As a parent, one of my goals is to help my children avoid the mistakes I made as a kid. One of those was training my taste buds to prefer (almost crave) the taste and texture of fats, sugar and salt in and on my food.

My parents, like yours, didn't "know any better" about nutrition when we were young. Today, we have better information and tools to train our families in healthier eating habits.

Reading to my boys has taught me something very valuable. If I don't understand a concept as an adult, I get a book geared to children on that topic. For instance, on subjects such as astrology, how machines work, scriptural passages, how computers work and yes, nutrition. Nutritional concepts are more easily understood when geared to children.

During the last few years, I have taught programs in my sons' classes called Kid Koncepts for Good Nutrition. Three of the main points I teach the children may stick with you:

Everyday foods vs. sometimes foods

"Teacher, do we go on field trips every day?" "No Billy, everyday would be too much and would take the fun out of it. Going sometimes makes it special."

The foods on the bottom half of the food pyramid are everyday foods. The tip of the triangle is filled with sometimes foods. Calling foods everyday foods and sometimes foods doesn't put emotional labels on them. Try to avoid calling foods good and bad; they are better and best. How often and how much you eat them also counts.

All right, hands up for all the "clean food plate" club members. I have to bite my tongue every time I want to say something about starving children around the world. Kids can't relate. They can understand "taking a taste." A portion of food for children is often a tablespoon or two. (Think about it, even for adults-- our stomachs are only the size of a clenched fist.)

When was the last time you tried a new vegetable?

Eating a varied diet is also important. Adults, like kids, can get on an eating jag and eat only a limited number of favorite foods. Variety is the spice of life -- it is also essential for fueling our entire body's functions. You know how a building needs different people to work on it, each specializing in a different area-- your body needs different foods to work on it.

"Fat isn't bad if you just have a tad."

*Quotes from What's On Your Plate? McDonalds Corp. & the Society for Nutritional Education

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Kate is a senior partner with CLC, Inc.