Myth: For yogurt with the lowest amount of sugar, artificially sweetened yogurt is the best choice.

Answer: BUSTED!

Yogurt, especially non-fat or low-fat, is a healthy choice for getting calcium in your diet. However, the Nutrition Facts label doesn’t tell you all you need to know about how much sugar is in the yogurt you buy. The number next to “sugars” tells you both how much natural AND added sugar is in yogurt. A 6-ounce container of yogurt has about 12 grams of natural sugar called lactose. Any amount over 12 grams reflects sugar added to yogurt – usually about 14 grams or 3½ teaspoons. You can read the ingredient label to see what kind of sugar it is.

If you are not keen about choosing artificially sweetened yogurt or you don’t like the taste, here are some options for you:

• Choose non-fat or low-fat plain yogurt and add fresh fruit like diced strawberries or frozen, canned fruit in juice. Why? Fruit adds sweetness along with vitamins like Vitamin C, and fiber which fills you up.
• Add cinnamon to non-fat or low-fat plain yogurt.
• Add fresh fruit and cinnamon!
• Add a small amount of dried fruit for sweetness.
• Add a small amount of vanilla extract and a small amount of low-fat granola for some crunch and sweetness.
• Add a small amount of lemon or orange zest to yogurt along with fruit.
• Add pureed banana.

Visit MissouriFamilies.org for more information about nutrition and health.

Contributor: Ellen Schuster, M.S., R.D., Associate State Specialist, University of Missouri Extension, schusterer@missouri.edu, 573-882-1933

Myth: Going screen free sounds great, but my family will never do it.

Answer: BUSTED!

Going screen free during Screen-Free Week (April 30 – May 6) – and beyond – seems impossible. But it's worth a try! Here are some ideas to jumpstart your family’s involvement in becoming unplugged:

• Plan: Use this week to get your family together to decide what activities you will do next week during Scree-Free Week instead of watching TV, playing video games or other screen activities.


• Write it down: Develop a chart with ideas for every day of the week. Post it on the refrigerator so your family can see the ideas each day and recognize what they have done to reduce screen time.


• Discuss: Talk with family members after the week has ended. What activities did they like? What will you do as a family to continue some of these activities throughout the year?


• Be involved: As a parent or caregiver you are a role model for your children. If your children see you participating in screen-free activities, they are more likely to be screen free too.


• Reward: When screen-free week is over, give your family a treat to reward everyone’s participation.

Looking for more ideas to participate in Screen-Free Week? See the MU Extension publication Play More, Watch Less.

Visit MissouriFamilies.org for more ways to promote the health of you and your family.

Contributor: Ellen Schuster, M.S., R.D., Associate State Specialist, University of Missouri Extension, schusterer@missouri.edu, 573-882-1933

Myth: Other than going outside and walking, there are no other activities to get my kids away from the screen.

Answer: BUSTED!

As we know, too much screen time – watching TV, video games, computer time – contributes to increasing youth obesity. Youth spend too much time being inactive, time that would be better spent doing some type of physical activity. Here are some ideas for screen-free alternatives for you and your family:

• Play flashlight tag in the dark.
• Plant a garden and get active maintaining it.
• Dance to music. Make up new dance moves.
• Play balloon volleyball indoors. See how long you can keep the balloon in the air.
• Throw light scarves in the air. Keep them in the air as you turn around in a circle and do other moves.

Remember, make active time family time. If your children see you being active, they are more likely to be more active too.

Looking for more activity ideas? See the MU Extension publication Play More, Watch Less.

Visit MissouriFamilies.org for more information about making healthy choices.

Contributor: Ellen Schuster, M.S., R.D., Associate State Specialist, University of Missouri Extension, schusterer@missouri.edu, 573-882-1933

Myth: Watching TV is not bad for my child's health.

Answer: BUSTED!

Too much screen time – watching TV, video games, computer time – contributes to increasing youth obesity. Youth are spending too much time being inactive, which is detrimental to their health. A 2010 Henry J. Kaiser Foundation survey found that children 8-18 years old spent about 7½ hours each day using entertainment media, 4½ hours watching TV, 1½ hours on the computer and more than an hour playing video games. It’s a challenge trying to get our children down to the recommended amount of 2 hours or less a day of screen time, but it's not impossible! Here are some ideas to get started:

• Get together as a family to write a list of things to do other than watching TV or spending time in front of a screen. Post these ideas on the refrigerator. Use National Screen-Free Week, April 30 – May 6, as a time to try out some of these ideas and to figure out how you can make these new options part of your family routine.
• During family meals, turn off the TV and talk about everyone’s day.
• Keep TV off when no one is watching it. Need some background noise? Turn on the radio.
• Create an activity box and put it by the door. The activity box can include jump ropes, balls and everyone’s athletic shoes. This reminds everyone to be active. Make active time family time – walk to the park, bike together or visit your local farmers’ market.

Looking for more ideas? See the MU Extension publication, Play More, Watch Less.

Visit MissouriFamilies.org for more information about making healthy food choices.

Contributor: Ellen Schuster, M.S., R.D., Associate State Specialist, University of Missouri Extension, schusterer@missouri.edu, 573-882-1933

Myth: Most everyone in our country has access to healthy food.

Answer: BUSTED!

Many people in the U.S. who live in low income neighborhoods live far from a grocery store. These areas are known as food deserts. In these areas, these is little to no access to healthy foods, but there is an abundance of fast food restaurants and convenience stores that offer foods high in fat and sugar. You may be surprised to find food deserts near where you live. You can search for them by going to a new website called The Food Desert Locator. Click anywhere on the map to see locations of the food deserts, including what county it is in, as well as the number (and percentage) of people in that county with low access to healthy foods.

A collaboration between MU Extension and Old North St. Louis Restoration developed a strategy to open a food co-op to provide access to healthy foods and a link to rural producers. This is the first co-op to open in a predominately low-income neighborhood in Missouri. For more information, go to http://extension.missouri.edu/stlouis/communities.aspx. 

Visit MissouriFamilies.org for more information about nutrition and health.

Contributor: Ellen Schuster, M.S., R.D., Associate State Specialist, University of Missouri Extension, schusterer@missouri.edu, 573-882-1933