Raising Healthy Eaters: 5 Things You Should Never Do

When it comes to raising healthy eaters, there are lots of little strategies you can employ to steer your kids in the right direction—from taking them grocery shopping to making vegetables as present as possible at every meal. RELATED: 3 Quick and Easy Dinner Ideas for Kids But there are also things you really shouldn’t do. The “don’ts” are common behaviors you may not even think twice about, but they can have a real impact on your kids. Things like forcing them to finish their meals instead of teaching them how to understand their unique hunger cues. Or using food as the centerpiece of a reward system to encourage good behavior. (The last one is so prevalent it’s embedded in our culture. Give a crying kid a lollipop, right? Or promise them a cookie if they’ll just stop screaming in line at the bank?) RELATED: 3 Easy, Healthy Snacks Your Kids Will Actually Eat In this video, Keri shares her top 5 “don’ts” for raising healthy eaters, why each is important, and how to avoid them. Watch her explain, below. Raising Healthy Eaters: The Don’ts

5 Smart Tips to Get Kids to Eat Healthy

Your little ones might be overeaters, undereaters, picky eaters, or sugar obsessed. Whatever their hang ups, they’re likely not begging for kale salad—and most parents have a hard time teaching kids healthy eating habits. (You’re not alone!) While you may not be able to get them to believe roasted sweet potatoes are just as delicious as french fries by tomorrow, there are plenty of things you can do to steer them in the right direction now. RELATED: 3 Easy, Healthy Snacks Your Kids Will Actually Eat In this video, Keri shares five “dos” for getting picky kids to eat better. All of her tips are easy to incorporate into your normal routine right away, from taking them with you to the farmers’ market or grocery store (bonus: quality time together!) to getting them used to seeing vegetables at every. single. meal. They may not know you’re even pushing them in a healthier direction, but over the long-term, behaviors that align with eating well will be embedded in their lives. How to teach kids healthy eating habits: The Dos

The Busy Parent’s Guide to Healthy Snacks

When the kids come home from school, more often than not, they’re hungry and scavenging the kitchen for a quick snack. What’s a busy mom (or dad) to do? You need easy, interesting, healthy, and fast go-to’s…like a guide to healthy snacks! When it comes to snack time, especially for kids who may eat small amounts at meals, snacks are an equally important place to squeeze in nutrients. Half a sandwich eaten at lunch? The second half combined with a ½ cup of fruit may just be the perfect snack. Snack time is also the perfect time to sneak in a serving of veggies, which don’t need to make an appearance only at dinner time. Veggies contain fiber and antioxidants while being low in calories, and after school snack time is a key time to make sure your kids are feeding their brains. Broccoli rabe is a great source of vitamin K, known for its help in boosting cognitive function and brainpower. It also has high levels of vitamin C, proven to protect against brain degeneration. Before the kids have time to grab a bag of chips or the candy you try your best to keep stowed away, check out this guide to healthy snacks that you and your kiddies will love to dip, crunch, and snack on. And they’re all are packed with nutrients and can be made in 5 steps or less!   The Busy Parent’s Guide to Healthy Snacks Broccoli Rabe Quesadilla Broccoli Rabe Toast Beet Dip with Crudites Chickpea, Broccoli Rabe, Cucumber Salad  

3 Fast, Delicious & Healthy Lunch Ideas for You & Your Kids

Lunch ideas are one of the world’s most precious commodities. Ok, maybe that’s exaggerating. They’re only one of the world’s mom’s most precious commodities. It’s hard enough to figure out what you want for lunch and how you are going to eat healthy, never mind keeping up with your kids likes, jags, dislikes and gripes. The sight of their lunch boxes may make you cringe in the same way your email inbox does after a two week vacay. And your own brown bag? You’re lucky if it makes it out the door with you in the morning. For kids, lunch should be all smiles, rainbows and unicorns, but for the mom behind the meal, it can be a black cloud with no clearing in sight. I get it. I empathize. I make lunches all year, too, and it can get discouraging. But I can help. 3 Fast, Delicious & Healthy Lunch Ideas for You & Your Kids PB&J:  old school processed pb and sugary jelly smushed between white bread is kinda a nutrition nightmare. However, it can be transformed into a nutrition powerhouse before you can say JIFfy. This one will be the whole fam’s jam. Upgrade your nut butter (think almond butter, boutique nut butters, like Nutzzo or simply any natural pb) and spread the “P” on whole grain bread, Ezekiel bread, or high fiber crackers. While you’re at it, swap your sugar-filled jelly with freshly sliced strawberries (or you can have one of your nuggets mash ‘em for you), an all fruit spread or even dehydrated fruit for a little crunch. This modern way pulls out a bunch of the sugar and takes the nutrition up a notch with vitamin C and fiber. Fruit + Yogurt + Veggies: Who says you need meat to make a complete lunch box? This one, two, three and done lunch will take you less than minute (no joke) to prep. You’re welcome. A whole piece of fruit requires no assembly, packaging or cutting. Take your pick, apple, pear, banana (they’ll all give you antioxidants and fiber) and add it to a Chobani yogurt tube (your kids will thank you when they’re grown for not ignoring their protein and calcium consumption). Top the combo off with sweet mini peppers on the side (my kids pop these in their mouths like candy!). You can buy these antioxidant powerhouses in bulk and there is not one bit of cutting or slicing required. Satisfy your (yes, we’re lookin’ at you mom!) Mexican Craving: Chips, guac and enchiladas on your mind? I’ll save you the calories and the trip to the taqueria.  Chobani Greek Flip Sriracha Mango may just be your new partner to a margarita. This non-GMO yogurt has 12 grams of protein, no artificial sweeteners (woo hoo) and is exploding with flavor. But, you need something to replace that chip crunch, right? It’s got that too. It comes with Sriracha coated rice crisps and cashews – right there on the side! Make this a complete “meal” with protein, fiber, healthy fat and adequate calories by adding a handful of mixed nuts. Done and done. **this post was in partnership with Chobani**