One would assume as a registered dietician my children naturally gravitate toward foods enriched in vitamins and nutrients. In my dreams, perhaps. The reality is it can still be a struggle at times to make meals that are balanced and as green that they should be.

As I tell patients at CHOC Children's, ensuring your family eats right, starts way before any meal hits the table. For me, it begins during my weekly trip to the supermarket. I know anything purchased then will directly impact the food choices my kids make for the next seven days. This is especially true for my younger ones who eat most of their meals at home or from packed lunches.

Admittedly, I can’t manage every morsel of food that goes in my children’s mouth. Nor should I. What I can do, however, is provide balanced meals and a kitchen stocked with healthy foods, so when they are older – or in that I call the “grab-n-go” stage – they’re incline to make better choice. Until then, here the 10 basic rule from which I operate my kitchen and advise my patients.