Have you ever prepared for the worst and the worst never came? I was sure I’d have an irritated parent after distributing the “Super Snacks for Soccer Players” flyer. I was sure there would be that one parent who wanted to defend their child’s favorite flavor of Cheetos. But nope. I’ve seen a lot of water and a small mountain of oranges. Continue reading
You’ve burned a few calories on the field, let’s celebrate with 56 grams of sugar from a Gatorade.
Why not a treat as well? You looked super cute out there in your uniform. Those packaged Grandma’s cookies add another 22 grams of sugar.
Your team won? It’s obviously time for ice cream! There’s 17 more grams of sugar in that kid’s cone at Dairy Queen.
Grams didn’t mean much to me before I started reading nutrition facts. It’s hard to believe that we are so duped by food marketing to believe that little kids need junk. Especially when we are trying to get them interested in physical activity in honor of their health. Yikes.
These sports-related “foods” are just scripted for us. We make assumptions that good parents bring treats. Gatorade is in business to sell a product. They aren’t in the business of health. But their commercials make it seem like our tiny ones can’t excel without their product.
I’m coaching my boys pee wee soccer team this season. (The rec department was that desperate.) Fortunately, I’ve been reading Real Mom Nutrition and her quest to make soccer snacks less crappy. Take a peek at her slideshow here.
Here’s a PDF I just sent to the team parents:
Click to view the PDF.
I love a good game. Who doesn’t? A taste-testing game is just the thing to help your kiddos adventurously try new fruits and veggies. The idea is simple – Gather various green-colored fruits and vegetables and have them arranged on a tray. plate, or in a muffin tin. Have them sample the greens and pick their favorites. Kids respond well to Continue reading
When kids are hungry, they are going to eat what they can scavenge, whether it’s a bag of exotic-flavored cheesie puffs or carrot sticks. Convenience food is whatever you deem it. It just needs to be easy to open and have the ability to be plopped into a waiting mouth. We fall into eating junky convenience foods when we are hungry, tired, time-crunched, or otherwise less discerning. (Picture me right before naptime running on little sleep. Exactly where are the chocolate chips? Tell Me!) I have been rethinking this concept of “convenience” since last summer when I fell in love with dried fruit. It required no peeling, minimal trash, and easy to pack. Oh, and all of my kids loved it. Continue reading
I have made these about a dozen times and they are always a hit. When I showed the plate pictured above to Middle E he said, “I want that for breakfast!” They use whole wheat flour, so if you’re ready to give this whole grain a try, now is the time to do it! The color will be dark brown from the cocoa powder no matter what flour you use. Continue reading
Middle E is three. I adore him, but he is a three-year-old. And three-year-olds want to make sure you know that they’re in charge. Some days this is made even clearer at the table. Middle E will declare in his poutiest face that he has the wrong placemat. Or his brother is looking at him. Or he has been given the wrong fork. Continue reading
I’m gearing up for a fabulous 2013 here at Don’t Panic Mom! In a few weeks you’ll find a redesigned site with easier navigation and more ways for you to get involved.
Let’s get caught up on some old business.
Here’s your super late Christmas present. I found this little treasure waiting in my “Drafts” and thought you could pin it for next year. Hope your holidays have been full of family, friends, and of course, health! Thank you for supporting Don’t Panic Mom. You support this blog every time you decide to serve fruit and veggies. 
Do you have social functions coming up? Bring a tasty fruit platter that looks impressive, but takes 5 minutes to make. Another bonus: no oven required.
Coming up: The final FearLESS Friday post will be up soon. Check out the FearLESS Friday series over here!