Common Cuisine |

This is the second part of a post from last week. For best continuity, read Part One first, then come here!

How Do I Train the Kids?
Moms can help their kids learn to make good breakfast choices in two ways. The first is to offer good options, by only bringing “good choice” food home from the store. Just a few alterations can make breakfast a whole lot healthier for the whole family. Change one item a month for a few months, and they will have gradually re-educated their taste buds.

Choose cereals with higher fiber, such as Raisin Bran, Shredded Wheat, and Multi-Grain Cheerios. Switch from flavored to plain yogurt, and stock up on frozen fruit to stir in. Begin to serve less juice, but make sure it is 100% juice with no sugar added, then dilute it about 20% with water. Develop the habit of only buying whole-grain bread. One final trick is to invest in some wheat germ and/or ground flaxseed, and stir it into all kinds of things from muffin mix to yogurt to oatmeal.

The second way moms influence their kids is to lead by example. When moms eat right, the kids learn to distinguish good from poor choices. This can be a challenge for those of us still loving the fact that we are on our own and have the freedom to choose! But it is so important, given our role in setting our kids up for long-term success.

More than Good Food
Choosing a smart start in the morning includes one other element. All of the child-rearing good we do is useless if we fail to teach our kids the importance of looking to God at the beginning of each day. Psalm 5:3 says, “In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation” (NIV). Again, we start by setting the example of doing so ourselves: Take a moment to invite God to be part of your morning before even getting out of bed; allow ten minutes to read God’s Word before getting the kids up.

Then, help them do the same. As you greet the kids, sit down together for a moment to ask God to be part of their day. Some parents even wake their kids early enough that the kids can do their own quiet time before getting ready for school. It is so simple, yet all it takes is just a little planning ahead. And the rewards will continue for years.

Sometimes change does come hard, but a mom’s job is to stand strong. The kids may complain for awhile, but soon they will have forgotten the old ways. And remember, the changes are not just to give them good fuel for the day, but to help them learn to make good choices for the rest of their lives!

A noted Chinese proverb says, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

Moms could adapt these words to say, “Give a child good food, and she will eat good food at home. Teach her how to make wise choices with her food, and she will eat good food wherever she goes for the rest of her life.”

One of the first choices we make in any day is of what to eat. Breakfast is not the largest meal of the day, but nutritionists are always telling us that it is an important one.

Why Eat Breakfast?
Consider these benefits of breakfast eating, as reported by the Mayo Clinic. Those who take the time for a good breakfast (i.e. not coffee and a doughnut!) have a tendency to eat more nutritious food in general; to accomplish more before lunchtime; to keep their weight under control; and to have lower cholesterol, thus reducing certain health risks.

Kids especially can benefit from breakfast with improved coordination, concentration, and ability to think clearly. Moms want the best for their kids, and one very simple way to give them the best is to make the effort to feed them a good breakfast each day.

With today’s busy lifestyles, getting a good start can be quite a challenge. Planning ahead always helps. It starts with laying out clothes and other necessary items the night before. Then if the right food is in the pantry, and the choice for the morning already pulled to the front of the fridge, breakfast time can proceed a lot more smoothly.

What makes a good breakfast?
There are several components to any healthy meal, including protein, whole grain, dairy, and fruits and vegetables. According to UCLA Health, the magic is in the combination of elements. When we consume a breakfast with at least three of the above components, we set our bodies up to be able to regulate our blood sugar throughout the rest of the day. We also give our digestive system enough to  keep it busy for longer than a bowl of sugar cereal does.

Some suggested traditional breakfast combinations include high-fiber cereal, skim milk, and a banana; whole-grain toast with peanut butter and a glass of 100% juice; a hard-boiled egg, an apple, and an English muffin; or a smoothie made with plain yogurt, fruit, and a couple tablespoons of wheat germ. Less traditional, but still appropriate, options could include leftover veggie pizza on whole-grain crust; cut-up veggies layered in a tortilla with salsa and string cheese; or even a baked potato topped with broccoli and cheese.

There is more to this thought! Come back in a few days for Part Two, to read about how to implement good breakfast eating with the kids.

For a Christmas exchange this year, I was invited to share a full menu worth of recipes. I chickened out because I couldn’t decide at the last moment, but gave everyone my website address.

I realized it’s not too late to participate, as my friends may just stop by to check the site out. So here is my favorite, most tried and true menu.

Guacamole

Chicken Enchiladas

Salad w/ Ranch Dressing

Black California Olives

“Jimmy Crack” Corn Cake

Apple Dumplings

You’ll probably want to break out the mile-high sombrero and cha-cha music afterward, because these are party foods; nothing lean or mean about this meal! But guaranteed to taste good and please a crowd? Absolutely!

Are your kids picky eaters? Young children are notoriously finicky when it comes to eating stuff that’s good for them, but parents and caretakers are still in a position to influence the eating habits of the next generation. I read the other day that the primary vegetable consumed by the under-5 crowd is french fries. Don’t know about you, but that gives me a bit of a shudder as I think about the future.

Here are some ideas for how you can work together with your young ones to develop healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime.

1. Plant a garden. Even something as simple as a few potted herbs in your windowsill can be a source of fascination as kids experience the thrill of planting a seed, watering it, watching it grow, and then using bits of it in meal preparation.

2. Expose children to veggies frequently. A plate of cut up strips of bell pepper on the counter before dinner may be met with upturned noses; but if no other options are given, it just may disappear into young tummies wandering through the kitchen in search of snacks.

3. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Continue to expose your children to veggies and healthy choices over and over, and what was once a strange new food will eventually become familiar. Kids are not fans of new and strange, but may more readily attempt something they have seen on their plate several times before.

4. Set a good example. For some reason, my kids will scarf food off of my plate, when they have already rejected the exact same food on their own plate. When kids see you eating lots of veggies, whole grains, and plain yogurt, they are more likely to develop a taste for it themselves.

5. Build your meals around vegetables, instead of making them an afterthought. An appropriately built meal consists of half a plate of veggies, with the other half divided between protein and grain foods. Get out your spice box, and utilize that herb garden to vary the flavor and smell of your veggies.

With patience and persistence, your kids will expand their tastes and develop healthy eating habits that will benefit them throughout their lives.

From the previous list and what I already have in stock, I have come up with food not just for next week but through the end of the month! I am excited to think that next week I only need to purchase about five fresh items, plus the usual milk and bananas.

I don’t plan more than four meals in a week because there are nights we just want nachos, or have a potluck dinner, or feel obligated to clear out the fridge to make room for more.

Week One:
Greek Salad
Romaine Lettuce
Cucumber
Red Onion
Feta Cheese
Olives
Chicken on the Grill

Taco Ring
(I’m going to have to make a special post about this one. I will do that when I make it this week. Let me know if you are ready for the recipe before I post it!)
Crescent Rolls (I bought these last week)
Taco Meat (Pulling some out of the freezer)
Lettuce
Tomatoes
serve with Corn Cake

Pork Chops
(we already had these in the freezer from a sale 2 weeks ago)
Marinate overnight in Italian Dressing, then grill.
Oven roasted potatoes (cut 6 potatoes into 1″ cubes, put in gallon bag. Pour 2 Tbsp olive oil in bag, then 1/2 packet dry onion soup mix. Roast at 375 for 35-45 minutes)
Steamed broccoli

Artichokes
steam for 45-50 minutes
serve with rice and pineapple

Week Two
Teriyaki Pork Stir Fry
Dice the leftover pork chops and allow to soak in teriyaki marinade 30 minutes to overnight.

Add in fresh sugar snap peas, red pepper strips, and whatever other vegetables you desire.
Use Make Your Own Stir-Fry for guidance, substituting more of the teriyaki marinade instead of the sauce listed.

Spaghetti
Ragu Sauce, add in cooked crumbled italian sausage and mushrooms.
Serve with Salad and a loaf of French Bread

Smoked Sausage & Beans
Use your imagination, half of the dinner was free!

Chicken Pot Pie
Serve with salad.