I thought I knew everything.
With a Master’s degree in dietetics and years of experience writing about nutrition for magazines, I had counseled clients about weight loss, prenatal nutrition, and diabetes. I was a regular at the gym and had by-the-books healthy eating habits. My husband and I cooked dinner together every night. I had it all figured out. You know where this is going, right?
Then I had kids.
Motherhood rocked my world, for better and for worse. My free time vanished, as did my gym workouts. When my kids were both babies, healthy meals devolved into grabbing random food from the fridge (and from my kids’ plates). And when my babies grew into toddlers and started joining us at the table? All those strategies I had learned—and written about in countless articles—were suddenly put to the test. And the results weren’t always pretty.
When I went online to seek solace, I found that many blogs written by fellow dietitians made it sound easy. Too easy. All of my mom-friends were struggling. Even with a bunch of fancy initials after my name, I was struggling too. I started this blog to pull back the curtain, to show other moms that it’s not easy, that it can be really frustrating and really tough. But that it can also be rewarding. And that there’s a lot to learn—and a lot to laugh about.
I strive for a diet based around whole foods and home-cooked meals (and, yes, home-baked goodies too). I’m passionate about helping my kids develop a love of fresh foods and helping other moms do the same. But I don’t eat “perfectly”, and neither do my kids. Our eating habits are works of progress, just like we are.
–Sally Kuzemchak, MS, RD
photo by Michelle Daniel Photography
