★MomStars: The TODAY Show’s Joy Bauer

Credit: Acacia

We score some pretty awesome celeb interviews for our FitStars and MomStars segments, but as a new mom, this Q&A with The Today Show’s nutrition and diet expert Joy Bauer was particularly helpful. I’ll take any tips on putting nutritious meals on the table, and Joy has tips in spades! Read on for her thoughts on eating right and getting the whole family in on eating healthy, and make sure you head over to FBG to catch the whole interview!

An Interview with Registered Dietitian Joy Bauer

• FBG: Between writing books, being on The TODAY Show and running your own company, you’re a busy lady! How do you find time to eat right and work out? Any tips for our readers?
• JB: Dinner is probably the most stressful meal because it’s hard to plan ahead when you’re juggling so many responsibilities—but I have a strategy that helps me put healthy, homemade meals on the table on crazy-busy days. I have a standard, go-to list of five simple, fast, healthy dinners that I know I can prepare in 30 minutes or less. I keep all the ingredients for at least two of these meals on hand in my pantry, fridge or freezer at all times. Some of my standards include turkey burgers with frozen vegetables, grilled chicken parmesan, turkey tacos and whole-wheat pasta with ground turkey meat sauce. I definitely recommend this strategy for busy families (which is all of us!).
• FBG: You have a husband and three children. Are they naturally healthy eaters?
• JB: The majority of the time, my kids eat very well, and they’re definitely open to trying new, healthy foods. They eat plenty of produce, whole grain cereals and breads. And they definitely enjoy healthy snacks (apple with peanut butter, Greek yogurt, healthy trail mix made with whole-grain cereal, baby carrots with hummus, etc.). Of course, they also love some of the not-so-healthy stuff (ahem!). My youngest daughter Ayden loves chicken nuggets, so I’ll make baked chicken tenders (with whole-grain breading). All of my kids love pizza, but we make it a more balanced meal by ordering thin-crust with lots of veggie toppings and adding a salad on the side. My son Cole will eat almost anything—I think he came out of the womb loving sardines and spinach! My teenage daughter Jesse is very into eating healthy but is picky and limited with what she likes (salads, lentils, pasta, green beans and ice cream!).

We love Joy’s humor, honesty and fantastic tips! Be sure to check out the entire interview with Joy and the FBG review of her exercise DVD Joy Bauer’s Slimdown Workout! I’ll also be back tomorrow with more exclusive tips from Joy on how to deal with the picky eaters in your lives. I promise you don’t want to miss it! —Erin