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It’s 4 P.M. and if you’re a mom, we’ll bet that you — like a staggering 60% of all Americans — don’t have a clue what you’re having for dinner tonight. After all, you’re busy. You work hard at home or at the office, and much as you’d like to, you don’t have a lot of time to think about dinner. The clock keeps ticking and soon pizza, macaroni & cheese, frozen fish sticks, chicken nuggets, or fast food becomes dinner tonight.

Sound like your house? Well, even though we’re dietitians, we’re also moms, and we have to admit that we’ve struggled with the same thing. In fact, the scenario we just described happens all over America — busy moms (who, by the way, still do most of the cooking) relying on takeout or frozen and boxed convenience meals to feed their families. The kids love it, there’s no muss or fuss, but the drawback is that little twinge of guilt you feel every time you feed your family another marginally healthy meal. Remember, we’re moms too. We’ve been there. We feel your pain … and your guilt.

We know how hectic life as a mom can be and understand that although you really want your family to eat right and live a healthier life, making that happen can often be a challenge. So as fellow moms, we’re here to help. Don’t worry. We promise not to spend the next 300-plus pages outlining one of those rigid food plans that advocates eating things like low fat, high protein, or no-sugar foods all day. Diets like that don’t make sense over the long haul and your family will look at you like you’re nuts anyway. What we’ll do instead is suggest a family meal makeover – a diet renovation, if you will – with plenty of realistic guidelines and easy-to-fix family recipes designed to bring super nutrition to your family’s table.

If you think good nutrition takes too much time and effort … if a green vegetable has never passed your child’s lips … or if you fear your family would rebel if you switched from white bread to whole wheat, then read on and discover just how easy and delicious a meal makeover can be. Bear in mind that as you incorporate our strategies into your everyday life, you will automatically join the ranks of other Meal Makeover Moms (a drum roll please) committed to improving the way their families eat.

A Note from Janice: In my house I have a 90/10 rule. That is, if we eat healthy 90 percent of the time, I don’t worry too much about the other 10 percent. This leaves room for treats like cookies at Nana’s house, an occasional fried seafood platter, or root beer floats on hot summer afternoons.

I admit that I secretly pray during dinner that my daughters will eat their vegetables, because I know how important they are to good health. But if they’ve had a glass of orange juice at breakfast, half a banana or mango slices for a snack, and cantaloupe, grapes or carrots with lunch, I don’t stress if my children don’t eat all their vegetables at dinner one night. Not making a big issue over what my girls do or do not eat is something I work on, since trying to convince (or bribe) kids to eat certain foods is usually counterproductive in the long run. All we can do is offer a variety of delicious and nutritious foods: What and how much they eat is up to them.

I wrote this book because I know the challenges and frustrations of trying to feed finicky eaters. With all my knowledge about food and nutrition, even I have gone through a “short order cook” phase of preparing macaroni & cheese several nights in a row when it was the only thing my kids would happily eat. Of course I used a healthy brand with no artificial ingredients, made it with canola oil and lowfat milk, and then served it with berries or melon slices on the side!

As a mom and a dietitian I’ve learned a lot over the years about feeding kids. Now, with The Moms’ Guide to Meal Makeovers , I’m glad to be sharing my insights with you.

A Note from Liz: When I was growing up, the kids next door had this awesome candy closet that they were allowed to raid any time of the day. Boy, was I jealous. As much as I begged my mom for that same endless supply of licorice, gumdrops, and lollipops, she never caved in. While in my house we often had a small sweet treat after dinner, my neighbor’s carte blanche policy on candy sure seemed a lot more appealing at the time.

Well, now as I reflect on that infamous candy closet, I can see the wisdom in my mother’s household rules. The last thing she wanted us to do was to fill up on sugary sweets when she was busy making delicious, colorful, and hearty dinners for us most nights.

Like mother, like daughter. Today, as a mother of two hungry boys, my own food philosophy reflects my mother’s. I truly enjoy making healthy and appealing meals for my family. Trust me, when I cook, it’s usually quick and easy but that doesn’t mean I’m willing to compromise on good nutrition.

One of my goals with The Moms’ Guide to Meal Makeovers is to help you feel comfortable establishing your own family’s mealtime rules and, even more importantly, to show you how to stick to them. With the advice and recipes presented in this book, your job of providing nourishing meals for your family (yes, often day in and day out) will become manageable, fun, and ultimately a simple way of life.