Theresa Albert is a nutritionist, best-selling cookbook author, and Food Network personality, and we're thrilled to have her with us for the next few weeks to provide her unique brand of cooking and nutritional knowledge. I shared with some of my colleagues the fact that I am working with the Chicken Farmers of Canada to help Canadians get wholesome, simple meals on their tables.  Luckily, my colleagues are some of the smartest, busiest women and mothers around. Even more luckily, they agreed to let me mine their lives and share their tips for doing just that.  What you will find over the next 6 blogs are those interviews.  The names have not been changed to protect the innocent; in fact, they are proudly displayed so we can all see that every family has its way of doing things and learn from each other! This edition’s interviewee: Alyson Schafer Alyson Schafer is a psychotherapist and parenting expert. She is the host of TV's The Parenting Show and bestselling author of "Honey, I Wrecked The Kids" and "Breaking The Good Mom Myth". Theresa: As a parenting expert and a parent of two teenagers, can you share some insight into the misperceptions kids/tweens/teens have about the role of fat in a healthy diet? Alyson: Teens want to look like the iconic models in magazines and music videos.  That means, no fat on the body, and somehow, that simplistically translates in their minds into “don't eat fat so you won't get fat”.  There is no awareness of the difference between good and bad fats, and the fact that fats play a vital role in health.  They know about French fries and mayo, but both my girls were shocked to learn that the avocados I put on their sandwiches were a good source of fat! Theresa: How do we introduce the topic of fat to kids so that they don't hyper focus on it? Alyson: I have talked to my daughters about cultural beauty variations.  In some countries, having a fat wife is a sign of wealth and prosperity because food is so scarce; only the well off can eat and be plump. We need fat to survive.  Our bodies are smart and if we don't have enough fat, we stop menstruating for example, because our body knows we are basically subsisting and therefore pro-creation isn’t a priority. I teach them about common practice of altering pictures and they have watched the DOVE beauty media campaign.  I do think they are starting to understand that fat is not the enemy.  They are beginning to see fat much like they see vitamin D or calcium or whole grains.  It’s a compound that is part of the things we must eat in the right forms and in the right proportions.  But it takes a lot of conversations to get this idea across. Theresa: What's good, what's bad? Alyson: Parents model their own attitudes and behaviours to their children.  They are watching you more than they are listening to you. Theresa: Do you know and have you explained the different types of fat and what is needed to your kids? Alyson: I am confused myself sometimes!  I am not a fan of margarine for example, but my children like how it spreads on bread right out of the fridge.  The practical over rides the health factors at this age because they think they are indestructible.  Old people get cancer not teenagers, right? They think "when I grow up, I'll eat healthy like mom” but for now I am a teenager!  We're supposed to drink milkshakes and eat French fries. It’s our rite of passage.  I do my best to chat it up when they seem receptive, and I cook healthily.  I figure that is the best influence I can have at the moment. Theresa: Can you please share some lean sources of protein that you serve/suggest? Alyson: I have one daughter who is a vegetarian and the other has to watch her blood sugar levels because she is prone to fainting.  That means I always have some "protein" in the fridge that is easy to grab.   Usually it’s a container filled with slices of cheddar or I'll pre-slice organic turkey or chicken kielbasa.  There is always hummus and whole grain crackers in the house.  I love to steam and dip edamame pods, and a mix of almonds with dried cranberries always sits next to the peanut butter and chocolate hazelnut spread.   We eat tofu occasionally, but eat LOTS of beans. I find that North Americans are under-informed about the benefits of beans.  It is helpful to learn about how other countries cook protein by enhancing them with beans. Theresa’s Wrap Up We do need good fat in order to lubricate everything from our eyelids to our brains to our joints.  A little bit of the saturated fat from animal sources like dairy and chicken actually protect the good fats within our bodies. Good fat sources that come from things like avocados, raw extra virgin olive oil and nuts are needed in small amounts. Experts recommend that you get 20-30% of your calories from fats right in line with the amount in skinless chicken, go figure.