Ever have days where if the adage "You are what you eat" were true, you'd be a giant bowl of ice cream? Ever worry your child might turn into a chicken nugget? I can relate.

Because my mother was always watching her weight and had a degree in physical education, I grew up knowing the importance of exercising and eating healthy foods. In the long run, the knowledge helped me, but for many years, it didn't "take." I suffered through way too many meals of baked plain chicken breast, plain steamed broccoli and dry baked potatoes.

I once came home from a friend's and talked about these great things her mom made called pierogies, fried in a skillet with butter. I was in heaven. I thought my mother was going to have a heart attack on the spot.

Nonetheless, I managed to put on weight in high school due to a combination of too much junk food and inactivity. Clumsiness and lack of confidence kept me out of sports. When I did diet, nutrition was not a priority. Of my self-allotted 1,000 calories, I gobbled up 490 of them with one chocolate candy bar with almonds.

After years of unhealthy eating habits and very little exercise, it was time to get healthy. I gave up my "emotional eating" frenzies and found that when I exercised, I tended to watch what I ate so I wouldn't "ruin" my progress. The result: When I got pregnant with Emma, I was in the best shape of my life.

So, I was determined that once my baby arrived, I would feed her nothing but the best, purest, most healthy foods possible. I did well for her first year. She had only breastmilk for the first six months. Her first solid foods were mashed banana and avocado. A staple was a "mush" of organic whole grains. I threw steamed broccoli in the blender, made sweet potato pancakes and even concocted my own teething crackers.

So how did I get from that to permitting a menu that some days consists of nothing but commercial cereal and processed American cheese?

Part of it is my personality. I have been known to start out like gangbusters and then gradually lose interest. The other part goes back to my childhood. I didn't want Emma to end up feeling deprived. But it is a slippery slope! Once she tasted chicken nuggets, there was no turning back!

I have realized moderation is the key. I feed her fast-food chicken nuggets perhaps too often, but I also make sure she gets oranges or apples as sides and white milk to drink. I've also read that when your child is a picky eater, she will end up balancing her own diet instinctively. That might be giving a toddler more credit than she is due, but it sometimes helps me sleep at night.

This issue of OV Parent is dedicated to fitness and nutrition, as well as some seasonal topics. I hope you find something in these pages that helps you sleep at night. Happy reading!

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