Ways To Know That Your Family Is Getting Enough

Written by LaTara Ham-Ying on June 27, 2007 at June 27th, 2007

When we read about the four food groups and serving sizes it can be very overwhelming. But really it is not that hard to pull it altogether and provide your family with simple meals that are well balanced and healthy.

I seldom use a measuring cup to see if my family is eating the proper serving size. The bottom line is balance. If all that your child eats in one day is three helpings of macaroni and cheese, then you know they did not get proper nutrition for the day. It is also important to remember that the serving suggestions are simply that ? SUGGESTIONS ? and you don?t need to beat yourself up because they missed eating one piece of fruit per day.

Here are some simple ways to know that your family is getting enough nutrients without driving yourself mad:

Create a plan. For my boys I make sure that they get water in their system first thing in the morning and then about 20 minutes later breakfast is ready to eat. Our breakfast is normally something simple like oatmeal and toast with soy milk or juice. I then give them a mid-morning snack which is usually fruit, a smoothie, or vegetable juice. Lunch time is normally the heaviest meal in our home and we can have anything from fried tofu steaks, salad, and avocados to a really good flat bread pizza loaded with vegetables. If they want a mid-day snack they are welcome, but I don?t force it. Dinner time I tend to cook very light with the norm being a good salad with nuts, sprouts, and homemade dressing or pasta with homemade bruschetta. Sometimes we even have a little seasoned popcorn with dinner. We usually end our day of eating with a piece of fruit and a huge cup of water. Of course they can drink water all through the day plus they are allowed up to two cups of juice and/or milk per day.

Make sure you have plenty of fruit on hand. If you have a family that loves fruit like mine then you want to be sure to have plenty on hand. Fruit is a great snack and a great way to beat the, ?I want something sweet blues?.

Make lunch or dinner colorful. The more colorful a plate is the better. There should be a lot of color on your plate especially green and orange.

Create a recipe book full of balance meals. A simple way to create a recipe book is to cut out your favorite recipes and scrapbook them or make a simple binder system. When creating your meals for the week or two (two weeks is good for meal planning but a month of planning can truly drive you mad in my opinion) make sure that the recipes create a colorful palette of food as you put your meals together.

Make a smoothie or vegetable juice. If you do this, you can take care of a daily serving with not much more to worry about through the day.

Snack on nuts and raisins. What a yummy way to get a serving of fruit, protein, and even some Omega-3 into your body.

If you take the time to plan but not overdo it you will find that a healthier life has entered your home. You are not even working super hard or driving your family crazy with your desire to see them get it all in. Now that is good news.

Summing It All Up

I used to worry when I first became a vegan that I was missing out on nutrition. After doing my research, learning a few tricks of the vegan cooking trade, seeing the benefits of how I ate, and knowing that all eating styles require balance for proper nutrient intake, it was not so bad.

You don?t have to be crazed in the need for a nutritious lifestyle for your family. All you need to do is learn a few simple tricks, have some easy recipes in hand, learn the importance of why we need balanced meals, and a little organization.

Your family will not die if they miss a veggie or forget to drink a cup of water. All you have to do is create a style of eating that works for your family and provide a good daily source of nutrients.

All it takes is a little drive and a lot of love for your crew!