Eating well doesn’t have to be complicated

By Shelley Sherman, University of Minnesota Extension

ST. PAUL, Minn. (6/2/2008 ) — Summertime, and the livin’ is easy. Or is it? With children out of school, parents are often hard-pressed to feed them healthy, quick and filling food. Too often, high fat snacks and sugars are the default choice.

Most of us who have tuned into the news in the last couple of years know that the U.S. is fast becoming a nation of fat people. Unfortunately, Minnesota is no exception. People who are overweight risk chronic diseases, and our children are increasingly at risk. Rising rates of diabetes and hypertension among children have made many worry that this could be the first generation to live shorter lives than their parents; with greatly diminished quality of life.

In focus groups conducted on behalf of University of Minnesota Extension’s Health & Nutrition department in 2007, people of all ethnic groups seemed discouraged about health and nutrition. Focus group parents lamented the lack of daycare and school options that left their children at home eating chips in front of the TV while they were at work. Respondents felt that being healthy was “hard work,” “too expensive” and “confusing—the message keeps changing!” Fears about the safety of the food supply, given well-publicized outbreaks of E. coli in both meats and vegetables, add to the general angst.

So what’s a good parent to do?

Journalist and professor Michael Pollan’s newest book, In Defense of Food, literally wears its premise on its sleeve.  Subtitled An Eater’s Manifesto, the book’s cover is a head of leaf lettuce wrapped with a band that says: “Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants.” The slim book discusses the meaning behind what looks like pretty simple, common sense.

The good news is that it’s not that complicated. Pollan offers a few “rules of thumb,” the first (and my personal favorite) of which is: “Don’t eat anything your great grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.” This will keep you away from processed foods and unpronounceable ingredients. Other great advice? Eat meals, eat at a table, don’t buy food in gas stations, cook and grow a garden.

Try a few different foods this summer. Take advantage of Minnesota’s farmer’s markets. Visit the Minnesota Grown  website at http://www.mda.state.mn.us/food/minnesotagrown/directory.htm for a great resource for local foods. Parents worried about food safety and pesticides can also seek growers who grow organically or without chemicals. 

Any use of this article must include the byline or following credit line:
Shelley Sherman is a health and nutrition educator for the Simply Good Eating Program in the West Metro, with University of Minnesota Extension.

NOTE: News releases were current as of the date of issue. If you have a question on older releases, use the news release search (upper left-hand column of the News main page) or the main Extension search (upper right of this page) to locate more recent information.

URL: http:// www.extension.umn.edu/extensionnews/2008/eatingwellnotcomplicated.html  This page was updated June 2, 2008 .
Online Privacy Statement.  Contact Information.

University of Minnesota Extension is an equal opportunity educator and employer.
Copyright  ©  Regents of the University of Minnesota.  All rights reserved.