Susie Pearson, a graduate of Auburn University in Food and Nutrition, shares ideas for serving tasty, nutritious meals to your family. Eating together at the table is associated with better academic performance, better behavior and healthier children. Photo by ANN CIPPERLY
By Ann Cipperly
Now that school has started again, it’s a hectic time for mothers getting their kids to school on time and doing homework, as well as a challenge preparing tasty, nutritious meals. Nutritionist Susie Pearson offers meal planning ideas and nutritious recipes that kids will love.
Susie knew early on that, like her mother and grandfather, she wanted to attend Auburn University. Growing up in Centerville, Ohio, Susie heard stories from her family that the Auburn-Opelika area was a wonderful place.
Later when her parents moved to Mobile, Susie attended Auburn University to become a nutritionist. In Auburn she met her husband David. Both graduated in 1973.
While Susie was doing her nutrition and grocery internship, the couple moved to Columbus, Georgia, where David, who has a degree in civil engineering, began his career. They moved to South Carolina and then to Montgomery, where David worked for Blount International.
David started his own company, Pearson Management Group, Inc. while Susie worked at the Baptist Diabetes Center in Montgomery. During her stay at the center, Susie presented weight loss programs and worked with the media to come up with ideas for healthy eating and a diabetic diet. During the holidays she was on TV to learn how to cut calories while enjoying good food.
The Pearsons have two children, Jon David and Jenny, and five grandchildren. In early 2019, the Pearsons purchased a house in the Auburn N. College Historic District that was built in 1922. After two years of planning and renovation, the Pearsons moved into the house in December 2020. David moves the family business to Auburn and hands over the management to his son Jon David, who also graduated from Auburn with a degree in civil engineering.
Susie has retained her interest in helping families teach children the importance of healthy eating, an interest that she passes on to her five grandchildren.
Susie strongly believes that families should make meals a priority.
“I think meals are important for kids to sit down and talk about their day and have delicious, healthy food in front of them,” she said. “Eating together at the table has been linked to better academic performance, better behavior and healthier living.”
Susie suggests removing distractions by turning off the TV and not leaving cell phones and iPads on the table during a meal. At other times of the day, children have plenty of time for cell phones and iPads.
Susie also suggests making menus a week in advance. With the menus set up for the week, mothers know what to get at the grocery store to have all of the ingredients. Crockpot meals are great for busy days when the family has activities after school. The food is ready and waiting when they get home and less fast food is taken out.
“Stress is reduced if the mother knows in advance what the children are going to eat,” said Susie. “There are now a lot of healthy, easy-to-prepare foods in the supermarket. Most prepackaged meals contain meat, starches, and vegetables. Get some fresh fruit for dessert. “
While shopping for groceries, Susie said that she should remember that the nutritious groceries are in the vicinity of the grocery store. If you stay on the perimeter, go through fruits and vegetables, meat, milk, and bread. If you stay there, you can eat healthily. High-calorie, low-nutrient foods lurk in the middle islands.
Avoid sugary fruit juices when shopping. Instead, choose whole oranges and apples, which provide fruit juices as well as nutrients and fiber. Enjoy highly processed foods like cookies, candy, and ice cream in limited quantities. Buy whole grain bread and pasta.
Instead of buying sweet cereals, Susie suggests choosing whole grain cereals with no added sugar, such as plain Cheerios. Add bananas, blueberries, or other fresh whole fruit for sweetness.
Susie serves egg and cheese muffins with vegetables to her grandchildren for breakfast and they enjoy them. The muffins cook quickly and can be reheated.
“If a child tells you they don’t like a food, don’t assume they’ll never like it,” she said. “You should serve the food at least 15 times before the young child can really form an opinion about the food.
“When I was growing up, my mother told me and my sister to eat what she cooked or not to eat at all. That was a difficult message for me, but in retrospect it made a lot of sense. It helped me learn to eat a wide variety of foods.
“If you give in to your children’s demands and only serve them what they like to eat, you make them picky eaters. Instead of calling your child a picky eater, say that your child is learning to like new things. Don’t label them picky eaters. Teach your children to try healthier foods so they can learn to eat healthily. “
Find interesting ways to serve fruits and vegetables. She suggests giving vegetables interesting names, such as carrots as X-ray imaging coins that help children see at night. Beta carotene in carrots actually helps with children’s night vision.
To enhance the taste of low-fat Greek yogurt, add a teaspoon of vanilla and a teaspoon of cinnamon, both of which add flavor without adding sugar. Consider serving yogurt as a dip with fresh fruit.
When eating out, add more nutrients to children’s meals by ordering a side dish of vegetables or fruit instead of fries. If there are two children, take an order of vegetables and an order of fries and let them share. Another idea is to order an adult meal for your child and have it cut in half in the kitchen. Put the other half in a to-go box to take home for another meal.
Calcium is very important for children.
“Think of calcium as a regular need,” she said. “In girls, 90 percent of the bone mass is reached by the age of 18 and in boys by the age of 20. If children are not fed enough calcium on a regular basis, they will not be able to build adequate bone mass. Good sources of calcium are milk, yogurt, almonds and green leafy vegetables. “
Look for ways to add more calcium to your diet by using milk in puddings or using milk in place of water to cook oatmeal.
Susie likes it if you prepare a healthy snack for your child when they get home from school. If you tell children to get something from the pantry, they will not make a healthy choice. Serve a sliced banana with peanut butter. Make peanut butter sandwiches and use cookie cutters to cut them for fun shapes.
“Children under the age of two shouldn’t be fed processed sugar (cookies, cakes, candy),” said Susie. “For children two years and older, processed sugar shouldn’t make up more than ten percent of their total calories. Occasionally, artificial sweeteners can replace processed sugars. While some have concerns about the potential health hazards associated with artificial sweeteners, reliable studies show that artificial sweeteners can be used in moderation. “
Susie loves children. She has been involved in church and school voluntary work with disadvantaged children for many years. Since moving to Auburn, Susie has been a volunteer in Our House’s after-school program.
Below are Susie’s recipes to add delicious, nutritious dishes and snacks to your menus for the week ahead.
