Hello Macaroni Kid Readers, My name is Vicky Colas, also known as Chef Vicky. I am a mom to three wonderful boys ages six, four, and two and I am also Personal Chef. I’d like to share with readers useful information about food and cooking and also the challenges I face as a mom through the eyes of a culinary professional.
First, let me share a short story about me. When my husband and I became parents, we did what most of us do. We feed our kids what we perceive to be ok: juice, chips, vegetables here and there, some starch and proteins. As my first son got older he was already having cavities. It never dawned on me that perhaps he was consuming way too many snacks or juice. We blamed it on not knowing any better. When my second son was born in 2007, we quickly realized that something was not right. He had constant digestive issues and very severe dermatitis. When he turned one, we had him tested for allergies and the test came positive for seven food allergies. In 2009, we had a life changing experience when our son had a severe anaphylaxis reaction. The fact that my son could have lost his life was an eye opening experience. We realized how important it was to make the changes in our household and we had to make them fast in order to keep him safe. Who would have thought I’d be facing these issues…after all, I am a chef.
This very personal story inspired me to focus on family solutions to everyday dinner dilemmas and keeping our children safe from allergic reactions. My writing for Macaroni Kid will share creative ways on keeping our families healthy. I can attest to the fact that eating healthy translates to fewer visits to the doctor (and of course less co-pays). With this in mind, I hope to bring you great ideas and small changes to a better balanced kitchen. After all, we all want the same thing, to keep our families healthy and safe.
My first suggestion to readers will be making use of a great tool provided by our government: Myplate.gov. MyPlate provides “dietary guidelines to Americans” and is meant to simply prompt consumers to think about building a healthy plate at meal time. What I like most about MyPlate is that it provides us with a visual understanding on what our plate should look like. Portion control remains a great challenge in our culture today and we must try to understand it to the best of our ability, for even the slightest change every day can make a big difference in our lives. Based on my experience with my boys, they will resist at first when you introduce them to something new but they eventually adapt. Kids are much more resilient than we give them credit for and creating a healthy atmosphere at home is the best solution to a long healthy life. So to all of you, thank you for reading my thoughts. Till next time...Keep it Unique, Healthy and Tasty!
Vicky Colas, Executive Personal Chef
Dietetics & Nutrition M.S Candidate
A Unique Taste
Email: chefvicky@auniquetaste.com
Website: www.chefvicky.com
