Back to School Nutrition tips for Kids!

It's that time again.  Kids are going back to school and they have to adapt to changes to their schedule as well as you.  During the summer, they have been waking up late, playing video games, and eating ice cream.

It's during this time of change that parents can take advantage of creating new habits.  Not only for the children they love, but for themselves as well.  Considering that childhood obesity is a serious threat to the nation, it's what is being done at home that is going to make the most impact.

Here are a few tips to get your kids on a path of true health:

Teach your kids to eat breakfast by Eating with them!

As a nutrition coach for over a decade, I have discovered that many parents do not eat breakfast with their children.  Though they tell them to eat breakfast, they often find it challenging for them to eat it.  Even worse, for the kids who do, parents will often throw a granola bar at them and have them eat it on the way to school.  This is a dangerous pattern that will lead to unhealthy eating behaviors.

If you want your child to eat healthy breakfast, eat breakfast with them.  I'm usually out of the house before my kids are out of bed, but my wife prepares and has breakfast with our children.  She doesn't give them Pop-tarts and calls it breakfast.  Instead, she cuts up bananas, gives them blueberries, whole grain waffles, and eggs with a glass of water (not juice).  You know, healthy stuff.  By the way, they love it!  Why, because it's what we eat too.

Pack your kids healthy lunches
A lot of times parents go for the convenience factor instead of the health factor.  Throwing in a juice pouch that claims to be healthy because it has vitamin C or calcium does eliminate the fact that it has additives and sugar.  Besides, you're spending a lot of money on what is primarily water.  So, perhaps you can just give them a water bottle.  Better yet, a reusable BPA free bottle and add lime, lemon, or a small amount of O.J. to give it flavor.

As to food, give them fruit, carrots, and a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread or a potato roll (if you're going gluten free try Rudi's).  Don't tell me that the only thing your kid will eat is junk.  Just a little over 50 years ago, the only option they would've had would be to eat is real food.  On occasion, maybe once a week, you can throw in some chips and a cookie.  But these should not be your staples.

Once again, if you eat healthy lunches, they are more likely to eat what is given to them as well.

Take your kids to the grocery store

Now, I know that when you take your kids to the store, usually they are driving you crazy asking for junk.  However, don't under estimate the power of role modeling.  If you don't buy junk for yourself, they will make less requests for it.  

Children like to learn too.  Teach them about reading labels. Teach them about the tricky and misleading advertisements and hooks on the cover of cereal boxes, fruit roll-ups, etc.  Usually, product makers claim a product is healthy (when it's really not) and they often try to hook children prizes (the movie industry will ticks me off about this).

I know for a fact that children can make changes, as I've had children go on grocery store tours with their parents.  The parents tell me later that it's often the kids that are holding them accountable.  

Give kids healthful after school snacks
I'll admit it.  When I was a kid, I often would hit the pantry for powdered donuts and cheese puffs after school.  It was my favorite after school snack.  When I got old enough, I would eat hot dogs and cheese sticks, then chase it down with a sugar-filled soda.

Once again, kids will eat what is available to them and eat what their parents eat.  Instead of junk, have fruit, nuts, and other healthy options available to them.  Perhaps, you can create your own trail mix filled with lightly salted nuts, pretzels, and raisins.  Yogurt bars are a great option too.

It's not about the kid(s) as much as you.  
Teaching your kids how to eat healthy is not going to be an easy task.  However, if you remain steadfast and culminate to healthy eating habits yourself, your children will also change.  

In the state of Georgia, nearly 40% of children are obese.  Georgia ranks a dismal 2nd in highest childhood obesity in the U.S.  If you would like to make some changes or to learn more about permanent health, go to Strong4Life, a program sponsored by Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. 


written by:
Kelly Huggins
Exercise Science, B.S.
Fitness and Nutrition Coach
Fitness Together

Quick Holiday Eating Tips

It is said that you can gain as much as 10 pounds over the holiday seasoon.  That figure may be more exaggerated than the reality, however, many people I have encountered over the years report gaining as much as 5-7 pounds over the holidays. Most likely though, you would gain about 1-2 pounds that would actually stick.

In order to fight over-eating this holiday season, you must be proactive.  Here are few tips to help you get past the holiday gluttony:

Drink a Glass of Water before Eating - You're still going to eat high calorie foods, so you can limit the amount that you eat by drinking some water before your meal.

Eat From the Veggie Tray - A lot of times, you have food that is prepared to snack on before your meal. Eat from the veggie tray. Don't be concerned about dipping it either. It's a heck of a lot better than eating the stuffed mushrooms or eating the cheese balls.

Eat Your Breakfast - You're supposed to eat breakfast anyway. However, you still wait because of the amount of food that will be available later. Eat your breakfast and you will not gorge yourself at your holiday meal.  Study after study shows that breakfast eaters always consume less calories than non-breakfast eaters.  

Stay in the Habit of Exercise (or get in the habit) - If you are exercising, you can still get up and do some activity. Sometimes you eat because you are bored. Go for a walk, throw the football around with your kids (or grandkids), do anything that is active and safe. It will keep your mind away from food. As they say, "out of sight, out of mind."

Eat Small Amounts - Pick foods you really like, but don't get huge quantities. Get plenty of lean turkey, surround your plate with some veggies, then place small quantities of sweet potato casserole, broccoli casserole, bread and butter, etc. (don't mean to make you hungry.) Only get a small amount of dessert as well.

written by

Kelly Huggins, A-CPT

Exercise Science, B.S.

Fitness Together Fitness/Nutrition Coach

October Nutrition Tip of Week: 2. Eat baked apples for dessert

It’s apple season so why not bake some up for dessert? Nothing could be simpler than coring an apple, adding a little water, a sweetener and maybe some raisins and chopped pecans or walnuts and baking in a hot oven. The best “baking apples” are: Rome Beauty, Golden delicious, Honeycrisp and Jonagold.  

Go organic when possible!  

Click it- Go local and pick some of your own! 

Stuffed Baked Apples Recipe

October Recipe - Pumpkin Apple Butter Spread

Pumpkin Power Article

Pumpkin Power Article

MYTH: Skip breakfast - Consume Less Calories

Just like mama told you, "breakfast is the most important meal of the day".


Don’t skip breakfast thinking you “save up your calories”. There is more to food than calories in versus calories out.  The interesting thing is multiple studies show that people who eat breakfast consume fewer calories than those who don’t.  By the end of the day, non-breakfast eaters become ravenous. You’re ready to mow down on a bag of chips or cookies, or pull over to your favorite fast food restaurant.  There are a few reasons for this; however, the main reason is related to regulating your blood sugar and insulin balance. 

The Insulin Connection

Any time you eat, you will increase your blood sugar.  As blood sugar (glucose) increases, you release insulin into the body.  If you go without eating until midday, your blood sugar levels decreases.  This is when you get to starvation mode.   Read- Understand your Hunger Level.

Because of other physiological factors that affect your emotional state, your judgment as to what you eat becomes impaired.  Instead of choosing fruits or vegetables, you’re prone to eat a processed carbohydrate that is high glycemic and possibly high in fat.  This puts you into a yo-yo eating pattern the rest of the day, as you release more insulin than what was needed.   You begin to dip back down below your blood sugar level.  This causes you to get stressed, maybe even get a headache.  To relieve the pain (whether emotional or physical), you go back to eating crap.  Forgive my French, but you know it’s true.

Want some research?  Go to MrBreakfast.com.  

Before I leave with, "you need to eat breakfast," you still have to eat a sound breakfast.  Pop-tarts and doughnuts with coffee is not a good solution!

Here are some tips about breakfast:

• Prepare-  Know what you’re going to eat the next morning before you get up.  You can go as far as preparing it the night before.  Moreover, you can make something like an egg dish with veggies in it and keep it in the fridge.  It could last you all week!
• Create a routine-  If you’re like me, I have a routine in the morning of taking a shower, etc.  A part of that routine is eating breakfast.  At first, it may be tough, but give it some time.  Eating breakfast will be like brushing your teeth.  
• Get up a little earlier-  Hitting the snooze button over and over is not going to make you feel any more rested.  So, you might as well get up.  If you’re not a “snoozer” then set your clock to wake up 15 minutes earlier and go to bed 15 minutes earlier.
• Get the right combination:  Include a starchy carb, a fibrous carb, and a lean protein. A traditional breakfast could be oatmeal (starchy carb) with vegetable omelet (veggies = fibrous carbs, eggs = protein).  Getting the right combination of food is vital for any meal to regulate blood sugar.
• Keep it easy-  Understandably, you may not have time cook in the evening or morning.  There are a lot of things you can do ranging from cereal to protein shakes.  

written by:

Kelly Huggins, A-CPT

Exercise Science, B.S.

Fitness Together - Fitness/Nutrition Coach

How Good Nutrition Can Make You Happier

You probably are already aware that what you eat can affect your health. But did you know that when and what you eat can definitely affect your mood? Add these special mood-boosters into your day and combine them with daily exercise (another proven mood-lifting lifestyle habit) and you have the key to becoming a healthier and happier person. Here are 5 happiness foods for you to consider adding into your day:

Eat salmon. Salmon and other fatty fish that swim in the deep blue sea are chock full of the “good fat” known as omega-3. Scientists have found that one type of long chain fatty acid in particular, called DHA, is highly concentrated in the brain and required for healthy brain function.  In fact, research has shown that omega-3 fat has a mood boosting effect—people with higher blood levels have more serotonin and dopamine — two key neurotransmitters that keep our moods happy and balanced. Salmon, especially wild salmon, is exceptionally high in vitamin D, another nutrient believed to affect mood. In fact, vitamin D has been shown to help people with a type of depression common in the long dark days of winter, called “seasonal affective disorder” or SAD.

Eat spinach. Spinach and other dark leafy greens are brimming with plant antioxidant chemicals. These phytochemicals protect the delicate brain cell membranes from free radical damage which can contribute to fatigue and a dampened mood. Spinach is also rich in the B vitamin folic acid. Research has shown that many depressed people have low folic acid levels in their blood. Other food sources of folic acid include legumes and asparagus.

Eat beans. Beans are loaded with iron. Iron is a mineral that greatly affects mood as it transports oxygen in the blood. Not enough oxygen transported to the tissues translates into lethargy, fatigue and anxiety. Therefore, it is important to ensure that you are eating enough iron in your diet. Other good sources of iron include lean red meat, raisins and iron-fortified cereals.

Eat whole grains. Carbs are the classic “feel good” foods because they enable tryptophan to cross into the brain where it forms the neurotransmitter, serotonin. Serotonin is our brain’s natural antidepressant—it has a calming, sedative-like mood enhancing effect.  To increase your level of serotonin, be particular with what type of carb you eat.  Don’t go for the simple carbs because unlike the complex, whole grain carbs (which provide lasting energy), simple carbs such as sugary soda or cookies cause a transient blood sugar surge followed by a mood-wrecking crash.

Choose protein with a high tryptophan count. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid—meaning the body can’t manufacture it on its own so you have to eat it. Tryptophan is the building block of serotonin, therefore it is imperative that you consume enough in your diet. So how much is enough? Aim for about 300 mg a day from protein. Here are some sample proteins and their respective tryptophan content:

• Chicken or turkey breast, (4 oz.): 390 mg
• Yellowfin tuna (4 oz.): 380 mg
• Soybeans, cooked (1 cup): 370 mg
• Halibut, (4 oz.): 340 mg

When it comes to your mood, you truly are what you eat. Combining a nutritious diet with daily exercise is the ultimate happiness prescription. A Fitness Together trainer can develop a program designed to help you stay happy and fit. You’ll also receive nutritional counseling through the Nutrition Together program, which will complement your workouts. To find the Fitness Together studio nearest you, visit www.fitnesstogether.com.