Tag Archives: Food

Child & Teen Obesity Rates (Infographic) #FoodFri #FoodPower

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After attending the MomsRising Food Power conference in New York conference, I was inspired to create my very first infographic!

While researching numbers, I was shocked to find out that Hispanics have the highest childhood and adolescent obesity rate. I’m sure this is caused by our connection with food.

Growing up my familia had an unhealthy relationship with food. We used it as a reward, as a reason to gather, and were raised to disregard our body’s fullness signal. We were told we had to clean our plate, no matter how much food was piled on it. To not do so, was an insult to the chef and this had to be avoided at all costs. Not surprisingly, this seems to play over and over in many households.

Hopefully, these numbers will compel us to do more. They were definitely a wake-up call to me.

 

Child / Teen Obesity Rates | Latina On a Mission

If you’re passionate about food and its effects on our bodies, join MomsRising.org, the online and on-the-ground grassroots organization with more than 1.1 million members. They welcome your posts and are currently hosting a blog carnival. They will promote blog posts with the below topics, via Facebook and Twitter  to their estimated 3.5 million readers. Click for more info: Junk Free Schools Blog Carnival – Submit Your Post!

Disclosure: Latina On a Mission and MomsRising have partnered to raise awareness about childhood and adolescent obesity rates. This is Part 2 of said sponsored campaign.

Sponsored: #ChildHunger Ends Here #Giveaway {Autographed Cody Simpson CD + $40 GC}

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Recently, we shared Latina On a Mission’s latest collaboration, a sponsored partnership with ConAgra Foods, on an initiative called Child Hunger Ends Here.

Cody Simpson #childhunger | Latina On a Mission

Joining with celebrities, like Cody Simpson and Amber Riley,  we’ve worked to end child hunger, by entering ConAgra Foods product codes into the widget found on my right-hand sidebar and asked you to do the same.

1 product code = 1 meal

Want to double your donation? 

  • Set up a collection box (in school, church, home) and encourage family and friends to donate to their local food bank.
  • Purchase ConAgra Foods’ specially marked products (see below printable list) and enter the promo codes into the widget below before donating them to the nearest food bank.
  • Each food item will therefore do double duty!

Feeding America’s Food Bank Locator

Join us. Share the news with your friends, family and networks that together, we can donate up to 3 million meals to Feeding America – just by entering a code. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to enter the giveaway below!

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

One Latina On a Mission reader will win a  $40 VISA gift card and an autographed Cody Simpson CD.

MANDATORY ENTRY

Have you ever volunteered at a Food Bank? Let me know in a comment below!

EXTRA ENTRY

Enter to win a $40 giftcard & autographed @CodySimpson CD: http://bit.ly/CHgw40 Ends 5/21 #SMLatinas #Giveaway

  • Share this post, or any another, on Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, Stumble Upon, Digg, or any other social media platform.   Each “share” gives you 1 extra entry and can be done daily. Just let me know which post you shared and your username, if applicable! Note: If I cannot verify the post shared, your entries will be invalidated.
  • Leave a comment on ANY other post, dated April 1, 2013 or later, for TWO (2) extra entries. Let me know which post in a  comment below.

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Giveaway ends May 21, 2013 at 11:59 A.M. EST
Open to US residents only
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Void where prohibited. Must be 18 years or older to participate. No purchase necessary to win. Winner will be randomly selected and notified via email. Winner has two (2) days to respond before a another winner is selected. Entries/Comments must follow the submission guidelines to qualify. Prize is non-transferable.

FREE MUSIC DOWNLOAD

Click to download Cody Simpson’s and Amber Riley’s version of the song “Fill a Heart” for FREE.
Child Hunger Ambassador

Disclosure: LOAM is a brand ambassador for the Child Hunger Ends Here campaign and has been compensated for it’s participation. All thoughts and opinions, however, are our own.

Get the Facts on Kid’s Meals! #FoodFri

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Get the Nutrional Facts on Kid's Meals! | Latina On a Mission

As a Mom, I want my boys to have the best. The best schools, the best parks, and most importantly the best food whenever possible. I’m sure you want the best for your kids as well!  Most Moms do.

This week I am joining MomsRising’s weekly #FoodFri Tweetchat to discuss the best, and worst, Kids Meals found at chain restaurants. Given that summer is right around the corner, and 91% of Kids Meals at chain restaurants do not meet industry’s own nutrition standards, I want to be prepared to steer my family toward the chain restaurants that do meet standards. Because, really, I want the best for my kids. Don’t you?

Below is the information to join in the conversation. No sign-ups required. But, if you have any questions or want to leave your Twitter name in a comment below, feel free to do so.

#FoodFri Tweetchat

 

DATE:             Friday, April 26, 2013
TIME:             1:00 PM EDT (10:00 AM PDT)
HASHTAG:      #FoodFri
WHERE:         On Twitter, just add #FoodFri to your tweets!
WHO:            @MomsRising, @CSPI, and YOU!
THEME:          @CSPI’s recent report on the nutritional quality of kids’ meals.

 

Be sure to follow @MomsRising, @CSPI, and the hashtag #FoodFri to participate. You can also follow the chat on tweetchat.com.

¡Nos vemos a las una! / See you at 1pm, EST!
Photo Credit: SOMMAI,FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Child Hunger Ends Here Partnership with Latina On a Mission #ChildHunger

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I’m excited to announce that I have partnered with ConAgra Foods on an initiative called “Child Hunger Ends Here”.

Child Hunger Ends Here Pushpin LOGO | Latina On a Mission
Sadly, the reality is that 1 in 5 children suffer from hunger – that’s nearly 17 million children. It’s not limited to those in poverty. It has affected every demographic and nationality. Hungry children are in our schools, our neighborhoods and even right next door.

That’s why we’re working to build a community of people – full of amazing readers like you, along with musical artists, other moms, and kids – to spread the word that there is something we CAN all do. Together, we can reach a goal of donating up to 3 million meals to Feeding America – just by starting with a code.

You can find the code on participating packages of ConAgra Foods. Just look for ConAgra Foods products with the red pushpin in grocery stores. When you purchase those specifically marked packages and enter the code in the widget below, ConAgra Foods will donate one meal to Feeding America. Simply bookmark this page and upload your codes. It’s that simple!

Join us. Share the news with your friends, family and networks that together, we can reach a goal of donating up to 3 million meals to our longstanding partner, Feeding America – just by entering a code.

¿Fácil no? / Easy, right?

Will you join me and get involved? I hope you will. No, I KNOW you will. A hungry child is depending on you.

PLEASE COMPLETE THIS SHORT SURVEY ABOUT CHILD HUNGER.

Disclosure:  ConAgra Foods has sponsored this post. However, this does not diminish the cause. Child Hunger Ends Here is an amazing program devoted to an extremely important cause and Latina On a Mission is excited and humbled to be a part of it.

MomsRising #FoodPower Conference Photos (Part 2)

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I wanted to share with you photos of some of the wonderful people I met at the MomsRising #FoodPower Conference Recap (Part 1). Because really,  the take away from a conference isn’t only the sessions, it’s also the connections, the people, y aquí tenemos las estrellas / and here we have the stars of the show!

Byron Hurt, Soul Food Junkies | Latina On a Mission

Byron Hurt, Director/Producer of Soul Food Junkies

 Migdalia Rivera & Eileen Campos | Latina On a Mission

Eileen Campos of Mommy Teaches & Migdalia Rivera, Speaker at MomsRising Food Power Speaker

Elisa Batista & Diana Limongi Gabriele | Latina On a Mission

Elisa Batista, Campaign Specialist at MomsRising.org, and Diana Limongi GabrielePhoto Credit:Diana Limongi Gabriele

Monifa Bandele, MomsRising Campaign Director | Latina On a Mission

Monifa Bandele, Campaign Director at MomsRising.org
Photo Credit: MomsRising

And because a picture is worth a thousand words, I leave you with the below photo which showcases the influence of Mom Bloggers. Click to enlarge.

Mom Blogger Influence | Latina On a Mission

How do you use YOUR voice and influence? It’s more powerful than you realize, especially when combined with organizations like MomsRising and their 3.5 million members. For more information, click here: MomsRising. 

Disclosure: Migdalia Rivera, of Latina On a Mission, was a sponsored speaker at the MomsRising Food Power conference in New York City.

 

MomsRising’s Junk Food and Childhood Obesity Tweetchat

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Today, Friday, March 1st, MomsRising is hosting a special tweetchat at 1 PM EST to discuss junk food and childhood obesity. Special guests will include presenters from the NYC #FoodPower Conference to Reverse Childhood Obesity happening on Saturday, March 2nd. Click for more info about the FREE #NYC Blogger Conference.

I, along with the other MomsRising’s #FoodPower speakers, will be on hand to CHAT and answer any questions you may have. Below are the featured participants.

 

Join us to share your comments, ideas, resources, and questions by adding the hashtag #FoodFri to your tweets at that time. And don’t forget to invite your friends/family and Twitter followers to join the chat to imagine creative, healthy ways to engage our kids about healthy food. Below are a few sample tweets. Feel free to tweet them out!

  • Join @MomsRising & @Prevent_Obesity 4 #FoodFri 1pmEST. We’re talking junk food & childhood obesity PLS RT!
  • Join @MomsRising @MsLatina @yoliouiya @Prevent_Obesity @MochaManual @BlkGrlInc for #FoodFri 1PM EST

#FoodFri Tweet Chat | Latina On a Mission

Tweetchat details below.

DATE: Friday March1, 2013
TIME: 1:00 PM EST (10:00 AM PST)
WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #FoodFri
WHO: @MomsRising, @BlkGrlInc @yoliouiya @MochaManual @Prevent_Obesity @MsLatina and YOU!

Be sure to follow @MomsRising @Prevent_Obesity  and the hashtag #FoodFri to participate.

 

What is a tweetchat?
A tweetchat is a virtual gathering on Twitter where organizations and everyday people come together to discuss important issues. MomsRising has a social media reach of more than 3.5 million viewers. Last week, their #FoodFri tweetchat earned 5 million impressions! Let’s amplify the conversation about the importance of limiting junk food and increasing children’s access to healthy food as a way to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic! Just log-on to twitter and search for the hashtag #FoodFri. You can also follow along by going to tweetchat.com and search for #FoodFri.

Hope to see you there!

 

FREE #NYC Blogger Conference

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As a blogger, I have grown because of the community I’ve surrounded myself with. That community is filled with bloggers, PR representatives and readers, like YOU. My community didn’t grow overnight. Nope. It grew by my outreach, by networking, by attending conferences, like the FREE NYC Blogger Conference coming up this Saturday.

Free MomsRising Gathering and Blogger Conference to be held at the Marriott Hotel

I’ve made wonderful contacts at conferences. They’ve helped me grow, as a business woman, blogger and a person. They’ve also shown me how to monetize my blog around my passions, which is not an easy feat when done blindly.

For that reason, I am super excited to invite you to a FREE NYC conference this Saturday, March 2, 2013 from 11am-3pm.  The event will center around food power, online organizing, social media and blogging. You do NOT have to be a blogger to attend. You must, however, be passionate, fun and willing to learn something nuevo/new.

I’ve joined with MomsRising, a bootstrap, mom run organization, to host this event at the Marriott Hotel in Brooklyn, NY. Men are also invited to attend. I quote MomsRising when saying it is the place “Where moms & people who love them go to change our world!” And change it will.

To register for the event go to www.action.momsrising.org/signup/FoodPower/. Enter your information as directed so that we can have a tally of who is attending. Also, feel free to share with others on Twitter, Facebook or by printing the flyer below and sharing it the good old fashion way, a mano/by hand.

Till Sabado/Saturday!

 


 

Free MomsRising Gathering and Bloggers Conference in NYC

 

 

7 Slow Cooker Tips from George Duran #ConAgraFoods

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George Duran
Last week I had the opportunity to join a virtual cooking class with Chef George Duran. We learned some great slow cooker tips and even saw a demonstration of the Fiesta Chicken with Rice and Beans. Click here to see the video and read The Motherhood’s recap.

During the chat, one item stuck out the most for me. I have to admit it boggled my mind when I read the comment. It seems you can make cake – yes CAKE - in a slow cooker! Am I the only one that thinks this is crazy cool?! Please tell me I’m not!

I’m not sure if the idea of a slow cooker cake appeals to me because I haven’t eaten dessert since I became a Lucille Roberts Ambassador or because it came from George Duran’s lips. Sigh. In the end, it doesn’t matter because I cannot let that cake, or any other cake for that matter, touch these lips or it’ll definitely they’ll definitely land on these hips!

What I can focus on are George Duran’s 7 tips noted below. They will make this busy Latina’s life so much easier.

 

  1. Slow cooker recipes can be made up to two days in advance.
  2. To make clean up easy, spray your slow cooker with PAM. Use PAM before adding ingredients and the slow cooker washes out easily.
  3. Fish does not cook well in a slow cooker.
  4. Try sauteing beef before adding to the slow cooker. By searing the beef, you caramelize the outside and add a lot of flavor to your dish.
  5. Fresh vegtables can get mushy in a slow cooker; as a result, you should add them at the very end.
  6. Consider using canned ingredients, versus fresh ingredients, in your slow cooker. They have a richer taste and retain more of the nutrients.
  7. It doesn’t matter what slow cooker brand you use, as long as the design, size and options work for your needs.

 

Not sure what to make in a slow cooker? Go to readyseteat.com for fast and easy slow cooker recipes.

 

Let’s talk! Do you have any slow cooker tips you can share? Leave them in a comment!

 

Disclosure: As a host of the cooking connections class, my time is compensated. As always my opinions and love for cooking are solely my own.

Virtual Cooking Class with George Duran and The Motherhood #ConAgraFoods

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ready_set_eat_logo
We’re having a virtual cooking class called Game Day and Slow Cooker Recipes. The class is part of the Cooking Connections series on The Motherhood. Details below. I hope you can join in the yummy fun!

 

When:

  • Thursday, February 2, at 1 p.m. ET. It will last 30 minutes.

 

Where:

The Motherhood – here is the link to the page where the class will be held: http://www.themotherhood.com/talk/show?id=62363

 

About the class:

Get ready – and hungry – for Game Day! Cold weather and football puts us in the mood for some tasty slow cooker recipes. Join us to share your favorites and be inspired by suggestions from others! Celebrity chef George Duran will host a live video demonstration of a slow cooker recipe from website Ready Set Eat while we all chat and ask questions via text.

The class is sponsored by ReadySetEat.com and ConAgra Foods, and it is hosted by TheMotherhood. You can get and share suggestions for crowd-pleasing halftime recipes during this class and turn to recipe website ReadySetEat.com for more quick and easy meal ideas.

I hope you’ll join me and the other co-hosts listed below.

  1. Migdalia, Latina On a Mission, http://latinaonamission.com (ME!)
  2. Johanna, Momma Cuisine, http://mommacuisine.com
  3. John, Stay at Stove Dad, http://stayatstovedad.com
  4. Liz, Thoughts of a Mommy, http://thoughtsofamommy.com
  5. Melanie, The Coupon Goddess, http://www.thecoupongoddess.com
  6. Robyn, Robyn’s Online World, http://www.robynsonlineworld.com
  7. Sarah, Sarah’s Cucina Bella, http://sarahscucinabella.com
  8. Shari, Earth Mother Just Means I’m Dusty, http://www.dustyearthmother.com
  9. Silvia, Mama Latina Tips, http://www.mamalatinatips.com
  10. Yoly, Cuponeando, http://www.cuponeando.net

 

Disclosure:  As a host of the cooking connections class, my time is compensated.  As always my opinions and love for cooking are solely my own.

 

Heart Smart Your Family’s Shopping Cart

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Grapes

 

How heart smart is your shopping cart?

 

As a parent, and consumer, I want to believe I am making heart healthy choices for myself and my family. Yet, reality is that most consumers don’t.  

Many families avoid heart-healthy foods because they think they won’t taste good or are too hard to make or cost too much. . The good news is that this couldn’t be further from the truth! You can “heart your cart” with foods that are simple to prepare, convenient, affordable and sabroso/delicious!

Diane Henderiks, R.D., provided me with some simple and inexpensive ways to “heart your cart”.

  • Make your own salad dressing by mixing balsamic vinegar and Welch’s grape juice.
  • One 4 oz glass of 100% grape juice equals 1 serving (1/2 cup) of fruit – with no added sugar. *Welch’s 100% Grape Juice is a great option!
  • Instead of purchasing bread crumbs, pulverize oatmeal down to  powder, mix with flour and use mixture to bread chicken.
  • In sangria recipe, substitute wine for Welsch’s grape juice. Heart healthy and festive!
  • Red wine, salmon, oatmeal or olive oil are heart-healthy foods.

 
Let’s talk! How do you “heart your cart”? Share your tips in a comment below!

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To save your wallet, while saving your heart, click HERE to obtain printable grocery coupons.

To find Welch’s products and heart-healthy resources, including shopping tips, videos and recipes visit welchs.com/rewardyourheart.

*To learn more about the Concord grape’s health benefits go to www.GrapeScience.com