- Today is the LAST day to enter my giveaway (2 free nights in the Newpark Hotel in Park City Utah).
- I was given the Star Blog Award and was interviewed on the amazing Blog Stylist website. I’m so happy to share this website with you! For all you other bloggers out there, you will just LOVE all the tips and information you’ll find on here about blogging. Bree shares all kinds of blog secrets, inspiration and blogger success stories. Go check it out and see my interview HERE.
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Last night I proudly watched my daughter eat a spinach salad (fresh from our garden), and some orange ruffy fish. You may think I’m bragging a bit, and well… I AM 🙂
To be serious, I’m trying just as much as all you other mothers out there. We all know that getting kids to eat healthy can be like trying to squeeze your butt into a pair of SPANX. Anything BUTT easy 🙂 haha, gosh I’m funny.
Today I wanted to share with you a little about why I love the Isagenix shakes so much, and as you can see my kids love them too. We all know what it feels like as a mother to see our kids eating and LIKING something healthy. I try to get my kids to drink half a serving size of one of these each day, and I add this too it as well.
BE A LITTLE SNEAKY
I’ve also been trying to sneak in this Flaxseed anywhere I can, yogurt, mac & cheese, salad ect.
Although flaxseed contains all sorts of healthy components, it owes its healthy reputation primarily to three ingredients:
* Omega-3 essential fatty acids, “good” fats that have been shown to have heart-healthy effects. Each tablespoon of ground flaxseed contains about 1.8 grams of plant omega-3s.
* Lignans, which have both plant estrogen and antioxidant qualities. Flaxseed contains 75- 800 times more lignans than other plant foods
* Fiber. Flaxseed contains both the soluble and insoluble types.
Sometimes I’ll even add spinach to the shakes, and amazingly my kids don’t even know the difference when you add a banana along with it. The flavor of the banana completely overrides the taste of the spinach.
CONSISTENCY IS THE KEY
I’ve read somewhere that the key to getting kids to eat healthy is to try, try, and try again. Kids will usually turn their noses up to most anything new, unless it’s dessert or candy of some sort. So with a little bribery and consistency, I’ve been able to get Lily to eat more than just mac & cheese and chicken nuggets.
When ever I make something new she’s never had before, I tell her, all she has to do is take ONE bite. If she doesn’t like it, she doesn’t have to eat it. I will continue to make her try it each time I make it. She hated fish at first, but now she eats it without any fuss. For us, every Tuesday is fish day. We all know how healthy fish is, so I try to make it part of our weekly menu. I still can’t get Oliver to eat it, but I continue to try 🙂
A LITTLE BRIBERY GOES A LONG WAY
It never hurts to bribe your child with treats 🙂 The ONLY way I can get Lily to eat all her dinner is to offer a really yummy treat for finishing it. Works every time!
I always try to sneak sweat potatoes and cooked carrots into my kids mac n cheese too. I still wanna try spinach in fruit smoothies…
I'm really interested in this ISAGENIX. I went to the doctor today and I weighed 158 lbs. That's only 7 pounds less than my top pregnancy weight 3 months ago. And my baby was 8 lbs. ouch!
So, can you take this isagenix stuff nursing? Just curious.
Hey Crystal, I'm grateful that you are so consistent about getting nutrients into these kiddos. It's NOT easy, I know. Always easier to just throw something in front of them that will not take convincing and will occupy them for a spell. You are doing great and I am so grateful. Isn't it cool how little our kiddos caught common colds and flus this last season? I think that is great evidence that its working. 🙂 I have seen many kids that don't eat anything healthy all day, every day, month and year of their lives. How is this going to effect their brain development and immune system. I've seen them living on nothing but candy, fast food and soda pop. It's not the parents fault either, I truly believe it is not. It is our social conditioning, it is the media, food industry and government to blame. However it is our job as parents to get educated and then shift our thinking and behaviors. Watch the documentaries "food.inc" and "supersize me" everybody. Way to go Crystal! love sean
Crystal, great post and I love to see how supportive your hubby is. He seems very involved with what's going on and in the know when it comes to eating healthy. It reminds me of mine and my husband's relationship and attitude towards food and supplements.
We are big believers in supplements and vitamins. Our produce has way less nutrients than they did 40 yrs ago-35% less in many cases. Even if they are eating healthy, supplementing with the good stuff is essential.
I have tried SO many protein powders, our favorite now is a hemp protein powder but it is green and definitely needs to be mixed in with fruit-tastes kind of like the green powders (like garden dirt. LOL). What I really liked about your product when I quickly googled it to see the ingredients is that is does not contain ANY artificial sweeteners. Aspartame, Acesulfame-pottasium (K) are beyond toxic. I just read a book called Excitotoxins. It will change the way you think about food. Those sweeteners are giving kids seizures, brain damage and a whole host of other problems. Guess what? They are in kids Flintstone's vitamins!! I am not a fan of the FDA-they really don't regulate much. The book also talks about how many different forms of MSG there are-torula yeast, yeast extract, carageenan, natural flavors, autolyzed yeast extract just to name a few of about 100 that the government doesn't even have to label. It basically eats holes in our brain among other things including chest pains, irregular heart beat, etc. Must read (a bit scientific and technical but you seem like you'd enjoy it!)
Hugs,
Karla
Oh, forgot to mention the other important book is called Sweet Poison-available on Amazon!
Loved the movie Food, Inc. Must see for everyone. We are all about Organic and Grass Fed Cows for Beef. We gave up all pork and I'm trying to get completely off of shellfish but love fish.
If you haven't heard of Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook called "Deceptively Delicious," definitely buy it! It was soooo worth the money. I saw her on Oprah a while back, and she came up with sneaky ways to put veggies into kids/families meals. She had made a bunch, and Oprah was floored at how good they were, and that you couldn't tell they were in them. I always use that cookbook, and it's wonderful, because even my husband (who also turns up his nose to veggies sometimes) doesn't know they're there. I always be sure to serve veggies in addition, to teach my daughter that she needs to eat them and that they are good for her. I don't crack when it comes to health with her. I found which veggies she loves (steamed baby carrots or cut up avocados are wonderful) and be sure to give them to her first, before she's eaten everything else. Since she has severe food allergies, we've been really limited on what she can eat anyway (allergic to all dairy, egg whites, egg yolks, peanuts, strawberries). I don't deprive her of sweets, but give them to her sparingly. I see how well she does compared to her playmates, and am glad she's learning to eat right. Does the Isagenix shake have dairy in it (I'm going to assume it does)? I love the idea of having her drink it.
Food is one department we've been lucky in with the boys… My youngest is allergic to dairy, and with nursing, I am too, now, so we pretty much keep cow's milk out of the house, and after watching Food, Inc, it's only grass-fed and free range for us! We eat tons of veggies and keep telling them that they will keep growing and staying healthy and live long if they eat their fruits & veggies. 🙂 If you ever want some creative and wholesome recipes or tips, my friend has a blog at http://eatwellcharleston.blogspot.com
Isn't it wonderful to have kids who will eat anything? 🙂
Off to go see your interview.
All of your things are impressive and congrats, but certainly the little one enjoying spinach salad is tops in my book. Nicely done.
I agree bribe the kiddoz! I have to admit I have not been great about meal lately, my husband comes home late and its so hot so to heat up the kitchen sucks when its 105 outside! I am lucky some days if I get them to take their vitamin!
Bella loves the shakes too! 😉
So awesome about your interview!
You won't believe it when I tell you my problem….my little on loves her veggies, fruit and milk products, what I struggle to get her to eat are carbs! Even if she does eat carbs, it's high fibre stuff that her dad loves, like weetabix! I'm scared that a lack of carbs may affect her growth. Any ideas here?
Congratulations on receiving the Star blog Award! You really deserve it!
I know it´s so hard to feed the kids healthy food. Finally our kids eat for breakfast Oatmeal with fruits and milk. I am so glad they even love salad now.:) I think when kids get a little older they start liking to eat more healthy food.
The Isagenix shake sounds great! You don´t even need to take extra Vitamin pill´s. And even kids are allowed to drink it. That is awesome!
Can´t wait to get it here in Germany!
Crystal, I just voted for you!!!
Hug´s,
Verena
I haven't had an Isagenix shake for awhile. I loved the vanilla shakes. I need to get back on that program one of these days.
Thanks for sharing all of this information. I am going to check into that.
Great info thanks
I sneak veggies in, but usually give them the chance to try it first…my son has discovered he loves spinach…yeah! And he devours green smoothies. Like the tips and info!
Good girl! Great info. Always on the lookout for healthy meals…
Lots of yummy love,
Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner
http://www.mawhats4dinner.com
Congrats on the award!!!
You know I picked some flaxseed up in the bulk section and used it once, but what a good idea to put it in other things. I'll have to use it up and see how it goes!