Feeding Our Kids What They Need, Not What They Want
It is so important that we teach our children at a young age how to enjoy eating healthy, whole foods, as we know those habits will carry them into adulthood. Unfortunately, my own kids didn't grow up eating whole foods. I hadn't educated myself on the importance of food quality back then and I did what most parents did. I loaded up their lunch boxes with juice pouches, chips, and squeezable yogurts--junk food. It's what they incessantly asked for and it was cheap. Along with the kid-friendly marketing and kid-friendly flavor palettes, they get totally hooked. This food is literally engineered in a lab to taste good, and to keep us wanting more, so we eat more. And, I get it, sometimes it's just easier to give them what they want.
But now those packaged, processed foods have become diet staples for many of our children. It's in the home and in the schools. This paves the way to obesity, diabetes, behavioral problems, migraines, digestion issues, and even depression/anxiety in our little ones. We would never knowingly put our children in harms way, but that's exactly what we do when they eat a diet high in processed foods.
Empty Calories, Empty Nutrition
Take a look at the nutritional information on a bag of chips, pudding cup, or even a kids yogurt. You'll probably find it full of sugar or salt, lots of words you can't pronounce, and not much else. If we want our children to be ready to learn, then we've got to provide them with the nutritional support to do so. Malnourished children can't think, so how can we expect them to perform well in school?!
Refined Sugars
Sugar addiction is a real thing, and our kids are hard-core addicts. It's sugar that makes us fat and it increases the risk for diabetes, attention/hyperactivity disorders, arthritis, migraines, lowered immune function, obesity, cavities, and cardiovascular disease, and a whole lot more.
Step 1: Remove all soda and fruit juice (yes, even 100% fruit juice) from your home. When your kids deserve a reward, instead of giving them sweets, try rewarding them with a fun activity instead. And ask your child's teacher to do the same!
Food Additives
The list is long when it comes to additives in processed foods, but most fall into one of the following categories: 1. artificial flavors, 2. artificial sweeteners, 3. artificial colors, and 4. preservatives. Two common additives are MSG and Aspartame. These amino acids are also Excitotoxins, which creates a terrible cycle of overexciting our neurons to the point that they die. Many people experience migraines when they consume MSG, for example. These excitotoxins are also linked to neurodegenerative diseases {shocker}.
My young niece recently went to the doctor for migraines, which she is way too young for. The doctor told her to stop eating processed foods. Since then, she's cut back significantly and has already seen a great improvement. MSG in particular can be hidden under various other names. Names like, 'hydrolyzed vegetable protein,' 'vegetable protein,' 'natural flavorings,' and 'spices.' Sometimes, different additives may also contain MSG like, 'Plant Protein Extract'. Sounds harmless enough since it's got the word 'Plant' in it, but sadly not.
Another common additive is my most hated. My archnemesis: Hydrogenated Oils. I wish these guys were banned from our food supply. They're the cheapest oils that the food companies can buy. Even so-called "Natural" and "Organic" snack foods use them. They're associated with heart disease, breast and colon cancer, atherosclerosis, and elevated cholesterol. These oils are highly inflammatory for the body, and are also linked to joint pain and skin disorders. If your teen is struggling with acne (or any skin condition), I highly recommend completely removing these oils from their diet: Safflower, Sunflower, Corn, Soybean Oil, and even Canola. When I cut these oils from my diet last year, within a FEW DAYS my joint pain significantly decreased and my skin felt amazing.
Now onto Pesticides & GMO's - controversial to some, but I personally buy mostly organic and non-GMO. The easiest way to avoid Pesticides & GMO's is to just look for organic. (You can buy non-GMO food that is not certified organic, but not the other way around. Certified organic must be GMO-free).
ProTip: When first switching to organic produce, it'll be more cost-effective to use the Clean Fifteen and Dirty Dozen list that the EWG puts out annually. Organic gets expensive, so use the lists!
But my kid is a picky eater!
This one is for my sister, who has a very picky eater. It's a tough one, and I won't sugar coat this. It's gonna suck, but you can train your brain to prefer healthy foods. Although it'll take some time, determination, and serious planning from you as the parent. You'll also need to have a lot of patience for your kiddo when you do eliminate all packaged and processed foods. The first few weeks might be rough for everyone so expect some irritability (from your kid, too!), especially for the first few days. And the good news is that once you eliminate processed foods, by default you are also reducing excess sugar, sodium, chemicals, and those nasty, inflammatory vegetable oils. Once you all start seeing how amazing you feel, you'll never turn back.
I would love to hear from you! Feel free to leave a comment if you guys have any thoughts or questions. Peace everyone!
