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Cutting Grocery Costs without Cutting Nutrition Simple, healthy, and affordable ways to weather the rising price of food by Karen Collins, R.D., American Institute of Cancer Research Grocery prices are projected to increase again in 2008 – that’s following 2007’s highest annual increase in 17 years. But surviving these tough economic times doesn’t have to mean sacrificing good nutrition. Some simple strategies can help you cut food costs and eat more healthfully, too.
Madlynn is Kid of the Month Biggest Loser Family Cookbook: Budget-Friendly Meals Your Whole Family Will Love by Devin Alexander, Melissa Roberson As grocery costs continue to rise, many family cooks are finding themselves in a tough predicament: How can they feed their families healthy, satisfying meals without breaking the bank? In The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook, New York Times best-selling author Devin Alexander shows families that eating on a budget can be easy, nutritious—and delicious! With more than 125 recipes that will satisfy every member of the family, Chef Alexander provides complete, affordable options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, along with mix-and-match side dishes, healthy snacks, and desserts. From Broccoli & Cheddar Frittatas to Steak Fajita Quesadillas, Family Sized Meatball Parmesan to Peanut Butter Fudge Sundaes, these wholesome, satisfying dishes will become an essential part of every family cook’s repertoire. In addition to an overview of the Biggest Loser eating plan and Chef Alexander’s recipes, readers will find helpful cooking and cost-saving tips from favorite Biggest Loser contestants and online club members. They will also find simple ways to get kids involved in the kitchen and fun ideas for family. 10 Tips for Improving Your Family's Eating Habits With today’s busy lifestyles, families don’t always eat as healthfully as we would like. But by practicing healthy eating habits at home, you can make it easier for your family to eat right. Try these 10 tips designed to encourage healthy eating habits:
Be a good food role model. Telling children to eat nutritious foods is one thing — showing them is better. If you offer nutritious foods regularly — and if they see you eating them — your children likely will learn to like them.
by Angie Ketterman • Tough, fatty cuts of meat are best for slow cooking. Buy inexpensive cuts like pork butt, pork spare ribs, beef short ribs and beef shoulder.
• Leftovers can do double-duty — use pork butt in pulled pork sandwiches or shred short ribs to serve with rice and beans.
• Potatoes are inexpensive and make soups and stews more filling. You can also try pasta, beans or grains.
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Eating Healthy
Healthy Eating at Home
Healthy, well-nourished kids are better prepared mentally and physically to take on the day. Good nutrition begins at home, so talk to your child about making healthy food and beverage choices and model those healthy behaviors yourself. Also look for creative and inexpensive ways to celebrate with your kids (e.g., special time together, family outings, purchase of a book or interactive toy) rather than using food as a reward. The tips in this section will give you some ideas on ways to get your family eating healthier. Healthy New Year: Three Tips to Help Keep Your Resolution to be Fit as a Family
Each New Year brings pledges that this is the year that you and your family will be healthy and fit. The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a joint initiative of the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation, has some tips to help you kick off the year with a healthy start. Increase Physical Activity Your kids need one hour or more of physical activity each day. It’s a simple guideline—and it can make a big difference in your child’s health and wellbeing. Unfortunately, less than 60 percent of adults are physically active on a regular basis, and 25 percent aren’t active at all. So, to build a family based on healthy habits, it’s up to you to set the tone at home. - Walk It Off. Schedule at least one night a week to eat dinner as a family, and then go for a walk together. - Game of the Week. Start a new weekly tradition and spend a Saturday or Sunday afternoon skating or playing touch football as a family. - Form a Team. Scan local resources and sign up as a family for a community fun run, walk or car wash. Turn Screen Time to Play Time Screen time is not just television; it includes watching DVDs, playing video games or surfing the Internet. Time in front of a screen crowds out time for regular physical activity, and sitting in front of a screen can also encourage snacking on unhealthy foods. So by turning off the screen, you can help crank up your kids’ energy, re-charge their minds and improve their health. - No TV Dinners. Turn off the TV during mealtime—and take turns talking about the day. - Cut the Cord. Take the TVs and computers out of your kids’ bedrooms. Children who have TVs in their rooms spend almost 1–½ hours more each day watching them than their peers. Plus, if your kids are in their rooms watching TV, they’re removed from family time. - Work It Out. Use the TV to watch an exercise video— whether it’s dancing, tae kwon do or yoga. Put on sweatbands and have some family fitness time. Increase Fruits and Vegetables Fruits and vegetables add vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, fiber and more to your child's diet. In fact, fruits and vegetables are the best source for many of these important vitamins and nutrients. It's not always easy for kids to understand the value of fruits and vegetables -- or to appreciate their flavor. But if you can make it fun to explore, prepare and eat them, your children can discover their favorites -- and maybe even convince you to try something new. - Mix It Up. Add fruits and vegetables to foods that are cooked or baked. Toss vegetables into pasta sauce, lasagna, casseroles, soups, and omelets. Mix fresh or frozen berries into pancakes, waffles or muffins. - Pick a Peck. When shopping, let kids select a new fruit or vegetable (Or several!) to try. - Dip In. Chop raw vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Try carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower or celery, and dip your favorites into low-fat or fat-free dressing. ‘Tis the Season for Health: Tips for a Healthier Holiday from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation
The holiday season is a magnificent time of year, but it can also be challenging for families trying to eat healthy and stay physically active. Between family gatherings, parties, lots of food and traveling, healthy habits can get left in the cold. Ten Tips for a Healthier Thanksgiving from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation
Did you know...
About the Alliance for a Healthier Generation
The American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation jooined 
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Top 8 Tips for Reducing Kids Screen Time This Summer Reducing time spent in front of televisions and computers is one of the easiest ways to improve your family's health. Here are eight simple ways to limit screen time so you can help crank up your kids’ energy, re-charge their minds, and improve their health. What would you change? Weekly Column, by Annette Bridges Change -- some people dread it, and others can’t get enough. It may be much like the idiom, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” When it comes to what we would alter or why we would make a modification, the answers vary because we all have different things we value, want, need and consider important.
Being a Role Model by Laurie Cesario-Overton If I had to choose one sentence that would best describe what I feel parents need to learn, it would be this: Be your child's BEST ROLE MODEL in all the ways that truly count. Be your child's HERO. Whatever you do, do it for all the right reasons. How to Find the Best Car Loans for Single Moms Financial Advice for Single Moms The best car loans for single mothers might be just around the corner at your local car lot. 3 Money Rules for Stay-at-Home Moms
As we all know, life is unpredictable. We lose jobs, get divorced and even become widowed...
You May Have Too Much Debt But You Also Have Options How Life Works If you feel like you're in over your head with personal debt, you're not alone. Millions of Americans have become overextended, many as a result of easy credit and the recessions. Credit cards, medical bills, personal loans and raising interest rates do not make a good financial mix. Could fat babies mean fat toddlers?
A new study from Harvard Medical School found that babies who gained weight quickly had a sharply higher risk of obesity. The study followed close to 600 babies and found those in the top quarter of weight for their length at 6 months had a 40 percent higher risk of obesity by age 3 than smaller babies. Crystal Bowersox - A Single Mom And A Real American Idol Read how the amazing Crystal Bowersox. the runner-up of American Idol Season 9, handles fame and life as a single mom, raising her 17 month old son. 5 Ways for Single Moms to Save Money Single moms are always looking for ways to save money, and for good reason... It’s important to find ways to cut corners on the little things that perhaps you don’t think about too often, because those are usually where your biggest money drains are. Suze Orman's Recession Rescue Plan - helps you survive in times of financial crisis OPRAH.com Do you know what your family would do if you lost your job - or worse, your home? Financial expert Suze Orman is ready to help you devise a recession rescue plan to survive - and possibly thrive - during this deepening financial crisis... Your Just-in-Case Emergency Plan by RealSimple Who do you call if you can't make it home in time to meet the kids' bus? Who do you trust to take in your mail when you're on vacation? Who do you trust with the extra set of keys to your house? How to save $10,000 By Liz Pulliam Weston If you were hoping for a list of small tweaks you could make in your spending to save $10,000 a year, sorry. The reality is that $10,000 is a lot of money. And saving big money usually means making big changes in the areas where we spend the most, such as: Housing, Transportation, Food. The Super, Sexy, Single Mom on a Budget by Renee Rayles A quick reference guide designed for the busy, single mom who has little time to read while running the mom taxi, cooking dinner, helping with homework, and trying to fit in a date night every now and then.
Single Mothers & Single mothers carry an enormous load of responsibility, especially those having sole and/or primary custody of minor children. They nourish, they nurture, they teach, they discipline, they shelter, they protect, and they provide… all without the assistance of another equally-invested adult. Mom's Obesity Raises Newborn's Heart Risk from the National Institute of Health The more obese a woman is when she becomes pregnant, the greater the likelihood that her newborn baby will have a congenital heart defect, a new study suggests. The finding raises concerns because 1 in 5 women are obese at the start of pregnancy in the United States. The 10-Ingredient Shopping Trip By Tara Parker-Pope and Mark Bittman ... In his latest “How to Cook Everything” segment on the Today Show, New York Times food writer Mark Bittman makes it surprisingly easy to cook a week’s worth of dinners with just a 10-ingredient shopping trip. Your 5-minute guide to protecting your identity 20 steps to protect yourself from identity theft, and seven ways to clean up things if you become a victim. TheOnlineMom.com offers parents and consumers a guide to the top-rated, age-appropriate, kid-tested and parent-approved tech toys and gifts. Single Moms in the News
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney For those wondering why tween boys don’t read very much, the answer is that more books aren’t like this... Ice Cream Tips Make the easiest dessert even simpler
• Scoop in advance for a crowd. To serve ice cream quickly and in well-shaped spheres, scoop it up to several hours before needed, place balls evenly on a wax-paper lined sheet, cover with plastic wrap and store in the freezer until needed.
Cocktail and Dinner Party Menus There was a day when entertaining a crowd meant making an extra big pot of chile con carne or spaghetti sauce. And while that certainly remains a possibility... |
