Sunday, May 6, 2012

Making a Switch, a Sacrifice and Good Deeds #JennieOCFK

I often talk about healthy choices and teaching kids good eating habits. But, I have a confession. My children love potato chips and I let them indulge too often.


I love the crunchy, salty snacks myself, but chips can contain large amounts of sodium, artificial flavoring, coloring and trans fats. Of course when eaten in moderation this might not be so bad, but it is too hard for a bag to go un-devoured in this house and often in just one sitting. That is a lot of empty and unneeded calories!

For May, Jennie-O is inviting people to take the  Jennie-O Make The Switch Challenge. Give up something you don't need, possibly unhealthy, in your life. Take the savings from this to make a healthy food donation for kids in need. It is a win-win for everyone. I am very excited about this month's Champions for Kids  #JennieOCFK SIMPLE Service Project. This is a great chance for me to break this bad habit with my small children and help an organization in our community at the same time.

I love the chance to get involved with my family as well. Come join me on this  Make The Switch Challenge to create healthy kids everywhere. You can connect with the Champions for Kids program on both Facebook and Twitter to stay informed on all the great projects going now and in the future.


We headed to our local Walmart to start our project. First we said goodbye to a few old friends. Specifically we had a moment with the Cheddar and Sour Cream chips - my kids' favorite.


Then we scanned our newly expanded grocery section for Jennie-O lean turkey products. I had the idea of making a deli tray to share using the lean turkey deli meats. Unfortunately our store's sliced meat section wasn't stocked yet. The new cooler sat empty.

So, another try and another store and I still couldn't find the sliced meats. Instead I did find some other fabulous products like lean ground turkey and extra lean turkey ham that I can slice myself.


Add to that sliced cheeses, vegetables and whole wheat crackers and I will be ready to make my food donation next week. My plan is to donate a healthy snack/appetizer tray to our local Battered Persons Advocacy for their weekly meeting. This is an organization I started volunteering with in high school when I would watch the children as their Mothers attended the meeting.


I decided my appetizer tray for the donation will contain mini turkey meatballs. I don't usually cook with turkey so this will be a great chance to make a healthy switch with my favorite meatball recipe.

My family doesn't eat a lot of ground beef so the switch seems like a smart idea. In fact, this week we will be enjoying our usual Taco Salad dinner with lean ground turkey.

You can view our complete shopping trip in my Google+ album. Look for my next post with the turkey meatball recipe and more information on our project with Champions for Kids. Please let me know if this has inspired you to Make the Switch Challenge and tell me about your SIMPLE Service Project.

*Disclaimer - I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™. #JennieOCFK #CBias #SocialFabric  All opinions are my own.
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7 comments:

  1. Hi Andrea, I am an account manager with Champions for Kids. I have loved reading about ALL the SIMPLE Service projects you've participated in! WOW!! It's great that you have involved your family, too.

    Thank you so much for participating!

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  2. I love that you are crafting your meatball recipe into a turkey meatball recipe! So nice that you have continued your relationship with the Battered Persons Advocacy group as well!

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  3. Your Taco Salad with ground turkey sounds like a wonderful dish to help your family eat healthier! It's wonderful to include your family, especially the kids, in this meaningful project! What a great way to reach out! I'm certain your meatball dish will be much appreciated :)

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  4. Eek! We LOVE Jennie-O products. We're not red meat eaters, so we regularly substitute Jennie-O products and love the results!

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  5. I need to try some of that turkey ham.

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  6. This sounds like a great way to get involved with the SIMPLE Service Project!

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  7. Hey...nice job Andrea! This is great what you have done. Way to go. This is Chris at Champions for Kids and we are thrilled with the great ideas you are sharing with others!

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