Misty doesn’t believe in making separate meals for Echo – she feels like that is putting the 3-year-old in charge and that’s a bad thing, especially at mealtime. Misty believes that catering to Echo in this way will skew Echo’s expectations of how she should be treated later in life.

The first thing discussed is serving size.  Portions in the U.S. are pretty large.  When you look at the label, you’ll want to note the serving size.  That information might not always be terribly helpful, unless you’re really good at measuring exactly one ounce of something into your hand.  So, look at how many servings are in the container.  If there are two servings in the container, you know you can eat half of what is in the container and you’ll be getting one serving size.

That’s great for when you’re eating something, but when you’re shopping it is even more important to look at serving size and the amount of servings per container.  You might buy something that you think has good nutritional value, only to find out that the container actually hold twelve servings of something and that each tiny serving is simply “not too bad for you” but to eat enough to satisfy your hunger would be actually very unhealthy.

The next thing discussed is the way the label is broken down.  The most important thing to look at is serving size/amount of servings, but the calorie count is important as well.  It’s also very important to look at the fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol content.  Too much saturated fat and cholesterol is unhealthy for everyone, even little children.  It is important to start good eating habits early.

It’s also important to pay attention to how many grams of carbohydrates are in the food.  This is especially important for diabetics, as the carbohydrate count will inform how the food is processed in the body and how much sugar and insulin are produced.

Sodium is also something to look at.  Many, many foods have simply too much sodium.  The average person is only supposed to have a certain amount of each category on the nutrition label per day.  The average daily percentage is based on a 2000 calorie diet.  No matter how many total calories you plan to consume per day, you’ll want the fat and sodium percentages of the total to be low, and for the vitamin and mineral content to be high.

If you are eating in a restaurant, use your best common sense to stay away from foods that are bad for you.  Stay away from smoked or cured meats – they have more sodium.  Stay away from cream or cheese-based sauces and dressings – they have more fat.  Choose fresh vegetables and fruits, and lean protein like fish or chicken.

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Natural SHOULD mean that the product has no added flavors, colors, or synthetic substances in them.  Some products do not have these things, but are labeled “natural” rather than “organic” because in order for something to be called organic it must follow certain very strict guidelines to be called as such.  The USDA DOES have rules about the term “organic.”

Even when something IS “natural” it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s good for you.  It is important to read the ingredients to make sure there is nothing in the product that can hurt you.

You have to make some judgment calls yourself, as well.  For instance, chicken can be labeled as “all natural” even if the meat has been injected with salt water for freshness and juiciness.  Salt water is, in fact, all natural, but the fact that it is added to the chicken during processing makes some people uncomfortable.  It’s up to you to decide whether that is OK with you or not.

As with anything, you have to use common sense and be educated as to the things that are good for you, and the things that are not so good for you.

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The Trip on a Deal people present you with the best parks of 2009, which will surely give you an idea of which parks to visit in 2010.  If you’re planning a road trip to an amusement park you should check out this video.

If you’re near the Show-Me-State, you might check out The Prowler, a new wooden roller-coaster at Worlds of Fun.  Near Santa Claus, Indiana?  Check out The Voyage at Holiday World – and 24.2 seconds of air time.  That’s a record.

The Bizarro can be found at the Six Flags in Massachusetts – a steel coaster named after the comic book character.  Ironically, the turned the Superman Ride of Steel coaster into this Bizarro coaster – just like in the comic book!

For lots more good suggestions, check out this video.

*Note – it looks like the terms “Bride Soup” and “Wedding Soup” are the result of poor translation from the Italian minestra maritata – which means “married” soup.  The flavors of the greens and the noodles and the broth and meatballs or dumplings go so well together they are said to be “married.”  A similar version of this soup also exists in Spain, Turkey, and several other countries.  Today, people often serve this type of soup at their wedding receptions, and others make it for the taste.

Caitlin recommends a low-sodium chicken stock for the base of the soup.  The soup also calls for some type of pasta, and Caitlin suggests Acini di Pepe, but you can use orzo or any other type of small pasta.  You’ll also need two eggs, a package of chopped spinach, and some Parmesan cheese.

Bring two large cans of chicken stock to a boil.  While that’s happening, crack your eggs into a bowl and add some Parmesan.  When the stock reaches a boil put in the spinach (still frozen) and the pasta.  Once the pasta is cooked and the spinach is thawed, dump in the egg and cheese mixture and it will make wee dumplings on the surface of your soup.

Most recipes for this type of soup call for tiny meatballs.  This is a great vegetarian (uses eggs, though, so not totally vegetarian)  option that is way easier to make.  Thanks, Caitlin!

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Chef Jason Hill talks you through a brief history of tailgating, and then tells you how to really do it up right. From the 2009 Rose Bowl, he broadcasts a tailgating party in action. Here are the tips he shares.

You need a portable grill, a table, and a canopy, at the very minimum. If you want to be the most popular tailgater there, you can add a great stereo system and a big screen TV to watch the pregame stuff while you’re pregaming in the parking lot.

Some of the food Hill encounters is what you might expect – burgers, and the like – but he also sees a lot of carne asada and some upgraded tailgate food. Like bacon-wrapped hot dogs. If you’re anything like most foodies, you’ll agree that everything tastes better when wrapped in bacon…

As with anything, the best way to learn how to do something is to observe it being done by someone who already knows how to do it. Hill’s experience at The Rose Bowl proves this fact – these people really know what they’re talking about.

Finally, Hill shares his recipe for beef tri tip, which he marinates the night before tailgating so that it is full of flavor and good to go. Follow Hill’s tip to guarantee your automatic stardom at your next tailgating event.

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As a decorator, Meghan is interested in the aesthetic benefits of edible centerpieces, even if she can’t usually enjoy the taste-related perks.  She goes to a chef named Jason Hill who has been creating edible centerpiece for his clients.  Jason used to cook at fancy restaurants in big towns, but now he does a web chef show and spends lots of time with his family.  He creates these edible centerpieces at home, and has lots of tips for Meghan.

First, the centerpiece has to be eye-catching, otherwise what is the point?  Take a gander to find out how Jason creates his masterpiece, and hear some suggestions from Meghan on how to use them!

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He travels with Buz and Ned from Buz & Ned’s n Richmond, Virginia, and Nate takes you into the judging room to find out who wins.

The video is very MTV-ish, with a lot of sound bites and rock and roll music, but you can grab some “delicious” tidbits of information regarding how to cook chicken, sausage, pork, and all things BBQ just like the big boys do.

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