I had never really put any thought into childhood obesity and wasn't really concerned because obesity has never been a problem for me or anyone in my family. I attributed our physiques with decent genetics and didn't think obesity was really a problem. I've seen lots of chubby people and very few morbidly obese people but I figured there had to be something wrong with their genetics.
Then I went to the drive-in and decided to get some popcorn and a diet soda. :-) As I waited in the long line I couldn't help but notice there were several young fat kids. Not just chubby, but really fat. Their parents were fat too. I thought to myself that maybe it's just the drive-in and fat people like to go. I don't often hang out in places where so many fat people congregate and so it was a bit of a shock. And then I started to think about how much work is required to really gain that much weight.
My weight fluctuates and I'm most comfortable at about 115 - 120 lbs so I could lose a few pounds right now but I'm not fat. Just chubby. These people are fat. Grossly and possibly morbidly fat. I'm not the best parent or the best cook but I think I would seriously have to feed my children crap constantly for at least 6 months for them to get as fat as the children I saw at the drive-in. I feel guilty feeding them McDonald's or Little Caesars every now and then, but I seriously think I would have to feed them garbage - fast-food and processed/packaged food for a long time. And how could anyone afford to do that. I can't afford to buy packaged food - it's too expensive and I actually enjoy preparing meals. It's a bit of an escape to stand in the kitchen and create a meal I know will nourish my family. Sipping wine while I'm cooking helps too.
I guess my concern is why parents don't take the time to actually cook. It's far less expensive and yes it may take a little more time but with a few shortcuts it is easy to create a healthful and delicious meal.
Here is the recipe of one of my children's favorites.
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (fillet into 4 breasts)
1 10 oz bag of egg noodles
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes (can use freshly diced tomatoes)
1 can of black olives (shortcut - sliced)
1/2 jar of capers (drained and rinsed)
1 small onion (shortcut - presliced)
1 8 oz. container of mushrooms (shortcut - sliced)
1-2 cloves of garlic (minced)
4 Tbsp of Italian Seasoning
1 loaf of premade garlic bread
1 bag of spring mix salad
Boil noodles according to instructions. Drain and set aside.
Fillet the 2 chicken breasts into 4 breasts and sprinkle with Italian Seasoning on both sides.
Preheat stove and skillet to brown the chicken breasts.
Add the 3 Tbsp of olive oil.
Place breasts into skillet and lightly brown - do not fully cook.
Add the sliced onions, mushrooms, and minced garlic and saute lightly.
Add the 2 cans of diced tomatoes and bring to a gentle boil - just bubbly. Add water to desired consistency.
Add the capers and olives and a few dashes of Italian Seasoning and let simmer while chicken breasts cook fully. Do not over cook the chicken.
Heat the garlic bread according to instructions.
Serve one breast on a bed of noodles and cover with lots of sauce. Serve with a side salad and the garlic bread. It's a light, flavorful, easy meal. The kids love it and the sauce and noodles are great without meat too and make for great leftovers.
Enjoy!
