Category Healthy Tips

Whether packing for a long day at camp or a quick snack at home, we are all looking for cool ways to chill out on a hot summer day. Here are some ideas that are refreshing, easy and fun to put together!

To get you and your family off on the right track for National Nutrition Month, Guiding Stars has compiled a list of delicious and nutritious snacks that are full of stars.

This past week, students attending our Nutrition Connect program were asked, “What prevents you from eating a healthy diet?” The general trend was that “time restraints” got in their way of making smart food decisions. I can definitely relate. In fact, before the presentation that night, time was lagging, and that’s when I managed to shovel down… let’s just say way too much food… without even realizing it. And to make matters worse, it wasn’t the healthy stuff (loaded with stars, that is) I quickly packed away either. Instead, it was the fast and convenient foods (with absolutely no stars) that left me feeling sluggish and quite disappointed in myself. Here I was about to give a presentation on healthy eating, and yet I too had fallen into the “time restraint” trap.

The long standing tradition on Halloween is for children to roam the neighborhood dressed up in spooky garb asking neighbors for treats, namely candy. If a treat was not forthcoming, then the children could play a "trick" on that neighbor. With all we know about the negative impact on our health from too much sugar consumption, especially for children, who is really getting tricked in this situation?

Summertime has finally arrived, even in North Dakota! With temperatures hitting the 90s, the last thing most of us want to feel is weighed down by the heat and our meal choices. We find that the traditional three-meal-a-day outlook no longer applies, as the last thing we are craving on a sweltering hot day is a heavy meal. Jaclyn and I have found that breaking up meal times to five smaller meals a day, rather than the heavier three, is not only a proven healthier choice, but more satisfying in the summer weather. Although, having five smaller meals seems a less daunting task when compared to cooking three larger meals, it is important to still incorporate the needed macro-nutrients in one’s diet. We’ve decided to take a typical day in our own lives to create a summer meal plan that you can incorporate in your own lifestyle.