Most fruits are high in vitamin C. Vitamin C is important for wound healing and for preventing colds and other infectious illnesses. Vitamin C is good for the immune system. Fruits especially high in vitamin c are melons, including cantaloupe and watermelon, mango and papaya, all citrus fruits, including lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruit, berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries), and pineapple.
Whole Fruit is a good source of fiber. Since most kids will eat fruit, this is an easy way to increase fiber intake and help to prevent digestion issues such as constipation. Fruits highest in fiber include unpeeled pears, apples, figs, dates, apricots, raisins, and plums/prunes.
Fruit is an excellent way to add water/fluid to your diet without having to actually drink water. It can be difficult to get kids to drink enough water, especially in the winter. Eating whole fruits will help to prevent dehydration. Fruits especially high in fluids are melons and grapes.
Because fruit is sweet, it can help curb a sweet tooth. Thus, you are less likely to give in to the less healthy sweets such as cookies and candy. If you're having a sweet tooth, pretty much any fruit will help you satisfy that craving.
Fruit is an excellent source of folate. Folate is important for healthy blood and a healthy baby. Strawberries, oranges, papaya, bananas and grapefruit are excellent sources of folate.
As some of you already know, I've been keeping track of my calorie (and nutrient) intake on and off for years. One of the things I have more recently discovered while doing this is that I hardly ever hit the 3500 mg goal. This is true even on days when I've eaten cantaloupe, bananas, grapes, and oranges.
So, what do I do to make sure I'm eating fruits every day? I find it helpful to wash fruit and put it into a bowl as soon as I get it home from the grocery store. This makes it much more likely that I will eat the fruit instead of some less healthy alternative.
I've also worked to reduce the amount of “other less healthy alternatives” available in the house. Since, I don't live alone, I find that putting the fruits on the counter in the kitchen, on the dinner table, or in front in the refrigerator (and hiding the other stuff!) also encourages more fruit eating for everyone.
Here is a list of other ideas to help encourage more WHOLE fruit intake (as opposed to juice)
Remember that when fresh fruits are in season, not only are they less expensive, but they usually taste better. So, this is a good time to try something new
It's okay to purchase fruits that are dried, frozen, and canned (in water or 100% juice) as well as fresh, especially since fresh may not be available.
Whole fruit is higher in fiber and contains nutrients that are stripped during the juicing process. So, although some juice is okay, whole fruit is much better for you.
At breakfast, add your favorite fruits such as bananas, peaches, strawberries and blueberries to cereal, pancakes or waffles.
Try to always drink 100% juice. if it doesn't say, “100% Juice” on the label, It isn't.
Add fruit to your yogurt, and remember that favorite fruits make great snacks.
Add your favorite fruit to lunch boxes. If you don't have time or don't enjoy cutting fruit, use individual containers of fruits like peaches or applesauce are easy to carry and convenient for lunch.
At dinner, add crushed pineapple to coleslaw or include orange sections, dried cranberries, or grapes in a tossed salad. Try fruit salsa on top of fish.
During the summer, have a canning party to preserve favorite fruits that aren't available during the colder months. For example, we have jarred peaches that we canned in the summer. They are delicious!
Make fruit breads and fruit pies using fresh fruit, for example we just made “Gluten-Free Blueberry Banana Bread.” We used 3 bananas and 1 cup blueberries in the recipe, and it was delicious!
Here is a delicious recipe I have been making for years:
This delicious, colorful fruit salad is sure to win the hearts of many including your kids.Though the original recipe is for everything to be mixed together, it's okay to serve fruits in separate bowls/plates for children with sensory issues or for toddlers and other young children.
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time5 minutesmins
Total Time25 minutesmins
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: healthy, kid friendly recipes, recipes kids love
Servings: 4Servings
Calories: 172kcal
Author: Betty Crocker
Ingredients
4cupsCut up fruit4 different colors is best
2 tbspLime JuiceFresh is best
2 tbspHoney
1/4 teaspoonpoppy seedFound in Spice Aisle of most grocery stores
1teaspooncorn starch
Instructions
Just before adding dressing:Cut up 4 (four) cups of desired fruits.To make Dressing:Mix lime juice, honey, cornstarch and poppy seed in small saucepan. Heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Usually no more than 5 minutes. Cool 5 minutes.Toss dressing with fruit and serve. Recipe can easily be doubled or tripled as needed.
Notes
Fruit Combination ideas:Red apples, bananas, oranges, green grapesBlueberries, cantaloupe, honeydew, strawberriesKiwifruit, bananas, red grapes, pineappleStrawberries, blueberries, apricots, peachesNectarines, peaches, plums, strawberriesRaspberries, peaches, bananas, kiwifruit
Now that you know which foods are essential to good health (see previous post here), you can start thinking in terms of healthy recipe makeovers. You've heard the resident health nut or dieting junkie blasting traditional comfort food favorites like mac and cheese and bacon cheeseburgers as being “bad for you”.
It's not that these types of meals are unhealthy. It's more likely that the portion size is out of control, much more than we really need to satisfy our hunger and nourish our bodies. And it's also much more likely that the comfort foods that get a bad rap only do so because they contain filler ingredients — like whey protein and weird additives in your processed cheese. Or, like an enriched white bun, that packs on lots of empty calories, spikes blood sugar and causes your body to gain fat.
For decades, people who were looking to lose weight simply reduced fat in their diets. That seemed easy enough, but it overlooked the fact that certain fats really are good for you and essential to a healthy and well-functioning body. Nowadays we know better.
If you get enough good fat in your diet, you can minimize the health risks that come from eating saturated fat.
So doing something like indulging in a couple slices of salami can be counterbalanced with a side of healthy fat and some really good healthy veggies. A green salad splashed with olive oil vinaigrette, topped with ripe tomatoes can hold its own with a few slices of salami and some aged cheese chunks. Sprinkle on your healthy fat – nuts – for the ultimate healthy and delicious lunch!
Okay so now that we are a little bit more aware of what constitutes a balanced and nutritious meal, let's explore the general process for giving a healthy makeover to your favorite dishes.
Reduce saturated fat or replace half saturated fat with healthy fat.
You can go by the numbers in your diet plan if that helps you. However, we are talking in generalities today. So, if you're looking to cut fat, really start thinking about where you can replace things like butter, whole milk cheese, whole milk ice cream, whipped cream, full fat dressings from a bottle, and mayonnaise with healthy substitutes that contain less fat.
Let's think of an example. Butter is a saturated fat. You are used to putting butter on your toast or bagel in the morning.
A serving of pancakes or waffles, according to your traditional breakfast standards, gets a pat or two of butter. But you have plenty of healthier options to either eliminate or completely replace reduce or completely replace the serving of butter in your morning meal.
Here are some ideas:
Replace the butter in your oatmeal with a tablespoon of coconut oil.
Replace your buttered toast with avocado toast.
Instead of buttering your waffle, give it a smear of coconut oil.
Cook your scrambled eggs in olive oil instead of butter for a change of pace.
These ideas should get you going on the possibilities as far as looking to reduce or eliminate saturated fats such as butter in your diet.
What about meat? Americans are notorious for eating too much meat.
A serving size of protein that you would typically have at a meal should fit inside the palm of your hand. For a lot of people, a food scale helps them portion out their protein. But when you don't have a scale, it's easy enough to use your hand as a gauge.
So, let's say you have a fresh salad all ready and you'd like to top your salad with chicken for protein. Your normal serving of a protein, if you're looking to lose weight or maintain weight already lost, would be a section of chicken breast that can fit into your palm.
You can enjoy that salad with even less chicken and replace the missing protein with plant-based protein such as a handful of chopped nuts, a few cheese cubes, or a sprinkle of edamame or chickpeas.
Fun fact: plant-based proteins assimilate better when eaten together. In the old days, they called beans combined with dairy like cheese or yogurt, a “complete protein.” No one says that anymore, but it still applies.
This way you can still get your allotted portion of protein that's needed to fill you up and nourish your body. But instead, you get to enjoy a wider variety of food which means a broader array of vitamins and minerals in your diet.
What about eliminating and reducing carbs? As mentioned, lots of people are going low carb or no carb. Some have blazed into full-blown keto, completely replacing glucose in their diet as the main form of fuel for energy with fat.
To reduce your carb intake without jumping on the keto bandwagon, here are some meal makeover strategies to try.
Replace white enriched white pasta with whole grain pasta
You'll find lots of white pasta alternatives on your grocery store shelves. You might try brown rice pasta, spelt pasta, buckwheat pasta, whole wheat pasta and other types of noodles.
Lots of people who live low carb swear by shirataki noodles
While they lack the consistency of regular white pasta noodles that you may be used to, these do provide an exceptionally low carb alternative to help you sop up your sauces and provide a nice contrast with your protein-based meals.
Cut the amount of carbs you ingest
In your eating travels there will be those times that you just can't connect with a source for that whole grain carb… and that's okay. Example, you just got sushi from the grocery store, and it came with white rice. Some prepackaged sushi meals go heavy on the rice. That throws off the proper ratio of fish protein to starch.
No one said you had to eat all those little rice rolls that come with your pre-packaged sushi
Instead, you can reassemble your sushi so that one slice of fish goes on top of half a rice roll. Toss the other half of the rice roll; you don't need the extra carbs. This will seem more appealing because you're getting more of the fish in every bite, and you won't be overdoing it on the carbohydrate servings.
Choose whole grain breakfast foods
Grains are perennially popular for breakfast. This is true whether you have been aware of whole grains or just eating traditional carbohydrate meals like cereals made from white flour.
Carbohydrates give you a boost of energy to start your day although whether or not you choose to eat a carb-based breakfast like cereal or muffins is your own personal preference. You may in fact shy away from that if you're trying to lose weight.
But that doesn't mean that you can't have ANY carbs with your breakfast. You just have to choose the right ones. Feeling like muffins? Get into the habit of making these from scratch using whole grains as the basis of the recipe.
Your healthy morning muffins might include leftover whole grain brown rice, leftover oatmeal made from whole rolled oats, whole wheat flour, oat flour, brown rice flour, cornmeal and other greens that will provide fiber. While you're at it, add fruit like banana as a sugar replacement, and choose a healthy oil like coconut for the fat component.
Stay tuned to my next post which includes a recipe makeover (and recipe) for Chicken Parmesan!
You may have heard that weight loss works better when you lower carb intake. This may be true to some extent but know that your body needs carbohydrates. Children burn off a lot of energy doing things like growing, running around, mastering new skills, and developing their brains. Then they reach childbearing age and still need an energy source, to raise kids and then to run after them for a while. Read on to learn more about the importance of carbohydrates and fats when considering recipe makeovers.
During our later years of life, we need less carbohydrates, but we still do need them in moderation because carbohydrates help us to digest our food. As you age, your tummy doesn't work as efficiently as it once did, so fiber is necessary…never mind what some misinformed members of the low carb crowd may be telling you!
Fun fact: protein on its own does not pass through the digestive system without help from carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates are made of plant matter which contains fiber. Think potatoes, rice, corn, oats, and any veggie such as broccoli, celery, carrots. Plant fiber is “undigestible” and that's why it works to clear our digestive system. This might sound gross, but it's the reason fiber helps you digest more efficiently and weigh less.
The fiber from plants you eat attracts water, bloats up and fills our intestinal tract. This activates peristalsis or pooping and it's how we pass waste from our bodies.
A body that's clear of waste is a healthy, happy body.
Forms of carbohydrates that have not been processed to death include all fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grains. Many so-called experts advocate a low-carb diet. You can still do low carb the healthy way as long as you're heavy-handed with the dark, leafy, and cruciferous veggies. But if going to that extreme just isn't your cup of tea, or you'd prefer to stick with a balanced plate at every meal… you can simply modify the type and amount of carbohydrates you eat.
Take some time to rethink carbs.
Instead of processed flour, go for whole grains
Instead of filling half your plate with a starchy side, go with 1/4 greens and 1/4 whole grain such as brown rice or whole wheat pasta on your plate.
With time and practice, you'll eventually gain a new perspective on what's a healthy amount of carbs –which is much less than you have been conditioned to eat daily.
Know Your Lipids for Weight Loss and Good Health
If you think your body doesn't need fat, you're wrong. Fat is also an essential component of a well-balanced diet.
If you've ever been fed intravenously in the hospital, you may have noticed that a bag of lipids is included free with your overnight stay. Fat is that important to our body function. But as far as healthy eating goes, you don't want just any fat. You want the good kind that helps your hormones function and clears out the toxins in your blood.
Good fats come in many forms. And this includes fat from fruits like
Saturated fat, which is the more-harmful-less-healthy kind, shows up in
meat
dairy products
Full-fat dairy has the most saturated fat
sour cream
butter
cheese
whipping cream
While saturated fat is an essential nutrient that your body needs, too much is harmful and can lead to atherosclerosis and heart disease. So it's important to balance it with other vital nutrients such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
A Great Example is the Mediterranean diet
Now that we know the building blocks of your healthy diet, let's explore how some simple changes help you enjoy your favorite foods but healthy them up. What you prepare in the way of daily meals can make all the difference in your health and in your size, shape and how much you weigh.
For decades, people who were looking to lose weight simply reduced fat in their diets.
That was the trend. The concept seemed easy enough, but it overlooked the fact that certain fats really are good for you and essential to a healthy and well-functioning body. Just think of how your skin and hair look when you include olive oil and avocado in your diet. That's just two examples…healthy fat is especially GOOD for aging people.
Nowadays, when it comes to fat, we know better. If you get enough good fat in your diet, you can minimize the health risks that come from eating bad fat aka saturated fat from animal products.
So doing something like indulging in a couple of bacon slices can be counterbalanced with a side of healthy fat, like avocado, along with a healthy dark green veggie, like spinach or kale. Add in a protein source – boiled egg- to round out the meal.
This is an example of a well-balanced lunch that is good for your health, and you get to enjoy a small portion of saturated fat!
In my next post, we will discuss the basics of a healthy recipe makeover.
Wondering how to change up your recipes so you can lose weight and get your blood test results back to a safe range? Read on for fresh ideas on healthy recipe makeovers and where to start.
Eating healthily does not have to be as complicated as people make it out to be. Weight loss can happen while still enjoying your favorite recipes. This is accomplished in a variety of ways.
You can modify how much you eat by following the portion guide on the back of the product.
You can reduce how much and how often you indulge in those “often delicious yet less desirable” foods, while increasing your intake of healthy foods that are just as flavorful but not as common.
And you can modify ingredients that you add to your favorite classic recipes to make them more nutritious and weight-loss friendly, yet still satisfying.
With a little help from a health coach and some input from your dietitian or nutrition counselor, you can relearn cooking and eating so that you won't stay stuck on restrictive diets or constantly be running out for recipe ingredients just to stay on program.
Instead, say hello to a new way of eating that will result in weight loss, reduced body fat, improved health, more confidence, and tons more energy.
When paired with a sensible and consistent exercise routine, your new way of eating can also result in a healthier, fitter, and stronger body.
The Mainstays of Good Nutrition
Healthy eating and dieting trends come and go. But the basic nutrition that your body needs won't change no matter what the fad diets are preaching. Yes, there are different ways to prepare food. You'll find endless possibilities as you explore a wide variety of cuisines and cooking methods from all over the world. But when you think about all the different great recipes to try and meals to be enjoyed, there is one consistent fact that remains.
A good meal is a balanced meal, and a balanced meal is a healthy meal.
No matter what the menu, the plan to target your nutritional needs will always be to create a balanced and colorful plate.
Here's a simple list of essential ingredient types to include with every healthy meal:
Protein
Carbohydrates
Fat
Let's get into the finer points of each of those.
Weight Loss and Protein
Wondering about protein as part of your healthy eating plan? Our muscles need protein to function properly and to generate new cells. That means not just the muscles that you use to move your body, but also your busy, always-on brain, and the heart muscle which pumps life into your limbs.
When our nervous system gets stressed, our body craves protein. In fact, after a stressful or challenging encounter, even if we think we need carbs or sweets, what our body really wants, and needs is protein. So, if food cravings are hitting hard, don't just sit there starving. Find a source of healthy protein and get to snacking. You don't need a lot of protein to curb hunger pangs.
But you do need good quality protein that delivers nutrition.
When we think of protein, we think of meat first. What do you picture when you see the word protein? Chicken? Beef? Protein goes far beyond the traditional American menu that you may be used to consuming. In fact, if you look at world cuisine you will see that there are endless possibilities for getting your daily protein intake.
Fun Fact: some people in Thailand eat bugs for dinner… but let's leave that one alone for now.
Common sources of protein that you may or may not be aware of include:
Chicken, fish, pork, turkey, and game meats such as wild foul, rabbit, and venison.
Vegetarians get protein by way of eggs and dairy products as well as legumes and beans.
Vegans take their protein from nuts, beans and legumes, and some lesser-known veggies and grains that deliver protein, like oats and broccoli.
Soy protein is a particularly versatile form of sustenance that is often hidden in prepared vegetarian foods such as veggie burgers. In fact, anything that's billed as a vegan or vegetarian meat substitute is based on soy protein.
At its most basic you'll find soy protein in edamame or simple soybeans. Tofu is a form of protein made by sprouting edamame beans and then soaking them in a process that separates the bean curd which can then form into shapes to use in recipes.
You can make veggie burgers at home and play with different protein sources.
Blend up your favorite beans, nuts, brown rice, aromatics like onion, herbs, and seasonings. Dip in egg, coat in whole grain breadcrumbs or almond flour, and lightly fry in olive oil or spray with olive oil cooking spray and bake. Or try my hubby's delicious garden burger recipe by clicking here.
In our next post, we will discuss how carbohydrates can play a part in successful weight loss.
7 Sister's High School Level Online PE for Homeschool Kids Curriculum is a full semester, 1/2 credit high school course. It includes all that is needed to satisfy high school graduation requirements. Since it's online, it can be completed at your own pace
My son doesn't enjoy exercising. So, I chose this class to get him more motivated and to give him the opportunity to practice his planning and recordkeeping skills. I also chose this curriculum because it is led by a 10-year exercise veteran and I felt hopeful this would help. And I'm happy to say that:
This is a big deal if you know my son because he still has a long way to go. However, he is now doing push ups and sit ups on his own and is more conscious of his need to be more active. He also did his best to keep track of what he completed, and I see big improvements in this area as well.
The following is included in this well-written curriculum.
Suggested syllabus for the year (or semester).
Reading assignments which include explanations of different types of exercises.
Questions to help reinforce learning (fill-in-the blank, multiple choice, true/false, and some short answer).
Videos showing how to do the exercises.
Diagrams showing the muscles mentioned in the videos. You could use these to help teach anatomy!
Paperwork for keeping track. Great for teaching recordkeeping.
There are a total of four different workouts each to be completed in four weeks for a total of 16 weeks.
Nice recordkeeping logs that can be printed or your student can type in the answers using fill and sign in Adobe reader.
The curriculum is taught by Luke Josiah Samuel Hayes (video instructor). Samuel has numerous certifications including NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine), and over 10 years of experience as a fitness instructor, personal trainer, and fitness manager.
The exercise routines were above Nathan's fitness level. However, the goals set out are something any beginner could eventually reach. This is why I plan to teach this course again next year.
I'm happy to have this online PE for Homeschool Kids curriculum to use again and again if needed.
As a certified Group Fitness Instructor, I recommend this course as an online PE for homeschool kids option. Kids who are resistant to exercise and kids who are not will both benefit from the instruction. Either way, something important will be learned and PE requirements will be met for High School Graduation.
Check out 7 Sisters Homeschool Foundations for Physical Fitness by clicking here.
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