Prevent Summer Weight Gain in Kids

Prevent Summer Weight Gain in Kids

While we may all look forward to the break from the school-year rush that summer brings, the sudden decrease in activity may set the stage for children to gain weight. That was the finding of research published in the American Journal of Public Health which showed that kids often put on added pounds during the summer. The study attributes the weight gains to kids’ lack of physical activity and too much eating between meals.

Betsy Kelley, outreach specialist with Cooperative Extension’s Family Living Programs,[ has some suggestions for parents who are concerned about maintaining their children’s healthy weight when school is out.

Encourage your kids to get outside and be active, and watch what foods are available at home. Weight gain in children and adults is a matter of calories in vs. calories out.

Balance – or lack of balance – is often related to portion size. Even though small containers of yogurt or individual serving packages of applesauce or pretzels may cost more, they can help with portion control. Parents can make up small baggies or containers of snack foods and limit how many are available. Preventing kids from eating directly from a large bag or box of anything – even healthier snack foods – is another way to help keep portions in control.

Drinks provide more calories than most people realize. Keep sugary, sweetened juice, soda and sports drinks out of the house. Research at the University of California-Berkeley Center for Weight and Health confirms that plain water will keep most kids hydrated, even in summer. Leave some filled, reusable bottles of water in the fridge.

Keep fresh fruit and veggies cut up in the refrigerator in see-through containers or plastic bags. Keep them visible-don’t let them get lost in the lower bins.

What about those summer staples—popsicles, ice cream and frozen treats? Nobody says parents have to take away all the fun summer foods. Just realize that they have sugar and many frozen treats have a lot more calories than you expect. Let kids choose one special treat rather than a boxful. Or encourage them to make their own. Frozen fruit smoothies with 100 percent juice, frozen fruit and low-fat ice cream parfaits, or homemade frozen juice treats with a spoon stuck in a paper cup are tasty, easy-to-make and healthier. .

To help kids choose the things you want them to eat, quietly buy less of the things you don’t want them to eat. Skip the frozen pizza, frozen meals and prepared foods. Buy less “food in a box,” like macaroni and cheese, rice mixes, and pasta meals. Replace big bags of chips and cookies with smaller packages of lower fat, lower salt snacks. Institute a policy of “when it’s gone, it’s gone,” so kids don’t eat all the snack food the day after you shop--or if they do, they understand the consequences.

Summer doesn’t have to mean weight gain--it can be a time for kids to enjoy fresh foods and make some healthy choices, when parents make those choices available.

Sweeteners in the Spotlight

Sweeteners in the Spotlight

An online survey of consumers conducted in April, 2012 for the International Food Information Council shows that just over half of Americans (51%) are trying to limit or avoid sugars and 44% are trying to limit or avoid high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in particular. Of those who say they pay attention to carbohydrates and sugars when they are buying food and beverages, almost half (47%) choose products based on the type of sweetener and nearly the same proportion (46%) consider whether the products they buy contain low-calorie sweeteners such as Aspartame. About 1/3 of consumers agreed that low-calorie sweeteners can be part of an overall healthful diet.

So what do the experts say about carbohydrates, sugars, and low-calorie (non-nutritive) sweeteners? An updated position paper from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association) was published in May, 2012. After a thorough review, the Academy author and review panel summarized their findings with the following position statement:

It is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that consumers can safely enjoy a range of nutritive and nonnutritive sweeteners when consumed with an eating plan that is guided by current federal nutrition recommendations, such as the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Dietary Reference Intakes, as well as individual health goals and personal preference.

Healthful Eating and Physical Activity in the Home Environment

Healthful Eating and Physical Activity in the Home Environment:

Results from Multifamily Focus Groups

A new study from the University of Minnesota provides insight into the importance of family member interactions and the home environment on health behaviors. The study focused on three topics: challenges to healthful eating and physical activity in families, family successes with eating healthfully and being physically active, and suggestions for eating healthfully and being physically active in families.

The research team conducted 10 multifamily focus groups to explore family members’ perceptions of risk and protective factors for healthful eating and physical activity. A total of 103 family members ranging in age from 8 to 61 years participated in the focus groups. Family members were split evenly by gender and were primarily black (48%) or white (41%). About one-third of focus group participants were parents, 29% were children between the ages of 8 and 12 years, and 31% were children between the ages of 13 to 18 years. With an average family household size of 4 people, the majority of families had low household incomes with 79% of families reporting an annual household income of $30,000 or less (35% of families reported having annual income of $15,000 or less).
Ten themes summarize the most prevalent focus group content.
• Time constraints – parents’ and children’s busy schedules interfered
• Accessibility – cost, location, season, neighborhood safety
• Stage of youth development – more challenging to find ways for adolescent family members to be active versus younger children
• Individual investment – individuals must be personally motivated to eat healthfully and be physically active
• Family investment - healthy choices are supported when families have rules about television time, playing videogames and participating in health behaviors together
• Family meals and activities – meals and activities where all family members are involved
• Parent modeling – influences both healthful eating and physical activity
• Making health behaviors fun – enjoyment increases the likelihood of families eating healthfully and being physically active
• Family lifestyle – make healthful eating and physical activity part of the family’s routine
• Community investment in family health – such as garden swap at church

Source – Gayle Coleman, Nutrition Education Program Specialist

Food Preservation Classes-June 19th, Jams and Jellies

Food Preservation Classes – June 19th, Jams and Jellies

A food preservation class on jams and jellies is scheduled for June 19, 2012 at the Brown County UW-Extension Office, 1150 Bellevue Street, Green Bay from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The cost is $7.00 which includes the UW-Extension food preservation publication “Making Jams, Jellies and Fruit Preserves.” Three recipes will be demonstrated and samples will be available of each product. For more information or to sign up for the class contact the Brown County UW-Extension Office at (920) 391-4610.

The Economic Impact of the Dairy Industry on the State of Wisconsin

The Economic Impact of the Dairy Industry on the State of Wisconsin

The dairy industry is important to Wisconsin. In honor of June dairy month, here are some facts about the dairy industry.

• If Wisconsin were a country, we would rank fourth in the world in terms of cheese production. And Wisconsin wins more awards for its cheese than any other state or country in national and international cheese competitions.
• Wisconsin cheese makers produce more than 600 varieties, types and styles of cheese.
• One cow produces about 350,000 glasses of milk in her lifetime.
• More than 10 pounds of milk goes into one pound of cheese.
• The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends dairy products as a key part of a healthy diet.
• About 9 percent of all milk produced by U.S. dairy farmers is used to produce ice cream