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.

The Neighborhood

When we were kids, our Dad would pile us all into the station wagon one warm and sunny summer day and off we'd go to the peach orchard. Once there we would all climb on to a trailer pulled by an old tractor and head out into the orchard. The tractor guy would give us a couple bushel baskets and point to a few trees full of the juiciest, ripe peaches.

An hour or so later we'd have a couple bushel baskets full of beautiful, yellow and red peaches fresh off the tree. And the itch. Anyone who has picked peaches know that itch. Those tasty summer treats and the thrill of riding on a trailer out into an orchard made that temporary inconvenience just a minor nuisance.

Summer was always a time for fresh tomatoes, watermelons and peaches. All grown right in this area. Cucumbers, radishes, and peppers adorned many a summer salad. We ate well. Locally grown produce was plentiful and always reasonably priced.

When I go into a market today and buy some salad fixins I have no idea where these vegetables are grown. Or how long they sat on a truck in order to reach our local market. While we can't always buy locally grown produce it sure seems like an ecologically friendly way to get good, nutritious food.

Can we help save our planet - even just a little - by getting more locally grown food? And eliminating all the pollutants generated by transporting food from heaven only knows where?

The experts - whoever they are - say that a global economy is a good thing for everybody. I just wonder why so much stuff comes from countries half way around the world? Our country grew to be a world leader long before we imported all this stuff.
A trip to your local superstore or discount store will undoubtedly result in a purchase of stuff made in (pick a country). The gasoline that gets us to our destination store comes from a part of the planet that most likely hates Americans.

As we prepare to celebrate and give Thanks this Thanksgiving I think I'll cook my supper with cookware Made in the USA. I'll choose the same cookware many of the pros like to use. I'll cook with the best stainless steel cookware available. The same pots and pans made by American craftsman for generations. Made in the USA!