In the Muffin Mood

Hey everyone! Happy [cookie] Friday! How’s your day going? Anything fun going on this weekend??

Yesterday afternoon, I had a smaller hemp-seedless Chocolate Cherry Bomb

choc cherry

And met up with the girls for dinner at Bleu Cafe. I usually like Bleu ok, but after the ridiculous feasts we had in Vegas, it seemed more mediocre than usual. The company was lovely though 😀

So was the vino:

vino

At Bleu, the serve fresh little blueberry muffins with your meal. I usually skip out on the muffins, but last night I was in a muffin mood.

muffin

So glad I tried one- it was awesome.

My sub-par shrimp salad with goat cheese instead of feta.

salad

When I got back to the casa, I had half of breakfast before bed (so I have something in my belly for AM Insanity),

millet

(Millet + Almond butter + Polaner)

The tactic has been *working out* (heh) well so far… I’m not starving in the morning and don’t have to worry about squat-jumping induced nausea 😉

Viesa crawled up with her chew toy:

IMG00216-20100429-2247

Bella sprawled out like a little noodle:

IMG00218-20100429-2248

And we called it a night 😀

This morning, I met with my Lifestyle Challenge group and then Ashley and I did Insanity (cardio power and resistance… it was beastly!). My new sneaks:

asics

I love them so far! They’re super light for bounding, jumping and sprinting 🙂

Time to make some foodie and take these puppers for a walk in the sun.

Have a happy Friday <3

xoxo,

Gina

Something to talk about: Do/will your kids eat the same way you do?? Obviously plans and reality can sometimes differ, but we’d like our future kids to eat very similarly to the way we do. Organic fruits and veggies, whole grains, healthy treats, fish, and the occasional fun and delicious but not-so-healthy treats. I also imagine that they’ll eat organic meat and dairy even though I myself don’t choose to eat those foods. The pilot eats meat (always certified organic if I cook it at home) and I see no prob with having it in the casa or preparing it, as long as I know where it came from, ya know?

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95 Comments

  1. Allie (Live Laugh Eat) on April 30, 2010 at 10:27 am

    I totally plan on feeding my children quality food from the moment their born…well even starting from when they’re in my belly. My children will be sucking down green smoothies like it ain’t no thang! I did a project on parental influence on children eating behaviors and their tastes are determined pretty quickly, but it is possible to get them to like healthy foods.

  2. Allison @ Food For Healing on April 30, 2010 at 10:28 am

    its supposed to rain ALL weekend here, so im not sure how much exciting things will happening here.

    But today me and one blogger are getting together for lunch, so excited, small city blogger meet up!

    might have friends come down tomorrow and go browse the art galleries. thats the extent of the weekend i think!

  3. Midgetkeeper on April 30, 2010 at 10:29 am

    Yes. My kids eat just like we do. Once my Daughter started eating table foods it really changed my whole view on foods and what I put into my body. I always bought organic foods for her but really hadn’t made the switch for my Husband and myself. Then one day it just hit me, why would I ever put anything in my body that I wouldn’t feel comfortable feeding my child? It really taught me to take better care of myself and to be more careful about what I put into my body.

  4. Heather (Heather's Dish) on April 30, 2010 at 10:29 am

    that’s a good question…my plan with kiddos (one day) is to introduce them to the widest variety of fresh, whole, wholesome foods as possible. i want to teach them about how FUN food is, and focus on how eating well makes them feel. it’s such a hard thing to do, but i know that it’ll be worth it!

  5. Lauren @ BIOCHEMISTA on April 30, 2010 at 10:33 am

    Hi Gina!!! Quick question about Insanity! (You’ve got me VERY interested!)..

    How much room do you need to do the workout?? And do you think I could do this living in an apaprtment? We have neighbors below us and it’s an older building so I’m wondering if all of the jumping will be noisy…?

    Thanks SO MUCH for your advice! Lova ya girl!!

    xx,

    Lauren

    • Fitnessista on April 30, 2010 at 10:35 am

      all of the jumping would definitely be loud. we have a two-story house so i don’t have to worry about it, but if i were on the top floor of an apt i would make sure the neighbors below weren’t home. could you do it somewhere else??? are the people who live under you home a lot?

  6. LindsayH on April 30, 2010 at 10:34 am

    I only know for sure that my kids won’t eat like I did when I was a kid! I don’t know if I can expect them to like the same things I do, but I definitely would like to raise my kids vegan or ethical vegetarian until they are old enough to make their own conscious decisions about food. I can’t say I wouldn’t allow them to eat something, but I would try to encourage them to eat as many organic whole vegan foods as possible!

  7. Kelly B (at Local Foodie Fight) on April 30, 2010 at 10:35 am

    I was actually just thinking about this the other night. I am far far off from having kids, at least 10-15 years (yeah, I’d like to enjoy my freedom for a while!) but I have been reading Eating Animals and he talks a lot about his decisions to change the way he eats and how he pays attention to the integrity of the food and where it comes from after he has a child of his own and makes decisions about what he feeds him.

    I hope to be married to a man that shares some similar diet to mine or at LEAST cares enough to adapt to a more local eating lifestyle and not eating meat every day, if at all. because that is what is important to me and I would like to be able to live in a house where we can all enjoy the same food together without having anyone feel deprived or wasting food because theres two meals being made all the time and then some of us don’t want this or that or whatever! it just sounds complicated. I think for me, if I found a man that was unwilling to give up bad eating habits or wanted a steak every night or whatever, it probably would never work out. and I feel like as long as youre on the same page with your sig. other, raising a child to appreciate those same foods would be easy. and the would scoff at the junk food in their friends lunches at school too! =)

  8. Tracey @ I'm Not Superhuman on April 30, 2010 at 10:42 am

    That salad looks good from here, too bad it was only sub-par. When I have kids I totally want them to eat healthy. I think it’s a fine line, though, between restricting them and having them rebel later and teaching them healthy eating. I know my husband grew up in a house where only healthy food was allowed and when he went to college he rebelled bigtime and became a fast food addict. I’m doing my best to turn him, but I think it would have helped if growing up foods like pizza, cake, and burgers weren’t the forbidden fruit.

    • Shannon on April 30, 2010 at 10:56 am

      I feel the same way as you; almost everyone I know who grew up in a very restrictive food environment had an experience similar to your boyfriend’s. I’ve noticed the same can apply to parents who are too strict in other ways; I had a friend who failed out of college because she couldn’t handle all the freedom after coming from absolutely zero freedom at home. I think it’s important for parents to empower their kids to make good decisions on their own, rather than just force the decisions on them.

  9. allison @ livingoneday on April 30, 2010 at 10:46 am

    love the sneaks. asics are always my go to’s, too!

    my children will eat what i eat – no microwaved or frozen meals for them. i used to be a nanny and i saw what parents made their kids eat and it makes me shudder. im also HUGE about eating together as a family. every meal i ate growing up was with my family, and i think it makes such a huge difference in how kids are raised – healthy, happy, and loved =)

    ps, saw your tweets last night. everything ok??

  10. Beth @ Beth's Journey to Thin on April 30, 2010 at 10:48 am

    I’m not sure what I’ll do about kids and eating. I want them to eat healthy veggies and whole grains, but I’m not going to force vegetarianism on them, especially since my boyfriend is a meat eater. I think by setting a good example, hopefully they’ll gravitate towards a healthy lifestyle and make their own choices when the time comes.

  11. Emily N on April 30, 2010 at 10:48 am

    Hi Gina, cute post! I have a fun dinner party lined up this weekend plus a movie with the boyfriend on our date night (he’s on call tonight) and I might try to re-book a massage after my last appt was cancelled. I’m very sore from a new workout routine I started!

    As far as the kiddie question, its a small point of contention w/ the boyfriend. He would LOVE for our offspring (God-willing!) be vegan and I would love for them to be flexi/veggie. My argument is that they might lose their ability to break down dairy if they are not used to consuming it as kiddies. Having said that, I avoid all dairy and only use goat-milk for cheese. So, we still haven’t decided, but its fun thinking about. We will have a kosher home and will hope to teach our kids ethics and environmentalism so they can pick the best diet/lifestyle for themself.

  12. Shannon on April 30, 2010 at 10:50 am

    It’s my opinion that the WORST possible thing you can do to your kids (dietary-wise that is) is set them up to have an unhealthy relationship with food. Forbidding a food, or a food group, is only going to make your children crave, sneak, and binge on said food. I think that you should expose your kids to the foods that you like to eat, but also allow them to eat like a kid. That’s what my parents did-I remember eating a lot of hot dogs and mac & cheese as a kid, and I wouldn’t touch green vegetables until I was about 11, but once I wanted to start eating a larger variety of healthy, diverse food it was there, since that’s what my parents ate. And my sister and I both became vegetarian, and I bet many readers on this blog had similar food habits growing up, and no one turned out worse for wear.

    • Fitnessista on April 30, 2010 at 12:17 pm

      i totally agree. one of my cousins had a mom who wouldn’t let her have any junk food growing up and she gained a lot of weight in college and has major issues with food. i definitely think a childhood needs to have mac and cheese and hostess cupcakes 🙂

    • Mary on April 30, 2010 at 8:51 pm

      Thanks, Shannon! I have a 9 year old girl and that’s pretty much my philosophy. I will happily let her eat junk food as long as she wants if it’ll keep her free of ‘food issues’, y’know? I was raised in an almost junk-free house and I totally went nuts with it for decades, once the decisions were my own. I already see my little junk food junkie making the right decisions more and more often. She even minimizes her meat-eating (despite me wanting her to get more protein) and asks for grass-fed beef if I do buy it! The only fast food she’ll eat after seeing ‘Supersize Me’ is Taco Bell bean burritos. It’s the little things.

      • Fitnessista on April 30, 2010 at 9:31 pm

        those taco bell bean burritos are gooooooood 🙂

  13. Caroline on April 30, 2010 at 10:52 am

    I def want my kids to eat like me! I’m pretty similar to your eating style – sans seafood though. I don’t cook meat for my boyfriend, but I’m sure one day when I’m married I’ll cook up some organic free range meat. I don’t want my kids to eat all the sugar and trans fat laden junk that most kids love. I know its easy to say now since I’m not a busy mom, but I really want to try hard to have wholesome delicous meals for my kids – no frozen meals or fast food in my house! haha such a “mean mom” already!

  14. Allison @ Food For Healing on April 30, 2010 at 10:58 am

    i would definitely have my kids first foods to be very healthy. I would want them to follow in the right path. i don’t want them to think going to McDonald’s is a treat ( like I used to )
    I want them to grow up on healthy food so that they think it is NORMAL to eat that way, and not try to bring them into it later once they are use to eating junk or something. But i won’t entirely limit them or forbid them from eating certain things because that will be their choice, but i want to guide them and help them out so they can lead healthy happy lives

  15. Naomi (onefitfoodie) on April 30, 2010 at 11:09 am

    i just started insanity (love it!) and def need some new sneaks to compliment the workouts…what style/brand are those?! (I think they are asics!!) thanks!!

    • Fitnessista on April 30, 2010 at 12:15 pm

      yup they’re asics- gel phoenix 2

  16. Jill {irun ieat} on April 30, 2010 at 11:13 am

    Your dogs are so cute!

    I don’t have kids yet, but when I do I plan to feed them the same way I eat. The way I look at it, if I wouldn’t eat something why would I give it to my kids – who are growing and developing. When they grow up if they choose to eat differently, that’s their choice, but if I can teach them healthy habits from the beginning I think they have a better chance of making healthy choices.

  17. Katie on April 30, 2010 at 11:18 am

    I feel similar to you. I will most likely serve my future kids meat (which I serve my husband now) but I will want to give them organic meat and produce. I told my hubby that if he continues his daily junk foods he’ll have to do it in private where the kids can’t see! 🙂

  18. Elise on April 30, 2010 at 11:23 am

    Hey Gina,

    Look at that muffin! I like that it’s not the size of your head. What a treat! Also, nice treads!! =D

    All I can say (as a mom to three grown kids) is that it’s VERY difficult to predict what they will/will not eat. Our kids are all different. The boys have a pretty limited palate while our daughter is happy to eat anything. They were all three raised in the same household with the same family dinners. We did try to force our sons to eat a few things only to have the joy of cleaning up puke rather than enjoying a nice family dinner. None are overweight/underweight, suffer from allergies of any kind, all lead an active lifestyle and are all well adjusted people.

    I agree with Tracey. In this day in age you really do need to be careful with putting TOO much outright focus on food and exercise with kids…especially girls. Society has taught them to be so hard on themselves already…it’s a slippery slope into eating/control issues.

    Of course I’m not saying NOT to exercise and eat healthy… just be very careful in the way that it’s presented. The trick is to make is something we WANT to do not something we SHOULD do.

    *puts soapbox away*

    Quick question. Why is goat cheese “OK” but not sheep or cow. Is goat cheese somehow not dairy? Sorry, I’m not up on the whole vegan thing.

    Hope you’re having a great day! I think you and the pilot are pretty bueno young peeps!!

    • Fitnessista on April 30, 2010 at 12:14 pm

      i totally agree- i’m hoping they pick up on it and will focus on foods that are *healthy* for fueling your body, not related to appearance in any way. i think setting an example instead of preaching is so important.
      goat cheese is definitely dairy- our bodies just digest it differently than cow’s dairy

  19. michele on April 30, 2010 at 11:30 am

    I encourage healthy, wholesome organic food in my house. I do buy things for them that I don’t eat such as bagels, some ice cream. Unfortunately society will not allow me to feed my kids 100% of what I would like to. School lunches are junk w/ non organic milk served as the healthy part of the meal YUK! How do I explain to my son it is ok for everyone else but not you. It will backfire if I am too rigid. So, much to my dismay, I feed them what I eat at home, buy healthy versions of foods they want such as chip, cookies etc and don’t get frantic when we are out and all they want are chicken nuggets at resturants. All I can do is keep educating them and I know it get through to them. One day we were out shopping and we passed by oreo’s and he asked “mommy can you buy the “healthy oreo’s today”.

  20. Katheryn on April 30, 2010 at 11:33 am

    Yes, my children eat what I eat. They are 5 and 2, and enjoy drinking green smoothies or eating oatmeal with mommy in the morning. Lots of vegetarian meals, whole wheat pasta, bread, and rice, lean meat, almond butter, and tons of fruits and vegetables. We don’t make a big think about it though. We talk about what is healthy food and why you need it to fuel your body. We also talk about appropriate snacks and treats. This is the way we eat and live, so it’s not a big deal.

  21. Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin on April 30, 2010 at 11:38 am

    There’s nothing more disappointing than a sub-par restaurant salad! I find restaurants always tend to skimp on the veggies! Lame-o.

    When I have kids, they will definitely eat like me. I want to raise them to know what GOOD food is, and keep them away from all that junk that is advertised on tv.

  22. Lisa of Lisa at Home on April 30, 2010 at 11:43 am

    I agree with your style of eating whole, organic foods. I definitely want my children (one day) to eat whole healthy foods. Most importantly, I want them to have a healthy relationship with food and never have the word ‘diet’ enter their vocabulary.

    • Fitnessista on April 30, 2010 at 12:11 pm

      yup, “diet” will be forbidden in our house, along with: fat, ugly and stupid.

  23. Jessica @ How Sweet on April 30, 2010 at 11:47 am

    I def think my kids will eat the same way we do! I grew up eating pretty healthy with treats a few times a week, and have a very healthy outlook on food. I hope to pass it on!

  24. Dynamics on April 30, 2010 at 11:53 am

    Both my kids rebelled when they moved out and ate fast food junk!! Then they settled down and are now eating the way they were raised and thank goodness are both healthy and active. My youngest is now a vegetarian! I am a firm believer that what you eat as a kid will carry over. There is no excuse for taking the kids through a drive-thru when you can make an egg puff in 1.5 minutes.

  25. Megan @ Healthy Hoggin on April 30, 2010 at 11:54 am

    Yes, I totally want my kids to eat the same way I do! I grew up with WAY too much processed junk and fast food in my life, and it set me up for many problems as I got older. I hope that my kids can avoid some of that by eating high quality food! I don’t cook meat at home, but I’d be fine letting my children “splurge” when we go out to dinner, or if they’re at a birthday party or something. I figure if they’re eating great food at home most of the time, we can relax the reigns when they’re out.

    The only thing my husband and I disagree on is McDonald’s…. he has wonderful childhood memories from getting McDonald’s breakfast with his dad, and wants to pass on those traditions to our kids. I’d rather they NEVER have McDonald’s!! So, we’ll see how that goes! *gulp*

  26. Erin (Travel, Eat, Repeat) on April 30, 2010 at 11:54 am

    I want to raise my kids to be healthy and happy and to appreciate all kinds of food. Yes, of course they will eat cookies and cake but I’d love to serve them organic foods, and healthier versions rather than storebought crap.

  27. rachael on April 30, 2010 at 11:54 am

    My son eats the way we do for the most part and I am proud to say he’s been a vegetarian since conception. When he was eating homemade baby food his diet was ideal but things have gotten a little trickier since he’s gotten older. He has more treats and fast snacks than I had hoped but with daycare, grandparents, and the fact that kids get hungry really fast and need easy snacks on the run etc, it happens and we just do our best to minimize the not-so-healthy. Soda, high fructose corn syrup, meat, hydrogenated oil, are off limits no matter what the situation and non-organic dairy is advoided. He loves fruit, beans, and brown rice. He does pretty well with veggies and doesn’t know the difference between ice-cream and vitamixed frozen banana. There’s definitelty areas open for improvement but overall he’s done pretty well. We aren’t pushy at all and he stops eating when he’s full, even if he’s eating a cupcake. My son is proud to say he’s a vegetarian and always tells me who wasn’t eating their veggies at daycare. When I ask him if he ate his veggies he says “yes I did mom.”

    My tip for the not-yet-moms, never give up. My mother used to give me a hard time for giving my son avocado with his lunch when I had some because he never ate it, but evenutally he started eating it and now he steals mine off my plate:)

    • Emily N on April 30, 2010 at 12:07 pm

      This is the attidue I hope to replicate. It sounds like you’re being a wonderful guide for your son and that he’s growing up with lots of healthy food offerings!

    • Fitnessista on April 30, 2010 at 12:10 pm

      that’s AWESOME

  28. kathleen on April 30, 2010 at 12:01 pm

    From my experience, with 3 very differnt kids, you can plan all you want but if you have a picky eater, you end up working around them unless you want them to starve. My son would go 3 days without eating if he didn’t like what I made. He is what they call a “supertaster”. Texture, flavor, looks all go into play with his eating. He is a purest, no sauce, nothing touching, never bbq’d. My oldest is a human garbage disposal…if it’s food he’ll eat it. My daughter loves most things except fruits and veggies. Even with baby food, I tried forever, she would always spit it out. I have learned to hide things like pumpkin and pureed cauliflower in everything. My kids are 4th generation picky eaters on my husband’s side. I had no idea what I was marrying into as far as food goes. They all know I eat healthy, hopefully when they are adults they will make the best choices for them but until then I do what I can.

  29. Diana on April 30, 2010 at 12:02 pm

    If I do have kids some days I want them to eat healthy whole foods as much as possible (like, almost always ahah). I know it’s difficult to control them ALL the time but I do want to teach them that treats are treats for a reason and should not be eaten everyday. But I don’t want them to concentrate too much on food besides that though, no need to give them issues.

    • Fitnessista on April 30, 2010 at 12:09 pm

      i totally agree. i hope that by eating the way we do, they’ll pick it up and find what they love. no need to be preachy 🙂

  30. Kilee on April 30, 2010 at 12:09 pm

    Haha! Layla lays exactly like Bella does! I’m glad that your nightly fueling is helping your a.m. workouts!

    As for what I will feed my kids someday: I will cook most of our meals at home with a variety of unproccessed ingredients (what I do now.) I know that not everyone likes as many foods as I do (my sister eats about 8 different foods) so I will try to be understanding if they don’t like certain things. I believe in offering, but not forcing.

    I think that Jaime Oliver has done an amazing job reaching out to parents and children and explaining why the processed garbage they eat is awful for their health and what they can do to prepare healthier meals. One of my friends has a son who only eats chicken nuggets and kraft macaroni & cheese. She learned how to make those foods with healthier ingredients from scratch and now he is excited for his mom’s homemade meals over the boxed goods.

    Have a great Friday!

  31. Kelly on April 30, 2010 at 12:14 pm

    I’m definitely planning on having my kids eat like me (minus the crazy high protein intake as I’m sure they won’t be lifting). I won’t feed them anything with HFCS or trans fat and try to keep away from all things processed. I don’t want to create a “bad vs. good” foods thing though, I think that will lead to problems. I know my parents used junk food as a treat or reward and that really backfired for me, so I’m going to avoid that as well. Still working out the exact way I’ll keep them healthy without creating food issues!

    The hubs actually recently switched from his old Jif & Smuckers PB&J to Teddie’s & Polaner since I informed him I wouldn’t let our kids eat that kind of PB&J!

    • Fitnessista on April 30, 2010 at 12:19 pm

      i think you’re exactly right about the good food and bad food thing. and treats for rewards are no bueno, too – manicures and movies are much better rewards 🙂

  32. Lindsay on April 30, 2010 at 12:17 pm

    If I have kids (which I’m not too sure about), they’d definitely eat like I do. When I was growing up, my parents fed me well and made sure that I ate some veggies, but their style of eating is completely different from me now. Their meal is centered on meat, with a lot of processed food, and they seem to believe that as long as you aren’t overweight, then you can eat whatever you want. I think it’s been a struggle for me changing my eating habits because I learned the foods I like and don’t like as much from what my parents fed me or let me eat. So, I want my kids to get used to eating healthy, balanced meals and to acquire a taste for nutritious, whole foods.

  33. Paige (Running Around Normal) on April 30, 2010 at 12:20 pm

    Pretty sure if I ever come to Valdosta, your dogs might show up missing 😉 I kid, but gah, I melted at those two pictures today!
    I plan to raise my children with a mostly plants-based diet. However, I’ll let them choose what they want to do. I’ll of course try to instill healthy and positive choices about food in general though.

  34. Shannon (The Daily Balance) on April 30, 2010 at 12:21 pm

    this is such a sensitive subject because i don’t want my kids to ever be unhealthily focused on food. But I agree with your point of view of having healthy, organic and fresh foods always available with an occasional treat!

  35. Ilana on April 30, 2010 at 12:34 pm

    Oooohhhhh … I like those sneaks. I need new ones. The only pair I have has literally been in my closet since sophomore year of high school (and I graduated college last year).
    I really hope my children will eat like me. If my current boyfriend and I end up tying the knot (wholly possible), we will have a “mixed eater” household- me a vegan, he an omnivore. He is very supportive of me, which is great, but I don’t forsee him ever transitioning to veganism. That said, I don’t want to raise my children as vegan necessarily. Veganism is the right path for ME, but I don’t believe it HAS to be the only path for everybody, so I’d rather eat the way I prefer while instilling in my children the tools and knowledge to make healthy choices about what they put into their body, be it dairy, meat, or plant. Just as long as it’s healthy, good, whole and wholesome food, I’ll be happy!

    • Fitnessista on April 30, 2010 at 1:07 pm

      same here 🙂

  36. Mary @ What's Cookin' with Mary on April 30, 2010 at 12:37 pm

    Viesa is SO FREAKIN cute!! I love all of her facial expressions. 😀 I think I want a dog like her when I can finally have one. May I ask… was she expensive? Does she shed a lot ?

    • Fitnessista on April 30, 2010 at 1:06 pm

      haha yes she has such a cute and funny personality. yes, she was pricey (she’s purebred) and doesn’t shed too badly. she sheds her winter coat in the summer and her summer coat in the winter, but we brush her a lot. 🙂

  37. Cyndi on April 30, 2010 at 12:37 pm

    Made your recipe for Eggplant Curry and I’m enjoying it right now & it is Divine!!! I believe in wise choices w/little restriction. Moderation, by nature – hubs is a carnivore and I a herbavore dabbling in each others space. I have one child whose nature leans more to mine and one that leans more to his, but we provide choices.

    • Fitnessista on April 30, 2010 at 1:03 pm

      oh i’m so glad you like it!

  38. Morgan on April 30, 2010 at 12:38 pm

    They will eat healthy for sure, but I don’t plan to raise them vegetarian like I am. I was saying last night that the only way they’ll ever set foot into a fast food restaurant is if a friend takes them!

  39. sonia @ master of her romaine on April 30, 2010 at 12:52 pm

    Hi Gina! I have a question about your millet bread…I get the same brand from the freezer section at my health food store, and have a really hard time getting the slices apart! Do you thaw it first?

    • Fitnessista on April 30, 2010 at 1:02 pm

      nope, i keep it in the freezer and chisel off a piece when i want one

  40. brittany on April 30, 2010 at 12:55 pm

    I work at Subway and when I hear moms telling their kids not to get Cheetos because they’re “bad” it makes me want to cry!

    • Fitnessista on April 30, 2010 at 1:08 pm

      that makes me sad too.. it’s just instilling food issues

      • brittany on April 30, 2010 at 4:28 pm

        Exactly!!

  41. Rebecca @ How the Cookies Crumble on April 30, 2010 at 12:59 pm

    My mom always made us eat healthy as kids. We never had soda in the house, we never got twinkies or fruit rollups in lunches, we got milk money instead of “juice” boxes. We did get pizza for dinner once a week but we rarely went out to eat. And most our sweets were baked at home. Plus, we had a HUGE veggie garden in our backyard and fruit trees, so we ate a lot of the food we grew ourselves. We always homemade jams, salsa, bottled fruit. I love being able to eat food you grow in your own yard and hope if I ever decide to have mini-me’s I can encourage them to have the same healthy lifestyle I have.

  42. Katie@ Two Lives, One Lifestyle on April 30, 2010 at 1:01 pm

    I hope to raise my kids to eat similarly to me although I don’t want to worry to the point that I monitor every bite when they go to school, friend’s houses, even relative’s houses. My mom always fed us pretty healthfully and when I would go to sleepovers I can remember not understanding why the Chips Ahoy cookies and potato chips were so popular. They didn’t taste good at all to me, probably because I’d rarely had them. I think a parent’s good example without actually telling their kids what they can and cannot eat will often help form good habits!

  43. Sarah R on April 30, 2010 at 1:33 pm

    Awe 🙂 My little maltese lays just like Bella is! It’s so cute when they get all stretched out!

  44. Vicky on April 30, 2010 at 1:37 pm

    Great question Gina. My girls basically eat like I do; fruits, veggies, whole grain, beans etc. I am vegetarian, but they love their Dad’s BBQ!! I even got my oldest to have a breakfast cookie!! They have to have a fruit or veggie with every meal, and they know that and love it = cucumber & hummus, carrots w/homemade ranch etc. But they do eat treats, but what is so great about it is, they know they can have the dessert, so they will stop when they have had enough. They are better at controlling quantity, than most adults. And they have watched me have a salad every night with dinner, so they are used to having one also. They aren’t “perfect” they will have the occasional chicken strips, but they never seem to eat the whole portion. I want them to know everything in moderation, and not grow up with food issues, that has been my very important to me; that they have a healthy relationship with food. Have a great weekend!

  45. Diana (Soap & Chocolate) on April 30, 2010 at 1:40 pm

    I agree with some previous commenters in that I think that with kids it will be important not to make a big deal over food, but rather just to have the good stuff in the house. If that’s the foundation of their diet, they will consider that the norm and hopefully that would minimize the whole childhood picky-eater syndrome (pet peeve! even though I was a picky eater for a while myself…).

  46. Meghan on April 30, 2010 at 1:41 pm

    Yes my kids eat just what we eat, preparing two meals is not an option. I was remarking on my daughters dinner the other night black bean quinoa burger with greek yogurt dressing on a pita with cucumber and tomato, she is 2….I must have done something right.

    • Fitnessista on April 30, 2010 at 2:57 pm

      yes you have 🙂 that’s wonderful!

  47. Kristin (Cook, Bake and Nibble) on April 30, 2010 at 1:44 pm

    Sometimes, you just have to go with the muffin!

    What kind of shoes did you get?

    xo
    K

    • Fitnessista on April 30, 2010 at 2:56 pm

      asics phoenix 2 (i think… i know they’re asics haha)

  48. JenP on April 30, 2010 at 1:50 pm

    At home, the kids eat what I eat, for the most part. They eat more meat, but other than that, we try very hard to eat as a family. They will eat most veggies without complaining. Squash gets complaints for some reason, but they eat it. If I’m making something spicy or new (Indian, for example), I try to keep their portion a little tamer until they develop a taste for it. When out of the house (with friends, for example), they will eat and love junky food – pizza, nuggets, etc. They are kids, after all. I try to go with the flow in those cases. We eat clean at home and stressing out over a nugget is worse than having one occasionally. The most important is to not underestimate them and to be nonchalant about it. Kids love all kinds of foods that people assume they will hate and if you go into it with a fun attitude (let’s try these funny looking artichokes and see what we think) rather than a stern attitude (you won’t like it, but eat it anyway), they will surprise you.

  49. Michelle @ Give Me the Almond Butter on April 30, 2010 at 1:57 pm

    That is a great question Gina. Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution really sparked that debate in my head. I will definitely feed my kids healthy food, but I want to make it fun for them. Cut their veggie sandwich into fun shapes, see how many colors they can eat in a meal, put green smoothies in (opaque) fun cups, and make a fun presentation of food since we eat with our eyes first.

  50. JenP on April 30, 2010 at 2:01 pm

    I also want to second the mom who said don’t give up. My older son ate and loved everything as a baby. He now gives me attitude about certain foods as a way to assert his independence. I give him one or two bites of the food he doesn’t like (squash) and don’t make a big deal about it. My younger son would suck the cheese off a pea and spit it out when he was a baby. We just kept offering him foods and he will now steal the brussels sprouts off my plate until they are gone and the other night ate an entire artichoke himself. They both said they hated hummus until I mixed in a little salsa and called it creamy salsa. You never saw hummus disappear so fast! You never know, but as long as you keep a good attitude and keep trying, they’ll surprise you.

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