Hershey's Moderation Nation Review and Giveaway

I recently had the opportunity to conduct an email interview Cheryl Forberg, registered dietitian for NBC’s the Biggest Loser, James Beard award-winning chef and a New York Times best-selling author of nearly a dozen books, about a new national program she is spearheading that will provide people with tools and resources to help them achieve a balanced lifestyle.  She has partnered up with Hershey's (I know a candy company trying to get healthy...step in the right direction I say!) to give expert tips and advice on how to live and be healthy.  The movement is called Hershey's Moderation Nation.

Well anyone that knows me that I am part fanatical about the things we eat in this house.  I am always looking for ways eat more veggies, less processed sugar and live better.  Here are the questions I asked Cheryl,

1.  What are some easy tips to get the whole family involved in healthy grocery shopping??  

- I suggest taking them along to the store and letting everybody choose a new product each week for the family to try. Interact with the produce department, they love to share samples of fresh fruits and vegetables that you may not have tried. Be sure to download the grocery list tips on www.themoderationnation.com

 

2.  Top 10 list of foods to always have on hand to help shape healthy kids.

- It's hard to narrow it down to 10, but be sure to take the grocery list tips to the store and you can easily find 10 foods that everyone in the family will like. Keep in mind that what is healthy food for kids is also healthy food for adults.

 

3.  If we have to oils in our cooking what's the best kind??

- It's important to have some good fats in our diet, whether they are from nuts and seeds, avocados or cooking oils. Most of the time, I use canola oil because it has the lowest level of saturated fat and it has a neutral flavor profile that blends well with most recipes.

 

4.  Is almond or soy milk any better nutritionally for you than cows milk (organic or otherwise?)

- Personally, I am a big fan of cow's milk and lean dairy products. If you choose to have almond or soy milk instead, be sure it's calcium fortified.

 

5.  What's your best piece of advice to any family that's transitioning to healthier eating like mine (we've cut out white flour, soda, no frozen foods, juices, but we still occasionally eat out)?

- Keep up the great work! You’re definitely on the right track in wanting a healthy and balanced lifestyle. For more ideas on menu planning and recipes, visit www.themoderationnation.com.

Thanks Cheryl for the great advice and I will say I went to the website and had a looksie around just to see whats what and it really is a great resource.  The grocery tips were something I took to heart because I am always trying to convince Jet Pilot to try random vegetables or fruits and he tends to fight me tooth and nail.  LOL.  But I am wearing him DOWN educating him on the perks of eating healthier.  Besides who doesn't want to live longer??

There is also an iPhone app (which for a tech dork like myself) is a plus, called Activity Snack that helps to encourage and track short breaks of activity throughout the day – as little as 5-10 minutes at a time – in pursuit of the 150 minutes of moderate weekly activity suggested by experts.  Things from walking the dog to playing tag with the kids count so there is definitely something for everyone!!

Couple this with tracking your calorie/food intake in a food journal and really its a great foundation to start with better eating, heck BETTER LIVING. 

And who doesn't love that??  Now onto the fun part!

 

WIN IT:

One lucky The Dill-io reader will win the Moderation Nation Prize Pack shown which includes a package of Hershey’s candy, a t-shirt, and a food journal.

MANDATORY ENTRY: Just leave a comment on this post-with your email addy!
 

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 Giveaway open to residents 18 years old+  residing in the US.  Contest ends on November 9th at 11:59 pm CST. The winner will be chosen using random.org and will be notified via email.  The lucky winner will have 24 hours to contact me. If you fail to contact me within the 24 hour period, a new winner will be chosen.

Disclosure: I received no monetary compensation for this review. I received products from MyBlogSpark and Hershey for review but was under no under obligation from any person or company to post a positive review. All information on MyBlogSpark and Hershey's was obtained from literature sent to me or published online on their website.  All thoughts and opinions are mine.