Eating - Inspired Living SA

Be Inspired, Food, My Top

My Top 4 Foods to Eat

“My top 4 Foods to Eat” in no particular order:

I am definitely more of a savoury person when it comes to food and a bit of a carnivore, so meat is always high on my list of staples. I love nothing better than a delicious fillet steak, with pepper or mushroom sauce and crispy French fries!

My second favourite food to eat would have to be sushi, although if I am dining with my youngest poppet and we are sharing a platter, I have to eat quickly otherwise I lose out! (She loves her sushi!) My favourite sushi roll is a California roll with prawns and avo. (usually accompanied by a few glasses of Graham Beck bubbles!)

Third on my list is Thai curry, well I pretty much love most Thai food but Red Chicken & Prawn Thai curry is a favourite; I often cook it at home and the hotter the better!

OK technically the last item is not really “food” more “desert” but a girls gotta have something sweet in her life – I really “heart” Crème brûlée. Often I will try to get the hubby to share it with me (in an attempt not to look greedy) but I have learnt my lesson it’s better to get my own!

What is your favourite food or desert? Are you more a savoury or a sweet eater?

Children, Family, Featured Posts, Parenting, Parenting Advice

Helping your child to develop a good body image

Nobody ever said that parenting was going to be easy and I must admit parenting two girls is not without its challenges. Especially when it comes to developing a good body image and tricky subjects and like weight, looks, sibling rivalry to touch on just a few! Just when you think you have it sussed they throw another curve ball at you!

Developing a Good Body Image

So my dilemma at the moment is how to encourage a healthy sense of one’s physical appearance without making an issue out of it or over emphasising the topic. I will not deny the fact that I have always been body conscious but I do try and ensure that I eat a balanced diet and exercise regularly. As parents, my husband and I both try and focus on the health aspect, emphasising healthy body – healthy mind. In a perfect world this would be enough but unfortunately once our children become aware of the media and what the “world” deems as being acceptable – it feels like we are fighting a losing battle.

Statistically South Africa falls somewhere in the middle of the graph as far as fatalities caused by eating disorders, the USA has the highest rate – somewhat alarming when my daughters are trying to model themselves on American pop stars and actresses. Please do not get me wrong, I am not saying that all popular people have eating disorders but the media certainly makes a big deal if anyone of them puts on a few extra pounds!

After reading an article recently on the “Fad” diets that actresses follow, I was even more alarmed at what length someone will go to “lose weight”. The most terrifying diet mentioned in the article is “the Baby Food Diet” – you have got to be kidding me, this cannot be healthy or pleasant to do. The thing is I love good food to much too even contemplate doing something like this; what’s better than a delicious steak and a baked potato – yum! (I am making my own mouth water!) I will admit that I have certainly tried a few crazy “detoxes” in my time but never lasted more than a few days – who wants to eat onion soup three times a day!

Where does this leave us as parents and how do we deal with children who show signs of becoming obsessed with losing weight and developing a full blown eating disorder? I guess the thing we have to realise is that having an eating disorder does not always mean you are thin – binge disorders can make people over weight. The issue lies with an unhealthy relationship with food, so the most important thing we as parents can do is lead by example – ensure that our children see us eating a healthy well balance diet and exercising regularly. By doing this we can encourage them to do the same and focus on the health aspect rather than the weigh aspect.

I think we also need to be sensitive to our children’s feelings and perception of their own body – encourage them to talk about how they feel. Also be aware of what you say about others – I always maintain if its not positive or helpful, keep your mouth shut! Which brings to mind an incident which happened over the weekend – a rather insensitive shop assistant told my very impressionable 10 year old that she had fat on her ankles (we were shoe shopping) – as I said if you don’t have anything good to say then don’t say anything! I then had to spend the rest of the afternoon explaining that the woman had no idea what she was talking about and was just trying to make sales – needless to say we did not buy anything from her!

What can we do to help promote a healthy sense of being?

Make sure your family eats breakfast and share family meal times as often as possible.
Limit access to magazines or social media that promote underweight celebs as being glamorous – teach your children to discern what a healthy body image is.
Encourage your children to be active and exercise regularly.
Talk to your children about their feelings towards their own body.
Promote healthy self-esteem and self-respect.
Most importantly, lead by example – live a well-balanced life!

Articles I found helpful on the subject:

Images: ©FAR Photography by Super Mom & Pinterest

Food, Lifestyle, My Family Table

Food Tips & Stress Less

One of my all-time favourite magazines to buy is Woman’s Health; I read it cover to cover and find it an essential part of my health and fitness regime. I loved the food tips from the most recent issue, August 2011, on reducing the stress surrounding meal prep and planning; “10 Foods and 40 Recipes”. They also have a great website, so click on the link above a take a look.

Food Tips

As we all know, having a healthy diet is so important, especially when you have a family to take care of. Teaching our children good food habits from an early age is vital. Both of our girls love food and that includes the preparation and cooking thereof. Their tastes are quite different but we seem to find some middle ground; although my youngest would eat sushi 24/7 if she could and the eldest will not touch the stuff.

For me the emphasis needs to be on healthy balanced meals but speedy preparation, easy execution but not forgetting taste. As a family we very rarely eat take away food or pre-prepared meals, which often means more effort and time spent on the preparation. So how do you go about taking the stress out of this part of domestic life? The answer is simple; you need to plan your meals in advance. This is easier said than done, knowing how hectic life can be but I have proven to myself that it does work.

I have never been someone to follow recipes but I find inspiration from them – I use them as a guide rather than a bible. I know cooking does not come naturally to some people, so recipes are a great resource but whatever your approach, planning can simplify your life.

If you are in need of some inspiration or direction you can have a look at ‘Woman’s Health Mealfinder‘. I have also found these cookbooks useful: ‘Jamie Oliver’s 30-Minute- Meals’ and Nigella Lawson’s – ‘Kitchen’, for recipes and ideas.

So make the process fun and involve the family, get everyone to pick a meal for a certain night of the week and create a menu. This will help with planning as well; it also encourages children to try new foods and it teaches them good domestic skills. We usually aim for a menu running from Monday to Thursday, leaving the weekend for a bit of spontaneity. We also make our own pizzas and burgers which the girls love getting involved in.

Once you have a game plan and your list of ingredients, you can hit the shops and get cooking. I have included the link to the recipe for my tasty chicken dish, “Fee’s Chicken and Leek Casserole”, which my family love; for you to try.

Hope this is helpful and I would love to hear any cooking tips you have to share.

Image Source: Pinterest