Telling kids that sugary snacks are bad for them is a strategy that backfires. It's just like telling a child not to touch something. What's the first thing that child is going to do? You got it. Start touching. Everything. The boomerang effect is fast. And it will undermine all of your efforts. I'm reading a study published in the Journal of the Association for … [Read more...]
Should Easter be Less Candy-Oriented?
It will surprise exactly no one when I say that Easter candy can be a problem. But I'm not sure you have to make Easter less candy-oriented. Just use it to teach your kids healthy eating habits. Yes, it's true: one 7-ounce hollow chocolate rabbit weighs in at 1050 calories. Smaller bunnies are better--rabbits of the one-ounce variety only rack up 140 calories. Read … [Read more...]
How to Get Kids More Interested in Healthy Food
I recently asked newsletter readers what issue they would most like me to address. Perhaps not surprisingly, this concern rose to the top: How to get kids interested in healthy food. I know, it would great if there were a simple, one-step plan. If there were, all kids would be stellar eaters, because who doesn't want their kids to eat and enjoy healthy … [Read more...]
How Kids Can Conquer Thanksgiving in 3 Easy Steps (but you have to prepare now)
Halloween is over. Phew. Moving on! Prepare to face Thanksgiving down. It's you versus strange Thanksgiving food that your kids may or may not eat. You vs relatives who have opinions about what your kids should—or should not—eat. You vs other children who are allowed to eat whatever they want. You vs sugar-hyped, over-stimulated and overtired little tyrants. It's enough to make … [Read more...]
The Halloween Confession of a Remorseful Candy Thief
Hands up if you've ever stolen a piece of your child's Halloween candy. I know I'm not the only one. Almost all the parents I know have helped themselves to a treat or two. On a good day. On a bad day, my one or two might turn into a small handful. Ok, a bucket. I'm not proud of this behavior. But at least I've always—OK, almost always—avoided helping myself to my daughter's … [Read more...]
Why Kids are Obsessed with Sugar. And What You Can Do About It on Halloween.
Being the Candy Police is high risk for teaching your children the wrong habits about candy. It's also one reason kids become obsessed with sugar. I understand the concern about candy. By some reports, our kids stuff 5% of their yearly candy consumption into their Halloween candy bags. Turn that statistic around, though, and it means kids consume 95% of their candy during … [Read more...]
What Dietitians Need to Know About Halloween
Halloween makes a lot of dietitians cringe. But what if Halloween could help kids learn to explore new foods? Really, I'm not joking. I'll be the first to acknowledge that Dietitians know a lot about Halloween. So forgive me for throwing something out there that I suspect most dietitians haven't really considered. This is what I think Dietitians need to know. Parents can use … [Read more...]
How to Survive Halloween and the Rest of the Holiday Eating Season
It's October. Let the eating season begin! Every year the Holiday Eating Season begins with Halloween and ends...after New Years?...after Valentine's Day?...after Easter? (Does it ever really end?) October is also National Cookie Month and National Pizza Month. You celebrating? Maybe we shouldn't be surprised, then, that October is also National Diabetes Month! (I swear. I'm … [Read more...]
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