Everyone knows you need to eat your vegetables. But part of healthy eating is finding the right balance. This month, we’re celebrating healthy moms and all the things they do to keep their families growing strong. Sometimes it’s in what they teach us and sometimes it’s what they show us. Celisse Manuel from our San Antonio staff shares that she is passing along what her mother gave to her.
Growing up, we didn’t have a whole lot of money and my mom was a single mom who refused outside help. So, being a picky eater was out of the question. If indeed you were hungry, you would eat what was available. I learned quickly that vegetables weren’t bad and actually tasted pretty good!
My mom, Cyndi, is an amazing cook, but no meal was ever complete without a chocolate dessert. Mom is a chocolate fanatic. She actually argued once that chocolate is from the cocoa bean, which is a vegetable and therefore chocolate should be considered a healthy snack. The friend that she had this conversation with gave her some facts about milk chocolate being not so healthy and she then said, “Well, I’ll stick to the dark chocolate then.”
I know my mom just wanted to justify her love for chocolate. Anyway, not only did I learn many wonderful recipes from her, I also learned that no meal is complete without chocolate. Still to this day, I will finish all my meals with either a bite size chocolate or a cookie or something, I have even started doing this with my own kiddos. They too know the “importance” of a chocolate dessert!
Ella Health 