There are a lot of food options available to Americans.  We are bombarded with food images and food choices everyday of our lives.  Some have value, but most are being sold to us as a nation of consumers.  We’ve created a culture of fast foods, artificial foods, nutritionally-lacking foods, convenience foods.  It has become a way of life for so many of us that we have begun to think of these types of foods as nourishing.  We’ve stopped caring about the fat/calories, sugar, preservatives, and junk that is in so many of the foods that we are buying – both in restaurants and in the grocery store.

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If you’ve never taken the time to do so before, this is your chance to sit down with your family and decide what guiding food principles work for you.  What should you be looking for in a meal?  Where can you stand to improve your food choices?  In what ways is your family’s eating on track?  How can you find ways to eat foods that will reduce the health  risks that are so prevalent among our fellow citizens?  Here is a list of principles and food expectations to get your family started on the right track toward healthful eating.

• Eat foods that build and maintain healthy bodies.
  Highly processed foods do little to add nutrients to your body usually do nothing but add empty calories.
• Eat foods that provide a wide range of colors and textures.
  If everything on your plate seems to be breaded, mashed, and a brownish color, then you should consider a food makeover. Try to include all of the colors of the rainbow on your plate throughout the week.
• Listen to your body when you require nourishment and reach for something that adds value.
  Keep fruits, ready-to-eat vegetables, nuts, low-fat yogurts, and whole grains available for a snack. Say no to fried snacks that are high in salt or treats that are high in sugar at the grocery store.
• Stop eating when you’ve consumed adequate nutrition.
  Wasting food is bad, but consuming food because you’d rather not put it in the trash is not any better. Break the childhood admonishment to clean your plate.

What are your family’s guiding food principles?  What values to you keep in mind when you choose foods in the grocery store or in restaurants?