Weekly Meal Plan: Monday August 13th

I can’t believe summer is coming to a close. Last week I tried two new recipes that didn’t turn out so I’m only making one new (low-risk) dish. This week we’re having pasta with summer roasted summer veggies along with some old standbys.

For more meal planning ideas see Org Junkie.

What’s Cooking This Week

Monday: Chicken Fajitas with all the toppings

Tuesday: Pasta with roasted summer veggies, bread and a side of fruit.

Wednesday: Kids’ choice

Thursday: Grilled salmon with avocado dip, mashed sweet potatoes and parmesan roasted green beans

Friday: Make your own pizzas with various toppings

Interesting find (in celebration of the Olympics): 9 International Recipes Your Kids Might Love

Back to School

It’s that time of the year when parents prepare for the new school year. Even those with younger kids gear up for a more of a structured routine. The big news in our house is that Big A is going into kindergarten. She is so excited and so are we.

There will be some changes including an earlier start time: 7:40! That means no more leisurely breakfasts during the week. I will need to be organized, making her lunches the night before and having everything ready. Little D is moving up to 3 days per week at preschool and has yet to be potty trained.

While there are the normal back to school duties we all think about — new clothes, school lunches and supplies — it’s also a good time to think about what needs to change in terms of feeding. In Fearless Feeding, we outline age-specific goals, explaining why things change.

After the newness of school wears off, Big A will start making her afternoon snack by choosing 2-3 food groups. I will help her decide based on what she ate earlier that day. I’m working on organizing the fridge and cabinets to make it easier for her.

As kids reach school age, it’s beneficial to gradually give them more responsibility in the food department. Stay tuned for more posts on how this all goes (I’m imagining her saying — “but chocolate is a food group!”).

What changes in feeding will you be making this fall?

News: Milk, Weighty Thoughts and Strong Olympians!

Last week, in my weekly WebMD post I discuss The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine’s (PCRM) petition to get milk out of the required school lunches. I interviewed Connie Weavers, PhD, and expert on calcium and bone health. She helps clear up the confusion about the benefits of milk.

An interesting study published in the Journal of Obesity reveals how body dissatisfaction can play out over the long haul in children. Normal-weight adolescents who perceived their weight to be high gained more weight over 11 years than those who believed their weight was “just about right.” The researchers say that such negative views of weight may lead girls to unhealthy weight practices that backfire, like skipping meals and dieting.

Teaching children to have a positive body image is so important for their health and well being. In our weight-obsessed culture, so many perfectly healthy girls (and boys) feel the pressure to be thinner or different than their bodies are meant to be.

Along those same lines, there was talk about “Fat Olympians” in some articles but it was swiftly defended. It’s seems to me that size discrimination is one of the last acceptable form of prejudice and it’s needs to stop!

Okay, that’s enough for now. Let me know how you are doing in the comments.