My initial goals are modest, vague, and a little lazy on the research. I reserve the right to fine-tune this.
This post from a dietician and mother who authors the excellent blog Raise Healthy Eaters lays out some very simple, easy to understand and follow ground rules for daily family dinners, including:
1. At least one vitamin C-rich fruit.
2. At least one vitamin A-rich vegetable.
3. Make at least half the grains whole.
4. Vary proteins: fish twice a week, lean meats and poultry twice a week, beans twice a week.
For RDA of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Dietary Fiber, Calcium, and Iron, the following grading scale will generally be used:
Excellent -More than 50%
Good - 33% to 50%
Fair - 11% to 32%
Poor - Less than 10%
Goals that are not easily measured so won't be graded but that I will be trying to follow include using fresh, whole foods that are in season. I'm also generally trying to keep it low calorie, but I track my caloric intake ad nauseam elsewhere (the effect this has on how I eat is the inspiration for this blog) so I won't be tracking it specifically here.
In terms of budget, I'm shooting for an average of $2.50 per person.
