Family Nutrition Tips: What's For Dinner?

I'm not a short order cook.

But for years I felt like one.

Molly doesn't like carrots, Micah doesn't like corn, Mike won't eat broccoli ... the list went on and on. Who has the time or patience to cook around all those picky eaters every night?! Not me.

Now I try to avoid the things everyone truly despises. But aside from that, I just try to cook healthy and keep it interesting. I figure if they're really hungry, they'll eat.

And believe it or not, no child has ever keeled over from starvation in my kitchen.

Some foods they may never like. But there have been others that they didn't think they liked but grew to like after they tried them a few times.

If you can get beyond all the griping and complaining (and it ain't easy, sister), you might find those kiddos will eat more than chicken nuggets after all! ;0)

Dr. David M.Winsor, chiropractor and nutrition expert is here again this week to provide us with a little more dinner direction:

by David M. Winsor, D.O.
So here we are at dinner. It would be nice if you all had ample time to prepare the perfect meal but life is not like that very often. We therefore have to think ahead perhaps with preparing multiple meals ahead and freezing them and just adding the vegetables and varying brown rice or sweet potatoes.

Again the plan is to eliminate the bad stuff already discussed and to focus on what good stuff your child will eat. You must get them used to having at least one cruciferous vegetable a day and then sneak in a new one gradually to try. They may surprise you.

So how about chili con carne with beans, cauliflower cooked with no salt, mixed vegetables, and salad greens? If you want to add dessert, try a fruit plate. Encourage the family to drink water rather than soda to keep the sugar down.

When possible, have fish but make sure it is caught wild and not a farm fish with added hormones. Also shop the green food section to limit hormones in all meats.

I cannot list multiple specific dinner items, but work on the cruciferous veggie group. These are kale, collard greens, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, beets etc. You can Google a complete list.

Nutritional deficiencies are often assessed by the RDA or recommended daily allowance. This is the minimum amount needed to stop an animal from becoming sick with a deficiency. It is NOT the amount needed for health.

The most common deficiencies we see in Florida are vitamin D and iodine both of which are essential for health. Calcium is often very low.

To give you some context: The average adult's RDA for potassium is 4,700 milligrams per day. To fulfill 4,700 milligrams of potassium, you'd need to eat 14 cups of lettuce, or 10 bananas or 29 apples. To obtain the RDA for iodine of 150 micrograms per day (for an average adult), you'd have to eat six eggs or four half cups of plain yogurt.

Meeting the RDA is probably much harder than you thought. You may even decide that it is impossible. Most of us have to take food supplements to achieve the necessary levels. Any supplements should be whole foods to avoid both over and underdosing.

If you would like a complementary nutrient evaluation, you can visit my web site at www.AccessChiroCenter.com and just click on the green apple.

Be advised that the suggested nutritional program is not intended as a treatment for any disease. This adjunctive schedule of nutrients is provided with the intent of supporting the physiological and biochemical processes of the human body, and not to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or condition.
Dr. David M Winsor
www.AccessChiroCenter.com; 941-629-8444