Tips for Parents

BY Jessica Fishman Levinson, MS, RD, CDN ON March 21, 2013

Eating regular meals throughout the day is a central tenet of a healthy lifestyle. But what often gets forgotten is the importance of snacking in between meals. Many parents ask me why kid snacks are important if they’re eating three meals a day. The answer is simple: children are growing and need to take in enough calories and nutrients a day to promote proper and healthy growth and development. Young children have small stomachs and can only eat a limited amount of food at once. Not to mention that they tend to get easily bored and distracted, so their attention span may not allow them to... Continue Reading

CATEGORIES: Tips for Parents

Shine Bright with School Breakfast

BY Betsy Hornick MS, RD, LDN ON March 6, 2013

The School Nutrition Association (SNA) wants every student to “Be a Star with School Breakfast.” March 4-8 is National School Breakfast Week –a time to celebrate the many benefits of breakfast and encourage children to try breakfast at school. According to SNA, school meals are intended to help “safeguard the health and well-being of our nation’s children.”healthy breakfast (Photo credit: urbanfoodie33)There’s no doubt that breakfast plays a key role in helping children be their very best because it gets their day started on the right track. Deemed as the most important meal of the day for... Continue Reading

CATEGORIES: Nutrition, School Nutrition, Tips for Parents

Daycare Food Menus: 3 Questions to Ask About and 3 Things Not to Worry About

BY Ann Dunaway Teh, MS, RD, LD ON January 2, 2013

As a working parent and mom, one of the most difficult decisions relate to daycare for my children. For example, there are many variables to consider when finding the "right" daycare program, such as curriculum, facilities, and safety to name just a few. Daycare food is naturally one of my top concerns as well. While some daycares allow parents to bring in their own food, many do not unless there is a medical concern.Turnovers, fruit, muffins, eggs. Juice. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Here are 3 questions to ask your daycare concerning food and 3 things not to worry about:3 Questions to ask your... Continue Reading

CATEGORIES: Nutrition, Tips for Parents

7 Quick Tips for Parents: Keeping Children Well-Fed Over the Holiday Season

BY Rosanne Rust, RD, LD ON December 13, 2012

Children get so excited this time of year. Sometimes their excitement can interfere with healthy eating habits. We often focus on what children are eating, but how they eat is also important. Slipping into bad habits, such as skipping meals, random snacking, drinking more soda, or making less healthy food choices, can sabotage a parent's goal to ensure a healthy diet for their children. Consider these tips to get you through this busy month.English: fresh fruit salad (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Be a role model. As parents, you can make sure that kids get what they need first by modelling good... Continue Reading

CATEGORIES: Holidays, Tips for Parents

Power Up With Quick and Easy Breakfast Ideas

BY Betsy Hornick MS, RD, LDN ON November 13, 2012

A spoon containing breakfast cereal flakes, part of a strawberry, and milk is held in midair against a blue background. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)After a long night’s rest, breakfast helps to power us up for the day ahead. Eating in the morning fuels both the body and the mind. It gives us energy we need to get up and go, and it feeds our brain. In fact, beginning the day without breakfast is like trying to fly a kite without any wind—it’s hard to get started and even harder to keep going.Breakfast is important for both adults and children. Research with children shows a strong link between... Continue Reading

CATEGORIES: Nutrition, Tips for Parents

Lunchroom Learnings: Setting a Healthy Example for Your Kids

BY Betsy Hornick MS, RD, LDN ON October 16, 2012

English: USDA MyPlate nutritional guide icon (Photo credit: Wikipedia)As a parent, do you ever wonder what happens to the sack lunch you send with your child to school—whether it gets eaten, or perhaps traded, or worse yet, tossed in the trash? Or if your kids eat school lunch, you may wonder what exactly are they eating from their lunch tray and is it nutritious? Either way, we have some control knowing that the foods we pack or the foods provided by the school lunch program are nutritious, but we don’t have control over what our kids decide to eat. That’s where one of our most important... Continue Reading

CATEGORIES: School Nutrition, Nutrition, Tips for Parents

What’s Cooking” with National School Lunch Week

BY Jessica Fishman Levinson, MS, RD, CDN ON October 11, 2012

School lunch #1 (Photo credit: Kolya)Next week schools across the country will be celebrating National School Lunch Week. The National School Lunch Program is a federally funded program that provides more than 31 million children with nutritionally balanced lunch every school day. This year’s theme, “School Lunch – What’s Cooking?,” will be celebrated with events and activities that promote the benefits of healthy school lunches. There are so many ways for schools to celebrate this special week, including serving special school-made recipes from the School Nutrition Association like Minnesota... Continue Reading

CATEGORIES: School Nutrition, Tips for Parents, Nutrition, Experts, flavored milk

Combat Childhood Obesity: Child Health Day

BY Jessica Fishman Levinson, MS, RD, CDN ON October 1, 2012

October 1st is the 84th annual celebration of Child Health Day, a national health day that was started back in 1928 by President Coolidge, who proclaimed the following: ,“WHEREAS the protection and development of the health of the children of today are fundamental necessities to the future progress and welfare of the Nation; AND WHEREAS, the conservation and promotion of child health places upon us a grave responsibility; AND WHEREAS, it is appropriate that a day should be set apart each year for the direction of our thoughts towards the health and well-being of our children.”Child Health Day... Continue Reading

CATEGORIES: Experts, Tips for Parents, Nutrition

The Benefits of Family Dinners

BY Rosanne Rust, RD, LD ON September 24, 2012

English: USDA MyPlate nutritional guide icon (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Summertime can be a bit less structured than the rest of the year, so now that the school year is in full swing, it's a great season to revisit the importance of dining together as a family! Our lives often seem so fast-paced and "plugged in" sometimes that it's easy to dismiss the idea of sitting at an old-fashioned dinner table. Research has shown, families who come together for a meal, have a better relationship, communicate more, and raise children who are more successful.Togetherness is important, but so is nutrition.... Continue Reading

CATEGORIES: Experts, Nutrition, Tips for Parents

Registered Dietitian Shares Tips for a Balanced Diet on “The Balancing Act”

BY Therese Pompa ON September 21, 2012

With all of the information in the media about what to eat and what not to eat, it is imperative to understand how to balance your diet and how to consume foods in moderation. Registered dietitian and nutrition counselor Jessica Fishman Levinson, MS, RD, CDN, recently appeared on Lifetime Television’s “The Balancing Act” to help educate us on how we can easily maintain a healthy, well balanced diet.See below to hear what she has to say and visit her blog at http://www.nutritioulicious.com/blog/ to get some more tips.Jessica Fishman Levinson, MS, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and founder... Continue Reading

CATEGORIES: Experts, Tips for Parents

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