Welcome to a new category of my blog simply called ‘Healthy Tips.” Many times, when I write articles for various publications, I need to find sources for the story. Recently, I wrote an article for Yahoo Shine (click here) about keeping kids healthy. I was looking for experts and parents to chime in and give their favorite ‘tips’ to help kids (and their families) lead a healthy lifestyle.

The feedback for the story was amazing. The sources had some fantastic points of view that could not be ignored, and I thought their opinions should be viewed on the Your Health Journal web site.

So, enjoy my new series, with some ‘great’ insight from some ‘great’ people giving exceptional and educational points of view.

“Eat the colors of the rainbow. Try to get your kids to choose several servings of produce per day. Fresh is better, but make sure that if their choice is canned or frozen that it does not contain high fructose corn syrup or added sugar. Ideally, half the plate at each meal should be filled with fruits and vegetables. Take your kids to the store or farmer’s market and have them each pick a new fruit or veggie to try. Let them help in the preparation too, kids are more likely to enjoy the fruits of their labor.”

“Breakfast is critical! Bodies need fuel to get going the same way your car needs gas. We can’t expect our kids to think clearly and perform well in school on an empty tank. Make sure to add in whole grains as they are essential to helping kids get their daily fiber intake, as well as stabilizing their hunger as they are digested more slowly than refined white grains. Protein such as a hard-boiled egg, low fat cheese stick or Greek yogurt will also keep them satisfied longer.”

– Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RD and Kathleen Siegel, RD, CDN – Co-founders, NutritionBabes LLC