Choose Healthy Snacks for Your Children

With the rise in childhood obesity, the traditional after-school snack has taken a beating. To ensure your child is satisfying those hunger pangs in a healthful way, follow the three T’s.

Time the snack. Limit snack time to 10 to 20 minutes. Plan ahead and have plenty of fruit, nuts and whole-grain crackers within easy reach.

Total size for an ideal snack will be a single serving from one or two food groups. Check labels for serving size and avoid supersizing.

The type of snack is key. Replace processed, low-nutrient foods with more natural ones. Here are some suggestions:

• Jazz up the usual fruit offering with berries, oranges, grapes and mangoes. Freeze peeled bananas on a stick or add fruit to plain yogurt.
• Put peanut butter on apple or banana slices.
• Cut up fresh veggies and serve with low-fat salad dressing.
• Make minipizzas with whole-wheat English muffins, tomato sauce and shredded cheese.
• Trade chips for whole-wheat breadsticks, pita bread or unbuttered popcorn.

— Adapted from Newsweek

Brown-Bagging It Doesn’t Have to Be Boring

 As a parent, it can be frustrating to have your child come home with an uneaten lunch or find out it’s been traded with a schoolmate. To ensure your child eats what you pack, try some of these tactics.

• Plan ahead for the week and add the items to your regular shopping list. Ask your child for suggestions.
• Choose a variety of foods from the major food groups: whole wheat bread, cut raw veggies, sliced fruit and string cheese.
• One or two cookies make a fine dessert, as do low-fat pudding and sugar-free Jell-O. An active child needs some extra energy to get through the day.
• Provide milk money or put some milk in a small Thermos.
• When including perishable foods, use a freezable cold pack. Even a frozen bottle of water will work.
• Don’t forget the value of attractive packaging. Decorate the bag with stickers, use holiday-themed napkins or include notes with jokes, cartoons or special messages.

— Adapted from The Gazette (Colorado Springs, CO)

Remedy Those Common Ailments

Some of the old wives’ tales are true when it comes to remedying common ailments. The next time you find yourself with these symptoms, try these tricks, however, if symptoms persist, see your doctor.

• A bloody nose — Don’t tilt your head back, this could make blood flow into your lungs, leading to pneumonia. Instead, pinch just above the nostrils with your thumb and index finger and hold for at least four minutes until the blood clots. Sit down, avoid blowing your nose for several hours afterward and don’t drink hot liquids, as these could trigger more bleeding.
• A sneeze — When you feel that first tingle, pinch the tip of your nose. If you tend to have long sneezing jags, blow your nose frequently to clear your nostrils of irritants and never try to stop a sneeze once it starts. It could cause a nosebleed or damage your eardrums.
• Hiccups — These time-tested methods actually work. Try breathing into a paper bag, swallowing dry bread, biting into a lemon or pulling gently on your tongue.
• Heartburn — If you don’t have antacid, mix half a teaspoon of baking soda with four ounces of water and drink it. This will neutralize the stomach acids that back up into your esophagus. Drink the mixture as needed every two hours.
• Frostbite — Immediately get out of the cold and warm up the area with a blanket, mittens or dry socks. If that doesn’t help, soak the frostbitten area in lukewarm (not hot) water or wrap it in a washcloth that has been dipped in warm water and wrung out.

— Adapted from Good Housekeeping