This is a sponsored post.

I will be the first to admit that our family could probably make some healthier choices when it comes to our food selection. We’re not a family that eats only organic, fresh food and we also don’t exclude food in our house based on certain ingredients. We do cook quite a bit and enjoy home-made meals, but we do take shortcuts many times. In no way am I saying that we eat junk all the time. I’m just saying that we are not super-picky about what we buy. We definitely enjoy eating, enjoy good food, and generally go by the “in moderation” rule.

That said, we do try our best to limit the amount of sodium and fat in any pre-packaged foods we buy – especially because there is a history of high blood pressure and heart disease on my side of the family. If there’s a low-sodium version of the same food, I buy it instead of the regular. I also try to look for the lower-fat versions, as long as the calories aren’t increased, which often happens with low-fat or fat-free foods.

I was glad to find out from a recent study funded by ConAgra Foods, that brands who have the term “healthy” in their name are held to a higher nutrition standard by the FDA. The Healthy Choice brand of ConAgra Foods is the only major brand in its category that can call all of their products healthy by the FDA definition. That means that all their meals must be:

• low in fat
• low in saturated fat
• controlled in sodium and cholesterol
• and must supply at least 10% of the daily value for three beneficial nutrients (calcium, protein, fiber, iron, vitamin A or vitamin C)

As someone that a) works from home and b) has a newborn, I’ve had too many days in the past few months where I’ve skipped lunch simply because I was too busy with the kids, work, or just plain lost track of time. Frozen meals often work for me because I can easily heat them up and at least I don’t miss any meals. It also helps that they are pre-portioned, since serving size is something I have trouble gauging.

As part of this campaign, I was asked to try a couple of Healthy Choice meals. I sampled the Beef Teriyaki Café Steamers meal and the Marinara Manicotti Formaggio from the Complete Meals line. I appreciate that both include quick nutritional information on the front of the box and list how many calories the meal has. Aside from personal preference and preferred flavors, it definitely helped me in choosing one meal over the others when I could easily see key nutritional information. A plus was that both meals had vegetables and whole-grains.

Though I know that our family still has some work to do before we can say that we lead a healthy lifestyle, I can also celebrate the small healthy choices we already make. Things like adding vegetables to our home-cooked meals, reducing the amount of sodium in foods (home-cooked or pre-packaged), and enjoying fresh fruit.

What healthy choices do you and your family make?

Disclosure: I was compensated for participating in this Healthy Choice campaign through TheMotherhood.com.

This post is part of a paid campaign.

“Why do you and daddy have to work?”

“So that we can have this house, food, clothes, and take care of you.”

“What would happen if you didn’t work?”

“Well, we wouldn’t be able to pay for this house or buy food. Did you know there are some people who have no house? They sleep in their cars or sometimes on the street.”

“No way.”

“Yes, it’s very sad, right? So we should be thankful that mami and papa work and that we have all we have.”

This is a conversation my baby girl and I had months ago. It was one of those early-morning, still-in-bed conversations before a typical work day. Though, I tried to explain to her that we should be grateful since there are some who have much less, I don’t think the message truly sunk in. It’s tough for a 4 year old to understand this concept of being without; especially when we’re fortunate to be able to provide for her. Since then, I’ve been thinking of a way to help her understand.

I may be able to do just that this coming Sunday while attending and co-hosting the Orlando Hebrew National Better-Than-A-Picnic Picnic. Hebrew National and TheMotherhood.com have teamed up with bloggers across the country to host family-friendly picnics that benefit local charities. In Orlando, it will be held this Sunday, June 27 and will benefit the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida. If you’re not in Orlando, you can check out the official picnic page on The Motherhood for information about picnics in other cities.

Hebrew National and The Motherhood’s Orlando “Better-Than-A-Picnic Picnic”

Details:

Hosted by:

• Jennifer, The Dirty Shirt
• Leigh, Theme Park Mom
• Britt, Miss Britt
• and me!

When: Sunday, June 27
Time: 11:30 am – 3:30 pm
Where: Lake Eola Park – 195 N. Rosalind Ave., Downtown Orlando

Bring your kids, family, and friends to enjoy free Hebrew National hot dogs, a community service project to benefit Central Florida homeless, music, giant puzzles, a mechanical bull and other activities for kids and families! We will be collecting donated items, as well as putting together goody bags for many dads currently living in the shelter, who were unable to receive a Father’s Day celebration.

The Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida is in need of many items, such as:

• Canned fruit and vegetables
• Baby items: Diapers (sizes 4, 5 and 6), potty training pants (i.e., Pull-Ups®), baby wipes, and sippy cups, GOOD START® baby formula (per government nutritional guidelines)
• Personal hygiene supplies: Bar soap, hand soap, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, razors, feminine hygiene products, shampoo, and conditioner
• New underwear, socks, bras, and shoes (men, women and children)
• Medical supplies
• Cleaning supplies
• Kitchen items: paper towels, napkins, paper plates, cups, dish soap, hand/dish towels
• General office supplies
• Hurricane supplies
• Gift cards for Home Depot, Lowe’s, Target, Walmart, Publix, Office Max, Office Depot, and Staples

For items specific to the goody bags for the dads, the following would be appreciated: shaving creams, razors, chocolate, cards, etc.

All are welcome and RSVP is not required, but you can RSVP on facebook if you’d like.

If you’re in the Orlando and near-by areas, please come out to Lake Eola and have fun with your friends and family while also helping out the local homeless community. I’d love to meet you!

Disclosure: As a co-host of the Hebrew National Better-Than-A-Picnic Picnic and working with TheMotherhood.com, I was compensated for my time.