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Back to School Healthy Lunches

Back to School Healthy Lunches

It’s back to school time and that means that you need to start thinking about your children’s lunches for this upcoming year. We are excited to share some back to school healthy lunches with you today!

Although school lunches get a bad rap by some, they are in fact very healthy as USDA guidelines ensure that school lunches have a variety of different colored vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, low-fat dairy and sodium regulations for the meals served in schools. So, if you are one of the millions of parents whose children eat school lunch, you can feel good about knowing that your children receive nutritious lunches at school.

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Healthy Halloween Hints!

Healthy Halloween Hints!

Halloween is fast approaching and let’s face it … this day can be a nightmare for any family trying to make healthy choices! The good news is, a little planning and foresight can take the fright out of the night. So try on these Halloween hints for size!

Here are a few Halloween hints to make your day safe and healthy!

  • Decide in advance what to do with the loot! A piece of candy isn’t a bad thing but a sugar coma from eating half a bag of candy is! How will you divvy up the goods? The danger isn’t just for the kids; it’s really easy for us adults to help ourselves to those treats as well.
  • Go Trick or Treating. Sure, you’re filling your bag with candy but you’re also out walking the neighborhood. Map out your streets and take the whole family out for an hour or so. Challenge yourselves to walk a certain number of miles while you’re out!
  • Make sure you wear reflective clothing or have flashlights on your family. Kids are excited and drivers are distracted, so do you best to make yourself visible.
  • Remember it’s a school night! Start early enough that your kids still get a good night’s sleep and limit their sugar intake. Your child’s teacher will thank you!
  • Lead by example. Find fun and healthy treats to give away at your house. We got some great ideas via facebook; from small bags of microwave popcorn, small boxes of whole grain cereal, fruit snacks, stickers and more! You’ll be glad when you don’t have left over candy lying around to tempt you too!

If you have any other Halloween hints, we’d love to hear them! Feel free to share on our facebook page!

Corporate Wellness and Obesity Prevention

Corporate Wellness and Obesity Prevention

Thanks to the tireless effort of our amazing partners, our influence is expanding! Our evidence-base from schools, communities and head starts, has led to a new sector, corporate health and wellness.

How do kids fit into corporate wellness and obesity prevention? To begin, employees are also parents. Many parents wish to instill healthy living habits in their children. Working parents are more likely short on time and not sure of the best approach. Secondly, children are dependents on company health care policies. So, their wellbeing has an impact on the bottom line. As childhood obesity continues to affect youth, corporations recognize the potential impact they can make by investing in obesity prevention for children in schools and communities.

Sponsoring turnkey, evidence-based school and community-wide programs and events, as part of a year round initiative where children and families spend their time, are steps in the right direction, not to mention great opportunities for public relations. Coupling this outreach with consistent messaging in the workplace provides further opportunity for family engagement.

In terms of corporate wellness and obesity prevention, this topic is important because children are the future pool of employees. Empowering children with skills to live healthy and giving them tools to build a foundation of healthy habits makes for a promising future workforce. A workforce that is more productive, vibrant and robust is much better than one filled with missed days, working while sick, and other issues that contribute to enormous, and growing, health care costs.

 

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Extending the impact of corporate wellness programs into the home and community may help achieve the two-fold goal of healthier, happier employees and dependents and the impetus to turn the tide on the obesity trajectory.

We are so appreciative of the tireless efforts of health educators ‘in the field’ – from teachers, county Extension Agents, nutritionists, nurses, etc. As parents take initiative and more resources are available through corporate channels, it follows that the positive impact could be exponential! Click here to continue reading about this issue and to see how promoting family and community engagement is an investment toward a healthier bottom line and happier, more productive employees and families.

5 Simple Ways to a Healthier 2016

5 simple ways to a healthier 2016

Most of us create resolutions at the beginning of a new year. After all, it’s a great time to make behavior changes and start off the year with healthier habits than you left behind the year before. Many resolutions are unkept because they are too ambitious and cannot be adhered to after the first week. 

Here are 5 simple ways to a healthier 2016:

  • Eat breakfast – This seems simple, right? Many people think skipping this all-important meal will help in weight loss goals, however, getting your day started with a healthy breakfast is the best thing for you.
  • Ease into exercise – Start out with smaller goals such as taking a walk after dinner, or a quick run with the dog before or after work and then work up to more intense exercise sessions.
  • Find a workout partner – It is easier to stay committed when you have someone keeping you accountable. If you know your best friend is going to be waiting for you at the gym, you are more likely to go!
  • Cook with simple swaps – Try healthier versions of your favorite dishes by substituting lower-fat alternatives! Turkey sausage, low-fat cheese, and greek yogurt are a few examples of some tasty swaps! Check out some of our favorite healthy ingredient substitutions.
  • Engage with family – There is nothing better than spending quality time with family except for fitting in physical activity while bonding! Take a family walk or weekend hike and you will see how good it feels for the entire family to be healthy!

While we’re talking about simple ways to a healthier 2016, if you haven’t come up with your new year’s resolutions yet, download this resolutions worksheet for you and your kids. Make it fun, and make sure to be creative, yet realistic.

Remember, slow and steady wins the race! It’s the small things that can make a big difference, so commit to a healthy 2016 now!

What resolutions do you hope to accomplish this year?

Subway Nutrition Guide: Best Choices for Kids

Subway Nutrition Guide: Best Choices for Kids

Peri Subway Sandwich ZoomWhen it comes to eating healthy meals, our first choice is to plan ahead and cook at home so you can ensure you’re cooking with healthy ingredients. However, we realize that families are constantly on the go, so we want to offer recommendations for healthier options at popular restaurants. Food selections for kids tend to be limited, so we’re focusing on the best choices that children are most likely to eat and enjoy.

Subway is a great choice for healthy options. It’s the first fast food restaurant to have meals certified by the American Heart Association! Look for the Heart-Check logo next to items on the menu that meet their health standards. It’s also the only fast food restaurant recognized by the Partnership for a Healthier America for the kid’s meals, which encourage kids to add lots of veggies to their subs. Today we are featuring these Fresh Fit for Kids Meals as smart choices for youngsters.

Here is the Subway Nutrition Guide: Best Choices for Kids:

Subway - Veggie Delite Kids Meal

Veggie Delite Kid’s Meal – If your child is a veggie lover, let them select their favorites and pile them up on freshly baked bread. Choosing the wheat bread over the white bread is a good decision. A bag of apples and some low-fat milk finish off this healthy offering.

Nutrition info:

Serving Size: Based on a regular 4″ sub

  • Calories: 150
  • Total Fat: 1.5 g
  • Dietary Fiber: 3 g
  • Carbohydrates: 29 g
  • Protein: 6 g
  • Sodium: 190 mg

Subway Black Forest Ham Meal

Black Forest Ham Kid’s Meal – Kids will enjoy this Black Forest ham sandwich loaded up with colorful veggies served on freshly baked bread. Choosing the wheat bread over the white bread makes it an even healthier choice. A bag of apples and some low-fat milk complete the delicous meal.

Nutrition info:

Serving Size: Based on a regular 4″ sub

  • Calories: 180
  • Total Fat: 2.5 g
  • Dietary Fiber: 3 g
  • Carbohydrates: 30 g
  • Protein: 10 g
  • Sodium: 450 mg

Subway Turkey Breast Kids Meal


Turkey Breast Kid’s Meal -Have your turkey-lover select their favorite veggies to top off their tasty sandwich on wheat instead of white bread. Complete the healthy meal with a bag of apples and some low-fat milk.

Nutrition info:

Serving Size: Based on a regular 4″ sub

  • Calories: 180
  • Total Fat: 2 g
  • Dietary Fiber: 3 g
  • Carbohydrates: 30 g
  • Protein: 10 g
  • Sodium: 380 mg

Subway Roast Beef Kids Meal

Roast Beef Kid’s Meal – If your child has a taste for roast beef, encourage them to add lots of fresh veggies and to choose the wheat bread over the white bread. Again, add a bag of apples and some low-fat milk to complete the meal.

Nutrition info:

Serving Size: Based on a regular 4″ sub

  • Calories: 200
  • Total Fat: 3 g
  • Dietary Fiber: 4 g
  • Carbohydrates: 30 g
  • Protein: 14 g
  • Sodium: 390 mg

In addition to the nutrition information shared above, the Subway website offers healthy ideas for the classroom and home. Also make sure to check out the complete Subway Menu and Nutrition Guide to see the healthy options that are available to you.

Looking for simple, healthy recipes to make at home? Check out our weekly recipes shared every Wednesday. Make sure to check back each week for more healthy ideas!