I’m flattered that my friends come to me for advice about diet and recipes. It’s a joke with some neighbors that I am so disciplined and just simply have my sh*t together (their words!). Be assured that I don’t always have my sh*t together and am good at masking any insecurities I have.

All the diet and food advice out there can be overwhelming and some of it frankly is contracdictory. The science of nutrition is fairly new and the U.S. government’s food pyramid has now transformed to MyPlate. Did you know a law was recently passed that the U.S. food guidelines need to be updated every 5 years? By the way, why is the government telling us what to eat? Maybe the best way for government involvement is to bring back HomeEc in school. Make it a required class to learn cooking skills and nutrition.

We really just need to get back to basics and use common sense on what we eat. Don’t buy into all the diet books and fads because they don’t work for everyone. Each person is unique and you just need to find out what foods are best for you. Take the time to experiment. And then listen to your body.

My kids are involved with meal planning at our home and learning how to prepare simple meals. I’m all about eating healthier and sometimes my kids think I am the food police. I just have to remember not to be a dictator about it.