Thursday, February 12, 2015

More food for thought

Inspiration struck this morning. The kind where you go from "I knew that" to "I KNOW it!"

Their health is MY responsibility. I take them to the doctor when they need to go. I pin them down for vaccinations I believe are for their good. I even put them to bed last night after Jeff and I both had to hold them down to brush their teeth.
These things are important.

So why don't I think that way when it comes to the everyday feeding them??? The thought I actually had this morning was "when it comes to their health, it doesn't matter." It doesn't matter what they want or what they'd rather have or if they like it. I, their mother, am responsible to give them what is good for them. This might even include Jeff.

Breakfast yesterday was interuppted by the maintanence man. He came to fix the light above the kitchen table. I had just sat the kids down with their "curly noodles" and was going to make some eggs for me. I woke up hungry that morning and my sugar has been so up and down I thought I'd better have the protein.
Getting to the point, I ended up feeding the kids Cap'n Crunch on the couch while the light was being fixed and by the time he left, I was so hungry I needed something right away so I ate Honey Nut Cheerios. I felt crappy all day.
This week, we are just getting through until payday. I'm trying to use what I have to feed us and we've also decided to try to be more on a schedule. So, by the time lunch came around, I was starving and off balance etc. I'm sure it sounds dumb to some but I realized just how important food is. Again, I knew it, but yesterday I KNEW it. Not just overall, but each meal. Even breakfast needs to be nourishing and worth something.
I am so programmed to think there is one big, real meal a day and the rest you do just so you don't totally starve. So I think I shouldn't need to eat more than Cheerios for breakfast, we had a decent lunch, and then dinner... well, I shouldn't really need to eat again. Not much anyway. My poor kids get caught in this way of doing things and then they only want to eat noodles or cereal anyway and I'm probably not feeding them anything worth eating!

So, for the millionth time I say, "it's time to change!" I also acknowledge that I'm doing the best I can with what I have and what I know. As I know more, I do better.
Here's the plan...

Breakfast, I think, should be fun. I often think of the free continental breakfasts at hotels my dad would take us to. Or the even better Marriot Courtyard breakfast bar. Really, it wasn't fancy, but I LOVED IT. I think breakfast foods are my favorite. So, I would like to have a bit of a breakfast bar here. Muffins, breads, cereals, yogurt, lots of fruits, juice and maybe some eggs or some kind of protein.

Because of Jeff's work schedule, we are trying to make lunch our big meal of the day. I'd like to think of it as our meat and potatoes, formal meal. Now, meat and potatoes doesn't have to mean a hunk of meat and potatoes and gravy. But, this is our meal to get protein and starch. Things like tacos and spaghetti with meat sauce are great. My goal is to make sure to have salad and fruit with it. To make the veggie "side dish" a bigger side and the "main" meal we are used to as a big bowl of spaghetti not such the focus.

Lunch is later in the afternoon and then Jeff goes to work. The kids definitely need dinner a few hours later and I'm finding even I need to eat again (back to the way I'm programmed or habit or whatever). Yesterday I was remembering these amazingly good sandwiches I used to get at the Union when I was in college. Good bread, lots of veggies on top. Would this be a good dinner? Again, focus on the veggies and round it out with the bread and meat. It would be easy for Jeff to get when he comes home without cooking yet another dinner and I think the kids could choose things they like. I suppose I will always have peanut butter and honey available. And some fruit. They might not eat their veggies but they do eat fruit and that's good!

Given this later eating schedule, we shouldn't need a bedtime snack. But this is something I believe in. Perhaps all the fitness gurus will tell me that's why I'm fat, but I believe in the comfort of it. And honestly I think the kids need it and I want it. So maybe when Jeff gets home, we can have a bit of milk and something with him. He can have his big sandwich and we can have a bit of something. I don't think it's bad for the kids and it's long enough before I go to bed that it's not eating right before bed. Especially if I keep light and healthy.

And my big goal? Quit buying things like Ramen noodles and packaged cookies and candy. I feel I've done much better this month. Keep going!

The last question is, does this really include Jeff too? He wants his frozen pizzas and corn dogs. In some ways, he needs things available he can just get given he's on such a different schedule than we are. BUT... he needs to be healthy too. My job is the home and food etc. So does this imply that his health is a bit my responsibility too???

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