Raising truly healthy kids: Picnic survival

by Erin Roush

The weather reporters in the Caribbean have the easiest job. Every morning they happily broadcast that “today will be mostly sunny with highs in the mid 80’s and a chance of late afternoon rain showers.” With blue skies and water to match, it’s easy to adopt the island mentality of “no worries” because tomorrow will be the same as today. Not so in central Pennsylvania. Having vacationed in the US Virgin Islands where mango, papaya, and lime trees are everywhere, I am quite cognizant of just how short our warm season truly is. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, we pack in picnics, beach vacations, camping trips, ball games, amusement parks, swimming and weekends visiting family and friends.

A great challenge during all this summer fun is maintaining healthy eating habits for my three children in the face of hot dogs, white-flour macaroni salad, s’mores and cotton candy. I’m all for the pleasure of roasting a marshmallow over a campfire, but when it comes to plopping the golden brown sugar-goo between two graham crackers and a chunk of chocolate, there are far better choices on the shelves at Freshlife than Nabisco and Hershey’s. Avoiding the picnic pitfalls of poor nutrition requires forethought and planning, followed by a trip to your favorite local natural foods supermarket.

If hot dogs are on the menu, as they typically are at picnics, we bring along our own Applegate turkey franks (nitrate-free), Annie’s organic ketchup (no corn syrup), and organic, sprouted grain Ezekiel buns. To quench any sudden thirst for sugar-laden sodas or artificially flavored instant lemonade, I treat the kids to a six-pack of Knudsen’s Spritzers made from sparkling water and fruit juice concentrates in a variety of natural flavors.

While exotic tropical fruits are available year round in the Caribbean, local produce is a passing treat in our part of the world. So, we (over) indulge our sweet tooth throughout the season with berries, cherries, peaches and melons from local growers. I can’t think of a better way to hydrate, refresh, and refuel than a juicy slice of watermelon fresh from the farmer, to the Freshlife produce case, to the hungry bellies of little swimmers.

Another area of concern during all this outside fun is protecting our children’s tender skin. Because of their relatively larger ratio of skin surface area to body weight, kids are particularly susceptible to the chemicals found in many skin-care products. I am happy to announce after great deliberation and searching, we have finally found a sunblock without any hidden, unwanted chemicals in the ingredients list. Badger, the makers of that tried and true balm for chapped hands, have introduced an SPF-30 sunblock to their line of healing products. With only zinc oxide, nourishing oils, essential oils, and fruit extracts, Badger’s water resistant formula is safe for kids, smells great, and really works (it’s been Caribbean-tested by my pale skin).

Nothing spoils the kids’ fun rolling down hills, chasing fireflies, or falling asleep by the campfire like the itchy red welts left by mosquito bites. Don’t saturate your little ones’ skin and clothes with toxic bug sprays. Trust the efficacy of pure essential citronella and tea tree oil from the aromatherapy section at Freshlife to deter the buzzing biting bugs. Most of us will inevitably encounter itching throughout the summer months whether from bugs, poison, or too many hours in the sun, so keep a bottle of Schweitzer fluid handy and pick up a jar of derma-e’s “Stop Itch” salve.

Ask any Freshlife Wellness Coach for more tips on maximizing your little ones’ summertime health and happiness. No Worries!