Taking control of our relationship with food means understanding what drives us to eat, but sometimes it also means understanding more about what we are actually eating. I picked up two books this week and my two sons (who have no interest in learning about nutrition) have continued to browse through them and challenge each other with nutritional facts and information.
The books are Eat This Not That! and Eat This Not That For Kids! by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding.
These are great books for visual learners and browsers, but they also contain a fair amount of information. Opposing pages have pictures of “Eat this” and then “Not that,” with lots of brief explanations and quick facts. The book covers national restaurant chains such as Outback Steakhouse and Panera as well as fast food options and tells you what you need to know about what you are ordering. Turns out not all the healthy choices are as clear as I thought.
The adult version covers restaurants, menu decoding, the healthier option at the ball park, the mall, which holiday foods are best for you (even which chocolates the author’s recommend you eat on Valentine’s Day), grocery shopping choices, and beverages (among other topics).
The kid’s version includes sections on negotiating the school cafeteria and making healthy choices at home (including a quick lesson on reading labels).
These aren’t diet books and they certainly aren’t the final word on nutrition, but they both have a useful place. Too often, people really struggle to make healthier choices with their eating, unknowingly choosing something that isn’t as good for them as they thought it was. These books address eating choices in what are real situations for many Americans. It’s been almost a week and my spouse and kids are still checking nutrition labels, comparing, and making new choices. I’ve learned some things too–and it’s all been pretty painless 🙂
Take good care,
Melissa
