Mommy Learns

While driving by a McDonalds today G began asking whether the food they served there was good for you. It was difficult trying to explain to him the infinite number of reasons why, not only is the food not good for you, but it’s also not really food. He then began asking about the healthiness of the other restaurants he could see out the car window as well as the restaurants we frequent as a family. I actually felt kinda proud when he asked if the Farmer’s Market had food that was good for you. Not only does he know what the Market is, but that gave me a perfect chance to explain to him that fresh vegetables (especially locally grown ones) are the best food he could possibly eat, and that is why we belong to a local CSA.

This all reminded me about the numerous books I rely on to give my family the healthiest diet and lifestyle. I include them here as a way to encourage people to look beyond parenting how-to books to find inspiration for ways to raise better and more conscientious kids.

Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything Vegetarian – Let me start out by saying the first thing Bittman does in this book, I am not a vegetarian, nor do I plan on becoming one. That being said, this book is a fantastic way to move away from a predominantely meat based diet. There is a recipe for every fruit, vegetable and grain I have ever heard of, and usually more than one suggestion on ways to change the recipe to suite your tastes. The thing I love the most about this book is that it doesn’t rely on “fake meats” to present really delicious, meatless foods.

Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma – This book gives an eye opening description of where the food we eat comes from. In a non-preachy manner, Pollan discusses the advantages of eating local and organic food. This book really stressed to me the impact our diet choices have not only on our health and the health of our families, but also the environmental impact. Helping my children understand where our food comes has only encouraged them to be more interested in gardening and eating more healthy foods.

Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle – I became a fan of Kingsolver a while ago for her fiction writing. However, this book took her writing in a very different direction. With a message very similar to that of the Omnivore’s Dilemma, Kingsolver recounts her and her family’s experience of living off a purely local diet. I loved the family focus of this book, with writings from Kingsolver, her husband, and her daughter. The books shows just how possible it is to live with a new awareness about what our families eat.

Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook – This book sort of falls into the how-to category, of which I already stated I wasn’t a big fan. However, what I love about Clark’s approach to nutrition is that it’s based, not on the idea of dieting, but on the necessity to create a more active lifestyle. I’ve found weight loss inspiration for myself (as I’m sure most mother’s would love) and also ways to create a more active lifestyle for my kids.