I get asked this on a daily basis by my little bit.  She wants to know if what she is eating is healthy.  She does not believe me when I say that McDonalds is not healthy.  Yes, I let my girls eat McDonalds.  They see it as a treat.  I do not do it everyday, but probably twice a month.  Is it healthy?  No.  Does it for the 30 minutes we are sitting around eating and playing on the playground bring them joy?  Yes.  Does it make me cringe when I think about what they are eating?  Yes.  Will I stop taking them there?  No.  Twice a month if that is not going to kill them.  I am keeping it real.

What I am trying to do is introduce healthy meals and snacks in the home that will encourage my girls to want to eat healthy.  I myself do not have the best eating habits, but I am much more conscious of what I eat than I was a year ago.  Convenience rules in most households.  We are just now starting to experience what it is like to have children in activities, so when you are busy, your meal choices tend to slide.

My first priority is to introduce more fruits and vegetables.  I only buy fresh or frozen.  I am on a tight food budget, so buying organic is not always an option.  I have  stopped buying fruits and vegetables in pre-packaged plastic bags, and bag my own.  I recently had a bag of apples that smelled of chemicals when I took them out of the bag, and could not believe how bad the smell was.

It is easier for me to have a meal plan.  I try to introduce something new every week.  A few weeks ago, we ate a tofurkey loaf and I have to say it was pretty good.  Mr. Kell even ate it.  My children have become more picky, so I have to get creative.  Thank goodness for creative people who like to cook.

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You can never go wrong with a pasta salad.  It is colorful, and the kids can participate in making their own.

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My girls love fried chicken as do I, and baking it in the oven makes it that much better.

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Two out of three daughters will eat fish.  I always have it on the menu once a week.  If it was up to Mr. Kell and I we would eat fish every day.

When it comes to snacks. I always keep a large bowl of fruit on the kitchen table.  I also keep fresh fruit and veggies in the fridge.  The girls know when they come home from school one of their snacks must be a fruit or a vegetable.

Snacks are the one place where I slack off.  Chips are easy, so are fish crackers or granola bars.

With the end of school quickly approaching, I thought it would be fun to make some snacks from scratch with my girls.

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Peanut butter does not last long in this house, and to be able to make it without any surprise ingredients sounds awesome.  I would also like to try to make thing like ranch dressing, ketchup, and cream of everything soups.

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Granola bars are a great snack choice.  We like to spend time at the park, or swimming at the lake, and having a snack that is easy to package is a must.

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I got a blender for Christmas, and my girl are always wanting to make smoothies.  It is the perfect way to create a healthy snack for your child, while at the same time hiding some of the ingredients your children may otherwise refuse to eat.

The food we eat is changing.  Many of us as families are busy every day of the week be it with jobs, or extracurricular activities. We all need to make sure that our health, or our children’s is not being put on the wayside because we are too busy.  What we eat, and how we care for out bodies is the one thing we can control.

I do not know about you, but I am going to make some changes.

Besides, my little bit will not eat it unless it is healthy… like McDonalds…..

Happy Wednesday!

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