Healthy Hollywood: Fab Food Friday – Super Snacks For Kids!

Have kids. Change diapers. Make breakfast. Get ready for work. Get kids ready for school. Forget keys. Lose mind! Aw, the life of a busy parent.

Unlike celebrity moms and dads, like Jennifer Lopez and Beyonce, who have an army of help, most parents are in a constant state of frenzy trying to get out the door and get everything done – including preparing healthy meals.

As a parent, I strive to feed my daughter the healthiest foods; but, sometimes after a busy day at work the last thing I, Terri MacLeod, want to do is food shop or cook. So, it’s always a gift to find go-to foods that aren’t filled with processed junk.

Healthy Hollywood stumbled upon MySuperFoods, which is a food company started by two regular New Jersey moms, Katie Jesionowski and Silvia Gianni. These ambitious MOMpreneurs struggled to find healthy on-the-go food options; so they got inspired to make their own. Alas, their own company and a line of MySuperSnack Granola Bites.

“We strive to make good-for-you food with nutritional clarity – low sugar, real fruit, whole grain oats, and flax seeds. The pool of all natural and organic foods for kids is growing but it isn’t nearly what it should be compared to the majority of what’s out there,” reveals Katie and Silvia.

So, how are their snacks different than the 101 snack options already on shelves? Granola Bites are packed with 17 vitamins and minerals, ancient grains, flaxseed, whole oats, Omega 3s and super fruits. “Additionally, there are 3grams of protein and fiber per serving. Kids think they are yummy for their soft texture, real chocolate chips that melt in their mouths and not-too-sweet fruit that they can see in each bite,” state the two MOMpreneurs.

Besides making healthy snacks, MySuperFoods website is packed with parental advice. And, these New Jersey moms are also do-gooders; a portion of sales is donated to fight child hunger. Healthy Hollywood can’t help but respect and adore these two moms.

Katie & Silvia shared with Healthy Hollywood their tips on getting even the pickiest kid to eat right.

1. Manage snacks – we usually snack at 10a and 3p. Anymore and we are fighting with actual meals.

2. Resist the urge to negotiate – “One more bite and you can have dessert”, is the enemy. It’s the first thing that comes to mind to get kids to eat their veggies, but could lead kids to see desserts as a reward, versus just another food that we eat in moderation. Also, the more pressure we place on kids to eat, the more unpleasant meal times become.

3. Eat together and model good eating – Kids learn by watching us. So, if you want them to eat their broccoli, eat with them and show them how much you enjoy it.

4. Drinking calories – Be aware of the calories that kids are consuming with meals, because if they fill up on calories from juice or chocolate milk, they won’t have room for much food.

5. Don’t ban junk food outright, but don’t buy it in bulk either – Banning certain foods outright, will only make them more appealing. I work hard at making healthy food for my kids, I allow them to pick their meals when we eat out, and allow them to have two pieces of cake at a party if that’s what they want. My goal is to help them to understand that healthy food is good for them, and makes them feel better, but we can eat less healthy food in moderation.

For parenting food tips, check out www.mysuperfoodscompany.com

— Terri MacLeod