Tag Archives: Fitness and Health Bloggers Conference

Who Cares About Calcuim? and Adora Calcium Supplements Give Away

I used to think that supplements were just an excuse to avoid good eating. That’s until I met my children. Some days they will eat anything I put in front of them. Other days they put up a fight. Yes, even at the Don’t Panic Mom dinner table. Big P has a line that goes a little like this, “but I can’t eat the vegetables.” Your kid might say the same thing about drinking her milk. Or maybe he indignantly says yogurt is too slimy.

There are foods that we serve constantly to children because they need certain nutrients for development. So when they push away their source of calcium – we panic! All you need is a little creativity and finding different ways to meet your child’s recommended calcium intake. Yikes. That sounds really clinical. But it’s good to know how much to aim for for developing strong bones. Tweens and teenagers need the most calcium for bone growth, and the American Academy of Pediatrics reports that they aren’t getting it.

What are some of the best sources of calcium?

  • Most foods in the milk group: milk and dishes made with milk, such as puddings and soups.
  • Cheeses: mozzarella, cheddar, Swiss, Parmesan, cottage cheese.
  • Yogurt.
  • Canned fish with soft bones, including sardines, anchovies, salmon.
  • Dark-green leafy vegetables, such as kale, mustard greens, turnip greens, bok-choy.
  • Tofu, if processed with calcium sulfate.
  • Tortillas made from lime-processed corn.
  • Calcium-fortified juice, bread, cereal.
  • (List from the American Academy of Pediatrics)

Are you are having a tough time meeting your child’s calcium requirements through a traditional diet? Ask your child’s medical provider if a supplement is a good idea.

I first tried Adora Calcium Supplements at the Fitness and Health Bloggers Conference. At first glance I approved this product because they have a short ingredient list and only 30 calories a disk. I thought they would be chalky, but they are surprisingly smooth. I especially liked the taste of the dark chocolate disks. I also appreciated having a calcium supplement because I don’t have the best diet when I’m traveling. I happily areed to have my family try both the milk chocolate and dark chocolate disks. My kids loved them and for extra measure I had two sets of great-grandparents try them.  They were almost unanimously accepted as yummy.

Do you need a little help meeting your toddler, tween, or teenager’s calcium requirements? Adora Calcium Supplements may be an ally while you help them learn to include calcium in their regular diet.

Do you want a chance to win 2 bags of Adora Calcium Supplements?

  • To enter this give away, leave a comment below. Let us know what calcium-rich foods your family loves to eat.
  • For another entry, “like” the Don’t Panic Mom Facebook Page. Make sure you leave a comment on the blog that you did.
  • If you already “like” Don’t Panic Mom, invite a friend to “Like” the page and let me know about it in a comment below.
Entries close on Sunday, September 23, 2012 at 11:59 pm MST.

Still want to know more about calcium? Check out these links!

Look at this list to see how different foods measure up in supplying calcium from the National Institutes of Health.

Have a teen or tween? Read this article called Calcium: The Bone Builder from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Monkey Pops with a Crunch featuring Love Grown Foods

Leave a reply

 

Chances are if you have a toddler, you’ve experimented with the infamous Monkey Pop. Here is my faster version using a bit of my favorite non-homemade granola from Love Grown Foods. I tasted Love Grown Foods granola at my recent adventure at the Fitness and Health Bloggers Conference. It is perfectly crunchy and not too sweet. Plus the company is unabashedly optimistic and genuine about healthy products becoming the norm. I like that.

Print
Monkey Pops with a Crunch featuring Love Grown Foods

Monkey Pops with a Crunch featuring Love Grown Foods

Ingredients

  • 3 bananas, peeled and cut in half
  • 6 bamboo skewers
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (I used grapeseed, but canola works well)
  • 1/2 cup Love Grown Foods Granola in Sweet Cranberry Pecan or Simply Oats
  • Cinnamon to sprinkle (optional)

Instructions

  • Place the bananas on skewers and set in the freezer for 30 minutes. (I assigned my preschooler, Big P, to watch the clock.)
  • Put chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and drizzle oil on top.
  • Melt mixture at 20 second intervals until it's melted and creamy. Be careful not to burn the chocolate. You will be heartbroken.
  • Pull the bananas out of the freezer and put on a wide cutting board or large plate.
  • Drizzle chocolate on both sides, shortly followed by the granola.
  • Sprinkle cinnamon and enjoy with your favorite people.
  • You will notice the chocolate hardens beautifully, but the banana is soft enough to easily chew. Miraculous, no?
  • We also experimented with some ripe mango:
Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin

 

 

 

Perfect Purse Snacks: Maple Energy Bars

2 Replies

I recently attended the fabulous Fitness and Health Bloggers Conference and sampled some seriously tasty Maple Energy Squares provided by Canada Maple Syrup. It was a welcome snack to stay alert during afternoon presentations.

They sent us with the recipe along with some Pure Canadian Maple Syrup.

Now it’s time for me to be honest. I am really unfamiliar with real maple syrup. It seemed so expensive and snooty. After sampling the syrup I was truly amazed. It is SO good.

Their website brags that “pure maple syrup has the same beneficial classes of antioxidant compounds found in berries, tomatoes, tea, red wine, whole wheat and flax seed.” Cool.

I went home and tested the bars on my own little monsters. Three cheers from them. These are perfect to pack in your purse when you are running errands. Instead of going for the free cookie at the grocery store, pull out your own naturally sweetened Maple Energy Bar.

Here is the recipe approved by acclaimed Sports Nutritionist, Barbara Lewin. 

Print
Maple Energy Squares

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 16 yummy squares

Maple Energy Squares

Ingredients

  • Maple Energy Squares
  • 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats (I used old-fashioned)
  • 1/2 cup non-fat dry milk
  • 1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat flour)
  • 2/3 cup pure maple syrup (I used 1/2 cup)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup dried blueberries or cranberries
  • 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots (I only had dried apricots so I did a full cup)
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds
  • 1/2 cup shredded coconut

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Spray a 9x9 inch baking pan with cooking spray.
  • In a food processor, combine oats, dry milk, sunflower seeds, flour, maple syrup, and eggs.
  • Puree until almost smooth, about 10 seconds.
  • Stir in dried fruit and almonds.
  • Turn into prepared pan.
  • Sprinkle with coconut.
  • Bake 20 – 25 minutes or until edges are golden brown and bars are set.
Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin

Health & Fitness Bloggers Conference: Day 2

Leave a reply

The food and content today was FABULOUS! The morning began with breakfast provided by ChooseCherries. They provided a refreshing smoothie along with the world’s best oatmeal bar. It really inspired me to take my oatmeal breakfasts up a notch with the kids.

The conference is really helping me understand the role of bloggers in disseminating  accurate health information. I was thrilled to meet Janet Helm, MS, RD today. She is the genius behind www.healthyaperture.com, www.nutritionunplugged.com, and founder of the Nutrition Blog Network.

I love her because she cuts through fad diets with common sense and doesn’t like the word “skinny.” She has a great vision of how to spread accurate nutrition info using blogs and social networks. I felt like a real groupie asking to get a photo with her!

 

 

Secret Guest Blog: Dads Can Chill, Too.

3 Replies

Hi!  I’m Nate, and I’m married to Alli, the Mom behind Don’t Panic, Mom.  She is at the Fitness and Health Bloggers Conference for the weekend.  So do things fall apart at home when Dad hangs out with all three kids by himself?

Not nutritionally, anyway.

Quick backstory: when I was single, I did my grocery shopping based on how many calories I could get for my dollar.  I loved most of the foods that my dear wife now categorizes in the “crap trap.”  Little Debbie was an influential woman in my life.

Things have changed.  I still have a sweet tooth, but I am now quite content eating “sometimes foods” only sometimes.  In fact, I now make better food choices because they make me feel better - not because my wife forces me do it.

However, because of my food history, I know Alli gets nervous about what I might (or might not) feed the kids while she’s gone.  To prove that I didn’t just give up and grab Happy Meals, let me share today’s lunch.

My default easy-to-make lunch is usually some type of sandwich.  On our walk, the boys requested tuna.  Unfortunately, I discovered that we only had two slices of bread in the house, so I adapted this simple recipe:

 

Print
Cheesy Open-Face Tuna Bistro Sandwiches in 10 Minutes or Less

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 8 little sandwiches

Serving Size: 4 squares for kids, 8 for adults

Cheesy Open-Face Tuna Bistro Sandwiches in 10 Minutes or Less

Ingredients

  • 2 slices of bread
  • 2 cans of tuna
  • olive oil
  • vinegar
  • black pepper
  • Swiss cheese

Instructions

  • Preheat the broiler.
  • Toast slices of bread and cut into quarters.
  • Mix tuna with a bit of olive oil, vinegar, and black pepper to taste.
  • Top the toast with tuna mixture and place a square slice of Swiss cheese on top.
  • Place under the broiler until the cheese looks melty.
  • Serve with grapes and carrot sticks.
Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin

Growing up, I always mixed tuna with gobs of Miracle Whip, and our sandwich cheese was usually Kraft singles.  Now when I eat tuna with good seasonings and real cheese, I don’t miss the processed stuff at all.

The boys loved it, too.  Success!  Mom might be the professional, but even Dad can feed the kids right without panic.

Fitness & Health Bloggers Conference: Day One

1 Reply

Today was my first day attending the Fitness and Health Bloggers Conference. I am thrilled to be with so many professionals who are passionate about health. I am even more excited to be in an academic setting. The presenters today were fabulous.

Here is a shot of the delicious berries I devoured for breakfast. Happily provided by Driscolls Berries, a conference sponsor.

Let’s chew on my favorite health idea from today: Exercise is medicine.

This was brilliantly supported with evidence-based data.  But how do we use this ‘medicine’ in our families?

We make it part of our health culture of course! What traditions do you have in your family that involve being active?

Disclaimer: I received a scholarship from Refuel with Chocolate Milk to attend this conference.  More on chocolate milk tomorrow. I hope to get some great discussion and even debate on this current hot topic. The straws are gonna fly!