This Is Not Your Mama's Lasagne!

I am participating in Six Word Saturday, hosted by Cate at Show My Face.

Even though it may be healthier,

It is still pretty darn good!

I was craving a plate of decadent, cheesy lasagne the other day. Just a few days after the doctor told Uncle Lynn that his cholesterol was high and he needed to lose a few. So, being a good wife, I made a few changes. Decided to take one for the team, as it were.

The promise of lasagne drew boys who hadn't had dinner with us on a Monday night in ages! No one knew but me that substitutions were made. I was the only one not necessarily looking forward to dinner!

The low fat, spinach-filled, egg beater, low glycemic index carb noodle lasagne was a big hit!

When the boys second helpings were gone, and plates were empty, Uncle Lynn asked "Should we tell them?"

The only response was "Cool. Tastes just like the regular stuff."

So now, I'm out to look for more ways to eat healthier. Guess I was the one who was the worst skeptic!

Top 10 Childhood Health Concerns Are Preventable

According to a National Online Survey administered by the University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, smoking, drug abuse and childhood obesity are the Top 10 US Childhood Health Concerns.

The poll, administered last year, surveyed 2,000 adults & asked them to rank their concerns. The list is pretty revealing, considering that internet safety is now considered a health problem, & that childhood obesity made the Top 3, ahead of alcohol abuse & teen pregnancy. Another thing to note is that all of the "concerns" on this Top 10 List are entirely preventable problems.

1. Smoking. Forty percent of adults rated smoking as their top health concern for children.

2. Drug Abuse. Adults were more likely to rate drug abuse as a concern based on their children's emotional health. Those who reported their child's emotional health as "good," "fair" or "poor" were more likely to view drug abuse as a major health problem for children compared with parents who rated their child's emotional health as "excellent" or "very good," according to the study.

3. Childhood Obesity. According to poll results, adults with a higher education were more likely to rate childhood obesity as their No. 1 health issue for children than adults with high school education or less.

4. Alcohol Abuse. "Households with lower incomes less than $30,000 per year are significantly more likely to rate alcohol abuse as a problem than families with higher annual incomes," according to Dr. Matthew Davis, who conducted the survey. "We also found that alcohol abuse by teens was a bigger concern in households with a single or divorced parent, compared with households with married parents."

5. Motor Vehicle Accidents. Driving accidents involving teenagers are a universal concern across all socio-economic groups

6. Teen Pregnancy. This is one of those Good News/Bad News deals. Although teen pregnancy made the Top 10 List, Dr. Davis reported that rates continue to fall across ethnic groups & income levels.

7. Internet Safety. Thirty-two percent of women and 21 percent of men reported they were concerned about Internet safety.

8. School Violence. The poll measured school violence concerns a month before last year's tragedy at Virginia Tech, so it is likely that it may rank higher now than it did last year, according to Dr. Davis.

9. Sexually Transmitted Diseases. STDs were considered a problem across ethnic groups, but households with lower incomes also rated these infections as a greater health concern for children than households with moderate or high incomes.

10. Abuse and Neglect. About 22 percent of survey respondents viewed abuse and neglect as a health concern for children.

This poll is a heads-up for parents, teachers, community leaders & even the federal government. Parental involvement in kids' lives still appears to be the best way to combat these ills. Targeted government involvement--at the local, state & national levels--could help, too. The Prevent Defense can be more than just a football strategy.

Let's Get Poppin'!

Mom's running late, Dad's stuck in traffic, and the kids are Home Alone--snuggled up to the Boob Tube and munchin' away. The chips & salsa are the first to evaporate down the gullets of the Wee Ones. Then the ice cream bites the dust. And so on, and so forth. By the time a Parental hits the front hallway, nobody's interested in Family Dinner Time.

We've started this blog because we've had this experience--we've lived this experience over & over, like the re-runs of a bad movie--too many times. And with childhood obesity off the charts & nutrition losing out, too, we thought we'd start a forum for those of you who care if your kid swallows Too Many Donuts in one sitting. Not that donuts are a bad thing, but still...

That age-old admonition, doled out by Moms, Uncles, Grandmas & sometimes even Dear Old Dad on occasion still holds true. If you Eat Your Veggies (and Don't Forget the Fruits!), chances are you'll live longer. Hotshots at places like Harvard report that a modest consumption of 4 1/2 cups of Fruits & Veggies per day will produce a lot of positive outcomes: lower blood pressure; reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, and probably some cancers; lower risk of eye and digestive problems, and a mellowing effect on blood sugar that can help keep appetite in check.

Trouble is, a lot of us don't like to hear about the Crunchy Side of Life. We have deep-seated suspicions about spinach, carrots, rutabagas (rutabagas?), broccoli & tomatoes (they're fruits, ya know). That's where Pop'rs come in.

OK, we have an ulterior motive in this message, but it's a good one that people should know about. Sprinkle some Pop'rs on that salad, & suddenly you're Cookin' With Gas. Pop'rs add great flavor, and fun, to just about any kind of food, from applesauce to broccoli--all the way thru the alphabet, to yogurt and beyond. Just like that exploding candy that you remember from when you were a kid, Pop'rs have an added kick--as the name implies, they go POP! These delightful seasonings come in 1-ounce shaker jars, easy for even very young kids to handle. AND--all Pop'rs contain kid-healthy vitamins.

Who can argue with that? Flavors include cinnamon, chocolate, strawberry (made with real strawberry powder), raspberry (made with real raspberry powder), butter, taco, buffalo & a really cool color change called Color Burst (that one is really good with yogurt).

Over time, we want to tell our Friends in the Blogosphere more about our company, where the idea for Pop'rs started, what people are saying about the product, and more. You can look forward to contests, recipes & even crazy Mr. Wizard-type experiments on video. But mostly, we are hosting this blog as a forum for you, Dear Reader. Do you think Great Auntie Edna gives Junior too much to eat when he visits? Are you tired of Sister feeding her spinach to the dog? We're here to listen to your comments & ideas about life, nutrition, kids and, of course, about our products, including new uses and flavor ideas. Maybe we can become the Ben & Jerry's of the popping seasoning world!

So sit back, relax, and join the fun. Don't be afraid to Eat Your Veggies--Pop'rs are here!