The gorgeous Hayley caught the one shot of me on Inside Edition and tweeted it to me!
Sure am glad I called my whole family to make sure to watch the episode for that one second:) I am sure they were proud of me.
Today was a pretty exciting day because lunch was eaten AT HOME!! Isn’t that great? Today we had a break in between our 1/2 day of school and graduation. Eating on my couch with The biggest Loser on was pure bliss. (Turkey, lettuce, grapes, cottage cheese and a hardboiled egg mixed in that bowl).
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Billy is really good at reading the news everyday and he even filters through it and emails me the things that he thinks I would be interested in. It is a great system we have going on in this marriage.
He wins, I was definitely interested in THIS article.
A few pictures of some of the lunches she is served at school. (From her blog).
Two things that really made me think after reading this NINE year old’s blog.
1. How do kids know so much about technology? I didn’t have an email address until I was 15 (didn’t really use it until college) and got my first cell phone when I was 17. It is amazing to me that this little girl started a BLOG. I am even more impressed that her blog is about something that she wants to see change… she isn’t just sitting back and playing Barbies all day, she is being proactive about her situation. Her blog has had over a million hits (she started it on April 30th of this year) and she has obviously made a huge impact (Jamie Oliver even noticed her) on people about this hot topic, school lunches.
2. I didn’t even think twice about what I was eating when I was 9. I ate what I was given and it didn’t cross my mind whether it was healthy or not. Once I was in high school I started thinking about nutrition A LOT (too much) but before that I could care less what my school served me as long as it tasted good. In elementary my mom did pack 90% of my meals so they probably were healthy but either way I ate as quickly as I could in order to get to the playground to play kickball.
At what age did you start caring about nutrition? Have you noticed that kids are getting more into nutrition, eating disorders, caring about what they eat at a younger age?
How old were you when you started blogging, getting on Facebook/email etc? When did you get a cell phone? If you are a parent….how old are your kids when they start getting into this stuff?
How often do you eat lunch at home?
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50 comments
Heather @ Run Eat Play
Thanks for mentioning my giveaway, Janae!
I didn’t think about what I ate when I was nine either, but how cool that she got the school to change thier food. My older son likes to read food labels, but I tell him that he doesn’t have to worry about that stuff because he is underweight. But I think that childhood obesity is a big problem, I even wrote a paper about it in college.
My 5 and 11 year old know more about eletronics than I do! When I started my blog, my older son wanted his own blog. I let him set one up and it lasted about a week before he moved onto to something else.
RunEatRepeat
I wish I had a blog when I was 9. My little brother has one though and he’s 11!
Claire @ Live and Love to Eat
Wow – that girl is doing a great job of spreading the word! Thanks for sharing!
Christy
I saw that blog too. I was both impressed and kind of annoyed. The annoyance comes from children who have smart phones. Plus jealous of her blogging success lol. Shame on me. I was also in awe that she is given real silverware. I assume from her food that it is a public school because if you are paying 20,000 dollars or more a year for your child’s schooling than you will most likely have great food. Not that all public schools have poor food, but unfortunately unhealthy food is a lot cheaper and there are always buy one get one deals going on. Do you teach in private or public because your lunches and homemade items look great. I wish our students had the ability to eat like that especially when then often don’t get nutritious meals at home either.
The whole fb and cell phone thing didn’t happen until college. It’s kinda crazy how fast it has all blown up.
Lindsey
That is crazy that those were the school lunches, I am going to read more of her blog after this!
To be honest I did not start caring till the end of high school, then did off and on throughout College and University. I only started really changing my diet the last few years.
I started using Facebook when I was in University, 21 maybe? Twitter about 25, blogging 26 and my first cell when I was 17. And yes kids are way more in tune with technology these days, it is crazy.
I eat lunch at home almost every day :) Love it, it is my time out from the day.
Catey
Dying that they cut it so short! :( Nicole felt awful, and even called to apologize last night-she’s not sure what happened, but that was not the original scripting/copy they sent her that was supposed to air. Oh well, nothing like spending 6hrs filming for a nice 20 second snippet! At least it was positive about “jogging” during pregnancy instead of painting it as crazy and dangerous.
But you did look fabulous! :)
Katie
Wow, I didn’t even know what a blog was when I was 9!!! I just read some of the comments on that page…goodness, can’t we all just get along in this world and eat FROYO?!?! haha I have noticed that kids are getting more into nutrition (some of them), but it’s sad also because younger girls are starting to develope eating disorders and are so worried about what people think about them. I wish our society could lead younger children in the right direction…ok enough of my sobbing rant! haha Hope you are having a great afternoon! =)
Mary
I think that ice pop looks awesome….. Must get one.
Sorry pregnancy mind suggestion/craving in full effect
Liz @ iheartvegetables
That is SO crazy how that 9 year old is taking action! I wish I was that cool when I was 9… haha
Kristen @ notsodomesticated
I am in awe of this young girl. She must be wise beyond her years!
Laura
I just checked out her blog and I love it! Lollies, sponge and potato mash! I need to adopt a scottish accent right now! I also love seeing the pictures other school kids send in from around the world. Very cool!
Sana
My mom packed all my lunches when I was little and she still does sometimes ;)
penny@herworldlypleasures
I read about that 9 year old a few weeks back and it’s such a brilliant
idea to bring attention to the poor standard of school lunches. Did you watch Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution USA? The amount of rubbish the schools are feeding the kids is mind blowing.
Emily
Very impressive that the 9-year old took action! It really does go to show that ANYONE can make a difference!
I started caring about nutrition in high school (around the same time that I started running and working out, it all went hand in hand). I got a cell phone when I was 22 or 23, started using email as a freshman in college, and started blogging in December 2011. =D
I’m not nearly as hip or cool as the young folks of today… I don’t know what is considered cool for kids anymore, and when my teenage niece/nephew talk about pop culture I have no clue what they are referring to… sigh!
Megan@ The Running Doc
Wow, impressive for a 9 year old but a little sad that 9 year olds are forced to worry about things like school lunches. I didn’t start worrying about nutrition until I was about 16 and it wasn’t really nutrition I worried about but weight. And like you, I worried A LOT. I got my first cell phone at 16 but I’m pretty sure my younger sister (who’s 12 years younger than me) got one when she was about 6! Oh, how times have changed!!
Yellow Haired Girl
I read about this girl – amazing! I was not that savvy at her age!
Megan @ Run Like a Grl
Wow thats crazy!! I barely used the computer when I was 9 and back then we used dial-up AOL haha. I didn’t have a cell phone until high school and it was an awful Samsung flip phone. My parents wouldn’t let me have one until I was old enough (actually most kids didn’t have them until HS either to be honest).
Its honestly amazing what kids know at young ages. The 5 year old I babysit teaches me things about my iPhone every time I see him.
michelle kim
Wow! So interesting! Her parents must have raised her well.
Even though I blog now (at age 24), I still don’t know much about all this technogadgets and the interweb. I didn’t get a cellphone until about 17, which was around the time I started learning how to drive. I still refuse to get a smartphone now, hehe.
Jenny @ simply be me
The Internet didn’t even start gaining popularity until I was in high school and I never even really started using it until my first year of University in 1998. Crap. Now I feel old. And the icing on the cake? My husband and I got our first cell phone (just one that we shared) in 2008 :)
Annette@FitnessPerks
I didn’t think about what I was eating until HS! But I always loved caramel and tuna fish sandwiches (not together), and still do!!
Liz @ Tip Top Shape
I remember when Facebook was only something for people in college. Now grade schoolers have them. It’s weird how early kids really get into technology.
Vanessa @ Gourmet Runner
I think it’s so great that kids at that age are a)aware of nutrition and b)technologically capable. I was neither!
lindsay
what?! you were on tv? You are such a superstar! now lets go save that little kids lunch, sad.
Andrea
Wow, I don’t think I started caring about nutrition until I was 18 or 19…it still is a struggle at almost 31. Sometimes I just want to eat peanut M&Ms instead of a salad.
I don’t know about nutrition awareness, but I feel like kids today (and I feel OLD using that phrase) don’t get enough exercise. I remember playing outside all day long during summer months and only coming home when it got dark.
I didn’t get a cell phone until I got my driver’s license…when I was 16.
Kaelin
I ate lunch on my couch today tooo!!!!! Egg sandwich and watermelon for me! Unfortunately I still have 6 work days left until I am a free bird for the summer!
I find the food that my school district serves quite disgusting…. and the amount of food wasted is disturbing. Kids dump whole trays of untouched food into the trash. I hate it.
This girl took a stand and I love that! However it does worry me that she is so concerned about her health, its a slippery slope as we know when it comes to food. It’s all too easy to become obsessive.
Dani @ Run Daniella Run
Wow 9 is a young person to have a blog and have 1 million hits…jealous of a 9 year old…maybe. That is great though! The only school lunch I ever paid attention to was our lunch in Belfry MT, it was the bomb diggity! Seriously people’s grandmother’s made the lunch and it was amazing.
Amy
Jealous of the eating lunch at home…but I get to do it too in a week and a half! Yay!
Alecia@tincantreader
You look good! I’m just under 2 months out from my due date and I’ve turned 90% walker. Maybe it’s the Texas heat, but my energy goes down fast.
My other two kids are still really young, but I try to make sure they are learning what’s healthy and what’s not.
I didn’t even get an email address until I was 17. I grew up in the age of pagers.
Hayley @ Running Down the Runway
Thank you THANK YOU for mentioning me!!! I still have a smile glued to my face after opening your post :)
Since I babysit a ton (in a very wealthy area) I am AMAZED at kids and technology and how many gadgets they have. I got a cellphone in 6th grade and didn’t know what text messaging was until my freshman year of high school. I am only 21 now and am amazed at how much kids have/know about iphones/facebook etc. Every kid I babysit has a cellphone, starting in about 2nd grade. Even little kids know how to work iphones- its insane! I also, sadly, see a lot of girls caring way too much about calories etc at a very young age and I definitely don’t ever remember thinking about nutrition that young, considering my diet was pizza, pasta and ice cream. I think its important to instill good nutrition habits young, but now its getting a little scary!
Shay @ Whine Less, Breathe More
How old were you when you started blogging, getting on Facebook/email etc? Started blogging two years ago when I moved so far away from my family. Thought it would be a way for them to follow what we are doing.
When did you get a cell phone? I got my first cell phone when my first child was born. Wanted it for emergencies.
How often do you eat lunch at home? Not very often, but most days I pack a lunch from home to eat at work.
Missy
That picture is so great!!!!! Love it!
natalie@ southern fit foodie
I definitely didn’t think about it when I was nine! In high school I worried about it some but not much, but then in college it hit me big time when I took my first nutrition class!
I was 16 when I got a cell phone, and the only reason I got one then was so if I had an accident while driving I could call for help. Things sure have changed! All of my seventh graders have iphones!
Abby @ Change of Pace
That photo of you on TV is awesome! I wish I had seen the episode just to catch your seconds of fame!
That is pretty amazing that the nine-year-old is trying to affect positive change. It’s definitely crazy that she started her own blog though!
I bet your daughter will understand technology really young since you and Billy both love gadgets!
Piper
Hi! I’m a long time lurker but this is my first comment. I love your blog. Anyway, sadly enough I didn’t care about nutrition until about age 27. I’m 28 now so I’ve been enjoying a healthy lifestyle for about a year. And I feel so much better! I was actually always petite but I needed to change for my health, both physical and mental. It makes me so happy to see younger people caring about their nutrition. When I was nine I would do anything for a happy meal (which my parents rarely let me have), but really wasn’t educated on a healthy lifestyle.
Janae
HEY PIPER!! Thank you so much for your comment! So good to hear from you:) Way to take care of yourself and gain control of your health, that is amazing. It is exciting to see young kids caring about their health…I love your perspective. Have a great night!
Leah
To me, it seemed like the girl’s dad told her to take pictures and then uploaded them onto the blog himself… No 9 year old writes that well!
Janae
I think you are right….I was thinking that she must be a genius or something but it probably is her dad!
Danica @ It's Progression
that blog is crazy! awesome of that girl to use it in that way… that school should be SO ashamed.
Lindsay @ Lindsay's List
Wait. When are we gonna see the TV debut? I missed it!
Adriana
I started “caring” about nutrition around the time I was 12. It was more of a “omg! Sodium is bad; avoid! Avoid!” And I’d still eat fritos almost daily. I started actually learning about nutrition around 17, and my diet is still nooo where near perfect.
I got my first cell phone at 14, and started an online diary/journal at the same age. It was mostly for my friends, and since we saw each other in school and texted constantly, it couldn’t have been that exciting. I kept it
up until about two years ago until I got super busy with school. I’m trying to get started again though; I miss writing!
Tiffany
In a way I started caring about nutrition pretty early (around 9) but mostly because I hit my growth spurts faster than most kids. I was pretty much the same height and weight that I am now when I was in 6th grade, so I always thought I was fat. I didn’t really understand nutrition, I just knew I wanted to be like the other girls (younger looking less hips, thighs etc.) Luckily I just shrugged it off most of the time and didn’t get into any disordered eating. Don’t worry, I love myself now.
I had to set up my blog for a technology class in college, I got my cell phone when I was 16, my email when I was in junior high, and I mastered typing skills by chatting on MSN messenger 24/7.
Khushboo
Whether she wrote the blog or her dad, I think the outcome is great! Although when I was 9, I don’t think I even knew what the word ‘nutrition’ meant…I was all about the Oreos and Pringles haha! Kids really are growing up SO fast these days (I know I sound like a grandmother)- I was watching Masterchef Junior yesterday and I was in shock at how talented the kids were…in 45 minutes, they were whipping up fresh ravioli filled with shrimp and avocado mousse….er I couldn’t even do that in 4 hours ha!
mary @ minutespermile
that blog is insane! yeah i also did not care at all what i ate when i was young, but my mom was kind enough to feed me fruit and vegetables. and a fair amount of dairy queen which i think every child deserves.
Nicole@TheKidlessKronicles
I can’t remember caring about nutrition, or what I was served in any school, until I was actually out of school. It is a fine line with kids now, caring about health but not going overboard with the dieting and body image issues.
The Kidless Kronicles
Kari @ Running Ricig
I never really thought about nutrition, but I remember my aunt once making a comment about how my mom made us so insanely healthy. She packed our lunch everyday with fruits and veggies and healthy snacks. Such a good mom :)
Laura
I didn’t start caring until about 18. Before that I ate VERY poorly. However, kids now-a-days are WAY more in touch with things than I ever was! I am glad that adolescents are being educated about nutrition because the rate at which eating disorders are growing is astounding. The number of 13 year olds who have attempted to lose weight is 80%! It is just so weird to me because I never cared when I was younger……interesting read below.
http://www.state.sc.us/dmh/anorexia/statistics.htm
I was 16 when I got a phone and I had to pay for it. It is within the last year that I have really gotten into FB , blogging is brand new for me:-)
I bring a salad from home every single day, or last night’s leftovers. I work in Washington DC, buying lunch is WAY to expensive.
Kay
I heard about this girl- amazing work! And it’s coming from someone that is directly affected by the issue, which is even better that it’s getting the attention it has.
Meghan
This girl is amazing! I personally was always interested in nutrition, even at a young age. But I never grabbed the attention of Jaime Oliver… Jealous!
Jerilee @ Mom's Gone Running
Those lunches look terrible! My kids school has been doing better the last couple of years. Good for her, getting the word out but I find it so crazy how many young kids have really nice phones. Blogs didn’t exist when I was 9, I got my first cell phone when I was 18 (when I got to BYU and realized I REALLY missed my mom) and I joined FB 2 years ago!
Niki
Hey girly! How are you? Miss you. It was crazy to see you and Catey running together…we are friends with them :) She is ONE amazing mama. :) Love ya, sis!