Hello, I am an almost 29yr old sahm of 3 kids ages 5, 3 and 1. My husband is 5'11" at 208lbs and I am 5'5" at 132 lbs. About 3 weeks ago we purchased an elliptical and recumbant bike. I do the bike or elliptical 5 mornings a week for 30 min. I am also doing some strength training with dumbells 3x's a week with a 10 min cardio warm-up. DH will be joining me for the morning 30 min cardio from here on out.

I have been trying to do some learning on eating healthy. DH and I both need to slim up and make fitness a part of our lives. We want to make a lifestyle change for the long haul you know what I mean? But I am having a problem trying to figure out some meal plans for all of us. Caloric needs, protein needs, carbs (complex carbs vs. simple carbs ) plus getting in all the need fruits and veggies. Does anyone here plan, buy and cook healthy meals for their families here? I could really use some guidance!! Links, books...anything!! I am just totally confused and clueless! I started out trying to do low-calorie dieting, but realized that while it was low-calorie, it wasn't necessarily healthy eating. I don't want to be skinny, I want to be fit, lean and healthy!!
Thanks so much!!

www.precisionnutrition.com was a life saver for me. Cookbooks, meal plans, super shakes etc One thing they stress is healthy eating and body composition goals go hand in hand.

IMHO...

http://www.bodyforlife.com / http://www.eatingforlife.com -- both may be beneficial for you.

I think that counting calories is unnecessary for someone who just wants to generally eat healthy and lose a few pounds. Portion rules work absolutely fine I think.

If you and your husband want to achieve specific goals with your bodyfat, muscle mass, etc. then you may have more success with an approach that is more strict and specific, but for the goals that you've explained I don't know that you need to count calories/pro/carb/fat. And I definitely do not think that the kids need to be counting everything either (again, just my opinion). Simply make smart choices and exercise portion control. Try to eat several times per day (more than "3 squares") too if you can.

The American Heart Association puts out an entire series of cookbooks with recipes that are good for the entire family. You can pick and choose which books you'd like. Each book was $15.95 at Borders, however you may be able to find them online cheaper.

I have the whole series. There is 5 books and they include:

Quick & Easy

Low-Salt

Low Calorie

Meals in Minutes

One Dish Meals

Favorite recipes around here for hubby and my son come from the following books-- Quick & Easy, Meals in Minutes & One Dish Meals.

I never have to spend more than a half hour preping any meal from these books and the only recipe that was a flop was the tuna casserole as hubby isn't a fan of it. He ate it, but has asked that I don't make it again unless I just make a small one for my son. I won't touch the stuff, so I don't bother.

I have two children, and I try to feed them healthy foods, but it's more difficult than it sounds.

I do not count calories for my family, and I only check my own calories once in a while using www.fitday.com. I try to get at least 25 grams of fibre each day, and my personal target for protein is 100 grams. I allow for up to 30% of my daily calories to be from fat, with as many of them as possible unsaturated (salmon, ground flax seeds, nuts).

The World's Healthiest Foods (http://www.whfoods.com) is a great site to browse around. There is a menu plan there that you might find helpful, lots of recipes, and a tool to evaluate which nutrients are likely missing from your diet.

There are some nice low fat foods in the cookbook series Looneyspoons, Crazy Plates, and Eat Shrink and Be Merry by Janet and Greta Podleski. They're still not perfectly "healthy" (some of the recipes have a lot of sugar, or refined grains) but they're miles above most other cookbooks, and they're funny because there are jokes and nutrition information sprinkled around randomly.

Thanks so much! I will definitely be looking into the resources you gave me. I did want to clarify that I am certainly not looking to start counting my kids calories!! My kids could stand to gain a few pounds LOL! I just want us to eat as healthy as possible. I don't want to get my nutrition from bars or protein shakes and then feed them something else. I want them to eat the same things we do. To see us eating healthy and maintaining a healthy lifestyle:eat: .
Thanks again for the links and books! I'm off to look at them now!
brandy