Have you ever felt defeated and found yourself thinking, “How can I do better for my kids?” or “How do I teach them healthier habits?” you are not alone. Encourage your kids to eat healthily!
I hope to give you some ideas/ways that this can be accomplished. Take away what works for you and leave what doesn’t. Most importantly, just know on any given day that you are doing your best, and that is all you can do.
I have a couple of solid rules regarding what type of food I bring into the home; they are my “food rules.” Perhaps you have food rules too and have not even thought twice about it.
Here are a few of mine that I will cover in more detail:
-Avoid GMO’s
-Organic fruits and vegetables (Avoid dirty dozen)
-Limit sugar
-Meat and dairy always come from organic 100% grass-fed animals
-Limit processed food
-Plenty of clean water
-Limit grains
-No BPA/plastic
-Avoid GMO’s
I am a firm believer in knowing not only what is in my food, but also where it comes from. I do not support the genetically modified (GMO) food movement that is in full swing in the US. This can be overwhelming for some if you do not know what to look for on a food label. I know it was for me at first, so I hope I can help you to be able to identify them too!
What exactly are GMOs? GMOs (or “genetically modified organisms”) are living organisms whose genetic material has been artificially manipulated in a laboratory through genetic engineering, or GE. Most developed nations do not consider GMOs to be safe. More than 60 countries have significantly limited or completely banned the production and sales of GM food. Many states here in the US have fought for the minimum of GMO labeling, so consumers can at least choose what they want to spend their grocery dollars on, but this has proven to be a big uphill battle.
You may be surprised to know that over 80% of processed foods have been modified!
Here are the main crops:
-Alfalfa (first planting 2011)
-Canola (approx. 90% of US crop)
-Corn (approx. 88% of US crop in 2011)
-Cotton (approx. 90% of US crop in 2011)
-Papaya (most of the Hawaiian crop; approximately 988 acres)
-Soy (approx. 94% of US crop in 2011)
-Sugar Beets (approx. 95% of US crop in 2010)
-Zucchini and Yellow Summer Squash (approx. 25,000 acres)
Source: NON-GMO Project
So to put this in perspective, you might want to take a walk through the grocery store and perform a little experiment. Look at labels on processed foods. See how many of them have sugar, corn, and soy in some form. It is going to be in just about everything you pick up. My first trip to the store to investigate was a huge eye-opener.
So what can you do to avoid it? Buy 100% organic, or a company proudly states on the box that they are part of the NON-GMO project, carrying this seal.
Here are some companies that proudly support the Non-GMO project.
Studies covering the safety of these foods long term is unknown, as they have never been done. We do not know what would happen in 10 or 20 years, which is a concern. If science manipulated it, I don’t eat it.
Organic Fruit and Vegetables
If you are new to buying organic, a great place to start is to make sure you buy organic when the item is on the dirty dozen list.
The EWG (Environmental Working Group) puts out a shopping list every year for consumers containing the dirty dozen (produce with the highest pesticide residue). We should purchase these items organic. There is also a clean fifteen (the cleanest of the bunch) that can safely be bought by conventionally grown methods. I always pay attention to the difference in price between organic and conventionally grown on the clean fifteen, because if the difference in cost is not significant, I prefer to support my organic and local farmer.
These are the lists for 2020:
Dirty Dozen
Strawberries
Spinach
Kale
Nectarines
Apples
Grapes
Peaches
Cherries
Pears
Tomatoes
Celery
Potato
Hot Pepper
Clean Fifteen
Sweet corn
Avocados
Pineapples
Onions
Frozen Sweet Peas
Papayas
Eggplant
Asparagus
Cauliflower
Cantaloupe
Brocolli
Mushroom
Cabbage
Honeydew Melon
Kiwi
Source: Environmental Working Group
No need to buy organic from the clean fifteen unless it is on sale, of course.
Here is a link to learn where your favorite fruit or vegetable lands on the list.
Limit Sugar
Sugar is very harmful to the body, and it is not just the empty calories utterly void of nutrition. Sugar provides no nutritional benefit at all, but what it does do is contribute to insulin resistance. The rise in obesity and diabetes is alarming. In 2015, 30.3 million Americans, or 9.4% of the population, had diabetes (Source).
In my home, I found that the times my kids get sick are times when we have faltered and consumed a little more sugar than usual. Now that my boys are 12 and 14, they notice it too. What a blessing that is! Sometimes they have to learn for themselves. I ask my then 10-year-old to create a Google presentation for me about sugar. Where can we find it, what does it do to the body, and whatever else he could come up with. I found kid-friendly sites, fun YouTube videos, and more. He is much more interested to learn about it when mom is not lecturing him. Maybe this trick will work for you too?
Do my kids have an occasional soda at a restaurant? Yes! Do we sometimes go out for frozen yogurt on a beautiful warm summer day? You bet! I do not deprive my kids of what they see as normalcy based on their surroundings outside the home. It is a delicate balance. If I teach my kids precisely what healthy means and they know that when they occasionally waver from that to have a treat that it is ok, I am doing a good job.
How far do I take this? You might be surprised. I have never brought my kids to McDonald’s, Burger King, or Taco Bell, or eaten a popular sugary cereal that cleverly targets kids through their brilliant marketing. They have never asked either. They have never tasted hot lunch at school. I have asked if they want to on a day where the option may be the best for the week, but they declined. So far, I must be doing something right.
Never eat anything that has a commercial on television
Avoiding sugar is not just avoiding candy, chocolate, and donuts. You may be surprised to know where excess sugar is hiding. Sugar is added to all processed foods, why? To make you want to eat more of it. By “you” I do not mean you consciously make that decision; I say that because sugar is so freakishly addicting. Here are some resources for you to learn more about the sugar epidemic and how to help you cut its hold on you:
Top 10 Big Ideas: How to Detox from Sugar
Refined Sugar: The Sweetest Poison of All
Source for Meat and Dairy
Grass-fed meat and dairy are far superior to grain-fed. Grass-fed beef is considered a health food due to high amounts of Omega 3’s and is rich in healthy fats (MUFA, PUFA, and SFA). You can be sure if you are purchasing 100% grass-fed organic meat and dairy, that you are not consuming any growth hormones, pesticides, or antibiotics either. Purchase the leanest variety you can find.
Here is a great article that covers this topic in greater detail.
Get plenty of healthy fats in your diet…fat does not make you fat!
Drink Plenty of Clean Water
Short and sweet. I do not bring soda into the home, but as I mentioned above, they get only get a soda when we eat out. Juice is likewise severely restricted. I like to make fruit infused water, and when my boys are not well, I make hydration drinks. They enjoy chocolate almond or oat milk, so we indulge in that. I also purchase flavored water when in a pinch.
No BPA
Bisphenol-A (BPA) mimics estrogen in the body. What does this mean? BPA had shown to disrupt the endocrine system by mimicking the body’s hormones (Source). The glands of your endocrine system are the hypothalamus, pineal gland, pituitary gland, thyroid, parathyroid, thymus, adrenal, and pancreas. BPA releases its influence on all of the glands, which have a direct influence on every cell, organ, and function of your body.
Look for canned food labeled BPA free. It has become relatively easy to find. BPA is in many plastics, but you will also find many bottles that are labeled BPA free as well. Some say that you can safely use plastic as long as 1-it is never heated and 2-never scratched while cleaning. I just prefer to avoid it altogether now that my children are a little older and can responsibly handle a silicone sleeved glass.
Limit Grains
We limit grains in our home. I am the only one that leans toward a Paleo lifestyle for health reasons. As far as my boys, I aim for whole grains and organic. I lean towards brown rice, quinoa, and sprouted bread. Remember that white bread, potato, and rice are very high in starch (GI index) and essentially turn to sugar in the body very fast (Source). The body needs whole grains to help balance the blood sugar all day long. Some scientists and physicians say two slices of whole wheat bread will likely raise your blood sugar levels as high as if you were eating a popular candy bar (Source). Keep this in mind if you or someone you love is struggling with balancing sugars.
How do I get my family on board with this? Get everyone involved!
I make considerable efforts to involve my children in making choices. One day I asked my boys, then approximately 5 and 7, to make a list of foods that they liked and ones they did not like. That was the beginning of the “team” aspect of eating in our house. Of course, kids’ pallets are forever changing and evolving, so we make lists often so that I can try to accommodate their likes the best I can. My boys know that even “cheat” type foods can be eaten in moderation as long as their diet is overall healthy, so those types of items never make their list. Even after they make their lists, my boys understand that eating is somewhat of a compromise. I always try to incorporate their current favorite vegetables, for example, but they know that there are going to be some meals that are not going to be their favorite. One day I make their absolute favorite meal of tacos, and the next, we have salmon and salad. Most days, this works quite well.
Sometimes there are complaints, but I gently remind them that one of their favorite meals will be on its way. I try to tell them of the importance of healthy food for the body, like gas for a car…and try to stay lighthearted. If there is one thing I am constantly reminded of, lecturing is not the answer, but sometimes I find myself doing that before I even realize it. The older they get, the more effective it is for them to learn these things on their own..sometimes with a gentle nudge in the right direction.
Once I know what they have chosen as like foods, I can prepare. I take the time to make meal plans on Sundays for the upcoming week. I always include 1 or 2 favorites that I know the kids will swoon over. With that list in hand, I go shopping. I can eliminate buying things we do not need this way and make for less waste at the end of the week (save your lists for easier future list-making).
You can include your kids in the kitchen too. Age will determine what they can do safely, but mine can gather ingredients, cut up vegetables, set the table while I cook, and taste things along the way.
I try to keep some freezer fruits and vegetables on hand at all times. Frozen fruit comes in handy for fruit infused water, smoothies, a quick bowl of peas, or frozen kale for vegetable soup. Frozen is just as nutritious as the fresh counterpart, and it is quick and easy when you are in a hurry.
I let my boys voice what they would like to have in their school lunch and snack. It helps to ensure they will eat what I give them. As they have gotten older, though, peer influence begins to affect what they want in lunch. They naturally wish to what their friends have, so I try to compromise here too.
We garden as a family. Everyone helps pull weeds, plant seeds and plants, water, and harvest. The boys love to see their hard work on the plate as much as I do. Little goes to waste this way.
In conclusion
Always try to lead by example. Your kids are always watching what you do, not necessarily what you say. Things will not always go smoothly. Be proud of yourself for doing your best and smile for what worked, do not beat yourself up for what didn’t. Eat together and play together. Get plenty of exercise and rest. You are well on your way to “your” best version of “your” health and happiness, and that is what matters.
Please note that I am not a medical practitioner. The content of this website is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended as, nor should it be considered a substitute for, professional medical advice. Do not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating any medical or health condition. If you have or suspect you have a medical problem, promptly contact your professional healthcare provider. By using this website, you assume full responsibility and liability for your own actions.
*Sources listed within the article in blue.
Like so many practices in life, I encourage you to become educated on the proper use of essential oils. When using them, please do so cautiously, understanding that there is often misinformation on the internet. You can be assured that I support only educated and proven resources. While essential oils should not be feared they should be respected and used properly to ensure the safety of the individuals using them.
Please note that I am not a medical practitioner. The content of this website is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended as, nor should it be considered a substitute for, professional medical advice. Do not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating any medical or health condition. If you have or suspect you have a medical problem, promptly contact your professional healthcare provider. By using this website, you assume full responsibility and liability for your own actions.
