The little stickers that come home on your fruits and vegetables from the grocery store are called Price Look-up Codes or PLUs. They are used by grocery stores to make checkout and inventory control easier, faster, and more accurate. The last 4 letters indicate what kind of fruit or vegetable it is. A fifth digit is added to the beginning of the code to identify non-conventionally grown produce.
If the PLU starts with a 0 or is only four numbers long: the produce was grown conventionally with the use of pesticides.
If the PLU starts with an 8: the produce is genetically modified. A genetically modified item can not be labelled as organic.
If the PLU starts with a 9: the produce is organic, meaning it was grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, genetically modified organisms, human sewage sludge or nanomaterials.
For example, if a banana is labelled 4011, it was grown conventionally. If the banana is labelled 84011, it is genetically modified (GE or GMO). If it is labelled 94011, it was grown organically.
I had an experience in which I witnessed a mother belittling her 15 year old daughter for being fat. She went on at great length about how the daughter clearly didn't care, would never find love, would never be attractive, would die early, etc, etc.
The kicker is that the daughter was a near carbon copy of her mother. Same size, same features, same demeanor.
Unfortunately, this mother's behavior was not going to solve the problem. When one gets right down to it, there is only one way to help children to eat well and maintain a healthy weight:
LEAD BY EXAMPLE!
Children, regardless of their age, learn from their parents. If you eat healthy foods, that will be their normal. If you eat unhealthy foods, that will be their normal. If you are active and regularly exercise, this will be their normal. If you sit on the couch every evening watching the latest episode of reality-TV-at-its-worst, this will be their normal. If you are constantly trying the latest and greatest celebrity diet, starving yourself to be skinny, or binging on junk food every few days, this will also become thier normal. If you want to inspire a change in your offspring, stop harping on them and focus on yourself.
Understand, however, that if you always eat perfectly healthy foods, this does not automatically mean that your children will always eat healthy foods. There will always be influences outside the home that will occasionally lead them astray. The point is, however, that being open and honest and setting a good example are the best things you can do for your children. You, as a parent, define what is normal for your children.
Make a choice. What normal do you want to create?
My challenge for you is this: If you want to inspire your children to be active, eat healthy foods, and be physically fit, invest the time to become so yourself. Involve your children. Discuss what makes a food good (or bad) for you. Walk together. Play together. Grocery shop together.
It takes dedication and commitment, but I promise you it will be worth it. Both your health, and the health of your family, will benefit.
Next time you are craving Chinese food, give this recipe a try. It contains 5 grams of fibre and loads of muscle-building protein. Another reason this flavorful dish is a great choice: less than 400 calories per serving.
Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons peanut oil
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
- 1/3 cup matchstick carrots
- 1/2 cup zucchini, chopped
- 1 green onion, sliced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted cashews
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1/2 cup cooked brown rice
Directions:
- Combine oil and red pepper flakes in a medium hot skillet.
- Add chicken and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the remaining ingredients and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often.
- Serve over brown rice.
So yummy and so much better for you than the traditional peanut butter sandwich! Ditch the added sugar and processed ingredients - your taste buds and body will thank you.
Ingredients:
- 2 slices whole grain bread
- 1 tablespoon organic natural peanut butter
- 1/2 cup fresh raspberries
Directions:
- Spread peanut butter on 1 slice of bread.
- Cover peanut butter with the raspberries, then mash the berries lightly with a fork.
- Cover with the second slice of bread.
- Enjoy!
