Tag Archives: eating habits

Why Are Comfort Foods So Comforting?

I’ve finally recovered from my virus (I think!), four days of fever haze and comfort foods. And now that I’m thinking clearly again, I’m wondering why comfort foods are so dang comforting? The general consensus seems to be that comfort foods bring up good, safe, happy childhood memories. They’re generally not fancy, not gourmet… they’re familiar, comfortable, and filling. My own comfort foods? Well, as soon as I started feeling sick, I asked my roommate to go to the store for ginger ale and orange juice. They’re my go-to sick drinks… almost definitely because that’s what Mom always gave me … Continue reading →

Merging Your Eating Habits

Unless the two of you met at an organic free-range food compound or an all-you-can-eat fried buffet, chances are pretty good that the eating styles of yourself and your spouse when you came into your marriage were different. You may not agree on the types of food you like, or even whether to eat out or at home. Aside from being short order cooks and making different meals or stocking food in separate refrigerators, how do you manage one household with two different approaches to meals? Here are some of the experiences of having two different eating styles, based on … Continue reading →

Dealing with Food Strikes

When my kids were younger (and they still do this to some extent) they would go in phases with their food intake. There would be periods where it seemed like they were eating everything in site, other times where they ate like tiny birds and still others where they seemed to be on “strike” and refusing to eat a certain meal or a type of food. For a parent trying to make sure the child gets enough nutrition, it can be extremely frustrating and it is hard not to worry that the child will get dehydrated or get rickets or … Continue reading →

Changing the Family’s Eating Habits Takes Time

So many of us are trying to eat healthier—and we are trying to inspire our families to eat healthier too. Whether you are trying to make a simple change—like getting more fruits and vegetables into your diet; or if you are contemplating a vegetarian diet or doing a complete overhaul of your families eating habits, it is likely that it will not happen overnight. Allowing for gradual adjustment and individual family members to process and get used to the changes will make it a more successful switch. When I first got divorced many years ago, I decided it would be … Continue reading →

Appetites are Constantly Changing

It starts when they are first born and continues until well, I have not got to the end of it yet so I don’t know how long it continues—but what I do know is that parents naturally fuss about whether or not their child is getting enough to eat, enough of the right sorts of things, and whether the eating habits are healthy or not. The reality that can surprise many new parents is that a child’s appetite changes—it can change in a day or can go in spikes and shifts. Children are not static little robots, nor do they … Continue reading →

Do You Really Want to be the Food Cop?

I wrote the other day about how I believe that children should start feeding themselves as soon as they are developmentally able. Since “food issues” continue to be such big things for many families, I thought that talking about policing and issuing ultimatums around what food our children eat and how they eat at the table might also be a good topic for conversation. I think that parents mean well–from the very first moment we worry about whether we are feeding our children enough and whether they are getting enough of the right nutrients and antibodies–parents debate whether to breast … Continue reading →

What Can Happen to a Child Who Eats Nothing But Peanut Butter and Jelly?

Many parents fuss over the eating habits of their children—especially first-time parents. From the time our children are born, we worry about whether they are getting enough milk, enough of the right vitamins and minerals, and worrying, worrying, worrying over their eating habits. Many a toddler goes through hunger strikes and eats nothing but cereal or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for what seems like months at a time. What happens to these kids? What is the worst that can happen? Maybe a little seasoned perspective will put your mind at ease… The chances that your rigid eater will eat … Continue reading →

Do Single Parent Families Eat Less Healthy?

I was talking with another single mom the other day who confessed that she “never had time to cook.” Meals at their house usually consisted of take-out, easy-to-prepare meals or food from the deli at the supermarket. While this fit the “stereotype” of the harried single parent family, it got me to wondering if some of the stats are accurate—do single parents eat less healthy than others do? My own experiences are a little skewed because not only do I love to cook, but I am also pretty thrifty—so cooking at home and preparing meals for my family has always … Continue reading →

What Do You Mean Pop-Tarts Are NOT Healthy?

Okay, I’m not completely nutritional challenged. I know that the popular toaster pastry isn’t exactly packed with vitamins and nutrients. However, I didn’t realize that you are better off skipping breakfast altogether than downing one as you dash out the door. It was news to me. A nutritional update I got directly from someone who knows a thing or two about the health benefits of food. Last week I drove to the TV station I used to work for to drop off a birthday present for a friend/former colleague. (I was out of town and missed her party.) As I … Continue reading →

Author Challenges The Obsession with Obesity

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In her book, Rethinking Thin Gina Kolata argues that being fat is not something that people have control over. A researcher asked the question: Would you rather be fat or blind? Kolata, a science reporter for The New York Times, shares the answers to the researcher’s question. 89 percent of respondents to this question all agreed that they would rather lose their sight than be fat. When you’re blind, people want to help you. No one wants to help you when you’re fat. The idea that people would rather be blind than fat is shocking, but once you start reading … Continue reading →