Michelle Obama will be featured in a segment with four young children and introduce the idea of vegetable gardening. She’ll show them, and Big Bird, how planting seeds in the ground will yield fresh, healthy vegetables like carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce.

Last week Michelle Obama announced childhood obesity as one of the issues she would focus on, and Sesame Street is a fitting place to share that message, encouraging young children to eat a balanced diet that includes many vegetables.

It’s also fitting segment as the first lady introduced the first White House vegetable garden since Eleanor Roosevelt. A recent episode of Biggest Loser showed contestants harvesting vegetables from that garden to make a delicious and fresh White House Salad.

Tune-in for a blast of nostalgia, or with your kids and introduce a new generation to this iconic children’s show that has taught the ABCs and 123s to a global audience for nearly half a century.

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Tune In: Michelle Obama on Sesame Street

Container gardening has become a growing trend and a great way to grow fresh produce at home that hasn’t traveled over 1,500 miles or been sprayed with all types of pesticides and herbicides. I started small with some herbs, tomato plants and jalapenos. Not feeling quite confident, as I don’t have the greenest thumb, I thought it was a great start I could build off of each year once my first crops were produced.  

Getting started is simple!

The four things you will want to get yourself are some containers, soil, seeds and of course water from your local hardware store or nursery. Make sure to get a container large enough based on what you plan on growing; I found my local nursery very helpful in picking mine out. You will also want to check on what is in season, as all produce have their own times of the year for harvest. If this is your first time trying container gardening like me, keep it simple, some produce can be more temperamental than others to grow and you want it to be easy and fun.

My first tomato just arrived on the vine this week and should be ready to be picked very shortly. I can’t wait to make a salad with my fresh vegetables I have grown on my own, giving my body wholesome, nutritious food that I didn’t have to go out to the store and buy. So, whether you have a big yard, small yard, window sill or any form of outdoor space, try growing some produce of your own.

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Container Gardening Ideal for City Living

Valerie is a guest blogger for the DietsInReview.com special series on Healthy Summer Kids. Valerie is an outdoor loving, flip flop wearing, fit mama with three young children. She is an ACE certified personal trainer and owns her own Stroller Strides franchise in Houston, TX. She feels every day is a chance to have fun and be inspired. You can find great fitness tips, ideas for healthy living, and plenty of mindless mommy banter at her blog Moms Living Fit.

Summertime can be summed up into one word, “fun.” Kids look forward to this time of year every year and welcome the outdoor activities, picnics, and gatherings. Why not take advantage of this summertime enthusiasm and integrate a few good habits to promote health and fitness in your children’s lives?

Get Moving

There is a lot competing for your child’s attention these days, especially on TV. Reduce the “screen time” for your kids and increase their physical activity with daily outdoor playtime. Invite some friends over, get out the soccer balls, and let them run a few laps in the backyard.

You can also do a summer challenge such as a 5k for mom and dad and a children’s fun run for the kids. These events usually benefit a worthy cause and you can increase your fitness health and give back to the community by participating. Way better than TV!

Veg Out

Summertime is a great time to enjoy sweet and refreshing fruits. Let your kids create the ultimate fruit salad with their favorite fruits and add some walnuts, oat clusters, and dried cherries. It tastes great and is full of vitamins and essential nutrients!

Also, get them to eat a few veggies on a homemade pizza! Grab a roll of pizza dough at your local grocery store, grab a few fun shaped cookie cutters, and stamp out the dough as you would a sugar cookie. Add some fresh veggies along with some reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese and dig in! Kids love to create and if you let them use their creativity to create new healthy dishes, they will be more willing to eat them! Let them amaze you!

Get Dirty

A great way to mix outdoor activities with healthy eating is to start a garden. For added fun, use the seeds from the fruits and veggies you’ve eaten to grow your garden! Going from “eat your veggies” to “can I eat them now” is easier than you think and the summer is a great time to start!

Get Involved

The most important element to creating lasting habits of health and fitness in your kids is you! Play with your kids outside, take them to the grocery store, let them create a meal, and let them help you in the kitchen. You will not only help them create good health habits that last, you might even create some for you!

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Create Lasting Healthy Habits for Kids This Summer