First the cook of the house has to learn additions to "Staples" or basic food kept in refrigerator, freezer, or cupboard:
Assume 'Staples' beginnings hasn't changed, that much, from the history of food preparation; possibly except for herbs, seasonings unique to every Nation, and now readily available:
For everyone to enjoy vegetables - any of them - here are some 'staples' to keep on hand by purchasing whenever the markets run specials with the 'rider' shop price/oz even in its a 4# container of strawberries:
FRUIT: Fresh Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, cranberries. Fresh, frozen, or canned with 'No added sugar' apricots, peaches, pears, mandarin oranges, fruit cocktail, figs, dates. From your tree(s) - Citrus: Remember frozen with skins on = frozen juice or pulp for smoothies, lime or lemonade, grapefuit, tangelo, lemon (or Meyer), orange (navel, valencia (best juice).blood orange which is 'red' orange taking a little longer to ripen for sweetness.*
HERBS - SEASONINGS: Nutmeg, Cinnamon, "Mixed-up Salt", non-salt herb blendings, multi-flavored pepper, cloves, cumin. Best is to buy the ones that come with a grinder on top.
CEREALS, FLOUR, PACKAGED: Jiffy, Red Barn Mills, PASTA: Cereals in the farm-fresh produce stores with Bulk Bins or Barrels. Mixed grain-seed cereals are a wealth of Nutrition- BUT not sweetened with sugar. Honey is good because of its other benefits. Splenda is more expensive; but Much Better to keep Carbohydrate's Grams down; there is no difference in flavor. When cereals are bought in 'name' packages, you receive much less quantity/oz, than when you buy in bulk, but unfortunately some farm producer markets have discover the difference and raised the price in bins; which only means shop to compare price/oz for cereal. When bin markets notice they don't sell their bin's contents; they will change their pricing. They won't sweeten with Splenda because of cost. Since that is the measure, why not leave out the sugar or reduce it? Anyway, point being the Natural Grains are among the best sources of multivitamins. Pasta, especially whole grain, is another 'staple' when kept cooked because it also goes in veggies, scrambled eggs, any casserole. When you make spaghetti, make more pasta than will be eaten. Flavor the pasta water, return to pan and add garlic, butter, seasonings of choice; and keep in refrigerator for 10 days or less
DRIED Whatever is grown: figs, dates, apricots, beans etc. Don't forget mushrooms: Now all varieties are frozen and are terrific with anything!
VEGETABLES: A great idea is to chop-up carrots, celery, small amount onion(whatever kind), jicama, radishes, tomatoes, squashes, walnuts, almonds, pecans (when on sale) - Just enough for 2-4 days or probably 2 cups. Keep in container for: scrambled eggs, tuna-chicken-macaroni-any cold salad, vegetables, gravy. All of the above allows imagination. Problem, you might imagine something delicious, but forget what you did. That could be very unpopular with your family:-( !
MEATS, CHEESE, including CREAM CHEESE: Do include the sandwich meats because these also go into scrambled eggs, vegetables, quick sandwiches, home 'macNcheese' (better than Kraft), grilled cheese using Olive Oil & butter.
FOR GETTING EVERYONE TO EAT VEGETABLES:
To Frozen Vegetables - Any: Sprinkle with Nutmeg (One of the forms of pepper); salt or whatever you use - no change; pepper is OK too. What is Different is the Nutmeg, with or without Cinnamon, Plus choosing one of the following: Blueberries, Raspberries, grapefruit sections. Probably any of the above fruits, but I have only tried the blueberries with Nutmeg. Don't forget to add 1 or 2 serving tablespoons from chopped veggies.
Try It, You and Everyone Will Like It!
Food-dinner is family sharing at its best---even with crying, complaining, etc---talking about government as our nation with politics; talking about the family finances with the kids role in decision making and with allowances the method of learning to save for saving purposes - for something wanted - for planning - for purchasing. Playing 20 questions with school topics of history, spelling, etc. Then monopoly, card games for math, statistics of chance, strategy by remembering what has been played, and chess - because there is no substitute for the analogy of life with all its generalities including the protecting and losing of queen, knight, bishop and even pawn! Don't forget, we are mammals; and we all learn about life when young - through games - as well as through the choices required of Boy & Girl Scout, Sports, Art and Sunday School and taking life's journeys together! No family member, including teenager, should be excused - even adult work is not an excuse. If night-shift worker, then Breakfast is the Family Meal.
*Sweet is the reason fast-foods are popular and probably the reason children don't receive enough protein - as well as non-cooking adults. That is because Carbohydrate Foods = no cooking, just eat and run. Protein in grow and development is Essential to mental, nerve, cognition in growing brains and brains grown with the prime important source = Red Meat for its iron and B12 plus other B vitamins, muscle-bone growth. The other popularity is the spices of Mexican food with the way cheeses are blended and melted. When you discover how easy a smoothy is to make at home, you won't spend your hard earned $3-4 on one at a store.
Top of the stove cooking is Fast Food At Home!
Normally, with above staples; most meals take about 20-25 min. - not even when a roast is barbecued or prepared on Sunday, of the number of #'s for Sun. meal + 2 to 4 meals through the week. This idea goes for single people as well as families with any number of children to any age adult. Another rider is adults teaching children nutrition, while never calling it that: Simply, to any child old enough to say no: Tommy, Sally or whoever - You do not know if you don't like a food, Until You Take 6 teaspoon-fulls or 8 plastic spoons. No Soft Drink with Meal. Only Milk - growing = don't worry about fat when Tommy or Sally spend 4-6hours/day outside - moving. Your the parent: mean what you say and say what you mean!
Talk about Scramble vs Omelet or Foccacia next time....
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