1. Your name, title, and age? What do you do (or did you do) for a living?
Holli Thompson, Nutrition Coach, Author, and founder of Nutritional Style. I’m an ex Chanel Vice President turned Nutrition Stylist.
2. Who was the person that inspired you as a child to eat healthy and stay fit? What was their relationship to you?
My parents, Peggy and Joe, were my inspiration as a child.
3. What did they do to inspire you?
They shopped together for groceries, (they still do!) and would only buy what was fresh, and seasonal. They would drive miles out of their way to go to the farmers market. I remember hearing my Mother say, no, we don’t eat tomatoes in the winter, they’re not fresh, or turn her nose at anything that was canned or frozen. My mother would cook dinner every day, (she still does that too!) and always include a vegetable and salad. We rarely ate dessert unless it was her home made pies or cakes.
4. How did their lesson change your life?
I grew up respecting good food, and realizing how important home cooking is. I also learned how real food is supposed to taste; delicious and fresh, and that only comes with eating seasonally. I discovered the powerful love that comes from cooking for your family, and the importance of sharing a meal and connecting. We did that every day too when I was growing up. I inherited the love of grocery shopping too, you can often find me at Whole Foods for the fun of it.
5. Do you convey their message to kids in your life presently?
Absolutely! My son is being raised this way. It’s important to raise kids with a discerning taste level and love of fresh ingredients. My son has a salad or something green at almost every meal, and he loves it. We make it kid friendly, so when he was really little, I would make him his very own “appetizer” plate that he could nibble on, with carrots and ranch dressing, olives, sliced peppers, cherry tomatoes.. things like that. Now that he’s 12, he makes his own eggs and sautéed spinach in the morning. It gets more difficult with many children after age 10 or 11, so establishing these habits early on really helps.
6. What would be your main message to children today to lead healthy lifestyles?
1) Eat your veggies, just like Grandma said! Add in fruits and veggies to your day, everyday; for example, eat an orange along with your hot cereal, grab a salad from the salad bar at lunch, and eat your veggies at dinner time. Enjoy an apple for snacks, or dried fruits. Try sending a sliced apple in a bag with sprinkled cinnamon, my son calls this the apple pie snack!
2) Begin each day with a healthy breakfast; a bowl of oatmeal with some nuts and dried fruit, or a creamy protein smoothie, or eggs and spinach and salsa. This helps prepare kids for the rest of the day, and gives them a calm, balanced energy to get through their morning.
3) Get moving! Get your kids to participate in team sports, and keep them moving each season. Encourage them to do active video games, like dancing or sports for rainy days or when they can’t get outside. A healthy body means a healthy mind, and your kids need daily movement to grow up healthy and happy.
7. Do you have a web site you would like to promote….web address only?