In today’s technologically driven schools, the idea of home economics classes, which were designed to arm kids with half a dozen easy-to-cook recipes, seems a little dated. And faced with busy academic schedules, schools have largely abandoned these lessons. But given the current epidemic of childhood obesity, is this really the smartest move? In a commentary in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), David Ludwig, MD, PhD, argues that instruction in basic food preparation and meal planning are essential for today’s kids, who can’t rely on their parents to teach them these skills.
(Read a related post from Thrive that asks whether it’s realistic to expect marketers to make changes on their own to how they market unhealthy foods to kids, or whether the government should get involved.)
Many parents never learned to cook and instead rely on restaurants, take-out food, frozen meals and packaged food as basic fare. Many children seldom experience what a true home-cooked meal taste like, much less what goes into preparing it. Full story »
by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on February 26, 2010
By Aaron Bernstein, MD, MPH, physician in Medicine at Children’s and faculty, Center for Health and the Global Environment
For many parents, having kids changes everything (or almost everything). Sleep schedules, meal choices, work routines and more may get revamped with the birth of a child. The transformation, though, often goes still deeper.
More so than at any other point in life, new parents rethink their relationship with the environment and especially how it may affect the health of their child. Find a home with newly purchased water filters and air purifiers, hormone-free meat and milk, pesticide-free produce and whose inhabitants spend more time spent outdoors than most and you likely have found yourself the home of a family with young children. Full story »
It’s beginning to look and feel a lot like the holiday season! With celebrations of all sorts just around the corner many people find themselves asking, how do you balance healthful eating with all the tempting treats and fun foods? Here are some tips to keep up healthful habits but also enjoy your holiday favorites. Full story »
Robyn Nasuti shares her tips on keeping her kitchen safe–no small feat, given that two out of her three children have severe food allergies. She also shows how she’s simplified home-made pizza night at her house.
Other videos and posts in the series
In last week’s video, we followed Brett Nasuti at school, where he runs Allergy Awareness Week to raise money for research. Brett is Children’s first patient to go through a new trial that could cure him of his severe food allergies. Hear what he and his classmates have to say.
Celebrity chef Ming Tsai, chef-owner of Blue Ginger restaurant in Wellesley, Massachusetts, is passionate about improving restaurant systems so people with food allergies can eat out safely. The father of a son who has had multiple severe food allergies, Tsai talks about what he’s learned as both a chef and a parent here. Full story »
Brett Nasuti has battled bullies who have taunted him with put-downs like “peanut boy” and had to sit at the highly stigmatized ‘peanut-free table” at school. Even so, he could be the poster child for living well with food allergies. He’s even taken it upon himself to educate his peers by organizing an annual Food Allergy awareness week at his school, during which he raises money for food allergy research. Here, watch Brett in action and hear what his schoolmates have to say about what they’ve learned from him. Full story »
This week, watch the Nasutis take on their regular challenge of food shopping—no easy feat, considering that two out of the three children have life-threatening food allergies. Brett was born allergic to 15 foods, and his little brother, Nicholas, is allergic to 16. Their sister, Taylor, doesn’t have any food allergies, like her parents. In order to keep them all fed, Robyn makes three different meals every time her family eats, which requires her to drive to three different grocery stores. And the specialty foods don’t come cheap; dairy-free milk alone costs her $10 a gallon. “I spend about $850 a month on groceries,” Robyn says.
Do you have a Children's Hospital Boston story you'd like heard? By sharing your Children's story you can be a great source of inspiration and encouragement to families who are going through similar situations. And it’s a great way to find support by connecting with others. Share your story today »
In today’s technologically driven schools, the idea of home economics classes, which were designed to arm kids with half a dozen easy-to-cook recipes, seems a little dated. And faced with busy academic schedules, schools have largely abandoned these lessons. But given the current epidemic of childhood obesity, is this really the smartest move? In a commentary in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), David Ludwig, MD, PhD, argues that instruction in basic food preparation and meal planning are essential for today’s kids, who can’t rely on their parents to teach them these skills.
By Aaron Bernstein, MD, MPH, physician in Medicine at Children’s and faculty, Center for Health and the Global Environment
by 
