The Good News: Fast food restaurants are using less trans fats. Yes, that’s good news. Research from the University of Minnesota’s Nutrition Coordinating Center has shown major chains significantly reducing their use of oils containing trans fat in French fries and other food during the past 10 years. Unfortunately, picky eaters love fast foods, especially [...]

A recent study from England found that many kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) were picky eaters: consuming less vegetables and fruit than other children. ASD is a broad category, including diagnosis from Sensory Processing Disorder to Attention Deficit Disorder to Autism to Aspergers Disorder. Children with ASD are usually picky eaters, preferring the very [...]

The latest study reveals kids’ gravitate toward foods with cartoon characters on the packaging. No kidding? Really? Cartoon characters on food packages influence kids’ food choices. WOW, such insight. We love studies, don’t we? Every day there is a new study about kids and food. The latest study is from Rudd Center for Food Policy [...]

Watchdog Group Wants Ronald McDonald to Retire We all know the statistics and they’re grim. Today, one in three children in the U.S.  is overweight or obese. One in three kids will get diabetes as a result of diet. This is the first generation not expected to live as long as their parents. The campaign [...]

There’s a new food label campaign called Smart Choices. Products which have been designated as “healthier” are marked with a green spot and a checkmark on the front of the package. The green checkmark label is showing up in supermarkets and is backed by most of ten largest food manufacturers. The label is intended to [...]

A mom recently asked for advice about her 11-year-old son, who likes to play with toys. Seems the other kids his age, aren’t much into action figures, like her son. She wonders if her son is abnormal and asks for suggestions on how he can make friends. Sounds like she’s got a great kid. And I [...]

Largest Study on TV Ads and Children’s Health. This vital topic concerning our children’s health is studied by the Kaiser Foundation. The study found that 34 percent of ads targeting children are for candy and snacks, 28 percent are for sugarcoated cereals, and 10 percent are for fast foods. Only 4 percent are for dairy products and [...]

…especially spinach! As good-for-you as spinach is, often kids (especially picky eaters) refuse to eat it. But, Spinach is one of Try Rannosaurus’ favorite foods! Try is one of the two characters I created for my book, Baby Bites: Transforming a Picky Eater into a Healthy Eater. The two buddies engage young picky eaters in multi-sensory learning. Try is a [...]

Mealtime manners begin before the food is even placed on the table. Children should wait until the family is seated before beginning to eat. One way to accomplish this is to serve your meals family-style. The food is served from platters on the table. Food isn’t placed on individual plates until after you’ve said grace. [...]