Feeding Children

People say it costs a lot to feed kids. Very true, if they're teenagers. At that stage, they need a lot of fuel because their bodies are changing so much.

But keeping young children fed and nourished is probably a lot more complicated and costly than it needs to be. I've noticed when I make a sandwich for my young granddaughters (ages three and six) that a half sandwich is plenty if I add a sliced apple and some baby carrots. Of course, usually just an hour or two later they're asking for something else, so I make it a practice to keep a sliced apple available on the counter, and popcicles in the fridge (made from unsweetened fruit juice).

Another option is to put some fresh fruit in a blender with some yogurt, milk and honey ~ along with a few ice cubes ~ to make a smoothie.

What I figured out is that grazing works better for kids ~ and for all of us, really.

Traveling around town is the car is a critical time when the food decisions often aren't the best.  A couple of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches wrapped and placed in an insulated lunch bag, and some small cartons of raisins can make a big difference in time, money and nutrition, when the other choice would be to pull into a drive through window at a fast food shop!

They key, of course, is to plan ahead. Even just a few bites of a food rich in fiber ~ like vegetables or fruit ~ along with a bit of protein from, say, a couple of peanut butter crackers can stop those mid-morning or mid-afternoon cravings and keep everyone in stride with eating healthier! 

Creating Space for Mindfulness

So often eating is merely a placeholder ~ something we do when there's nothing else. It fills in the blanks when we're bored and looking for something to do. It can be something we do when we watch TV or read a book.

It can be a pacifier when we're nervous or upset. We're usually very quick to respond with food, but it doesn't necessarily mean that we're hungry. But when that happens, we have, in effect, eliminated a chance to take a closer look at why we do what we do.

Just as yoga poses or a long walk create the space to look at things differently, the same thing can happen in our relationship with food.

Sometimes it's just a matter of stopping long enough to ask if food is what we're really hungry for. Maybe we've used our eating patterns to mask other issues that need to be addressed in order to live the life we really want to live?

Over the past week, I've noticed that by just eating more raw vegetables, fruits and almonds, I've created more space to be reflective rather than compulsive as I go about my day. Maybe it translates into nothing more than to pause before I would otherwise eat foods with sugar, fat or salt ~ just long enough to consider if I was really hungry or just using food as a placeholder.

Dining Together ~ The Missing Link

It's been a dying tradition ~ dining together.

How many people use a dining room? Countertops and bar stools have become the hallmark of convenience ~ or fitting in meals on a busy ~ or not so busy ~ schedule.

And yet, I've believe that the whole chemistry of digestion changes depending on the setting ~ or the atmosphere ~ of where you eat. Makes sense. The nurturing gained from a home-cooked meal is only partly credited to the food that is served. Eating in your own home, or as a guest at someone else's, can be a healthier experience in and of itself. We all know that.

Sitting down together opens the door for human connection ~ and it's as basic a human need as food.

That's why we can confuse hunger for food with hunger for conversation, friendship, intimacy and love. That's why we eat even if we're not physically hungry ~ because some of those very important, soul nurturing pieces are missing.

It's not as if we're trying to fill an empty pit ~ the emptiness we feel is real, and so is the hunger. The key is to distinguish whether what we're feeling is emotional or physical.

The phrase "starved for attention" can be literally that. And if that's lacking, we'll attempt to fill th void with food. We know we need something when we head to the refrigerator ~ it just may not be the correct remedy.

And so sitting down to a meal with people you care about, and who care about you, feeds both body and soul.

That's how I would interpret that well-known biblical reference: "Man does not live by bread alone."

Thoughts Before and After Pizza...

We can fool ourselves so easily when it comes to food.

That was my thought this afternoon when I stopped at Boston's Restaurant for lunch. I was hungry, and so I ordered a personal-sized pizza. I chose a spinach and artichoke pizza with sun dried tomatoes, on a crust made with whole wheat flour.

I ordered the same beverage I usually have with a meal ~ water with lemon. No sides, no appetizers, no dessert.

When I left, I'd had plenty to eat, but I decided I didn't feel particularly energetic. What would have made me feel more energized?

I had removed some of the cheese from the top because I don't eat cheese that often. There was spinach, but just a few sprigs, and artichokes, but just a few pieces. It was mostly crust.

And that was the key.

The first few pieces were delicious. And that's where I should have stopped, because what I needed was more fresh produce in the blend ~ like a few slices of avocado over a small bed of lettuce, and some apple slices!

But Boston's is a sports bar, so the strategy would have been to order a small side salad, and bring most of the pizza back in a box for later ~ as part of Monday and Tuesday lunch!

That's where planning pays off. The day before I had picked up five or six apples at the grocery store and put them in the refrigerator.

Just eating one of those before my trip for pizza would have made all the difference!

What ARE We Really Hungry For?

It's 7 p.m. and you're headed to the refrigerator.

But is it because you're hungry ~ or is it because you're bored, emotionally upset, sad or lonely?

Unfortunately, food isn't just a nutrient for us ~ it's more often used as a balm to deaden our emotional discomfort.

Much of that comes because we feel separate from everyone else ~ for whatever reason. Our culture dwells on comparisons ~ whose life is more interesting, whose job is more exciting, who has more money, who is thinner ~ or who owns a home with hardwood floors! If we judge that we fall short, that low esteem also prevents us from seeing the wide range of choices we have!

As a result, we perceive that we're stuck. As Henry Ford said, "Whether you believe you can or believe you can't ~ you're right!"

That's when food becomes our "best friend".

Food could be our best friend ~ but in that negative state, the foods we would choose don't make us any healthier or happier.

The first step in changing that reality is to pause long enough between the couch and the cupboards to just be aware.

Just stop and ask yourself: "What am I really hungry for?"

Being "Mindful" ~ Translated

Despite my best efforts, I got that nasty virus that circulated late this winter, and my rebound was slow. I apologize to my faithful followers for my absence!

This week I was also blessed with a fifth granddaugher ~ all of them ages six and under!

While for all of us, our energies rally and wane in our efforts to live mindfully, they remind me that we are models for the generations that will follow us. Children are mindful ~ and they pay attention to what we do.

So how do we do that? And what does it mean to be "mindful"? The word must appear as "new age" jargon to much of our population who see themselves as separate from that realm.

But of course, we all share the same realm ~ no matter what our political or religious beliefs. So being mindful ~ translated ~ simply means paying attention to what we're doing right now, every moment.

Children get that ~ and they notice when adults in their lives are distracted because it siphons the energy they receive. Every mother knows that kids begin to act up as soon as she gets a phone call. It's because her attention has shifted. Kids can't articulate that, but they know it, and they behave accordingly.

Even in the worst of crises, most will say they experienced a "calm" as their total focus was on the situation at hand. In my humble opinion, a lot of our stress comes from lack of focus ~ when our minds race like a galloping herd of wild horses.

In that all-pervasive food arena that we live in every day, an unfocused, distracted mind drives us to find some calming effect from those foods and drinks that are the worst choices for our bodies. We're looking to self-medicate all that stress and agitation ~ but we pick the wrong prescription. The more stressed we are ~ or the less mindful ~ the more we eat.

No blame here. There's no place for it. It's how we're wired.

But when we make better food choices, it's going to affect everything else. We just have to slow down ~ maybe even stop ~ and pay attention.

The kids will notice!

There's a Niche for Responsible Restaurants

Pete recently joined as a follower of my blog. He's a young, athletic guy who commented that active folks and athletes need calories ~ more than the average adult.

True enough.

That lines up with axiom: "energy in ~ energy out". Some Americans actually burn more calories than they take in, and so their nutritional needs are different than much of the population.

Seems like a marketing opportunity for those in the restaurant business ~ per menu options, or the entire restaurant's venue. Generally, Americans are unhealthy, and generally, they eat too much of the wrong foods. We have an obesity crisis ~ which translates into our health crisis.

Young, health-aware people like Pete will be always be able to seek out what they need without much trouble. I think there'll always be plenty of calories to be had, and most likely they won't eat more than they need.

That's the key. I'm betting people like Pete know the difference.

It's all about being aware. And restaurants, I believe, have a role to play in providing food options for those who are not.