This is a guest post by Deb Thell.

Deb is a fitness enthusiast who is passionate about health and wellness among our youth. Her interests span running, cycling, kickboxing, weight lifting, and general outdoor goofing off with her children. Her kindergartener and second grader have competed in dozens of races, cycling events, and triathalons.

I’m very proud and excited to be heading up the first-ever STRIDE Academy 5K and Kids’ Fun Run fundraiser; and hope BLEND Blog followers will consider registering themselves (or a team of friends!) for the 5K.  And, if you have kids sign them up for the 1K Fun Run, too. 

Why a 5k?

A 5K event is a great race length. For beginners, it’s a manageable distance and provides a sense of accomplishment and pride when crossing the finish line. For more experienced runners, it’s an opportunity to amp up their pace and try to set personal per-mile records. For the community, it’s an opportunity for friends, neighbors, relatives and coworkers to do something together, providing natural training partners and shared goals.

What’s with the Kids’ Fun Run?

The fun run is a 1K, giving young people a chance to get the race bug and encourage an ongoing healthy, active lifestyle. Kids love crossing a finish line and showing off their finisher medals to parents. Every 1K finisher receives a medal and a shirt…and lots of cheers from the STRIDE team on the sidelines.

I love kid-specific athletic events – it gives the kids a chance to feel what it’s like to achieve a fitness goal on a scale that is manageable for younger ages.

Why this race?

The STRIDE 5K and 1K Kids’ Fun Run is an important event for me because it represents much of what I care about: supporting our education system, getting people of all ages active, celebrating others’ accomplishments, and community participation.

Race Details

The Stride 5K and 1K Kids’ Fun Run will be held on Saturday, June 15th, 2013 at Stride Academy (1025 – 18th Street N, St. Cloud, MN 56301).  The start and finish line is at Stride Academy with the run winding through Whitney Park.  View flyer!

• 7:30 a.m. - Registration opens
• 8:30 a.m. – 1K start
• 9:00 a.m. – 5K start

Cost and Registration

• $20 for 5K race
• $10 for 1K Fun Run
• Register by June 1st to guarantee a drawstring backpack (5K & 1K) and medal (1K).
• Register online today! 

See you at the finish line!
Deb Thell

We’ve had an emotional week filled with fond memories and tears.  We said goodbye to my Grandma Vesta.  My Grandma was a woman who loved people and had a passion for good food.  She would share her love by feeding others.  She was well-known in my hometown as an amazing cook and talented baker.  She was a caterer and cake decorator. 

She would make homemade donuts for special occasions.

She would make birthday cakes in the shapes of animals, t-shirts, cars, stars, sports equipment, motorcycles and even a piano.  If we could dream it, she could make it.  Not only did these cakes look good…they tasted great! 

Here’s Grandma with our wedding cake. Yes, she made it!

My Grandma appreciated kitchen gadgets.  If a new gadget or tool came out, she had it.  Her walk-in-closet was literally overflowing with these space-sucking, but useful tools of her trade.  I can still see the rice cookers, blenders, mixers, electric knives, slow cookers, food processors, popcorn poppers, can opener and food dehydrator.  While I don’t have such an expansive collection of kitchen gadgets, there are a few I cannot live without…

1. Cuisinart blender/food processor combo—2 gadgets in one! 
2. Kitchen Aid mixer—which is actually a 19-year-old wedding gift from Grandma Vesta and Grandpa Earl and still runs like a charm.
3. Yonanas machine.  Yo, what??  You heard me…our Yonanas machine. 

Yonanas

We learned of this wonderful dessert maker a couple of years ago.  It is a machine that turns frozen bananas into a soft-serve dessert.  Mock ice cream, if you will.  And tasty, too! 

We pulled out the Yonanas machine last night to whip up some dessert for my uncle Keith and cousin Becca, who were in town for Grandma’s funeral.  They are both into nutrition and health.  And, like me, they can no longer eat copious amounts of cookies and cakes for dessert.

We pulled some peeled ripe frozen bananas out of the freezer and let them “rest” on the counter for a few minutes.  Then we turned on our Yonanas machine. 

You simply push the bananas through the chute and watch creamy soft-serve come out into the dish.  That’s it.  No dairy.  No added sugar.  No sodium, fat or cholesterol.  Only frozen bananas, which score a NuVal 91, and are high in potassium and fiber. 

Both Keith and Becca gave it a thumbs up!

While it might not be as “homemade” as Grandma’s desserts, I know she’d approve.  And, I know she’d have a Yonanas machine in her gadget closet. 

Win a New Kitchen Gadget!

This week, in honor of Grandma Vesta, and because I like dessert, I’d like to give away a Yonanas machine to one of my blog readers.  For a chance to win, give us a Peek Into YOUR cabinet and tell us about your favorite kitchen gadget.  Just leave a comment below (or click on “comment” at the top of this blog).   I’ll select one winner at random on Tuesday, May 28.

Congratulations to Anthony, winner from my last blog – Peek Into Kelly’s…Family. Meet Brooke!

Until next time, enjoy your dessert…and, if you can, give your Grandma a great big hug!
Kelly

Passionate about food and good nutrition, Kelly, a BLEND Program Specialist for CentraCare Health Foundation, is also a mom who wants to set her kids up for a lifetime of good health. The opinions expressed in this blog are the opinions of the writer and not the opinions of NuVal LLC, Coborn’s, Inc., BLEND, and the CentraCare Health Foundation.

This is a guest post by Greg and Corinne Skoog.  Greg and Corinne are Sartell, MN residents, parents and both members of the Apple Duathlon committee. 

Okay, so huffing and puffing your way around the Apple Duathlon course may not be candlelit dinner at the Ritz. But it sure beats sitting silently on the couch! So my wife and I are running the Apple together this year.

We’re doing the Apple together because…

• It’s a challenge and a fitness goal that keeps us motivated.
• It’s something we both enjoy. (All right, it might be a stretch to say that Corinne “enjoys” running. But she does enjoy the excitement and competition of race day.)
• It’s fun to say you took part in a “World Championship Qualifier” race.
• This year’s shirts are really awesome. (Yes, that is so a good reason for running a race.)

And just to make the whole race even more romantic, we’re going to be running it together as a team. That’s right – some quality bonding time AND half the work of running the whole race? I think that’s what they call a win/win.

Corinne will start out running a 5K. (You know you can run a 5K.) Then she’ll have an hour or so to recover while I hop on my bike and pedal just under 21 miles through Sartell and St. Stephen. (It’s a great course.) Finally, Corinne will run a second 5K and find me cheering for her at the finish line.

Then we’ll eat and drink whatever we want for the rest of the day. (Wait, can I say that on a BLEND blog?). Because we just raced the Apple flippin’ Duathlon.

Hurry – get registered!

There’s still time to get registered, but not much, so hurry. Race it yourself for the challenge. Or team up and race it with your spouse. Or maybe a sibling. Or a neighbor. Or a friend. (Heck, you can race it with an enemy. We won’t judge.)

Want to make it a full weekend of family awesomeness? Sign up today to race the Apple with your spouse on Saturday, May 25, 2013. Then sign up the kids to race the Apple Kids Duathlon on Friday, May 24, 2013. It’s a great way to kick-start the kids’ summer with a burst of activity. And it’s part of the BLEND Fit Kids Club Series!

See you out at the Apple!
Greg and Corinne Skoog

Greg is not only a runner and cyclist who has competed in the last seven Apple Duathlons, he’s a pro at guest blogging. Greg wrote a BLEND post last May to promote the Apple Duathlon - Something New to Du.  Check it out!

This is a guest post by Emily Stenzel.

Emily is a Clinical Dietitian with the Coborn Cancer Center through the Saint Cloud Hospital. An avid runner, she believes the best way to live a truly healthful lifestyle is to include both physical activity and proper nutrition into your daily routine.

Lifestyle Factors Play a Role

Cancer is a general term used to describe abnormal dividing of cells. While cancer can be genetic and run in the family, lifestyle factors also play a part in cancer diagnosis. According to the American Cancer Society, one-third of all cancer deaths in the US are linked to diet, physical activity, and being overweight or obese.

Nutrition

Vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals… Confusing words you might hear thrown around when talking diet, nutrition, and cancer prevention.

Keep it simple: To ensure a balanced diet, focus on getting a variety of foods and lots of different colors in your diet. Generally speaking, the more bright and vibrant the color, the more nutrient dense it is. An example of this would be choosing romaine lettuce or spinach versus iceberg lettuce. And no, artificial colors and dyes do not count.

Fruits and Vegetables

Juicing is a popular trend right now and a great way to increase the amount of fruits and vegetables in your diet, but it should not be used to replace whole foods. Often juicing removes the benefits of fresh fruits and vegetables, like fiber for instance. And be aware—drinking juice packs a lot of calories and sugar in a small volume!

Other Lifestyle Changes  

Maintaining a healthy weight, increasing physical activity, using sunscreen regularly, and smoking cessation are also vital factors in cancer prevention.

Include the Kids

Making healthy foods fun is key to setting kids on the right track. When they’re involved in food preparation they are more likely to try new foods. Some ideas to get started…

• Start a small garden with various herbs, spices, and vegetables like onions, carrots, or bell peppers. If space is limited grow them in small flower pots and place them in the window or on the front step or balcony.
• Let your kids pick out one new fruit or vegetable at the grocery store to try during the week.
• Try a build-your-own-parfait bar with low-fat yogurt, fresh or frozen fruit of their choice (berries and bananas work great), and granola or cereal.
• Let them stir in shredded carrots, zucchini, or broccoli into spaghetti sauce.
• Top a whole wheat English muffin with pizza sauce, spinach, diced carrots, broccoli, peppers, and pineapple, and low-fat cheese. Pop in the oven at 350 degrees until cheese is golden brown.

The Take-Home Message

Avoid getting caught up in claims that sound too good to be true. Eating a balanced diet with a variety of foods is your best bet. Have fun, be daring and try something new.  Try it prepared different ways. It can take kids multiple times trying a new food before they find they like it. As a kid this dietitian HATED cooked carrots (and if I’m being honest, I still do this day), but now raw carrots are a daily “go-to” snack.

Thanks for reading, and remember the words of Michael Pollan: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
Emily Stenzel, RD
Coborn Cancer Center

This is a guest post by Robert Sweetgall.

In his former life, Robert was an overweight Brooklyn boy, nicknamed Butterball, a chocolate cheesecake lover, high school valedictorian, DuPont chemical engineer and born-again ultra-marathoner. After losing much of his family to heart disease, Robert resigned from his 11-year $100,000 DuPont engineering job to take his message about the importance of physical activity on the road — literally — walking the talk across America. Later, a Wall Street Journal headline read, “When Sweetgall Walks, People Listen.”

There have been many interviews conducted with 80- to 100-year-olds which reveal 14 common lifestyle habits.  These are simple habits that everyone – the young and the young at heart – can do.

Physical Wellbeing

1. Physical Activity. People who remain physically active throughout their lives have stronger endurance, bones, muscles, circulatory and immune systems and sharper minds than their sedentary counterparts.

2. Nutrition. Long-living folks are frugal eaters. They eat to live — not live to eat. Studies on animals confirm slower aging effects when caloric intake is modest. Eating more of a plant-based diet with less fat and sweetened carbohydrates helps maintain modest caloric intake.

3. Sleep. Early to bed, early to rise with consistent sleep patterns is good for longevity. Staying up late impairs your immune system. It’s also associated with late-night eating and obesity.

4. Safety. You can be very fit, but if you’re a risk-taker, chances are greater than you may die fit and young. Every act in your life carries a risk — from not wearing a helmet or seatbelt to speeding on highways.

Emotional Wellbeing

5. Family and Friends. This is all about your social-support network — the safety net you can count on to get you through tough times.

6. Coping with Loss. Those who can pay their respects at a funeral and get on with their lives, maintaining a strong will to live, turn out to be better survivors. Too many spouses die a year after their life-partner dies. Coincidence? Probably not.

7. Resiliency. The ability to adapt to changing times, views and situations is so much healthier than being rigid and non-compromising.

8. Coping with Stress. Stress affects all cells and biological systems in the body. Health seniors learn “not to sweat the small stuff — and it’s all small stuff.” So be happy and try not to worry so much — especially about things you can’t control.

9. Humor. Healthy people have a talent for finding the funny side of life and laughing at it. So lighten up and stop taking everything so seriously! Play like a child!

10. Humanitarianism. Longevity is aided by random acts of kindness. People who act kindly, doing good deeds, acting honestly and fairly with greater understanding seem to get rewarded with more time to keep doing good things.

11. Spirituality and Faith. Having faith in a higher power seems to correlate with longer, healthier lives. Related to this concept is having purpose in life, prayer, hope and doing good for the benefit of society.

12. Positive Attitude. Waking up each morning and looking forward to a new day is healthier than rising with an attitude of “Oh, how am I going to get through today?” To be more positive, turn off the TV and go out walking in nature. Be optimistic! Look for the “good” in people and situations.

13. Job Satisfaction and Happiness. In America, more people die on Monday mornings than any other time of the week. Was Monday-morning-death so prominent thousands of years ago? Realize it’s an advantage to love your work or at least look forward to it. In the 1927 book “Happiness,” Yale President Timothy Dwight states, “The happiest person is the person who thinks the most interesting thoughts.” Think about that!

14. Lifelong Learning. Learning keeps life interesting. It also keeps your brain “in shape” — use it or lose it. When you stop using your brain, it shrivels up and dies; so does the rest of you.

Robert Sweetgall

Meet Robert Sweetgall

After walking and running seven times across America (which is four more than Tom Hanks’ character did in the Hollywood movie, Forrest Gump), Robert Sweetgall will be visiting St. Cloud to speak on the subjects he knows best – walking, physical activity and the motivation to move. 

You have two chances to learn about wellness from Robert Sweetgall, who is the first person to have walked 11,208 miles through all 50 states in one year.

• Longevity, Aging and the Meaning of Life from 1-2:30 p.m. May 16 in the Olson Room at Whitney Senior Center, St. Cloud. Learn how you can add years to your life and life to your years.

• Motivation to Move: Great Ways to Reduce 5 Weight & Stress from 6:30-8 p.m. May 16 in Clemens Hall at Whitney Center, St. Cloud. Learn how you can increase your health and decrease your risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Door prizes and refreshments provided. Free and open to all ages. Learm more here!

Comment below (or click on “comment” at the top of this blog) if you are planning to attend any of the events. Let us know which one…we’d love to hear from you!!

Meet Brooke!

She’s my firstborn and also my first (and only) “almost vegetarian.”   I’ll bet you’re wondering what an “almost vegetarian” is, right?  Well, around here that means she might eat some chicken and, once a summer, she will put away a brat.  But that is where her meat eating stops.  The kid has never eaten a cheese burger or a steak.  Never.

When Brooke was about 3 years-old, she looked up at me with her big blue eyes and said, with conviction, in her high little voice, “Mommy, I’m a meat vegetarian.”  I asked her what she meant by that and she informed me, simply, that she didn’t eat meat.  Ok, I thought, where did this come from?  No meat?  Did Sesame Street have an anti-meat campaign going on that I was not aware of?  I then recalled her first years and how she would devour the little jars of sweet potatoes, squash, peas and carrots.  I also remembered how she would spit out the tiny bites of beef and chicken.  How she would eat the breading off of a corn dog and leave the dog.  How could I not see it?  She never liked meat.

Please understand her Dad and I were (and are) carnivores.  We clearly appreciate a sizzling medium-rare steak fresh off the grill.  We eat burgers and brats and turkey legs!  Where did we go wrong?  And, how long would this last? 

What Does a Meat Vegetarian Eat?

Well, here we are today and our “meat vegetarian” is almost 17.  She still avoids red meat and loves seafood.  She’ll eat an occasional chicken breast, thank goodness!  She eats almond butter, yogurt, beans and sushi.  She has broadened our palates and helped our meat-loving family members try new foods.  She has also consumed many a peanut butter sandwich without complaining as the rest of us ate roast beef. 

NuVal® has been a wonderful addition to her diet and ours’.  We’ve learned that not all foods are created equally.  NuVal helps us compare everything from soup to nuts, so we can see at-a-glance which food items pack the most nutritional punch!   We use NuVal to trade-up to more nutritious ingredients in our recipes and inspire us to create healthier meals. 

On that note, here’s a delicious pasta recipe Brooke created that even her meat-loving family can appreciate.

 

Brooke’s Shrimp and Asparagus Pasta 

Ingredients:

8 oz. Barilla Plus Pasta (any shape) – Nuval 91
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil  – NuVal 11
½ medium yellow onion, sliced - NuVal 93
2 teaspoons garlic, minced - NuVal 91
½ pint cherry tomatoes, halved – NuVal 96

½-1 bunch asparagus spears, cut into 1” pieces (woody ends removed) - NuVal 100
½ pound shrimp (thawed, peeled and deveined) - NuVal 75
6 large fresh basil leaves, chopped (optional) - NuVal 100
Grated parmesean cheese to taste - NuVal 20

 

Instructions:

Cook pasta according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Saute onions for a few minutes and add garlic, halved tomatoes and asparagus.  Saute a few more minutes being careful not to burn garlic or it will make the dish bitter. Add shrimp and cook until they are pink.  Remove from heat.  Toss shrimp and veggie mixture with drained pasta and fresh basil. Top with grated parmesean cheese and serve. 

Check out these step-by-step photos – courtesy of Bailey Hollencamp.

                    

 

And there you have it – Brooke’s Shrimp and Asparagus Pasta!  Simple, delicious, healthy…and, I have to say what a show-stopper!

A Vegetarian Giveaway!

This week one lucky reader will win ”the easy way Vegetarian” book. To register, all you need to do is leave a comment below (or click on “comment” at the top of this blog) telling me your child’s interesting, or funny, food story.  I’ll select one winner at random on Tuesday, May 21, 2013. 

Congratulations to Tara, winner from my last blog – Peek Into Kelly’s…Favorite NuVal Trade-Ups!

Healthy regards,
Kelly

Passionate about food and good nutrition, Kelly, a BLEND Program Specialist for CentraCare Health Foundation, is also a mom who wants to set her kids up for a lifetime of good health. The opinions expressed in this blog are the opinions of the writer and not the opinions of NuVal LLC, Coborn’s, Inc., BLEND, and the CentraCare Health Foundation.

This is a guest post by Elysha Gellerman. 

At 12 years old, I weighed more than the day I gave birth to my first daughter — and trust me, I was big! At 13, our family physician prescribed me diet pills, antidepressants, and sleeping pills.  I was clinically obese and, needless to say, quite self conscious. I wore my father’s old T-shirts over my swim suit and pants and sweatshirts in 100+ degree weather. Growing up in Arizona, this was not normal.

My Mentor

Thankfully, at 14, a mentor came into my life that forever changed me — Ms. Miles, my gym teacher. On the first day of class, she stood on a bench in the locker room, sporting her ARMY T-shirt. She sternly announced that to pass the class, we’d be running two to three miles twice per week without exception. Several sets of eyes rolled in the room. Some let out gasps of disbelief. My chubby little chin just quivered. I silently tried to wipe the tears from my round cheeks. I hoped nobody would hear me sniffle.

After everyone shuffled out of the locker room, I admitted that I couldn’t even run a half a mile and that I’d never be able to pass the class. To my surprise, she immediately softened and put her hand on my shoulder. She told me she’d do it with me.

The next day, Ms. Miles wrapped a bandana around her jet black hair and placed a boom-box in the middle of the field. ACDC and Janet Jackson echoed across the track while we walked the straights and ran the curves for eight laps. Her turquoise and silver jewelry chimed as she pumped her fist in the air, telling me I could do it  — that I was a champion. Meanwhile, I wheezed and coughed; my shirt was drenched and my thighs chaffed. I kept telling her I was dying, which didn’t seem to concern her in the slightest.

The next class period, I made it one lap without walking. By the end of the second week, I ran my first half mile. After a month, I completed one mile. By the second semester, I joined the track team. The following fall, I joined cross country.

Forever Changed

From those first painful steps to my senior year, I lost nearly 60 pounds. I ditched my sweats and baggy jeans for shorts that were just a bit too short in retrospect. More importantly, I was 100 percent chemical free. I earned the “Most Improved Student Award.” I was part of the 1999 Arizona State High School Track and Field championship team, and I received an athletic scholarship to a college on the west coast, which I could have never afforded.

1999 Arizona State High School Track and Field Championship Team

My fitness journey has impacted me in ways that stretch beyond vanity and self image.  Knowing that, for the most part, I’m responsible for my health is liberating. It bleeds into all areas of my life—finances, relationships, lifelong aspirations…what a gift. I’m so grateful for my mentor and for programs like BLEND that continue to empower our youth.

Elysha Gellerman

This is a guest post from Jennifer Rapatz-Harr, physician assistant in pediatrics. Jennifer and Dr. David Smith have worked together for 7 years. Jennifer joined Dr. Smith’s Sartell Pediatrics Clinic in February 2013 prior to that Jennifer worked at St. Cloud Medical Group for 23 years. Jen loves outdoor activities, gardening, landscaping, jogging, singing and playing piano. Jen and her husband, Steve, have 5 grown children.

Tag…You’re It!

Remembering my summertime childhood spent almost totally outdoors from 7a.m. – 8p.m. is peppered with many happy memories. Those “free play” times: exploring in the backyard, laying on my back looking at cloud designs across the sky,  building forts, playing softball, doing night games are just a few of the things I did with my family.

We loved the summertime because we had “no worries” and we had extra time with our folks who were more laid back, too.

Capture the Flag!

Sartell Pediatrics wants parents to know that the summertime family memories are important to the health of a child. Knowing that parents love spending time with their child is a building block to self worth and self esteem. Our friends at BLEND are committed to providing great summertime activities for family fun. One in particular - the 2013 BLEND Fit Kids Club Series.  In their 4th year, BLEND has rounded-up, and endorsed, some of the best race events Central MN has to offer.  From April through October this series will allow the entire family to enjoy each others company while participating in community race events with other families. You’ll be sharing family values that helps build community and promotes a healthy lifestyle.

Taking part in the BLEND Fit Kids Club Series not only provides health benefits and opportunities for our kids to be active, the series has some added perks as well. BLEND is rewarding kids (14 and younger) who participate in 3 Fit Kids Club Series events. The more events the better the incentive!  Kids can also win more prizes by participating in 5 or more events!  View and print the flyer!!

Share!

As part of our ongoing commitment to health and fitness,  Sartell Pediatrics is on a mission to get kids active this summer and enjoy the great outdoors. So, we’ve come up with a plan. We’re giving away 3 BLEND Fit Kid Club Series passes, good for 5 race entries of your child’s choosing!  Find the dates that work for your family and we’ll pick up the tab. Choose from the Sartell Apple Duathlon (May 24), the YMCA’s Family Track and Field Days (August 10) or ANY five of the remaining 17 endorsed events!

To enter, simply go to the Sartell Pediatrics Facebook page, look for the photo above and “SHARE” the post by midnight on May 12th!  You must “LIKE” (or have previously liked) our page, too!  We will choose 3 winners at random on May 13th.

Join us for fun in the sun!
Jennifer

What is a Trade-up? 

A trade-up is a simple way to add more nutrition to your diet. The NuVal Nutritional Scoring System scores foods from 1-100, and higher is better.  Why buy a cereal that scores a 10, when there is another one on the shelf that scores a 91?  I’ve made a lot of trade-ups since I began shopping with NuVal. 

Here are just a few…

Hey Cutie! 

Before NuVal, I used to buy the Geisha brand canned mandarin oranges for our girls’ lunch boxes, thinking that they were super high in nutrition. After all, they are just baby oranges, right?  I guess I didn’t factor in the sugar water they were canned in.  Even though the can says they’re in “light” syrup, they only score a NuVal 15. 

I noticed I could gain a few NuVal points by trading-up to Del Monte Mandarin Oranges, packed in water with no sugar added.  But, somehow a 23 for a fruit just didn’t seem like a great score. 

So, I went fresh.  A Cutie (fresh clementine orange) scores 100 on the NuVal scale.  Rich in vitamin C and low in calories, Cuties earn a perfect score! 

Yogurt I actually LIKE….who knew?

So, those of you who know me know I am not a yogurt lover. It’s not a texture thing. I like puddings. It’s not a dairy thing. I like sour cream and cottage cheese. It’s a flavor thing. To me, most yogurts just taste like spoiled milk. I will eat yogurt in smoothies, provided I can totally mask the flavor with piles of berries and bananas. But, eating plain yogurt…no way! 

I really want to like the stuff.  It looks tasty and is such a convenient and nutritious treat, packed with calcium and vitamin D.  So, I have been on a quest to learn to like yogurt. I’ve tasted (and often gagged on) many brands and flavors with no success. 

So cute! Here a few little ones sampling yogurt and granola at the Earth Day Run – BLEND Kids Health and Fitness Expo.

Last weekend, at the Earth Day Run – BLEND Kids Health and Fitness Expo, we gave out samples of Food Club Light Vanilla Yogurt (71) topped with Bear Naked Fit Triple Berry Crunch Granola (91) to kids and families attending the Earth Day Run events.  By late afternoon, my stomach was growling. Because we were setting up the booth, I had skipped lunch. Hunger was setting in. And, the kids sampling the yogurt were ooohing and aahhing over how tasty it was. 

I have to admit, it looked good. So, I gave it a shot, figuring the sample was small and I had a water bottle nearby to wash it down if it was terrible.  And, guess what?  I liked it.  It was creamy and vanilla-y and, well, I was hungry. The crunchy granola topping didn’t hurt either

The range of NuVal scores for yogurts is 11-100, with the average yogurt scoring 44.  Many of those “fruit on the bottom” kinds bottom-out in their scores as well.  So with that in mind, here are some Food Club Yogurt examples…

While I did like the Light Vanilla at a 71, I am not ready to trade-up any higher to the Food Club Plain yogurt just yet, even if it does score a 100. 

A Great Trade-Up Giveaway—Comment to Win!

This week one lucky reader will win: a bag of Cuties, a bag of Bare Naked Fit Triple Berry Crunch Granola and some Food Club Light Vanilla Yogurt.  To register, all you need to do is leave a comment below (or click on “comment” at the top of this blog) telling me what food you don’t care for, but want to like.  I’ll select one winner at random on April 30, 2013.

Here’s hoping you make a great trade-up this week!
And, as always, thanks so much for reading my blog.
Kelly

Passionate about food and good nutrition, Kelly, a BLEND Program Specialist for CentraCare Health Foundation, is also a mom who wants to set her kids up for a lifetime of good health. NuVal is a system designed to lead customers to the most nutritious food choices. It is not a diet or weight-loss plan. The opinions expressed in this blog are the opinions of the writer and not the opinions of NuVal LLC, Coborn’s, Inc., BLEND, and the CentraCare Health Foundation.

Oops, she did it again!  Deb Johanson, Developmental Adapted Physical Education teacher in the St. Cloud Area School District 742, dug into her creative basket and found another great idea to share with kids and parents at the 2013 Earth Day Run – BLEND Kids Health and Fitness Expo.  If you attended the 2012 Expo, Deb was the genius behind the hula hoop station. If you didn’t attend, Deb, in partnership with The Home Depot (and many volunteers), made more than 820 hula hoops out of irrigation tubing.  We posted a blog about it last year - Making Hula Hoops for Fun and Fitness!

So, during the 2012 expo…while watching kids joyously cling to their hula hoop, Deb says, “I have an idea for the 2013 expo…ribbon balls“.  For many that know Deb, she is always thinking of the next step or the next big idea.  “It’s simple – call our local tennis experts and ask if they could donate their gently used tennis balls.”  And the rest…is history.

Paul Bates was the obvious person to call.  Paul is one of Minnesota’s finest tennis coaches and has been a tennis teaching professoinal for more than 20 years. He is the St. Cloud Tech High School tennis coach and a Physical Education teacher at Westwood Elementary (St. Cloud Area School District 742). Of course he would have some old tennis balls for this project.  Sure enough…he donated a “few” of them for us. (1,300 in fact!)

How to Make Tennis Ribbon Balls

 

Step 1) First things first - gather your supplies.  You’ll need:

• Tennis Balls – new or used

• 5/8″ Ribbon - 2 strands cut at 3 feet long (satin or grosgrain)

• Box Cutter or Blade

• Flathead Screwdriver

Step 2) Now – measure the ribbon and cut on an angle. (This will help prevent the ribbon from fraying).  Align both pieces of ribbon together and knot in the middle as close as it can go to the end of the loop.  Use an assortment of colors to customize the ribbon balls for your family.   

Step 3) Set the box cutter blade on the second notch.  Grab a tennis ball and find a center point between the seams.  Carefully, puncture the ball with the blade until a small cut is made.  Approximately a 3/8″ cut.  Remove and retract the blade.

Step 4) With the flathead screwdriver, place the tip inside the ribbon loop. Draw the remaining ribbon along the screwdriver and hold tightly.    

Step 5) Find the cut in the tennis ball and place the ball on a firm, flat surface.  Push the ribbon loop and screwdriver tip through the cut.

Step 6.) This is not a job for little ones…this takes some force.  With some tennis balls it’s easy while others it takes some work.  You may have to twist and push a little more aggressively.  Once a “thump” is heard the knot is in and secured. Wiggle the ribbon so that it is snugly in place.  The rubber inside will create resistance so the ribbon won’t easily come out.

And there you have it – your very own Tennis Ribbon Ball!

Kids (and adults) love playing catch with the ribbon balls.  They are a fun way to get in some daily “active” play.  Until next year…it doesn’t take a lot of money to get kids up and physically active.  With a little creativity and time you can drum up excitement for the entire family.

A special thank you to Volunteer Services at the St. Cloud Hospital for cutting and knotting the ribbons. We are very fortunate to has such a wonderful team of volunteers to call on when we need help. 

Thanks for reading this blog! If you attended the Earth Day Run – BLEND Kids Health and Fitness Expo – THANK YOU for coming out.  We hope you enjoyed the fun!!