Quick and Healthy Breakfasts for Kids

So, the parties are over. We've almost recovered. I'm still nursing a bruised tailbone. I'd tell you the story about how I fell in Wal-Mart, but it's too embarrassing. Especially the part about how my bags of party stuff went everywhere and I shot a mean look to the woman who tried to help me because she was talking too loud, and like I said, it was all so embarrassing, so I'm not going to tell you about it.

I thought instead I better jump in here with some useful information for a change.

Healthy breakfasts for the kids. I can't say enough about how important it is for your little darlin' to start his or her day with nutritous, substantial food. Essential.

Why do kids need to eat a healthy breakfast?

• Nutritious foods are "brain foods," so kids will stay more alert and perform better in school
• Eating early keeps weight under control by kick-starting metabolism
• Better nutrition means less sickness
• Kids will have "full feeling" longer with a low-sugar breakfast
• Economic value of eating at home

Now, I hear what you're saying, and don't think I can't see you shaking your head over there on the other side of my computer. But there isn't time. There just isn't tiiiime, if only we had time to fix healthy breakfasts, but we don't. No time at all.

Go back and read my fancy bulleted list. Healthy breakfasts are important, worth making the time. I've put together a list of quick, healthy breakfasts that will help you send your kiddies on their way when time is short.

• Whole grain cereal with milk, topped with fruit (choose cereal with whole grain as first ingredient)
• Yogurt parfaits (layer yogurt/fruit/granola or whole grain cereal in a clear up, because even little kids appreciate presentation)
• Whole grain waffle, topped with fruit and 100% maple syrup (a little goes a long way) OR whole grain waffle topped with peanut butter
• Breakfast bar (choose lowest-sugar option, again choose a whole grain option), fruit and milk
• Oatmeal and boiled egg

Some of you may need tips on motivating kids to eat breakfast.

• Present several options, and let them choose
• Discuss the night before what they might like for breakfast
• Consider filling out a menu for the week

I'm all about the lists today!

Got any questions? I'll be glad to tackle them for you. Also, stay tuned... I'm doing a fancy product review soon. I'll also post a few pics from the birthday chaos. Don't worry. One of them will not be my bruised tailbone.

Working Healthy Eating into the Conversation

Time for a healthy eating tip! (**Reminder... I sort of have this business, that sort of deals with this kind of thing, I tend to digress a lot, and my kids distract me, so I'll try harder to consider those of you who visit my blog to learn about something other than Red's potty triumphs, Blondie's pink eye, or Biscuit's Halloween costume drama.) So, let's get to it.


Ever hear the rumor that kids who sit down to dinner with the family, versus with the T.V., are more likely to develop healthy eating habits? Look here and here to see this is no rumor, but true as can be. I'm a big believer in this I also believe there is even more you can do as a parent to help your kids eat healthy, which brings me to my big point...


A great way to help your kids eat healthy is to talk about healthy eating away from the dinner table.


Here's a true story.


Little Red crawled into bed with us one morning, and in the midst of kisses and snuggles, we examined our hands.


Red: Your hands are big, Mommy. My hands are little.

Mommy: You're right. And one day your hands will be big like mine. Probably even bigger.

Red: **giggle**

Mommy: That's because you're growing up fast.

Red: Like Biscuit?

Mommy: Just like Biscuit. Do you know why you're getting so big?

Red: (look of interest)

Mommy: Because you eat things like broccoli and noodles and drink lots of milk.

Red: And suckers don't make me big?

Mommy: Not big and strong.

Red: Bananas make me strong.

Mommy: Bananas, peppers, rice, oatmeal...


And this continued. Until he got tired of naming off all the foods he could think of.


Now, to me, this conversation came very natural. Because I eat, sleep and breathe the subject every day. For you other hard-working parents, who might have other things on their mind besides SuperNoots, it's a conscious effort to have conversations like this, but imagine the benefits.


When kids are little, the last thing they need are parents lecturing them on why Cheerios will reduce their cholesterol, or why there are starving children in Ethiopia who would give anything for a bite of broccoli. However, working in relevant, encouraging conversations like these into your child's life make a tremendous impact on their eating habits.



Okay, now I have to throw this in, especially for my California friend, Francesca, who is constantly amused by my East Tennessee antics...


Once upon a time, one of our children touched an outlet. No harm done, but an adult, who shall remain nameless, said, "Don't mess with plugs." I realize this statement would only be made south of the Mason-Dixon line, so to clarify its meaning, these four words mean touching an outlet is dangerous so don't do it. That being said, after Red and I rattled off healthy foods in the aforementioned conversation, he said,


Red: And when I get big I can mess with plugs?

Mommy: **laughing** Yes, when you get big you can mess with plugs.

Red: **pause** And blinds?

Mommy: **more laughing**

Red: And lamps?


And so it went, until he named off all the no-no's in his little life. My favorite?


Red: And EggNog's tail?

You Gotta Do What You Gotta Do

Welcome, Rocks in my Dryer readers! Not a reader yet? You should be! Shannon hosts a link-fest every Wednesday where bloggers share things that, well, work for them. Works-for-me Wednesday

Does your little one eat lunch at school? Most schools provide a lunch menu to keep you informed, but how do you know they're not on a daily diet of nothing but corn and chocolate milk? Or chicken nuggets, ketchup, ketchup, and more ketchup?

Well, you ask them, right?

And the answer to the "What did you have for lunch?" question will come back as a shoulder shrug, a barely audible "I dunno," or just a frustratingly consistent case of lunchtime memory loss.

My advice, which you know is definitely just two cents worth, is to keep asking. Not in a pushy, shoulders-up-against-the-wall kind of way, but in a I'm-interested-in-what-you're-eating-because-it's-important kind of way.

If showing interest and asking questions doesn't inspire your kid to report on lunch, try these...

1. Threaten to install a video camera in the lunchroom.
2. Threaten to pay a teacher to report on what they eat, and any other interesting information they pick up.
3. Threaten to call and ask the boy whose name she doodled exactly what she ate for lunch.

Hey, you know I'm here to help. Your kids can thank me later.

Kidding aside, I truly believe it is worth the annoyed looks and eye rolls to consistently communicate with kids what they're eating. Use the conversations as teaching moments, and if you need help on what to teach them about healty eating, call your Pediatrician right now and ask the office to mail you any information they have.

I wanted to give you a few shots of Biscuit giving a good ol' fashioned shrug and eyeroll, but this is as close as we got...

Nothing but giggles after this...

Healthy Breakfasts / In Love with Consumer Reports

Several years ago, TDH fell in love...

with Consumer Reports.

The obsession began much to my dismay, as everything I wanted to purchase had to be filtered through his "Consumer-Reports-brain." You might think buying a hair dryer would be left up to me and my female expertise, but I was literally running from TDH the moment he started asking, "Did you go online to see which one would last the longest?"

It wasn't until a rotten thief at the zoo stole my digital camera and video camera (out of my double stroller... it was awful) that I found myself in desperate need of TDH's Consumer Reports expertise. For him, a priceless moment.

To make a long story short, I must say I fell a little in love myself.

SO, now that I actually read Consumer Reports magazine instead of throwing it in my husband's pile, I came across their recent ratings of kids' cereal.

Here are the cereals rated VERY GOOD (relatively low in sugar, some fiber, high in iron, source of calcium)...

Cheerios (General Mills)
Kix (General Mills)
Life (Quaker Oats)
Honey Nut Cheerios (General Mills)

And now, just because I know you're curious, the big fat losers...

Froot Loops (Kellogg's)
Golden Crisp (Post)
Honey Smacks (Kellogg's)
Corn Pops (Kellogg's)

If your little one is addicted to a sugary cereal, it would be in everyone's best interest, i.e. you, kid, teacher, bus driver, to put him or her through a little low-sugar therapy. If they resist, try compromising by mixing half sugary cereal and half low-sugar cereal.

I truly believe it is absolutely essential for kids to start off their day with a low-sugar breakfast. Sending kids off to school with a breakfast like oatmeal in their tummies will help them have more energy and improve their learning capability.

Here are what my kids choose from in the morning (5 year old and 2 year old twins)...

Cheerios/milk/fruit

whole grain waffle/frozen blueberries (when you defrost them in the microwave, they create a kind of syrupy juice that will substitute for unhealthy syrup)

yogurt/fruit/granola

Flat-Out wrap (whole grain)/ turkey/cheese

oatmeal/raisins

eggs/toast with feta cheese (I know, most kids don't like feta, but mine are half Greek, so there you go)

What are some healthy options you choose for your kids in the morning?

**DISCLAIMER** It is important to note here that I am not perfect, even though after I reread this post I appear to be. Not only am I not perfect, but there are mornings where my children will not only throw their oatmeal on the floor in protest of the wrong color spoon, but shoot me a look to kill for even thinking yellow was better than red. I also have been known to give my kids bowls of dry Cheerios to eat in the car on a particularly hurried morning. I also have been known to put M&M's in oatmeal when out of raisins to avoid meltdown. So, again, there you go.

Teach Kids to Eat Healthy Now, Prevent Drug Use Later

Here's the scenario.

Little Red hates corn.

But my rule at the dinner table is everybody tastes everything in order to get their cookie.

I don't serve corn very often, and when I do, I sympathize with Red's dilemma and I will even add butter to make it more enticing. Biscuit and Blondie love corn, so I keep it coming, hoping one day Red will give in and eat it.

Tonight, however, at the dinner table, Red would not eat his corn. We all tried different tactics... I went with gentle persuasion, Biscuit dramatically demonstrated how he eats corn, TDH tried hypnosis with a cookie, and Blondie yelled, Eat it! Eat it! Eat it!

He would not give in, however, and we all ate our cookies in front of him. He sat, motionless, expressionless, and if his grandmothers had been present, they would have cried their eyes out.

Even though my cold, mean mommy heart had melted into my shoes, I had a wonderful glimpse into his future and I felt much better.

I am prepping him for peer pressure.

So, I'm sharing this thought with all the mean mommies and daddies, who feel like the scum of the earth when you deny sweets.

In fact, GREAT JOB! Not only are you giving your kids a leg up on their growth and development by pushing the healthy stuff, you are fine-tuning their resistance skills.

Now, on a personal note, I would like to introduce you to my little neice and goddaughter, who was born yesterday. (And, if you remember, the first picture in this blog!)




She's our beautiful, healthy little girl... we are truly blessed. Welcome, little one!

Here I am with my nephew. He's holding his little sister for the first time.

The 'I Don't Care' Routine

As parents, we've all been there.

You want your kid to get into the bathtub, so you mockingly put your hands on your hips, tilt your head to the side and say, "Whatever you do, don't get into that bathtub!" And then, 9 times out of 10, your kids, the independent stinkers that they are, will dive right in.

So it goes with food.

If your kid is wise to the "Whatever you do, don't..." routine, take note of this tactic. I title it, the I-Don't-Care routine. In my opinion, it's even more powerful.

Take note.

Kid: I'm not going to eat my peas.
You: Good, because I was hoping you wouldn't. (It is important to NOT make eye contact, keep your voice monotone, and throw in a good shoulder shrug)

In my experience, kids are totally bewildered by this statement. The same kid who can stand his ground against the "Whatever you do, don't..." routine will be confused by this complete lack of sensitivity. He won't really know how to take it, and in effort to figure you out will repeat his obstinate decree...

Kid: I SAID I'm not going to eat my peas.
You: At this point, dragging the back of your hand across your forehead with a giant sigh of relief is very effective.

What will eventually happen? The first few times, nothing. No peas will be eaten. What you've done, though, is mystified the peas. The wheels in those little heads will not rest until they've figured out WHY you don't want them to eat the peas. When they ask, when they show interest in why, that's when you lower the bomb. Again, take note.

Kid: Why don't you want me to eat my peas?
You: Because they make you run faster and quite frankly, I like it better when I can catch up to you.

You've accomplished two impossibles here. More than likely, he will teach you a lesson and eat those darn peas, and also he now knows that peas make him strong.

He'll also get to move a veggie magnet on his SuperNoots chart, and with that visual serving as a reminder, he will start the process of thinking he's a veggie eater.

Now, of course this will not work for every kid. There are those stinkers out there who have mastered the "Whatever you do, don't" routine, the "I don't care" routine, and have even moved on to the "All your friends are doing it, why don't you?" routine (I don't really endorse this one).

For those of you still on levels 1 and 2 of parental persuasion tactics, give this one a try and let me know how it goes! L

Strike While the Kid is Hungry...

(not to be interpreted as beating your child into eating vegetables)

I just mean that the dreadful hour before dinner time is the perfect opportunity to lure your kids into the raw veggie world. If they're starving out of their minds while you stir the sauce, you won't feel bad if there's a plate of baby carrots on the counter.

What is your world like when you're home alone with the kids, trying to prepare a healthy meal? Are you cooking with one hand and one leg? Are you sauteing the noodles and boiling the onions because you can't concentrate with all the screaming kids? If you're like me, you question which is more important... a healthy meal for the kids, or your own sanity.

When the kids are this rowdy due to exhaustion and hunger, give them healthy food to nibble on to carry them over. What a great problem solver! Try these snack ideas for that witching hour before dinner:

- baby carrots or sliced peppers (ranch dip if necessary)
- whole grain crackers (not whole grain goldfish), and look for the lowest amount of sugar
- edamame (slightly salted or a squeeze of lemon)
- milk
- boiled egg (keep a stash in the refrigerator, boiled eggs keep for 4-5 days)

If you are struggling to get your little ones to try healthy food, this is what I call striking while they're hungry. Just remember to not back down when they scream for a gogurt (do they still make those things?). If they truly are hungry, kids will eat the carrots. L

So your kid does not like all things bread...

I personally can't imagine it, but according to one of our blog readers, it's true. If your little one turns up her nose at sandwiches, noodles, rice... well, I must say I feel for you, because I don't know what I would do!

First of all, you might mention this to your pediatrician on your next visit. I've always believed kids are great at listening to their bodies, and maybe her body is telling her not to eat it. It may be, though, that she doesn't like the texture or taste for that matter, so after you've ruled out all things medical, then here's my advice...

Since whole grains are essential, I mean really essential, to our growth and development, then I would work hard at finding ways to fit them into her diet. Read one of my favorite articles on whole grains to see all the medical details (http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/the-whole-truth-about-whole-grains). All these reasons will make sense to you, but to your kid, decreasing her risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer may not be that motivating. That's why my MOM ADVICE is to make it all about the poop.

What? Did she really just say that?

Yes, I did! It's all about the poop!

Biscuit will not appreciate me saying this, but he is obsessed with his poop (I hear Oprah is obsessed, too). Biscuit and Oprah know what healthy poop looks like, and they also know that eating whole grains is the way to keep poop looking healthy. When Biscuit's poop is a c-shaped solid brown poop, then we have a little celebration. I tell him he must have eaten his whole grains, because his body is happy and telling him about it. (It is NOT a mom lie to tell your kids their bodies talk to them via their poop).

SO, analyzing her poop may not be the most ladylike thing she'll ever do in her life, but it will be one of the most beneficial. If her poop is less than healthy-looking, encourage her to eat more whole grains. If she follows through and has poop that would make Oprah jealous, then offer her a reward of her favorite activity or have a new toy stashed away for the occasion.

Of course, the down side of talking so much about poop is the 'preschool effect.' Go ahead and clear a space on your counter for the note from her teacher. She'll without a doubt feel the need to educate her friends on good-looking poop, and might even want to give her friends a free poop analysis. SO, you might want to work in a little discussion about poop-talk etiquette.

OK, BLOG READERS!!! Let's help this mom out by giving her some ideas for how to make whole grains more appealing... that is, if you can stomach talking about food right now :) Lori

SuperNoots will help you define 'healthy' for your kids

How often have we told our kids 'no' to having a treat, and then follow up with the explanation, "It's not healthy." 'Healthy' is an abstract concept for kids, and it's not exactly consoling to be denied Skittles over something they don't understand.

How about this for an explanation...

"Mommy, can I have Skittles?"
"It looks like you've already filled up your treat spot, so let's pick out a healthy food you like in the snack pack (or on the shopping list). Would you like to have Skittles for your treat tomorrow?"

What you've done...
1. You nipped a meltdown in the bud by not denying him the treat he wanted, you only postponed it. When kids have a visual like our chart, they can see that yes, they will have the chance to eat Skittles tomorrow to fill up their treat spot.
2. You taught him what healthy means by showing him foods good for his body on the shopping list and/or snack pack. In no time he'll be able to tell the difference between a healthy food and a not-so-healthy food.
3. You subtracted one 'NO' from your vocabulary today.
4. You kept the philosophy of SuperNoots going by offering choices and reminding him that he is in control of his eating (as long as he sticks to his chart!).

OK, on a SuperNoots business note, we are looking forward to an article coming out in May in the Knoxville Business Journal. Victoria and I will be featured alongside Lima Bean Baby and Stroller Strides... what an honor! The article will be written by the fabulous Laura Ayo, and she is more than just a writer... she makes up cool ways for her kids to eat healthy food! Check out her recipe find for edamame.
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=407501
She cuts eyes out of the cheese and adds shredded cheese to make a mouth, and calls it Monster Mash. Very creative!!

Does anyone have any ideas how to make veggies more enticing?

Have a great day! Lori