Two days ago I gave a talk to the community called “5 Secret Weapons to Fight Family Obesity.”  When I spoke about serving meals “restaurant” style versus the traditional “family” style, I noticed some eyes really lighting up.

I decided to take these photos of our typical meal so I can show you how easy it is to do that.  My kids are little and quite used to this format.  If yours are older and most likely ready to complain at this new technique, then just educate them that this is one of the best ways to keep them from having to wash extra dishes after dinner!!   Why not leave more time to play after dinner (or do homework, or make lunches or get cracking on bedtime…)?  Don’t forget to explain how this will be healthier for them and teach them portion control.

If you toss a big green salad with your dinner, then by all means leave that out for seconds.  It’s difficult to ingest excessive calories on vegetables unless they’re smothered with high-calorie dressing, bacon bits, croutons & cheese (just use those judiciously).

Bon appetit!

I try to balance fats, carbohydrates, veggies and proteins.

Mom's plate is in the foreground. (One little trick is to nix the large dinner plate and use smaller plates for your meals.)

A surprise dinner guest (hope she likes raw cheese)