Keeping it real

 Sound bite: Seventy-three percent of dietitians fed their kids air-fryer chicken nuggets at least one time this weekend. No, for real. 

I may have mentioned this a time or two, and I know I am not alone, but I hate the question "what's for dinner?" And I am a dietitian. I should be into meal planning, prepping, and everything that goes into a healthy meal for my kids, but I am just not. When I try to make something healthy, they turn their noses up and say they're not going to eat it. I don't entirely blame them - normally I am short an ingredient or two and I improvise. I am not a good cook. But, who says I need to make something different every night? Whose idea was it that dinner needs to be something elaborate? (Probably the same person who decided you chose a spot at the dinner table the day you are born and that is your spot the rest of your life.)  Protein, fruit and/or veggies, and a complex carbohydrate like brown rice, sweet potato, etc. Balanced, healthy, and easy. It's no secret that ultra-processed foods are bad for us. The more I try to cook something I think the kids will like, the more processed foods I find myself using. 

I am starting a new movement tonight. It's the movement of making what my kids like. Making something easy. Making something balanced and not with processed foods. And I will make it again tomorrow night. And the night after that. My favorite dinner growing up my mom made when my dad was working late was called a "snack plate" which included carrots, apple slices with peanut butter, and maybe another fruit or crackers. Simple. Easy. Balanced. 

My next segment will be on how awful ultra-processed foods are for the body, mind, and especially for the kids, but how difficult it is to move away from ultra-processed foods. It didn't really fit into this topic, so I will leave you that for now. You may have to wait another year though as it seems I am on a once-a -year writing spree. 

And yes, I did feed my kids air -fryer chicken nuggets this weekend. Need to get that protein in somehow! 

Bite this: If you have kids, try the simple method snack plate for dinner. It's like a charcutteri (I don't know how to spell this, and spell check doesn't either) board for kids. 

Image from S'Well on Unsplash