Fresh Baby.Com and the USDA campaign products (For Families) *Health*

What’s the Right Amount of Food for My Family’s Plate?

I definitely don’t want to be a poster mom for healthy eating but I did have to take drastic control of my diet that did affect my family in a positive way when I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes with my pregnancy with my younger daughter.  I was not overweight and ate relatively healthy but did drink sugary drinks and probably larger portions of simple carbohydrates than needed.  In fact, I really don’t know what I was eating since I never felt I needed to track my food.  I just ate what I wanted to eat.  When I suddenly had to cut out EVERYTHING (okay, slight exaggeration, but it felt like it) to get my blood sugar under control for my baby, that was very difficult.  Not only did my body rebel, I didn’t know what to eat for some time.  Portions became important as well as reading labels in grocery stores.  Buying packaged meals (which we did in limited quantity anyway) became a no-no and buying any food at restaurants was difficult.  I learned pre-packaged salad dressings did not work with my diet and that bananas would spike my sugars.  Juice was cut out completely and we realized that most pre-packaged foods have added sugar and simple carbs in the US.  Will I have to wrestle with diabetes after my six-week post-partum check-up?  I don’t know.  But I do know I am at a higher risk to develop Type II diabetes later in life so we plan as a family to stick with healthy eating.  That doesn’t mean no treats for the non-diabetics, it just means even snacks are in moderation when before it was a ‘eat as you go’ kind of thing.  We needed to be more conscious of our food as a family and I really love the Fresh Baby products that are combined with USDA food guidance to help lessen that burden of cumbersome tracking (like tracking blood sugars four times a day or more…fun!).  Take control of what you are eating because I would much rather deal with ‘all things in moderation’ than dealing with Type II diabetes.  Trust me on that.

The USDA campaign partnered with Fresh Baby to develop products that would answer the following questions:

• How does your family manage portion sizes?
• How do you manage portion sizes for your children?
• How do you find ways to truly enjoy the food you eat?
• Do your children consume enough water?  Do you?
• Do you consume too many sugary beverages?
• How can you be more active?

Fresh Baby Products for the USDA campaign:

• Let’s Move Foam Puzzle  Fun puzzle for kids that will also give your family ideas on how you can keep your family moving.
• Kid’s 4-section Plate  The kid’s portion control plate includes sections for healthy food to include and fun activities.  Get your kid’s involved in the meal time process and allow them to fill their plate with healthy choices from each of the four food groups.
•  Adult 4-section Plate  Adults need to learn portion control, too!  This 8” plate with dividers is the normal portion size for each food group.  Set a family example for healthy eating at the dinner table!
• Kid’s Portion Tip Card (Also available for download here). Portion control is so important.  The Kid’s Portion Tip Card allows you to quickly view common foods by food group for children ages 2-8.
• Adult Water Bottle Drinking plenty of water is essential to good health. Fresh Baby’s collapsible water bottle lets you stay hydrated on the go.
• Mom’s Water Bottle. We are our children’s role models of healthy eating so encourage more water drinking and less sugary drinks.
• Kid’s Water Bottle Drinking plenty of water is essential to active children, but is it fun to drink?  Fresh Baby’s waterfall design gives children the ability to see the water in their bottle for a little entertainment!
• Kid’s Apron  Empower children in their food preparation!  Not only are they learning a great skill they will be more willing to try new foods.

Remember:  Healthy Eating Starts at Home!

Fresh Baby.Com and the USDA campaign products (For Families) *Health*

www.freshbaby.com

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