Category Archives: Food and Drink

Why Teenagers Need To Eat Breakfast Before School {#Wholesome}

Why teenagers need to eat breakfast before schoolHigh school teenagers definitely have a lot on their plates. They go to school, do homework, study for tests, participate in extracurricular activities and spend time with friends. Some teenagers even have part-time jobs they work after school. It is very important for teenagers to eat breakfast in the morning, especially ones that drive themselves to school. Their parents might not be at home to make sure they eat breakfast, so they must remind themselves to eat breakfast. Here are some reasons teenagers should eat breakfast before going to school.

Improved Social Skills

It is important for high school teenagers to socialize with their peers at school. They can get along better with their peers if they are not hungry in the morning. Not eating breakfast can make them more moody and irritable. If they do not eat breakfast, they are more likely to have conflicts with other students at school.

Better Grades

Eating breakfast can help teenagers focus better in school. If they are able to focus better in their classes, they are more likely to get better grades on assignments and tests.

Higher Energy Levels

Teenagers who eat fruits, eggs or whole grain cereal in the morning will have more energy during school. Teenagers who do not eat anything for breakfast are more likely to feel tired and weak.

Better Health

Eating healthy foods for breakfast can improve their overall health. Low-fat dairy products, whole grains and fruits help teenagers get the nutrients their growing bodies need.  McDonald’s offers a variety of whole-grain oatmeal choices on its breakfast menu, available all day. The Fruit & Maple Oatmeal and the Apple Cinnamon Walnut Oatmeal are both 100% natural whole grain oats, rich in fiber and freshly prepared for you.

McDonald's Wholesome Choices Blogger

High school can be pretty tough on some teenagers. Teenagers can make their school days much easier by consuming a healthy breakfast each morning. They do not have to eat a lot of food for breakfast. A piece of toast with peanut butter and a banana can be all they need.

Follow McDonald’s Atlanta on Twitter @McDonaldsATL and check out their website for real-time promos, meal ideas and how to make the most of your McDonald’s experience.

Disclosure: McDonald’s partnered with bloggers such as me to participate in its “Wholesome Choices” Blogger Program.  As part of that program, I received compensation.  They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about the products used.

Help your Family Make Wholesome Choices {#Wholesome}

Don’t ever think it’s too late to start living a more wholesome lifestyle. A more wholesome lifestyle will improve the health of both you and your family. Making a few simple lifestyle changes is all you need to live a healthier life. To make this work, you must have your family members agree to make healthier choices. You can do it!

I am partnering with McDonald’s on their Wholesome Choices Blogger Program.  Over the past few weeks, I have been sharing my own tips and ideas for making more wholesome choices in your every day life and have been making changes in my life as well.

Here are some tips for living a healthier lifestyle.

McDonald's Wholesome Choices Blogger

Get Enough Sleep at Night

Getting the proper amount of rest at night is more important than you think. Not getting enough sleep can cause moodiness, hormonal damage, weight gain and high blood pressure. Make sure you are perfectly relaxed before bedtime, so you sleep easier.

Drink More Water

Instead of drinking soda or coffee, drink water during your meals. This has been a tough one for me because I love my Diet Coke with Lime!  Since I started the McDonald’s Wholesome Choices challenge, I have been drinking at least 6 glasses of water a day.  I know I need to increase that to eight because by drinking eight glasses of water a day, you can prevent dehydration, dizziness and headaches. Drinking water can also make your skin and hair healthier.

Eat a Healthy Diet

Some of your favorite foods may not be that good for you. If your diet consists of foods with high fat and salt content, you need to change your eating habits. Start filling your diet with whole grains, low-fat dairy products, lean meats, fruits and vegetables.  If you are on-the-go and need to eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner while you are out and about, McDonald’s has some Wholesome Choices on their menu.   Through the McDonald’s “Made For You” cooking system, you can special order various menu items to help meet your nutritional needs. A range of serving sizes make it easy to create meal combinations that work for you and your family. Eating healthy foods will not only help you maintain a healthy weight, it will also give you more energy and prevent you from developing certain diseases.

Exercise Regularly

It’s essential to exercise if you want to live a healthy lifestyle. Exercising will boost your mood and give you energy. Go for a walk with your dog, dance around the living room with your kids or take an aerobics class.

If you put the extra effort into helping your kids and spouse live a more wholesome life, you all will be much happier and healthier.

Follow McDonald’s Atlanta on Twitter @McDonaldsATL and check out their website for real-time promos, meal ideas and how to make the most of your McDonald’s experience.

Disclosure: McDonald’s partnered with bloggers such as me to participate in its “Wholesome Choices” Blogger Program.  As part of that program, I received compensation.  They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about the products used.

The Best Meals Happen at Home {Publix Gift Card Giveaway}

A busy weeknight doesn’t have to mean that your family nibbles on snacks instead of eating dinner!
I am not a fan of preparing meals that take over 30 minutes to prepare so I was really happy to learn about Publix’s BestMealsatHome.com website recently.

Best Meals Happen at Home

The site features “FASTastic” recipes which can be cooked in 30 minutes or less.  It’s like they create the site just for me!    Publix knows that the best meals happen at home, so they are excited to help busy parents enjoy family mealtime without having to stress about what to prepare or spending hours in the kitchen.

The FASTastic recipe on the site that I was most excited to try is Easy Chicken Enchilada Crescent Bake.   My husband loves Mexican food and It’s not my favorite to I try to compromise by cooking what I call Mexican-ish meals.  The recipe requires minimal ingredients and takes just 20 minutes to prepare.

Easy Chicken Enchilada Crescent Bake
Easy Chicken Enchilada Crescent Bake

Savings Alert!

Look for in-store for coupons at Publix that will be valid through March 28th, 2012.

Visit BestMealsatHome.com to sign-up to receive weekly emails with recipes and coupon offers to help you save up to $200 this year.  All of the meals can be prepared in 30 minutes or less, which is important for busy families.

Publix

Want to win a $25 Publix Gift Card?
This contest has ended.  Congratulations Rebecca G.! 


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Contest Rules:

  • Entries accepted through 11:59PM EST March 19th, 2012.
  • U.S. Residents only.
  • Ages 21+.
  • No P.O. Boxes
  • Winner must respond to our email within 24 hours to claim their prize.
  • Read The Mommy Insider’s Contest Rules here.  By entering this contest you are agreeing to the rules.

Disclosure:  The Publix gift card, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

How I’m Incorporating Wholesome Choices into My Daily Routine

Staying busy taking care of kids and work can make it challenging for me to maintain a healthy diet and exercise program.  Fortunately, there are plenty of ways for me to fit wholesome choices into my family’s busy lifestyle and keep everybody healthy and happy.

I am partnering with McDonald’s on their Wholesome Choices Blogger Program.  I have been sharing my own tips and ideas for making more wholesome choices in your every day life and have been making changes in my life as well.

Gardening is great physical activity1 – Eating More Fruits and Veggies

My mother taught me early on that eating two to three servings of fruits and veggies daily has big benefits for your health.  They’re packed with vitamins and minerals, and contain enzymes when they’re fresh that fight inflammation and promote healthy digestion.  That’s why I’m making an effort to eat more fruits and vegetables every day.. even thought I don’t really like vegetables.

Eating a good sized helping of vegetables at dinner will support proper digestion and nutrient absorption, and their rich mineral content will help you sleep deeper so you feel better and can get more done the next day.

2 -Eating Healthier While Out and About

Some fast food restaurants like McDonald’s have responded to consumers’ health concerns by offering menu choices that contain few calories but plenty of nutrition. This means that fast food meals don’t have to be unhealthy when you’re in a hurry but also want something wholesome for you and your family.  McDonald’s offers a variety of whole-grain oatmeal choices on its breakfast menu, available all day. The Fruit & Maple Oatmeal and the Apple Cinnamon Walnut Oatmeal are both 100% natural whole grain oats, rich in fiber and freshly prepared.

3 – Staying Active

Finding ways to incorporate exercise into my daily routine is key to staying in shape and feeling energized throughout the day. Gardening is a great way to do this in the spring and summer. It also provides fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables for your family and you can keep your kids fit by including them in the fun.  Last year we grew watermelons, peppers, cucumbers, carrots, tomatos, and strawberries.  I’m looking forward to the fruits and veggies that we grow this year.

McDonald's Wholesome Choices BloggerOn days when I just don’t feel like getting all geared up for an outdoor or treadmill walk, I do indoor exercises such as running up and down the stairs for 20-30 minutes.  I literally ran laps around the middle level of our house today.

Instead of just sitting on the bleachers during your kid’s soccer or football practice, you can get your exercise in by walking around the soccer or football field or doing calisthenics until it’s time to go.

Follow McDonald’s Atlanta on Twitter @McDonaldsATL and check out their website for real-time promos, meal ideas and how to make the most of your McDonald’s experience.

McDonald’s partnered with bloggers such as me to participate in its “Wholesome Choices” Blogger Program.  As part of the program, I received compensation.  All thoughts and opinions in this post are mine and were not influenced in any way.

KFC Fresh Blogger Tour and a KFC Gift Check Giveaway {Winners Announced}

A couple of weeks ago I visited the KFC headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky for a KFC Fresh Blogger Tour.  The trip was truly a unique experience and I learned some wonderful things about KFC that I am glad to be able to share with you.

KFC Fresh Blogger Tour

A few things I learned about KFC:

KFC really does serve FRESH food.
KFC uses fresh, never frozen chicken, and hand prepares their fried chicken right there in the restaurant, wtih minimal ingredients, always fresh for the customer!  While we were in Louisville we visited Louisville’s finest KFC and watched an employee go through the entire process of how they make their chicken fresh for their customers.

KFC cares.
I was very pleased to learn that KFC has given over 300 students over $5 million dollars in scholarship via the KFC’s Colonel’s Scholarship program. I was in tears as we were shown a video of a mother-daughter reunion KFC organized. Colonel Sanders was a very generous man and enjoyed giving to those less fortunate than him. I love to learn how huge companies like KFC make an effort to promote education and family values.

KFC provides consistant training.
All KFC store employees are trained to prepare and serve their chicken exactly the same way, every single time. :: The video above demonstrates how KFC Original Recipe chicken is made. After we saw the whole process, a corporate trainer explained that each employee is trained to prepare KFC food exactly the same way, regardless of the location. There are several training guides in place to ensure that the chicken looks and tastes right every time a customer orders it. It’s nice to think that we can rely on the consistency of the great food we expect every time we visit KFC!

The KFC Fresh Tour included a tour of Colonel Sanders Museum. A very realistic, motion-activated animatronic Colonel Sanders greeted us with a brief story of his life. I even got to sit at Colonel Sanders desk!

Watch this quick video recap of our trip to KFC Headquarters:

Connect with KFC:

How would you like to win $50 in KFC Gift Checks?


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Entries accepted through 11:59PM EST March 22nd, 2012.
Disclosure: As a participant of the KFC Blogger Tour accommodations, meals, transportation, & other gift items were provided. All opinions are 100% my own.
Photo Credits: Some photos were provided by KFC and Brian Bohannon Photography.