Healthy gifts to gift for the holidays (Top 7 choices for families and kids)

Every year I come up with a list of healthy gifting ideas. Some years I recycle ideas from years past but this year I found some interesting contributors. I may not be Oprah,  but here is Americas Dietitians list of favorite things for the Holidays!

1. I like a gift that keeps on giving 
throughout the year. Recently I ran into a company called MightNest. They have a monthly shipment full of healthy solutions that every household needs. For only $10 a month your recipient receives simple yet useful items for the home. Check it out at Mightfix. 

2. Start your sous chef early by getting them a kitchen kit to help them cut fruits and vegetables safely in the kitchen. Curious Chef fruit and veggie prep kit is safe, colorful and fun. 

3. Give the gift of physical activity by buying: Jump ropes, balls, indoor mini trampolines, bike, skateboards, scooters, skates or a hula hoop. 

4. Gardening tools- From making their own Terrarium to kid sized gardening tools, gloves and aprons helps to promote a love of getting dirty and growing real food. 

5. So Easy Pop Maker is a fun way to eat smoothies, low-fat chocolate milk, lemonade and any other variety of frozen treat. Making a quick blend of vegetables and fruits and freezing them in an easy to use, and clean, pop maker makes for a quick and healthy after school snack. 

6. ChopChop Magazine is a gift that keeps on giving throughout the year. A parents choice award winning magazine will provide recipes and great ideas to keep those creative culinary skills cooking throughout the year. 

7. Help them dress the part by buying new running shoes. Shoes that fit comfortably are more likely to promote more physical activity and with all the fun colors and styles you can't go wrong. 




This past summer we did a major purging of "stuff" from our lives and as we approach the holidays I am standing by my promise to myself to think about each and every gift that the kids get. I don't want to contribute to the waste in the world and I want to make sure that the kids understand that healthy gifts can be fun! 

Share the love and share the health! Have a great Holiday! 

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1 in 6 kids suffer from this (?) Can you guess what that is?

If you answered Food borne illness you were right! According to the US Center for Disease Control and prevention 128,000 of the 15% of Americans that suffer from food borne illness end up in the hospital every year.

September is National Food safety month and a great time to review the basics and keep your home and lunch box safe. Here are 12 tips to keep the lunchbox and kitchen food borne illness free! 

Top 6 tips to keep the kitchen healthy:

•  Keep it clean- wash your hands for at least 20 seconds before food preparation, after handling raw meat, poultry and eggs and before you move to the next step in cooking. (Sing the ABC Song or click here for more fun song ideas)
• Always rinse fruits and vegetables before eating and peeling
• Cook meats to the proper temperature: Click here for the internal temperature chart. 
• Wash your surfaces with soapy water after prepping meals.
• Avoid cross contamination, store raw foods below cooked foods, swap out grilling tools to avoid raw cross contamination.
• Thaw overnight or thaw in cold running water (do not let sit in a bath of water).

 Top 6 tips to keep the lunchbox healthy: 

• Pack 2 freezer packs if the lunch contains perishable foods such as meats, eggs or yogurt. Frozen water bottles or juice boxes, as well as freezing yogurt can be used to help keep the lunchbox within a safe temperature range. By lunchtime these items will be ready to eat or drink.
• Clean the lunch boxes often by wiping them down or tossing them in the washing machine. 
• Pack lunches in an insulated lunchbox instead of paper bags (its better for the environment and it keeps foods safer).
• Throw away any leftover food and packaging after lunch is over. Do not reuse packaging unless it has been thoroughly washed. 
• Pack the lunch the night before and keep in the refrigerator, this keeps the meal cooler longer and makes it easier during the morning rush. 
• Wash your hands before you start meal preparation and make sure to tell kids to wash their hands before meal time. 

Cheers to a healthy school year that is food borne illness free! 

Follow on facebook: ABCD Eat Right 

Tweet with us: @ABCDEatRight1 

Download fun printables: www.ABCDEatRight.com

Email me: Brandi@ABCDEatright.com

1 in 6 Americans suffer from this each year...Can you guess what it is?

If you answered Food borne illness you were right! According to the US Center for Disease Control and prevention 128,000 of the 15% of Americans that suffer from food borne illness end up in the hospital every year.

September is National Food safety month and a great time to review the basics and keep your home and lunch box safe. Here are 12 tips to keep the lunchbox and kitchen food borne illness free! 

Top 6 tips to keep the kitchen healthy:

•  Keep it clean- wash your hands for at least 20 seconds before food preparation, after handling raw meat, poultry and eggs and before you move to the next step in cooking. (Sing the ABC Song or click here for more fun song ideas)
• Always rinse fruits and vegetables before eating and peeling
• Cook meats to the proper temperature: Click here for the internal temperature chart. 
• Wash your surfaces with soapy water after prepping meals.
• Avoid cross contamination, store raw foods below cooked foods, swap out grilling tools to avoid raw cross contamination.
• Thaw overnight or thaw in cold running water (do not let sit in a bath of water).

 Top 6 tips to keep the lunchbox healthy: 

• Pack 2 freezer packs if the lunch contains perishable foods such as meats, eggs or yogurt. Frozen water bottles or juice boxes, as well as freezing yogurt can be used to help keep the lunchbox within a safe temperature range. By lunchtime these items will be ready to eat or drink.
• Clean the lunch boxes often by wiping them down or tossing them in the washing machine. 
• Pack lunches in an insulated lunchbox instead of paper bags (its better for the environment and it keeps foods safer).
• Throw away any leftover food and packaging after lunch is over. Do not reuse packaging unless it has been thoroughly washed. 
• Pack the lunch the night before and keep in the refrigerator, this keeps the meal cooler longer and makes it easier during the morning rush. 
• Wash your hands before you start meal preparation and make sure to tell kids to wash their hands before meal time. 

Cheers to a healthy school year that is food borne illness free! 

Follow on facebook: ABCD Eat Right & Americas Dietitian

Tweet with us: @ABCDEatRight1 

Download fun printables: www.ABCDEatRight.com

Email me: Brandi@ABCDEatright.com