rough draft
A rise in marginal jobs have led to longer hours, lower wages, and added stress to the “balancing act” of work and family. These days convenience is the essence of our society. Choosing between cooking a nutritious meal or to stop somewhere along the way confronts the working class daily. Drive-thru, take-out, and carry-out is available on nearly every street corner. For the working class television does wonders for occupying kids. Stations aimed towards children flood their minds with cute, humorous mascots, and brightly colored, exciting ads would convince any child they are seeing a “must have” item. Television continually stereotypes good and bad food for children. For example brussel-sprouts are considered bad foods for most kids because they consider them gross even though most kids have never tried them. On the other hand pizza which is loaded with calories is considered a “kid friendly” choice. Grocery stores are great for suckering kids towards certain foods. In the cereal aisle brightly colored sugary cereal is eye level for little tots in shopping carts. Toys/prizes, crosswords, mazes and jokes are sometimes used on the packaging to make a convenience item more desirable.
Statistically American adults eat less healthy than they did 10 years ago. It is no surprise obesity in children has sky-rocketed in the past decade as well. Parents cannot rely on schools to be feeding their kids nutritiously anymore. It doesn’t matter if the parent packs a cold lunch or gives them money to buy a hot lunch. Trading parts of or entire cold lunches with classmates in the cafeteria was even popular when I was in school. Children that opt for a hot lunch at school are eating lunches consisting of french fries and more french fries with milk. Not to say every child is eating this way but even one kid having this for lunch is one too many.
Planning meals for children is easy just remember 3 key elements; variety, simplicity, and fun. Sticking to old-time favorites are great, but variety is crucial from a nutritional standpoint. How else will children truly know what they like and dislike? Even though variety is important that doesn’t mean it needs to be elaborate. Keep things simple, if a kid couldn’t help prepare or make the dish himself then it is not a kid friendly meal. Lastly make it fun! Make a game out of meals. Give meals fun names, ants on a log and smiley-face pancakes were my favorite as a child. Encouraging a diet with a variety of simple foods that are fun to eat at an early age is a life, is a lesson that will be beneficial for a lifetime.
Statistically American adults eat less healthy than they did 10 years ago. It is no surprise obesity in children has sky-rocketed in the past decade as well. Parents cannot rely on schools to be feeding their kids nutritiously anymore. It doesn’t matter if the parent packs a cold lunch or gives them money to buy a hot lunch. Trading parts of or entire cold lunches with classmates in the cafeteria was even popular when I was in school. Children that opt for a hot lunch at school are eating lunches consisting of french fries and more french fries with milk. Not to say every child is eating this way but even one kid having this for lunch is one too many.
Planning meals for children is easy just remember 3 key elements; variety, simplicity, and fun. Sticking to old-time favorites are great, but variety is crucial from a nutritional standpoint. How else will children truly know what they like and dislike? Even though variety is important that doesn’t mean it needs to be elaborate. Keep things simple, if a kid couldn’t help prepare or make the dish himself then it is not a kid friendly meal. Lastly make it fun! Make a game out of meals. Give meals fun names, ants on a log and smiley-face pancakes were my favorite as a child. Encouraging a diet with a variety of simple foods that are fun to eat at an early age is a life, is a lesson that will be beneficial for a lifetime.