Mama Bear

When it comes to protecting their young, Mama Bears may show a fierce side at times, but they also protect and care for their baby bears by nourishing them.  Although bears are often thought to be carnivores, they actually eat plants and other vegetation such as leaves, buds, mushrooms, berries and nuts.  Mama Bear of the Berenstain Bears is even a Gardener!  A good mama bear will introduce many different varieties of food to their young while inspecting the safety of food items to keep them growing strong.
I happen to know a wonderful "mama bear" who not only sets a good example by providing nutritious foods for her young offspring, she also introduces her co-workers, friends and family to healthy foods!  Recently, I spent a day at a fitness related event with this mama bear and was amazed at what kept coming out of her Mary Poppins picnic basket.....quinoa and lentil salad with fresh vegetables, rice crackers, all natural hummus, turkey breast and avocado sandwiches, lentil crackers, fruit, and extra long cucumber and even an oat "dessert" bar!  The goodies were fantastic!  As a dietitian, I was excited to taste her quinoa salad and rice crackers (a treat I have not had for awhile) but I was even more excited that she introduced a whole table of people to new healthy tastes.  This "mama bear" routinely has nutritious foods available to share as she wants to feed her "young" with nutritious foods.
We can all be "healthy" Mama Bears.....next time you try a new food or healthy recipe, make a little extra and share it with a co-worker or friend or even your baby bear!  The more healthy foods we can get people to try, the better we will be to our bodies!