Simple Food for Busy Families: The Whole Life Nutrition Approach
by: Jeannette Bessinger, CHHC, and Tracee Yablon-Brenner, RD, CHHC
Published by: Celestial Arts
Buy From Amazon.com
Reviewed by Jamie Driggers
The Standard American Diet is in a sad state. Chock full of highly processed food that is stripped of its nutrients, the typical American diet combines with sedentary lifestyles and high stress to promote a health crisis. But there are options.
Simple Food for Busy Families teaches a holistic approach to feeding the bodies and minds of our families in order to live a healthier and more manageable life. The Whole Life Nutrition Principles include quality, balance, seasonality, quantity, and routine.
Basically, they advocate eating “real” food versus food that comes in wrappers. This forces you to eat seasonally which apparently provides the necessary nutrients to help the body face the challenges of each season. Cooking with natural foods requires planning, which puts the family on an eating routine. Eating together as a family aids in digestion—if only you will slow down to eat together. That and turning off the digital entertainment.
My primary complaint with this book is how long it takes to get to the chapters to “fix” all things wrong with the way I and my family eat. I found myself saying, “I’m convinced. Tell how to fix it.” And still I am being bludgeoned with my failure. However, once they got around to telling me what to do and how, the information was very helpful (As was the negative information. I just didn’t want to wallow there.).
They provide detailed information on many individual vegetables, beans and grains together with recipes specific to that ingredient as well as tips for stocking the pantry and spice cabinet. They even discuss what kitchen gadgets are most helpful and how to put whole ingredients together to make a meal.
I’m still not convinced that I will be able to make vegetables “so delicious that even kids like them,” but this book makes me want to try. For now I’m back at the early baby steps and trying to just get a veggie on the table for every meal.
Armchair Interviews says: Interesting point of view for our future health.
Web site: http://www.BalanceForLifeLLC.com
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