From Eveningsnews.com
Moms Score an A on Their Nutrition Report Card
By
Mar 30, 2007, 23:59
(ARA) - When it comes to kids and nutrition, there are three burning issues on every mom’s mind -- keeping their kids active, feeding them nutritious meals that they like and making the most out of each day by finding smart shortcuts to get it all done.
According to a recent survey of 1,000 U.S. moms sponsored by Ragu pasta sauce, almost all moms (94 percent) admit they know the nutritional needs of their children but 80 percent say they face challenges in satisfying those needs. What are the biggest challenges? Forty-two percent of moms say fussy eaters and 38 percent say busy schedules.
“With so little time between work and school and after-school activities, it’s about smart, simple solutions that allow you to still give your family the very best you can,” notes Today Show fitness correspondent, author and mother of three, Kathy Kaehler.
Kaehler says, “It’s a balance of nutrition and exercise. Families need to be more active and can do so together. If you’re always on the couch, your kids will follow suit.”
Kaehler offers the following tips for moms:
* Incorporate exercise into your family’s daily routine by creating a “Family Fitness Chart.” Keep the chart in a high traffic area of your home, and have everyone check off activities as they are completed (such as one minute of jump rope, 25 jumping jacks, running around the house two times). Challenge family members to complete the most activities at the end of one week or one month and offer rewards.
* If getting your kids to eat veggies is sometimes challenging, look for new and interesting ways to serve those vegetables you know they’ll eat. If broccoli is the only vegetable your child likes, figuring out more ways to serve it will help keep them from getting bored of it! For example, one-half cup of Ragu pasta sauce equals a full serving of vegetables...and what kid doesn’t like pasta sauce? So find ways to get it into their diet instead of just adding it to spaghetti (even though they probably wouldn't mind having spaghetti every night!) You can serve it over shaped pasta, use it as a dip for string cheese (a great snack!) or mix it with ground turkey or beef for a quick sloppy joe.
* Encourage balanced meals by making your child “Chef for a Day” by letting them help make dinner. They choose the menu, help shop for the ingredients and help with the preparation. For menu ideas check out the Ragu Soccer Mom’s Shortcuts Book available on www.ragu.com. It offers simple recipe and snack ideas your family can cook together with items every mom has in their pantry or refrigerator.
* Don’t forget to keep your kids (and yourself) active, even when the weather prevents you from going outdoors. Some fun ideas to keep you and your kids active indoors include tumbling with summersaults, hand stands and cartwheels or a scavenger hunt with active clues like crawling or skipping to the next location.
For more tips from Kathy and fun fitness activities that families can do together visit Kathy’s Ultimate Fit Kids Web site at www.ultimatefitkids.com
Ragu appreciates all that moms do and wants to recognize these special women by introducing a search for “Good Sport Moms.” If you know a mom who is always going that extra mile for her kids -- whether it’s driving the soccer team to all of the away games or chairing the PTO, go online to www.ragu.com and tell us about her. One grand prize winner will receive a trip for four to Los Angeles to attend the Ragu Soccer Shoot Out with special celebrity guests in April, 2007 plus $1,000 to spend on whatever she wants -- new equipment for the soccer team, a day at the spa, a shopping spree or lunch with the ladies. Entries are due March 23, 2007. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. For complete rules, go to www.ragu.com.
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