Eating Healthy is Looney

But, there are tons of people who can help.

For example, I consistently come up with tons of creative ideas for feeding my kids healthy meals and snacks (meaning I steal my ideas from people who are really smart).

My biggest hurdle remains school lunch, since I'm not there to cram it down his throat monitor his intake, but I'm trying to pack only things I would want him to eat (and one special treat, like a cookie, because human beings can not survive without cookies) so that if he eats anything it will be something healthy.

Here are some of my favorite eat healthy, mom friendly, websites that offer tips and recipes to make eating healthy a little less looney:

Better Homes and Gardens. My favorite magazine has a helpful website too.

Family Fun. This site, sponsored by Disney, offers tons of things a family would love, including healthy recipes that kids will enjoy.

Mom Logic. One stop site for everything Mom, which naturally would include tons of resources for the uncreative bunch of us that can't seem to think outside of the (lunch) box!

Momologie. A brand new site that offers tons of exciting options for everyday meal options as well as special ideas for entertaining. I'm excited to see where this site goes.

And, there are also some pretty awesome mom bloggers out there who do an amazing job of getting their kids to eat healthy, too. Here are some I want to be like when I grow up!

The Kitchen Witch. The only food blog I read regularly. I love her because she's awesome. Her recipes are edible and her stories are hilarious. Plus, she uses naughty words gratuitously and I sincerely enjoy a gratuitous F-bomb.


Foodie Tots. A recent discovery that makes eating healthy look very delicious. Her photos make me believe that Chilled Plum Soup is actually yummy. She's also a huge local food eater who can give tips and inspiration to anyone interested in learning to eat local.

The Toddler Cafe. She's fresh, she's fun, and she appears to have more creativity in her teaspoon than I have in my entire kitchen


Meal Makeover Moms' Kitchen. A very action packed site (recipes, podcasts, and magic meatloaf) that was just nominated for an award which, in my book, is awesome as I've never actually been nominated for anything unless you count all the times I nominate myself for stuff.

And, don't forget to check out Safeway's Eating Right Kids products with some Looney kid friendly items that your family might enjoy (the dudes like the wheat grain waffles, but that's really about it. We haven't really tried other stuff though 'cause Safeway is a bit of a hike from Casa de Dummies).

Disclaimer: This has been a sponsored series courtesy of Warner Bros. and Safeway. They provided monetary support and the gift basket that was given away and won by Deb Thaxton of Web Savvy Mom.

Eating Healthy is Looney: Grocery Goblins

The people at Mom Logic and the Eating Right people from Safeway seem to think that you can make going to the grocery store with your kids a fun, educational experience.

I'm not saying it's impossible, but at the moment I tend to equate going to the grocery store with all of the dudes in tow with getting a speeding ticket, falling down the stairs at work, and having a tooth filled all in the same day. Meaning, it's annoying, embarrassing, time consuming, and painful.

I try to avoid it whenever possible, but sometimes it really just must be done (which is only when we're out of everything, as in the only edible items in sight are a jar of mayo and a bottle vinegar).

But, I do take #2 with me every time I go. It's like our thing.

We get to take our time and he is in charge of putting things in the cart for me and of picking the treat of the week.

Since we've started going together, just the two of us, we have more time to talk and he's really learned a lot. He knows which brands I like to buy, how to tell if something is on sale, and (go figure) which items are considered "sometimes snacks" and which ones are the ones that Mommy wants him to choose (not that he actually does, but he at least, knows he should).

We honestly have a really good baby-free-big-bro-free-bickering-free time with it.

But, for the life of me, I have not figured out how to make it from one end of the store to the other accompanied by all three of them without someone being physically assaulted, verbally chastised, or abducted by aliens.

The only time I'm able to come home with edible foodstuffs without causing a reality-tv-show-worthy scene (ie my kid composes, produces, and performs a fat song about me for the suddenly-highly-amused-and-not-even-trying-to-hide-it patrons) is when we go to the farm to get it.

As luck (or misfortune) would have it, we live in very close proximity to numerous farms that grow and sale all types of fruit, veggies, meat, cheese, and eggs.



Basically, a creative, enterprising individual (which I so am not) can find everything you need to survive (except for macaroni and cheese, which is a nonnegotiable necessity) at it's source within 15 minutes of my house.

We like to visit these places a few times a year to enjoy the more flavorful, more healthy, less expensive items they offer, but I really just don't have time to head out to 5 different farms every other week to accomplish our basic grocery shopping.

Would be nice, but it ain't happenin'.

Needless to say, tips for successful grocery store navigation would be greatly appreciated.

Especially, how are you able to get outta there without buying tons of garbage you don't need (but totally want, like powdered sugar doughnuts, pudding pops, and other stuff your kids beg for)?

And, why is that my kids deem the moment we disembark from the Battle Wagon (our name for our car) as the perfect time to skin a knee, drop a mad deuce, or remember that they forgot their shoes at home (making me the mom of that kid)?

Your comments and suggestions on these matters would be greatly appreciated. However, if you intend to inform me that these things happen this way because I suck at mommying, please note that I'm fully aware of my shortcomings and therefore would like to focus on ways to circumvent these as I have no real interest in making improvements to my person.

So, advise away if you know how I can make my kids more socially appealing without having to work too hard for it!

Thanks:)

Be sure you hurry and enter your cutest Halloween photos so you have a shot at winning this.

Eating Healthy is Looney

And, why is this especially the case at school and snack time?

Its tough to find healthy things #1 will eat in front of his friends (not sure why, but he only wants to buy or have the exact same thing everyone else has, thank you peer pressure).

I try to slip in fresh fruit or veggies along with his half-a-ham-and-cheese-with-a-little-mustard-please-don't-switch-it-up-Mom-or-I-will-FREAK! sandwiches.

And, after school, health food is an elusive little biotch as well.

He usually wants the other half of his lunch sandwich and that's it.

I've offered him gorgeously decorated veggie trays (carrot sticks with fat free ranch), gourmet yogurt (Go-gurts), eye catching fruit displays (cut apples arranged in a circle), and all types of other inventive, healthy, look-what-I-made-kids! options.

But, he likes the sandwhich, and the sandwich is so freakin' easy I pretty much just go with that (you know, 'cause I'm a kinda lazy and stuff).

I do want to try, though (no really, I do).

Lucky for me (and you if you keep reading!) Warner Bros. Consumer Products and Safeway, Inc. has a ton of fun and easy solutions for lazy a** moms like me.

They have "teamed up to create a better-for-you line of food products for children, uniting flavor and nutrition with the iconic Looney Tunes characters. The Eating Right Kids food line featuring Bugs Bunny, Marvin the Martian, Daffy Duck and others offers more than 60 items across 18 categories including breakfast foods, produce, portable meals, dairy, snacks, beverages and frozen entrees - making it easy for moms to spot healthier food and beverage items for their kids that taste great".

And, they are sponsoring a sweetly healthy little giveaway for you to enter right here on your favorite blog, PBD.!

So.

Awesome.

A basket full of deliciously Looney Tuney fun!

See, looks kinda cool, right?!



Want to make it yours?

All you have to do is:

1.) Leave a comment (or a link to a recipe would work too) telling me your favorite, healthy lunch or snack item that your kids don't gag over or shun like the plague (actually, my kids don't seem to be entirely opposed to the plague as they make it a point to touch every nasty surface they can find and then rub their hands all over the inside of their mouths. Heathens!)

and

2) Follow PBD.

That's all folks!

And the gift basket could be yours.

Fine print: Contest ends at midnight on 10/02/09 and the winner will be announced on Saturday Swagurday (10/3/09). The selected winner will have 24 hours to email me their name, address, and TELEPPHONE NUMBER (their requirement, not mine). If contact is not made, an alternate winner will be selected. The baskets ship directly from the contest sponsor and will include all of the following (as long as available):

Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 1
Tweety T-shirt from Junk Food
Looney Tunes plush item
Looney Tunes stationary or home good
Eating Right Kids “green” shopping bag from Safeway
Eating Right Kids post card
Eating Right Kids Products (non perishable) in a branded lunch box
Canned Ravioli with Daffy or Microbowl with Tweety
Tri-color Wheat Rotini with Sylvester and Tweety
Apple juice with Taz
Chewy Bar with Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner

They didn't mention that fancy ribbon, but I'll bet you get it too:)

Good luck!

Eating Healthy is Looney

Part 2: WBs. Consumer Products’ and Safeway’s Eating Right Kids Initiative


Everyone knows I've done a bang up job of teaching my kids to identify (and enjoy) unhealthy foods.



And, yes, if you must know, that's chocolate icing smeared attractively all over his face (and knees, and tummy, and the floor, and wall behind him).

I'm a sweet food junkie, and I admit I have a serious weakness when it comes to cookies.

Plus, I was raised on comfort food; fried chicken, mashed potatoes, homemade breads, were all a huge part of my formative years.

Even with these heavy, delicious food swarming around my house, I never really had a weight problem as a child, or even as a teenager or young adult.

At least not until #1 convinced me from the inside that I needed to eat french fries and milkshakes everyday to ensure he had an optimum inutero environment. And then, to top it all off, my metabolism got all old and lazy and saturated fatty and decided that instead of burning calories all day it will take a series of naps when it should be WORKING!

Basically, it's not entirely my own fault that I'm fat, is it?

I could sit here and blame people, and science, and outer space for my predicament all I want, but it won't help me slim down and it won't help me be a good role model for my dudes.

So, I'm thinking I should make a change. For myself, for my dudes, for the greater good of the community (because seriously, if my rear end gets much bigger it will really become an eye sore).

It's just that teaching them to make healthy eating choices is something that I struggle with daily.

Like I said last week, life tends to get in the way.

But, making sure they have a healthy lifestyle is a priority.

Then, how do I do it?

I'm not 100% sure, but I can tell you that when I'm diligent about making healthy choices for myself, helping them make healthy choices is that much easier.

For example, last year, shortly after #3 made his long awaited debut, BFF and I joined Weight Watchers.

It changed my life.

Temporarily.

I lost a total of 60lbs (I've gained back 10 of them), I started jogging (haven't been out in months), and I completely revamped our diet (we had Tasty Cakes for snack last night).

When I was on the "program" it had become second nature, not just for me, but for them, too.

I memorized the points, and they memorized the food types that were healthy.

Even now that we have begun visiting the golden arches of shame again (more frequently thatn I'd like), they like to suggest the healthier option of apple fries (fingers crossed I'll say good ole fashioned french fries are okay instead).

And, #1 likes to ask two questions before every new meal is sampled, 1) "is this healhty?" and, 2) "Does this help w/constiplation" (he recently had a wicked experience with constipation in which Hubby was forced to act as his doody doula and coach him through the birth of a man sized turd; he is now obsessed with constiplation, as he calls it).

I think the most important factor for us is to simply limit the exisitence of "bad" snacks we have in the house.

I can simply not buy them (or buy them and eat them secretly in the pantry so the kids won't see), and instead focus on filling our cabinets with more healthy options.

For example, this past week was our shopping week (we only do it twice a month).

I went to Costco and instead of the strawberry cheescake and the huge tob of Utz snack mix I wanted to buy, I got fresh strawberries, a bag of fresh avacados (you know, since #2 is deserparet for our backyard to grow an guacamole tree), lettuce, apple chips and dried cheeries.

Instead of our regular chips I purchased Sun Chips because they have like 4 grams of fiber. They love chips, so I'm trying to wean them back gradually by making a less bad choice.

Instead of picking out any old juice boxes (like the ones that are cheapest), I made sure to get the 100% juice ones (actually I got the Fruitable ones that are a mix of fruit and veggie juices).

And, for added support, I pulled out one of my favorite books What Not To Eat For Kids.

I mean, I know that we shouldn't eat cookies, or candies, or Tasty Cakes very often, but this book helps me remember that even when it comes to granola bars, and trail mix, and waffles, not all foods are created equal (in the health benefit department), so I need to be conscious of the ingredient list printed microscopically on the side of the box, and not just the FIVE GRAMS OF FIBER! written in flashy bold print across the front.

I highly recommend the book.

And, I recommend you take a quick look at the Mom Logic site to get more healthful ideas for feeding your kids and teaching them to make healthy choices.

I'm no expert, but these people are.

In other news, if you want to win a Zhu Zhu Pet set, make sure you click here and get entered. There's only like three days left to enter so you better do it now.

Eating Healthy is Looney

At least, for me.

I struggle to fit healthy meals in between soccer, and karate, and homework, and mercilessly ignoring my children so I can read Better Homes and Gardens uninterrupted everything!

You saw what my dudes tend to think of my meal offerings, and you should see them when they get green leafy raw stuff shoved at them.

Not. Pretty.

Personally, I've been a chubby chick for a while now (thanks for that #1, you made me a mommy and a fatty in one fell swoop). I've done more get fit quick programs than I care to admit. Some of them worked (temporarily at least), but most of them sucked (or, I guess I sucked at them).

I've come to the realization that the only real way to battle the bulge is to change your entire lifestyle (so not fun).

I can't say that I'm going to say goodbye to brownies, and fried chicken, and ice cream, and chocolate covered almonds, and guacamole (wait that's sorta healthy, isn't it?), and I can go on, but I think you get it. But, I do want to make an effort to teach my dudes how to make healthy food choices and like it (I vow to only consume entire cakes or pies while they are sleeping).

I can't give them much (sometimes this dumb mom thing is a serious obstacle), but I can give them an appreciation for healthy eating (maybe?).

It's just so challenging.

Not just for me, but for tons of other parents too.

Did you know that "almost 1 in 5 American 4-year-olds is obese – that’s more than half a million 4-year-olds"?

One in five?! Ca-Razy!

That means that at least 2 kids in #2's preschool class are possibly going to wind up feeling all self conscious and icky.

They are going to spend countless hours trying to fit into the unrealistic traditional mold of American beauty.

They will struggle to participate in gym class and feel unfit, unwanted, and unpretty (unfortunately some of these will grow into plump teenagers with the worst possible fashion sense which will lead them to don mini skirts and belly shirts despite the fact that such items are not becoming or even remotely attractive).

It's sad really.

I don't want that for my dudes.

They are as skinny as 3 little wickets now, but they have my genes so that could easily change (and in a hurry if they find themselves pregnant and 60lbs bigger than when they got knocked up, oh wait, that can't happen to them 'cause they're dudes. Yes!).

Still.

I don't want them to be saddled with Homer Simpson bellies in middle school (we live by a lake so they'll be spending tons of time in their trunks).

I don't want them to spend one moment wishing they were thinner (or taller, or smarter, or more muscular, but we can't really control these things), or struggling to participate in the sports they love, or worrying themselves about various weight related health issues ('cause there are TONS).

Luckily, since I've recently been selected as a member of WB's Word of Mouth Marketing Team (go ahead, silly, you can clap!), I now have the opportunity to be a member of the Warner Bros. Consumer Products’ and Safeway’s Eating Right Kids initiative featuring Looney Tunes characters to help clueless moms like me make healthy eating choices for their kiddies.




Obviously I'm eager to share all of my new fangled eating healthy knowledge with my blog buds (that would be you guys, duh!), but I'm also excited to try to make some changes in my own family.

Gotta do something to stave off the Homer-Simpson-Jabba-the-Hut-feed-me-Seymour-chubby-chunky genes that are running rampant in my dudes, waiting for just the right combo of chicken and waffles needed to turn them into...me.

Help us out by sharing your tips to revamp our snackage! From cookies to _________? And, chips instead of _______________?

And, to sweeten the deal (as if you even need to be bribed to come see me!), I'll be giving away an awesome gift basket filled with tons of fun (and healthy) stuff for your little healthy eaters!

Stay Tuned!