/Home.aspx Community Natural Foods Home - RSS Feed en-us Administrator Account Administrator Account Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:10:45 GMT EfficionConsulting Articles Module (www.efficionconsulting.com) Copyright 2010, Community Natural Foods Take a look at your family's eating and snacking habits. The meals your family eats may be perfectly balanced. But what do your kids eat between meals? If foods with concentrated fat and sugar also fill your pantry, it may be time for "snack makeover":  Jim Heil Fri, 24 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Help your kids stay healthy. Choose fitness-oriented gifts -- a jump rope, mini-trampoline, tennis racket, baseball bat, a youth membership at the local YMCA or YWCA.  Select the gift with your child's skills and interests in mind.   Jim Heil Thu, 23 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Help your children develop good physical activity habits this school year by setting a good example yourself. Find fun physical activities you both enjoy. It healthy for both your hearts and your relationships with each other.  Jim Heil Wed, 22 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT If you are not happy with the lunch choices at your child's school cafeteria - do something about it. Pass around a petition asking the school to provide healthier choices.  Jim Heil Tue, 21 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Here are some ways to make your kids lunches healthier as well as your own. Replace ‘fruit bars’ with real fruit, exchange the chip, cookie, chocolate bar snack with whole grain or rice crackers, lower fat cheese and grapes – even a handful of nuts and dried fruit fare better,  pack raw veggies like baby carrots, cucumber slices or celery and pepper sticks and replace any fruit beverage with water.  Jim Heil Mon, 20 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Materials that are near baby on a daily basis should be organic whenever possible. This includes the surface on which the baby sleeps, baby clothes and baby carriers. If organic is cost-prohibitive, used items can be a good option to save money, as the chemicals that new conventional clothing is coated in have been washed away. There are many options for baby carriers on the market now and more organic options are appearing all the time.  Jim Heil Sun, 19 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Breastfeeding is the healthiest option for infant, mother and the earth. Parents who need to use bottles to feed pumped breast milk or formula should be aware of Bisphenol-A (BPA) content in plastic bottles, while glass, stainless steel or BPA-free plastic are safe options.  Jim Heil Sat, 18 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Put an enviro friendly hand sanitizer in your kids lunch box. These alcohol-free, moisturizing hand sanitizers are available at retailers everywhere. Hand sanitizers have been effective in decreasing the spread of germs and illness leading to a healthier school year.  Jim Heil Thu, 16 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Talk to your child's teacher about starting and environmental committee at their school. Subjects to consider are litterless lunch programs, composting and having speakers and talk to the children about the environment.  Jim Heil Wed, 15 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Most toys are made out of painted plastic, which gives off harmful fumes. Children are particularly vulnerable to exposure to these fumes because they sleep with their toys and put them in their mouths. Purchase toys made from minimally-processed renewable resources like unbleached organic cotton or even toys made from recycled materials. Help your kids play safely!   Jim Heil Tue, 14 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Visit www.ecokids.ca for a super fun environmental site for school age children and their teachers. Who says learning about the environment isn't fun!  Jim Heil Mon, 13 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Read more at Suite101: Eco-Friendly Lunch Tips for Back To School: How to Green Your Child's Lunch and Lunch Box http://cookingresources.suite101.com  Jim Heil Sun, 12 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Get involved in EcoSource. It is an environmental education organization offers Canadian school children and their schools a variety of green-friendly programs including field trips to local farms and community gardening programs that get school aged children involved in growing their own food.  Jim Heil Sat, 11 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Put together an organic wardrobe for back to school. Organic and natural clothing have come a long way, and you don't have to pick out dull or outdated trends either. Hemp, natural cotton, and even bamboo fibers are valuable additions to shirts, pants, and jackets. Jim Heil Fri, 10 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Have your children help you make lunches. Give them healthy options to pick from - they will be more likely to eat a lunch that they choose. Older children can help make sandwiches or stuff pitas, while younger children can place snacks into containers.   Jim Heil Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT From planning to packing, get your children involved when making lunches and snacks. Take your children grocery shopping and let them choose some of their favourite foods like breads, vegetables, fruit and yogurts. They will be way more likely to eat the healthy lunch you packed together.  Jim Heil Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT Purchase school supplies that are eco-friendly, non-toxic and constructed from recycled materials. Purchasing eco-friendly for your back to school supplies doesn't have to break the budget either. Now you can purchase green, eco-friendly school supply kits containing paper, folders, pencils, colored markers, crayons, scissors, etc.   Jim Heil Tue, 07 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT