Calorie density is a major factor in the expanding waistlines of our children. For one example of calorie density, let’s take a simple food, the potato. A small order of French fries from a major fast food restaurant contains 230 calories, 11 grams of fat and only 8 percent of the RDA for vitamin C and 4 percent of the RDA for iron. Yikes! Fries possess oodles of calories with very little food value. However, a small plain, baked potato has only 128 calories, 0.2 grams of fat, and packs a walloping 22 percent of the RDA of Vitamin C and 8 percent of the RDA of iron.

        Yes, our kids clamor for those French fries and other fat-laden, overly processed, and vitamin-poor foods. But there’s a fast and easy solution—eat simply. With simple basic foods, like potatoes, you don’t have to worry about calorie density. Even if a simple food is calorie dense (think avocado), it’s also packed with satisfying vitamins, fiber, and healthy fat.

        To tackle calorie density, first let’s go shopping. Stay on the outside of the grocery store aisles. That’s where the least processed/freshest food is found. When it comes to fruits and vegetables, this is one time buying on sale usually means you’ll get better produce. “On sale” often means “in season” and that means fresher and tastier. If it’s the dead of winter and the fresh produce looks dead, remember that frozen fruits and vegetables contain as many vitamins and minerals as fresh.

        When you move into the inner aisles of the store, become an avid reader of packages. Processed food possesses all sorts of bizarre things. A couple to note are wax (it keeps the frosting solid on frosted cookies) and silicon dioxide (to prevent caking), which is also known as…sand. Our children are not craft projects. There are no calories in wax or sand. However, they’re the delivery medium for huge doses of calories. You don’t have to become a mathematician or chemist to know when a food is over-processed. A simple rule to follow is that the more ingredients in a package (especially if the words have more than three syllables and are unpronounceable), the more processing, and often more calories with less nutrition.

        Now that the shopping is done, it’s time to prepare those basic, simple foods.

        If a simple baked potato sounds a little plain, especially compared to fries, make your own oven fries. Lightly spray potato strips with olive oil, and bake. Yams and sweet potatoes pack even more vitamins and taste naturally sweet, so try those both baked and oven “fried.” Avoid gobs of toppings, especially fatty ones like butter, sour cream, and bacon. Instead of salt, add spices such as garlic, onion, basil, rosemary, or even curry.

        Here’s an example that shows keeping it simple saves money as well as calories. Instead of using expensive packets of flavored oatmeal packed full of sugar and fat, buy quick cooking plain oats. Microwave a serving with as much water or milk as your kids prefer. Add fruit, and breakfast is quick, cheaper, and far lower in calorie density.

        Make your own fresh salsa by chopping tomatoes and adding onion, garlic, cumin, cilantro, and lime juice. Cook some lean meat such as ground turkey, add some simple seasoning, open a package of corn tortillas, and have a quick, easy and healthy taco night.

        Desserts may be the simplest and easiest. Cut up fresh fruit: apples, cherries, or pears, and dust with cinnamon to bring out the fruit’s healthy sweetness. Freeze fruits such as grapes or pineapple rounds (rinse both fruits before freezing). Or cut a couple of bananas in half or quarters and stick on skewers for a great frozen treat.

        Use your imagination to come up with meals made from simple basic foods and you’ll discover a whole new world of delicious, low calorie, high nutrient eating. An abundance of great cookbooks of fresh, fast recipes exists (see sidebar).

        Are processed, convenience, and fast foods never to touch your child’s lips again? No! Forbidden foods have an allure that far surpasses their taste. It’s a matter of proportion. If your kids eat simply and healthily a good 80 percent of the time, then relax. They’re getting plenty of vitamins and minerals (and no wax and sand) without the tons of calories. But beware, after a few weeks of eating simply, your child’s tastes will change. Don’t be surprised if you find your kids making faces at a fast food meal—too salty! Too oily! Yuck!

Conda Douglas adores creating calorie-tackling, fun and fast recipes and sharing them on her blog, http://condasfitnesscenter.blogspot.com.

FUN, FAST & FRESH RECIPES

1. Visit Cooking Light at cookinglight.com. Or get the book Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast: Over 280 Incredibly Flavorful 5-Ingredient 15-Minute Recipes by the Editors of Cooking Light Magazine.

2. Or try the food network at their healthy eating site: www.foodnetwork.com/healthy-eating/index.html.

3. Better Homes and Gardens Fresh and Easy Meals (Better Homes & Gardens Cooking) is another great cookbook for delicious, healthy meals.