"A moment on the lips, tomorrow on the hips!" Do you have memories of having to eat food you hated as a kid? When I was young and unpredictable, I hated anything green and most things brown, which meant that very few meats were acceptable. I know I drove my parents nuts with my wrinkled nose at the table.

The incident that made my parents change their attitude about my appetite also shaped how I approached the subject of eating with all 250 of the kids in my home, who thankfully, were not all at the table at the same time.

I can't think of a single foster child in our home or even other foster parents homes, that didn't have food issues. The kids in our care came in with the pre-conceived notion that we were going to starve them, poison them, or hold them down and force feed them spinach or green peas.

At meal times, they picked at their food, either hating everything or loving it, but because it wasn't prepared the way their mom did it, they wouldn't eat a bite. Even though their parents may have rarely fixed a meal, they would still state ...That's not the way my mom did it.

Most foster parents dreaded the first week or two of helping a new-to-the-home-child get used to their surroundings. We knew how hard it was going to be to keep the child from from starving themselves. Not only was that dangerous for the kiddo, it also put the foster parent at risk of investigation! We were so tempted to take pictures of family meals, and were known to invent a reason for taking the picture. Put food on the fork and smile, now....it was self-preservation! Mealtime took on a completely different definition in a foster home.

Most foster kids could be counted on to hoard food. All we had to do to find the hideouts, was to follow the inevitable bugs...another inspection dread. I never found a food the bugs didn't like. We discovered hidden food in the weirdest of places, some I won't mention, but most common were in their closets, drawers, and under the bed or under the sheets on our bed.

I never knew the significance of that, and didn't want to explore it. We just learned to lock our door. Foster parent training in our state didn't cover issues like that until I became a trainer and dared to bring it up. Then, I was one of the first foster parent trainers with real front line experiences to bring to the textbook. Many books were re-written with our state's pilot programs, with chapters that finally included real time informaton, from a foster parent on the ground.

I have pulled back many bedspread covers only to find something green and moldy waving back at me. Not to seem too critical of a child, strange behavior with food is not so strange, when you think about it from a foster child's prespective. if you were forced to live with someone you didn't know and didn't want to like, you'd probably do some weird things with food, too. It's a power thing. Or a psycho thing; I preferred not to think the latter.

No matter how much we re-assured the kids that food would be on the table tomorrow and they could always grab something from the anytime basket of snacks, they didn't believe us.

The only way to win the battle of the grub, was to provide consistant nutritional food choices and take the kids on frequent tours of the kitchen so they could see food.

My parents made an early decision to not get all up in the koolaide about what I ate during meals. But, that was only after I threw up liver and onions, broccoli, and spinach at the table. Well, they were fast learners and had a high IQ, albeit a weak stomach.

After that, they put the food on the table, sometimes with more than one choice of meat, and remained silent. A slim child, I never missed a meal, and my food choices changed as I grew up. Once hating green peas, I gradually grew to love them. Turning my nose up at asparagus, it became one of my favorite vegetables. From my own experiences, I learned that if I was not "over-encouraged" to eat something strange-looking, I would muster up the courage to take a bite on my own. My refusal to eat a specific food was not a point of discipline for my parents, they knew I would eat enough to stay out of the hospital.

I have written much on the subject of getting kids to eat "right" and generally believe that left to their own choices from healthy food on the table, kids will eat what's right for them.

A parent's role is to prepare healthy food, promote nutrtion by including the subject in family talks, and letting the kids decide. Too many rules can bring about the very rebellion parents are wanting to avoid. Don't bring power to your kitchen table. The best teacher, as always, is "example." Eat what you want your kids to eat, but let them choose.

Our foster kids had food issues mostly because they had experienced food deprivation, a lack of nutritious choices, or were driven by their emotions and food ended up being a symptom of other problems. Either way, forcing kids to eat is like trying to force them to sleep, bringing about more trouble for mom and dad than it's worth.

We are fortunate and blessed to live in a food and nutrition-rich country. Yet, having so much abundance has also caused us to eat on foot, or in the fast lane, far too often.

Perhaps the down economy will cause us to re-think our eating out habits, and we'll focus on preparing healthy and colorful meals at home. Home grown vegetables may once again become the norm. Because of that, I have included some information about those all important "greens."

Here's to healthy eating! Let's explore what "eating green" has to do with keeping us "in the pink" of health.

Want clear vision?Green vegetables are not just important vitamin vessels that give us strong bones, muscles and brains, green foods are also among the most abundant sources of lutein and zeaxanthin, which is a virtual antioxidant tag team that, among other things, promotes healthy vision.

Green foodsare a super, power-packed food that give us sharp and clear vision and super-human healing abilities! Beyond keeping your peepers peeping, green fruits and vegetables get their color from chlorophyll, which helps play an important role in stimulating the growth of new tissue while discouraging the growth of bacteria.

As a topical treatment, chlorophyll can speed healing time by 25%.

Here are a few green choices for your shopping pleasure:

• Zucchini - A dense and diverse source of nutrients, this summer squash comes with everything from omega-3s to copper. Suggested preparation:Toss sauteed zucchini with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, or add grated zucchini to your favorite bread or muffin recipe, or soup!!
• Brussel Sprouts- These little cabbages are one of the strongest natural cancer-fighters on the planet!! It's worth it to try to develop a taste for its strong flavor. Brussel sprouts get a bad rap for being boring and stinky. Suggested preparation: Salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil, and then roast in a hot oven until crispy and caramelized. Be sure and say "mmmm" as you eat them in front of the kids, who will zero in on the slightly gassy smell.
• Asparagus - These powerful spears contain a special kind of carbohydrate called inulin which promotes the growth of healthy bacteria in our large intestine, forcing out the, uh, more "trouble-making" kind. Suggested preparation: Lightly salt (or not), drizzle with olive oil, and then wrap spears in thin slices of ham and bake in the oven at 400F until the ham is a little crispy.
• Avacado- This creamy, somewhat buttery fruit is bursting with mono-unsaturated fats, the kind that are proven to be great for your heart! Suggested preparation: More than guacamole, tossing avacado slices in sandwiches and soups is one way to add some healthy fat, but your best bet for slipping them into your child's diet is to mash 'em up with garlic, onion, and lemon juice for that popular guacamole. Go easy on the garlic and onion, as these are strong flavors kids often reject. Keeping the dip simple and plain with a bit of salt or salsa is a safer choice.
• Romaine Lettuce- Although the iceburg lettuce is more affordable, it has nary a nutrient to its name. Romaine however is bursting at the leaves with everything from bone-strengthening vitamin K to folic acid, which is essential to cardiovascular health! Other good nutrient-dense lettuces for salads and sandwiches, include Bibb, Red Leaf, and Arugula.
• Broccoli - These little trees can be very popular with children! Broccoli lovers who eat just one serving, will gain 2 days' worth of vitamins C and K! Suggested preparation: Top a baked potato with a few steamed florets and a bit of shredded cheese or serve chopped up pieces alongside a tub of hummus and see if the dip-action doesn't get the kids interested!! Another easy treat is to chop the tops and tender stems into small pieces, combine with finely chopped cauliflower pieces, red cabbage, and even bits of red radishes, and you've got a great topper for soups, salads, casseroles and dips instead of chips, bread or croutons. Plus, it introduces a somewhat strong tasting broccoli into the menu in small amounts.
• Green Peas- Beyond the abundance of vitamins and minerals, a cup of peas contains more than a third of your kid's daily fiberintake-more than most whole wheat breads. Add frozen peas to a pasta sauce at the last second or puree them up with garlic and oilive oil as a simple sweet dip.
• Spinach- This is one of your best sources of folate, which keeps the body in good supply of oxygen-carrying red blood cells. Suggested preparation: If your kid is not ready to eat it from the can like Popeye, try boiling it for 1 minute, then scrambling into eggs or mixing it into pasta. Fresh spinach is great chopped and added at the last minute to hot pasta, rice, soups, or sandwiches.
• Kale - Aside from containing nearly 2 weeks worth of bone-strengthening vitamin K, these deep-green leaves are a low-cal source of calcium, with fewer than 40 calories, each serving has nearly 10%. Suggested preparation:Saute in olive oil until wilted, then add raisins and crushed pine nuts.

As many of my articles indicate, I'm not in favor of forcing kids to eat with rewards and punishment, because it just doesn't work and in fact can make mealtime a battle. It can also create an entirely harmful reaction in kids, causing overeating or other eating disorders.

However, nutrition for kids is a valid concern. Our fast food life style, and low-budget school lunch menu, has resulted in kids missing needed minerals and vitamins.

Here are some main nutrients that could be missing from your child's diet, and maybe your own:

• Calcium - needed for building strong dense bones, and important in many cell and muscle functions. Find it here: Green leafy vegetables, broccoli, oranges, milk and other dairy products. (Go easy on the dairy.)
• Iron - helps our bodies produce energy and maintain a healthy immune system. Find it here: Lean red meat, legumes, tofu, green vegetables, mushrooms, and tomatoees.
• Vitamin D - build strong bones and teeth, fights inflammation, and protects against diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Find it here: Milk, eggs, salmon, and shrimp.
• Vitamin E - Promotes healthy cell communication, fights off free radicals, and guards our skin against ultraviolet light. Find it here: Sunflower seeds, almonds, olives, papaya, spinach, and blueberries.
• Fiber - Normalizes blood sugar levels to fight against diabetes, maintains cholesterol levels and aids satiety. Find it here: Whole fruits (not juice!), whole grains, beans lentils, peas, berriees, cauliflower, spinach, and carrots.

We can see that in the grips of an obesity crisis, it might be important to talk about encouraging our children to eat more of the right things! Fight the problem of poor eating habits by turning the missing nutrients above into a treasure hunt with your kids! Help them look up food facts on the computer, let them choose foods during grocery shopping, let them help prepare food in the kitchen! You'll see a re-newed interest in good food from your whole family.

As always, if we are good examples of what to eat and drink, if we involve our kids in learning about food, from planting and harvesting, to understanding basic nutritional needs of our bodies, kids will be more likely to follow a healthy eating plan, which will help us to become an overall healthier nation.

Enjoy life! Eat well, eat your greens, and you'll be in the pink!