Well, I did it! For YEARS, I have ruminated about what I enjoy doing, and how I might share my passion for healthy eating with others. But it wasn’t until I assisted my friend Rebecca the Dietician with an online diet and lifestyle program and started offering healthy-eating classes through Jennifer Santori’s HomeBase, that I found the confidence in myself as a nutrition resource and envisioned starting a business of my own. I am forever grateful to both of them for their encouragement and support! This blog is the next step in me sharing my passion, resources, and business offerings with more people. So let me introduce myself….
I am Heather, a wife (for about 18 years) and mother to 3 wonderful kids (in the teenage years – so sometimes they are wonderful and sometimes they are snarky and sometimes they REALLY irritate me!). My formal education involves Elementary Education degree and Certification, Math Certification, Graduate degree in Reading, Reading Specialist Certification, and Nutrition Certification. My informal education involves conflict resolution, planning lessons, activities and vacations, modifying and changing directions spontaneously, homemaker, house cleaner (though I admit, I’m terrible at it!), party host extraordinaire, creative snack and meal maker, professional nagger, classroom helper, guide to better nutrition, problem solver, collection and keeper of the tissues (clean and dirty).
The ability to stay at home to raise our children has been a wonderful blessing that I could not do without the hard work, support and sacrifice of my husband (BIG PROPS to you!). But being at home also has its challenges. Especially at mealtime. Especially with picky eaters (who didn’t start off picky; well, the hubs was always a bit picky). Especially while I was trying to figure out the healthiest way to eat for myself (HELLO every diet plan out there!). Especially with toddlers running around or school aged kids who need homework help or teens who need rides to and from activities. All of these struggles have resulted in me adapting and creating food/dinner solutions that work best for our family. I hope you find that some of these solutions work for you too!
While I have never held a full time job while raising kids (though I have dabbled in part time things), I have friends and family members who do. I’ve listened to their struggles (sometimes the same ones I have) about mealtime, picky eaters, and never having enough TIME (to make meals, to eat meals, to be home). Please continue to share with me the struggles you have, so that I can better understand and adjust my approaches for different needs and family realities!
And for those who may be reading this who don’t have kids, or whose kids have moved out of their house, I hope that you also can find some interesting tidbits here as well. Food is food, no matter who eats it. You may have to reduce serving sizes and freeze leftovers, but I guarantee that you will enjoy these meals and tips along with everyone else.
Adding more nutrition to everyday meals is something WE ALL should be continually striving to do. It is my hope that I can help everyone do this.
Heather Cooks With Veggies 