Menu sample, Lauren???

[JPenny]

Well, if you can't come and be my personal chef, maybe you could at least give me some ideas about how I can change my family's mac & cheese, hot-dog, and canned whatever diet into something more healthy. I'm curious to know what your menu looks like on any given week. What do you eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Do you ever drink coffee? Tea? Just water? What does healthy eating look like, and is it very expensive? (There's 8 of us under this roof, not counting the critters.)

Jean

P.S. Two of my kids just had a birthday this past Monday. My second oldest, Maria, turned 14, and my youngest, Dean, turned 4. They're ten years and ten minutes apart. How cool is that???!!! (I think it's cool, in case you were wondering.)

:thumbsup:

[paperwings]

Hi Jean,
Happy B-day to your kids!

Healthy eating is pretty easy and doesn't have to be expensive...the trick is getting the kids to like the food!
If you're doing the mac and cheese, hot dogs and canned stuff, I'd say the best way to make it healthier is to change brands (if you're buying traditional stuff like Kraft, etc) because the healthier brands have less salt and weird preservatives. I like Annie's Mac & Cheese and you can find it in more health motivated grocery stores (like Whole Foods, if you have one near you).
I'd switch hot dogs to turkey dogs and use more fresh veggies instead of canned stuff. Anything packaged like rice mixes, canned veggies, etc..are pretty much chock full of salt and preservatives.
Don't know what your time schedule is like but you can make meals with fresh ingredients pretty easily without resorting to packaged goods.
I've cooked for a lot of kids and their favorite things have been lasagna with ground turkey and fresh veggies, homemade chicken pot pie, and things that are casserole-like, like moussaka, shepard's pie, etc...these are super easy and and can be healthy as well if you use a healthy recipe.

My diet is pretty darn healthy and I have to say that eating this way has made me rarely crave unhealthy foods. When I do get a craving I usually go for the healthier alternative. Sugar is really addictive (I know because I am a sugar addict!). If you eliminate processed sugars you will crave them less and less.

My usual menu for the day is something like this:
Breakfast-meusli cereal with fresh fruit and soymilk or yogurt.
Coffee or tea (I do drink coffee but usually only once a day and I
drink lots of green and black tea)
or an omelette with veggies, whole grain toast
Lunch-Some type of dark greens salad with a protein (tuna, etc) and beans,
veggies, light dressing.
or
A healthy wrap or sandwich, maybe some soup (I usually make all my own food because
I work from home so I have all the ingredients on hand)
Snack-fruit, cheese, nuts, healthy cookie, etc...nothing too heavy
Dinner-usually a fish protein, green veggie, beans or starch (like brown rice or quinoa)
I do eat a lot of Japanese food as well.

As for drinking, I usually drink mostly water, tea, sometimes wine with dinner but no sodas. Sometimes juice but usually not because it's a lot of sugar.

As far as the kids go, I'd say start slow because the idea of "healthy food" may be unappealing.

I did a nutrition workshop for teenagers and they were pretty freaked out at first, then when they started eating healthier they felt better and had fewer moodswings, plus really started liking the food...pretty amazing!

[JPenny]

Thanks, Lauren! I went to the grocery store yesterday with the thought of only buying healthy foods. I bought a bunch of baby carrots, cucumbers, apples, spinach, and frozen bagged veggies (on sale even). I bypassed all the canned/boxed foods. Well, I did get some sliced turkey, and some cheeses. Last night supper-time was crazy, so I just laid out the carrots with sliced cucumbers and spinach on one plate and cheeses and turkey on the other, and called the kids for dinner. To my amazement, they all chowed down on it like it was pizza or something! Especially my 4-year old and 5-year old. My chin is chapped from being dragged around on the floor! I also got some whole-wheat tortillas, and we made wraps tonight. I'm liking this!

I have tried to do low-carb for years. It worked to start with, which is why I tried to stay with it. But lately I just don't have the motivation for such a limiting diet. So to give myself permission to eat what I want (but healthy!) is suddenly very wonderful.

Well, enough gab. That's what happens when the kids go to bed. One more questions: when you do the lasagna, do you get a healthfood-brand of noodles?

I'll be thinking about you tomorrow. I know all the feelings you described in your post about flying. It's the same for me, but I do it anyway. Maybe someday I will conquer the fear that keeps me miserable when I'm anywhere near an airplane!

I know you'll get back safely and have a great trip report for us. You have to, so I can get more recipes!

Jean in SC :wave:

[paperwings]

Hi Jean,
Thanks for your nice message re: flying...
As you can see I survived (I am always surprised!).

Anyway, I think that it's GREAT your kids took to the healthy snacks like that. Keep it up!

As for lasagne noodles (or any pasta), I usually go with the whole wheat kind which is much healthier than the white variety. It's a bit chewier but I've learned to like it a lot.

If you'd like any new recipes let me know!

-Lauren