Here is some food for thought whether you're single, married with no children or have 6 kids. I've been shuffling around the PCRM site reading articles and learning more about healthy living and plant foods. I have found a lot of interesting and disturbing facts. Most of the facts are things I've read previously, but it never ceases to get me to stop an evaluate how I'm feeding my kids.
I am easy to feed. I know what I like and I am willing to branch out and try new things. My husband is a big boy, he knows what is healthy and he can decide for himself. My little ones, are not always so easy to feed yet they should be my primary focus!
I'm not a perfect mom when it comes to many things, and feeding my kids is one of them. I try very hard to incorporate healthy, plant foods into their diets. It doesn't always come without a fight though. My little boy has found his throwing arm! He also has discovered he gets a reaction from mom and dad when he throws a fit (mom and dad are working on that ) so he has become a little bit of a challenge. He will eat nearly any fruit I place in front of him, but vegetables can be a different story! He did enjoy the Garden Vegetable Soup last night which made me shout for joy! So we handle a lot of this with smoothies typically. He loves a smoothie with avocado and spinach mixed in with delicious berries! It's a work in progress. My daughter is able to reason with us now (thank goodness) and is soaking up all the information she can about why we eat this or why she needs to eat that! It's been a big relief to see her fall in love with healthy foods. It doesn't always happen, she still loves a good sweet and there are times when we allow it. When we are at Grandma's house, we let Grandmas be grandmas! But....she can still recognize that it's not healthy for her, and she will say "this is not healthy" right before she devours whatever she's eating!
I've learned that 1/3 of our children today are not only overweight but obese! It makes me sad not only for their physical health, but mental health as well. I remember middle school, kids can be mean to each other! Some think before they speak and it's not easy to forget harsh words.
Dr. Benjamin Spock, pediatircian and resarcher said that it isn't neccesarily the amount of food that kids eat it is the types of food they are eating. When you need to have your child involved in a weight loss plan add more plant foods and many times you will acheive the weight loss you need without going hungry.
It's not always easy feeding kids healthy, it can be a long and frustrating road, but I can tell you from personal experience, watching your child go from wanting boxed crackers and cookies to asking for celery, bananas and grapes for snack is a feeling that I personally treasure in my top 5 best feelings ever box!
We're shaping our children's future in most everything we do. In the values we instil in them, the time we spend with them, their education, let's not forget we're also shaping their health future by what we are feeding them now! Keep trying and don't give up on some foods with your little ones, it takes time...not a few days it can take months! But the satisfaction in seeing your child's tastes change just like yours is overwhelming!
Eat Yourself Healthy and Happy
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