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Meals made easy

by Tamara McKee

Parents make their own choices for their kids when it comes to nutrition but here are some new options, exclusive to Sobey's, IGA and Pricechopper stores, which are sure to put a smile on their faces.
These days many kids' foods are laced with high glucose fructose (corn syrup). High sugar and high sodium are linked to many childhood diseases.

These are three favourites:

1. Breekie Bites - Whole wheat, cinnamon mini waffles
2. Alpha Bites - Alphabet mashed potato letters
3. Fruit Pic Mix - Dried fruit mix in raisin, berry, apple

It's nice to read the ingredient list and not see any artificial flavours, chemicals or preservatives.

Disney and Sobey's have combined forces to make meals easier and healthier for kids. The new Compliments Junior line includes more than 100 new products, of which 75 per cent bear the Health Check symbol. As with anything, check the ingredients.

posted 12.10.07

Celebrate the earth

Gather the kids and join more than a billion others on Earth Day - April 22 - by honouring our planet...

BY LESLIE GARRETT

After too many months of mittens and storms, it's time to throw open our windows and...throw a party. An Earth Day party, that is. It's a simple as choosing an earth-friendly family-friendly activity from the list below:

Plant a tree: Trees are nature's carbon sinks, noted for their efficiency at storing carbon dioxide. While all living plant matter absorbs CO2 as part of photosynthesis, trees process significantly more than smaller plants due to their large size and extensive root structures. The best trees for the task are those that are fast-growing and long-lived, two attributes that are often mutually exclusive. Choose the best tree for your specific area (the operator of a local nursery is usually a great source of info), pick a suitable location then get planting. It's a great activity for kids who often compare their own growth to the trees. I well recall a towering maple in my family's backyard that was a "toddler" at the same time I was...

Change a bulb, even the outdoor ones: You've no doubt been hearing we eco-freaks bang on about compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) for a while now. And many of you have been listening - sales of CFLs have tripled in the past year. But I still see far too many outdoor lights with conventional bulbs (often left on all day and night...). Send your kids on a sleuthing mission to find any outlets that still have conventional bulbs - then make the change. As for all that fuss about mercury in CFLs, consider this: Coal-fired power plants release four times the mercury to run an incandescent bulb as to light a CFL. And the mercury from power plants ends up accumulating in the water supply at high levels. So CFLs are still the safer - and greener - bet.

Capture the rain: Harvesting the stuff that falls freely from the sky makes good environmental and financial sense. You can purchase a rain barrel or make-your-own (you might be able to find a container at a reuse-it store or recycling facility). A lid is a must, however, in order to avoid providing prime mosquito-breeding environment. A few rainy days and you've got what you need to wash cars (and bikes!), water gardens, clean off lawn furniture...without turning on a tap.

Spring closet clean...and donate your cast-offs. With warm weather on the horizon, it's time to figure out what still fits your kids from last year. Likely not much! But ensure that still-wearable clothes get new life at a consignment store (where you can pick up this year's spring wardrobe) or by donating to a worthy cause. Those that are too stained or ripped for use can still make ideal rags for washing the car or polishing furniture, eliminating the need for paper towel or disposable rags. While you're at it, get your kids to do a toy "cull". Take out any no-longer-loved toys and let your children donate them to a cause that speaks to them. Or host a neighborhood yard sale - don't forget to sell organic lemonade -- with kids choosing an earth-friendly charity for the proceeds.

Clean a park/river/street: Find out if there are local events taking place that your family can join in (visit www.earthday.ca and click on "events") - or organize your own. Get kids to create posters inviting the neighbourhood to join in a park/river/street clean-up. Make sure there are enough garbage pails and recycling bins - and review which is which. Finish up with some local, organic produce (you might even get an area farmer to donate some goodies) or home-made goodies - check my Web site (www.virtuousconsumer.com) for an awesome wholewheat/organic chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Leslie Garrett is an award-winning journalist, mother of three young children and author of The Virtuous Consumer: Your Essential Shopping Guide for a Better, Kinder, Healthier World (and one our kids will thank us for!). Visit her web site at www.virtuousconsumer.com

07.04.08