Recently I was reunited with over 80 boxes of stored memorabilia from 9 years ago! Going through the items was an amazing trip down “memory lane” and one filled with gratitude for the great times with family. One thing I realized is that my parents did their best to foster a healthy eating pattern for life in their children.
With everything being fast food, fast computer networks and fast traffic it is satisfying to take some things slow..…healthy eating is one of them. 1. Family meals were a priority. We talked about many aspects of life and laughed and enjoyed our time at meals together. Mom was an excellent cook and I wanted to be just like her.
2. So we shopped together and cooked together. I was always very excited to share a dish or recipe with company that I had cooked myself. We also knew the “food favorites” of each family member and enjoyed having them when the occasion presented itself.
3. Back then, Mom planned our meals in advance due to frugal money ideals. If she deemed the favorite too unhealthy then she would substitute a healthier version such as fried vs. baked.
4. My parents didn’t strictly enforce the quantities we kids had to consume. We did have to at least “try” a small portion of something but if we made a face or disagreeable sound over the sample we weren’t forced to eat any more of it. Therefore, I found sampling new tastes adventurous in my adult years.
5. TV was just coming to the forefront when I was young so eating in front of it was never an issue. When I became a mother, I even let my phone go to the answering machine when we had meals. Enjoying the food was top priority.
6. Mom emphasized quality not quantity so smaller portions savored with enjoyment was the norm. Eating too fast was definitely frowned upon.
7. Water was a drink at our meals. Our family never really became hooked on candy and sweets. Mom baked some wonderful goodies but we didn’t buy candy or soft drinks. She served fruit juices instead and watched our sugar consumption. She was really ahead of her time!
8. We were not allowed to argue at the table but instead could have lively discussions on things we had learned, how our day was going, future plans, problem solving, etc. It was a face to face connection and quite different from today’s’ texting, instant messaging and email.
9. As I became a health care facilitator and holistic chiropractor I instilled in my children to “eat the rainbow” every day. Red/orange/yellow veggies and fruits such as sweet potatoes, carrots, apricots, watermelon; blue foods such as berries and grapes; green foods like watercress, kale and broccoli; purple foods such as eggplant, grapes and berries. These sometimes came from the family garden at various stages in our lives. Other times they came from the market or grocery store.
10. I also offered natural food cooking classes to the public. These were aimed at the “busy, two parent working” families because they had a fast prep time (only 15 minutes) but loads of nutrition.
These 10 tips can ensure a lifelong healthy eating pattern!
