I can’t believe it’s May and summer is on its way. I’m in denial and need to get moving on planning some summer activities.
This week, I’m trying beef instead of turkey for taco night and will be putting out some choices for kids on Italian night. I’ve also been into pesto pizzas lately, so am planning on that for Friday. For more meal planning inspiration see Org Junkie.
What’s Cooking This Week
Monday: Slow Cooker Shredded Mexican Beef Tacos with black beans and Spanish rice
Tuesday: Pasta Bar with a salad
Wednesday: Kids’ Choice
Thursday: Salmon with Avocado Sauce, baked fries and roasted Brussels sprouts
Friday: Grilled Pizza with Pesto and Tomatoes
More from Cooking Light…
Enter the Healthy Lunchbox Challenge
Top 12 Ingredients for Quick Cooking
A Meal Planning Refresh
Every once in a while I notice my meal planning is getting sloppy. And when this happens it makes the whole week not-so-fun. This means running to the store at the last minute, changing my meal plan choice because the meal I planned is not realistic or running out of food too soon in the week.
I think this all stems from my weekly runs to the store taking too much time, which really puts a dent into my Sunday. So my new plan is to do a non-perishable inventory later in the week, on Thursday or Friday. I will run to the store to stay stocked on canned and frozen items, cereal, grains, dried beans, etc. I will also pick up any extra stuff I need for the weekend. It’s good to have food at home on the weekend!
Our community’s Farmer’s Market is on Saturday so we head over there for fresh produce. That leaves a quick trip on Sunday to get perishable items that I need along with anything extra needed for my weekly meals.
How is meal planning going for you? What challenges do you run into?
Quick update on the book
It’s been two weeks since Fearless Feeding was launched and I want to thank you for all your support. I don’t like asking for things, but books today don’t get promoted like they used to so word of mouth is really important. So tell your friends, choose Fearless Feeding as a shower gift and if you like what you read, leave a review on Amazon.
Here are some links related to the book — and there’s more coming:
5 Common (and Fixable) Feeding Mistakes Parents Make
The 7 Habits of Healthy Families
How to Fearlessly Feed Your Teen
Getting kids to eat
A recent study published in Pediatrics showed something surprising…even to me. Researchers examined how feeding goes with parents of children in middle and high school. They found that 50-60 percent of the parents required children to clean their plates while 40% encouraged their children eat more even when they said they were full. The study also found that fathers were more likely to put on the pressure than mothers and this occurred more often with boys than girls.
The study also showed that restriction was a common feeding practice for overweight children, something studies have shown not to beneficial for weight and food regulation.
I think it’s still surprising to me how common it is to get even old children to eat more food. This shows how confused people are when it comes to helping children manage their weight and health. It’s not just what children eat that matters, it’s how. And we are missing out on the how big time.
I always feel for parents though. On the one hand, parents feel pressured to get their kids to eat healthy. But this can create the problem of children losing track of hunger and fullness as pointed out in the study. Researchers always try to explain why children regulate food intake less well over time. I don’t think how children are fed is solely to blame, but I do think parents play an important role helping children maintain food regulation in a food-plenty environment.
This is another reason having a resource like Fearless Feeding can help parents avoid common feeding pitfalls. The researchers of the study concluded:
Unfortunately, there is accumulating evidence for the detrimental effects of controlling food-related parenting practices on children’s ability to self-regulate energy intake. This information may be counterintuitive for
some parents, making it necessary that physicians and other health care providers educate and empower parents through anticipatory guidance to promote healthy eating by making nutritious food items readily available within their home, modeling healthy food choices, and encouraging their adolescent’s autonomy in self-regulation of food intake.
What do you think?
Have you pitched your local morning shows to do a food demo? That is a great way to promote a book. Maybe you could suggest summer snacks for kids. Good luck!
No but I plan to. Thanks for the idea!
Great article. I am also a Pediatric Dietitian and I work with families on feeding issues. I love the tag line for your book “high chair to high school”. This is a much needed resource! I hope that you do very well with it!!
Thanks Corrine!