Juno Talks Turkey
I don’t get a lot of celebrity ads.
For instance, it’s beyond me why Cisco has hitched their wagon to Ellen Page. Is she a closet networking genius?
I mean, at least get one of the faux dorks from The Big Bang Theory or Attack of the Show’s Olivia Munn if you want to appeal to both casual observers and Interweb cognescenti.
Page, however, comes off as refreshingly blunt in some recent Take Part spots:
(Video: Take Part)
The advocacy campaign seeks to build on the popularity of Oscar-nominated Food, Inc. by challenging people to take full responsibility of their eating habits and challenge the status quo of commercial food production.
To that end, Page also weighs in on healthy school lunches and local farmers markets.
Activist eating?
Now, that’s something an indie film starlet MIGHT know something about.
–Warren
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Tags: Ellen Page, food, food policy, Gut Check, healthy eating, Inc., Northern Virginia Magazine, school lunches, sustainable dining, Take Part, Warren Rojas
Healthy Halloween-ing
Photo: marchofdimes.com
I was prepared to be a real aguafiestas (translation: party pooper) to the inimitable Mr. Rojas and his online chat buddy today. If you caught the yummy online discussion with Buzz Bakery’s Josh Short about Halloween treats (and if you have a sweet tooth like me) no doubt you’re ready for the treat extravaganza of the holiday to commence, and no amount of pumpkin bread or pennies in a sandwich bag will ever substitute for a festively decorated cupcake or neatly wrapped candy bar on Halloween.
I am happy to report, however, that after speaking with Michelle Berman, R.D. in Vienna, denying your kids (and yourself) treats is not a strategy she recommends.
Even at-risk kids with weight or nutrition issues who have sugar triggers should not be denied. Restricting the amount of candy is a much better option; otherwise, Berman cautions, you are sending a mixed message. “You’re saying, ‘We want you to feel normal but we don’t want you to eat candy like your friends and your siblings.’”
This is not to say you should let your kids have free reign of the candy jar. Berman suggests rationing portions and warns under no circumstances should your kids keep the candy stash in their room. For example, perhaps Halloween night let them eat as much as they want and then throw away the remaining candy, or parcel out a few pieces each night for a week. The idea is not to let kids gorge themselves on candy from now until Thanksgiving.
One way to avoid candy aisle overload in the first place is to de-emphasize candy consumption and Trick-or-Treating. “Don’t make candy the centerpiece of the holiday,” advises Berman. “Halloween is a lot more than just candy. I would encourage families to have parties (see video below for party ideas) where kids could bake fun things and have activities to go to like bobbing for apples or drinking hot cider. Stress the whole experience of the fun of Halloween.”
So, what do you do should you have a veritable pirate’s booty of Snicker’s Bars, Hershey’s Kisses, Smarties and other confectionery goodies left over from a long night of Trick-or-Treating? Go for the bottom line, encourages Berman. That’s right, the wallet.
“Make a deal with your kids and exchange five pieces of candy for money, or a sticker or something fun that they’ll really enjoy.”
–Amy Loeffler
Video: Youtube]
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Tags: Halloween, healthy eating
