver the whole conversation package to your child. Not simply bits and pieces.

You need to let your child know that weight, calories, exercise, food choices and so on, all combine to create a healthy lifestyle. Don’t just assume your child knows about healthy food because she exercises or knows about exercise because she’s thin. No matter if your child is overweight, skinny or right on target – food and health issues need to be discussed.

Serve three meals a day and snacks

I know parents who leave kids to fend for themselves food-wise, but you shouldn’t. Even if you talk about food, young kids still need help figuring out meals. I know teens and even younger kids who skip both breakfast and lunch daily, making up the difference with chips and other less healthy food, simply because no one is there encouraging them to eat.

I get that not all parents can be around their child for all three meals. I’m not around my own child all day either – Cedar eats lunch at school and stays at his dad’s on some weekends. However, I do send Cedar to school with a healthy lunch I know he’ll eat and I make sure I know what he’s eating at his dad’s house. At times when everything is nuts, or I have an appointment, I make sure to leave a healthy meal ready for him.

Be your child’s food advocate

In a world of school lunches and separated or divorced families, it’s hard to always stay on top of what your child is eating. Guess what though, that’s your job as a parent. If your child splits his time between two households, and the other parent feeds him high calorie fast food, huge portions, or doesn’t encourage exercise, it’s your job to advocate for your child. Even if what you say doesn’t seem to affect the other parent’s choices at first, keep talking about it. Your child’s health, even when he’s not with you, is your concern.

With this in mind, you should also be aware of what your child is eating at school. Find out what schools are serving and if you don’t like it, send a packed lunch.

Address denial

One of the biggest hurdles parents have is denial about their child’s weight. If your child is overweight or too skinny or never exercises you do need to address it, not ignore it. I’ve met kids who are larger than their own parents are, kids with huge amounts of belly fat and even kids where someone else has said, “They weigh too much” such as a doctor, yet the parents just keep on saying, “My kids are just fine… they’re in no way overweight.” That’s denial.

Parents of underweight children or kids who never exercise may have some of the same denial issues. And while denial may be easier for everyone, it’s not healthy for your child.

Deal with your own food issues

Some parents allow their own food issues to affect their kids. If you have your own food issues, deal with them, or at the very least, don’t push them on your child. I was raised in a home where weight mattered more than food choices or exercise. I know it affected me and I had to work hard to deal with it so that I wouldn’t push my past problems onto my son.

I talk about food with my son, but I try to make it clear that food issues involve a wide range of topics, from food choices to activity to portions and so on. I don’t make it all about weight, how my mom did for me. If you’re upset by past food issues, it can affect your parenting, so addressing these issues is important.

50 things I did outside as a kid that didn’t kill me

Jennifer Chait — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:57:31 +0000

Kids are pretty darn sheltered these days. On Facebook I once posed the question to some parents, “At what age is it safe to let kids play alone outside?” The answers I got freaked me out. Parents posted stuff like, “14, 18 years of age” or “Never.” Very few parents said they allowed their kids outside time without a parent at all, at any age. Even fewer parents said they allowed kids under the age of 12 alone time outside.

Do you let your five-year-old go the park alone?

It’s shocking. Not only do kids get almost no time outside they seem to get literally no time away from their parents. In fact, research shows that just 6% of kids ages 9-13 play outside alone. This is almost cruel in my opinion. Kids need nature. Kids need to be outside. Kids need to explore. Kids really, really need free play sans adults.

In some cases parents halt free play in favor of academics. In other cases parents halt free play because it’s easier to say yes to video games and TV. In a majority of cases though, I’ve seen parents halt free play because they’re scared to let their kids out of their sight. It’s a disservice to kids to be so scared of the world that outside play becomes a hazard. The world isn’t perfectly safe, but it’s not a big fat danger either. Not if you talk to your kids about basic safety rules.

My mom was far from perfect. However, she did give me outdoor freedom. She told me about stranger danger and advised me to look both ways before crossing a street. She liked when I was playing with friends, but also understood that sometimes I needed alone time. Because my mom was good in this respect I had a childhood full of normal healthy outdoor risks and adventures.

In fact, here are 50 things I did as a kid, before the age of 16 (WITHOUT an adult present) that didn’t get me killed, kidnapped or otherwise scarred for life…

Planned to build a clubhouse and sort of followed through using nails and (gasp) hammers.
Play acted movies out with my friends.
Kissed a neighbor boy.
Ran in the rain without a coat.
Climbed a million trees.
Walked 20 blocks to a corner store for soda and candy.
Rode my bike on very busy streets all over town.
Built stuff out of rocks, mud and other nature items.
Swam at my neighborhood pool without parents present – before 12 with a lifeguard, after 12 no lifeguard.
Jumped out of trees from way up high.
Biked without a helmet – not just in my neighborhood either. I used to sneak out and ride on the rural highway.
Tied a bunch of bikes and wagons together to make a parade.
Climbed on my friend’s roof (second story).
Played street football and baseball.
Jumped on a trampoline.
Sat in my friend’s hot tub sans adults.
Picked up stray cats.
Did cartwheels off a pool diving board.
Jumped off a pool diving board while sitting in a patio chair.
Got inside a pillowcase or old box and went stair sledding.
Played hide and seek at night.
Walked around a big city, shopping, looking, etc. with young friends.
Explored my neighborhood and other places.
Jumped in the rain and in puddles.
Went hiking, got lost. Got found.
Dangled into a sewer to get my Barbie doll who fell in.
Played monster – a tag game where the “IT” kid had to hit other kids with a plastic bat.
Rolled around in pink insulation in the outdoor playhouse my friend’s dad was building.
Did somersaults on concrete.
Rode tire swings with way too many friends.
Stayed outside too long in snowy weather.
Stayed outside too long in hot weather – didn’t drink water.
Went downtown on the bus to go to a music concert.
Cooked over a campfire.
Went to visit neighbor friends, starting at the age of four, who lived houses and houses away.
Climbed rocks.
Threw rocks and had some thrown at me.
Ran off alone at city parks, sometimes with friends, sometimes not.
Ran near the ocean.
Rode horses.
Got in fights and roughed it up with other kids.
Went swimming in rivers and lakes.
Picked and ate berries off of neighborhood bushes.
Played on splintery old playground equipment.
Slept outside with other kids, no adults. Suburban camping!
Slipped on a Slip & Slide.
Rode public transportation alone, no parents. Often at night.
Went on long night walks.
Had snowball fights.
Walked to and from school alone – I lived about 10 blocks away.

Do I recommend your kid jump into a pool while sitting on a patio chair, throw rocks or dangle into sewers? No, these are stupid things to do. I could have been really, seriously hurt. Yet, I wasn’t.

Keep in mind:

I didn’t always live in safe neighborhoods as a kid. Sometimes we lived in pretty sketchy areas. I never, not once in my childhood, required doctor’s care due to an accident from playing outside. I’ve never had a broken bone, or even stitches. Even so, if I had experienced accidents, I’d still be glad I had all that outdoor time. Kids need to make mistakes and sometimes fall down. That’s life.

The new depressing version of childhood

It’s incredibly depressing to me to think about all the kids in this generation who will look back on their childhood as a time when they sat and sat and sat, safe and secure in front of computers and the TV. These are kids who won’t get the chance to learn how to be alone or how to be free to explore their world. Plus, a sedentary childhood can lead to all kinds of health and mental problems. It’s very depressing.

If you’re having trouble wrapping your head around this issue, I highly suggest you read Free-Range Kids, How to Raise Safe, Self-Reliant Children (Without Going Nuts with Worry). This is one of my favorite books and can really help if you’re too worried to let your child be an explorer.

What did you do as a kid that didn’t kill you? What are you allowing your kid to do now, alone, outside that also won’t likely kill him? Share in the comments.

Confessions of a chubster – a fresh first-hand take on weight issues in America

Jennifer Chait — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 23:44:20 +0000

In case you missed it, my big goal series this year is “A healthy 2012 means childhood obesity in America shouldn’t be taboo.” I’m serious about this issue. Weight, exercise, calories and getting healthy as it relates to kids shouldn’t be taboo. At all. Still, seeing as how all of these same issues are, as of yet, fairly taboo for adults, it’s no surprise that when you bring kids into it, well, you face some major opposition.

People are hyper sensitive about their kids. “Not my kid” is more popular and more PC than, “Yes, my kid is overweight, and at risk for some serious health issues. I should hop into action.” Consider though that kids won’t stay kids forever. Kids do become adults, and your influence on said kid, can be as healthy or as non-healthy as you choose to make it. Also consider that it’s MUCH easier to build healthy habits now, rather than later. Lastly consider that later on, any smart kid who becomes a smart adult will realize they could have had healthy habits earlier on, had someone (and by someone I mean their parent) seen fit to fill them in on the basics about calories, weight and exercise.

Martin Cizmar is a good example of one such adult. No clue if he was an overweight kid, but according to Cizmar, “Americans are disgustingly fat. I’m allowed to say so because not long ago, I was disgustingly fat.” Cizmar used to weigh around 300 pounds, but was fairly happy anyhow, noting, “I enjoyed massive portions of rich, delicious foods and took great pleasure in passively watching the shiny flat-screen TV in front of my leather couch. It was not such a terrible life.”

That all changed when Cizmar fell in love with a nurse who gave him the 411 about the health risks he was slowly accumulating due to his lifestyle choices. Long story short, Cizmar lost 110 or so pounds, then wrote a book about the experience, Chubster: A Hipster’s Guide to Losing Weight While Staying Cool. I haven’t read the book yet, but Cizmar’s piece in a recent Willamette Week, Confessions of a Chubster: The moral crusade against fatties, is an awesome read, especially if you’re a parent who may be in denial about your child’s weight.

Cizmar’s writing is remarkably straightforward in a world that refuses to discuss weight (beyond magical diet plans). He notes:

“Being fat is a choice. Genetics plays a role, sure. So does your upbringing. But you do not get fat unless you’re eating more than you need to nourish your body. That’s basic science. There are no excuses, no matter what someone from the so-called Fat Acceptance Movement wants to claim.”

Although worth a full read, the best part of the article is his ending:

“For the fat, that starts by admitting your weight is a byproduct of your choices. Then it’s a matter of recognizing those choices are unsustainable. I realized if I didn’t change my life, I was going to die—but not before burdening the people I loved and our hospitals, and not before missing out on the life I could have been living.

Too many diet pitches start with the premise that being fat is terrible. It isn’t, really. In contemporary American society, it’s perfectly possible to live a happy life as a big, fat slob. It’s also disgusting—not aesthetically, but morally—and don’t blame anyone for saying so. There is life behind the flatscreen. Get off the couch and start living it.”

I like that Cizmar doesn’t candy coat the issue. He was fat. He ate too much and sat around. He changed his habits. Now he weighs less, he’s active and, from how it sounds, he’s still perfectly happy.

Cizmar changed his habits as an adult though, something that many adults can’t manage or aren’t comfortable managing. He also seemed to have help. It was just his good luck that he fell for a nurse. What if you raise your child to think that massive portions are okay? That excess screen time is healthier than moving? That weight, calories and healthy choices aren’t something kids need to be bothered with?

Then, what if, later on, your child doesn’t fall for someone who can change their mind? What if your child can’t turn their health and lifestyle choices around? Then weight becomes their problem for sure. As an adult, your kid can’t blame others for their choices anymore, so as the parent, you’re off the hook. In theory anyhow.

Yet, wouldn’t you feel better as a parent, if you took the risk and said something now. What if you discussed weight and calories and exercise with your child? Would the world end? Would all the PC people rain down fire on you? Would offering your child the tools he needs to live a healthy life really hurt you so much?

If you’re pondering the above issues, I highly suggest you read Confessions of a Chubster: The moral crusade against fatties. It’s great to read the words of someone who has been there as an adult, yet did change his habits, all while being smart enough to not blame Happy Meals for his choices. He took responsibility and is speaking out against those who do make weight and calories a taboo topic, something we all need to do for our kids.