End Childhood Obesity with the Grow Happy Initiative
This post is sponsored by Knowledge Universe.
One of the main reason’s why I started this site was to chronicle and share some of the best family recipes I had the opportunity to enjoy as a child. Looking through those cherished recipes, I realized that most are comprised of simple, inexpensive and healthy ingredients. Now, as a mom of one very hungry 5-year-old-boy, I get to prepare those recipes for him. Many families don’t have the time to prepare meals or think it’s too difficult or costly to make healthy changes in diet and lifestyle. This may lead to other options such as regularly eating ready-made meals, visiting the drive thru often and eating out on a constant basis.
Childhood obesity has been on the rise because habits are changing. Not only because of the convenience and availability of quick meals but also due to sedentary lifestyles.
Because childhood obesity is a cause I hold near and dear to my heart, I am happy to share good news when great companies are making an effort to educate the public in improving their eating habits.
At Partnership for a Healthier America’s Building A Healthier Future Summit today, Knowledge Universe joined the fight against childhood obesity, and announced the Grow Happy initiative! Because of its commitment to Partnership for a Healthier America, Knowledge Universe Grow Happy initiative urges families to make healthy, realistic changes to their lifestyles that could lead to lifelong habits.
Because Knowledge Universe has access to 160,000 children in their 2,000 KinderCare, CCLC, and Champions centers across the country, this is the perfect opportunity to help encourage healthier lifestyles for the families of those children. Knowledge Universe is the nation’s largest early childhood education and child care company.
“Given the scale and reach that our company has across the country, we have an amazing opportunity to inspire healthier lifestyles among the children we educate and care for every day, parents, partners, and even our own employees. As a company dedicated to education, our job is to make the most of the moments we have with the children in our care and to help them become the best people they can be,” said Knowledge Universe CEO Tom Wyatt. “Like any big change, making the transition to healthier behavior can start small, with an extra jumping jack or apple slice. We are a partner to parents in this endeavor, helping them build a passion for health in kids that will last a lifetime.”
As part of this wonderful news, I’m excited to have been asked to contribute articles and recipes to the new Grow Happy blog!
The new Grow Happy blog features:
- Fun cooking videos featuring kids making healthy meals and snacks with Knowledge Universe’s registered dietitian. The videos demonstrate how much kids love to help in the kitchen, which is important because participating in the process is a great way to encourage children to try new, healthy foods.
- A collection of kid-tested and dietitian-approved recipes.
- Tips on how to integrate simple healthier habits into everyday life, and help with everything from picky eaters to rainy day activities.
- The Grow Happy Goal Tracker, which families can use to set and track their healthy goals at home.
For more information on this wonderful cause, visit the Grow Happy blog at http://www.growhappy.me.
