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I have noticed lately that my 2 year old loves to ask for bananas or grapes as a snack, but she also has a habit of asking for cookies or chips (especially in the grocery store when we are going down the snack aisle). Here are some great suggestions for healthier foods for your child. It includes some classic favorites and fun alternatives:

• Create fresh fruit kabobs on skewers.
• Roll a banana in orange juice and coconut. Freeze and enjoy.
• Wrap sliced turkey or ham around pineapple chunks. Spear with toothpicks.
• Layer fruit on a flat serving dish in colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue & purple.
• Use veggies on a plate to make a face: cucumber eyes, carrot stick eyebrows, cherry tomato nose…anything you can come up with. A slice of cheese can act as the backdrop for the veggies.
• Treat your kids to frozen 100% fruit juice bars or sugar-free fudge pops.
• Make mini ice cream cones with frozen yogurt.

Make sure you are choosing proper portions for your family too! Below is what your healthy servings should resemble:

A 4 ox of beef/pork = size of deck of cards.
1 cup of pasta/cereal = size of baseball
1 medium baked potato = size of computer mouse
2-3 oz of luncheon meat or cheese slice (for sandwiches) = size of compact disc
2 tablespoons of peanut butter = size of table tennis ball

Interested in additional help for your family’s nutrition? Here are some great reads that will send you on your way. All of these books are available on Amazon.com

- The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids’ Favorite Meals by Missy Chase Lapine. This book helps you get your kids to eat their veggies, include 75 recipes and much more.

- Weight Watchers Family Power by Karen Miller-Kovach. This book gives parents 5 simple rules in creating a healthy-weight home and practical, hands-on advice.

- Conquering Childhood Obesity for Dummies by Meghan Beecher, Michelle Hagen and Kimberly A. Tessmer. This book is packed with helpful advice and effective strategies for getting on the right track to a healthy future.

- The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood: Dr. Sear’s 10 Ways to Get Your Family on the Right Nutritional Track. This book gives parents advice on how to shape young tastes to crave healthy foods in the right portions.

Courtesy of AP

Celestial Seasonings recently introduced their newest natural drink mix called Go Stix™. It is a fun and flavorful way for kids to get their recommended daily intake of water and tastes great.

Go Stix™ contains half the sugar of leading fruit drinks and are the only 100 percent natural kids’ drink mix fortified with Calcium and Vitamin C. It is caffeine & gluten free and comes in fun flavors like Fruit Punch, Orange Citrus Punch, Triple Berry and Wild Cherry.

Brianna and I had the opportunity to try Go Stix™ recently and absolutely loved them! The packets were easy to open and also easy to prepare. I added it to an 8 oz bottle of water and let Brianna shake it up. I poured it in her sippy cup and she enjoyed it until the last drop! (It has become one of her favorite drinks this week.)

Go Stix™ is the perfect alternative to sodas and juices and can easily be used "on the go" when you travel this summer. They are available either online are at your local shopping stores including Whole Foods Markets, Price Chopper, Shop Rite, Tops, Giant Carlisle, Giant Eagle and Harris Teeter. Each box is retail priced at $2.99 and contains 8 individual packets.

Try them today!