As our FOODPLAY troupes travel the country, charged with the task of empowering our nation’s children to take charge of their own health, so do we here in the FoodPlay office strive to practice those messages in our own daily lives.

The path to physical fitness is often quite personal. What works for one person may be entirely irrelevant to the next, thanks to any number of factors—from age and health history to more practical concerns, like simply finding the time to take care of ourselves amidst the general chaos of our working lives. With all of that in mind, I’ve asked some of our staff to bring you their stories—not as any kind of rubric for personal success, but rather in the hope that they may provide some sense of inspiration and camaraderie for any of you who may be facing the same challenges or enjoying similar triumphs.

First up is Hanna Bliss, FoodPlay’s Program & Media Coordinator, with her personal story, I am a runner. Don’t miss her thoughtful entry, and be sure to check back for more!

For more on National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, visit fitness.gov.

As a not-runner, I tried to give running a shot from time to time. I’d set out for a jog, take a few steps, realize that my legs felt like they were made of lead, and decide I’d better listen to my body and go for a walk instead. Leave the running to those superhumans who somehow enjoy it, and leave the walking to the rest of us!

At FoodPlay, we work every day to help children and families overcome hurdles and make healthy choices—from nutrition to physical activity to self image. We’re constantly fine-tuning ways of empowering youth to reclaim their futures with good health and faith in themselves. My personal favorite part of the FOODPLAY live show, the “I can do this!” segment, draws in the collective audience and creates a moment for each individual to revel in his or her own strength, ability, and potential.

Witnessing a room full of hundreds of children reaffirming their belief in themselves is enough to make anyone feel invincible!

Students at a FOODPLAY performance take a moment to remind themselves that they can do anything!

Last summer, I gave running as a not-runner one last try. I set out on a short course and took it slowly, determined not to give up. I can do this, I reminded myself with each challenging step. It’s been almost a year now, and that short course has grown and grown. I’ll never be very fast, some days I still feel like my legs are made of lead and, at times, I even still wish I were walking. But I make sure to maintain my routine and I don’t give up.

It’s true, I enjoy feeling “strong,” I definitely benefit from taking time out of my busy schedule for just myself and my running shoes, and I always feel great after spending time in the fresh air. However, for me, the most rewarding result of all is the regular reminder that I can do anything I set my mind to. We can all overcome obstacles to make our lives fuller and healthier in whatever ways we choose. We can do this.

As it turns out, that’s all a runner is. Someone who reminds herself every day, over and over again, that they can do it. I am a runner.

Though cold and damp have so far been the keywords for spring, here in western Massachusetts, the season has still inspired a new health regimen for my family. And as we pay careful attention to what we’re eating, I’ve found myself scouring the healthy food blogosphere more thoroughly than usual, on my quest for fresh flavors that will keep me on track.

With that in mind, today’s column is devoted to everything I want to eat in the coming week, thanks to my favorite food bloggers!

Red and green were themes in the blogosphere this week, beginning with striking red in Prevention RD‘s Penne in Roasted Beet Sauce and Mom’s Kitchen Handbook‘s Beautiful Beet Hummus. And for dessert, don’t miss these Homemade Strawberry Creamsicles from Super Healthy Kids.

Super Healthy Kids also brings the green with this avocado-heavy Brainy Breakfast Salad. And for more avocado goodness, check out Healthy Eats‘ Avocados 5 New Ways. Wanna mix up your red and green? Take a look at Weekly Bites‘ Honey Lime Melon Salad.

Other dishes that caught my eye this week, include this PB & T (Peanut Butter and Tuna) wrap from junior high student Justin Brownell, by way of the Healthy Kids Challenge blog, these taco ideas from the Food Network’s Healthy Eats, and this Black Bean Manga Quinoa recipe by way of The Kids Cook Monday.

It’s going to be a delicious week!

That’s all for this week! See you next FoodPlay Friday!

With the coming of spring, we all look forward to the warmer weather, and for many of us that means returning to our gardens and farmers’ markets for an abundance of fresh, local produce and foods!

Saturday proved to be a perfect day for the Second Annual Long Island Small Farm Summit at Hofstra University. And thanks to Bhavani Jaroff at iEat Green, FoodPlay’s Juggling Nutrition Magician and I were on-hand to talk about the importance of eating local and fresh!

Chef Ann Cooper (aka “The Renegade Lunch Lady”) even stopped by to show how much fun we can all have balancing MyPlate!

It was so great to walk through the exhibit hall and meet so many local farmers and health food advocates.

Speaking of local farmers, has everyone heard about the new USDA Farm to School Grants? The USDA understands the importance of supporting local agriculture, and these grants are a great way to get fresh, local foods into schools across the country. The farmers benefit from the increased support, and our school children will benefit from cutting down on processed food products—what better way to help kids fill half their plate with fruits and vegetables?

For those of you in the NYC metro area, be sure and check out the Brooklyn Food Conference on May 12th. If you’re interested in supporting local agriculture, but don’t know where to start, check out LocalHarvest.

Best wishes for a healthy and happy spring!

Luke had a terrific conversation with David, who beautifully articulated some of the reasons I personally feel our programs are so important. Here are a couple of quotes I could particularly relate to:

I grew up as an overweight kid,” said McDaniel. “I was addicted to soda and I never really got a nutrition base. A lot of the kids I’ve been closest to have also struggled with an addiction to sweets. So for me, this is the message that I needed to hear when I was their age and that they need to hear. … At such a young age, kids don’t have a lot of control over their life, but one thing they do have control over, is what they put in their mouth and what they do to be physically fit.”

“We cover a lot in the show, so each kid is going to take away something different, but I think I can personally relate to a lot of it,” said McDaniel. “Being on the road, we are having to eat out for most of our meals, so everything I am saying in the show, I have to remind myself of when I go out … it’s a good reminder to me as well, to live by the work that I am preaching to the kids, not just a ‘do as I do mentality.’”

Read the full article here.

That’s all for this week! See you next FoodPlay Friday!

The blogosphere has been a tad quiet this week, most likely thanks to spring breaks and holiday preparations, so I don’t have a great deal to share with you today.

This week was sponsored by the letter “A,” if the healthy food blogosphere has anything to say about it. “A” fruits and vegetables were on display everywhere, and that was just fine by me.

It’s a bit early for asparagus season here in western Massachusetts, but Recipe Obsessed‘s Aleksandra Nearing gives us something to look forward to as she experiments with roasting, while Healthy Eats‘ gives us all the facts on Why We Love Asparagus.

Also at Healthy Eats, Dana Angelo White discusses another “A” vegetable—the artichoke, specifically its heart.

In the category of both hearts and “A’s,” take a look at this heart-shaped apple, courtesy of Kia at Today I Ate a Rainbow! And rounding out the “A” fruits, Daily Dish‘s Nicole Humphrey Cook shares a more decadent treat, avocado fries and aioli.

That’s all for this week! See you next FoodPlay Friday!

With April on the horizon, National Nutrition Month is nearly over. We hope you’ve enjoyed Barbara’s column, Hands-On Nutrition, in its daily, bite-sized doses. You’ll be seeing more of her on the pages of this blog in the coming months.

With spring weather becoming the norm, smoothies are the topic of choice in the blogosphere this week, including a Green Smoothie from Real Mom Nutrition, a Butternut Squash Avocado Kale Smoothie from PUREmamas, and Super Healthy Kids‘ Green Smoothies with Florida Orange Juice. Dates are popular this week as well, as seen in these 10-Minute Date Balls from PUREmamas and Date-alicious Dips and Snacks from Super Healthy Kids. Also, Kitchen Stewardship takes a look at Date Sugar as an alternative sweetener.

Healthy Eats has advice for vegetarians this week on how to Get Your Vegetarian Plate in Shape, while Healthy Child Healthy World offers advice for non-veggies in How Can I Eat More Vegetables? And both The Jolly Tomato and Hounds in the Kitchen have some words to say about gardening.

Some of my favorite recipes in the blogosphere this week include Prevention RD‘s Chickpea Biryani, Happy Little Bento‘s Eggplant Curry, and The Kids Cook Monday‘s Cranberry Goat Cheese Chicken. I also appreciated Super Healthy Kids‘ take on making rice balls with brown rice.

And on the playful side, Healthy Kids Challenge gives us tips on how to Get Your Plate in Shape with Active Play, and Quirky Momma shares 10 April Fools Day Pranks for Kids.

That’s all for this week! See you next FoodPlay Friday!

Strategy #20: Start a garden!

Start a garden at home, in the yard or window sill, and involve your kids in all aspects. Work with your children’s school to start a school garden. Vegetables can then be served at mealtime.

Check back tomorrow for more Hands-On Nutrition with Barbara Storper, MS, RD!

Strategy #19: Take a break!

Take a break with stretching or jumping jacks to help reduce stress and energize yourself and your kids. You can also reduce stress with other types of activities, like yoga, meditation, tai chi, and reading time.

Check back tomorrow for more Hands-On Nutrition with Barbara Storper, MS, RD!

Strategy #18: Take a field trip!

Take a field trip to a local farm or farmer’s market to teach kids where food comes from.

Let kids help choose fresh produce from the market to take home, and let them be involved in deciding how it will be incorporated into your daily meals. Let them taste test new fruits and vegetables alone or in meals to see what they like best!

Check back tomorrow for more Hands-On Nutrition with Barbara Storper, MS, RD!