January 6, 2010 --
After all the delicious sweets and family favorites of the holidays, January brings the reality that you need to take a look at the scales and your weekly menus to make healthier choices for you and your family. However it’s not always fun to have to make the menu, cut the coupons, cook the meal, and then wait for the feedback from your children who ask if they really have to eat “that?” That’s why planning, preparing and eating as a family may be the real answer to making healthy changes that will actually stick. Easier said than done, right?
Last week I had the chance with one of my clients to attend a special recipe showcase presented by Fuel Up to Play 60. The program which is presented by the NFL, Dairy Council and DairyMax to challenge kids to get motivated about eating nutritional food an exercising 60 minutes a day with games and activities to receive prizes to win a trip to Super Bowl XLV. I can only wish that this program was in my school when I was growing up (which wasn’t that long agoJ). NFL players like Bradie James and Daryl Johnson visit the school and talk about how their food and exercise changes are what make it possible and fun activities are integrated into their curriculum that make it cool to eat and be healthy. This is a far cry from the pizza pockets, Skittles and cokes that we chugged down in middle school.
The FUTP60 showcase was one of the prizes from the most recent challenges to create a recipe that was healthy to make and that kids would enjoy eating. A local group of kids from Grapevine Middle School were selected as one of the winners for their kid-approved, kid-friendly recipe for “Gobble it Up” Lasagna and now were cooking and serving their recipe along with some other winning recipes with celebrity Chef Jon Ashton at their school for some special guests. The kids did a great job and the food was actually really tasty as well as had a precious presentation. The lasagna, of course, was the spotlight and rightfully so since who can go wrong with lasagna, yet a yummy pumpkin granola parfait almost reminded me of the Thanksgiving pumpkin pie – without the crust or the calories. During the presentation, the kids, along with Chef Ashton, gave us some helpful tips for cooking healthy and kid-friendly. However, the only thing the presentation didn’t include were tips to get the kids excited about clipping coupons or washing dishes. Perhaps we need to work on that and it include a special curriculum for dads too!
So why not challenge your family to make and eat dinner tonight! Try favorites like pizza with low-fat cheeses and veggies or a “Gobble it Up” Lasagna! It may be a real touchdown!
To get the recipes from the Fuel Up to Play 60 Recipe Challenge: http://www.dairymax.org/recipes.aspx.
To get your kids or school involved with the Fuel Up to Play 60 Program: http://www.fueluptoplay60.com
