It happens to the best of us particularly when we get too busy, stressed, distracted, etc. What am I talking about? The dinner rut, of course.
Unfortunately, boring your family members isn't the only negative consequence of eating the same meal over and over again. Too much menu monotony can sometimes lead to an imbalance of nutrients...
In our house, we get stuck on homemade pizza and breakfast for dinner. (I mean, really, when don't you want pancakes for dinner?) And although I tried to incorporate healthy foods into each of these meals (veggies on the pizza; fruit in the pancakes), the sad fact of the matter is that dinner ruts cause us to miss out on several important food groups and nutrients.
To ensure maximum nutrition for your family, you should try to maintain a varied diet rich in whole grains, calcium, fruits, vegetables, protein, healthy fats, and fiber. Moreover, make sure that the food sources you use to get these nutrients differ; for example, don't always eat chicken for protein or green beans for your vegetable. By mixing and matching you are better able to ensure that you are getting the complete nutrition you need. After all, variety is the spice of life. (Or something cheesy like that.)
Do you get stuck on breakfast for dinner? How do you ensure maximum nutrition for your family?
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Comments 7
I tend to vary the menu pretty widely, and I try to cook a new recipe at least every week- plus, I incorporate a few staples regularly, like spinach- there are a million ways to get it in a meal, some sneakier than others, but in my case it doesn't matter because the kiddos love it. Also, steamed pureed cauliflower can go into almost anything undetected, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, etc. and we switched from regular pasta to the whole grain pasta, as well as from white rice and bread to whole grain- which they make so well now it isn't a hard switch to make. Finally, I let the kids come up with ways they might like something- if they say they want to try honey with their brocolli I say great let's try it!
We are all vegan and eat usually only organic or local foods. I think we do a pretty good job. I don't know very many other 3 year olds who jump up and down for a fruit salad or tofu veggie pasta the way most kids go crazy over cookies!
i make a weekly menu so i know ahead of time what i am making and since i am following WW, i am always making healthy dinners. to not get in ruts, when i am making my menu i try to try 1 new recipe a week and look through my recipe box and cook books for the other meals.
i need to loose stomach fat after my baby but cannot run on my treadmill or do hard exercise because i have ankylosing spondilitis. it affects all you joints. i am not dibilitated by it. but, i have pain. how can i eat better with my family and loose weight.
I think that it is important to provide healthy, nutritious snacks, especially when you may not have time to cook. I also think it is important that we try to eat organic, all-natural foods that keep us and the planet healthy... my favorite brands are Annie's Homegrown Foods and Kay's Naturals Better Balance Gluten Free Snacks. I but these great tasting snacks from http://www.vitacost.com/ at a great price!
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