A few years ago a friend of mine made white bean chicken chili for a book club get together.  It was delicious so I asked for the recipe.  Even though I loved the dish, I never made it because the recipe was time consuming (soak beans overnight, cook chicken separately, etc.)

So after searching online for the slow cooker version, I found this one on The Cook Book Critic (only 10 minutes to prepare).  The picture above doesn’t do this one justice.  This is a really tasty dish that I’ve already made again.  We topped it with guacamole and cheddar cheese.  But one word of caution: you might want to watch how much cayenne pepper you add because it can be a little spicy.  Next time I will only use 1/2 tsp. 

I also find these chicken and bean slow cooker recipes perfect for older babies and toddlers.  My 11-month old son loves this dish.  All I have to do is make sure the chicken is shredded and the beans are cut in half.  The I put the food on his highchair tray and he goes to town with his little hands.   My 3-year old, on the other hand, barely touched it, but she loved the guacamole and cheese. 

I’ve added a new “print this recipe” feature below to make printing recipes easier.

Have a great weekend!

Cook Time: 4 to 5 hours on HIGH; 9 to 10 hours on LOW
Servings: 4 to 6

3 cans (15 oz. each) white beans (cannellini, Great Northern, etc.)
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 can (4 oz.) diced green chilies 
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 to 1.25 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 1/2 cups chicken broth

Rinse and drain the beans. Place them in a slow cooker. Add the onions, garlic, chilies, spices, and salt, and stir to combine. Place the chicken breasts over the top, and pour in the chicken broth. Cover and cook on LOW for 9 to 10 hours, or HIGH for 4 to 5 hours.

When ready to serve, remove the chicken and shred the meat into bite-sized pieces, using a couple of forks; set aside.  The original recipe provides an option of blending the beans but this seemed to ruin the easiness of this dish.

You can serve this with tortillas, tortilla chips, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, chopped fresh cilantro or shredded jack or cheddar cheese.

There’s been a lot of news recently about the growing snack habits of kids – and most of it is negative. A recent study published in Health Affairs found that snacking in U.S. children has not only increased from 1989 to 2006, but accounts for more than 27% of total calories (up to 3 snacks per day).

Now this wouldn’t be so bad if kids were snacking on a variety of food. Instead, snacks mainly consist of salty snacks, candy, desserts and sweetened beverages.

So recent news stories have added snacking to the long list of childhood obesity culprits. But I would hate to see parents make unnecessary changes because all types of snacking have been lumped into one negative stereotype.

So let’s look into what type of snacking is good for kids (and not so good).

Bad Snacking

When my daughter starting eating finger foods before turning one, I remember the afternoon snack fests. All the moms in my playgroup would bring a variety of snack foods – goldfish, crackers, pretzels and animal crackers (me too). Many of the kids would carry the little snack container and feast away. I didn’t think much about it until my daughter started to refuse dinner.

Bad snacking almost always consists mainly of “snack” type foods. While I have no problem with kids eating these foods some of the time, they fail as good snacks for two good reasons. First, they do a poor job of filling little bellies up for long. And second, they don’t help fill kids’ nutrition gaps, which is an important role of snacks.

The bad type of snacking also follows the “grazing model” of eating. This is where children get snacks in a bowl where they can just pick at it as they wish. For older children the equivalent would be letting them go freely into the pantry and picking out snacks anytime they want. (For more on this, see 5 Reasons Moms Should Rethink Food Handouts.)

Both of these snack habits, eating mainly snack-type foods and grazing, fail to help children manage their hunger. They never really fill up, and never really get hungry, so they are more likely to get more, or less, food than they need.

Good Snacking

So after making the realization with my daughter early on, I made some changes to her snack habits. Like her main meals, I began serving her snacks in her highchair. When we were on the go I tried my best to stop, sit somewhere and enjoy the food without distraction. Of course, at parties and play dates we would both graze, but that was more the exception than the rule.

So good snacking is the opposite of bad snacking. There is structure to it. That means eating at the table or some designated place. There is timing to it. Trying to get it right between meals so hunger is managed nicely. And there is nutrition to it. Make nutritious and tasty snacks that fill kids up.

In her books, Ellyn Satter calls snacks “mini-meals” which is how I’ve come to think of them. That means they consist of a couple of different food groups with a combination of protein, carbohydrates and fat. This might be whole wheat crackers and a cheese stick or apple slices with peanut butter or carrots with hummus or yogurt with almond slices. (For more on this, see Top Ten Nutritious Snack Combination for Kids.)

But other, less often times, it is goldfish, animal crackers or some snacky type of food. For example, once a week I plan my daughter’s midmorning or afternoon snack with a trip to the grocery store where she gets a free cookie (she calls it the “cookie store,” thanks Vons!).

And research suggests that more frequent eating occasions can be better for children. A recent review published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition reveals that infrequent meals and snacks (including skipping meals) is associated with excess weight in children.

How to break bad habits

A recent article in the New York Times discussed how snacking in school-aged children has gotten out of hand. With all the activities kids have these days, parents are equipped with snack foods that can be consumed by kids in a moment’s notice. Some parents quoted in the article say they aren’t sure how to stop bad habits like the afternoon trip to the vending machine.

I think it’s important to talk to kids about their snack habits and what you plan to do about them. Tell them you want to better plan their snacks so they are timed around the main meals. Tell them you want more nutritious eating but will be sure to still include their favorites.

But more than anything, let them know that you are in charge of what is served at meal time. They may not like it at first, but once they know you are serious they will accept it.

So what are your kids’ snacking habits? Having any challenges? Are snacks away from home a major problem?

References

Piernas C, Popkin BM. Trends in snacking amount U.S. children. Health Aff. 2010 Mar-Apr;29(3):398-404.

Koletzko B, Toschke AM. Meal patterns and frequencies: do they affect body weight in children and adolescents? Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. Feb;50(2):100-5.

This is a featured guest post by Elizabeth Ward, MS., RD, author of Expect the Best: Your Guide to Healthy Eating Before, During, and After Pregnancy.Elizabeth regularly writes for publications such as Men’s Fitness and WebMD, and blogs about about family nutrition and weight control issues for USAToday.com. Check out her pregnancy blog, Expect the Best Pregnancy, where you will get the latest and most credible nutrition advice during pregnancy.

Is a baby in your plans for the near future? Perhaps you’d like another child, but you’re just not ready yet.  No matter. When you’re in the childbearing years, it pays for you (and your male partner!), to prime your body for pregnancy, especially when you consider the possibility that conception can occur when you least expect it.

Preparing for pregnancy doesn’t differ much from living a healthy lifestyle.  Here are three steps, culled from my book, Expect the Best: Your Guide to Healthy Eating Before, During, and After Pregnancy, to help you have the healthiest child possible.

1. Practice Girth Control.  Being underweight or overweight may thwart a woman’s chances to conceive; when a future dad is overweight, his excess body fat may make matters worse.  

In addition to affecting fertility, being overweight when you conceive increases the risk of certain birth defects, including heart defects, and neural tube defects (NTD) like spina bifida.  Overweight women are also more prone to type 2 diabetes which may prove problematic for mom and baby.  And, women who enter pregnancy overweight tend to stay that way until delivery, and well beyond.

Starting a pregnancy at a healthy weight gives your child a better chance of developing properly, and reduces health risks for mom during pregnancy, including high blood pressure.

Determine your body mass index (BMI) to know whether your weight falls into a healthy range.  For help achieving a healthy weight at any stage of life, consult a registered dietitian (RD) by using the American Dietetic Association’s free referral service.
 
2. Fill in Nutrient Gaps.  Eating a balanced diet based on MyPyramid will help you and your partner get the nutrients that contribute to your good health, and that of your child’s, but that often go missing from the typical American diet, including calcium, fiber, magnesium, vitamins C and E, potassium, and carotenoids (used by the body to make vitamin A). 

Women in their childbearing years should pay particular attention to their intake of folic acid and iron. You need 400 micrograms (ug) of folic acid every day if you are capable of conceiving a child. That’s because folic acid helps to prevent NTDs, during the first 30 days of pregnancy – often when a woman does not know she’s pregnant. 

Women who are not pregnant require 18 milligrams of iron daily, but many are not meeting that quota.  Iron-deficiency anemia affects an estimated 8 million American women. It’s harder to correct an iron deficiency during pregnancy, when iron requirements soar, so make sure you get enough iron each day before conception occurs. 

While dietary supplements are not suitable substitutes for a balanced diet, a daily multivitamin fills in small gaps in nutrients that can sap fertility, particularly in men who don’t get enough vitamin C, folic acid, and zinc. 

Women who may become pregnant should take a daily multivitamin with 100% of the Daily Value for iron and folic acid. Men don’t need the extra iron and should take a multivitamin with no iron, or very low iron. 

3. Re-Think Your Drinks.  If you’re trying to conceive, it may be time to evaluate your caffeine and alcohol consumption. 

Some studies suggest excessive amounts of caffeine may result in miscarriage and stillbirth, while others question caffeine’s effects.  While the jury is still out regarding the safety of caffeine during pregnancy, it’s probably wise to limit your intake. The March of Dimes recommends 200 milligrams or less of daily caffeine- about the amount found in 10 ounces of Starbucks coffee – after conception occurs. It’s not a bad idea to start cutting back beforehand, however. There is some evidence that caffeine may hamper fertility.

There’s no safe amount of alcoholic beverages to drink during pregnancy, but how about when you’re trying to conceive?  It makes sense to enjoy a cocktail or glass of wine when you’re sure that you’re not pregnant. However, health professionals recommend erring on the side of caution when trying to conceive.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the March of Dimes contend that drinking and trying for a baby do not mix.  Even moderate drinking (one or fewer drinks daily for a woman; two or less for a man) may make it more difficult to conceive for some couples. In addition, it is possible, no matter how careful you are, to be pregnant and not know it, and alcohol is particularly detrimental to a developing baby during the first trimester. 

In men, heavy drinking produces sperm with defects that may hinder their ability to fertilize an egg. Although the link between moderate drinking and fertility is murky, it’s wise for men to play it safe by limiting alcoholic beverages to two or less a day.

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As parents we are inundated with information about getting our kids to eat healthier. We understand there’s a childhood obesity epidemic and many of us have probably struggled with our own eating and weight to some degree.

But what we don’t hear much about is an extremely serious health issue that affects kids and adults across the globe: eating disorders.

With Eating Disorder Awareness Week fresh in our minds, it seemed the perfect time to begin my eating disorder prevention series. The articles in this series will include expert advice and revealing admissions from adults who struggled with eating disorders during adolescence. The goal is to provide you with the information you need to raise children who have a healthy relationship with food and their bodies.

But before getting into all the juicy details, there are some things you need to know first.

1) Eating disorders are not just anorexia and bulimia: If you haven’t personally dealt with eating disorders you might have some misconceptions. Maybe you associate disordered eating with the bone-thin guests who have been on talk shows like Oprah. Or you might think it is mostly a female disease, which it is not.

Through the years not only has the rate of eating disorders risen exponentially in both genders, but the types of eating disorders have expanded. What disordered eating really means is any “atypical” eating style that is detrimental to health and quality of life. We’ll get into what normal eating is later but for now let’s look at the different types of eating disorders:

Anorexia nervosa: The inability to maintain a healthy body weight (85% lower than ideal), an intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted view of the body (sees self as fat).

Bulimia nervosa: Defined as someone who binges twice or more weekly in a 3-month period and uses unhealthy practices such as vomiting and laxatives to lose weight.

Binge Eating: Consumes a large amount of food in a limited amount at least twice a week. Feels out of control during eating and shame and embarrassment after eating.

The following disordered eating patterns do not meet diagnostic criteria, but individuals who suffer from them can benefit greatly from receiving help:

Eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS): An eating disorder that does not meet the exact criteria for either anorexia or bulimia but negatively affects quality of life.

Orthorexia: When a person obsesses with eating only “healthy” or “pure” foods to the point where it interferes with daily activities.

Anorexia athletica: The use of excessive exercise to control weight typically found in individuals diagnosed with anorexia or bulimia.

Purging Disorder: Self-induced vomiting or other unhealthy compensatory behaviors in the absence of binge eating

Night-eating: Lack of appetite in the morning followed by consuming half or more of calorie intake after 8pm.

2) All children are vulnerable to eating disorders: Below are some statistics that will give you an idea of how common — and detrimental — eating disorders are.

According to statistics compiled by The Alliance for Eating Disorder Awareness and the National Eating Disorders Association:
-Eating disorders affect up to 24 million Americans and 70 million individuals globally.
-At least 50,000 individuals will die as a consequence of an eating disorder.
-The rate of suicide for those with anorexia is 57 times higher than in the general population
-Males account for an estimated 10 to 15% of people who are diagnosed with anorexia or bulimia, however the actual rates may be higher.
-90% of people with anorexia or bulimia are females between the ages of 12 and 25.
-Approximately 50% of those with binge eating disorder are male.
-It has been estimated that 11% of high school students have been diagnosed with an eating disorder.
-15% of young U.S. women who are not diagnosed with an eating disorder exhibit significant disordered eating attitudes and behaviors. One survey reported that as many as 65% of young women do so! (Self Magazine)
-The most common behavior that leads to an eating disorder is dieting and almost half of 9-11 year olds are “sometimes” or “very often” on diets while over 80% of their family members are “sometimes” or “very often” on diets.

According Sari Shepphird PhD, eating disorder specialist and author of 100 Questions & Answers About Anorexia Nervosa:
-The risk of death is greater with a low BMI than a high one.
-Up to twenty percent of people with anorexia will die as a result of the illness.
-Bulimia increases by 35% every 5 years.
-Teenage boys are the highest growth segment of individuals suffering from anorexia and bulimia.
-The most common eating disorder, EDNOS, is often never diagnosed and all forms of eating disorders are under diagnosed and under treated.
-Anorexia is the 3rd most common chronic illness in adolescents (behind obesity and asthma).

3) Parents have the ability to help prevent eating disorders:
According to the National Eating Disorders Association, there are many causes of disordered eating including genetic, psychological (low self esteem), interpersonal, social and biological factors. But armed with the right information, parents can put “protective” factors in place. Each of these factors will be discussed in detail with each article in this series.

Shepphird says it is much better to prevent, or catch, eating disorder symptoms before they get full blown. By that time, only 50% of those treated will be completely cured and have no recurring symptoms. And the increased risk of death associated with eating disorders is something no parent wants to face.

When you look at the definitions in the first section, you probably can relate to at least one to some degree. These are extreme behaviors but many Americans have an unhealthy relationship with food. They feel guilty for eating food that tastes good, they are unhappy with their body shape and, yes, they diet (I used to do these things too, still working on liking my post-baby body).

I want to help create a different world for my children. A place where food is enjoyed, diets don’t exist and health, not body size, is valued. As John Lennon put so eloquently: “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.”

Get the word out about eating disorders to other parents!  Use the “share” button below (facebook, twitter etc.).

Tune in next week as we talk about raising kids with a positive body image.

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I’m wrapping up the family meal planning series with some expert tips. These are food and nutrition experts who spend a lot of (productive) time in the kitchen. The goal of this series was to help you overcome the “time” barrier to getting rewarding meals on the table, so I hope it succeeded.

It’s all about taking different ideas and finding your own way. Once the routine is set, the stress of family meals can be replaced with pleasure. I still have stressful weeks (usually when I don’t plan) but it’s gotten easier.

To keep the spirit of meal planning alive, I plan to feature rock star moms (or dads) who have a good system for preparing meals. So if that’s you, send me a note!

Sally Kuzemchak, MS, RD www.RealMomNutrition.com

1. Stock up when you can: When boneless/skinless chicken is on sale, I buy a bunch, boil it, shred it, then freeze it in baggies. Then it’s ready for casseroles, soups, and burritos/tacos.

2. Try batch cooking whenever possible: If I’m making a turkey meatloaf, I double the recipe and put one in the freezer. Same for lasagna and turkey meatballs (can be used with pasta and then I make small ones for soup).

3. Plan for weekends too: A lot of people plan their week’s meals but end up ordering out or going out all weekend because they didn’t have a plan.

4. Try “Pot-luck” nights: This is a much-needed break for me and can be just as healthy as a more elaborate meal. I’ll make PBJs on whole grain bread plus fruit and veggies for the kids, I’ll have a big salad, and my husband will have soup or leftovers. We still sit down and eat together and have that family mealtime experience, but it’s much quicker to prepare (and helps get rid of leftovers and odds and ends).

Janice Bissex MS, RD and Liz Weiss, MS, RD, authors of The Moms’ Guide to Meal Makeovers: Improving the Way Your Family Eats, One Meal at a Time!
www.mealmakeovermoms.com

5. Rely on convenience foods but choose wisely: Some of our favorite nutrient-packed convenience foods include frozen fruits and vegetables, canned beans, frozen ravioli and tortellini, pre-shredded reduced fat cheeses, and jarred pasta sauce and salsa. We recently posted a fast broccoli & bean soup recipe to our blog that busy moms can have on the table in minutes.

6. Turn to appliances that deliver fast meals: Two of our favorites are the slow cooker — it’s best to organize all ingredients the night before so in the morning, moms can load up the slow cooker before heading out the door — and the pressure cooker. Modern-day pressure cookers are safe to use and help to get nutritious meals on the table in minutes. Here’s a delicious risotto recipe using the pressure cooker.

7. Mise en place: This is a French term for “everything in its place.” We encourage busy parents to measure out and chop up all ingredients ahead of time so when dinner rolls around, they’re ready to go! Doing this the night before or any time parents have a few free minutes is a great strategy. And having a nonstick skillet in the kitchen is also great … because it means less mess and clean-up required.

Sandy Nissenberg, MS, RD, author of Quick Meals for Healthy Kids and Busy Parents: Wholesome Family Recipes in 30 Minutes or Less From Three Leading Child Nutrition Experts www.kidsliketoeat.com

8. Choose foods from each group of the food pyramid: Pyramid your pantry so you can easily select items that fit.

9. Combine homemade items with those that are prepared, like salads in bags, canned fruit, pasta/veggie combinations.

10. Have little ones help out: Make dinners that the family can help with, i.e., wrapping tortillas, quesadillas; packing a pita pocket; stuffing a baked potato.

11. Create combo meals: Try stir fries, casseroles and all-in-one skillet meals.

Kathleen Cuneo, PhD www.dinnertogether.com

12. Put a support system in place: Get help from older children, neighbors, your spouse or other parent friends. For more on how to do this see Putting a Support System in Place.

Feel free to add your own time-saving tips in the comments!

Previous: How to Spend Less Time Grocery Shopping

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Over the past couple of months I’ve heard about Kale Chips from various people.  And because I am a roasted-veggie convert (see Broccoli Parmesan and Pamesan Crusted Asparagus) I thought I’d give them a try.

I got this one from All Recipes but it’s very simple.  Just rinse the kale and break off into little pieces, toss in olive oil, sprinkle with seasoned salt and put in the oven (350) for 10-15 minutes.

I loved the crunchy texture and overall the taste was good despite being a tad well done (should of done 10 minutes instead of 15).  My 10-month old ate them willingly while my daughter said “no thank you.” She’s such a polite picky eater.

Kale is high in nutrients including vitamins A and C, so they make an excellent replacement for chips or other snack foods.

Anyone else ever tried to make these?

This is a featured guest post written by Kathleen Cuneo, Ph.D, psychologist, parent coach, and mom. Her mission is to empower parents to find their own parenting voice and develop strong connections with their children. Her free report, “30 Things You Can Do To Raise Self-Confident, Compassionate Children,” is available at www.drcuneo.com. Dr. Cuneo is also the director of Dinner Together, LLC which offers consultation to families seeking to have more frequent, successful family meals and deal with the challenges of picky eaters. Sign up for her free e-newsletter at www.dinnertogether.com.

As parents we need to be mindful of not only what foods we choose to offer our children, but also of what patterns and associations between food and emotion we are establishing. When our children are upset, it is natural for us to want to soothe them. Often, by habit and by memory our own childhood experiences, we may be tempted to soothe with food.

Don’t get me wrong, soothing with food is not always a bad thing. I want my children to have positive emotional associations with foods. And I’m also the mom who went through a period of time with an active toddler whom I couldn’t get to sit in her stroller without the reward of fruit snacks. But it’s the overall pattern that’s important, and food should never be the only option for comfort or reinforcement.

Here are some other things to consider:

-Negative emotions are not always a bad thing. They provide an opportunity for learning and for greater understanding. The goal isn’t that your child will never experience negative emotions, but rather that they’ll develop skills that will enable them to be soothed and eventually to soothe themselves and cope with negative experiences.

-Your parenting toolbox can be filled with tools other than fruit snacks and sweets to help your child handle their emotions.

-Know that no one strategy will work all the time or for everybody. You’ll need to observe patterns in what seems to work for your individual child at particular times. As their language skills and ability to make connections develop, talking about your observations with them will be providing them with their own coping tools for the future.

So the next time your child is upset and your tempted to give them a cookie or lollipop to help them feel better, think of trying one of these strategies instead.

1. Physical activity: For many children, physical activity can help them organize and regulate themselves. Often a little running, jumping, yoga, or dancing can result in an improved mood.

2. Music: Calming music can be relaxing for both children and adults. Explore how music may influence your child’s emotional state.

3. Coloring: I’ve worked with several children who soothe themselves by coloring. You can observe their body tone soften just by the act of coloring.

4. Creative activities: For other children coloring might not have any effect on their mood or tone, but perhaps a more creative activity might. Drawing, painting, building, or pretending can be important outlets of expression as well as ways of organizing and calming the mind and body.

5. Reading: If reading is not a struggle or an emotionally-charged activity, it can be a very calming activity for many. If your child is not old enough to read on his own and does not enjoy looking at books by himself, then reading a book together, could be a shared activity that he finds soothing.

6. Cooking together: This can be not only a fun way to connect with your child, but also a way to teach your child valuable cooking skills and healthy eating habits.

7. Calming down space: Rather than a time-out space to go after some mis-behavior, children can also benefit from a designated space to go to calm down and reorganize themselves before they hit that point of no-return. You can designate a corner of a room, a soft, comfy chair, or even an indoor tent as a special quiet space for this purpose.

8. TV/movies: While you have to be careful about over-use, they definitely have their place in helping children calm themselves.

9. Play dough: One of my personal favorites! Playing with play dough offers both a creative outlet and a motor activity combined into one. Many a mood has been improved after a little time with dough.

10. Touch: Maybe the most obvious and potentially quickest fix when your child is upset. Hugs, kisses and back rubs can often do the trick for many children. Other children may respond better to deeper pressure or brushing techniques which may require some instruction from an occupational therapist to be used effectively.

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Kathy from Healthy Slow Cooking submitted this recipe for Butternut Squash & Chickpea soup. Check out her site, it is full of healthy, vegetarian slow cooker meals.

She says this soup is perfect for picky eaters because it’s served pureed. I know my 3-year old runs from chunks of anything so we’ll give it a try. To make this recipe even easier you could use squash already cut up.

Have a great weekend!

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 6 – 8 hours

Ingredients:

-2 cups butternut squash, frozen, or raw (peeled and seeded of course)
-1-14 oz can chickpeas, rinsed
-1-14 oz can organic crushed tomatoes (diced or stewed works fine too)
-1 cup bell pepper strips (fresh or frozen works fine)
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1 Tb Better than Bouillon chicken-less flavor – or omit and use broth instead of water
-5 cups filtered water
-1 Tb port wine
-1/2 cup sautéed mushrooms
-1 tsp. marjoram
-1 Tb Italian seasoning blend

The night before: Peel, seed, and chop the butternut squash. Slice mushrooms, mince garlic and chop green peppers.

In the morning: Throw everything into your slow cooker and cook for 6 – 8 hours on low. Taste and add more herbs or port wine. Puree with an immersion blender and serve.  For more details on this recipe see the original!

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In part 3 of this series we talked about planning a weeks’ worth of healthy meals to save time. But I think the most challenging part of the whole meal planning process is translating that plan into a readable grocery list — getting all the food you need and storing that food in an organized fashion.

I have been known, on occasion, to forget an ingredient or two and not discover it until it’s too late. My husband comes home, I cry, and he’s off to El Pollo Loco. Not fun.

Learning what leads to those bad weeks has helped me figure out what’s needed to make this process run smoothly. And I care because the better job I do meal planning and shopping, the better my whole week goes, and the less time I spend running back to the grocery store. So without further ado, here are some tips on how to maximize efficiency when grocery shopping:

1. Healthy Grocery Checklist: I’ve been using a pad of blank paper to write my grocery list on. The problem with this is food is listed randomly on the paper. So when I’m in the store, I’m more likely to miss something or have to backtrack to another department (not a good thing with kids in tow!).

So I devised a printable grocery list that also contains helpful nutrition tips. The idea is to hang it on your fridge and check off items as they run low so there are no fun surprises later. Then finish filling it out before your big shopping trip. This dowload is only available to subscribers so sign up today.

2. An organized kitchen: I often write about my lack of organization skills. But I know that having an organized kitchen is key to minimizing mistakes. Because when it comes time to write up your grocery list, you need to check and see if there’s anything you need. And if you have a pantry or fridge that looks like mine, that’s going to make life difficult (see “before” picture of cereal pantry below).

(I often blame my disorganized fridge on its small size but that’s just an excuse –even though a bigger fridge would help….)

To show you I’m serious about getting organized, I decided to revamp my food storage areas. So I cleaned out the pantry and fridge, labeling everything so even my husband knows where things go. I have decided to give it a touch up each week so it stays nice all week long. This blog is helping me to become accountable!

Before

After

After (sorry, accidently deleted the before pic)

3. Designate which ingredients are meal/recipe items: After figuring out which everyday items you need, you’ll have to list ingredients needed for your meals/recipes. I either highlight or circle them so they stand out from the other grocery items.

Why?

Because if you like how the week turns out, you can use the meal planning chart and grocery list again. Simply save the “good” weeks and soon you’ll have a collection to pull from. I’ve done this a couple of times and it was a lifesaver, especially for those super-busy weeks.

4. Going to The Grocery Store:I wish that there was one grocery store that had it all. I seem to need three of them (Trader Joe’s, Vons or Ralphs, Whole Foods), make that four if you count the farmer’s market. But going to each of them weekly is not realistic for a busy mom like me. So here’s what I do:

As I said in 5 Secrets to the Perfect Weekly Meal Plan, every Sunday is my big trip to get the bulk of groceries for the week. I do this big trip solo, during the kids nap, but sometimes my daughter will come with me if I do it earlier in the day.

I first go to Trader Joes and get all I can there and then head to the Ralphs next door to get the things Trader Joe’s doesn’t have. I usually have to go grocery shopping again sometime before the following weekend to get more fruits and veggies and little items for the weekend. This would also be the time I try and go to a farmers’ market, but I’m not always successful.

I also try to make it to Whole Foods once a month because there isn’t one near me. Whole Foods has some items the other stores don’t have like homemade baby food and frozen food items for kids (they have salmon fish sticks that are pretty good — too bad Anna won’t touch them!). I almost forgot about Costco. Luckily my husband works close to it so he gets the bulk items as we need them.

So what do you do? Any master grocery plan or do you just wing it? Do you think my fridge is small?

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You’ve probably heard that the first lady is taking on childhood obesity. On Tuesday she announced the development of a task force that will engage both private and public sectors to solve the childhood obesity problem in a generation.

The areas of focus include: helping parents make healthier food choices, making schools a healthier environment, increasing physical activity and making healthy food more accessable. In 90 days this task force will develop and announce a plan of action. I’ll be sure to keep you updated. For more on this, see Let’s Move.

There are some changes that will take place immediately. The American Academy of Pediatrics is joining the cause by enouraging pediatricians to keep a close eye on the BMIs (body mass index) of children. So if there’s a problem they will let you know.

But there is a part of me that is worried that some negatives may come out of all this attention on weight. So I jotted some of my concerns down just in case Michelle Obama — or her task force members– runs across my blog.

1. It’ll take more than healthy eating: Whenever I see a story on fighting obesity, it’s always talks about getting kids and adults to eat “healthier.” There is not a parent alive who doesn’t know that eating more fruits and vegetables is good for their children. So if pediatricians just spout of the same old advice, parents will still face the same barriers they had before, whether it’s getting kids to eat fruits and veggies or finding the time to prepare them.

But what if pediatricians asked families to change how they eat? Isn’t this what has really changed over the last 40 years? We no longer make feeding ourselves — and our families — a priority. Telling parents to start by having regular meals and snacks at the kitchen table is a great start. They can gradually add more variety including fruits and veggies.

But if children continue to graze on food, eat while watching TV, or are allowed to grab food out of the cupboard when they are bored, they are much more likely to get more calories than their bodies need. And why should we wait for a high BMI to give this advice?

2. Keep a watchful eye on eating disorders: According to The Alliance of Eating Disorders Awareness, eating disorders affect 24 million Americans. Young women with an eating disorder are 12 times more likely to die than other women their age. The most common behavior that leads to an eating disorder is dieting. Fifty-one percent of 9 and 10- year olds feel better when on a diet and 42% of 1st and 3rd grade girls want to be thin.

So very young children already have a desire to be thin. We need to watch the way we talk to our children and let them know that health is most important, not looks or weight. Pediatricians also need to be careful in how they relate messages when they find a child is overweight. I will be running an eating disorder prevention series this month to discuss ways parents can help prevent eating disorders in their children so stay tuned.

3. Size discrimination is a problem: The last acceptable form of prejudice is size discrimination. This movement could make people even more critical of those who carry excess weight. We need to educate our children that people come in all shapes and sizes. While BMI can be a helpful tool, some kids may be considered overweight but still be healthy because they are naturally bigger. Just the way some children fall off the growth charts because they are small. What we want to avoid is kids gaining an unnatural amount of weight for their body type.

4. Restrictive feeding practices don’t work with kids: With more pediatricians telling parents their children have a weight problem, some parents may start restricting their kids’ eating, which is really a form of dieting. Research shows such practices backfire, making children more likely to overeat and gain weight.

Encouraging healthy behaviors for the whole family is vital. Singling out an overweight child can do long-term damage to their self esteem, make them obsess about food and increase their risk of developing an eating disorder. All members of the family benefit from healthy habits, whether or not they carry excess weight.

So that’s it. Just some thoughts I wanted to get out there. Now I feel better.

What do you think about all this? Any solutions you want Michelle Obama to know about?

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