Choices

How can parents teach their children healthy habits? Eating Healthy and getting plenty of exercise should come naturally to both parents and children alike. I wish I had never bought that dreaded video game console he so enjoys. I wish I could get him to spend as much time playing outdoors as he does playing his video games. Maybe my expectations are out of whack. And taking him to the dreaded fast food giants sure was a prudent move. Why is it so easy to succumb to the ease and convenience of the fast food giants?
In the good old days - before fast food joints became so prevalent families actually ate at home every night. A home cooked meal - usually including some kind of meat and potatoes. There was always a green or yellow vegetable - unless we had spaghetti and meatballs! Or, unless it was Friday night and we got to choose the night's menu.
I loved Fridays. When my turn came around I would sometimes choose pancakes. I loved the maple syrup. And a few of Mom's pancakes would fill my little tummy enough to make me a happy camper. Who cared about too many carbs or the glycemic index?
The folks were young and active enough to burn off the calories from whatever Mom served. And, of course, us kids usually had burned up the calories gained at supper before bath time. I don't remember many overweight children in our school. Eating healthy was not really forced on us. ( Unless you count Mom's repeated reminders to eat our peas, or carrots ) The choices our parents made just turned out to be healthy for us.
Last Friday night I let my oldest choose what we would have for supper. He chose fish fillets. While the fillets were in the oven I steamed some broccoli and peas. Fifteen minutes later the boys were eating. He got his fish - which hopefully didn't contain too much mercury from a contaminated waterway. And Dad got to sneak in some healthy vegetables, vitamin rich and full of beneficial antioxidants. I guess eating healthy doesn't have to be too difficult.