Getting Kids to Eat Fruits and Vegetables

Greetings!

You want to make sure your child is eating enough fruits and vegetables, but kids just don’t want to go near them.  Some parents resort to hiding fruits and vegetables in kid-friendly foods.  But some nutrition experts feel that if kids don’t know they are eating this good food, they may never make the connection to eat it in the future.

Be sure you are setting a good example by eating fruits and vegetables in front of your child, as children who see adults eating healthy foods are more apt to try them.  But if the only way your picky eater will go near fruits and vegetables is if they are hidden in your family recipes, then try these tips:

Getting Fruits & Veggies into Kids


So...try and keep it fun!  Plus, eat good food with your kids and soon they will be doing it themselves.


Have a great day!

Deborah Mumm

Healthy Environments

Fruits & Veggies in Capsule Form

4 Organic Food Labels you should Know!

There are 4 organic food labels you should know when you buy 'organic'.

This the most important label you should see when you get organic foods.
The USDA Organic seal is your best assurance of organic quality, and it's the international gold standard for organic personal care. Where personal care products are concerned, if you don’t see the USDA Certified Organic seal, the word “organic” doesn’t mean a thing. It must specify USDA to be meaningful. The ingredients in USDA certified beauty products are certified organic for food, adhering to much stricter standards as they are intended specifically for human consumption.

Growers and manufacturers of organic products bearing the USDA seal have to meet the strictest standards of any of the currently available organic labels.

There are 3 other organic labels in which it shows the food is at least 95% pure. Be sure and take a look at them here... Organic Labels

So...next time you are at the store to buy Organic Foods, check the labels! Maybe now you know what they mean.

Deborah Mumm, The Allergy Queen

Healthy Environments, Inc.

10 Super Health Foods

10 Easy to Find Super Health Foods

These ten health foods are some of the healthiest that fit within these three criteria....
* Are a good source of fiber, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.
* Are high in phytonutrients and antioxidants, like Vitamins A and E and beta carotene.
* May help reduce the risk of heart disease and other health conditions.

These 10 Super foods are all easy to find too! They are listed here in alphabetical order.

1) Apples ~ Apples are a wonderful souce of soluble fiber that can help lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels. They are are a great source of Vitamin C... an antioxidant that protects your body's cells from damage.

2) Almonds ~ Almonds are packed with nutrients - fiber, riboflavin, magnesium, iron and calcium. Almonds have more calcium than any other nut. They are also good for your heart. They have monounsaturated fat which is a healthier type of fat that helps to lower blood cholesterol levels.

3) Blueberries ~ Blueberries are a rich source of plant compounds. Blueberries may help prevent urinary tract infections. They also help improve short-term memory and promote healthy aging.

4) Broccoli ~ Broccoli is a great source of Vitamins A and C. It is also a good source of calcium, potassium, folate and fiber.

5) Red Beans ~ Red beans, like small red beans and dark red kidney beans, are good sources of iron, magnesium, phosphorus, copper and thiamin. They are a great low fat source of protein and fiber. Red beans may help prevent chronic diseases like heart diesease and cancer.

6) Salmon ~ Salmon is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids - a type of fat that makes your blood less likely to form clots that can cause heart attacks. Omega-3's also protect against irregular heartbeats that may cause sudden cardiac death, lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of a stroke.

7) Spinach ~ Spinach is high in Vitamins A and C and folate. It's a good source of riboflavin, vitamin B-6, calcium, iron and magnesium. It may also keep your hair and skin healthy.

8) Sweet Potatoes ~ Sweet Potatoes are high in the antioxidant beta carotene. These help slow the aging process and reduce the risk of some cancers. Sweet potatoes are a good source of fiber, Vitamins B-6, C and E, folate and potassium. Like all vegetables they are fat-free (until you add the butter) and low in calories.

9) Vegetable Juice ~ Vegetable juice has most of the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients found in the original vegetables and is an easy way to include vegetables in your diet. Tomato juice and vegetable juice includes tomatoes, which are a good source of lycopene, an antioxidant which may reduce the risk of heart attack and cancers. Some vegetable juices are high in sodium so read the label for the low-sodium variety.

10) Wheat Germ ~ At the center of the wheat grain is the wheat germ. It is a highly concentrated source of nutrients and also contains protein, fiber and some fat. It is easy to sprinkle in foods, cereals and mixes. It's good in pancakes.

http://www.healthy-environments.com/nutrition.asp

What's Wrong with Veggies & Fruits at the Store?

Here is a great article explaining why the fruits and veggies we eat now don't have the nutrition they had years ago. We need to supplement with QUALITY whole-foods-- which ones?

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The February issue of the Journal of HortScience published a report on the sad state of American fruits and veggies. As it turns out, our current bounty of fruits and veggies is poor in quality and taste—at least according to Donald R. Davis, a former research associate with the Biochemical Institute at the University of Texas, Austin. Davis claims the average vegetable found in today's supermarket is anywhere from 5% to 40% lower in minerals (including magnesium, iron, calcium and zinc) than those harvested just 50 years ago.

Davis reported that although it was difficult to examine “before” and “after” nutrient profiles, we clearly have less nutrition coming from our fruits and vegetables today.

Case #1: Don’t be fooled by the size of that apple! Today's vegetables might be larger, but if you think that means they contain more nutrients, you'd be wrong,” stated Davis. Jumbo-sized produce contains more "dry matter" than anything else, which dilutes mineral concentrations.

Case #2: Plants have experienced a genetic dilution effect. Selective breeding to increase crop yield has led to declines in protein, amino acids, and as many as six minerals in one study of commercial broccoli. There is no assurance that dozens of other nutrients and thousands of phytochemicals will all increase in proportion to yield.

Case #3: With more chemical fertilizers and pesticides being used on modern crops, plants are being harvested faster than ever before and that means the produce has less time to absorb nutrients either from synthesis or the soil.

Davis finds it ironic that as billions of people around the world are suffering from malnutrition, efforts to increase food production have actually produced food that is nutritionally bankrupt.

This study is just another reason that I support the use of Juice Plus+, a whole foods supplement made from raw fruits and veggies. It’s been carefully tested for herbicides and pesticides and is backed up by plenty of research to show it gets into our bloodstream and works. Doesn’t it make sense, then, to enhance our intake with concentrated whole foods nutrition?

Kim Dalzell, PhD, RD, LD

www.naturesanswertocancer.com

Deborah Mumm, The Allergy Queen.... www.info4juiceplus.com

How can I get my Family to eat Fruits & Veggies every day?

As a mom of 5 kids, I know how difficult it is to always have a good, healthy meal every day. Football practice, school projects, errands to run...all make it hard to plan a meal that everyone can sit down to and enjoy.

Did you know that we are supposed to eat 7 fruits and vegetables each day? That doesn't mean 7 bites either. Even 7 is a low number with pesticides, pollution and early picking of produce affecting the nutritional value of our fruits & veggies.

We recently started using Juice Plus. It is a natural whole-food supplement with 17 fruits & veggies. They are easy to take and my kids don't mind getting some of their nutrition this way. The gummy type chewables are a real hit! They taste so good I have to hide them so Alex won't eat the whole jar. Even my teenagers want to eat them!

Do you want to read a little more about Juice Plus?

If you are a parent like me, you'll be glad to have a supplement like this available for families.

http://www.info4juiceplus.com/

So...go have a nectarine or something and take a look at the studies backing these supplements. It is impressive!

Have a healthy day!

Deborah Mumm

The Allergy Queen

http://www.info4juiceplus.com/