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

Myth: It's not safe to hide Easter eggs and eat them too.

Answer: BUSTED!

Eggs that are dyed and hidden for an Easter egg hunt will be safe to eat if they were safely cooked (yolks are firm) before dying and if they are hidden and found within 2 hours. If the weather is hot, shorten the 2 hours to 1 hour. It is best to avoid hiding places with dirt, moisture and pets – these are sources of bacteria which can penetrate the egg shell and cause illness. After finding the eggs within the recommended two hours, wash, re-refrigerate, and eat within 7 days of when you cooked the eggs.

Another option? Don’t hide the eggs you plan to eat – use plastic eggs instead.

Read Follow safety rules when preparing Easter eggs on MissouriFamilies.org for more information about Easter egg safety and other Easter egg ideas.

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

Myth: Meats don't have Nutrition Facts labels like other packaged foods.

Answer: BUSTED! Sort of…

That was then, this is now. In March, you might have begun to see Nutrition Facts labels on some meats. However, the retailer has the option of providing point-of-purchase materials, such as hanging a poster with the information or offering a brochure, instead of putting a label on the meat. When you look at the posted information or the label on the meat, remember that it refers to a 3-ounce cooked serving. Also note that trans fat information is not required on the label.

Ground meat labels will make it much clearer how much fat is in what you buy. So you may see 80% lean / 20% fat and you know that this is higher in fat than a meat labeled 90% lean / 10% fat. Ground meat label information is based on 4 ounces raw, 3 ounces cooked. Only the raw information is required on the label. You may not find serving information on the label so you will have to calculate that yourself.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has point-of-purchase information on the Web at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations/Nutrition_Labeling/index.asp

For more information, read New nutrition labels on meat and poultry make decisions easier on MissouriFamilies.org.

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