Eating Healthy On The Go!

The Reason this Blog Exists!

Since becoming a Chiropractor I have been asked many questions about various aspects of a person’s health from my family, friends, and patients. The purpose of this blog is to answer these questions in a format that they can share with their friends and family. The reason I got into the health field was to help as many people as possible and this blog is just another way I can do that in my community.

Eating Healthy on the Go!

We all know that what we eat is an important aspect of keeping our families healthy, but between dance lessons, baseball, school, work, etc it is hard to find the time. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 48 percent of the money spent on food in this country are meals eaten away from the home. This months blog is all about finding ways to keep you on the go, fueled with the right nutrients, and save you money while doing it!

Planning Ahead

Planning ahead is one of the key to making sure you and your family is getting the proper nutrients for your busy schedules. I know planning ahead sounds like one more thing to add to your already hectic schedule, but in most cases in the time you can sit in line at a so called "fast food" joint you could have prepared snacks at home and saved money! I will list a few easy snacks prepare below. To help keep your snacks fresh all day keep a small cooler in the car and ice packs ready in the fridge. Another option is to take all the money your saving and get a cooler that plugs into your car's power receptical. Many places carry them, here is a link to get you started! Okay so back to planning ahead! When it comes to what to drink on the go water is the best option for everyone no calories and when you spill it it won't stain mom and dad's clean seats! Below is a list of some easy food to prepare some will be obvious, but some may be new to you. Variety is the best way to keep you and your family eating healthy and being happy!

• granola bars
• carrot sticks
• nuts
• yogurt
• trail mix
• cereal
• ants on a log (perfect veggie, fruit, & protein combo)
• sandwiches (or sandwich wraps)
• fresh fruit
• frozen edmame

This list can go on and on, but remember the best thing is variety.  A few things I stumbled across that I thought were simple and sounded delicious are below! Hope you enjoy!

Apple Sammies with Peanut Butter and Yogurt Spread - Cut apple in sandwich type slices. Spread apples with a layer of peanut butter & yogurt (or favorite nut butter) onto the cut apples. Add a few raisins and put the halves together and pack in resalable plastic bags.

For more thorough directions Click Here!

Frozen Banana Bonbons - Cut banana into 1-inch rounds, dip in a favorite flavor of yogurt, and roll in crushed graham crackers. Place the slices in an airtight container and store it in the freezer until you're ready to travel. These bonbons are best served on car trips because they defrost pretty quickly. Also try this with your favorite nut butter between two slices of banana before dipping into the yogurt!

Cookie dough balls - I have provided the link below because this recipe is a little more involved then the others. Here is the recipe: Blend cashews, vanilla, maple syrup, and almond milk/water until smooth and creamy. Scoop cashew cream into medium bowl and add almond meal and protein powder (if using). Stir to combine. Fold in cacao nibs (if using). Dough should be thick and tacky. Scoop mixture onto parchment lined cookie sheet with a cookie scoop or melon baller and freeze until firm. Store in an airtight container in the freezer and enjoy!


For more more details Click Here!

Good, Clean, Eating!

Eating Healthy while on the go is not always the most convenient or least messy option. This blogger has a few easy ways to help fix the mess.  This Celery in a peanut butter jar is just one of them. 

Check out some her other ideas Here!

Make Better Choices when Fast Food is Your Only Option.

The hope of every healthy family is that we can avoid the unhealthy fast food by planning ahead, but life happens and sometimes fast food is your only option.  If you do find yourself in a situation where you must eat fast food try to make your choices healthy. I have found a great link that gives you some ideas of what to get at fast food places. For the link Click Here!

The Balanced Diet for Your Growing Child

The Reason this Blog Exists!

Since becoming a Chiropractor I have been asked many questions about various aspects of a person’s health from my family, friends, and patients.  The purpose of this blog is to answer these questions in a format that they can share with their friends and family.  The reason I got into the health field was to help as many people as possible and this blog is just another way I can do that in my community.

The Balanced Diet for Your Growing Child

First and foremost, I do not have kids of my own.  The experience I have with children is either mandated by family/friends, or is due to volunteering with the boys and girls club while in school.  I do not claim to be an expert in all things kid related, but I do know a thing or two about what parents can do to help get their kids get on track to living a healthy life as they grow older.

We hear a lot of talk about children eating a “balanced diet.”  Sure we all have some sort of an idea of what that entails, but the purpose of this week’s blog is to explain what exactly is a “balanced diet”, why each nutrient is important, and give you some tips as to how to get your little angel not to lose it when a green vegetable is in the room! 

This first part of this Blog is going to give you a brief description of what a balanced diet includes, the purpose of each nutrient, and some examples of each.  The second half will give some tips to get your picky eater to try some new foods.  If you are blessed with the child that will eat anything then it will give you some fun ideas you may not have heard of yet!

Protein

We all know that kids grow at a rapid rate.  Protein helps this growth by providing the nutrients for building new muscles, cartilage, skin and blood.  Protein also helps your child's body break down food into energy, fight infection, promote nervous system health, and carry oxygen.  Foods that contain high levels of protein include:

·         Meat (Beef, Poultry, Fish)

·         Eggs

·         Beans

·         Nuts

·         Dairy Products

Carbohydrates

We have all heard of cutting carbs as a form of losing weight, but this trend is something that we do not want for our children.  Carbohydrates provide 50-60% of energy needed for your child.  If carbs are cut out then our body will use proteins to provide that energy.  If proteins are being used for a primary energy source, then the nutrients that your child’s cells need to grow starve. Carbohydrates come in several different forms (sugars, starches, and fiber), but kids should be eating more of the starches and fibers and less of the sugar. Foods that contain high levels of carbohydrates include:

                                                                           Bread
                                                                           Cereal
                                                                           Crackers
                                                                            Pasta
                                                                            Rice
                                                                            Potatoes

Fats

Fats, like carbohydrates, are a great source of energy for kids. Like carbohydrates, fats are important because they allow the body to properly use some of the other nutrients it needs such as protein. Other benefits of fats include aiding in the absorption of vitamins (A, D, E, and K), provide the building blocks needed for production of hormones, and help with nerve function.  Foods that contain high levels of fat include:

• Meat
• Nuts
• Whole-milk dairy products
• Avocados
• Cooking oils

Calcium

We all know or have heard that calcium is essential in helping to build a child's healthy bones and teeth, but it has other important health benefits as well. It's also important for blood clotting and for nerve, muscle, and heart function. Foods that contain high levels of calcium include:

• Milk
• Yogurt
• Cheese
• Egg Yolks
• Spinach
• Broccoli

     

Iron

Iron is necessary for a child to build healthy blood that carries oxygen to cells all over the body.  For infants breast feeding is the best source of iron, if breast feeding is not an option then iron fortified formula should be used.  Some sources say that iron-deficiency can affect your child’s growth and lead to learning and behavioral problems. Foods that contain high levels of iron include:

·         Red Meat

·         Poultry

·         Shellfish

·         Beans

·         Nuts

·         Whole grains

·         Iron-fortified cereals

Folate

Folate, necessary for soon-to-be moms, is also very important for kids. It is necessary for healthy growth and development of a child's cells. Lack of this vitamin can cause anemia, which in short is when the amount of red blood cells decreases causing a lack of oxygen to your cells.  Anemia causes a variety of symptoms, but is most associated with fatigue. Foods that contain high levels of folate include:

Whole-grain cereals
Aspargus
 Spinach
 Black or kidney beans
 Chickpeas
 Brussel sprouts

Fiber

Fiber helps produce bowel regularity in a child. It can also play a role in reducing the chances of heart disease and cancer later in life. Foods that contain high levels of fiber include:

·         Whole-grain cereals

·         Nuts

·         Seeds

·         Lentils

·         Chickpeas

·         Kidney beans

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is important to kids and adults. It helps growth, assists the eyes in adjusting to dim and bright lights, keeps skin healthy, and works to prevent infection. Foods that contain high levels of Vitamin A include:

·         Carrots

·         Sweet potatoes

·         Squash

·         Spinach

·         Apricots

·         Egg yolks

·         Broccoli

·         Cabbage

·         Fish oils

Vitamin C

Most people typically think of Vitamin C in regards to boosting immune function.  While vitamin C is important for keeping your immune system healthy it also has many other health benefits.  It also helps the body heal wounds, holds the body's cells together, strengthens the walls of blood vessels, and, like, calcium is important for building strong bones and teeth. Foods that contain high levels of Vitamin C include:

·         Citrus fruits (such as oranges)

·         Strawberries

·         Papayas

·         Mangos

·         Melons

·         Tomatoes

·         Potatoes

·         Cabbage

·         Broccoli

·         Cauliflower

·         Spinach

Tips for the Picky Eater

Now that we know the proper nutrients for your child’s diet we get to dive into the fun stuff!  Here I will give you some tips that I have gotten from family, friends, and various sites online. I have done my best to provide links when possible.  Please feel free to share with anyone, and if you have any tips that have helped your child eat a more balanced diet please share with us in the comments section below! 

Tips from My Mom

Sons will always have a special place in their heart reserved for their mother, and I am no exception to this.  My mother did a great job at introducing me to new foods, and I didn’t make it easy either.  Here are some things she did when I was younger to get me to try new things. 

The Taste Test

This was one of my fondest memories as a child.  It is such a simple way to make trying new foods fun!  What she blindfold me so that I had to use my other senses to determine what the foods were.  She also took this opportunity to explain to me what the different tastes were such as sweet, salty, bitter, etc.

Here is a link I found to help you host your own taste test!Click Here!

This site gives a variation from the typical blind fold taste test.  It makes it a bit more of a science experiment.  Check it out by Clicking Here!

Giving Incentives

Okay, so let’s call it what it really is, a bribe haha! A little bribe can go a long way with a kid.  Whether it is getting them to clean their room or try a new food.  The important thing here is to not make the bribe something that is completely unhealthy for them like the picture to the right (the little girl was to cute not to include it haha).  Some examples of what my mom and dad did were taking me to the pool, waterparks, letting me go over to a friend's house, etc.  I am sure y’all know better than anyone what your child loves, use this to your advantage…and, well your kids advantage as well. Getting your kid to love the right foods will help him or her in all aspects of their life.

Upon researching this I ran across a study that found that when incentives were used there was an 80% increase in fruit and vegetable consumption by elementary age students.  If you want to read the paper I have placed the link below.

Here is the link to the study. Click Here! 

Here is a link help give you some ideas for healthy reward options Click Here!

What not to do! (for your entertainment!)

We all like to think we are perfect, but we know that is not the case.  My mom is no different.  One thing she did that absolutely did not work was trick me.  I am telling you this so that I can spare your children the agony I went through as a 4 year old boy haha!  As I mentioned earlier I was an extremely picky eater growing up, and my mother was always trying to get me to try new things.  On this particular evening we were at one of my favorite pizza places in Memphis, Tennessee.  I remember the night well because of the events that were to follow.  Everyone at the table had ordered a salad (except me) and my mother was convinced I would try hers.  First the lettuce.  I thought to myself not bad, but it’s no pizza! Next, came the croutons!  The crunch, the buttery flavor the mix of herbs…..it sent my 4 year old taste buds into an euphoria they had never experienced! My mom had me right where she wanted me! Willing to try anything she suggested! What else was I missing out on! The next item on her hidden agenda was an olive.  The shape and smell worried me, but my mom assured me it was good, and then made the mistake of saying it was like a grape.  What 4 year old doesn’t love a grape! I popped it in my mouth and began to chew.  This was NO GRAPE! I spit the olive out and ran to my grandfather knowing he would protect me from my mother’s lies! To this day I will not eat an olive.  Maybe it’s time for me to have my own taste test! 

Ideas I have seen online

The next few ideas are some that I stumbled across while doing some research for this blog.

Getting your kid involved in preparation

Many sites I came across had different meals and ways to get your child involved in making healthy choices.  One of the best ideas I ran across was trail mix.  It involves little to no cooking (depending on how involved you wish to get), it can be catered to your child’s taste, and customized for any food allergies your little one may have. 

To check out one of the many websites on trail mix. Click Here!

Buffet Ice Tray

This one I saw on Pinterest a few years ago and I thought it was a great idea. The name pretty much explains it all, but I will elaborate slightly.  Basically get an ice tray and fill it with fruit, veggies, and some other things every kid loves like chocolate chip cookie pieces.  After that you are done! Simple enough!

Here is the link! Click Here!

Its all about the Presentation!

There isn’t anything to really explain here.  We have all seen it or done it.  Make funny faces on the your kids plate with the food.  Keeping your kid in a good mood prior to trying something new can only help your cause! 
 I stumbled upon a link on how to make your own plates to help with this. Click Here!

Monkey See Monkey do!

We all know it is important to set a great example for children.  It is important to lead by example when it comes to eating.  One idea I thought of while browsing countless pictures and ideas online were fruit kabobs.  Kabobs are typically a healthy choice when it comes to dinner, so while dad (or mom) is at the grill the kids can grab some kabob sticks (adult supervision please those things are sharp!) and fruit and make desert!  I also found a few links for this as well.  Personally I think the frozen fruit kabobos look amazing! 

Fruite Kabobs! Click Here!

Frozen Fruit Kabobs! Click Here!

Fruit Dip link! Click Here! 


I hope you enjoyed this blog!  It was my first one so bear with me, I can only get better....right?? haha
If ya'll have any suggestions or tips on how to get kids to eat healthy please leave it in the comments section below! 

If you have a suggestion for future blog topics please send them to premierchiroga@gmail.com or comment below!