Kids Menu: Nutrition Disaster

cooking
Written By Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Just the Facts:Most children’s menus are filled with choices that are high in calories, fat, saturated fat and sodium. The population of today’s kids is experiencing an increased rate of obesity and even rising blood pressure. Look at the typical choices for popular kid items below:Tips for better kids meals:• Share a healthy menu item with the kids. Ideas include low-fat salad and pasta with marinara sauce, grilled fish or chicken, baked potato and salad, soup and salad• Visit salad bar type restaurants and places that offer low-fat options for salad, stirfry and pasta• Skip the fried food. A trip through the local burger joint can stick to a hamburger, milk and fruit or salad.• Involve kids in researching the nutrients for their favorite fast food restaurant menus. Have them visit the new FDA?site for Nutrition Facts Label reading so they can be aware of how to read a lable and what is in the food they are eating - visit www.SpotTheBlock.com for three easy lessons on serving sizes, calories and nutrients.• Cook with your kids!!?Kidscuisine.net lists the 5 top reasons to  cook with kids as: 1) It encourages kids to eat healthy; 2) It is bonding time for you and the kids; 3) It nurtures creativity; 4) It is fun; 5) Cooking can teach math and science principles!! 

Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII discovered her love of cooking at her grandmother's side, stirring raisin oatmeal on a Saturday morning. By 15 she had her first food service job. At 18 she was accepted to the Culinary Institute of America, where she graduated second in her class, then went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland to study pastry arts and baking. A decade with Hyatt Hotels followed before she founded Food and Health Communications with a single conviction: food that is good for you should taste extraordinary.

Judy holds a Master of Professional Studies in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, a Bachelor of Science in Culinary Arts from Johnson and Wales University (Summa Cum Laude), two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and the CIA's Pro Chef II certification. She has earned the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year award.

Today she develops every recipe on this site, shoots and styles food through her food photography and motion studio, and publishes nutrition education materials for dietitians, schools, extension offices, and health professionals through nutritioneducationstore.com. She uses the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to drive her creativity — whether that means a new twist on fajitas or Italian brownies made with toasted nuts and cooked honey. Her mission has never changed: help everyone make food that tastes as good as it is for them.

https://nutritioneducationstore.com
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