It was just over a year ago that President Obama signed into law the The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. This act adds $3.2 billion to the pot (originally estimated at $4.5 billion) and reauthorized child nutrition programs for five years.

This act offered many improvements – giving USDA authority to set nutritional standards for foods sold in schools, increased the amount of reimbursement (as the program is implemented) to the schools that meet updated nutritionals up to 11 cents per lunch and 28 cents per breakfast which is the first increase in 30 years, improvement of nutritional quality of commodity foods that schools receive from USDA, and to require schools to make information about the foods they serve available to parents, to name just a few.

The objective is relatively simple:  provide the 31 million children grades K to 12 who rely on school lunch, “nutrient dense (high in nutrients and low in calories meals,” and to empower them with healthy eating habits to reverse obesity and the diseases created by this epidemic. The USDA reports, “that many of these children receive most, if not all, of their meals at school,” and that, “one out of three children in the US are now considered overweight or obese.” Read the rest of this entry »

by Alex Opechowski 10/31/11

First published in Green Living Magazine, January Issue 2012

The biggest new name in children’s health belongs to the smallest of namesakes: Max, a little boy “just-this-side-of-five” who is bursting onto the scene with a message that couldn’t be timelier. He, the charmingly exuberant youngster at the center of the Max on Snax ® brand–which comprises animated interstitial episodes, recipe books, games, and kid-friendly kitchen paraphernalia, loves nothing more than to assemble healthy, tasty snacks for himself and his friends. In each of his animated shorts, Max performs a ditty, engages in some sort of physical activity, and whips up a nutritious treat in a manner easily followed by a preschool audience. “Counting Salad” (a zesty spin on the traditional fruit salad) and “Star Snax” (the sandwich elevated to astronomical heights by virtue of a shaped cookie-cutter) are among the recipes Max employs in his show. Safety always comes first for this self-professed assembly artist who shies away from the use of dangerous kitchen appliances and never fails to remind children to “get the ‘okay’” from “one of those big people” as well as to wash their hands.

Lori Osiecki, creator and founder of Merryweather Farms, the health-focused organization behind Max on Snax®, feels that Max holds a unique position in animated character lore, as one of the first children’s brands truly authentic to food. “Max’s imagination and his commitment to making ‘healthy’ synonymous with ‘fun’ situate him perfectly between the entertainment and health food markets,” says Osiecki. “He aims to educate three-to-five-year-olds, a demographic whose rate of obesity is skyrocketing.” In fact, 32 percent of US children and adolescents are overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Undeterred by these alarming numbers, Max is making a splash in the world of nutrition, having just recently garnered widespread support from the members of the American Academy of Pediatrics at the Academy’s 21st Century Symposium in Boston earlier this October. The conference, addressing the critical issues of childhood obesity, also served to promote the release of the new Max on Snax® app, “Max’s Plate,” an innovative game and meal-tracker combo that includes multiple levels of game play and enables users to monitor their daily intake across the five food groups via its “My Plate” feature.

Following this success, the Max on Snax® brand intends to bolster awareness through its “One of Max’s Big People” campaign, wherein culinary superstars pledge their their support of Max and his mission. To date, Cat Cora, Betty Fraser, and Claud Mann have joined sports legend Brandi Chastain in donning the signature “One of Max’s Big People” shirts. “Reaching a wider audience is key,” Osiecki says. “The time for Max’s message is now, and I truly believe that he has the power to make a huge difference in the lives of preschool children.” And that’s just what this boisterous chef-in-the-making intends to do–make a difference, one snack at a time.

More info on Max can be found at his website, maxonsnax.com, and his two apps can be downloaded via the iTunes App Store.

How do you tell a child they need to lose weight without destroying their self-esteem or giving them lifelong issues with food?

Is my child overweight?

Kids are growing, which can make it difficult to tell whether they’re overweight or not. But there are some indicators, says Susie Burrell, a paediatric dietitian. Burrell suggests looking for the following indicators:

•Having a weight (in kilos) significantly greater than their height (in centimetres)   on their growth chart.
•Watching more than four hours of TV a day.
•Having a clothing size more than two sizes bigger than the average clothing size for their age.
•Eating as much as adults.
•Constantly asking for food, even when you know they couldn’t be hungry.
•Having thickened, darkened skin at the back of their neck.

Read the rest of this entry »

We are thrilled to announce that the new max on snax® app, Max’s Plate!, is now available free on iTunes!!

Max’s Plate! allows kids to play with their food as they learn all about the five food groups. Children can tap and drag each food image to the correct area of the plate to score points and progress through the game’s three exciting levels. The game also includes a “My Plate” section that gives users a simple way to track their daily servings.

Max’s Plate! introduces the concept of eating a balanced daily diet in an engaging manner that is sure to make healthy habits fun for all ages! Click on the icon to connect with the Apple Store and download the free app.

Ready? Let’s play!: )

For more information visit http://www.maxonsnax.com/maxsplate.php

To all the soldiers who have served our country, Thank You!

Hope you have a fun, safe Halloween!!

Guess what I am this Halloween?

Night Time! : )

max on snax® ‘s poster was among the posters selected to kick off the American Academy of Pediatrics event this October in Boston, Massachusetts.
The AAP’s 21st Century Symposium was the largest in history of this series of symposia for pediatricians . In fact, more than 1,000  were in attendance at the event, which lasted Oct 14th through Oct 18th.
The max on snax® brand received a warm reception from an audience consisting of pediatricians, dietitians, and nutritional scientists.
“It was a great day,” says Lori Osiecki, creator and founder of Merryweather Farms, the health-focused organization behind max on snax®. “Many of the pediatricians with whom we shared Max with pledged to support his mission of educating and empowering today’s preschool children to develop healthy habits at an early age.”
The conference also served to promote the release of Max’s latest app, an innovative game-and-meal-tracker combo that allows kids to discover the food groups and their proper portion sizes in an engaging way. The Max’s Plate app has multiple levels of game play and includes a “MyPlate” feature that enables users to monitor their daily intake across the five essential categories of nutrition. Says Osiecki of the app’s release, “We think “Max’s Plate” is a fantastic tool for children to learn about food groups!”

The max on snax® team especially wished to thank Catherine Frederico, Max’s nutritional adviser, without whom Max’s success at the conference would not have been possible.

Check out my new book! : )

Max On Snax® makes yogurt pops!