Children who build their plates this way will become healthy eaters for life. Make it fun, and remember, by following this model, you’re guaranteed stars on half of your child’s plate…
4 Quarters
Category: Healthy Tips
3 Options to Cure Your Sweet Tooth
Post holidays, our taste buds still crave what we’ve been giving them. What with all the holiday parties, cookies, and candies how could we not want more? Hopefully decreasing sugar intake is one of your New Years’ resolutions, but if it’s not…these tricks will help you become far healthier.
I should clarify: these may not cure your sweet tooth, but they’ll certainly occupy it for the time being.
Craving candy? Try a piece of fruit. An apple is a great option, or try berries (to get the antioxidant benefits). The natural sugar isn’t only good for you, but it should take care of that sugar craving. Although if you need some extra sweetness, try some form of raw sugar or cinnamon on top.
Need ice cream? Try a soy-based or no sugar added ice cream. There’s still sugar, but they’re both healthier options.
Try a drink. Stay away from the liquor cabinet, but try a sweet tea – maybe a white tea or peppermint flavored. If that isn’t enough, try juice – but make sure it’s 100%.
What about you? What’s your tip for staying away from the cookie jar?…
Breakfast battles
The first few weeks of school were a little bumpy for us. The transition from the relaxed, carefree days of summer to the rushed, highly scheduled school days was not an easy one.
Grace, our kindergartner, would erupt into tears at the mere suggestion that she should get dressed. And actually choosing her clothes was another drama altogether (“No, that’s not pretty enough!”). So, by the time breakfast rolled around, emotions were high and patience was thin.
I would present the usual breakfast choices (oatmeal, cereal, eggs, yogurt) — the same selections that were happily accepted all summer long — and would receive only complaints in response. Grace would cry that she wasn’t ready to decide. Or she really wanted oatmeal but couldn’t possibly have oatmeal because her sister had already chosen it and they certainly couldn’t eat the same thing. Or I would suggest the very food that she had loved beyond words the day before, and she would proclaim that she hated it, and absolutely wouldn’t touch it if it were placed in front of her.
And just like that, I’d be unwittingly drawn into a battle over breakfast.
One day, after realizing I could no longer engage in wardrobe meltdowns AND breakfast battles AND pack a nutritious and appealing lunch while still getting the kids to school on time, I had an epiphany. Why should I be a short-order cook every morning, fixing each child exactly what she wants after many minutes of debate (causing them to have to scarf down their breakfast because they used up all of their time crying)?!
So, I made up a weekly breakfast menu. Monday was yogurt and fruit, Tuesday was peanut butter toast and fruit smoothies, and so on. No choices, no discussion, and most importantly — no tears. The selections were based on foods that both girls like in order to ensure maximum consumption and cooperation. This plan worked beautifully for about a week, until their father suggested that they add sliced banana to their oatmeal. So delicious!
Now I’m making oatmeal with banana EVERY SINGLE DAY. But as long as there aren’t any tears, I’m okay with that. Sooner or later, the breakfast battles will begin again, but this time I’ll be armed and ready…
Eating healthy lunches – a workaholics guide
Breakfast I can usually handle and dinner I love to cook. Lunch for me is the hardest meal to make time for, enjoy and make healthy choices. This past year I put a new focus on my lunch and work snacks and I have found a rhythm and saved myself quite a few dollars in my weekly food budget as well.
Making time for a lunch – who has time?
I have to schedule my lunch. That is my big secret. No matter the day or the workload, if I see that it is 1pm and I haven’t eaten lunch I have to stop what I am doing and make that time. We are all busy and some of us are easily distracted and forget to eat. Time is not going to present itself, we have to make it. Another hint is to make your lunch something you can handle eating at your desk if you have to. If my lunch feels like a process to make or sit and eat, I will find excuses…