| Recently, I had the pleasure of seeing my 6-month | | | | sedentary lifestyle (too much television, video games |
| old niece Rianna in Las Vegas. She has just started | | | | and computer time). So diseases like Type II |
| eating "real" baby food beyond the formula in her | | | | diabetes which are supposed to be "adult onset" are |
| bottle, and I got a kick out of feeding her one of her | | | | starting to show up even in teenagers. Researchers |
| meals of squash. Okay, so not all of it got in her | | | | have shown that arteries can begin being clogged by |
| mouth, but she was pretty cooperative overall.I was | | | | poor diet from the early years of childhood on. It's |
| curious as to what else she was eating, and my | | | | never too soon to adopt healthy eating habits that |
| sister-in-law showed me an assortment of baby food | | | | can put a child in the best possible position to have a |
| jars containing green beans, carrots, bananas and a | | | | very long and healthy life.So does this mean that as |
| variety of other fruits and vegetables.It was at this | | | | your kids grow they cannot have all the "traditional" |
| moment the following thought hit me. When we | | | | kid fare that all of us love like hot dogs, hamburgers |
| come into this world we are "NMP" (a healthy eating | | | | and chicken nuggets? Not at all! There are healthy |
| style) and then some! We don't start off eating | | | | and delicious non-meat/poultry versions of all of |
| meat, poultry and the various other junk food we | | | | these foods that you can use, and feel good about |
| become accustomed to later on. The craving for | | | | giving your child. So your kids can definitely "have |
| these items is something we learn. And if we can | | | | their cheeseburger and keep their health too!" There's |
| learn it, we can also "unlearn" it. That's what I did | | | | even one company, Yves, that has introduced a line |
| when I used my unique Fallback Methods to make | | | | of "lunchable"-type meals that mimic those incredibly |
| the easy, gradual transition to my healthy "NMP" | | | | unhealthy, heavily-advertised meals that kids are |
| eating style. By the way, I coined the acronym "NMP" | | | | often sent off to school with.And, just because |
| for my book "Have Your Cheeseburger And Keep | | | | you're not a kid (at least in numeric age) anymore |
| Your Health Too!" to describe my healthy eating | | | | yourself, it doesn't mean that you can't asily "unlearn" |
| style. It stands for "no meat or poultry", but unlike | | | | and improve upon your current eating habits. "NMP" |
| vegetarian diets, includes fish, and its emphasis on | | | | eating is designed to allow you to eat healthfully, yet |
| converting favorite comfort foods we all grew up on | | | | still have all your favorite comfort foods. "NMP" also |
| and like to eat out, into more healthful meatless | | | | teaches you to avoid hidden food dangers. It's the |
| forms.You can do your children a huge favor by | | | | unique combination of the two that gives you the |
| bringing them up "NMP", or at least as "NMP" as | | | | best of all possible worlds when it comes to diet and |
| possible, and letting them continue with the non-meat | | | | your health. So why not make "NMP" the healthy |
| poultry diet they naturally started when they first | | | | eating style of choice in your household? It's never |
| were introduced to solid food. You can also help the | | | | too early and it's never too late!Note: Please check |
| other children in your life--grandchildren and nieces | | | | with your pediatrician or other healthcare |
| and nephews by teaching them when you have time | | | | professionals to determine the best way to |
| with them that good food choices are their | | | | incorporate healthy "NMP" eating in your child's diet |
| friends.There is an epidemic of overweight and obese | | | | and it's applicability to his or her particular needs.(c) |
| kids in the United States due to poor diet and a | | | | Copyright 2002 By Melanie R. |