Healthy Lifestyle & Commercial Marketing To Children

Young children are especially vulnerable to the commercial media marketing campaigns that are targeted toward them. The United States is really lagging behind other countries in protecting children from targeted commercials at a young age.

In many countries targeting children under certain ages, commonly 12 or less, is against the law. In the United States big companies claim that it is up to the parents to make the decisions about what to buy and yet continue to market specifically to children as young as 3 or 4 years old.

Protect Your Children With A Healthy Lifestyle

The best thing you can do to protect your children from the media and ensure their healthy lifestyle is to shut off the TV. The onslaught of media targeted toward small children on their TV shows is very compelling. A small child does not have the ability to differentiate at that early age between real and not so real value. The commercial programming is often more interesting and exciting (louder) than the actual shows.

In the end you have the final say in what your small children watch and that will impact their values as well.

Teach Kids About Media Marketing

When watching TV with your kids discuss the ads that you see from a health perspective. As you drive and see billboards along the way teach them the difference between marketing values and images portrayed.

Involve Children In Healthy Activities

Get your children of all ages outside! Walking in the woods, bike rides, parks and brief nature encounters make a huge impact on children as they grow up. These do not have to be major outings, just small events that keep them engaged in the real world.

Give Them The Dream Of Healthy Lifestyle

Everyone wants a healthy life! Embed that dream in them when they are young. A recent study by the “Center for the New American Dream” found that kids ages 9-14 primarily want love, happiness, peace on earth and friends. Give your children their dreams by helping them to learn to fulfill desires and free themselves from commercialism.

Actively support your kids in developing a healthy lifestyle with love and friendship.

Fast and Healthy Chicken Recipe

“Shake and Grill” Chicken Recipe

You have heard of  “shake and bake” chicken… well this fast meal is “shake and grill” chicken and will put a healthy meal on your dinner table in 17 minutes! Part of our “Meals In 17 Minutes Or Less” series, the healthy message is:

• Eat plenty of veggies
• Use a wide variety of color in your meals
• Use “good” oils to reduce your cholesterol
• A protein portion is 3 ounces per meal

Fast Healthy Grilled Chicken

Here is how to make a fast and healthy chicken recipe that is an entire meal for four in 17  minutes or less:

1 zuchini
1 sweet potato
2 carrots
4 (3 oz) chicken breast
1 white potato (medium to large)
1 Tbs. olive or grape seed oil
1 Tbs. Italian seasoning mix (or other spice blend)

1. Wash all your vegetables first
2. Cut the carrots and zucchini into quarters. Cut lengthwise first, then diagonally.
3. Slice white potato into 4 slices lengthwise.
4. Slice sweet potato into 4 slices horizontally. (your sweet potatoes should be thicker than the whites)
5. Place all ingredients in a plastic bag (preferably no holes in the bag!! LOL!)
6. Shake!
7. Dump out on your hot grill.
8. Grill on medium for 5 minutes
9. Turn and grill till done and serve

Grilled Vegetable Recipe

You can really use any vegetable you want in this healthy chicken recipe. Just pick out ones that you can cut into appropriate sizes so that they all cook  in the same time frame. I used parsnips the other day!

Patriotic Punch Recipe: Red, White & Blue

Red, White And Blue Punch

This patriotic recipe is fun but not very healthy.  A combination recipe and food science experiment, the red, white and blue punch will be a hit with children and adults alike! Do the best you can to pick out healthier beverage choices.

The Secret Of Layered Punch

There are 2 secrets in making the red, white and blue punch. The first is a lesson in food science. When selecting liquids you may use any colors you want as long as you pick ones with varying amounts of sugar. Sugar will make one beverage heavier than the other, enabling you to make any color combination for your punch. Beverages containing more sugar are denser than those with less.  Compare the grams of sugar in the nutritional analysis, making sure that you are comparing the same unit of measure or portion size. See the notes below in the ingredient list on the sugar content per cup of our choices in this recipe.

The second secret is the ice. When pouring the beverages into the glass or punch bowl the subsequent layers must land on the ice and not the other layer. When making a punch bowl it is advisable to have a frozen mass of ice cube or an ice ring.

Patriotic Punch Recipe

Cranberry juice (32 grams sugar)
Low sugar Lemonade (12 grams sugar)
Blue Gatorade Fierce (5 grams sugar)

1. Fill a clear glass or punch bowl with ice cubes. Pour the drink with the most sugar (check the nutrition label) into the glass. Start with cranberry juice.
2. Very slowly add a beverage that contains less sugar — in this case, lemonade. Be careful to pour it onto an ice cube — not directly into the other drink — to keep them from mixing.
3. Use the same technique to add a layer of Gatorade.

Cooking With Kids – Food Science Experiment

Anytime you can get your kids interested in cooking, you will contribute to their lifelong good health. While this may not be a healthy recipe, as a food science experiment the punch is always interesting to kids.

I often make this recipe in children’s cooking classes. Using a small clear disposable cup you can have each child layer her or his own beverage (any colors) into their cups. Using small cups and a small cream pitcher makes it easier for kids ages 5-10 make their own beverage/science experiment.