Written By: Deanna Garcia
Picture your kids sitting down for dinner in front of a plate of actual food. Food that’s unprocessed (not out of a can or box), nutritious and without alteration to make it “kid friendly”. Maybe it’s a plate of paleo breaded chicken with honey mustard dipping sauce (cut up small for little ones), seasonal veggies and roasted sweet potatoes flavored with butter and a little cinnamon. Or maybe it’s grain free meat lasagna made with fresh breaded zucchini and a salad! There’s no complaining that they don’t approve of your dinner, no whining or crying that your food choices are unsatisfactory. No excuses that they’re not hungry or have some sort of stomach ailment that prevents them from eating. You actually feel appreciated for spending the last hour preparing a nice dinner, not to mention the time spent grocery shopping and recipe hunting to ensure variety. Everyone’s happy and satisfied to eat what you’ve provided and they’re even asking for seconds! Relief comes over you with knowing you’re all getting the proper nutrients and quality energy. You gain confidence because you’re assured you’re family is practicing a healthy lifestyle. You’re increasing your chances of avoiding potentially harmful disease and illness and you all just down right feel better! This is what your dinner table (and family) can look like once you’ve implemented healthy eating habits that you’re consistent about! We’re not promising an overnight improvement. Change takes time. But you have to start somewhere, right?!
Time for a food intervention! It’s time to get your kids (maybe even you & your spouse) on track! With the rise in childhood obesity our youth are more likely at risk for cardiovascular diseases (like high cholesterol or blood pressure), diabetes, sleep disorders, social and psychological issues like low self esteem and depression. Even certain cancer risks increase (such as breast, colon, kidney, pancreas, gall bladder, thyroid, ovarian, cervix and prostate just to name a few)!
The old myths about kids not having to worry about their health; because they’ll burn off those extra calories, or they need the sugar for energy, and they can eat whatever they want because they’re still growing; are causing us to ignore just how important the food we give our kids and family is. Not only is the food we consume effecting our physical bodies it’s effecting our mental behavior. According to Women’s and Children’s Health Network, there’s a strong correlation between children who ate junk & processed foods (that can contain chemical additives, high fructose corn syrup, preservatives and artificial dyes) with a decreased ability to concentrate in school. Ever notice how hyper or aggressive your child becomes after consuming these types of foods? I know we did with our oldest son! But it didn’t stop with just his behavior it effected his skin (eczema). Children take what they’re used to eating well into their later years as an adult. So these negative food habits become highly hazardous to their overall development. They’re our future! It’s up to us to help educate and advocate for our children. Let’s get them off to the right start!
You’re probably thinking, yay right, try to get my two year old to eat Paleo, gluten free or grain free! Or my spouse to give up all the foods he or she has always ate. But that’s what Our Healthy Tribe Blog is here for! To help educate and gear you up with all the tips and tricks to help implement a healthy lifestyle!
Anytime you’re trying to introduce change, expect some resistance! Don’t give up because it feels like a losing battle. You’ve got to change your kids and family’s mindset before you can change their habits. First, it’s important to explain to your kids and family the reasons behind the diet changes. You can apprise them of all the health benefits that go along with eating unprocessed, grain free, real foods! Show them what they can actually eat while flipping through a Grain Free/Paleo cookbook (like Everyday Paleo by Sarah Fragoso). Maybe even test out a few recipes on them before telling them what they’re eating. Perhaps you can also offer grain free eating as a solution to one of their current struggles; such as forgetfulness, irritability, insomnia, or fatigue.
Eating the right foods will make all those nuances go away. Not to mention you may end up with benefits you also didn’t expect; like stronger bones, clearer skin (no more diaper rash, acne or eczema), better behavior and stronger immune systems (goodbye runny noses), less cavities, no child obesity, diabetes or that unwanted weight you, your spouse or even your teens may be battling.
There are six main ideas behind getting your kids (and/or spouse/family) to eat healthy. What do we mean by healthy? We can learn a lot about what we were designed to eat from our ancestors. Some people call it Paleo, others call it primal or ancestral. Whatever you wish to call it, it’s really all about excluding processed foods, sugars, and harmful fats (like the hydrogenated corn syrups). We always recommend organic, Non GMO foods. So you know you’re getting the best quality without all the toxins, pesticides and hormones that can cause health issues. *see list of food brands that are certified organic/non gmo at the end of this post.
Tips & Tricks:
1.) You have to start with you! Before, asking your spouse or kids to jump on board the healthy train you have to lead by example. Clean up your own diet by simply eliminating the foods I just mentioned above.
2.) Clean out your cabinets! If the food isn’t there and not an option, then they’ll eventually eat what’s available. It’s sounds simple but we understand it may not be that easy. This might initially lead to whining, crying or rebellion. But that’s okay. You have to stay strong and have faith that they’ll eventually adapt.
3.) Do away with foods that serve as rewards (like desserts or treats)! Of course, once in awhile it’s fine to have some treats in the house (like for a birthday), but not on a regular basis. If this becomes too much of a mixed message then make those treats something you have to leave the house to get.
4.) Plan ahead! We’re all busy moms and dads so preparation is key! Packing school lunches the night and preparing a weekly meal plan is a sure way to stay on track with your healthy eating. Maybe you can even prep a few meals to freeze to have on hand for those late nights after baseball or soccer practice. Keep healthy snacks in the car like nuts, organic banana chips, packaged seaweed, gluten free beef jerky or dried fruit & vegetables. Our kids love the raw nut packs with raisins and dried green beans from Trader Joes!
5.) If at all possible, don’t take your kids food shopping! Nothings worse than your 4 yr old throwing a tantrum because you didn’t buy the fruity pebbles or Doritos! Keep your sanity and go at it alone. If you have to, you can even shop online or wait until your spouse gets home from work. Or find a friend to participate in a grocery swap! This is where you go food shopping for you and your friend one week and they return the favor the next! There’s all sorts of ways to avoid bringing your little ones! Also, be sure to make a list and stick to it. That way you’re not skewed by food packaging playing on your emotions. Who cares if it’s a two for one sale-you don’t need two boxes of mac n cheese or those cookies said “gluten free”-they’re processed foods and that means no good for our bodies!
6.) Lastly, don’t give mixed messages! Inform others of your personal food policy. If needed send your child with a packed lunch, snack or dessert for birthday parties &/or playdates. It’s okay if your child eats off their diet, so long as it’s not a food that may trigger a severe food allergy. Thus, not something you make common practice.
In conclusion, don’t get overwhelmed! With a little planning and implementation of our tips & tricks you’ll be on your way to a healthier tribe!
Certified Organic/Non GMO Foods *info provided by healthy-family.org:
- Native Foods
- Simply Organic
- Annie’s
- Applegate Farms
- Organic Valley
- Earthbound Farm *Organic
- Organicville
- Eden’s Foods
- Pacific
- Amy’s
- Earth Balance
- Pacific Foods
- Spectrum Organics
- Wild Harvest
- Simple Truth
Be careful of the following brands that claim to be Non GMO but are actually NOT Non GMO Project Verified *provided by healthy-family.org.:
- Ancient Harvest
- Authentic Foods
- Bob’s Red Mill
- GF Harvest
- Nutiva
- Pamela’s Products
- UDI’s Gluten Free Foods
- XO Baking Company
Please feel free to leave us any questions in the comment section. We’d love to hear from you!
