Healthy Eating for Kids

Happy Tuesday everyone! Hope that all is going well! Today is another day of random thoughts from me. Too long without blogging!

 I got up this morning and someone had posted a disgusting picture of something that looked like pink frozen yogurt but was really a goop of meat that had removed from the bones. The goop was recolored and flavored and used in hot dogs, salami, chicken tenders and the like. Gross. Jamie Oliver did an experiment showing American kids that chicken tenders were made from this goop. American kids were happy to eat the final product. British kids were grossed out. Jamie Oliver was blown away that American kids were not grossed out. Why are our kids culturally different? These kids looked 7 or 8 years old? How is there hope for the obesity epidemic in this country if even young kids do not care? They said they would eat it because they were hungry. I have been saddened all morning. But I will keep plugging away because I want to change people's thinking if possible.

I dropped my son off at school and then went to Trader Joe's. I carefully purchased my products. Organic veggies and foods that were not genetically modified, even though that meant spending a little extra money. I had a nice chat with the checker and we chatted about the wonders of cabbage and all that you could do with it. Stir fries, salads, and literally anything that has mixed ingredients could take a helping of cabbage. We also talked about how filling it is. How cabbage is the greatest food item to keep you full. I was starting to feel better. Maybe people do care about what they eat! She also blew me away by saying she was eating the frozen wild salmon patties and cabbage salad for dinner tonight. Very few people menu plan and to find someone that had planned a healthy dinner was heartening. She was a young girl in her twenties! Yay!

My thought for today is: Food choices matter to your health. Plain and simple. If you eat crap, you will feel like crap. If you eat healthy food, you will feel better, have more energy, think better, have less food cravings, have better control of your weight, less chance of heart disease, and diabetes. I could fill an entire page of the other health benefits of healthy eating. Please take this information to heart and feed your families and yourself well. 

Happy Healthy Eating All!

EASTER EATS

The focus of many a holiday, is the family meal? We have our generational menu that has been passed down through the ages. Healthy or not, our kids cannot make it without the famous Jell-O salad with the vanilla ice cream, or the starchy carbohydrate array! Easter is no exception! Most of us will be making ham, potatoes, corn, bread or rolls, Jell-o, and maybe a token green salad or green veggie and pie. I am dining with my wonderful friend’s family. That is our meal plan, the traditional Easter meal! My friend asked me to bring a green salad, because in her words, “You guys like green stuff.” Too funny!

Should we just accept this traditional meal or look for some ways to make some changes? Well? My choice is always: “Follow the half plate rule when possible.” How would that look for the Easter meal? How about this menu plan:

·        Ham

·        Roasted Potatoes drizzled with olive oil, sea salt, pepper

·        Chopped salad full of colorful veggies (Easter is colorful)

·        Asparagus-cooked how you love it!

·        Sliced melons

·        Lightened dessert of choice

This would be a great meal, enjoyed by all. It’s similar to our traditional meal, but half of our plate would be full of veggies! Yeah! Usually melons would be our dessert of choice, but because this is a special holiday, we will add in the dessert. I guarantee that you would be satisfied and even feel better than the heavier filling meal.

Let’s think outside of the box with our meals. Changes do not mean doing without, just adding some new tasty, healthier foods! Change tastes better!