Eating Like My Kids: I did it!

I did it! I ate like my kids all week. I recommend all moms try this -- I fed them healthier and I ate healthier. I actually had much more energy than normal -- I was eating about every 3-4 hours and trying to stay away from processed foods. Also, I realized that they eat much more fruit than I do. I make sure every snack includes a fruit - since I do not typically snack often, I was not getting as much fruit as my kids. So, last week I ate about 5 servings of fruits a day -- if everyone did this, based on population studies, we would have a lot less heart disease and other chronic illnesses. There are several good habits from last week that I will continue --
-- Eating breakfast sitting with the kids instead of in the car while driving them to school
-- Snacking on fruits, nuts and seeds in the morning and afternoon
-- Eating my meals at the same time everyday
-- Eating at least 5 fruits a day (I typically do hit 5 fruits and veggies a day but this takes me to a whole new level)
Looking at my list, I realize that these are recommendation that I typically give to my clients -- as much as I try to practice what I preach, as you can see, there is always room for improvement.
So, here is your challenge -- eat like your kids for a week and let us know what stuck. I already know of one mom considering the "Eat Like My Kids" Challenge -- a fellow blogger from mom-for-ma-tion.

Eating Junk Food During Pregnancy - Bad Idea

A study just published shows a link between what you eat during pregnancy and breastfeeding and your child's future eating habits. "Our study has shown that eating large quantities of junk food when pregnant and breastfeeding could impair the normal control of appetite and promote an exacerbated taste for junk food in offspring," says lead author Dr Stéphanie Bayol. "This could send offspring on the road to obesity and make the task of teaching healthy eating habits in children even more challenging." Now, this study is interesting but it used rats so the results would need to be verified in humans. Click here for the report.

Two Angry Moms...making a difference

Check out Two Angry Moms...these women are on a mission to make school meals healthier. They are asking parents to join their children for lunch at their schools the week of Oct 15-19th and ask questions about the food and ingredients. You can also ask for a copy of their wellness policy.

New Report by the USDA: Creative Solutions for Controlling the Purchase of Unhealthy Foods

I just came across an interesting report (click here to access a more in-depth review of the report) by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) with proposed methods of helping consumers choose healthier foods -- I must admit, it is one of the more creative (government) solutions to the obesity epidemic yet. It mainly has to do with helping adjust behavior vs. more education. It may work for those who struggle with the temptation to purchase unhealthy foods (which is pretty much everyone).
Here are some of their suggestions --
*using a prepaid "healthy card" in grocery stores and schools - an example would be limiting the purchase of treats and sodas or at least keeping them to a minimum. Also, the report states that in schools it could be pre-determined what portion of the card had to be spent on fruits and vegetables.
*portion sizes - we get it.
*on-line grocery shopping -- this could help avoid the temptation of buying less healthful foods at the store, you would simply drive up and pick up your order.