The spice of life

Dietitians hope to help families ‘take the fight out of food’ to ensure they get the right variety of foods

Do you find yourself in a constant battle to feed your family meals that everyone will enjoy, but are also nutritious and wellbalanced? This is a common problem – and one that often leads to supper at the nearest fast-food chain or throwing a frozen pizza in the oven to satisfy everyone’s taste buds. Unfortunately, these kinds of meals are often very high in sodium and saturated fat, and can lead to poor eating habits for your children now and in the future.

March is Nutrition Month and this year’s theme set by Dietitians of Canada is Take the Fight Out of Food, in hope of helping you overcome your food struggle, whatever it may be.

There are three basic steps to taking the fight out of food: 1) spot the problem that is causing your struggle; 2) get the facts using credible and reliable sources to plan what needs to be done about the problem; and 3) seek support when putting your plan into action.

Using Maria, a mother of three picky children, as an example, let’s look at how these steps will play out. To avoid the headache of constant complaints, she often leans on foods such as boxed mac and cheese and hot dogs to please her children’s wants, even though she knows these foods are not the most nutritious choices.

Maria uses the 3-step approach:

Spot the problem: Maria gives in to her children’s protests against eating their vegetables to avoid listening to their demands for all wanting different foods. As a result, the whole family is missing out on a healthy, balanced diet.

Get the facts: Upon reading a resource on www.dietitians.ca about picky eaters, Maria learns that adults and children should have distinct roles at meal times. It is for Maria and her husband to decide what, when and where the food is served. The children get to decide how much of the food that is being served they want to eat. In addition, she learns to offer at least one thing she knows they will like, but also a variety of foods. Ultimately, Maria also learns that children often take their nutrition cues from their parents and guardians – so it is important to create a positive mealtime experience and not to offer separate meals for each person. Having the kids involved as much as possible in the meal preparation can get them more excited to try new foods.

Seek support: Knowing that she is not the only mother with picky children makes Maria more comfortable with the idea of seeking help from a dietitian in her neighbourhood who can help her with this issue.

One recipe Maria (and you!) can try is this Chicken Caldo Verde Soup. A classic Portuguese comfort food, this dish is brimming with good-for-you greens and hearty vegetables, plus spicy chorizo sausage for kick. Packaged chopped kale from the frozen foods aisle makes for easy prep. Serve with whole-wheat rolls for soaking up the last bit of broth from the bowl.

Upcoming event

March 6, 3-4:30 p.m. Join your in-store dietitian for a free interactive tour on solutions to food fads and eating and stress. Registration required; please contact Courtney to book your spot.