help with healthy daily menu

yo'ma

Mon, Jan 02 2012, 7:01 am

I don't serve unhealthy, but I would like to try start serving my children healthy, not dietetic, but healthy. Like I said I don't serve unhealthy, so I do know some foods that are healthy, but I want to be more strict. Now, I might serve pancakes for supper or give cookies for snack and I don't want to do that, unless there's a healthier version. I need breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner. TIA a ton!!!

Also, I don't mind making from scratch, but I can't get everything, like all soft cheeses. My children don't like beans. With eggs, they only like 'em hard boiled or scrambled. Even if it's not the healthiest, we eat red meat and we're going to continue. What's with drinks? I don't mind giving them chocolate milk once a week, but what's with juices? How bad are they? Are freshly squeezed so much better? Anyone make their own apple juice? Again, thank you!

amother

Mon, Jan 02 2012, 8:55 am

There are so many different ideas of whats healthy, I once met a little boy who said he cant have orange juice because it has so much sugar but only diet soda. But I will tell some as I "hold" healthy to be.

Fresh squeezed juice is much healthier than bottled, cooked and processed juice - I use that to sneak in the raw fruits at my house and it tastes better so its a treat besides.

The less processed the food the healthier it is is my general rule thats my definition of healthy. So whole grains, homemade foods and "mixes" type stuff without hidden additives. Less cooked, cooked at lower temps, less fried.

These I try but its fighting against culture, but the idea is there; I don't like serving drinks with food other than (a little) water sometimes milk, shabbos sometimes healthier sodas ( no corn syrup, no caffeine, no food coloring ...) , drinks should be between meals, and I try to avoid mixing proteins and the five grains (not so much all carbs) at most meals (which noone notices except me). And I wont serve juice (any kind) only on empty stomach - like before meals, not during or after.

I rather not brand myself so out there in print with my s.n. so I will post this as amother.

mandksima

Mon, Jan 02 2012, 9:41 am

If you just want healthier versions, sick to the whole grain rather than white pasta, bread, rice, etc. Add in veggies to everything. Serve soup once a day. You can stretch red meat so less is eaten but it is not missed. Substitute cakes and cookies with 1/2 whole wheat to start and see if anyone notices. I realize that they like it fine and it is only me that is nervous trying to change their diets.

I'm finding it a challenge now to feed the family very healthy and tasty and very cheap at the same time but it can be done.

I would stick with water. Sometimes, fruity herbal teas that are really cold taste good without sweeteners or only lightly sweetened.

Oatmeal muffins can be breakfast or snacks.
Try stir fry for dinners that have lots of veggies.

Instead of chocolate milk, maybe make milkshakes with ice, skim milk, bananas, mangoes, strawberries, and cocoa powder or a little choc syrup. It will stretch the amount of chocolate in there.

There4you

Mon, Jan 02 2012, 4:40 pm

a balanced meal should have a grain, protein and vegetable. try to serve foods your kids will eat and you like so you will be happy to make it.

healthy food ideas that can be very yummy:
quinoa
buckwheat kasha
wild rice
zucchini parmesan
roasted root vegetables
spicy potato and sweet potato fries, with lots of paprika so they look the same Smile

kohlrabi, raw sliced like fries
baked butternut squash fries/slices
a veggie can even be canned corn!

give kids yogurt with granola or raw oats on top as a snack
or nuts and raisins

cut up fresh veggies or fresh fruit and have them on the table when the kids come home

chocolate moose

Mon, Jan 02 2012, 8:01 pm

kids who are used to white pasta may turn up their nose at ww or quinoa pasta. And it costs crqazy money, not nec. sold in nearby stores, and takes longer to cook.

I don't always bake with whole grains, so baking became a once in a while goodie for us. and since the kids don't want ww noodles, we dont eat pasta so much anymore.

I have more news for you. foods with more fiber are harder to digest. be prepared for some potential stomach woes.

healthy is as healthy does.

ima22

Mon, Jan 02 2012, 8:08 pm

I agree - healthy is a lot about balance and offering your kids a variety of non-processed foods. I can throw out ideas but at the end of the day you have to find stuff that your kids enjoy and will eat. In the beginning they may be very picky. You need to decide what is important to you.

For example, we have juice in our house as a treat - for Shabbos and even then in limited quantities and mixed with water or seltzer - because I think it is too much unnecessary sugar and I'd rather them eat the actual fruit that contains the vitamins and fiber. But on the flipside, I think it's extremely important for kids to drink milk and (this may seem hypocritical) if my kids will drink it happily with chocolate or strawberry syrup, I'm all for that. My kids drink 'cocoa' every morning - a cup full of milk with a small drop of syrup. For me, it is worth the sugar to know they are getting their calcium.

That said, here are some ideas
Breakfast - whole grain cereals with milk and fresh fruit - we eat cereals that have a good carb:fiber ratio and bananas, mango, berries cut up in the cereal or on the side + cocoa (desribed above)

Lunch - usually sandwiches with vegies on the side - tuna, PB, cheese, and turkey deli on whole wheat bread.

Dinner - we have a rotation
Sunday - leftovers from Shabbos
Monday - chopped meat (usually a lean beef mixed with ground turkey) - either hamburgers, meatballs, or shepherd's pie
Tuesday - fish (tilapia, salmon, gefilte fish patties)
Wed - chicken cutlets
Thurs - pizza or lasagna

meals include a vegie soup of some sort, fresh salad (kids don't eat lettuce so I cut up the other vegies in sticks for them) and usually 1-2 other vegies + starch
other vegies: brocolli, greens beans, sweet potato 'fries', butternut squash, cauliflower.

for all the dinner ideas mentioned - healthy is defined by how you prepare it - we go for herbs, spices and "PAM" is our best friend. we bake, broil, grill etc but use minimal oil.

good luck and hope this helps.

amother

Mon, Jan 02 2012, 8:37 pm

To those who said to limit red meat - there is nothing wrong with it. There are lots of vitamins and minerals (especially iron) in it and its a great source of high biological value protein. For those trying to lose weight then yes, it does have more calories than lets say chicken, and it also has saturated fat which someone trying to lower their cholesterol may want to watch (in the science world they are starting to realize that it is not the saturated fat that is raising cholesterol levels in the body) but it should not be something that is cut out of the diet altogether in my opinion.