Who doesn’t love Sesame Street? I was hooked on that show as a kid, and for good reason. The show does a wonderful job of teaching children and presenting new ideas in a fun and colorful way. Now, the Sesame Workshop is has distributed 13,000 “child care resource kits” to various child care providers across the United States.

The kits will help “integrate healthy eating and activity into daycare settings for preschool children.” If anyone can do it, the people at Sesame Street surely can. If healthy eating becomes a part of children’s everyday lives at a very young age, it will be easier for them to maintain a good diet as they get older.

Image: Zuma Press

Schools all around the country have been opening their doors during the summer to the children and not just for summer school either.

IMG: Sxc.hu

So what are they doing? The free summer lunch program, this is when many families that need it can show up at the school to get their free lunch during the week. Have you tried it? I know some schools offer a variety of services for this, some are free, reduced or just regular price.

Tampa Bay Online:

The program targets children 18 and younger who qualify during the school year for free and reduced lunches. But there are no qualification requirements for the program. Any child can walk into a participating center and get a free lunch.

“They don’t have to fill out anything,” Coney said. “They just have to show up at one of our sites.”

The Summer Food Service Program is the largest federal initiative available to local sponsors who want to combine food programs with summer activities for children, according to the USDA Web site. But only a fraction of the children who take advantage of free and reduced lunches during the school year participate in the summer program.

“Too often, many children are left searching for unhealthy foods to eat when their parents are working or not in the home,” according to a USDA press release. “When there is not enough food to go around, their nutritional needs are not met and their choices are not always the best.”

It’s all about the nutrition, Coney said. “They need that to play, grow and learn.”

I remember using the reduced program when we were still in the military and just before the children entered school. I was very happy to see them eating healthy and around children their age, plus I didn’t always have to cook. This was the perfect way to make sure my picky and slow eater would be prepared for school lunch.

Is your school doing this? In Hawaii they have 57 schools that are participating in the free summer lunch program this year. My children’s school use this as well, no we haven’t tried it yet. Due to the economy many schools want to participate and get the school children to take part, however some are having to close the program due to how costly it is for the school. Find out if your school is doing it.

Delish has created a new page where you’ll find dozens and dozens of quick, healthy, and inexpensive meals for your family!  You’ll find quick and easy pasta, heart-smart entrees, slow cooker and one-pot specials, and even low calorie comfort foods.  Now that’s really worth checking into!  I found a recipe for tuna noodle casserole from Eating Well which I’m going to use to update our family fave.

Are you addicted to YouTube videos?  Well if so, you might as well at least make them healthy ones!  Kelly Sonora, of Masters of Healthcare, has compiled a round-up of 100 YouTube Videos for a Healthier Kitchen.  She covers everything from breakfast treats to food safety and menu planning.

Image: Public Domain

We’re kicking off Blisstree’s We Love You, Moms Giveaway by giving mom some zen time with the Nintendo Wii. Put those other games away because one lucky mom is going to win a Nintendo Wii Fit generously sponsored by Sensei for Weight Loss.

Sensei for Weight Loss is a mobile nutrition program that assists and guides people with busy lifestyles in managing their diets and weight loss through healthy eating and fitness. Coupled with the Wii Fit and you’ve got a healthy lifestyle that you can feel great about!

Contest is closed.

Congrats to Amy B!!

At $15 (for online-only service) to $20 per month (for online and mobile service), it is a cost-effective approach to healthy eating, and is available wherever you are – online at Sensei.com, on your smartphone through their mobile website, and through their iPhone app. Sensei for Weight Loss offers a personalized meal planner that takes into account where and when you eat your meals, what foods you like and don’t like, and whether you like to cook or eat out. Sensei for Weight Loss will also send you personalized grocery lists based on the meal plan it puts together for you, as well as daily alerts on your meals, fitness activities and weight loss goals – all via email or through their app! Learn more about how Sensei for Weight Loss works.

For all of our Blisstree readers, Sensei is offering a fabulous discount! Use the code BLISS when signing up and Sensei will drop the monthly fee for either the Sensei Anywhere or Sensei Online service to $10 per month.

I don’t know if you can technically call it a book review if I’m still reading the book.

I’ve been reading Kim Bensen’s book Finally Thin. It seems like I’m always struggling with staying on a healthy eating plan, and gaining and losing those same pounds over and over again. Finally Thin sounded like an interesting read to me, and I haven’t been disappointed.

The book itself isn’t a diet plan, but it does outline her ten step system you can use with any diet plan. It’s a very inspirational book, and provides motivation to help you through those tough days when you fall off the healthy eating wagon and can’t get back on (which is my problem most of the time).

I really like that the book isn’t plugging a certain way of eating or “diet” it’s simply inspiration and ideas to help you stick to your healthy eating plan. The book also includes over 70 recipes you can use for meal planning.

With all the negativity surrounding dieting, it’s just inspirational to read about someone who’s lost over 200 pounds and kept it off for several years!

Image via Amazon.com

Today’s the day we announce the winner for the Live Food Factor book by Susan Schenck. You ready? It’s: Veronica Garrett! Veronica thought the book sounded great, and I must admit, I think the same thing.

I was so intrigued by our interview with Susan Schenck that I did some research and discovered that Carol Alt has been on a raw food diet for about 15 years. And if you’ve seen Carol Alt lately, she looks great! No way does she look close to 50 years old.

In reading an interview with Carol, I was surprised to learn that a raw food diet isn’t necessarily a vegan diet. I think that’s one reason I always shunned it. She also said that she eats like a football player (hard to believe) and that the diet cured her of many things like allergies and acid stomach.

Image: Bauer-Griffin

The next time you’re in a restaurant and see something healthy on the menu, consider your meal choice very carefully. New research shows that when you see a healthy item in a restaurant, you will more than likely order an unhealthy one.

Mind boggling, isn’t it?

They think that the act of seeing something healthy and briefly considering somehow makes it “okay” in our minds to go ahead and eat the thing that’s bad for you. Oddly enough, when a menu had only unhealthy items on it, people would then gravitate toward the one that is the most healthy out of the choices.

Say it with me: MIND BOGGLING!

But this just means that if we know our bodies naturally want to do this, we can then pay attention and make the right choice.

Image: sxc.hu.

Have you tried the new wholegrain pastas? They’re supposed to be super-good for you, with nutrients such as “folate, vitamin E, magnesium, potassium, selenium, lignans, and phenolic compounds.” They’re also loaded with fiber, which helps reduce you lose weight and reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes to name just a few.

Now, I admit that I’ve tried many wholegrain pastas over the years and have never found one I liked. Just a few weeks ago I tried a local supermarket brand of spaghetti, thinking how bad can spaghetti be? Turns out: very bad. My family whined about the awful meal (and rightfully so) and weren’t in the least happy about the fact that I was “trying to make them healthy.”

But this article mentions four pastas that are actually very good. I’ve since tried the Barilla Plus myself and can attest that it is GREAT. So I would recommend it.

Do you have a great wholegrain pasta you love? Give us a recommendation!

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In this very busy age, we rely on things like packaged foods. We’re all trying to be healthy and eat well, but the reality is that sometimes we grab things on the go. When that happens, we want to make the best possible choice in terms of calories, fiber, heart, bone health… you name it.

Well MSN Health has a fabulous list of the “Best Packaged Foods for Women” that I think you’re really gonna love. It includes everything from beverages to bread to frozen meals. Items are rated by bone building properties, antioxidants, calcium, etc. In a few short pages, you can make several smart health choices at once.

Image: sxc.hu.