The key to healthy eating is bringing healthy foods home from the grocery store. This impacts your lifestyle, and goes for your kids as well, especially teens. In fact, planning healthy meals for your kids will help the entire family.
Get your kids involved in learning healthy cooking skills and they'll end up planning healthy meals when they become responsible for their own food choices.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends stocking your kitchen with these simple staples:
--Popcorn: What kid doesn't crave crunchy snacks? Skip the chips and pretzels and invest in a popcorn popper. Popcorn is a whole grain, plus it's loaded with fiber for a healthy digestive system. Three air-popped cups deliver nearly four grams of fiber.
--Canned Beans: When it comes to making a quick meal, it doesn't get much easier than canned beans -- just rinse, drain and heat. They're perfect for a salad, burritos, mashed on a tortilla or added to canned soup for extra protein.
--Nut Butters: Even if your kids have no clue how to cook, that doesn't mean they can't whip up a simple meal or snack. Nut and seed butters -- such as peanut, almond or sunflower butter -- all are perfect no-fuss foods for the novice cook. They're a cinch to spread on French toast with sliced bananas or make a tasty dip for apples, celery or bell pepper strips.
--Eggs: Whether fried, scrambled or hard-boiled, eggs are an easy protein food. With a prep and cook time of less than five minutes, eggs are an easy addition to any meal. They are a great source of protein, vitamin B12, choline and phosphorus -- all essential nutrients.
--Prepped Vegetables: It doesn't matter whether they're fresh, frozen or canned, the more pre-prepped vegetables you have on hand, the more likely your kids will eat them. Think pre-cut baby carrots, broccoli and grape tomatoes for snacks, frozen edamame and peas to add to pasta and diced tomatoes for chili.
--Grains: Most of us don't have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen, but that doesn't mean dinner has to be a sandwich. Whole grains such as quinoa, instant brown rice and whole-wheat couscous take less than 15 minutes to cook from start to finish. For a speedy meal, teens can toss cooked whole grains with microwaved frozen vegetables, season them with less-sodium soy sauce, and add a convenient source of protein, such as cooked frozen or canned chicken or seafood, canned beans or tofu.
--Lean Protein: When you teach your kids basic cooking techniques, you'll be amazed by how quickly they catch on. Start by showing them how to grill, bake or broil marinated chicken, fish or beef. Or demonstrate how to saute ground chicken, ground turkey or tofu to add to spaghetti sauce, chili or tacos.
Q and A
Q: What changes in my diet can I make that would help with regularity?
A: The two dietary and lifestyle changes that will help you the most are fiber, fluids and regular exercise. The fiber and fluids add bulk to stools and make them easier to pass. Exercise helps to move things along. Dr. Harmony Allison, a gastroenterologist at Tufts Medical Center, advises against taking fiber pills or supplement bars. If you don't drink enough water with them, the increased fiber can make constipation worse. She suggests eating bran or other fiber-rich cereal because they are eaten with milk. For those who want to try a supplement, she recommends getting the kind mixed with water. Fruit is also a good source of dietary fiber. Studies have shown that prunes draw water into the stools and stimulate the colon to move things along. The only catch is you need to eat about 12 prunes a day to get the full effect. If changing your diet or getting more exercise doesn't work, consult your doctor. Certain medications, including those for high blood pressure or depression, can be the cause. --Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter.
RECIPE
Substituting spaghetti squash for pasta is one of those little steps you can take toward healthier meals -- the squash is lower in carbs, and higher in calcium and potassium. Here's a recipe from cooking Light for Spaghetti Squash Shrimp Scampi to try.
Spaghetti Squash Shrimp Scampi
1 (2.5-pound) spaghetti squash
Cooking spray
1 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
5 ounces fresh baby spinach
3/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Trim off squash ends. Cut remaining squash into 1 1/2 -inch rings; scoop out and discard seeds and membranes. Arrange rings on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Coat rings with cooking spray. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until just tender. Cool slightly. Cut through each ring and open slightly to reach strands; carefully scrape out spaghetti-like squash strands. Heat butter and oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add pepper and garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add shrimp; saute 2 minutes or until almost done. Add spinach, tossing until spinach wilts. Add squash strands; sprinkle with salt. Toss gently to combine. Serves 2 (serving size: about 2 cups).
Per serving: 349 calories, 20 g protein, 24 g carbohydrate, 8 g sugar (0 g added sugars), 21 g fat, 6 g fiber, 638 mg sodium.
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