Nutrition is one of the single most important factors when it comes to a child’s development. Proper nutrition is essential for children to succeed in school. By feeding your children a proper diet, you are helping them to be able to function properly in school in addition to fostering their growing mind and bodies.

A proper diet is especially important for growing children. At this level, the children’s minds are still developing and their bodies are growing fast. Without proper nutrition, a child will lack the vitamins and minerals necessary to facilitate a normal growth.

It is important to feed your children a variety of healthy meals and snacks. Avoid feeding children junk food which will only contribute to obesity and malnutrition. The occasional treat will not hurt your child, but it is not healthy to make it a regular habit.

One way to ensure that your child eats healthy at school is to make a bag lunch for your child each day. Include healthy snacks such as fruits and vegetables or a variety of nuts. Each of these snacks is high in vitamins and low in fat. They also provide your child with energy to keep their attention on school matters rather than drifting off to sleep.

Also pack a nutritious meal along with a juice box or milk box. Nutritious meals can include sandwiches along with soups. Be sure to pack your children’s meals in small portions as children tend to snack on several items at once. While there is no way to ensure that your child is not trading away their food, you are preventing them from buying school lunches which consist of mostly processed food.

Getting involved with the school can be beneficial. PTA meetings are held regularly for parents to voice their concerns with issues. This would be a good venue for bringing up the subject of healthier school lunches. More than likely, you are not the only parent who has concerns about the food being served in the cafeteria.

As children get older and graduate to junior high and high school, more unhealthy options are available in the lunch room such as ice cream machines and soda machines. Gather a bunch of nutrition-minded parents and create a plan to implement new options into the school cafeterias. While you may not see immediate results, if you keep up your campaigning and your research, eventually someone else’s kids will benefit from your hard work.

There are several ways to implement a healthy, nutritious diet in school-age children. Children need lots of minerals and vitamins in order to develop the tools necessary to facilitate healthy growth in both body and mind. Packing a bag lunch for your children is a great way to monitor what your child eats while at school. Another great solution is to get involved with the PTA and campaign for healthier school lunches. Results may not be immediate, but they will be beneficial.

Five ways to boost your parenting confidence before the baby arrives

(ARA) - Becoming a new parent can be a scary process. There is so much to learn and no easy way to practice until your new bundle of joy arrives. Luckily, there are easy ways that you can prepare yourself - and your home - to give you peace of mind and be able to enjoy the time with your new baby.

Become well read
Whether you choose lighthearted, comical selections, such as Jenny McCarthy’s “Belly Laughs,” or more informative choices, such as “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” there is a wealth of books to get you educated, ready and even entertained. So, kick up your (swollen) feet and start reading.

Seek out similar situations
Whether you are having your first child, or wondering what life will be like having your second, third or more, seek out other parents who share a similar lifestyle. Talking with others to get their opinions on how to cope with siblings, working and other common life situations will help give you insight and better prepare you for life’s new addition.

Create a “home safe home”
All parents want to keep their kids safe from any potential dangers, so updating your home with a variety of home safety products - for both your new arrival and yourself - is a good idea. While the standard items such as socket plugs and baby gates are must-haves, many parents don’t think of bath safety. And, according to the Home Safety Council, falls are the leading cause (66 percent) of all nonfatal home injuries - with the bathroom being a main culprit due to water and slick surfaces.

Getting into and out of the tub and shower can be difficult for little ones. And, as your “baby bump” continues to grow, the shift in your center of gravity can make you more susceptible to slips and falls. Permanent grab bars, such as SecureMount Grab Bars from Home Care by Moen, are an ideal solution, offering an easy, secure install in a variety of styles and finishes to beautifully coordinate with the rest of the bathroom. Or, for an even easier (and more temporary) installation, try Home Care’s Premium SecureLock Tub Grip, which easily locks tightly to most tubs for an extra hand getting in and out. And, once you are in safely, consider adding a tub and shower seat to ensure that your bath time is accident free.

Stock up on essentials
Believe it or not, you’ll probably go through more than 70 diapers and 200 wipes per week. And, once your bundle of joy arrives, you’ll want to focus your attention on her (or sleep) - not on shopping - so stock up now. In addition to diapering essentials, be sure to supply your medicine cabinet with infant acetaminophen, gas drops, diaper rash cream and a thermometer. And, it’s not a bad idea to fill your freezer full of pre-made dinners so you don’t have to worry about cooking in those first few hectic weeks when you’re still recuperating.

Take a class
Ask your doctor about classes or support groups in your area. Most hospitals offer a variety of classes to help you with everything from childbirth and infant care to even more specific topics, like introducing the baby to siblings or pets. These classes will not only provide you with a wealth of information - but can be a great way to meet others going through the same life experiences.

With a bit of preparation, you’ll soon be breathing easier and feel much more prepared when your bundle of joy arrives. For more information on shower safety products from Home Care by Moen, visit www.moen.com/homecare.

(ARA) - When you’re paying attention to good nutrition, it’s easy to spend a lot of time focusing on what not to eat - all the stuff that clogs your arteries and expands your waistline. Now’s a good time to look at the things that you should eat and the things you can do to keep your arteries healthy, and to fully understand why paying attention to arterial health is important.

Some foods pack more punch than others. Here are five foods that have a lot of disease-fighting power, and it’s a good idea to regularly make room for them in your meals. If you would like more helpful healthy living and nutrition articles to keep you on track with proper arterial health, visit the Life Line Screening Blog.

The five superfoods for heart health

Salmon - As far as seafood goes, this delicious fish is one of your best food sources of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, which can help keep your heart rate steady, lower your triglycerides - a type of blood fat — and slow the growth of atherosclerotic plaque. You can bake it, broil it, roast it, poach it, or enjoy it smoked or in sushi. The FDA recommends that people eat up to 12 ounces of fish weekly.

Broccoli - It may not rank as the favorite food of kids, but as an adult you can probably appreciate the health benefits that broccoli offers. Its mildly bitter taste comes from chemicals it contains that may provide cancer protection. Experts think anti-cancer substances in the green veggies may act as antioxidants or encourage enzymes that detoxify harmful chemicals in your body, according to the American Cancer Society. Since cooking may destroy some of the helpful compounds, cook it as lightly as possible.

Almonds - These tasty nuts are a good source of fiber and the antioxidant vitamin E, and the fat they contain is mostly monounsaturated, which is considered a “good” type of fat that can help lower your cholesterol. They may also help control blood sugar and insulin levels. Research has shown that eating 2 ounces of almonds daily for 10 weeks didn’t cause people to gain weight. A daily serving size is the amount that you can fit into two sections of an ice-cube tray, suggests the American Dietetic Association.

Blueberries - These vivid little orbs are chock-full of antioxidants, which can help lower your risk of heart disease and cancer by neutralizing free radicals, rogue oxygen molecules that can contribute to atherosclerosis and damage your DNA.

Green tea - This drink contains chemicals called polyphenols, which act as antioxidants. One of these, called EGCG, may encourage cancer cells to die, though more research is needed to show whether drinking green tea can reduce your risk of cancer. However, it may also help control your blood sugar and lower your cholesterol. All these add up to plenty of good reasons to switch some of your daily servings of soda with green tea. Drink it iced or hot. It is delicious either way.

More healthy advice

Another key activity to cardiovascular health - consider getting screened. Vascular screenings can visualize the inside of your arteries and see if dangerous fatty plaque is building up. Key health screenings include tests that look at the arteries of your neck and the arteries of your legs. Blockages in the neck arteries, called the carotid arteries, are a leading risk factor for stroke. A blockage in the legs is called Peripheral Arterial Disease and is linked to a six-fold increase in stroke and heart attack. Finding these silent conditions early can help you and your doctor take preventive action before a serious health event occurs. For more information on vascular screening, call (866) 346-5433.

Back-to-school safety: Follow these tips to keep your child safe and healthy

(ARA) - The back to school season can be both an exciting and anxious time. As a parent, you can teach your child a few lessons, and take a few precautions yourself, to put your mind at ease when children leave home to go back to the classroom.

From the lunch container you buy to teaching your child about playground safety, you can do a lot to prevent your child from falling ill or getting hurt.

“Parents need not worry about sending their children back to school. By doing a few little things to ensure your child’s safety, you’ll put your worries to rest and allow yourself to have a fun and stress-free start to the school year,” says Dorothy Drago, child product safety expert and author of “From Crib to Kindergarten: The Essential Child Safety Guide.”

Back To School Safety Tips

Drago offers the following tips to consider as your child goes back to school:

* Food safety: When packing a lunch for your child, make sure you keep items that need to be cold (like cheese or yogurt) at the proper temperature by storing them in an insulated container. Products that keep foods and beverages at the proper temperature for longer, like the Thermos FUNtainer series that includes both insulated beverage bottles and food jars, inhibit the growth of potentially dangerous bacteria.

* Transportation safety: Make sure to check with the school on approved walking or biking routes. Many schools are making efforts to communicate with parents about this issue to encourage active lifestyles, while also keeping kids safe. If you are buying a new bike helmet for your child before school, make sure it fits correctly and refer to the helmet wearing instructions to ensure the safest ride. If you bike with your kids, wear a helmet to set a good example. Also, remember that safely crossing the street is not always such an easy task for children. Find out if the school has crossing guards on your child’s route to school.

* Product safety: Make sure any products, from art supplies to lunch boxes, are certified under the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). “Independent testing results like the CPSIA-required compliance certificates are a smart and easy way for parents to validate that the products they purchase meet current safety regulations and standards,” says Drago. This information should be available on the product’s packaging or detailed on the company’s website. For example, Thermos, the leading manufacturer of lunch storage products, makes it easier for parents to find this CPSIA certification information for their products. By visiting www.thermos.com/cpsia/ parents can view the results of these critical compliance tests.

* Playground safety: Playgrounds are fun areas for kids of all ages but they can be dangerous. Take a look at how much protective surfacing is under equipment. There should be at least nine inches of mulch, and it should be replenished or re-spread as needed to ensure that the depth is maintained. Encourage kids to play with the existing play structures and to never add jump ropes or other toys because they may introduce a strangulation risk.

With these safety issues talked about and taken care of, nothing should stand in the way of a great start to the school year for you and your child.

Remember the Life cereal commercials where Mikey ate everything? Some parents should be so lucky with their kids. If you have picky eaters on your hands, here are five strategies to deal with the picky eaters.

Kids have their own rhyme and reason to eating. While some will eat everything you put in front of them one week, they will fight you at each meal the next. The first thing to remember is not to over react. Kids will be kids as they say.

Your children are not testing you. Their food preferences change with moods and their age. Resist the urge to shove food in their mouth when they refuse. They may not be hungry at that particular moment. It is important to set the picky eater at ease when its time to eat.

1. Introduce new foods slowly. Maybe they got used to eating macaroni and cheese for lunch. If you want them to eat a jam sandwich this week, they may not want to break their routine. Instead, give them some macaroni and cheese and a quarter of a jam sandwich. They can see if they like it and still have something on their plate that they will eat if they don’t.

2. Save drinks for last. It is a common practice to serve a drink with the meal. Smaller kids love to drink. Filling their stomach with liquid will diminish their appetite. Later, when the drink fullness wears off, it’s bedtime and they are whining for food. Let them eat when they are hungry and serve them something to drink after they have eaten at least half of their meal.

3. Ask your child what they want to eat. If they choose to have breakfast at lunch or dinnertime, let them. The important thing is that they are eating. Your choice of food selection will provide them with the nutrients that they need even if they eat only a little.

4. Let kids help with meals. When your picky eaters can see what you are fixing and participate, it can stimulate their appetite. It is not recommended to snack while cooking but for your kids, a few celery or carrot sticks won’t hurt. Be aware though, that too much snacking will spoil their appetite.

5. Have your picky eaters sit at the table with you. With finger foods, kids are prone to walk around with their food if you let them. Also, sitting in front of the television to eat distracts a child and can mess with his or her appetite. They would rather see the show than eat their food.

Is your child a picky eater? Use these five strategies to deal with mealtime issues.

Do you need Kid-Friendly Recipes? We invite you to visit Kid Approved Meals  to pick up your personal 13 week breakfast and lunch menu designed just for children.

It’s that time of year - getting smart about your back to school checklist and your back to school supplies is very important.

(ARA) - The back to school bug is in the air as summer camps start to wrap up, teachers head back to their classrooms and parents start reviewing class lists for this year’s required school supplies.

But back-to-school doesn’t have to be a stressful season if parents and teachers prepare early and take advantage of deals and offers.

Here are some smart ideas for how to get organized this school year:

* Review the clothes closet. Your child has likely grown over the summer and may need some new items. Try everything on (including shoes), to avoid any last-minute surprises, and make a list of what you need to replace. Consider donating anything that doesn’t fit to a charity.

* Start planning your family schedule for the school year. Make it a priority to review how your children are getting to school, when they’ll be arriving back home, how they’ll get to any after-school activities and when they’ll have time to do homework. Taking the time to review the schedule as a family before the first bell rings will help to make sure the first day goes smoothly.

Back To School Supplies

* Check the back to school supplies list and start stocking up as soon as you can to avoid the last minute rush before school starts. Make sure your child has everything on their school supply list such as backpacks, binders, notebooks, and pencils.

Purchasing new school supplies doesn’t have to break the bank when you know how to find the right deals. Take advantage of penny specials being offered at stores like Office Depot beginning on July 26. You can find core supplies like pencils, rulers, glue sticks, folders, scissors and more for just $1 and under. Be sure to check the Sunday circulars in your local paper all summer long to learn about free promotions going on as well.

Need some help figuring out what’s hot for back-to-school this year before hitting the stores? Below are some of the top picks your children are going to love this school year (all back-to-school supplies are available at your nearest Office Depot).

* Project Backpack- A new backpack is one of the essentials kids need before heading back into school. For something totally unique, check out this backpack designed by 17-year-old Jerry Delgado, last year’s winner of Office Depot and Sharpie’s “Project Backpack” design contest. The music inspired backpack will have your kids singing down the hallways.

* HP G62 laptop computer - The start of school is a perfect time to purchase new computers. The HP G62 is great for everyday student needs and comes equipped with AMD Turion II Dual-Core processor, 3 GB’s of RAM, and a webcam and microphone.

* Microsoft Office Home and Student 2010- Students will want the latest version of Microsoft Office which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. It’s perfect for use throughout the school year.

* Ativa 4 GB flash drives - Flash drives offer a convenient way to access your documents anywhere. There are more than 40 patterns/colors to choose from (three styles available for No Fear flash drives).

* Mead fashion binders - Keep homework organized with fun new binders from Mead. Choose from various patterns such as candy colored stripes, retro flowers, or for alternative flair, the new punk plaid line.

Teachers need to get ready too. Network with fellow teachers and get ready for the school year at Teacher Appreciation Breakfasts being hosted at stores like Office Depot. While you’re there, stock up on all your back-to-school needs like pocket charts, notepads, bulletin boards, record books, nametags and other classroom supplies in the exclusive teacher aisles. For more info on teacher appreciation breakfast dates and times, visit www.mystarteacher.com/tab.

Children are the future. You want the best for them. Family meals are instrumental in spending quality time with your children and helping them avoid some of the dangers that come with growing up.

Parents and kids have created shortcuts that pass for quality time. Most of us don’t even know that that’s what we are doing. Sitting in the same room watching a movie or saying ‘hello’ and ‘good night’ is not the same as holding a meaningful conversation.

Here are a few statistics that might shock you to learn. According to A.C. Nielsen, parents and children spend an average of 38 minutes per week talking to each other. That is less than six minutes each day finding out what is going on in their lives. They spend more time than that with their friends.

Kids who spend meal time sitting down with their families have a lower risk of starting such behaviors as smoking, drinking and drugs according to the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine (2004). These are three of the major concerns that parents have with their kids. The teen years are a time when depression is common as kids seek to “find” themselves. Those depressive episodes are less likely to occur in children who have meals with their family.

Also, kids (and parents) eat slower when they have meals with their families. This cuts down on overeating which is what we do when we are eating in a hurry between activities. Overeating is contributing to a greater incidence of childhood obesity.

Between school and work, very few families take the time to relax. Less often than that, they take the time to relax together. Home is a sanctuary and a place of safety. At the dinner table, you and your kids can let your guard down and listen uninterrupted to each other. For younger children, listening to conversations at the dinner table helps them to learn language and communication skills (Harvard Research, 1996).

Most of the happier moments in our lives center on food and family. That can still be true when you make time for meals. There are no set times for dinner. If your family can only get together at seven o’clock, have dinner then.

Just like working and school are priorities in your life, consider treating meal time the same way. Use that opportunity to discuss what happened during the day and also to give advice to your children concerning tough situations they are facing. In such a calm setting, they are more likely to open up and hear what you have to say.

Visit Dine Without Whine - A Weekly Menu Plan & Grocery List Delivered To Your E-mail Box

One thing we never seem to have enough of is time. When time gets short, the first thing that gets skipped is meal time. Eating fast food several nights a week can be costly not to mention unhealthy. If you plan your meals ahead of time, your family can still eat together for dinner.

There are many meal planning ideas that you can use to save you time and money.

Here’s the scenario: You come in the house and realize that you forgot to take something out of the freezer for dinner. Scavenging through the refrigerator, you find a few odds and ends to throw together. When the kids come in, they grumble because it’s not what they wanted. Your husband arrives later to find a congealed something in the pan on the stove and skips dinner.

Does this sound familiar? If it does, there is help for you and your family. Menu planning saves the headache that comes with searching at the last minute for something to fix for dinner. It also keeps you from throwing away food that no one wants to eat.

You might be one of those families who eat out for dinner because it’s late when you get home. No one wants to cook so you hit the fast food joint.

There are many benefits to meal planning:

1. The entire family gets involved. One day a week, probably a Saturday or a Sunday, let everyone come together for an hour and decide what will be on the menu for the coming week. Each person from the youngest to the oldest has a say in breakfast, lunch and dinner.

2. Menu planning fosters healthier lifestyles. When you have time to decide ahead of time, you can be sure that there is the right combination of protein, fats and carbohydrates in each meal. Eating at home means that you’ll know what is in the food that you eat.

3. You can save on the grocery bill. How many of us have gone to the grocery store and half filled the cart with items that we didn’t need but caught our eye? When you plan a menu, you have an instant grocery list. Each week, you’ll shop for the items that are needed to make the meals and that’s it.

4. Meals can be fixed in a snap. When you are tired in the evening, simply pop your meals in the oven or microwave. Planning allows you to start the prep work the night before in anticipation of a busy day. That way, all the hard work is already done.

Are you looking for a way to save money and get the family to eat at home? There is always time for a meal at home when you use menu planning ideas.

Visit Meal Planning Central A Quick and Easy Way To Get Dinner On The Table and Enjoy More Quality Time With Your Family.

As a kid grocery shopping looked like fun. As the parent, it is a chore that many of us could do without. Here are a few tips to save you both time and money on your next excursion to the grocery store. You might just change your mind about the experience after trying one or two.

First, why do people dislike going to the grocery store? You probably don’t like the long checkout lines or the time it takes to go up and down every aisle to find what you are looking for. Or, it could be the high cost of food and other grocery items these days.

Now, examine the following tips in light of what bugs you about the grocery store:

1. Clip coupons – This point can’t be stressed enough. Using money-saving coupons on the items that you use most is free money. Some grocery stores routinely double or triple coupons. When you want to try something new or exotic, use a coupon to get a discount off of the full price.

2. Create a grocery list from your meal menus – Meal planning saves money at the grocery store because you start with a list that encompasses everything you will need for all meals that week. Only pick up those items. With a list, you can target what you want and get out of the store fast.

3. Visit the grocery store early in the morning – This works for stay-at-home moms. Everyone else is at work so you will have the place pretty much to yourself. Many trucks deliver supplies to the grocery stores in the morning. You’ll be the first to get the freshest cuts of meat and the best produce.

4. Know your store. The biggest pet peeve has to do with the need to shop every aisle to find something. Choose a grocery store that has all of the food and qualities you like in a supermarket. On your grocery list, put the number of the aisle next to the item. Now, you won’t skip over the bread on aisle two while looking for the green beans which are on aisle four.

5. Stock up on common staples. Since you plan your meals every week, you know which items are needed most. When shopping, it’s okay to buy those items in bulk so that it cuts down on weekly shopping bills. For instance, if peanut butter is a lunch menu item most of the time, buy a lot when the peanut butter is on sale to save money.

These tips make you want to run to the grocery store right now don’t they? Start with one and eventually use all five to shop like a pro.

For more tips, visit Menu Planning Central - and learn the quick and easy way to get dinner on the table and enjoy more quality tim with your family.

Coming up with quick easy meal ideas on the spot can be hard.

What are you serving for dinner tonight? How about lunch on the weekend? It can be a daunting task to come up with meal ideas especially if you have kids. Here are ten quick easy meal ideas for family meals try one tonight.

1. Spaghetti – It’s easy to quickly boil noodles and simmer some spaghetti sauce. Spaghetti has so many add-ins your family will enjoy: Italian sausage, hamburger, diced vegetables and a variety of herbs and seasonings. For a low calorie meal, use spaghetti squash in place of traditional noodles.

2. Tacos – Olay! If your family likes Mexican food, whip up a batch of tacos for dinner. Use hard and soft shells for variety. For family menu planning, dice the fixin’s ahead of time so you can just pull them out on taco night.

3. Macaroni and cheese – What kid doesn’t like this as a dinner main dish? Spice it up with diced tomatoes, crumbled bacon, sliced hot dogs or hamburger.

4. Pizza – This is not the store-bought or the delivery. Keep several prepared pizza crusts on hand (like Boboli for instance). On pizza night, let the entire family choose which toppings they want on their pizza. Prep time is fun so it doesn’t last long and it takes about 20 minutes or so to bake.

5. Skewers – you can create tasty chicken, pork, seafood or beef kebobs quickly. Skewer the meat and your favorite vegetables and place them in a sealed container until meal day. This is the benefit of meal planning – getting prep work done early. Cook your tasty kebobs on a gas grill or use a grill pan indoors. This is my personal favorite quick easy meal idea!

6. Hot dogs – Nothing could be easier than throwing them in a pot of boiling water or grilling them up. For the health-conscious family, use light franks or turkey franks by Oscar Mayer or Ballpark.

7. Chef salad – Salads are always quick to fix but they usually lack something in the taste department. With a chef salad you get your portion of protein from lean ham or turkey. The taste comes from the add-ins: bacon crumbles parmesan cheese, tomatoes, shredded cheese, black beans and cucumbers. Use others that your family likes.

8. Grilled cheese sandwich – Dinner doesn’t need to be a four-course meal. For a new taste, add deli meat or a juicy tomato.

9. Tortilla wraps – Create delicious quick sandwiches with your favorite flavor of tortilla. Glaze with mustard or low calorie mayonnaise. Add crunchy veggies and diced chicken, pork or beef.

10. Leftover creations– Use leftovers to create salads, casseroles, sandwiches and soups. Don’t let anything go to waste if it can be used for new meals.

Use some or all of these quick easy meals above to help you get dinner or lunch on the table faster.

Visit Meal Planning Central A Quick and Easy Way To Get Dinner On The Table and Enjoy More Quality Time With Your Family.