Kids' Foods That Aren't As Healthy As You Think

I just read some great information about foods that are touted as healthy and child-friendly but really aren't. An article on Yahoo! Shine pointed to a new study by the Prevention Institute showing that 84% of prepared foods with health labels on the front didn't even meet basic nutritional standards. This is something to think about the next time you're in the grocery store because it means that parents can't count on the labels for guidance on whether the products are healthy.

According to the study, 95% of the products contained added sugar, with more than half of the products qualifying as high sugar. Thirty-six percent of them were high in sodium, while nearly a quarter were high in saturated fats. Also, 21% contained artificial coloring, which has no nutritional benefit and some potentially harmful side effects.

What do you think?? Is this much-ado-about-nothing? Or does it concern you? What do you look out for when you're in the grocery store?

Happy New Year!

A belated happy new year to all our friends and readers. We have lots of great things in store for you in 2011!

Quick Veggie Quesadillas

I don't know about you, but I'm pacing myself. I know that Christmas and holiday parties will take a lot out of me and I RE-FUSE to get worn out this year. So I'm falling back on the super-easy recipes that allow me to throw together something nutritious and pop it into the oven while I do (or don't do) something else. Here's what you'll need:


8 oz. of shredded cheddar cheese
One onion
A bag of baby spinach
A pack of 10 flour tortillas
A can of Hunt's diced tomatoes

By the way, be sure to load up on the tomatoes in the new year. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that lycopene* absorption is 2 to 3 times greater in canned tomatoes than in raw tomatoes. ConAgra recently had some interesting findings about heart health and tomatoes. Personally, I've been inspired to look after my own cardio health because heart disease and high blood pressure run in my family.

Alright, back to the recipe. Open the can of tomatoes and drain. Chop the onion and spinach, and keep them in two separate piles. Next use your favorite cooking spray to mist a large baking pan. Lay out 8 or 10 of the flour tortillas on the baking pan. Put two tablespoons of cheese into the center of each tortilla. Put a tablespoon of each of the vegetables into the center of each tortilla. Fold each tortilla. Bake the quesadillas at 375 degrees for 8 minutes, then turn them over with a spatula and bake for 4 minutes. Take them out and enjoy!


*Lycopene is a potentially powerful cancer-fighting agent found in fruits, vegetables and plants.

Although this is a compensated post, the opinions and recipes are strictly my own.

Behind The Scenes of "The Muppets"

Are you excited about the return of the Muppets? If so, you might be a 30- or 40-something with small children. We're told a good bit of nostalgia is going into the new movie "The Muppets" which is filming in Los Angeles. The plot involves all of the characters living in different parts of the world. But, as the story goes, they'll need to get back together to save their old television show. Here are some pictures from the set.









What do you think? Are you planning to take your kids to see it? Or maybe just yourself?

Photos courtesy of OnLocationVacations

Toddler PJs and a Pajama Sale

If you're like me, you recently realized that putting the little one in the old t-shirt-and-underwear number at night isn't going to work for the winter. That means the rush is on for warmer (and affordable!) PJs and just in time Diapers.com is having its Pajamarama sale. I've bought tons of things from Diapers.com in the past including -as you might imagine - diapers, baby bath products, and toys. The service has always been great so now I'm considering getting some toddler/preschooler pajamas from there as well since brands like Tea Collection and Carters are in the mix.


Also I'm searching for a place that sells 2-piece footie pajamas for preschoolers. I'm talking 4T and 5T, but does such a thing even exist??? If so, please let me know!

Halloween: Trick or Treating

Here's my question for parents: Does anyone go trick-or-treating anymore? I've been asking around our area and it seems trick-or-treating is less popular than ever. Participation in local neighborhoods seems to be spotty at best. But that's where we live. What are things like in your area? If your children aren't going trick-or-treating, will they be doing celebrating Halloween another way? I would love to know what you all are doing!


picture courtesy of Syracuse.com

Sesame Street Sings "I Love My Hair!"

Like lots of African-American parents these days, we stress the importance of self-esteem and self-love in our home. So, of course we love the new Sesame Street song aimed at teaching children to love their hair. If you haven't heard the song yet, now is your chance. The entire YouTube video is posted below. Once you've heard it, tell me what you think!

My Experience with Dannon Activia

I'm at the end of the Dannon Activia challenge and here's what I've found:

Overall this was a very positive experience. I really like that Activia doesn't taste weird and is basically a good yogurt with extra good stuff added in. I'm glad that I've found an easy way to fit more calcium in my diet without having to guzzle milk.

The kicker is that I've lost two pounds since the start of the challenge, but I think that's down to eating yogurt for breakfast instead of pastries or other unhealthy things. That's one reason why I'm going to continue having it every morning. Here is a picture I snapped just a few minutes ago here at work:



Don't forget that you can get your own coupons for Activia at the website or by clicking below.

Halfway Thru The Activia Challenge

I'm on day seven of the Dannon Activia. I think good things are happening, but I'll reserve complete judgment until the challenge is over. Since I'm already a fan of yogurt, it has been fairly easy for me to incorporate it into my morning routine. It tastes really good, just like regular Dannon yogurt. I've found that I'm partial to the strawberry flavor so I'm mostly sticking with that. I like that I'm getting more calcium in my diet and I do feel that eating Activia at least once a day is having a positive effect on my digestion. BUT. Is it better at all those things than regular yogurt? That's what I'm hoping to find out over the next week.

Don't forget you can get your own Activia coupons by clicking here.

Dannon Activia 14-Day Challenge

For months now I've been looking for healthy ways to get more calcium into my family's diet and to keep our digestion on track. So when I got some coupons that could be used for free servings of Dannon Activia, which contains a special culture that could help with digestion, it seemed like fate. I've decided to take this opportunity to participate in Activia's 14-Day Challenge to find out if incorporating this yogurt into my daily diet will boost my nutrition and help me to feel better. I'll be keeping all of you posted! In the meantime, you can find out get your own Activia coupons (yay!) by clicking below.