Helping Kids Eat Healthy

A new nutritional education program is helping parents feed their children more healthful foods without the usual resistance.

The Fuel Your Dreams campaign teaches kids to pick specific foods to help their bodies be at their very best, said founder Ellen Briggs, of West Palm Beach, Fla.

The program encourages kids to share their dream career, whether it's to play professional basketball or become a pop star, and learn which body parts are necessary to accomplish the task.

Posters and flashcards created by the campaign show kids which foods they need to fuel their muscles so they can become a stronger runner, or to sing their best and have healthy lungs. It ultimately motivates them to eat healthier.

"It evolved out of passion," said Briggs, whose son inspired her to rethink how kids look at healthy foods.

Her interest led to the creation of Kids Kritics Approved _ akin to the Good Housekeeping Seal _ an online resource launched in 2010 that independently evaluates food so parents can stop wasting time and money, she said.

Almost 1,000 products are listed on an approved grocery list, so "parents can quickly find foods that are 'kid-approved' (taste good) and meet firm nutrition guidelines," according to the website.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in 2012 that one-third of children and teens ages 6 to 19 are overweight or obese in the United States. A good Website to get more info:   http://www.fuelyourdreams.net/