Happy Earth Day! Today is the 50th Anniversary of this cool day celebrating Earth and support for environmental protection. Since many of you are at home right now with your kids, this is a great day to learn about the Earth but also get some activity doing so with a scavenger hunt! It’s also a beautiful day to be outside!
Grandma Gerry (my mom) took my boys on a scavenger hunt in the yard. Some things they had to find were: flower, water, tree, spiderweb, antler (Corbin is demonstrating this one ;)), nest, bug, leaf, butterfly, rocks, grass, flower, dirt, water, cloud, etc. Some of these were staged and others not. Do a simple google search for lists to help you! This is a fun way to learn and be active!
Spring is finally here! With longer days and warmer temperatures brings the chance to get outside and enjoy some physical activity. Along with a well-balanced eating plan, exercise is important both for losing weight and maintaining an overall healthy body and mind.
It is recommended that adults engage in a minimum of 150 minutes each week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 90 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity a week. With planning ahead and setting aside time, you can easily fit 30-60 minutes of aerobic activity into your routine most days of the week. Examples of moderate-intensity aerobic activities: walking, water aerobics, bicycling (under 5 mph), tennis (doubles), or ballroom dancing. Examples of vigorous-intensity activities: race-walking, jogging, running, swimming laps, bicycling (faster than 10 mph), tennis (singles), or aerobic dancing. Be sure to chose an activity you enjoy doing!! I included some pictures of my son Corbin–he loves being active–running, playing tag, biking, soccer, you name it, he loves it. Sitting still is not his specialty–something we could learn from! 😉
Thumbs up for his new bike! And yes, he does have a helmet, just wasn’t wearing it for the picture! 🙂
Choose activities that you will enjoy and can fit into your daily schedule. If you are starting from little to no daily physical activity, begin with five to ten minutes per day. Then increase your duration every week by 10-minute increments until you are up to 30-60 minutes most days of the week. It is important to remember good nutrition is needed for physical performance; carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water are all a part of a well-balanced and healthy diet. No excuses anymore now that the weather is getting nicer!! Get out and get moving!!
We talked about gardening yesterday and I mentioned it’s a great time to start one and I feel the same about the topic of meal planning–now is a great time to work on this!! We are home more so it allows us to have more time to do this. We can’t go to a restaurant to eat out (we can order take out at a lot of places though and that can be figured into your planning). Kids activities are not going on in the evenings, etc. In addition, supplies are limited in the grocery store, and if you are ordering online for pickup, many places require you to order several days in advance…..thus resulting in the great skill of PLANNING!!! I am a big proponent of meal planning as it really does help us make better choices but it also helps us manage the pocket book better. Here are some tips to get you started:
1. Think about your schedule. When are you going to be home for supper, when can you prep some food to make it easier, can you do any batch cooking, etc. Figure that into your planning.
2. Write down your choices for each day. You can plan out each meal or just supper–whatever works best for you (something is better than nothing!). Ask your family for input and have them help with the choices and prep. School age children at home can help with this!
3. Make your meals balanced: think about MyPlate–1/2 your plate fruits and veggies, 1/4 lean protein, 1/4 grains/starches. Figure that into your planning. I personally always start with the meat and work my way around with adding everything in.
4. Incorporate take out options and/or leftovers into your menu if you’d like.
5. Allow for some flexibility in case you change your mind with what you feel like that day!
6. Each week, look at your plan and make appropriate steps for you to follow it. Ie- take meat out of the freezer to unthaw, wash and chop the veggies so they are ready to go, brown the hamburger, slow cook the pork loin, etc. These little steps will make following the plan easier on you.
Here are a few ideas that I have done lately: Pork loin in the crockpot slow cooked—can eat a few meals out of this, sandwiches, plain with a side, etc. Spaghetti with a salad Scalloped potatoes and ham with a side of veggies (I used leftover ham from Easter). Slow cook chicken in the crockpot to shred and use for salads, quesadillas, tacos, casseroles, etc. These are simple things….it doesn’t have to be hard…..just take a little bit of time to put your mind and efforts to it! We can get into the habit of doing this now while we’re home more and it’ll stick with us when we go back to a busier routine! If you need any help, don’t hesitate to contact me! I do offer telemed visits as well! -Kelsey
Homegrown gardens are a great way to teach children about how food is grown and where it comes from and get them interested in healthy foods. Children are more likely to try a food that they have seen grow from a small seed. Now more than ever is a great time to start a garden. We are home more, food supply is limited in the store, it’s a great way to get some activity and fresh air, and help us eat healthy!! You can order seed online if you don’t want to go to a store.
Get your family involved!! Let them help you plant, groom, and care for the garden! There are many tasks children can do in the garden setting such as planting the seeds, pulling weeds, or watering the plants. Get them involved and help teach them where our food comes from! My mom has a great green thumb (better than I do!) and she is sharing that love and skill with my son Corbin. I am sure Carson will enjoy grandma’s garden too as he gets bigger. Here are a few of my favorite pictures of her garden harvests. The above one is of her butternut squash harvest a few years ago. Mmmm, my favorite squash!
Pumpkins and gords are my favorite part of the garden! We always have to take a picture with the harvest each fall!Halloween 2019 – Buzz and Woody showing off Grandma’s pumpkins.
Tomatoes which she makes into all kinds of goodies.
Grandma’s flower garden makes for some pretty cool pictures too!
It’s supposed to warm up next week so be sure to get out and take advantage of it! Maybe can’t garden today, but soon you can!! -Kelsey
We all know we are supposed to eat fruits and veggies…and more of them, but the actually doing it part we struggle with. Today’s post gives you some ideas on ways to get your 5 servings a day of fruits and veggies. Remember one serving is equal to 1 cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked. Fruits and veggies are loaded with vitamins and minerals and aid in disease prevention. Including more fruits and veggies in your diet doesn’t have to be a challenging task! And now is a great time to work on improving your intake with more of them since we are home more right now!! Here are some suggestions to help you boost your intake.
1. Variety abounds when using vegetables as pizza topping. Try broccoli, spinach, green peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms and zucchini. 2. Mix up a breakfast smoothie made with low-fat milk, frozen strawberries and a banana.
3. Make a veggie wrap with roasted vegetables and low-fat cheese rolled in a whole-wheat tortilla.
4. Try crunchy vegetables instead of chips with your favorite low-fat salad dressing for dipping.
5. Grill colorful vegetable kabobs packed with tomatoes, green and red peppers, mushrooms and onions.
6. Add color to salads with baby carrots, grape tomatoes, spinach leaves or mandarin oranges.
7. Keep cut vegetables handy for mid-afternoon snacks, side dishes, lunch box additions or a quick nibble while waiting for dinner. Ready-to-eat favorites: red, green or yellow peppers, broccoli or cauliflower florets, carrots, celery sticks, cucumbers, snap peas or whole radishes.
8. Place colorful fruit where everyone can easily grab something for a snack-on-the-run. Keep a bowl of fresh, just ripe whole fruit in the center of your kitchen or dining table.
9. Get saucy with fruit. Puree apples, berries, peaches or pears in a blender for a thick, sweet sauce on grilled or broiled seafood or poultry, or on pancakes, French toast or waffles.
10. Stuff an omelet with vegetables. Turn any omelet into a hearty meal with broccoli, squash, carrots, peppers, tomatoes or onions with low-fat sharp cheddar cheese.
11. “Sandwich” in fruits and vegetables. Add pizzazz to sandwiches with sliced pineapple, apple, peppers, cucumber and tomato as fillings.
12. Wake up to fruit. Make a habit of adding fruit to your morning oatmeal, ready-to-eat cereal, yogurt or toaster waffle.
13. Top a baked potato with beans and salsa or broccoli and low-fat cheese.
14. Microwave a cup of vegetable soup as a snack or with a sandwich for lunch.
15. Add grated, shredded or chopped vegetables such as zucchini, spinach and carrots to lasagna, meat loaf, mashed potatoes, pasta sauce and rice dishes.
16. Make fruit your dessert: Slice a banana lengthwise and top with a scoop of low-fat frozen yogurt. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of chopped nuts.
17. Stock your freezer with frozen vegetables to steam or stir-fry for a quick side dish.
18. Make your main dish a salad of dark, leafy greens and other colorful vegetables. Add chickpeas or edamame (fresh soybeans). Top with low-fat dressing.
19. Fruit on the grill: Make kabobs with pineapple, peaches and banana. Grill on low heat until fruit is hot and slightly golden.
20. Dip: Whole wheat pita wedges in hummus, baked tortilla chips in salsa, strawberries or apple slices in low-fat yogurt, or graham crackers in applesauce.
Source: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: www.eatright.org. http://www.eatright.org/nnm/handoutsandtipsheets/#.UyHnjs47Bw0 -Kelsey
