Foods to Incorporate Into Your Family’s Menu Plan

Foods to Incorporate Into Your Family's Menu Plan

As the matriarch of the household, one of the tasks that commonly falls to you is the grocery shopping (and then the preparation of the food.) Because of this, you can control what's around the house - cut down on the sweets, switch from 2% to 1% milk, etc. When you're making your shopping list for the week, keep the foods below in mind to maintain good physical and mental health.

Does your family like to sit together in front of the TV to watch reality shows? Many do, and you can control the inevitable snacking by having some of the following on hand: cheese and reduced-fat crackers, guacamole with baked tortilla chips, and already cut-up fruit that comes with the creamy fruit dip in the center. You may be telling yourself, ‘That fruit is expensive!' and you're right - it is expensive. But be realistic: are you going to take the time to cut up all that fruit yourself? Most likely not, so pay someone else to do it so that at least your family can benefit from having foods like those around.

Cheese contains proteins, which boost serotonin levels in your brain. Serotonin is one of the most useful hormones to supply you with that happy, relaxed mood we all crave - that's why it's a key component in anti-depression medications. Low serotonin levels are one of the main sources for those cravings for late-night snacks and sweets.

Lastly, guacamole, even though it's high in fat, is also loaded with B vitamins, which are vital to maintain your brain function. Unfortunately, stress leeches B vitamins from your body rather quickly, and guacamole is a great way to replenish them. Additionally, the fat mentioned above is "good" fat - monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, rather than the saturated fats and trans fats found in so many chips, crackers, and cookies.

When you're in the produce or frozen section shopping for vegetables, put spinach and asparagus at the top of your list. Why? Both are high in vitamin C and folic acid. Vitamin C, as we mentioned in our article about foods on the go, helps to insulate your body from the ravages of cortisol and high blood pressure. Additionally, folic acid is a natural mood-lightener. If your kids don't like spinach, just add a bit to eggs in the morning, or mix it with meatball ingredients to add to pasta sauce. If they turn their noses up at asparagus, stir-fry them with other veggies, nuts, noodles, or chicken. Or make a sauce out of a favorite flavor of yogurt and let them dip the stalks in.

What about meat? For most families, meat is an important component of their dinnertime meals. Chicken and turkey are both great choices because not only are they low in fat, but both contain some measure of tryptophan, which relaxes you and causes a feeling of contentment. Ever wonder why you feel so sluggish after Thanksgiving dinner? It's probably because you overdosed on tryptophan.

Lastly, there are those foods that every nutritionist tells you to eat, but you have no idea how - soy and tofu. One delicious way to get soy is to buy the soy crisps and chips that supermarkets carry in their natural or organic section. Another way is to use low-sodium soy sauce in your cooking, whether it's stir-frying to just tossing your vegetables in it. Many Asian recipes call for soy, so vary your family's diet and eat foods from lots of different lands.

Tofu, tofu, tofu - how on earth do you squeak tofu by your family? Actually, it's not that hard. You can add tofu in place of some of the ricotta cheese in lasagna or manicotti (the tofu will take on the flavor of the ricotta and you won't even notice it). If you look in your supermarket's organic section, you might even find "dessert tofu" that you can add to smoothies or milkshakes. There are lots of ways to prepare tofu where you're not even fooling your family into eating it - you can cube it and marinade it in barbeque sauce, then give it a quick toss in a skillet to brown it. You can even make your own mayonnaise with tofu added to the regular ingredients. See - it's not that hard!

Now that you have some tips for how to incorporate some healthy stress-busting and energy-maintaining foods into your family's diet - experiment! It doesn't matter how your family eats these foods, as long as they do eat them.