An Excerpt from The Survival Guide for Working Moms (and Other Stressed-Out Adults)
Healthy Eating for Families
You need to drive the kids to ballet class and soccer practice, and you need to complete a report for your boss by 10:00 a.m. the next morning. And you still have to decide what’s for dinner. The key to healthy eating and healthy families is knowing what nutritious foods you want your family to eat, preparing food in advance to avoid last-minute fattening choices, and gathering together the family for meal time
If you cook your own meals, you can control what is in them. When you are buying prepared foods or ingredients, check the calories, fats, and other information on the package before you buy.
Cooking meals the easy way
If you have easy-to-prepare foods available at home, you won’t need to stop by the grocery store so often. Involve your children in shopping and food preparation to help them appreciate what they are eating. It’s good for them to see you checking labels and prices, and pitching in at mealtime should be everyone’s responsibility. There are many cookbooks written just for kids. You can let your children pick a couple of recipes and make dinner with them or let them take a turn each week making a meal all by themselves.
Gather together for meal time
Research shows that families that eat together are usually healthier, happier families. Family meals help parents ensure that children are eating right and give them a chance to learn about their kids’ lives. Teenagers who eat with their families regularly are less likely to abuse drugs or alcohol or get into trouble in other ways.
To read more, get a FREE copy of our book, “The Survival Guide for Working Moms (and Other Stressed-Out Adults),” by Diana Zuckerman, Ph.D. and Brandel France de Bravo, M.P.H. Please visit our Free Gifts page at (web address) to redeem this offer.
About the authors
Diana Zuckerman, Ph.D. is the President of the National Research Center for Women & Families, a research and education charity that provides free health and safety and works to improve policies and programs that improve the health of women, children and families. Brandel France de Bravo is the Director of Public Affairs and Communications at the National Research Center for Women & Families. For useful information about health issues that affect your family and for more information about the National Research Center for Women & Families, visit http://www.center4research.org/