Mediterranean diet

In an ever increasing culture of fast-food and a busy working mom's schedule... how do I go about ensuring my kids maintain a healthy (mediterranean) diet?

• The first thing is to be informed! I've done my research! There are so many studies that link performance, energy, long term health problems and even psychological/behaviour issues to diet.  Kids with ADHD
• I make a conscious decision about what I will feed my kids and what I will not allow them to have.  Breaking patterns is difficult, but if you do your research and know the benefits of a healthy diet, it will be easier to make this decision.  
• Check out your standard food pyramid (I use the European one which interestingly enough differs from the US one), and break it down into a weekly menu plan--determining how many portions of fruit and vegetable your child needs a day, etc.. Creating a menu also helps you save money when it comes to groceries.
• I try to set an example with my own eating patterns.  How you eat will also promote (or not) healthy living in their future.
• If you can... start early! Forgo sugary foods early on as they will determine what your child chooses to eat and what they spit out. Both of my children eat a good amount of shellfish and seafood (scallops, mussels, tuna, salmon, you name it), and legumes (lentils and garbanzos-chickpeas) without a single word of complaint. It's all about what you get them accustomed to.  Thanks to my husband both of my kids eat olives by the dozen... yikes! And when asked where we should go out to eat, my oldest, who is 6, requests mussels! --- talk about a refined pallet! 

The point is not to be health obsessed but to have a balanced diet and to take care of the body God has given you.  This is a table I frequently use to make sure my kids are getting a balanced diet.

Tabla 1. Frecuencia recomendada de consumo de cada grupo de alimentos (4). Table 1. Recommended portions from each food group

Grupos de alimentos/ Food groups	Frecuencia recomendada/ Frequency
Pan, cereales, cereales integrales, arroz, pasta, patatas/ Bread, whole grain cereals, rice, pasta, potatoes	4-6 raciones al día (rations per day)
Verduras y hortalizas/ Vegetables	= 2 raciones al día (rations per day)
Frutas/ Fruit	= 3 raciones al día (rations per day)
Lácteos/Dairy	Adultos/Adults: 2-3 raciones al día (rations per day)  Infancia/Childhood: 2-4 raciones al día (rations per day)  Adolescencia/Adolescent: 3-4 raciones al día (rations per day)  Embarazo/Pregnant: 3-4 raciones al día (rations per day)  Lactancia/Breast feeding: 4-6 raciones al día (rations per day)  Mayores/Older than 65 años: 3 raciones al día (rations per day)
Alimentos proteicos/Protean	2 raciones al día  (rations per day)
Pescados y mariscos/Seafood & shellfish	3-4 raciones/semana (rations per week)
Carnes magras/ Lean meat	3-4 raciones/semana (rations per week)
Legumbres/ Legumes	2-4 raciones/semana (rations per week)
Frutos secos/ Dried fruit	3-7 raciones/semana (rations per week)
Huevos/ Eggs	3-4 raciones/semana (rations per week)
Aceite de oliva/ Olive Oil	3-6 raciones al día (rations per day)
Agua de bebida/ Water	4-8 raciones al día (rations per day)
Vino/cerveza/ Wine/Beer	consumo opcional y moderado* en adultos / optional consumption & moderate

* moderado/ moderate: 1 copa de vino (100 ml)/día/ per day for women- en mujeres, y 2 copas de vino (100 ml)/día en hombres