Kids Eating Healthy

Fast food is a big part of modern life these days,making it very hard to teach a child how he or she should eat healthy.  The cheapest and easiest foods are those that are normally the least healthy.  If you give your child the choice between healthy food and junk food, you normally won't like the results.

Even though it isn't possible to get a child to like all healthy foods, there are some ways to get your child to try and hopefully like at least a few of them.  You can be as creative as you like, as getting kids to eat healthy foods can be a little harder than you may think.

-  Sneak the healthy food in.  Even though it would be great if your kid understood the importance of  fruits and vegetables, this isn't always possible. If you can't get them to eat good food willingly, there are ways to sneak them in, such as making  muffins out of bananas or apples, or pizza with spinach on it.

-  Call fruits and vegetables by funny names.  You can refer to broccoli as "trees", making them more fun to eat.  There are many different names you can call fruits and vegetables, even making up your own if you prefer.  Most kids prefer to eat foods that sound fun.

-  Make the foods taste better. Ranch dressing is great for broccoli, while peanut butter is a great topping for celery.  There are several combinations for vegetables that can make them taste much better.  You can let your child pick a topping for a vegetable, even if it's something you wouldn't normally like yourself.

-  Dress the vegetables up.  Just as much as calling them names help kids eat healthy foods, making them
look funny also helps.  You can do this by making  funny designs on the plate, or setting them up to look like people.  Although some parents don't like their kids playing with their food, sometimes it helps to get them to eat healthier.

There are several ways to make your kids eat healthier, but to make them enjoy it also has to be fun as well.  This isn't always an easy task, because kids normally don't like foods that are good for them.  It can however, be done with a bit of creativity.  Hopefully, doing this will help your child develop a love of healthy foods for the rest of their lives.

Eating Healthy On The Run

Whether your traveling on the go or around the home, you don't need to give up healthy eating simply because you are on the run.  The fact is, healthy eating is even more important when your trying to keep up with a busy schedule.

Having a good diet will help your body to handle stress better.  As you hustle about, a healthy meal is probably the last thing you think about.  The following tips can help you eat when your on the go.

Restaurants
With tempting menus, large portions, and a festive atmosphere, it's easy to skip healthy eating.  It's okay to splurge every now and then, although you'll pack on a lot of weight if you make it a habit. When you eat out at restaurants, always be smart  about it.

Airports
An airport can be a very stressful place, although you shouldn't scrap your diet because of it.  Eat because you are hungry, not because of stress, boredom, or to kill time.

In your car
Keep some healthy snacks in your car at all times, so that when you get hungry - you have them.

At home
Evenings and mornings are busy times in most homes. Making the time to eat can be hard, although you shouldn't run out the door without eating breakfast first.  Cereal with milk, a banana, muffin, or even a bagel is a great way to start the day.

Anytime you are on the go, always make sure that you make the right food decisions. You can take healthy food with you if you need to, so that you have it when you need it.  Eating healthy on the go is easy to do, once you know how.  Never sacrifice healthy food for junk, as your body will regret it later.

Eating Healthy For Vegetarians

The vegetarian way of eating can be a very healthy style of eating.  The rules still apply with healthy eating,
although you should add variety, balance, and moderation.

A vegetarian is someone who avoids all types of meat, whether it be hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken, or even fish. Vegetarians are also sometimes classified by the type of food they are or aren't willing to eat.  For example,  Lacto-ovo vegetarians will avoid animal flesh yet they will eat eggs and most dairy products.  A Vegan on the  other hand, will avoid all food that has any trace of animal origin.

Because they don't eat meet, vegetarians will often wonder how they'll get enough protein.  Although you may
not realize it, the average American actually consumes more protein than he actually needs.  For the lacto-ovo
vegetarian, dairy products are an excellent source of protein.  Vegans on the other hand, get their protein
from nuts, seeds, and soy products.

Along the lines of beans, there are several to choose from, including green or red lentils, peanuts, split
peas, pinto, soy, kidney, and many more.  Some of them you are already familiar, such as kidney beans in
chili, refried beans in Mexican dishes, red beans and rice, and pinto beans.  Although some beans taste good
as they are, others are available with different flavors to help enhance their taste.  Nuts are hihg in protein,
although they deliver a lot more fat than beans, which means you should enjoy them in moderation.  By having
one cup of cooked beans, you'll get the same amount of protein as eating two ounces of meat!

The nutrients of concern for vegans, who avoid all types of animal food, are vitamin B12, calcium, and vitamin D. In the average North American diet, the primary source for B12 is animals.  To have an adequate intake of B12,  vegans should regularly consume vitamin B12 supplements or foods, which contain vitamin B12, such as soy products or milk.

For calcium, vegans can rely on orange juice or soy milk, as they are fortified with calcium.  Beans and
leafy green vegetables will also contain some calcium as well.

Although all types of vegetarians rely on simple food groups, controlling your vitamins and calcium intake is
something you should always do.  This is very important for eating healthy, as well as staying healthy.  If you
control what you eat, you'll have many years of healthy eating ahead of you.

Planning for Atkins

 When it comes to the Atkins diet, your success will lie in your planning. Making sure you have the proper foods on hand when you begin your diet will go a long way toward your ongoing weight loss. There are many suggestions for Atkins diet meals in the Atkins books, and there are plenty of resources online for Atkins and low-carb recipes.

Planning your meals and snacks will be an important part of your life when you are on this diet. That advice really goes for any diet. When you eat whatever you like, you gain weight. Your current weight and health problems are a direct result of letting your eating habits go unchecked for so long.

As with all diet plans, becoming used to the Atkins way of eating is going to take some time and adjustment. The standard American diet relies heavily on carbohydrates and other restricted foods. Many people grew up on carbohydrate heavy favorites like spaghetti and meatballs, meat and potatoes and pasta casserole. It is going to take some effort and patience to get used to eating in an entirely new way.

There are two different approaches you can take in adjusting your diet. You can find replacements for your favorite foods with “mock” carbohydrates. For example, lasagna made with eggplant or zucchini instead of pasta is much more carb-friendly than the regular variety. Spaghetti squash noodles make a good substitute for spaghetti noodles. There are also many low-carb or carb-free replacements for bread, pasta and sugar products.

The second approach is to find out how to make new recipes that center around meats and other low-carb foods. There are a wide variety of meats that are acceptable on the Atkins plan. If you are used to just eating ground beef or chicken on a weekly basis, you’ll be surprised by the variety of meats that are out there. Try incorporating pork, lamb and ham into your weekly routine. You can also experiment with game fowl like Cornish hen, quail and pheasant. If you’ve never been a fan of fish, try a different variety. Some people who don’t like trout find they have a love of salmon or another fish. Don’t forget shellfish like mussels, clams and shrimp. These foods are all acceptable and can add variety to your diet.

Make sure to have some easy to prepare foods on hand for snacks and quick meals. For example, thin sliced cucumbers, radishes and celery mixed with lemon mayonnaise makes a great low-carb meal or dinner salad. Fried peppers, mushrooms and garlic served on arugula with feta cheese is another good option.

Research and try out different low-carb recipes so you have a good base of knowledge of what to prepare for meals. The most important step you can take in losing weight is planning. Getting a good arsenal of easy to prepare meals will prevent you from hitting the drive through or going to a restaurant and breaking your diet.

If you have delicious food to look forward to everyday, you’ll be less bored with your diet. Even during the restrictive induction phase, there are many food combinations that you can use. At first glance, the vegetable and meat options may seem restrictive. But this is only in comparison to what you have been used to eating. With a little planning and creativity, you can find something interesting to eat everyday.