JILL: There's a wonderful op-ed piece in the New York Times this week from Giuliano Hazan, an Italian cook who wonders rhetorically why, if carbs are so bad for you, Italians eat pasta and rice every day and are much thinner than Americans. It's a wonderful piece and worthy of a daily riff. The answer: smaller portions, more routine exercise as in walking the city streets, and slowing down to savor your food. Really worth reading.

Here's an excerpt: Food should not be feared. It should be a source of pleasure and well-being. So saute a little sliced garlic in extra virgin olive oil until it sizzles, add ripe fresh peeled tomatoes, cook 15-20 minutes, stir in some fresh basil and toss with some spaghettini. Then sit down with your family and enjoy one of life's simple pleasures together.

WENDY: I totally agree with this. Of course, it's also complete fantasy. I wish I could eat a sit-down dinner with my family every night, but that is just not going to happen. My daughter is young, and she needs to eat between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. And I can't be home then. Not to mention that someone is usually headed out the door by 7 p.m. Yes, we are careful with WHAT we eat, and no, I don't think carbs are evil, but there's just no way that I can savor a evening meal with my family every night.

THERESA: So how does your family handle the dinner routine?

WENDY: Usually, Daniel (my husband) picks up Sarah Margaret from camp or day care and prepares a simple dinner for her -- like a grilled cheese sandwich or popcorn shrimp from the freezer. She always has carrots, one of the few veggies she eats. And milk. Yes, she often eats this in front of the TV. Yes, I know this sucks. Then, he fixes something for him and I fix something for me when I get home. If I've got my act together, I will have made something in the Crock-Pot -- but still, we eat it in shifts. We do try to sit down for meals over the weekend, which is also when I work to get Sarah Margaret to try new foods. No, it's not ideal, but her meals are (roughly) balanced and it is the best I can do. At least it's not McDonald's every night.

YVONNE: I am going to sound like an infomercial but the George Foreman grill is changing for the better the way I eat at home (Thanks Theresa). I bought a single-woman sized one Saturday, then bought a few pieces of fish and fresh green beans. I put just salt, pepper and lemon juice on the salmon and slapped it in the grill. Six minutes later I'm pulling out the loveliest piece of salmon I have ever made. It was fabulous. Nice and crispy on the outside. The green beans were great. Next night I made another piece of salmon. Tonight I think I'll do the bluefish.

LAURIE: My son and I love our George!!!! It hasn't exactly been the catalyst to bring us together every night for a lovely family meal, but it helps plan a meal together if I know it can be made easily, quickly and we'll both like it.

KIMBERLY: My motto is "you should never be waiting for your dinner - your dinner should be waiting for you." Preparation is the key to eating healthy and good meals. Once you've written out your menus for the week, I recommend preparing no more than 2-3 meals ahead of time. On Sunday for example marinate, season, and precook your meat, poultry, or fish. Cook 2 cups of brown rice, potatoes, or pasta (though you can cook pasta in about 10 minutes.) Have salad fixin's ready to go and most veggies generally take no more than 10 minutes to cook. Voila - dinner that's good and good for you in 10-15 minutes.