What exactly is a chicken nugget? The necessity of educating kids about healthy alternatives to fast food

Today I had the privilege of participating in a healthy food cook-off sponsored by the Health Department, Stratford University and Urbanite Magazine. I was also joined by Mark Furst, President of United Way of Central Maryland, who is and a strong supporter of healthier food access, as well as food judges from our military.

Students from Dunbar High School had the opportunity to learn how chicken nuggets sold in fast food restaurants are made. Then Chef Todd Mohr led them in a hands-on experience to make healthier alternatives with chicken breasts. It’s a big misconception that eating healthy costs more and it takes more time to prepare healthy dishes. These young teens got to see that healthier alternatives are not difficult to make. They also learned why it’s important to know about the ingredients used in fast food. Learning about healthy and tasty alternatives to greasy, fried foods is an important step to taking control of our individual health.

As I told the students, the obesity epidemic is ravaging this city. Here in Baltimore City, 37% of public high school students are overweight or at risk of becoming obese. Overweight children are more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other chronic health problems, as well as heart attacks, stroke, cancer and other acute diseases throughout life.

Combating childhood obesity, therefore, must continue to be a top priority for our local communities. We cannot fight this from City Hall, or the State House, or at a single hospital. It is going to take a collaborative public-private effort – like we experienced today –to truly make a difference for our children.

There are way too many people dying too young because of obesity related health conditions such as heart disease, which kills more people every year in Baltimore than the four top causes of cancer death combined.

I commend the Urbanite, Chef Mohr and Assistant Principal Mattie Burton of Dunbar High School for creating an opportunity that will teach these students culinary skills that will serve them well now and in the future.

What strategies do you use to teach your children about healthy eating?

The scary truth about Halloween candy, calories and kids

This Halloween, the vampires, ghosts, and Disney princesses that stop by your door clamoring for treats will be gathering a scary amount of candy – with public health specialists estimating that kids will bring home up to 7,000 calories worth of loot after trick or treating this year. To put that into perspective, you could eat 29 pounds of green grapes and consume the same amount of calories. This is truly frightening news when you consider the growing obesity epidemic facing our kids, as well as the heart health and diabetes risks associated with high-fat, HFC-laden Halloween treats.

The funny thing is that while Halloween candy is shrinking, we seem to be eating more of it, one individually-wrapped bite at a time. Studies show that when products are put into smaller packages and there are many of those small packages available, people eat significantly more than if they were presented with multiple full-sized candies.  So that bag of fun-sized Snickers on your desk is probably worse for you than a case of full-sized candy bars.

If you’re still in doubt about what candy might be the safest bet if you’re watching your sodium or sugar intake, the Huffington Post lets you test your knowledge of Halloween nutrition (or lack thereof). You can also check out FitSugar’s 100-calorie gallery to help you pick a healthy portion when you do decide to indulge.

In light of some of these terrifying nutritional facts, consider handing out something a little healthier to the tricksters this year. Apples are a classic choice for the health-conscious neighbor; pretzels, baked potato chips, and raisins are other healthy treats. You could encourage the little goblins’ creative side by handing out small tubs of Play-Do or other craft supplies. In fact, there are tons of non-food options to hand out – temporary tattoos, bubbles, crayons, bouncy balls, and stickers . . . the list goes on.

Another tip for parents I like: set a limit for how many pieces of candy children can eat each day _ and stick to it. 

The good news? No matter what you’re handing out, trick or treating door-to-door means a lot of walking, which can help burn off some of that candy corn.

If you’re concerned about the safety of the candy your children bring home, be sure to check out our Halloween candy safety tips on our Website homepage.

Trick or treat with care, B’more!