Day Six

Today's highlight: Grocery shopping.

Here are the spoils, which we will now discuss:

Sometimes it seems difficult to get your family to eat healthy. Since I'm on this big "look on the bright side" kick right now, I'll share with you some of what we do around here that works well for us.

Buy as many fruits and veggies as you can realistically eat before they spoil. One of the keys is having a lot of variety... in color, texture, flavor, etc. Here's what we'll eat in the next 2 weeks, along with how we'll eat it:

1. SNACKS: I keep all fresh fruits on the counter in bowls. The kids are welcome to eat anything out there, any time of day (except for a half hour before meal times), without asking for permission. I put dried fruits and nuts in little rubbermaid containers, same rules apply.

On days when I am feeling more motivated, I prep fresh veggies before they come home from school. Or, as you can see in the picture, I buy the pre-cut stuff because sometimes I'm just not interested in making extra effort. Ranch, peanut butter or cream cheese make good dips, and while they're not the healthiest options, let's be honest... they facilitate kids eating veggies.

2. SIDES: We usually have a side salad with our supper, prepared in any number of ways. Just cucumbers or tomatoes with some salt and pepper, olive oil, vinegar, and feta cheese; typical lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, radishes, etc; spinach leaves with chopped pear, some craisins and some cashews. We throw a handful of berries, some dried fruit, or cut up bananas into our cereal or oatmeal at breakfast. If your kids don't like broccoli or radishes, cut them up REALLY small in a salad. When you cut the broccoli, imagine the little ball-thingies on the ends are razor stubble, and you're shaving it. So there are teeny little crumbs of broccoli in your salad, which no one can even taste. And yet, here you are, sneaking vitamins A and C, calcium and fiber right into their little bodies.

3. MAIN DISH: Sometimes I make a mega chef salad, with all the veggies, and some grilled chicken and cubes of cheese. Or a pasta salad, with lots of fresh veggies, some little pieces of meat and cubed cheese. Tomorrow I'm making a zucchini bisque. A half a grapefruit with some whole wheat toast makes a nice breakfast.

4. RANDOM HEALTHY IDEAS: I've heard quinoa is a nutritional powerhouse. I've never made it, but I bought some today. I'm going to give it a try. It's a grain, not a veggie. But we'll see what we can do with it. Also, I buy ground flax seed. Sprinkle it on EVERYTHING! You can't even taste it, and if you throw a couple of tablespoons in your salad, your cereal, oatmeal, sauces, anything you can think of, it will help keep your cholesterol low and provide you with good fiber. Also, herbal tea makes a great, soothing snack. My kids feel like big stuff drinking tea, and with a little honey, it gives us an alternative to the processed sugars found in most fruit juices.

5. OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN YOU HAVE THE MUNCHIES: Man cannot live by veggie alone. At least not this (wo)man. I need crunch and salt. So I buy popcorn (not the kind loaded with fatty oil... natural is best. Kettle corn has a nice sweet/salty flavor to it). Pepperidge Farm is really good about keeping their foods simple. Remember, if an ingredient list is really long, and loaded with things you've never heard of, then it may be best to avoid that product. Try to go with whole grain snacks, with simplified ingredient lists. I think cheese is a good snack, I know vegans disagree. But I pair some cheese with my crunchy snacks, and it's very satisfying.

6. LUNCHBOXES: Most days, I am really disappointed in what our schools offer for hot lunch. My little ones bring their lunch to school about 90% of the time. Mornings are a rush, so convenience is key. There are so many prepackaged options out there... look for the most natural choices. Fruit cups packed in "light syrup" are usually loaded with high fructose corn syrup. Look instead for the ones packed in 100% fruit juice. Unsweetened applesauce is also a good choice. We make sandwiches with lean meats like turkey and chicken breast, on whole grain bread. Whole wheat white works for picky eaters. Juicy juice and Motts make 100% juice boxes, without any sugar.

So there you have it. That's how we do most of our healthy eating around here. I do buy ice cream and a couple packages of cookies; the kids can have dessert every night. A few cookies, or a few scoops of ice cream... I don't want them to feel deprived and then pig out other places. And my dinners are pretty typical... just with lots of extra healthy stuff included. Make no mistake, there are nights where I fail, and the kids make themselves ramen. Or sometimes we have hot dogs. But I'm really trying to keep the menu healthy as much as I can. And the more I do it, the easier it gets.

So this is the bright spot in my day... feeling like I'm an informed shopper, able to provide good nutrition for my family. Who, by the way, are not always a pain in the A.