Although we are typically a family of healthy eaters - meaning that we eat healthy food and a lot of it - I’ll freely admit that my personal standards go out the window (and head straight for the nearest Long John Silver’s) when I’m pregnant.

The way I see it, I can’t drink and I can’t ride my bike and toward the end I can’t even put on my shoes without contorting myself.  I deserve those Reese’s cups, dammit.

But yesterday, my third (and final) baby was born.  And back on the Reese’s cup wagon I go.

Being healthy is important to Kyle and me because we’d like to stick around for a while.  Moreover, we want to model healthy habits for our own kids so that they’ll hopefully stick around even longer than we do.  It’s all well and good to heap broccoli on your child’s plate, but you really ought to take a helping for yourself too.

Beyond the fruits and veggies, we’re taking other steps to eat even more healthfully.  I read Fast Food Nation when it came out, and I read it again recently.  Not only did those readings impress upon me the importance of avoiding the golden arches (although Kyle does take the girls as a treat after a morning of swimming), they made me think about the quality of the meat we prepare and serve at home.  We’re avowed omnivores, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.  So it’s important for us to educate ourselves about what we’re eating and how we’re preparing it.

Colorado’s independent ranchers are disappearing.  Huge meatpacking plants (including feedyards), like the one in Greeley described in Fast Food Nation, are becoming the norm.  I like the idea of supporting the local economy by purchasing locally ranched meat.

Likewise, while we’re big patrons of the produce section, I want to branch out beyond the baby carrots and seedless green grapes.  There’s all sorts of ways to prepare produce so that we aren’t just ticking off our daily servings - we’re actually enjoying them!  Plenty of local farmers markets and fruit and vegetable picking farms offer a great way to buy fresh produce while providing an afternoon of family entertainment.

Another step we recently took, mainly out of convenience but with many added benefits, was our switch to milk delivery.  It’s more expensive, but it tastes better, lasts longer, and is locally produced without additives.

A big change that I plan to implement for myself is portion control.  Sure, I’m eating healthy foods - but I’m still probably eating too much of them at once.  I need to pay more attention to the serving sizes that I’m consuming, whether it’s labeled on the box or I’m just eyeballing what’s on my plate.

Finally, I’m kicking my soda habit that I established this pregnancy.  I’ve never been a soda drinker; we hardly ever have it around the house.  But for some reason, it’s what I’ve wanted to drink.

No more.  I’m back to water, seltzer, and a new habit - tea.  Those are my daytime drinks, because I’d rather spend my calories on something that requires a little noshing.  Much more satisfying.

So while I wouldn’t call any of these inititatives a resolution, they’re all small changes that complement our family’s current eating habits and will help us become even healthier in 2008.

——————————

Write your own post today about how you plan to eat more healthfully in 2008, and you could win a $50 gift card to Kroger - the largest supermarket chain in the US.  Go get the details at PBN, and check out Kroger’s website while you’re at it - they’ve got some great information about choosing and preparing meats, seafood, fruits and vegetables, along with a ton of recipes that even provide nutrition information per serving!