Bed Time Snacks with Brummel and Brown

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Brummel and Brown. 

Does anyone in your family ever want a little bedtime snack? My husband has taught our kids that toast with butter makes for a great snack before bed. :)

The kids don't worry about what they are eating, they just know it tastes good, but as a mom, I worry about too much butter, too much sugar, you know, the usual unhealthy stuff. We have tried different sugar substitutes and even a few substitutes for butter, but I can't ever get my hubby and the kids to give up the butter.

Our kids love yogurt, so when I recently learned that Brummel and Brown was a butter substitute, made with nonfat yogurt, I hoped I had a good shot at getting the kids to give it try on their toast.

I did my research. The spread has 50% less fat than butter, zero cholesterol and 0 grams of trans fat per serving. Plus, you can use the spread alone, or cook with it in recipes.

Instead of telling the family that I was going to make the switch, I loaded up their toast with Brummel and Brown spread and stood back to see what they said. "Yum, can I have more", was all I heard. No complaints, no concerns, no questions about where the butter went. They loved it. Hubby included.

I did a little more testing and tried the stir fry recipe on their facebook page. Delicious! After a week of using the spread, the kids have decided their favorite is to have it on waffles in the morning before school.

The family enjoyed the taste the most. I loved the texture and how easy it was to spread. Much easier than a cold stick of butter out of the fridge.

It has been a long time since I have found a product that does what it says, but our entire family was really impressed with the Brummel and Brown spread. Given how much my husband loves butter, that is saying a lot. Want to learn more ways to use the spread, be sure you visit the Brummel and Brown facebook page. Not only will your food taste good, but it will be good for your family too.

Do you have any food substitutes that have been successful in your house? What do you switch out to help your family stay healthy?

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf or Brummel and Brown. 

6 Tips For Helping Your Children Make Healthier Food Choices.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the Facts Up Front program.

My husband and I are always trying to make healthy food choices for our family. As the primary cook in our home, I feel like it is my responsibility to help our children develop healthy food habits and positive feelings towards food. But, it can be really hard.

After my daughter asked why I was “reading the back of the box” while grocery shopping not too long ago. I showed her how to read labels. She thought it was fun, but had a hard time with all the info and the small print. While reading a cereal box during breakfast, she pointed out that the box nutrition info on the front that was much easier for her to understand.

And that was the first I heard about Facts Up Front. Facts Up Front aims to help families (consumers) make informed choices about food, by putting the nutrition information on the front of the packages where it is much quicker and easier to read.

I have noticed that since our kids have started paying attention to nutrition labels and especially the Facts Up Front, they are much more conscious about the food choices they make. I have loved the quick reference it provides me as I am working to make wise choices for our family. 

Here are 6 tips for helping your kids make healthier food choices. I hope they help your and your family.

 1. Stop restricting Food. Restricting food, leads to a higher chance of eating disorders and negative feelings towards food. It can also promote binge eating and sneaky eating. When kids do get their hands on the restricted food, they tend to overeat it, and even sneak around to get it. We are friends with a family that doesn’t allow one drop of sugar in their home. No candy, cookies, not a single sweet of any kind. Recently, their 6 year old has been stealing candy from his friends, and hiding it under his pillow to eat at night when no one is around. This can be a result of banning, or restricting food. Instead, talk about healthy food choices and don’t loose site of moderation. Teach kids to look for the Facts Up Front label on food for a quick look at what foods are healthy for their bodies.

 2. Don’t use food as a reward. Argh, this one can be so hard as parents. It seems to make things so much easier to be able to bribe with a lollipop, or promise a treat if our daughter does well on her spelling test. But, using food as reward often leads to weight problems, as our children get older. Instead of using food as a reward, reward with fun active things like going for a bike ride, or having a play date outside with friends.

 3. Don’t label food as “good” and “bad”. Labeling food as good or bad teaches our kids to feel guilty as they get older about the choices they make with food. Stop labeling and start teaching. Teach your children how food affects their participation in the activities they like and how it makes their bodies function and feel. This will teach them to make decisions based on what is best for their own bodies. And use words like healthy and unhealthy instead of good and bad.

 4. Stop constantly pointing out unhealthy food choices our children make. Instead of always pointing out the unhealthy choices our kids are making, praise the healthy choices. And don’t hesitate to suggest healthier choices like pretzels over potato chips and fruit over candy. Need help figuring out what food choices are best for your family? Take the Interactive Nutrition Quiz.

 5. Let kids choose. It is empowering when we get to make our own choices. It lets us feel like we are in control. We make so many of the daily choices for our children. When they sleep, what they get to do, what they get to put in their mouths. It can be stifling to them. So, let them make some of their own choices. Before a meal, explain that you are going to have a vegetable, and then let them choose between carrots and green beans. Simply letting them choose will make them more likely to eat the veggie. We tend to own our choices and follow through with things when we are the ones deciding. When your children choose healthy foods they like, serve those more often.

 6. Eat dinner together as a family. This one is really important. Children who eat dinner with their parents are less likely to make unhealthy food choices and are also less likely to engage in delinquent behavior. If you want to read more about the power of family dinners, check out this post. You can also use the Shopping and Meal Planning Tips on the Facts Up Front website to help your family overcome common obstacles for getting from the grocery store to the family dinner table. If you are not eating dinner together now, this can seem overwhelming. Start slow with twice a week and then increase until you are sitting down together as many nights as possible. Utilize resources like the Facts Up Front recipe section for help with what to cook your family.

 The Facts Up Front label is becoming much more prevalent in grocery stores around the country. Go on a little scavenger hunt and have your kids see how many products they can find with the new labels. Couple that with the six tips above and start talking about good nutrition with your kids today.

 This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the Facts Up Front program.

Please Pass the Veggies

Dear Family Volley,

My son is 19 months and hates veggies. I offer him some at every meal but he just throws them at me. How do I get him to eat them?

Thanks, Nancy

______________________________________________________________________

Dear Nancy,

Thank you for your question. This is a very common complaint amongst parents.

Some things to consider....

• At 19 months, part of your son's job description is to not like vegetables.
• Just because your son doesn't love veggies doesn't mean you are a bad mom. (I can't get my husband to eat olives or pickles, that doesn't make me a bad wife.)
• Children have to be exposed to a food approximately 10 times before they will accept it. What ever you do, Don't stop offering the vegetables. 
• Work on the throwing food, as much if not more than eating the veggies.

Naturally, we all want to make our own decisions. Think about being little, kids are told when to go to sleep, when and what to eat, what they will wear, what to say "say car, say hi, say please, say thank you.". They have zero choice. This makes them feel slightly trapped. One of the best things you can do when it comes to veggies is to give children a choice. 

Give your son two different veggie options at meals. One option makes him feel forced, two options gives him a choice. By giving choice, children, just like adults feel like they are in control and in charge, instead of being told what to do. By making our own choices, even if they are small, we feel ownership and responsibity. No longer are you telling him what to eat. Instead he is choosing what he wants to put in his mouth. Please note, this does not mean that as your child gets older you should be making him a "special dinner", different from what the rest of the family is eating. By giving them choice when they are little, it will help them gain trust in you. It will strengthen your communication and help you better learn about your child's preferences and how to deal with them. 

Now, that said. If he is throwing things, address that. Work on this first, it should not be acceptable. Tell him to use his "words" to tell you he doesn't like something. When he tells you he doesn't want the veggie, respect him, and thank him for talking to you, instead of throwing things. Take the food he doesn't want away, and move on. As he feels that you are listening to him and respecting his opinions, he will start to come your way, maybe even try the veggies he once rejected. Remember, when all is said and done, you are still the parent, and you are still in charge. Giving them choice, doesn't mean we are giving them ultimate control.

What you don't want to do is let this ruin your family dinner exprience. You are creating memories and rituals that hopefully stay with your family long after the "veggie war" is over. Make dinner fun and enjoyable for everyone. If your son knows that every time you sit down to eat there is going to be stress over the food, he will naturally not want to be there, atleast not with a pleasant attitude. 1 carrot is not worth it. Don't let this battle get you worked up, frustrated, or loose your temper. I have seen so many situations where a mother's pride overshadows their love for their child, in very menial circumstances. 

We have fought this battle in our home. Our son is willing to try every vegetable there is, our daughter, not even close. Won't even open her mouth. It has taken time, but the more respect I show her, the more she is willing to try new things. The more I listen to her opinion and honor that opinion, the more she is willing to try new things. The more I give her choices so that she feels like she has control, the more she is willing to try new things. She is five. It has taken time. 

Often times as parents we get so caught up in trying to do the "right things for our children", that we miss the fact that they are people just like us, with thoughts and feelings and preferences. 

In my mind (and sometimes outloud), I say things like, "I worked hard to cook this for you, now eat it", or

"I am trying to be a good parent and help you grow healthy and strong, now eat it". Or, when we are with other people I worry what they will think of me as a parent if my kids refuse to try their vegetables. 

Throw those thoughts out the window. 

Respect your children's opinions and they will respect you. DON'T GIVE UP. Allowing choice doesn't mean your kids have won. It means you really love them and treat them as you would want to be treated. 

In Addition... 

Try veggies in all different forms. Raw, cooked, add some butter, salt, pepper, even a little ranch dressing could change things. Most kids will eat anything with "dip dip sauce". There is nothing wrong with spicing things up a bit. After all, most adults don't even eat vegetables without "something" on them. 

Try every vegetable you can get your hands on. Think outside carrots and peas. When our daughter was two she would only eat raw zucchini. Who would have thought. 

Let him help you cook. Get him involved in every step. 

Grow some vegetables, teach him as you go, and he will want to taste what he has grown. 

The favorite in our house. I add small pieces of cooked carrots and peas in my children's cheese quesdillas. Cook up a few carrots until they are nice and soft. Slice them very thin and layer them with canned peas, amongst the chesse. 

Use all the tricks, dice veggies up very small and add them to your hamburger meat, your spaghetti, anything. Find ways to hide veggies in his favorite foods. 

If, for nutritional reasons you are still concerned. Be sure your son is taking a vitamin each day. Along with that, make him a smoothie each day with vegetables mixed in with some fruit, ice, and a little yogurt. he will love it, and never know that he is eating spinach and carrots from dinner the night before. The goal is to find the vegetables they like and work with it. 

Family Volley