I wrote this post as a participant in the Eat Better, Eat Together Balancing Act blog carnival hosted by MealsMatter and Dairy Council of California to share ways families everywhere can make time for family meals that include foods from all the food groups. A list of other registered dietitians and moms who are participating in the Balancing Act blog carnival will be listed at the bottom of this post or can be found at MealsMatter.

I’ve been cooking family dinners for a little over 3 years now. I’m not a natural cook or foodie, just a mom who wants to teach her children the value of family meals — and expose them to good tasting and nutritious food.

In that process, I’ve learned some important lessons. These lessons, that I’m listing as commandments, have helped me keep things in perspective, lessening the guilt and adding more enjoyment to every meal.

I don’t get it right every time, but I sure do try. Because guilt is one of the most de-motivating emotions out there — and parents certainly don’t need more of it.

1. Thou shall not compare yourself to others: It’s easy to compare your cooking to others’ and feel inferior. Just visit some top mommy food bloggers and you might get that feeling that you’re not doing enough.

When I start to feel inadequate, I remind myself that I’m in this race alone. I have my own preferences, cooking abilities and am doing the best that I can. I look back and remember how far I’ve come — and use those talented food bloggers for inspiration, not another way to feel guilty!

2. Thou shall value food exposure: Let’s be honest — it’s hard when children don’t eat what you cook. It’s enough to make any parent question his or her cooking abilities.

Stop.

Research shows that continued food exposure is the most effective strategy for increasing food variety in kids. So if your child doesn’t eat broccoli, again, feel good that they were exposed to it. With each time they see it — it makes that food familiar and more likely to be eaten in their future.

3. Thou shall care about thine own eating: I think it’s important to put more value on what the adults in the house eat. Hey, if my kids don’t eat veggies, at least my husband and I do — and that counts. And research shows kids eventually eat what their parents eat.

I’ve even started making my husband’s lunch after realizing that I’d been ignoring him. And guess what? It always come back empty!

4. Thou shall not make eating healthy boring: I always consider nutritionwhen making and planning meals but I’ve let go of the “shoulds.” The goal, instead, is to consider taste along with nutrition and learn to blend the two.

I used to serve steamed broccoli but realized I didn’t even like it. Now I roast it or sauté it in olive oil and garlic. They key is to make healthy tasty — and drop the boring standard nutrition fare.

5. Thou shall drop the food agenda: Having kids help you in the kitchen and saying “yum” really loud while eating green beans are all fine if you’re doing it for the right reasons. In her books Ellyn Satter always says kids can smell an agenda a mile away — and I think she’s right.

Whenever we do something to get our kids to eat, they can see right through us, and tend to rebel. Make it a habit to check in with your real reasons for doing something — and when it comes to feeding, keep your eye on the prize.

6. Thou shall not blame thyself for picky eating: When I see a kid my daughter’s age eat the very foods she shuns, those negative voices pop up:

“Maybe there’s more I could be doing?”

“His mother must be a natural in the kitchen.”

“She –” (I try to stop at this point)

I remind myself that much of kids’ eating, including their fear of new foods, is inherited, age appropriate and different for every child. Yes, parents have great influence over their child’s eating but each person learns at their own pace.

After all, how your kid eats at 30 is a better indicator of the job you did feeding, than how they eat at 5.

7. Thou shall not fix it if it isn’t broken: I was talking to a friend who was saying she should change things up in the kitchen.

Her: I see what all those moms are doing and it makes me feel guilty — I should try new recipes and meals

Me: Do you serve a variety of food?

Her: Yes.

Me: Is your cooking low stress?

Her: Yes, it’s only three of us — and my daughter has really stepped up the eating since starting kindergarten.

Me: Maybe there’s nothing to fix.

Her: You think?

Me: Yes. Try new meals if you want to, but don’t do it out of guilt.

8. Thou shall plan meals ahead: Nothing makes me feel guiltier than starting to cook a meal only to find the main ingredient missing or having to run back to the store all week long.

Bottom line: When do a good job of planning meals for the week, everything seems to goes better.

9. Thou shall take time off: We all need a break from the grind of feeding. Whether it be date nights, takeout on those stressful days or opting for the easy meal, little breaks from cooking — and feeding kids — is essential.

I’ve come to know those days that I just can’t cook — and I don’t feel guilty for it because the next day I’m back stronger and better.

10. Thou shall remember that meals are about connection: When all is said and done, and the meal is on the table, or you’re staring at your beautiful baby getting ready to spoon feed him, feeding is really about connection.

I can honestly say that I’ve had the most memorable times feeding my kids. Just yesterday morning at breakfast Little D was saying his numbers, making us all crack up. One, Two, Thee, Sik, Nine, Even. He was purposely messing them up to make us laugh.

When my kids are out of the house, I won’t remember the work or stress it took to make meals happen. Surely, the memories of uneaten meals will fade.

What I’ll remember is the connection it allowed me to have with them — laughing, talking, singing and watching those beautiful faces change as the years go by. When I look at it this way, being the perfect cook and taking the emotional hits that go along with feeding pale in comparison.

How about you? Are you able to enjoy family meals or is the guilt getting the best of you?

Don’t stop here! Other bloggers share their stories and tips on how they juggle the balancing act of getting a well-balanced meal on the table!

10 Commandments for Guilt-Free Feeding – Maryann Tomovich Jacobsen, MS, RD
Beating the Lunch Box Blues – Katie Sullivan Morford, MS, RD
Dinner Time – Michelle Rowe, RN and Health Educator
Eat Better, Eat Together– Jessica Fishman Levinson, MS, RD, CDN
Family Dinners Fuel Healthier Kids – Susan Weiner, RD, MS, CDE, CDN
Families that Cook Together Eat Together – Kia Robertson
Making Time for Family Meals: How I’ve Earned My “RDH” – Trina Robertson, MS, RD
Meal Planning: Taking the Stress Out of the ‘What’s for Dinner’– Laura Everage
Pressed for Time? Moms Know Best: Tips for Getting Food on the Table – FAST! – Samantha Lewandowski, MS, RD, LDN
Roasted Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal – Cheri Liefeld
Sunday Night Family Dinner, In the Dining Room – Jill Castle, MS, RD, LDN 
The Balancing Act – Ann Dunaway Teh, MS, RD, LD
The Power of Family Meal Time & How to Squeeze It In! – Bridget Swinney MS, RD, LD
The Truth About Family Dinner – Sally Kuzemchak, MS, RD
Toughen up: Give Two Choices for Dinner – Take it or Leave it! – Glenda Gourley

Our dinner theme nights are going well — and that includes a night dedicated to stir fry recipes.  I tried this recipe from Gina over at Feed Our Families.  It is incredibly easy and super tasty.

I’ve made this twice already — once with just broccoli and another time with added carrots and onions.  The second time I steamed the veggies beforehand to soften them up a bit for the kids (and make the actual cooking time faster).

Did the kids go for it?  Little D happily ate from his bowl where I cut every thing up extra special for him (below is the after picture) 

And Big A stuck with rice and fruit only.  I’m sure she’ll come around…eventually.

Does your family eat stir-fries?

Ingredients (serves 4)
-Vegetable or sesame oil
-1 pound chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces (can substitute with tofu or shrimp)
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-2 tsp grated ginger
-6 to 7 cups of broccoli (or mix it up with your favorites), chopped
-3 tbsp hot water
-3 tbsp peanut butter (chunky works great)
-3 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
-1 tbsp rice vinegar

Directions
1. Coat a nonstick pan with about 1 tablespoon of oil. Sauté vegetables in oil on medium heat until tender. Set aside in a bowl.

2. Coat the same pan with another tablespoon oil, and add the garlic and ginger for two minutes, until golden in color. Add chicken and sauté on medium heat until cooked through.

3. While chicken is cooking, make the sauce by adding hot water to the peanut butter. Whisk until well mixed. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well.

4. Add the vegetables back in the pan. Add the sauce and toss until thoroughly mixed.

Serve over rice of choice of rice and sprinkle minced peanuts (optional) if you use smooth peanut butter.

For more stir fry ideas see this article on Cooking Light

This guest post is in response to a question I had for Brenda, the meal planning expert. Brenda is a mom, freelance writer and self-taught meal planner. Her blog, Meal Planning Magic, provides ideas on how to get organized in the kitchen, save a little money, eat healthier (and family friendly) and have a little fun along the way. She shares free weekly sample meal plans, cookbook reviews, forms for keeping it all straight, ideas, and inspiration!

The message seems to be everywhere. If you want to save money, eat healthier and feed your family right, you need to plan your meals before you head to the store. It seems so simple. Just grab your calendar, a few cookbooks or recipe box and your grocery list and you’re on your way, right?

Not so fast. There are a number of factors to consider when choosing the when, where and how of meal planning. By answering these 6 questions, you’ll discover whether your meal planning efforts are flourishing or failing (and how to change things).

1. Is the extra work worth the cost saving? First ask yourself, is cost savings on a particular item worth it to drive out of the way to purchase it? Is walking an option or do you have to get in a car to go to a preferred store?

Do the math and you may find that making a special trip may not be so good for your budget. Sometimes simplifying the process can make a big difference.

2. Does it fit your lifestyle and preferences? Coupon clippers and sale shoppers can save a lot of money on items they may normally purchase, however others find that whole process time-consuming and cumbersome. Still, some people like to buy what’s new or different no matter the price while others are impulse buyers willing to change their menu based on in-store samples.

Figure out how you like to shop and make that part of the process. All of this can work into your meal planning if you know and understand your style.

3. How close are the grocery stores? Does a trip to the grocery store require a day’s outing to the next town or are your options just minutes away?

The key is to shop in a way that fits the options that surround you. If you live in a small town, being efficient when you shop is key because if you forget it, it may be a few weeks before you can go back to get it. But if you are walking distance to a store, last minute visits may not be a big deal.

4. What’s my ability to store food? Consider your storage space before you start stocking up on items. If you have ample pantry and freezer space, shopping at a wholesale club may be worth it to you. If the luxury of storage is not yours, more frequent trips to the store work better.

5. Do I really have to sacrifice health for budget? The decision is not so black and white, but often items that are less expensive are not always the healthiest. There is a perceived notion that healthier foods cost more.

For many, the bottom line is what drives their grocery shopping. While others may be willing to pay a little more for higher quality ingredients that are also produced locally and are sustainable.

The good news: these days more food producers are taking note of public demand and are providing healthy foods that are also budget friendly.

6. Am I using my time wisely? When it comes to food shopping, it may seem as though you’re running all over town going from the traditional grocery store to the farmer’s market to the organic grocery store to the wholesale club. It’s enough to make you feel like you’re running in circles!

It doesn’t have to be this way. Check your farmer’s market website for updates or get on their email list so you’ll know what types of items and vendors will be at the market each week. And then decide if you really need to go each week. Additionally, consider starting a co-op with some friends or neighbors where you take turns going to the market or store each week. This works especially well for wholesale clubs that may not be conveniently located.

Meal planning really can be an easy way to help you get good tasting, healthy food on the table for your family. It just takes a little thinking ahead to get you started and before you know it, you won’t remember any other way!

So tell me, what is the biggest barrier you face when it comes to meal planning?

It’s the last week of summer. I’m just glad it cooled off here in San Diego. There’s a very small but distinct feeling of fall in the air. Fall is my favorite season, hands down.

We recently bought a condo and are first time homeowners. We’ll be spending the next couple of months on renovations but are looking to get settled before the holidays. I’m hoping this will expand my cooking as we will have more freezer space and a bigger refrigerator!

This week I’m trying a few new meals. I’ll be making a slow cooker Cheese Tortellini sans the sausage — an All Recipes dish. I stumbled upon this 17-bean and barley bag at Trader Joes and there’s a soup recipe on the package. I’m going to adapt the recipe for the Slow Cooker. I’m also going to try homemade mac and cheese for the first time.

I’ll post the recipes that turn out. For more ideas for your menu plan see Org Junkie.

What’s Cooking This Week

Monday: Chicken Fajitas with tortillas and guacamole

Tuesday: Slow Cooker Cheesy Italian Tortellini, bread and green salad

Wednesday: 17-Bean & Barley soup, bread and carrots

Thursday: Leftovers/potluck (maybe soup with grilled cheese)

Friday: Salmon Topped with Veggies with mac and cheese

Challenges — Back to School (or Life)

With summer ending that means it’s back-to-school for some of you. Those with younger children will get settled back into a normal routine. Either way it’s a change.

The Lunchbox Love Series over at Foodie-isms is starting this week so I’ll be sure to send you the link for that. I’ve been making lunches for my daughter for about a month now (twice a week). It’s challenging but kind of fun in a weird way.

the biggest challenge is that my daughter hasn’t been eating her sandwiches. She used to eat peanut butter and jelly but no longer seems interested. She prefers grilled sandwiches or bread that is toasted. Here’s a before and after picture of one of her lunches.

I encourage her to try it all but don’t make a big deal when she brings back her lunch. I don’t mind it so much because with these new bento-style lunch boxes she gets a large variety. I’ll be reviewing a few of these lunch boxes…they are so cool.

I think the fun part about making lunches is the presentation. I know when she opens it up she is reminded of home (and me!). I like to throw surprise items in there and I’m even thinking of cutting her sandwiches and cheese up into fun shapes. When she’s old enough maybe I’ll even send her little love notes.

What I didn’t expect was that her lunch time would also include influence from other kids. One night at dinner she ordered us to eat our “healthy foods first”. I asked her where she heard that and she said “a boy at school.” I told her that we never make her eat certain foods before others and to tell the boy that the next time he says it.

This got me thinking about how kids influence each other when it comes to eating. Research actually supports the notion that kids are more likely to eat what their friends are eating. I wrote a guest post on this subject for Meal Planning Magic: How to handle negative (food) peer pressure for kids at school.

Has this been an issue for any of you?

News — Diet soda bad for pregnancy and calories on menus

Some noteworthy news include a study published in the September issue of American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showing that pregnant women who drink at least one diet soda a day are 38 percent more likely to have a preterm baby (<37 weeks). Women who drank as much as four diet sodas daily were 78 percent more likely to have a premature baby.

Needless to say diet soda is not recommended during pregnancy (unless maybe you’re 40 weeks and counting).

Also in the news was the FDA draft guidelines for restaurant businesses (with 20 or more locations) to print the calorie information of their items. Upon request, consumers can get additional nutrition information including fat, saturated fat, sodium and sugars.

The only items excluded from the calorie counts are those that will be on the menu for 60 days or less such as daily specials. After the comment period the FDA will finalize the guidelines.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one. I don’t know if I want to see the calorie count on items when I’m relaxed at a restaurant. I do think people who eat out more frequently may benefit from understanding how many calories are in different items. But low calorie doesn’t always equal well balanced.

If you eat out quite a bit check out Healthy Dining Finder. They work with restaurants to get healthier items on the menus (not just low calorie).

Well that’s about it for now.  Have a great week!

We had a good week of meals last week even though I had one of those days where takeout was the only answer.  It was a tough day at work and I didn’t get much sleep due to my teething  15-month old.  I couldn’t imagine myself in the kitchen preparing a meal so I didn’t.  My husband picked up Pollo Loco instead.

I think that is what takeout is for — those days that you just need a break. It so hit the spot and I did not feel an ounce of guilt.

Last week updates: I tried the Gnocchi with Spinach and my husband and I loved it.  But neither of our kids gave it a try.  I think my son had a little stomach thing because he didn’t eat much of his afternoon snack either. We enjoyed the healthy sloppy Joes. I’ll be posting some recipes soon.

This week I”m pulling out the slow cooker for a couple of recipes from Stephanie at A Year of Slow Cooking.  I feel like it’s time for some meat so I will be making Carnitas. I’m also trying a new pasta and bean dish.

For more meal plans see Org Junkie.

What’s Cooking this Week?

Monday: Slowcooker Carnitas with sides of black beans, tortillas and all the toppings including guacamole and salsa.

Tuesday: Garlicky Pasta, bread and green beans (Six O’Clock Scramble Cookbook)

Wednesday: Slowcooker Cowboy beans, mixed green salad and fruit

Thursday: Potluck/leftovers

Friday: Salmon topped with veggies, mashed sweet potatoes, salad and fruit

Challenges

My 3-year old is going through another stage with her eating.  Bean burritos are one of her favorites but lately she is only eating the tortilla and guacamole.  And for some reason she’s no longer eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  Both days last week I sent them to school and she ate everything else I sent except the sandwich.

I’ve seen her go through stages like this before and she always returns back to eating more of a variety.  Sometimes I wonder if she does it to get a reaction out of me but I never make a big deal out of it.  I will remind her about all the food on her plate but I that’s it.  What bothers me the most is that I can see the consequences of this change of eating in the toilet.

Yes, I’m going there.  She’s been getting a little constipated– and has been going less frequently.  Actually, since she’s been potty trained, for several months now, she seems to put off going poo as long as she can which doesn’t help.  I know she has to go when she walks on her tippy toes.

Harder stools usually have one of three causes — hydration, fiber and activity.  Since she stays pretty well hydrated and is active, I know it’s the fiber.  She still eats plenty of fresh fruit though some days she shuns it.  But I think the real culprit is she’s eating fewer beans and whole wheat bread.

I’ve been talking to her about how eating a variety of foods helps make her poo softer (not at the kitchen table of course).  I’m using those toilet times as “teachable moments.”   I’m also going to make some high fiber muffins and up the fresh fruit and veggie offerings.  I plan to write a post on this wonderful subject in the near future so if you have any questions/challenges let me know.

Somebody has to talk about it.

News

We recently went out to dinner when a babysitter with three kids sat down next to us.  When their meals were served the babysitter helped set the kids up and they started eating.  I’m guessing the ages were 3-8.  The youngest, no doubt the pickiest of the bunch, barely touched his burrito (but he did eat quite a bit of rice). 

The babysitter started pleading with him to take at least a three more bites of his burrito or else dessert wouldn’t happen.  There was no talk about whether or not the kid was hungry or full.  I wondered if their parents knew how their babysitter fed their kids.

This reminded me of something I read on one of my go-to blogs, Family Feeding Dynamics.  Dr. Rowell mentions an article published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior where they videotaped childcare workers feeding children.  I looked up the study.

More often than not, the childcare professionals told children to take more bites or to finish their food without mentioning hunger or satiation.  There was also a lot of “you won’t get dessert until you finish your food.”  I discuss the consequences of such feeding strategies in 10 pitfalls to avoid when feeding picky eaters.

If your child is in childcare/school it’s important to find out how they are being fed.  You may provide the food, but the “how of feeding” is just as important.  As Rowell says in her post, “Remember that over time, children can be fed in a way that overrides and buries their internal cues which means they are likely to eat more or less then they need.”

I think this is a completely overlooked culprit to weight problems in kids and adults.  Almost every adult I see for weight problems tells me they were told to “clean their plate” as kids.  

For those of you new to my site, I often talk about how important it is to raise my kids to be intuitive eaters.  That means they eat for hunger (not boredom, etc) and stop when they get full, a gift they are actually born with. 

I’ve been talking to my daughter about tuning into her tummy.  Is it full?  Still hungry?  Satisfied?  We were having ice cream the other night and I stopped and told her I was satisfied.  She asked me what satisfied meant.  I told her it’s that perfect point you know you’ve had enough.  Not quite full but not wanting more.

She soon stopped and said “I’m satisfied now.”

Last week turned hectic because my daughter’s sickness spread to the rest of us.  It wasn’t as bad as last time but it still threw the whole week off.  I never got to the Red Beans and Rice but I did make the Chicken Pesto Parm.  I haven’t had much success with producing tasty and moist baked chicken, but the mixture of parmesan and pesto worked beautifully.  I know I’ll make this one again soon. 

I’m looking forward to this week’s meals because I have an incredible new cookbook to try.  I’m going to review it soon but first want to test a few recipes.  For Wednesday slow-cook day, I’m going to make my favorite stew-like meals before the weather gets too hot.  I’m usually not a fan of stews but this one rocks. 

For more meals plans go to Org Junkie.

What’s Cooking This Week

Monday:  Black Bean Burritos, guacamole and toppings

Tuesday: Ravioli with Spinach and Sun-dried Tomatoes, bread and salad (new cookbook — recipe forthcoming).

Wednesday: Italian Chicken with White Beans, Parmesan Crusted Asparagus and bread.

Thursday: Potluck/leftovers

Friday: Roasted Vegetable, Feta Cheese and Basil Pizza

Will have salmon/tuna for lunch to make up for this week’s fish deficit.

News

Three months ago news of the Let’s Move campaign to fight childhood obesity, and Michelle Obama’s leading role, took center stage.  The new White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity promised the public a “plan of action” in 90 days.

And they delivered on that promise.

Last week the Task Force revealed their 124-page report to the President: Solving the Problem of Childhood Obesity within a Generation. 

I did not read the entire document word for word (but you can!) but concentrated more on the recommendations. 

The five areas the taskforce focus on include Early Childhood, Empowering Parents and Caregivers, Healthy Food in Schools, Increasing Access to Healthy and Affordable Food and Increasing Physical Activity. 

The Early Childhood section includes ways to increase breastfeeding, improve the quality of prenatal care and childcare settings and make the American Academy of Pediatrics screen time guidelines (2 hours or less) more available.

Empowering Parents and Caregivers focuses on ways to disseminate the 2010 Dietary Guidelines (out soon) and to improve food labels and food at restaurants (with calorie counts for both vending machines and establishments). 

Marketing unhealthy foods took center stage in this section.  The taskforce recommends no advertising to kids, even in-store.  They recommend media and licensing of popular characters only be allowed for healthy food.  And if this doesn’t work they recommend the FCC consider new rules all together.

There will also be a heavy focus on BMI at pediatrician offices and at schools.  This means weight is likely to be checked at schools and kids would go home with a note for parents. 

Pediatricians and schools will provide tips to parents on ways they can help their overweight children.  If things don’t improve more intense treatments may be recommended.

Healthy Food in Schools covers the importance of nutrition education, improving resources for healthy meals, establishing farm-to-school programs and updating nutrition standards for meals and expanding them to a la carte and vending. 

In order to improve Access to Healthy Affordable Food, the taskforce recommends a multi-year, multi-agency healthy food financing initiative to improve the food at underserved urban and rural communities.  They also recommend incentives to grocery stores to include more healthy food as well as wellness policies at public and provide facilities that serve children.

The last one, Increasing Physical Activity, includes ways to decrease the cost of sports, increase recess and physical education classes and make “active transport” a reality for more kids.  Basically active transport is walking or biking to school.  According to the report, 13% of kids currently walk to school compared to 44% in 1969.   Some ideas including walking school buses with adults walking kids to school.

What I don’t like

I’m having trouble with the Empowering Parents and Caregivers section.  Not much of what they recommend is empowering at all, especially the concentration on marketing to children.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a proponent of marketing to kids.  But how do these messages empower parents?  Instead of telling parents they are powerless to advertising, let’s tell them they are the biggest influence on their kids’ eating.  A study published in the British Journal of Developmental Psychology showed that parents who talked to their kids about the nature of advertising and provided limits/structure on such foods, had kids that were less impacted by advertising.  Restricting advertising only worked for young children (<8 years).

And there is no mention of family meals or how to feed kids.  How can this message not be included when study after study shows the benefits of family meals on weight, fruit and vegetable intake and disordered eating?  Instead it’s the same old focus on the “what” of eating, telling parents of overweight children to eat healthy.  Don’t they already know that? 

I’m still concerned how this focus on weight will play out.  How will pediatricians counsel families?  Maybe having a dietitian on staff would help?  And they don’t mention anything about making health tips a family affair.  Successful childhood weight management programs that have been shown to effective, such as Shapedown, include the whole family in the process. 

I could go on but I won’t.  I just know that information alone will not motivate people to change.  We need to remove their barriers.  They will take the note and tips from the doctor and go home to the same roadblocks.  When I first started working as a dietitian, I counseled patients this way and most never returned for follow up.

What I like

I like the increasing physical activity section, especially the idea on active transport.  Finding ways kids can have activity naturally built into their environment is key. And making exercise a regular part of their school day is vital.

I also hope that schools get more resources to help them expand their nutritious meals.  And the ideas for increasing healthy foods in more communities sound pretty good. 

I’m curious what you all think about this.  As a parent, do you think much about this obesity epidemic?  Sometimes I think this “childhood obesity” conversation is only being had by health professionals, policy makers and food enthusiasts.

Have a great week and let me know your thoughts!

I can’t believe I was able to get this weekly meal plan together. This last week has been one of those weeks no parent wishes on another parent. Of course I feel the need to share…

Warning: If you are eating (or are about to) don’t proceed.  You could lose your appetite.

Monday/Tuesday:  My teething 11-month old won’t sleep.

Wednesday: Baby (David)  finally sleeps but 3-year old (Anna)  wakes up at 10 pm saying her stomach hurts.  We put her on the potty and she goes number 2.  We are relieved.  Then, about 2 minutes after being off the potty, she starts vomiting non-stop all over the floor.  We rush her to the bathroom.  She seems okay.  We think it’s over just some poo and vomit, no big deal.  So back to bed she goes.  Fifteen minutes later more vomit .  She ends up in bed with me throwing up all night.

Thursday: An hour after going to bed, Anna vomited one last time.  She went back into bed with me and had no further episodes the rest of the night.

Friday: Anna is much better all day, starting to eat more.  There’s hope for our future.

 4pm: David throws up a little.  I tell myself it’s just some spit up, please God.  Then 10 minutes later he vomits all over the rug in his room.  It is red because he just had yogurt with strawberries.  I call my husband to tell him we have another sick kid.  We commiserate.

7pm: I go to bed next to David (he is in the pack-n-play in our room). After some gagging episodes he seems okay and goes to sleep.

9:30pm: I start to feel nauseated.  I tell myself it’s just from all the foul smells I’ve been exposed to.  Please God. 

10pm: I throw up twice.   My husband goes to be with David.  I crash on the couch.

Saturday: I wake up feeling like a truck hit me.  My husband acts like I should do my usual mom thing.  I inform him that I feel very bad.  David seems much better and in a good mood. 

2pm: I start to feel better and David seems okay.  We’ll get through this!!

10pm: Husband throws up.  Now we all have had it. The worst has happened,  right?

Sunday: After David gets up from his morning nap, he throws up all over me. 

What??

David is cranky all day, my husband is useless and my daughter is full of energy.  So after putting the kids to bed I did my best to pull a meal plan together.  It will be a different week (no Mexican on Monday) because of everything going on.  Here’s what I came up with:

Monday: Chicken Noodle Soup with crackers.  I found this on All Recipes and it looks easy and tasty.  Plus it got good reviews.  I figure this isn’t the last time my family will be sick so it makes sense to have a good chicken noodle soup recipe on hand.

Tuesday: Shrimp and Broccoli Pasta with bread and (maybe) salad.  The pasta and bread is bland enough for my husband who will probably still not be able to eat like normal

Wednesday: Potlock/leftovers

Thursday: Lentil and Brown Rice Casserole with carrots and bread.  I got this one off of 5 dollar dinners and it is super easy (and cheap).  Just needs to cook for a while. My mother-in-law can put it in for me if I’m home from work late.

Friday: Will have burrito night.  We all should be up for Mexican by then.

Weekend:  I plan to try one of the awesome Tilapia recipes readers sent me with some roasted asparagus!

So, I’m wondering, what do you feed your kids (and yourself) when they are sick?  I’d love to get some ideas!!

I’ll leave you with some tips on overcoming the challenges of feeding kids balanced meals from SimpleBites.net.  Balanced Meals for Kids: Not Until You Eat Your Vegetables.

Every Monday Laura from Orgjunkie.com posts her weekly meal plan for her family and encourages other bloggers to do the same. Last week she linked to one of my meal planning articles and it brought some new subscribers to us (so welcome!)

So I thought I’d start a new tradition by listing out my family’s meal plan for the week.  I may not do this every Monday but will do it as often as I can.  I also thought it would be a good time to talk about challenges everyone is having. (And in case you were wondering, I always look like the girl does in the picture and my kitchen is always spotless) 

So I’ll share my challenges, and feel free to share yours. And maybe we can help each other.

What’s Cooking This Week:

Nothing out of the ordinary is going on this week.  I work Wednesday so it’s usually a long slow cooker day and Thursdays are leftovers or potluck (thanks to Sandy for her tip in our meal planning series).  Monday is Mexican and Fridays fish.  Let’s take a look…

Monday: Black bean & rice burritos with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and guacamole.

Tuesday: Spinach* ricotta stuffed shells with bread, salad and fruit.  This is a new recipe that I got from fellow RD, Estela, at Weekly Bite. I will let you know how it turns out.

Wednesday: Slow cooker White Chicken Chili from last week.  Will top with cheddar cheese and serve carrots* and hummus (my daughter loves carrots).

Thursday: Will combine leftovers and do a potluck and probably roast some broccoli to go with everything.  Last week we all chose a sandwich.  My daughter had PB&J, my husband had egg and cheese and my son and I had scrambled eggs and spinach.  I put out some cantaloupe chunks.

Friday: Baked salmon with sweet potatoes* and green beans.

Saturday: Eat out

Sunday: Dinner with extended family. 

Nutrition and feeding challenges

In 5 Secrets to the Perfect Weekly Meal Plan, I provide tips on how to ensure balanced nutrition while meal planning. So I make a point to include beans twice a week.  I also include at least one vitamin A-rich veggie and vitamin-C rich fruit (the starred items have vitamin A). On the days I don’t have a vitamin-A rich item for dinner I will offer one for lunch or snack.  I serve vitamin C-rich fruits at breakfast (cantaloupe, orange, strawberries or kiwi).  I worry that my seldom-meat eating 3-year old doesn’t get much iron so the vitamin C helps absorb the iron in her fortified cereal and raisins. 

One of my biggest nutrition challenges is reaching my goal of having fish twice a week.  We usually have salmon weekly and will sometimes make tuna sandwiches or shrimp, but that doesn’t always happen.  We all take fish oils around here but I want to start making more fish.  So if you have a good recipe, let me know.  (I recently tried pan frying some tilapia but it got all crumpled up). For more on the importance of fish see Kids & DHA: The Complete Guide for Parents.

Both of my kids (11 months and 3 years) eat meals with the family.  My youngest will eat just about anything so I’m trying to take advantage of it.  Studies suggest that the more flavors and textures you introduce early, the more variety kids will accept when they get older.

And my 3-year old is still cautious when it comes to trying new foods.  I’ve been talking to her about this and encourage her to try more foods (without being overbearing or pressuring).  She does much better at home – last week she took a few bites of a turkey sandwich and has been eating broccoli pretty regularly.  But when we go to someone else’s house for dinner, or to restaurants, she is especially anxious.

I know a lot of parents incorporate the no-thank you bite but I don’t feel comfortable doing that.  I encourage her, try to be supportive and leave it at that.  I’d love to hear from someone with older kids comment on how their kids grew out of this phase (or not).

What are you having this week?  Any feeding/meal/nutrition challenges you want to share??

I’m wrapping up the family meal planning series with some expert tips. These are food and nutrition experts who spend a lot of (productive) time in the kitchen. The goal of this series was to help you overcome the “time” barrier to getting rewarding meals on the table, so I hope it succeeded.

It’s all about taking different ideas and finding your own way. Once the routine is set, the stress of family meals can be replaced with pleasure. I still have stressful weeks (usually when I don’t plan) but it’s gotten easier.

To keep the spirit of meal planning alive, I plan to feature rock star moms (or dads) who have a good system for preparing meals. So if that’s you, send me a note!

Sally Kuzemchak, MS, RD www.RealMomNutrition.com

1. Stock up when you can: When boneless/skinless chicken is on sale, I buy a bunch, boil it, shred it, then freeze it in baggies. Then it’s ready for casseroles, soups, and burritos/tacos.

2. Try batch cooking whenever possible: If I’m making a turkey meatloaf, I double the recipe and put one in the freezer. Same for lasagna and turkey meatballs (can be used with pasta and then I make small ones for soup).

3. Plan for weekends too: A lot of people plan their week’s meals but end up ordering out or going out all weekend because they didn’t have a plan.

4. Try “Pot-luck” nights: This is a much-needed break for me and can be just as healthy as a more elaborate meal. I’ll make PBJs on whole grain bread plus fruit and veggies for the kids, I’ll have a big salad, and my husband will have soup or leftovers. We still sit down and eat together and have that family mealtime experience, but it’s much quicker to prepare (and helps get rid of leftovers and odds and ends).

Janice Bissex MS, RD and Liz Weiss, MS, RD, authors of The Moms’ Guide to Meal Makeovers: Improving the Way Your Family Eats, One Meal at a Time!
www.mealmakeovermoms.com

5. Rely on convenience foods but choose wisely: Some of our favorite nutrient-packed convenience foods include frozen fruits and vegetables, canned beans, frozen ravioli and tortellini, pre-shredded reduced fat cheeses, and jarred pasta sauce and salsa. We recently posted a fast broccoli & bean soup recipe to our blog that busy moms can have on the table in minutes.

6. Turn to appliances that deliver fast meals: Two of our favorites are the slow cooker — it’s best to organize all ingredients the night before so in the morning, moms can load up the slow cooker before heading out the door — and the pressure cooker. Modern-day pressure cookers are safe to use and help to get nutritious meals on the table in minutes. Here’s a delicious risotto recipe using the pressure cooker.

7. Mise en place: This is a French term for “everything in its place.” We encourage busy parents to measure out and chop up all ingredients ahead of time so when dinner rolls around, they’re ready to go! Doing this the night before or any time parents have a few free minutes is a great strategy. And having a nonstick skillet in the kitchen is also great … because it means less mess and clean-up required.

Sandy Nissenberg, MS, RD, author of Quick Meals for Healthy Kids and Busy Parents: Wholesome Family Recipes in 30 Minutes or Less From Three Leading Child Nutrition Experts www.kidsliketoeat.com

8. Choose foods from each group of the food pyramid: Pyramid your pantry so you can easily select items that fit.

9. Combine homemade items with those that are prepared, like salads in bags, canned fruit, pasta/veggie combinations.

10. Have little ones help out: Make dinners that the family can help with, i.e., wrapping tortillas, quesadillas; packing a pita pocket; stuffing a baked potato.

11. Create combo meals: Try stir fries, casseroles and all-in-one skillet meals.

Kathleen Cuneo, PhD www.dinnertogether.com

12. Put a support system in place: Get help from older children, neighbors, your spouse or other parent friends. For more on how to do this see Putting a Support System in Place.

Feel free to add your own time-saving tips in the comments!

Previous: How to Spend Less Time Grocery Shopping

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In part 3 of this series we talked about planning a weeks’ worth of healthy meals to save time. But I think the most challenging part of the whole meal planning process is translating that plan into a readable grocery list — getting all the food you need and storing that food in an organized fashion.

I have been known, on occasion, to forget an ingredient or two and not discover it until it’s too late. My husband comes home, I cry, and he’s off to El Pollo Loco. Not fun.

Learning what leads to those bad weeks has helped me figure out what’s needed to make this process run smoothly. And I care because the better job I do meal planning and shopping, the better my whole week goes, and the less time I spend running back to the grocery store. So without further ado, here are some tips on how to maximize efficiency when grocery shopping:

1. Healthy Grocery Checklist: I’ve been using a pad of blank paper to write my grocery list on. The problem with this is food is listed randomly on the paper. So when I’m in the store, I’m more likely to miss something or have to backtrack to another department (not a good thing with kids in tow!).

So I devised a printable grocery list that also contains helpful nutrition tips. The idea is to hang it on your fridge and check off items as they run low so there are no fun surprises later. Then finish filling it out before your big shopping trip. This dowload is only available to subscribers so sign up today.

2. An organized kitchen: I often write about my lack of organization skills. But I know that having an organized kitchen is key to minimizing mistakes. Because when it comes time to write up your grocery list, you need to check and see if there’s anything you need. And if you have a pantry or fridge that looks like mine, that’s going to make life difficult (see “before” picture of cereal pantry below).

(I often blame my disorganized fridge on its small size but that’s just an excuse –even though a bigger fridge would help….)

To show you I’m serious about getting organized, I decided to revamp my food storage areas. So I cleaned out the pantry and fridge, labeling everything so even my husband knows where things go. I have decided to give it a touch up each week so it stays nice all week long. This blog is helping me to become accountable!

Before

After

After (sorry, accidently deleted the before pic)

3. Designate which ingredients are meal/recipe items: After figuring out which everyday items you need, you’ll have to list ingredients needed for your meals/recipes. I either highlight or circle them so they stand out from the other grocery items.

Why?

Because if you like how the week turns out, you can use the meal planning chart and grocery list again. Simply save the “good” weeks and soon you’ll have a collection to pull from. I’ve done this a couple of times and it was a lifesaver, especially for those super-busy weeks.

4. Going to The Grocery Store:I wish that there was one grocery store that had it all. I seem to need three of them (Trader Joe’s, Vons or Ralphs, Whole Foods), make that four if you count the farmer’s market. But going to each of them weekly is not realistic for a busy mom like me. So here’s what I do:

As I said in 5 Secrets to the Perfect Weekly Meal Plan, every Sunday is my big trip to get the bulk of groceries for the week. I do this big trip solo, during the kids nap, but sometimes my daughter will come with me if I do it earlier in the day.

I first go to Trader Joes and get all I can there and then head to the Ralphs next door to get the things Trader Joe’s doesn’t have. I usually have to go grocery shopping again sometime before the following weekend to get more fruits and veggies and little items for the weekend. This would also be the time I try and go to a farmers’ market, but I’m not always successful.

I also try to make it to Whole Foods once a month because there isn’t one near me. Whole Foods has some items the other stores don’t have like homemade baby food and frozen food items for kids (they have salmon fish sticks that are pretty good — too bad Anna won’t touch them!). I almost forgot about Costco. Luckily my husband works close to it so he gets the bulk items as we need them.

So what do you do? Any master grocery plan or do you just wing it? Do you think my fridge is small?

Next: 12 Tips for Getting Meals on the Table Fast.

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