Random Wednesday – diets
I really need to make a change in how my family eats. We eat out more than in, and now our waist bands are more out than in.
When WK was a little kid, he was so finicky about food that I worried that he wasn’t getting enough to eat. Now, I worry that he won’t stop eating. I try to pawn it off on a growth spurt – he’s probably shot up four inches in the last six month – but, honestly I think this kid could eat 24/7 and still tell me he’s hungry.
He got his braces adjusted this week so his mouth is understandably tender. At 10:30 last night he tried to convince me he NEEDED a milk shake. Even tried to get his sister to bring him one on her way home from work. She refused to be an enabler.
His dad and I aren’t any better. Just because I don’t snack on candy or other sweets, doesn’t mean the entire bowl of cheddar popcorn I devoured is better for me. Last time I checked, popcorn wasn’t a recognized vegetable serving, and that packet of artificially flavored cheddar sauce I poured over it wasn’t a low-fat dairy.
My plan, such as it is, is to make a single, nutritious dinner ~ a good portion of vegetables and fruits, low-fat dairy or protein, ‘good carbs’ ~ a healthy alternative to the over-processed junk we have been eating. I also need to clear out all the crap snack food so we won’t be tempted to put on the feed bag and nosh ourselves sick.
The peeps will have two menu choices each night ~ take it, or leave it.
‘The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook’ ~ Julia Child (American chef, author and television personality, 1912-2004)
‘You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I’m not hungry enough to eat six’ ~ Yogi Berra (American professional baseball player and manager, born 1925)
‘I went on a diet, swore off drinking and heavy eating, and in fourteen days I lost two weeks’ ~ Joe E. Lewis quotes (American comedian and singer, 1902-1971)
I can’t believe you are giving your family two menu items.. you aren’t actually cooking both are you? I grew up in the time where my mom cooked only one single entree. This consisted of a meat, potatoes and a veggie. That was dinner. We sat at the table until we ate it. If we didn’t eat it at dinner – guess what was for breakfast the next morning? You guessed it. Kudos to you for giving choices!
[Tara R.] Tsanchez… not two actual choices. One meal or nothing… the ‘nothing’ is the second choice… Take it, or Leave it.
We don’t have the junk food problem; Owen was diagnosed with food allergies as an infant, including CORN, and can you believe how many things have corn syrup in them? It necessitated an entire lifestyle change, and even though he can tolerate the evil foods in small amounts now, we still have to monitor everything to an extent. But the 24/7 eating? My teenaged boy-14-has grown very nearly a foot in the last year, and all he does is eat. All of the time. Whatever he can get his hands on.
[Tara R.] Kori… same here… I keep calling WK a piranha. The upside is that he is at least eating more vegetables. I guess if that is all he has to eat that’s what he eats.
Corn is a bad one to be allergic too… even corn flour is in lots of stuff you wouldn’t think about.
Gotta love that Yogi Berra! On a more serious note, summertime throws our dinner schedule all outta whack! I’m trying to serve chicken & fish more. The trouble is, trying to get the family home close to the same time a couple of nites a week to eat a Family Dinner!
[Tara R.] Melissa B… I can’t even plan for the college kid. She’s working probably 4-5 nights a week and the other days she wants to hang out with the BF. At least on weekends we can usually all get together for lunch. We grill out a lot in the summer. This is doable… but it may be just Hubs and me mainly.
It all begins at the grocery store.
Shop smart..don’t allow crap in the house. Have healthy alternatives to snack on.
Do not cut out bad food all together..just limit the amount.
OK I gotta go listen to my advice now.
[Tara R.] MP… I do a lot better if I shop from a list, then I can avoid the temptation to buy junk. I’ll still have some snackage, but opt for more body friendly stuff.
From what I’ve seen at my sister’s house, which had 5 growing boys at one time, this is completely normal. But of course, giving him only healthier choices will at least ensure that what goes into the human vacuum that is a growing boy’s body is at least good for him!
[Tara R.] April… I think that is the biggest change I can make, just not have the bad stuff in the house. If it’s not there, he can’t eat it at home.
I totally get it. With my boys’ special needs, we often prepare more than two meals to cover everyone’s bases. *sigh*
[Tara R.] Melody… I’ve been doing this some already and get all kinds of grief about not cooking special orders. I’ve been telling the boy – who is perfectly capable of making his own meals – if he doesn’t want what I fix, he’s welcome to make his own dinner. He usually caves and just eats what everyone else does.
Just a helpful hint…have you tried the new V8 juice that is a full serving of fruit AND vegetables in an 8 ounce serving? My daughter is the Queen of Sweets, and she hates veggies, but she loves this stuff. It’s better than nothing!
[Tara R.] Momo… I’ve heard of it and would be willing to try anything. He does like some juices, but is still picky about most of the things he eats and drinks. Kids!
stay strong sister, beany
[Tara R.] Beany… I need to stay on this, or we will all be big as houses before long.
I make two meals every night. I have tried everything for my oldest, but he is the pickiest eater on the face of the planet..
Good luck with the eating revamp..
[Tara R.] Kim… If I have any luck, I’ll pass on some tips.
I’ve got a great Blueberry Pie recipe that I just posted on my new blog. Perhaps you could use berries from the bush you recently blogged about?
[Tara R.] Veggie… that pie looks wonderful. I’m not sure I have enough berries, but I can always pick more.
We eat out way too much too. And I am TRYING to start new habits for Sun. We feed her very well–no commercial baby food, all natural. Weird that I will do for her what I won’t do for myself. So I am trying to be better because I’d be aghast if she ate like we did!
All the best!
[Tara R.] Nola… I could blame it all on not having time to plan and cook good meals. But, the stuff we should be eating would actually be easier to prepare. No excuses!
Life is sooooo busy…good for you for taking control. I have been seeing a nutrionist and she has helped me with some great recipes. It is so hard though. I find an easy way to keep motivated is to have everything prepared and planned out. Fo me, I write a months worth of dinners on the calendar and it helps me stay focus, buy less and eat better. Good luck!
[Tara R.] Laura… I used to be so good about meal planning. When I was still at home, weekends were for cooking. I would pre-cook beef and chicken, make frozen dinners. It was great. Now, I can’t seem to find time to do much of anything. I guess the trick is to just make time.
Girl, acceptance is the first step. Eating in will definitely improve your eating habits and at the same time improve your family finances too.
Good luck…I’m sending you good vibes.
[Tara R.] Chris… isn’t the first step admitting you have a problem? Eating in will absolutely help the finances.
I’m fortunate in that I love vegetables…the fresher the better. My downfall is breads and sweets. I love to bake and I’m single. I tend to feed myself too well.
[Tara R.] Songbird… Hubs and I love veggies too, could eat salads every night, or grill up some squash or corn – yumm.. The kid is a real meat and potatoes man. I’m finding more fruits he likes, but he and vegetables don’t like each other.
We are trying to eat healthy in our family as well. I don’t stress over it EVERY night (we had frozen pizza last night) but for the most part I cook healthy dinners. We don’t eat out nearly as much as we used to, either.
I also try to buy fresh and organic as much as possible, but I wish it wasn’t SO expensive!
[Tara R.] Cyndy… it’s all the eating out that’s hurting us too. The portions, the fat, the cost… it really adds up.
Oh I could have written this post. Food (especially nutritious foods) has always been an issue in our home! I need to follow your lead on this one. Are you going to keep us posted??? Perhaps a sample menu would provide incentive?
[Tara R.] Danielle… one thing that I found that has helped, is to let the boy work with me making dinner. He was much more likely to eat something that was good for him, when he made it. I pick the recipe, and he does the cooking. We’ll see if I can use the to our advantage all the time.
I’m so sorry that they are sick. And confronting your demons sucks. I have been there before.
Prayers with you.
[Tara R.] Krissy… thanks, I’ll pass that along. I really do need to face this. I don’t want to be completely useless when their time does come.
Two items?!?
You’re living it up!
We’re lucky if we can scrounge together enough things to make one menu item.
Most of the time we throw random things together and pray that it tastes good. LOL!
Eating out is so much easier!
[Tara R.] Dad Speed… I need to be more concise… not two different items. Forget that stuff… they will get the choice of eating what I fix, or NOTHING ELSE. That’s their second choice. HA!