Because Nothing Should Weigh a Child Down

Kid-friendly recipes

Summer Clean Your Diet

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Summer has arrived, and with longer days and warmer weather comes a new crop of fresh produce. It is a good time to “summer clean” your diet and start introducing the summertime fruits and veggies that incorporate the jewels of summer.

If you are tired of apples, bananas and root vegetables, there are some nice summer produce choices readily available. Brightly-colored produce making more of an appearance at our grocery stores or farmer’s markets include apricots, strawberries, asparagus, cherries and more. The more colorful the fruit or vegetable, the more vitamins and minerals it has.

Check out what local produce is in season by using the following link.

In-season produce reaps the most nutritional value so here’s what to look for in the produce aisle or at the local farmers’ market.

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Juicing: An Immune Booster That Tastes Great and May Even Curb your Appetite!

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Written by Judy E, Marshel, PhD, RD, CDN

Juicing is a powerful way to get incredible doses of healthy vitamins and nutrients into your body. It can have dramatic positive effects. Fresh vegetable juice helps to give you more energy, lower your chances of contracting chronic disease and may even accelerate weight loss.

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The Surprising Facts About Pumpkin

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It’s finally pumpkin season, and the reasons to celebrate are many. Pumpkin plays a starring role at Thanksgiving , but you should consider making it a more regular part of your diet. The bright orange flesh of a pumpkin is loaded with fiber and key vitamins and minerals. It’s also easy to use pumpkin in a variety of recipes from sweet to savory.

Nutrition Facts


Did you know 1 cup of cooked pumpkin only contains 30 calories, less than 1/2 gram of fat, 1 mg sodium, and 8 grams of carbs? Take a look at what other nutrients pumpkin provides.

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Nutrition Know How…. Tips to get Through the School Year!

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Nutrition Know How….Tips to get through the school year!

November is upon us, and the kids are well into the school year. While most of us plan on what we will wear to school each day, or do we have all of our homework? Are you still struggling with, What do I eat for lunch? It is time to refocus your efforts as a family to ensure your children’s nutrition and physical activity habits are on track this year.

  • Do you make time for breakfast? Breakfast is a very important meal for growing children. Studies show that breakfast eaters tend to have higher test scores, they concentrate better and solve problems more easily. So whether they eat at home or at school, be sure your children eat a nutritious breakfast every day.
  • Review weekly lunch menus. The National School Lunch Program requires that the meals offered in most schools must have a certain amount of calories, fat, saturated fat, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron. It may surprise you to learn that many foods fit into these guidelines, including chicken nuggets and tater tots.

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Live Light Live Right’s Nutritionist Chef Nico Salsa Creations

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Pineapple Mango Black Bean Salsa

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup diced pineapple/li>
  • 1 cup diced mango/li>
  • 1 cup cooked black beans/li>
  • 6 cilanto sprigs chopped/li>
  • ¼ cup diced onion/li>
  • 2 garlic cloves crushed/li>
  • 2 tbsp of fresh lime juice/li>
  • Salt and black pepper for taste/li>

Directions:

  1. Place all ingredients in a bowl, combine and serve/li>

Fresh Vegetable Pear Salsa

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup diced zucchini/li>
  • 1 cup diced summer squash/li>
  • ½ cup diced pears/li>
  • ½ cup diced tomato/li>
  • ½ cup diced sweet pepper/li>
  • ¼ cup diced onion/li>
  • 2 tbsp chopped basil/li>
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed/li>
  • 2 tbsp olive oil/li>
  • 4 tbsp lemon juice/li>
  • Salt and black pepper for taste

Directions:

  1. Place all ingredients in a bowl, combine and serve/li>

The Amazing Avocado… Great Nutrition Meets Great Taste

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Avocado

Avocado season is quickly approaching, and there are more ways to enjoy this superfood than just making guacamole. Flavorful, creamy, and full of healthy fats, avocados are perfect for desserts, dips, salsas, salads, sandwiches, and more!

If you’ve been avoiding avocados in your heart-healthy diet because of their high fat content, know that those fats are primarily mono- and polyunsaturated — good fats needed to process the fat soluble vitamins A, E, D, and K. Avocados also have plenty of antioxidants, primarily carotenoids found in the deep green part of the flesh, closest to the peel.

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Summer Picnics and Barbeques

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Summer is filled with fun events. Everything from graduation parties, to Fourth of July picnics, to good old-fashioned backyard barbeques – it’s likely that you already have several events you’ll be celebrating the summer season. With a little preplanning, these social gatherings can offer not only great company and fun, but a menu that is nutritious and delicious.

To help you stay on track with healthy eating while still enjoying the celebration, take a look at some of the best foods choices, and those you should be wary of.

Keep Portions in Perspective

Portion size counts, even if you are selecting healthy choices. While the goal is to fill your plate with the best food choices available at any barbeque, you don’t want to sabotage your health efforts by eating too much.

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5 Tips for Building a Healthier Salad

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healthier salad photo

With the warmer weather just around the corner, salads can be quite appealing. Eating salad is a great way to curb your appetite and add nutrients to your diet. Yet, when it comes to your health, not all salads are created equally. Salads can contain more calories and fat than you think!

Take, for example, a Cobb salad. A classic Cobb salad contains chopped bacon, eggs, blue cheese, avocado, and loads of creamy dressing. Or if one of your favorites is a chef’s salad, typically it comes loaded with Swiss cheese, roast beef, eggs, and dressing. These salads can cost you more than 1,000 calories and 80 grams of fat! That said, don’t give up on salads. If you choose wisely they are not only healthy but delicious!

Follow these 5 tips to help you build a healthier, low-calorie salad: Continue reading →

Fast, fresh and healthy brown bag lunches

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School lunch is an excellent time to refuel your child’s energy as well as help boost concentration and memory for the afternoon. The trick is providing a lunch that packs a nutritional punch and appeals to your child. Live Light Live Right nutritionist Judy Marshel shared her tips with us.

The ideal lunch contains 1/4 lean protein, 1/4 whole grain, 1/4 vegetable, 1/4 fruit and a serving of low-fat dairy. Continue reading →

Healthy Tip of the Month: Breakfast is your best friend

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breakfast

It’s true, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. In fact, eating breakfast instead of skipping it can actually help you lose weight. Why?

Well, when you sleep for a full night, your body hasn’t had any calories in 8 or 10 hours, so it’s like a car running on fumes. It needs fuel to get going. (That’s why it’s called breakfast as in, you are breaking a fast.)

If you eat when you wake up, it helps fire up your metablism, allowing your body to burn more energy. Eating breakfast helps you from getting too hungry and overeating later in the day.

If you’re not a breakfast fan, try some of these healthy breakfast ideas:

  • Fresh fruit with low-fat or non-fat yogurt
  • Unsweetened cereal or oatmeal with low fat or fat free milk
  • Eggs
  • Whole grain toast with peanut butter

Drink Up: How to stay hydrated this summer

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lemonwater

Did you know that water makes up between 45% to 75% of your weight? That your blood is 80% water? That if you don’t replace what’s lost every day, blood thickens, forcing your heart to work harder and raising your risk of a heart attack? But you choose your drinks wisely, because many are packed with calories.

In hot weather, maintaining a healthy fluid balance can be difficult. Yet staying properly hydrated not only helps you stay alert, but helps control appetite, improve your activity and athletic performance, and keeps every day symptoms like fatigue, headaches, and dry skin at bay.

While a large 24-fl oz glass of iced soda or a fruit juice or a chilled juice concoction or energy drink will keep you cool on a hot day, it can pack nearly 300 calories daily from sugar and other unhealthy ingredients!. So that clearly is not a good choice. But there are terrific low-calorie alternatives to a Big Gulp, and they can be just as tasty. Continue reading →

Scrumptious Smoothies

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We’re always on the lookout for yummy snacks. One of our all-time favorites: the smoothie. A smoothie makes a delicious and healthy snack, if it is prepared with low-fat ingredients.

We found a whole bunch of delicious smoothie recipes. Try a few out and tell us what you’re favorite is. The apple/spinach smoothie makes for a perfect wintertime treat. Continue reading →