That's Fit

"Kids in the Kitchen" is a program geared towards teaching children to make healthy lifestyle choices and to hopefully help stall or even reverse the current obesity epidemic. Created and supported by The Association of Junior Leagues International Inc., last year more than 255 local Leagues around country participated. Depending on where you live and the approach each individual League chooses the program may vary, but the principles behind it remains the same: teach healthy kitchen skills to kids. In my area, for example, grade school kids took part in a recipe contest and the winners spent the day baking and eating healthy goodies with a local celebrity chef. So keep your eyes and ears open for word of a "Kids in the Kitchen" event in your area, or check out their website to find out if something is happening near you.

Conventional parenting advice says that if your kid won't eat a certain food, you should disguise it with something they do like. I tried that tactic once and learned the hard way that conventional parenting advice doesn't work with every child. With the exception of the occasional broccoli mixed into the spaghetti sauce (we moms get desperate sometimes), I don't hide foods anymore. The best way I've found to get my kids to try something new is to have them help me prepare it.

That's why I love, love, love these fun looking snack ideas from Lime.com. The Fig Newton lollipops, mango popsicles, and ribbon sandwiches all look delicious and easy to prepare with two small children clamoring to help. Not only that, they're all made with nutritious ingredients that you can feel good about serving. In fact, I may have to whip up a batch of their hummus for myself for lunch. What about you? What's your favorite kid-friendly summer snack?