Kicking Off Teacher Wish Lists
WOOD TV and Maranda are kicking-off the Teacher Wish Lists campaign and we need your help!
August, 2011
Preparing Kids for Kindergarten
Kindergartners from Martin Luther King Leadership Academy recently attended a week-long camp to prepare for the upcoming school year.
Healthy School Lunch Options
Shari Steinbach, Meijer Healthy Living Adviser, has some creative school lunch ideas that are healthy and fun!
Keeping Your Kids Healthy
Here are some tips on making sure your kids stay healthy during the school year.
Back to School Shopping
Goodwill Industries is a great place to do all your back to school shopping. Their stores have all the current trends, but for a fraction of the price.
Get Your Kids Thinking About College
It’s never too young to start talking to your child about going to college.
Back to School Shoes
In the Image recently kicked of their back to school shoe drive helping kids who are in need to new shoes to start the school year off right.
Tips for A Stress-Free School Year
Kids are heading back to school next week and for many families the stress is already building. We spoke with Tom Karel of Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services and got some advice on starting the school year stress-free.
Parenting through 9.11.11
Thank you, Jamie, for sharing this parenting moment and the challenges that come with parenting a young child amidst tragic events, specifically what is going to become even more intensely covered as September 11 nears. I’ve been thinking about this too as my children are young and curious also! It really is nearly impossible, especially with a child Sophia’s age, to shield them from information that will be all over the media in the next month. Plus, some review of the events and discussions are sure to happen in school. So, how to respond? This is challenging and depends on several factors…
- Your parenting style: Is talking about challenging topics (think sex, money, death) something that comes easily for you? In your family, do you welcome your child’s questions or do you try to avoid talking about certain subjects? Knowing your parenting style is an important part of acknowledging how this might impact your response to your child’s questions about events surrounding September 11.
- Your child’s age and stage of development: Let’s take a look at young children, ages 4-7, in particular. At this stage of development, children are still learning to fully distinguish between reality and fantasy. Truth and judgment in their little minds is largely based on their perception—this is why they need you to be present in conversation to meet their need for security, to gently correct misinformation, and offer them some basics of how they can cope with fears that result from what they are seeing and hearing around them.
- Your child’s personality and temperament: Every child develops a way of relating to the world around them and finding their place in it. How they do this is influenced by their hard wiring. Your child might be naturally more sensitive and perceptive, prone to anxiety, or might be a child open to risks and not easily phased by confronting these delicate topics. Keep your child’s temperament in mind as you decide how and when to share or respond.
Easy Meals for Healthy Kids – Build a Better Lunch!
It’s back to school time and I have had several parents ask me about ways to fill their children’s lunch bag with easy, affordable meals that are healthy and delicious.
First of all, use the NuVal™ Nutrition Scoring System at Meijer to help you build a healthier lunch. NuVal™ helps you to find the most nutritious foods in every section of the grocery store. High scoring NuVal™ foods include colorful fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein sources, and non-fat or low-fat milk products.
Check and compare the NuVal scores of foods – white bread has NuVal scores of about 21, while Whole Grain white breads have scores of about 33. Cheesy snack crackers have a score about 11, while Whole grain Goldfish have a NuVal score of 28. Add fresh fruit and veggies – they have some of the highest NuVal scores in the store!
The new MyPlate food icon is also a great reminder and visual tool of what foods should be included in a healthy meal. Whether you are grocery shopping, packing lunches, or assembling a meal on a plate, MyPlate is a great guide to eating healthy.
Meijer also has some special assistance on the Meijer Mealbox website. View our back to school meal videos and find recipe collections for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. You can also join our live facebook chat with a Meijer Healthy Living Dietitian. Ask questions and get expert advice. The next chat are scheduled on September 1 and 8 at 10 a.m. EST.
Here are a few delicious lunch menus to get your school year started out right:
Recipe and Menu Plans
Lunch #1
Chicken and Vegetable Pasta Salad (see recipe)
Fresh Peach Slices
Vanilla Greek Yogurt
Lunch #2
Peanut Butter-Apple Wraps (see recipe)
Baby Carrots
Meijer Low Fat Milk
Lunch #3
Lunchbox Taco Salad (see recipe)
Mango Slices
Shortcut Chocolate Chip Cookies (see recipe)
Meijer Low Fat Milk
Blogs
Maranda's Blog
Keep in step with Maranda as she explores issues affecting your family.
Maranda's Go-To Gal
Insights from the mom who helps Maranda get it all done.
Whitecaps Blog
Whitecaps mascot Crash takes you inside the ballpark.
Cruiser's Blog
Cruiser has the inside track for Craig's Cruisers.
Health & Wellness
Make health and wellness a priority.
Fifth Third River Bank Run
On pace with the Fifth Third River Bank Run.
Healthy Living
Simple solutions for healthy living.
Social Media
