Change Becomes Change

Looking for Smart Choices at the Market

We all want to make the right choices for our family, especially when it comes to the food we feed them. With headlines telling us about the increase in childhood disease like obesity and diabetes, parents everywhere are trying to do their best to protect their children from danger.

While some government agencies are helping to make it easier with mandatory nutrition labeling on restaurant menus, there's a gap where we spend the most money on food: the grocery store. A few grocers have implemented their own nutritional guides to help shoppers make educated choices, but they can still require interpretation and understanding beyond the few seconds we really want to spend reading a product label.

Earlier this year, a group of food manufacturers like Pepsi, Kraft and Kelloggs developed their own self-endorsed labeling program called Smart Choices that called out products that met their secret-formula standards to make these decisions easier for shoppers. Some of the Smart Choices include Fruit Loops, Lucky Charms, Diet Pepsi and Fudgesicles.

In defense of this labeling , Jeff Stier from the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH)  wrote:

Froot Loops and Lucky Charms have the ‘Smart Choices’ label. They have sugar in them, but they also contain half of a person’s daily requirement of some vitamins. If we’re able to give kids those nutrients, it should be okay to give them some sugar. If they sold these products without sugar, kids wouldn’t eat them, or they might end up adding even more on their own….Don’t companies have the right to say those foods are better than others? It’s not as if they are making specific health claims, rather these are just comparative claims.

Does that help you feel better about the rationale behind this program? 

On a related note, just this week there was a new study released from Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity indicating that cereals marketed directly to children have 85% more sugar, 65% less fiber and 60% more sodium than cereals marketed to adults.

And if you've got a young child at home, you're likely not surprised to learn that the industry spends a lot of money targeting young children with their advertising: $156 million on cereal TV advertising alone.

“The total amount of breakfast cereal marketing to children on television and computer screens, and at their eye-level in stores, combined with the appalling nutrient profile of the cereals most frequently marketed is staggering,” said Jennifer L. Harris, director of marketing initiatives at Yale’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity.

The good news, for today, is that the Smart Choices program is halting operations and many of the food manufacturers are revising their packaging to pull the label from these formerly smart choice products.

What does this really mean for us consumers? Well, according to the American Society of Nutrition:

The FDA intends to develop standardized criteria on which future front-of-package (FOP) nutrition or shelf labeling will be based. In a letter captioned, “Guidance for Industry” and posted on its website, the FDA stated: “We want to work with the food industry − retailers and manufacturers alike − as well as nutrition and design experts and the Institute of Medicine, to develop an optimal, common approach to nutrition-related FOP and shelf labeling that all Americans can trust and use to build better diets and improve their health.”

And that's really good news for Americans today.

So, for now, we continue to read labels and do our best to make our own smart choices at the market.

What Will You Do With Your Halloween Candy?

I don't know about you, but I've got a 10 pound bag of candy sitting on my front table and we didn't really stay out that long on Halloween. While I was pleased to see some pencils, stickers a few wind-up monsters, most of the "treats" were anything but for young, growing bodies.

What's a mama to do? She needs a good trick up her sleeve.

It was so much easier when they were younger and would forget about their sweet treasure by the next morning. This was really the first time that they asked about the candy, but maybe our mistake this year was leaving the goodie bags out in plain view.

For a few years, we've negotiated a bargain of a deal with our kids: they turn over all but a few pieces of acceptable candy and, in return, they can select a toy, book or money for their piggy banks. Since their evening was especially successful this year, they each earned $5 to deposit and agreed to keep four pieces of candy to enjoy. Both parties walked away from the negotiation pretty happy.

What they don't know yet is that this mama also purchased a few additional treats from Whole Foods that have no high fructose corn syrup, and are free of artificial colors and preservative. It'll be a nice surprise once their treasures are gone.

We want to know: how do you deal with the abundance of candy your child collects between trick or treating, school parties and friends?

Congratulations to our Healthy Halloween Winner

Last week I gave you some new ideas on healthier alternatives for Halloween treats and announced that Whole Foods had provided many of these items to share with one lucky winner. First, I want to let you know that we have a winner. I'm pleased to say that Ms Four was randomly selected and happily received her FEED bag full of Halloween treats this morning.

I also want to share some of the ideas for healthier alternatives that were left as comments to the original story:

Michelle at What's Cooking suggested giving out seed packets - flowers, herbs or veggies

Ann from Pierce Whole Nutrition thought colorful erasers or temporary tattoos would be fun. And I can honestly say that my kids love the temporary tattoos much more than the candy they've ever received in a birthday party treat bag.

Amy from Our Frugal Journey has given out pencils, stickers, pretzels and popcorn as alternatives.

And on Twitter, one person suggested bouncy balls - brilliant! My kids can never have enough of those!

If you haven't already, make sure you check out the post on Greening Halloween - yes, green is the new black for this holiday! 

If you have some new ideas for healthier Halloween treats or ways to go green this holiday, I hope you'll share with us. Thanks

Greening Halloween

This Halloween, it's not just about orange and black - green is the new color of Halloween. When you start thinking about the candy you'll buy, party supplies, treat bags, decorations, candy wrappers, etc...the list goes on and on - as does the garbage piling up in landfills. Not to mention the sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and food additives and preservatives that end up polluting little bodies. There's a lot of potential for some small changes that can add up to big improvements quickly.

The good news is that green choices for spooktacular parties and trick or treaters can be really easy and require no extra work on your part. Lucky for us, we have options like Whole Foods who want to help us take the greener road and have shared some of their tips with me to pass along to you.

• All natural - Every product at Whole Foods is natural so we don't have to spend our entire shopping trip reading labels. They've already made sure we won't find high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors or colors on items they carry.
• Cut down on sugar - There are lots of great candy alternatives for those concerned with sugar intake. Look for raisins, trail mix, ZBaRs (my kids devoured the Spooky S'mores flavor today), or apple slices with caramel.
• Cut out the sugar - Remember getting pennies from your neighbor or a toothbrush from the dentist? They had the right intention but maybe we can do better with some sparkly stickers, packs of pencils, hair clips, or other small trinkets. We love making up goody bags for close friends with small Play Doh tubs, rubber duckies or a coloring book.
• Better goody bags - Skip those plastic pumpkins that end up in the trash after one night for reusable grocery bags that can be used after Halloween. When I was a kid, we used old pillowcases to hold our loot.
• Go organic - Did you know that apples are #2 on the Dirty Dozen list of produce to buy organically? Make sure you're bobbing for organic ones.
• Pumpkin afterlife - Your pumpkin can be added to your backyard compost or donate to a friend. The seeds can be roasted for a high-protein snack (easy recipe: toss with olive oil & salt, bake at 300 for 45 mins.)

If everyone makes one green change this Halloween, it makes a difference. I promise. Which change can you make this holiday?

A Healthier Halloween

Does that seem impossible? Maybe just boring? Downright frightening challenge?

It's not. You can still treat the neighbor kids and friends with healthier snacks than you might have in the past. And most of them won't know the difference, but their moms might, and they'll be thankful you made those choices.

We do a lot of our family shopping at Whole Foods since they came to our area a year ago. I like that I don't have to spend time reading labels for ingredients I don't want in my young children's bodies, their selection and quality is amazing. and we've found ways to shop there that have resulted in savings to our food budget (that's a post for another day - promise!). So when they recently asked me to help them get the word out on healthier choices for Halloween, I raised my hand high.

They sent me one of their FEED bags (which proceeds benefits hunger) with these great-tasting treats for Halloween for my family to try and share, along with extras to give away here. See how you can win healthier treats below.

Boo Chips - which are salty, crunchy goodness shaped like festive little ghosts

Valencia orange slices - these have always been one of my favorites but now I don't feel guilty about what's inside when I share them with my daughter.

Yummy Earth Organic Lollipops - with 14 flavors to choose from, you're sure to please each child. Since their USDA Certified Organic, made from real fruit extracts and free of artificial colors and flavors, you'll please some parents too.

Food Should Taste Good Chocolate Tortilla Chips - I was on the fence on these until we cracked open a bag. Chocolate chips are alright in my book! Great for parties and gatherings. Maybe with a yogurt dip?

Sjaak's Organic Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Bites - I have one thing to say about these: who doesn't love chocolate and peanut butter?

Gianna's Frog Frosted Sugar Cookies - while these adorable cookies should be too cute to eat, you can't resist them. Best part for this mama (besides the taste): all natural. 

A few other healthier-than-usual choices that we enjoy include:

Barbara's Snackimals Animal Cookies - these crunchy cookies like the ones we grew up on but are made with organic ingredients and no trans fats.

FrutaBu Organic Smooshed Fruit Twists - Similar to fruit leather but are twisted up goodness of real fruit

Many schools may be having Halloween parties or Fall Festivals and have likely made it policy that only store-bought items can be shared at these celebrations. I know there's going to be treats at these events that I might not be thrilled with - that's ok. I can feel good knowing that what we bring to festivities and enjoy at home with friends and family are sweet with natural goodness.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

My friends at Whole Foods gave me a FEED bag with Valencia Orange Slices, Yummy Earth Organic Lollipops and Sjaak's Organic Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Bites to give away to one lucky reader.  Interested? I'll draw the name of one lucky person this Friday, October 23rd at noon. To enter, just do one or both (for a 2nd chance to win) of the following:

1. Leave a comment here on the blog post. Need an idea? Tell us your favorite healthy treat for Halloween.

2. On Twitter, share this post or a healthy Halloween tip using the hashtag #healthyhalloween

Could it be any easier? I didn't think so. Good luck!

Making Climate Change Happen Today

We've heard about global warming, melting icebergs, drowning polar bears and increased drought, hurricanes and heat waves around the world. No matter your political inclinations, I think we can all agree that our climate has changed over the decades and although I'm no scientist, I believe that there's a cause and effect thing going on. It's a really big problem that needs needs really big solutions. Right?

Not so. While climate change is a hugely important crisis that impacts all of us, as well as future generations, we each have the power to make a difference. "How?", you ask? Let me give you a few ideas that you can do today (and everyday).

• Recycle - Check with your local facility or recycle center to make sure you're putting out the right things, and taking the other materials like cleaners, leftover paint and bottle caps to a safe place.
• Involve your kids - there's so many fun activities that teach them the value of our precious resources and how to make sure we're not wasting them. Here's a few - but it's easy to find more at great sites such as the EPA's Environmental Kid's Club,
• Eat Green - Don't just eat your greens, but make sure you're not polluting your body and the earth with pesticides and other chemicals by choosing organic.
• Save some trees - cancel your snail-mail catalog subscriptions and shop online.
• Precycle - reduce the amount of packaging you  bring home. Bring your own bag, shop the bulk aisles, and invest in a reusable bottle for toting your water. A great site for new ideas on reducing your use of plastic is Fake Plastic Fish.
• Borrow, Don't Buy - Visit your local library to rely on their selection, start a toy exchange with friends to swap toys and keep your collection fresh, or start a tool co-op in your neighborhood so you can share the tools without the awkwardness or looking cheap.
• Get some daily inspiration and new ideas from sites like Rookie Moms, EnviroMom,or Kids for Saving The Earth.
• Embrace Meatless Mondays - find new ways to enjoy vegetarian meals one day each week to reduce meat consumption and it's toll on our environment. Your body might just be happier with you too.
• Reduce Lunch Trash - There are many replacements for the juice box, sandwich wrap and snack bag that are healthy for the earth and our little ones.

How's that for a start? Those should get you started - and we'll share more later. But today is kind of special. Today is Blog Action Day which is an annual event that brings bloggers worldwide together to bring attention to one topic. This year, we want to spark discussions on the topic of climate change. Hopefully you enjoyed this post, will consider incorporating an idea or two into your day and share this with friends to help us make change happen. Thanks!

Dept of Health Suspends Limits on Mercury in Vaccines

I don't know about you, but this worries me. Any time there has been identification of scientifically-proven exposure limits for toxins or chemicals, I take that as pretty much the best that could get approved by a committee with many members from the opposing side and stay clear of that limit for my family. Let's be honest, we all know that the chemical industry has more money and influence than consumer advocates. So when I read this statement from the Washington State Department of Health, I got a little nervous. 

State health officials are taking steps to ensure Washington residents at highest risk for H1N1 (swine flu) infection have broad access to the new vaccine when its available. Secretary of Health Mary Selecky is temporarily suspending Washington's limit on the amount of mercury (thimerosal) allowed in H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine given to pregnant women and children under three.

Note: the CDC has identified children and pregnant women's fetus as most vulnerable to mercury exposure And the Washington State government is now allowing greater exposure to this group.

The six-month suspension is effective through March 23, 2010 and applies only to H1N1 (swine flu) vaccines now being developed. As a precaution, Washington state law limits the amount of mercury that can be in vaccines for pregnant women and children under three. The secretary of health can suspend the law when there's a shortage of vaccine or during a disease outbreak both criteria apply to the H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine. Supplies of mercury-free vaccine will be limited, which may stop people in these groups who want the vaccine from getting it.

When the limits are suspended, the law requires that pregnant or lactating women and parents or guardians of children under 18 be told they're getting a vaccine containing more mercury than is usually permitted. There is no specific notification method required; most patients will get a handout to read.

I get those handouts with every vaccine I give my child and will readily admit that I skim them at best. Unless this handout was given to me with explicit mention of the changed policy, increased risk or came with an audio chip reading that portion to me, there's little chance I'd see it. Let alone understand it out of context.

What this comes down to for me, personally, is the question: what am I most concerned with? The unknown danger of swine flu or the unknown danger of mercury exposure. For now, I'm way more concerned about putting a known toxic chemical in my children's bodies.That's where my fear is. How about you?

Help make a reader successful today

Listen up, Oregonians. If you're not aware of SMART (Start Making A Reader Today), you need to be. Since 1992 they've been helping Oregon children become confident readers with their variety of programs. They give young children access to books in their homes, and send their volunteers out to the field to read to children who might only be exposed to reading at school.

How can we help?

Unfortunately, SMART lost much of their funding in this year's budget cuts so they need our help now more than ever. There's many ways to help SMART deliver on their vision of an Oregon where every child can read and is empowered to learn. Here's just a few:

• If you're on Facebook, check out their Giving page where you can donate $5 which buys two books for a low-income child to take home.
• Donate your time. SMART needs volunteers to read to young children for just one hour each week. Or sign up to be a substitute if you can't commit to a weekly donation.
• Purchase a $5 Macy's Shop for a Cause ticket that gives back to you - on October 17, you get valuable shopping discounts and a chance to win a $500 gift card. Get the details here.
• Is your company looking for a way to collectively make a difference in your community? Put your own fundraiser together (here are some ideas to get you started). Sponsor an event. Ask your employer to reward those who volunteer to read or offer a matching program. 

There are many easy ways to help young children develop their reading skills. You might have some new ideas of your own. Feel free to share them here.

 

First Lady Visits Sesame Street

Nothing about politics here - this is all about giving kids an opportunity to grow up healthy. There's so much research out there about the healthy rewards of introducing children at a young age to fruits and vegetables but I won't get into that now. This is simply about our government and other leading organizations recognizing that we have a national crisis called childhood disease (diabetes, obesity and the like), and stepping up to do their part in solving the problem.

Those folks at Sesame Street are smart when it comes to the attention span of a preschooler - it's short at just 2.5 minutes and packs a lot of punch within that time. Please share this with a child - yours, your grandchildren, neighbors and friends.

If you can't view this in your RSS Feeder or email, click on the post title which will take you to directly to the blog site. Thanks!

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Thinking about change

With the change in season last week, we've been thinking and talking about change around here.  Many different types of changes - changes in the color of leaves that we see on the drive to school, changes in our children now that they've been back in school a few weeks, and personal changes that we're working on like getting in shape and finding time for what's important.

There's another kind of change that we want to work on this fall as the weather starts to turn: we want to help those without the comforts we have. We're incredibly appreciative of our warm home, nutritious food, clean clothes, loving friends and family, and good health, but we recognize that we're fortunate. Very fortunate. Because there are families just like ours that don't know where their next meal might come from and don't have a cozy place to rest their head at night.

So, what can we do to help?

There are easy things like donating food to our local food bank, church and shelters, taking our unwanted clothes, toys and books to places like the Salvation Army or community places like the Neighborhood House here in Portland, and contacting some of these organizations to find out how we can help even more. Check with your church about opportunities to help at a soup kitchen or pack lunches. Meals on Wheels programs around the country are always in need of drivers.

Every city and community has resources for people in need and they're easy to find - so look them up and call them. We are a country with families in need. They need the extra help right now.

If you're making a difference in your community, we want to hear from you. We know that friends like Michelle Stern at What's Cooking in Northern California is helping address childhood hunger. Louise Ross helps people get quality food on a budget at her site Market to Mouth. Mike Lieberman shares one really simple "green" idea every day that helps us be kind to the earth, and our budgets, at his new blog 365 Ways to go Green. When we can save money with resources like these, we're in a better position to help others.

Corporations are stepping up each day. ConAgra will donate $10 to fight childhood hunger for every new fan on their Facebook page through October 10. Macy's wants all of us to help them provide 10 million meals for Feeding America.And there are many more. 

Need a place to start? Want a few new ideas? Check out Volunteer Match - they make it easy for good people to find a good cause to get involved in.

And don't forget that you can earn a free hotel night when you give just one day of your time. Get these simple details here.