Meijer and Produce for Kids are teaming up to host the second annual Healthy Schools, Healthy Minds campaign. Through September 29^th, Meijer shoppers can contribute to this wonderful cause and support their local schools! How? Simple! By adding produce to their Meijer shopping lists! Participating fresh fruit and vegetable suppliers will make a donation to DonorsChoose.org based on how much of their fresh you eat! DonorsChoose.org supports local classroom projects.

Keep your eyes peeled for the Produce for Kids display which features your kids favorite Sprout show characters! One of my favorites, LazyTown™ and Noodle and Doodle. You can find these displays in the produce section at your local Meijer store. The more items shoppers add to their shopping lists, the more local classrooms will benefit!

Meijers is also featuring the Ideal Meals™ program from Produce for Kids in the produce department. Ideal Meals cards provide 12 quick, easy, and healthy chef-created/dietitian-approved complete meal solutions for breakfast, lunch, dinner and desserts. I have included some  of the new delicious and nutritious fall inspired Ideal Meals recipes from Produce for Kids below.

Slow Cooker Veggie Lasagna

Lentil & Veggie Soup

Apple Pear Crumble

Love Pinterest? Don’t we all! What could be better than Pinterest? How about a Pinterest Giveaway? You could Win a $250 Cookware set, a gift basket or a $50 Grocery Gift Card!

The ways that children differ in the way they eat these days is insane. I often go to school and have lunch with my sons and it’s very hard not to notice what other kids are pulling out of their lunch boxes. I’ve seen everything from carrots to candy bars. To each their own but there is no way I would send my sons to school with a candy bar in his lunch box. On occasion I will sneak a little something in there as a surprise. Maybe a “Kiss” or something as a treat. My son’s are not extremely picky eaters as a whole, but, they just are not big on vegetables. It’s not for my lack of trying.

As a kid I remember my parents forcing us to eat our vegetables. I think the purpose of that in the long run failed because today, I still don’t like most vegetables or seafood. I decided long before I even had kids that I wasn’t going to force them to eat things they didn’t like. However, I would make them try everything, and I do. You can’t force someone to like something no matter how many times you make them eat it.

Once a week I let the boys pick anywhere they want to go for dinner. They have a few favorite places which include a pizza buffet and a Chinese buffet. Now do I think a pizza buffet is good for them 7 days a week? Of course not but a few times a month is okay. I don’t let them eat until they are sick. They know how much they are allowed to have and even when they hit the dessert end, they know they are each only allowed to have one item. I also take weeks where we will go over what will be cooked for the week. I have found that giving them some input rather than telling them this is it, eat it or like it, has gone a long way.

The best example I have of the fact that my boys can make good choices without me is, we were at a well know Italian restaurant in our area, (that may or may nor have something to do with olives) and the boys both ordered broccoli as their side. Now of course they didn’t lie it after 2 bites but I was proud of them for choosing on their owns to try it.

I think one of the downfalls with children these days not WHAT they are eating but the amount they are permitted to eat. Ironically, my 4 year old just told me about 5 minutes ago how he had 3 granola bars as a snack while he was away from home. Most people would agree that is ridiculous for any 4 year old. I don’t permit the kids to eat chips, I almost never even buy them unless it’s for a gathering of some sort. I do bake a lot but the boys are only allowed to eat it once a day. If they eat something else somewhere else, that’s it, they had their “junk” for the day. Speaking of snacking. This is a excerpt from the book Food Fights that I recommend every parent should read. I am about half way through it.

One of the biggest problems with snacks is, quite simply, that they typically consist of high-calorie, unhealthy foods rather than nutrient-dense, healthy foods. With fresh fruit all too frequently replaced by juice and other sugary drinks, more candy, less milk, and the prize for the largest increase in snack foods over the past 30 years going to chips and crackers, what’s clearly not lacking in snacking is salt, sugar, and fat.

So now that you know what not to serve for snacks, we wanted to make sure to impress on you the fact that snacking can and still should play an important role in your child’s daily diet. Simply put, the right approach to snacking can help keep kids from getting hungry and cranky while also giving them added energy and (if you plan it right) added nutrients. By following simple, smart snacking advice like the tips below, you can ultimately help your child grow better, think better, and stay active throughout the day and throughout childhood.

While reading this book, it was nice to see that I was already doing many of the things that they suggested. For me, it is sometimes difficult since the boy spend their time between two homes. I don’t have a very good relationship with my ex-husband so it is difficult at times to be sure who is eating what at who’s house. Children are of course not going to turn down any yummy treats they get to eat no matter where it is.

Snacks should not be the exception to the rule that food, in general, should have nutritional value. Make sure you commit to applying the same noble goals in choosing your snacks as you (hopefully) do for your child’s meals. Keep finger foods on hand. Finding foods that are quick and easy to grab and serve is actually quite easy. Simply cutting up some fresh fruits or veggies is a good place to start.  I try to keep whole grain crackers, pretzels, or ready-to-eat  cereals on hand. Once a month each of the boys are permitted to pick a box of any cereal they want. Don’t be fooled by packaging. Labels on snack foods for kids, along with sugary children’s cereals, seem to be the most commonly misleading when it comes to nutrition. Don’t let creative labeling such as “fruit snacks” or “low-fat” lead you to believe that sugary treats are necessarily healthy.

Figure out some “free foods” that your child can eat at any time. It’s entirely appropriate to agree on some healthy “free foods” (such as fruits, vegetables, yogurt, or hard-boiled eggs) that your child can sit down and eat whenever he’s hungry. Remembering that your ultimate goal is to help your child learn to eat when he’s hungry and  refrain when he’s not, your role is to simply make very sure that the criteria you use for creating this list is based squarely on the food’s nutritional value. I usually have melons, (cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew) cut up and on hand for the boys to pick at anytime they want because they love it so much. I also keep yogurt and unsalted pretzels on hand.

Keep junk food out of sight and out of mind. This means not only limiting the amount of junk food you buy and allow into your pantry, but also the amount of television your child is allowed to watch. With literally thousands of television ads designed specifically to make your child’s mouth water over unhealthy snacks and cereals, turning off the television—not just when you’re eating but keeping it turned off throughout the day—can go a long way toward preventing unhealthy eating habits. I find more of these commercials appear on the local stations than they do on the ones we watch. All “treat snacks” are kept up high in a completely separate cabinet where the boys would need to grab a chair to get them. This works well for us because if they go to the pantry for something, they wont see the “treats” Sometimes we all even forget they are there.

Enter below to win a copy of this fantastic book!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: MAK Media, LLC was compensated in some form (product, monetarily etc) for this post. The opinions and ideas expressed here are my own. This post is not endorsed, sponsored or has any connection to Twitter, Facebook or any other Social Media network that may be mentioned. This post is the sole property of MAK Media, LLC. All opinions are mine whether positive or negative. You can read more about our Policy Disclosure here.

The boys are big fans of Kung Fu Panda. I love watching it with them just to listen to the amazing sound of their laughter. I of course sit there at certain parts and don’t have a clue what is so funny. I either lack the ability to think like 4 and 8 year old boys or I am just an uncool Mom. Yea, I am going with the first one as I am totally cool!

This year, Kung Fu Panda is back! General Mills is teaming up with DreamWorks’ Kung Fu Panda 2 to bring the action-packed adventures right to your breakfast table.

Throughout the spring, spin fighter toys featuring Kung Fu Panda 2 characters including Po, Tigress, Shifu, Monkey, Lord Shen, Mantis, Crane and Viper can be found inside specially marked boxes of participating General Mills cereals: Cocoa Puffs (11.8 oz.), Trix (10.7 oz.), Golden Grahams (12 oz.), Reese’s Puffs (13 oz.), Cheerios (14 oz.), Apple Cinnamon Cheerios (12.9 oz.), Cookie Crisp (11.25 oz.), Lucky Charms (11.5 oz.), Cinnamon Toast Crunch (12.8 oz.) and Honey Nut Cheerios (12.25 oz.).

Let the games begin with one spin fighter toy in each box. Simply cut out the targets on the box and then use your spin fighter to try and knock them down. With eight character toys to collect, the Kung Fu fun can continue all summer long! I have to tell you, we have a few of these and I think they are just as fun as the boys do. They can be dangerous indoors though, as we found out lol

The cereal that we received was the Apple Cinnamon Cheerios. The boys had never tried this before. It was no surprise to me that Spencer loved it but Royal was a bit unsure. Spencer snacked on it through out the day.

GIVEAWAY: Gift pack pictured above! (DVD, Cereal, Toy)

RULES: For Bonus Entries, Twitter entries must include a link to your Tweet. Tweets must be spaced no less than 60 minutes apart. Tweets of recipes are only good PER giveaway. You can’t use the same tweet for multiple giveaways.

Mandatory Entry: Which character from Kung Fu Panda is your child’s favorite and why? (1 entry)

Bonus Entries: A lot of additional ways to enter! Leave a separate comment for each one!

• Blog about this giveaway and link back to it (5 entries)
• Subscribe to our RSS via email (Enter your email  in the top right sidebar)(1 entry)
• Follow A Few Fries Short on Networked Blogs (1 entry)
• Like A Few Fries Short on Facebook and leave a comment on our wall(2 entries)
• Follow @AFewFriesShort on Twitter (1 entry)
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel (1 entry) (leave YouTube ID)
• Follow A Few Fries Short on Google Friend Connect (Option in right column) (1 Entry)
• Tweet using the RT button. You must copy and paste the post title in the tweet. (1 entry per Tweet)
• Tweet any recipe using the RT button on each post! You must copy and paste the post title in the tweet. (1 tweet per recipe)
• “Like” any post on this blog using the button on each post. Tell me which post (1 entry per “like”)

Giveaway is open to US residents who are 18 years of age or older. I reserve the right to remove any entry from this giveaway. This giveaway is sponsored by a MyBlogSpark. This giveaway ends 6/16/2011 at 11:59pm EST. If you are currently or have previously reviewed this product or participated in this campaign, you are ineligible to enter/win.

Disclosure

I was not paid in any form of cash for this posting. I did receive product for my testing purposes thanks to MyBlogSpark, General Mills and Kung Fu Panda.  The views and opinions expressed in this blogs content are solely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product should be verified by the above mentioned manufacturer, PR Agency or product designer. This post is not endorsed, sponsored or has any connection to twitter, facebook or any other network. This post is solely the property of MAK Media, LLC and/or its above sponsor. The product itself did not persuade my personal beliefs or views. I was under no obligation to write a positive review. You can read more about our Policy Disclosure here.

Spencer was turning 4 this year and I wanted to do something special for him. He really loves dinosaurs so I knew making that part of the cake was important. I looked at several dinosaur cakes and they were all either “dragon looking” or way to advanced for me. His cake had to be cool  because he loved the Bunny Cake so much. I had to make 2 of these cakes so I used a full sheet pan. Since most people won’t be making this size, I am including the directions for a 10×8 pan. If you need to make a full sheet cake, double the recipe. If you wish to use a boxed cake, you will need 2 boxes for the 10×8 and 3 boxes for the 11×14.

Ingredients: (Cake) (10 x 8 cake pan)

• 2 cups sugar
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup Hershey’s Cocoa
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean
4. Completely cool for at least 15 minutes
5. Remove from Pan
6. Frost

Ingredients: (Frosting)

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
• 2/3 cup Hershey’s Cocoa
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Melt butter
2. Stir in cocoa
3. Add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency
4. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla.
5. Makes about 2 cups frosting

(Click any image to enlarge)