Proven Nutrition For Kids

A blog about Nutritional Solutions to Common Health Problems in Kids. Also, discover healthy eating tips and proven prevention for kids’ health.

Product Review Rubys Rockets

Product Review: Ruby’s Rockets Fruit And Vegetable Pops

“Mom, does popsicle mean sugar?” my inquisitive 5-year old son asked as he was eating one of Ruby’s Rockets popsicles.

I smiled and said, “No, not anymore.”

What kid doesn’t love frozen treats? I want to be able to purchase fun summer snacks for my kids, but trying to square my healthy-eating convictions with what I saw in the freezer case was always a challenge…until now.

I stumbled upon these new popsicles at Sprouts Farmers Market last week. (Ok, maybe “stumbled upon” is a poor description. I was carefully scrutinizing the nutrition labels of ALL the popsicles in the case, almost convinced I wasn’t going to find anything with less than 100% sugar calories.)
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By Bonnie, ago
Is the Kefir Craze Worth Its weight in probiotics?

Is The Kefir Craze Worth Its Weight In Probiotics?

There has been a growing awareness in recent years that probiotics are important for good health.  Kefir is one of those probiotic-friendly products that has a growing following in this health movement.

The facts show that kefir indeed provides large numbers of friendly gut bacteria, but is the kefir craze really worth its weight in beneficial probiotics?

Here are the facts about kefir’s probiotic impact. (more…)

By Bonnie, ago
antibiotics in kids

Pros And Cons of Antibiotics In Kids

The use of antibiotics in kids has become a commonplace practice in American culture.  Our fast-paced, drive-through society loves the quick fix when our kids aren’t feeling well.  “Doc, can you just give me an antibiotic?” 

There are certainly those moments in motherhood when prescription antibiotics are needed and most welcome.   (I had one of those moments myself recently.)  However, these moments can and should be few and far between.  The overuse and misuse of antibiotics in kids has been highly criticized in recent years…and for good reason. (more…)

By Bonnie, ago
holiday baking display

5 Of The Worst Convenience Holiday Foods And How To Avoid Them

The holiday season is upon us, and all the grocery stores are lined with their special displays of the most popular holiday foods. You’ve probably already been by the holiday baking display or the dress-your-turkey shelves of canned goods and boxed potatoes.

Upon a closer look, though, many of these “convenience” foods turn out to be not-so-convenient for our family’s health. In fact, we end up paying a very high price for the convenience of certain holiday foods.

So, while we were out shopping the other day, I decided to investigate several of these popular holiday picks. (My kids were a bit embarrassed by my food photography, but hey, it’s worth it if I can help our readers be more nutrition-savvy!) (more…)

By Bonnie, ago
Breastfeeding baby

Long-term Health Benefits of Breastfeeding

The health benefits of breastfeeding for both a mother and her baby are so significant that they make breastfeeding one of the most powerful preventative measures you can take for your child’s health.  Though some benefits of breastfeeding are noticeable while a baby is being breastfed (such as lower rates of otitis media in baby and an effective, natural birth control for parents) other benefits will impact a mother and baby over the course of their entire lives.
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By Krista Gray, ago
Mt everest and Kids Health

The Mt. Everest of Kids Health

I have been preparing this last week for a presentation I am giving tonight in the Dallas area. (Hence, no Weekly Nutrition Nuggets today.) The presentation is all about the summit of Kids Health and the three things that will keep people from getting there.

Essentially, it’s about how to bring about change in the area of your health when change is super hard.  (Much of these ideas right now come from my current reading of the book, Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard, by Chip and Dan Heath.)  Without these three things, it’s impossible to get to the top….
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By Bonnie, ago
healthy eating tips for families

52 Healthy Eating Tips For Families

Diet changes can be overwhelming when you are just starting out. It can be confusing to know what to change, when, and how much. In fact, all the confusion and information can lead to paralysis, where you end up doing nothing at all. Eating healthy is so crucial to good health that you can’t afford to stand still. So we’ve put together some great easy-to-implement healthy eating tips for families.

Now, obviously, if you try to do all these at once, you will certainly fail. So, read through the list, and then just pick two.  You can read more about that below.

  1. When you purchase ground beef, choose the 93% lean over the 85%.
  2. Buy 2% milk instead of whole milk.
  3. Hide the candy jar.
  4. Reduce the juice intake to one serving a day. Serve water instead.
  5. Keep a bowl of fresh whole fruit within easy reach throughout the day (ie. apples, bananas, plums etc.)

    6. (more…)

By Bonnie, ago