Monday's Mothering Moment

The next month of Monday's we will focus our Mothering Moment section on Healthy Eating for our families! Whether you have young children, teenagers, or an empty nest I think you will find this series both interesting and beneficial.

This series is going to consist of tips and tricks to get your family to eat more healthily. It is also going to involve an "experiment." I hope I have peeked your curiosity. We will have a variety of woman trying out and rating some of the recipes in the cookbook "Deceptively Delicious" by Jessica Seinfeld. "In Deceptively Delicious, she shares her solutions: easy, mouthwatering recipes that even the most overwhelmed families can make-stealthily packed with unseen veggies, pureed so kids will never suspect."
This week I wanted to share my healthy eating findings from kidshealth.org. According to them these are the five best strategies to improve nutrition and encourage smart eating habits at any age.

1. Have a regular family meal. "Family meals are a comforting ritual for both parents and kids. Children like the predictability of family meals and parents get a chance to catch up with their kids. Kids who take part in regular family meals are also:

• more likely to eat fruit, vegetables, and grains
• less likely to snack on unhealthy foods
• less likely to smoke, use marijuana, or drink alcohol

To get teens to "buy into" the family meal here are some tips.

• allow your teen to invite a friend to dinner
• involve your teen in meal planning and preparation
• Keep mealtime calm and congenial--no lectures or arguing

2. Serve a variety of healthy foods and snacks. "Kids, especially younger ones, will eat mostly what's available at home. Here are some guidelines from kidshealth.org for serving healthy foods.

• Work fruits and vegetables into the daily routine.
• Make it easy for kids to choose healthy snacks
• Serve lean meats and other good sources of protein
• Choose whole grain breads and cereals
• Limit fat intake
• Limit sugary drinks

3. Be a role model by eating healthy yourself. The best way is to eat fruits and vegetables and not overindulge in the less nutritious stuff. Also, it is important to serve appropriate portions and not overeat.

4. Avoid battles over food.

• Establish a predictable schedule of meals and snacks.
• Don't force kids to clean their plates.
• Don't bribe or reward kids with food.
• Don't use food as a way of showing love.

5. Involve kids in the process-"Most kids will enjoy deciding what to make for dinner. Talk to them about making choices and planning a balanced meal. Some might even want to help shop for ingredients and prepare the meal. At the store, teach kids to check out food labels to begin understanding what to look for.

If you would like to read this article in its entirety please click the following link to visit www.kidshealth.org
Come back next week for our first installment in the Deceptively Delicious Experiment!