It’s no secret that traditional holiday recipes contain high amounts of saturated fat, salt and sugar — three ingredients that can be harmful to our health when consumed in excess. These are also ingredients that can be easily substituted with healthier alternatives. Try some healthy holiday makeovers by using the following ingredient swaps to improve the nutritional quality of your favorite holiday meals, snacks and desserts. Saturated Fat Use low-fat or skim milk in place of whole milk or heavy cream. Choose baking, grilling or steaming as your cooking method instead of frying. Use equal parts of applesauce (no sugar added) instead of butter in baking. Use Greek yogurt to replace or decrease the amount of oil, butter, mayonnaise, sour cream, heavy cream and buttermilk. Use vegetable oils, such as olive or canola oil, in place of butter for a healthier fat source. Salt Choose low-sodium, reduced-sodium or no-salt-added products such as […]

The long days of summer may be far behind us, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to stop enjoying the outdoors! The introduction of crisp air and shorter days may influence kids to give up outside play. But establishing regular fall activities for children and adults is still important – and very doable. It’s recommended that kids get an average of 60 minutes of physical activity each day. While a change in weather may limit kids’ favorite choices of physical activity, such as swimming at the local pool, the introduction of fall-themed activities can help kids stay active and enjoy the outdoors longer. 1. Pumpkin/Apple Picking Skip the hayride to the pumpkin patch or apple orchard and choose to walk. Not only will you be getting physical activity, you’ll be picking healthy foods. 2. Raking (and Jumping in) Leaves Encourage children to lend a helping hand with household chores by […]

The holiday season is ready to kick in to high gear. For many families this can mean family functions and friendly get-togethers. And that, of course, will include lots of amazing food and beverages. The abundance of treats and savory dishes can feel overwhelming and portion control can be difficult. In fact, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) reports that Americans gain about one to two pounds during the holidays. Don’t Deprive Yourself: Enjoy in Moderation As a registered dietitian, I often hear parents’ concerns about trying to control food intake during social events. Eating in moderation is something we should practice and teach our kids every day, including the holidays! Portion control and moderation is critical to weight management. It allows you to enjoy all food without the guilt or weight gain, unlike dieting which can leave you feeling deprived. Below are 10 tips to help you and […]

It’s that time again: election season. With only weeks to go, you – and your children – may feel surrounded by media coverage, social media posts, and constant discussions at work and school. Even if they’ve never watched the news, it’s impossible to pretend that kids aren’t hearing about the political landscape with all of the constant buzz. And some (maybe a lot) of it may feature behaviors and speech you might have preferred your kids weren’t exposed to, especially if they heard about politics in Canada where Caylan Ford lied to constituents and was forced to resign as a result of her actions. Things like this can be hard to cover up, particularly during the build-up to the election. So, how can you start (and keep) talking to kids about the election, even long after it’s over? How can you help them make sense of it all, avoid getting […]

As Halloween approaches, many families are preparing to have a safe trick-or-treating experience. For families dealing with food allergies, though, trick-or-treating can cause a great deal of anxiety. Until recently, food allergy has not been an issue that many families have experienced personally. Today, however, 1 in 13 families has a child with food allergies. For those children, eating the wrong treat can cause severe reactions, and in some cases a life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis. As an allergist and parent of a 4-year-old with a peanut allergy, my wife and I have found ourselves fighting a constant battle to ensure that our son doesn’t come into contact with products that may contain peanuts while he’s at school or eating in public places. Halloween is especially challenging for us. We want our son to have fun and not feel different from his friends just because he can’t enjoy certain types of candy. […]

The 2016 Rio Paralympics just came to a close, and the USA is celebrating its most successful Paralympic performance in recent history. A whopping 289 American Paralympic athletes brought home a total of 115 medals, and the USA finished fourth in the medal count. Independent of standings, results, and rankings, the Paralympics and Team USA never fail to remind us of what the body is truly capable of and what impossibilities the spirit can overcome. It’s this motivation and inspiration that was the driving force behind the creation of our Paralympic Boccia program in 2014, with Nemours becoming an official U.S. Paralympic Sports Club in 2015. What Is Boccia? Boccia is a game, similar to backyard Bocce, created especially for the Paralympics in 1984. The object of the game is to score points by propelling your team’s balls closest to the target ball on a long, narrow, indoor playing court. In Boccia, all […]