My Fitness Diary: 12.08.09 "the Fridge"

I was having a discussion with a couple women at my son’s school the other day about healthy diets and finding the time to exercise. The common message that I was hearing from them was that [a] eating right is difficult because they have kids, and [b] finding the time to exercise is impossible. These comments confused me for two reasons. First, I believe that eating right when you have kids is so much easier because your focus is not just about your own health, but about the health of your children as well. I’m less inclined to bring junk in the house because I know that’s what the kids will grab first. Sugary drinks and fatty snacks are a no-go in my house. Second, finding the time to exercise needs to be a priority. The conversation wasn’t just about fitness. It soon turned to reality television, our favorite Real Housewife, and if Drew Carey is doing a good job on the Price Is Right. Now, if we all have time to catch up on what the ladies in Orange County are up to, why can’t we set aside 30 minutes of our day to make sure our children have healthy moms?

We all have busy lives and getting them organized is a job in itself, but the best way to manage and navigate our busy schedules is to do so with a clear mind and a strong body.

I get asked a lot about my diet and what people should feed their own kids. I’m not a nutritionist; I just know what has worked for me. Kids can be picky, so I have a “15 Times” rule in my house. You have to eat something 15 times before you can officially say you don’t like it. The end result? Jack won’t eat sweet potatoes, Winona hates toast, and Calvin eats everything.

So today I took a Cribs-inspired snapshot of my refrigerator. I just walked in from the gym, so it wasn’t cleaned up or organized, and healthy foods haven’t been unfairly planted. You’ll see some junk… we like treats every now and again. And you’ll see meat… we’re not veggies, though Winona is making the transition slowly.

We don’t eat a lot of dry goods, so our cabinets are mostly filled with whole-wheat pastas, rice, jarred organic pasta sauces, instant oatmeal, spices, cooking oils, and LOTS of hot sauce. We also keep lots of bananas, grapes, onions, and yams on hand for snacking and cooking. I don’t do vitamins or protein supplements, but I should probably think about a calcium supplement… I’m just bad at remembering to take something every day.

on top of the ‘fridge

• Special K
• Honey Nut Cheerios
• Cabernet Sauvignon
• the kids’ chocolate advent calendars
• kettle chips {Winona’s favorite treat}
• tortilla chips
• Trio Fruit & Nut Bars {organic, kosher, and vegan}
• dried plums

inside

• potato rolls
• eggs
• shelled walnuts
• swiss cheese
• leftover steamed veggies
• organic peanut butter
• guacamole
• whole-wheat tortilla wraps
• organic yogurt
• organic mango-peach salsa
• organic chicken broth
• roasted red pepper humus
• silk vanilla soy milk
• organic 2% milk
• organic lemonade
• whole-wheat bread
• tuna fish
• baby carrots
• baby spinach leaves
• baby snap peas
• portabello mushrooms
• bell peppers
• tomatoes
• Coke Zero
• mayonnaise
• organic ketchup
• all-fruit jellies
• apple juice
• white wine
• unsalted butter
• assorted condiments
• frozen veggies
• boneless chicken breasts
• grass-fed angus ground beef
• edamame {soybeans in pods}
• home-brewed Borucki beer!!

When we eat out, its all about pizza and Chinese. Dunkin Donuts is the devil, and the devil makes awesome cinnamon rolls. Oh yeah, and if I need waffle fries or the best chicken nuggets in the universe, I’m heading to Chik-Fil-A.

Here’s a link to an article on everydayhealth.com about the “superfoods” that they feel should be part of your healthy diet:

The 13 Most Powerful Superfoods