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Newsletter #1 |
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Newsletter #2 |
Back to School Food Basics
In this newsletter I want to talk about getting prepared for your kids going back to school. Also, this gives you a chance to get yourself organized too! As a chef I believe if your kitchen is organized, the rest of your life will fall into place. The kitchen can be a pretty difficult place to keep organized but I hope I helped you out in my last newsletter talking about the pantry and keeping basic essentials in there so you can whip up a meal in no time.
Our Kids
In the U.S, the percentage of overweight children has surprisingly increased. We really need to get to know our kids palettes and incorporate the foods they like in a healthful way. Starting them at an early age, getting them into healthy habits NOW will ensure a healthy adult in the future.
In this newsletter you will find helpful tips and advice in healthy eating for your kids. When it comes to eating healthy with me I tend to go for as many colorful fruits and vegetables as possible. This way I keep it simple even for my busy life. Incorporating fresh vegetables and fruits into your kid's diet is vital at a young age and it starts to get them familiar with these tastes and flavors. More and more kids these days are either skipping meals or forgetting to sit down and eat; they are having more meals outside of the HOME and you know what that means? BIGGER portions. A great way to cut this out is by portioning food correctly e.g. Tupperware portioned containers (http://www.Tupperware.com).
According to the USDA Kids ages 4 to 8 should have 1½cups of fruit and 1½ cups of vegetables; and kids 9 to 12 need 1½ cups of fruit and 2 to 2½ cups of vegetables. If you are unsure and don't know how much or little of certain foods they need, go to http://www.USDA.gov where you can find great information on portion control and how much fruits and vegetables you need in your diet.
Exercise
I know I am a chef and cook A LOT and people always ask me how do you stay lean? I just tell them I need my exercise just like you. Jogging to me is infectious, I feel so good after a long run. It clears my head, I work through problems going on in my life, I set goals to help me become a better person and to build my confidence. Get your kids involved in activities. Tell them to take the dog for a walk, get them involved in local community teams, softball, basketball etc. or even ask them if they would like to participate in sports at school to get them active. When I was a kid I took up tennis and played about 4-6 times a week. I finally found a sport I enjoyed, this was key in keeping healthy at a young age. Today, I still play tennis and go jogging or hiking to stay fit.
Start off with these guidelines in getting your kids off to a great school season. And hey! Don't forget about you, why don't you start a new routine after all those Summer BBQ's. A new season is upon us, so lets get going, set goals because by setting goals and achieving them, we know nothing can stop us.
Have a wonderful FALL/WINTER and I'll see you all soon!
Now, get in that kitchen and start cooking up Confidence.
