Search Results for: blog the importance of breakfast

The Importance of Menu Planning

We save more money when I practice menu planning. I have to admit that far too often, I just wing it with figuring out what is going to be for dinner, and that tends to lead to more spending, either because we decide to go out to eat, we use up the more expensive convenience foods we keep on hand for emergencies, or we ignore our pantry or fridge and have more expired food. Since one of my goals this year is to stay on track with grocery spending, I am adding regular menu planning to the list of practices. … Continue reading →

The Importance of Staying Connected

Today was one of those days where I would have been wise to heed my own advice. How many of us, when we have time and space to do so, think of wonderful ways to approach parenting and then as soon as the kids wake up the next morning and we are launched into action promptly forget them? It happens to me more often than I would like to admit, and it happened today. Last night, I was really thinking about ways to focus on maintaining a strong connection with my boys throughout the hustle and bustle of the holidays. … Continue reading →

The Big Morning Breakfast

As fate (or luck, or fortune, or something else) would have it, an aunt moved in next door to us. My sister-in-law, to be more precise. (I’ll leave it to the reader to decide whether this is good or bad fate/luck/fortune/etc. — I think it’s clearly in the “good” camp). At any rate, this situation has provided our son the ability to constantly interact with a family member as if they were just next door (because, you know, she is). After being away from family for so long we can really tell that our son enjoys knowing that at the … Continue reading →

The Importance of Breakfast

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Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It gets your metabolism going. A healthy nutrient dense breakfast should maintain your blood sugar until lunch. Skipping breakfast seems to be a common practice these days but it’s not a very healthy one. On the other hand eating empty calories (foods with little to no nutritional value) is equally problematic. Since our bodies need 6-10 hours of sleep every night and since it’s not recommended for the average person to eat past 9PM, our bodies have been fasting and conserving energy for several hours. Breakfast is what wakes up the … Continue reading →

The Importance of Folate

Folate is an important nutrient for the developing baby. A synthetic form of folate used in prenatal vitamins and as food supplements is folic acid. Studies have shown folate can help prevent neural tube defects affecting the brain and spinal cord. The most important time period for baby to reap the benefits of folate in the diet is when the neural tube is forming in the early weeks of pregnancy. In many cases, this is happening before a woman even knows she is pregnant or just after she discovers the pregnancy. For this reason, increasing the intake of folate in … Continue reading →

The Importance of Routine for a Young Child

As a person, I usually thrive more on the spontaneous rather than the routine. I tend to get inspired and follow those inspirations rather than doing the same things at the same time on the same days. That said, even I can recognize the benefit of a routine, especially when there are certain things that just need to be done. Even within a routine there can be some flexibility and spontaneity, but having a routine can make life with little ones much easier for everyone involved. Why is a routine so important for young children? Well, for one thing, a … Continue reading →

Start the Day with a Healthy Breakfast

We all know the importance of a good breakfast. We’ve all heard the old saying that it’s the most important meal of the day. It’s particularly important for pregnant women to eat in the morning. You and your baby need to start the day with nourishment. There are many reasons why eating breakfast can be challenging for pregnant women. Maybe you have to be at work really early in the morning and can never seem to find a few extra minutes to eat. Maybe you are suffering with morning sickness and the thought of food makes you sick. Maybe you … Continue reading →

Are You Too Critical?

How often do you start the day with a morning lecture? My 8-year-old daughter’s answer:  “Too many!” She’s probably right. If she asks for help locating her backpack, I spend five minutes “suggesting” that she hang it in the back hall where she can easily find it. If she complains about taking the same home lunch to school every day I “propose” that she expand her palate because there’s only so much I can do with strawberries, crackers and plain chicken. When she whines about not having enough time to eat a leisurely breakfast before school I “recommend” moving up … Continue reading →

Snow Day Part I

The day was planned.  My husband and two of his colleagues were carpooling seventy minutes to one of their company’s retreat houses (a program to help those with substance abuse issues overcome their addictions) to work on training and curriculum development. After taking on a new position in the same company where he has worked for over a year, he spends less time out at the houses and more time working on bettering the program. I also had a busy day planned.  Breakfast at seven in the morning (obviously) so that we can eat with my husband before he goes … Continue reading →

Anniversaries and Date Nights Part II

My husband and I are really horrible at taking the time to spend time together as a couple. The predominant rationalization that we make is that the cost involved with going on dates is too prohibitive. Getting a sitter, going to a moving, or going to a restaurant seem to be very cost prohibitive for our budget. It is especially hard for me to justifying eating out when we can make much higher quality and healthier foods (that in my opinion tastes much better) for a fraction of the cost than we can get at any of our local dining … Continue reading →