Inessa Telefus doesn’t let her desire to feed her daughter healthy food stop when 4-year-old Charlotte walks out the front door. She became concerned enough about the food Charlotte and her classmates were being served on a daily basis at their child care center that she gathered other parents and started a healthy-eating committee — and was covered on NBC29!
Inessa and her husband Chris Hubert, Relay customers, were kind enough to invite me into their home to get some tips on feeding youngsters healthy food — inside and outside the home — and to see what Chris had picked up in their Relay order from Fry’s Spring Beach Club that afternoon.
Five Questions with Inessa, Chris, and Charlotte
Q. Inessa, tell me more about the recommendations your committee made to your daughter’s preschool.
A. I first became involved in this issue because Charlotte’s preschool required a note from her doctor to allow her to bring healthier food options to preschool. If she didn’t have the note, snacks were processed foods with artificial food dyes and unrecognizable ingredients. Children were rewarded with sweets and holidays were celebrated with desserts. Without special permission, Charlotte couldn’t replace sugary juice boxes with fresh fruit or candy with veggies and hummus.
Our committee recommended that parents work together to bring healthier snacks for special occasions. Our list included fresh oranges, bananas, fruit salad, vegetables, cheese, yogurt, and cottage cheese. To help set a good example, we threw a birthday party for Thomas Jefferson last spring, focusing on his lifelong attention to agriculture, good food, and healthful exercise. I brought in fresh peas and the children loved them. I think sometimes we underestimate what children will eat and enjoy.
My committee has relied on information from the Children’s Environmental Health Network as well as tips from the Oregon Environmental Council. One of the best tips we found is to focus celebrations around fun and experiences, rather than sweet, unhealthy foods.
Q. Inessa, what is your philosophy on healthy eating at home? What are some resources parents can use to advocate for healthier food outside the home?
A. We try to provide healthy, appealing, nutritious food for Charlotte and let her decide when and whether she wants to eat. If she has healthy choices, she can make good, balanced decisions and learn her own appetite. [They in fact had a beautiful bowl of fruit on the kitchen table, from which Charlotte plucked a perfect peach when she walked in the front door with her dad].
Q. Charlotte, what are your favorite foods?
A. Watermelon and cantaloupe.
Q. Chris, Inessa says you do most of the Relay shopping. What made you start shopping Relay?
A. When we found the Organic Butcher and really liked their meat, we found we were starting to spend half the day in the car just to get the food we like from local sources. I found Relay to be a convenient tool to get the food we love without the hassle — I just pick up at Fry’s Spring every Monday. Every week, I start an order early in the week, then just add items throughout the week as we run out or decide on something we’d like to make. Also, it’s great that we can avoid impulse purchases by shopping Relay; that saves us money and makes us healthier!
Q. What are some family favorites in terms of Relay products?
A. We actually cook fairly simple food, but we use healthy ingredients without much processing. We don’t think healthy food has to be complicated. We love to make burritos, wraps, and quesadillas, so we’re always well-stocked with the necessary ingredients, including salsa from Whole Foods. We love Belle Haven’s whole wheat sandwich rolls, local free-range eggs, meats from the Organic Butcher, and of course local, fresh fruit.
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