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I never realized how hard it would be to resist taking the "easy way out". Driving home with the kids at 5:00, passing all of the fast food drive-thrus, I am tempted to stop. I rack my brain thinking about what could possibly be on the menu that we could eat that would be good for us. I keep driving when my brain comes up empty. I know that even by ordering the "healthy" items on the menu, I would still be subjecting us to a ridiculous amount of processed ingredients. So we head on home and I put together a quick and healthy meal consisting of whole grains, protein, vegetables and fruit. I guess what I'm saying is that I understand how busy families get sucked into eating fast food on busy nights. That's one reason that I try to provide ideas for quick go-to recipes on this blog, so that you too can drive right on by the neon signs.

I underestimated how receptive my son would be to learning about nutrition. I love taking him to the grocery store with me because when he reaches for the can that has his favorite Disney character on it, I can explain to him why that is not a good food choice. He understands it best when we talk about how his body feels after eating certain foods. Because he eats mostly whole foods, he doesn't always feel well after eating something that is highly processed. At the grocery store, he puts the Disney can back on the shelf because he understands that it won't make him feel his best.

I didn't realize how important it would be to involve my kids in growing and cooking our food. I am always amazed at how my son will pick a cherry tomato and a basil leaf fresh from the garden and pop them in his mouth. But when I bring the same kind of tomatoes home from the store, he is not interested in eating them. He does the same thing with dinner. If I place his dinner plate in front of him at the table and he has had no part in putting it together, he may pick at his food. But if he is up at the counter with me helping me cook, he wants to smell and taste every ingredient. He sits at the dinner table thanking me for helping him cook a great meal (like he is the master chef).

I underestimated the ability of children to have a wide palate. I almost did it. I almost gave into the "Mommy and Daddy will eat this adult meal while the kids have their choice of chicken nuggets, pizza or hot dogs" mentality. That was until my son at two years old asked for a bite of my salmon one night at dinner. He ended up eating almost the entire filet. My 17-month-old daughter can't get enough edamame or any other beans for that matter, the more flavorful the better. I can't believe I almost fell into the trap of limiting my kids to such a narrow concept of food. I'm so glad I didn't!