Great Food Choices - Getting Kids Hooked Early
It’s
important for our family to have healthy choices at home. Growing up,
my mom always stocked the fridge with fruits and vegetables. Left overs
were always flavorful because they were cooked with a lot of veggies
and herbs. As a result, I stock my own fridge with wholesome foods as
an adult, and although we indulge in fast food once in a while, I always
feel a tug towards fruits and vegetables, so I decided to raise our son
the same way. After 7 years of giving our son healthy options, we
have seen him push away the fries while eating our weekend burgers and
many times leaves birthday cakes half eaten because they are too sweet.
We also limit sodas to special occasions and eating out, so cranberry
juice has become his go to drink at home.
Sugars
are also kept to a healthy medium. I make it a habit to bake a dessert
on Fridays. (Keeping dessert day to Fridays has helped us all control
our sweet tooth cravings.) Brownies! I’m sure your probably thinking.
That’s not healthy at all. Oh but it can be. No, I don’t make it with
blended carrots or squash. We use dark chocolate brownie mix instead
of milk chocolate to start. Dark chocolate is a great monounsaturated
fat that also contains phenylethylamine (PEA), which is the feel good
chemical your brain produces naturally. Dark chocolate also improves
blood flow, helps prevent formation of blood clots, and may prevent
arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). To give them a yummy and
healthy kick, I add dried cranberries and browned ripened banannas to
the mix and for an added antioxidant bonus, we throw in some dark
chocolate semi-sweet chips. Here's a full breakdown of dark chocolate benefits.
Vitamin
C is critical to absorbing other nutrients and minerals in your body.
I always thought orange juice was the best source for natural vitamin
C. Not so. I was surprised to find that bell peppers and white grapes
have even more. I swap out processed sweets like fruit roll-ups for
natural sweet treats like these in my child's lunches. It is a great way
to ensure he gets enough vitamin C to absorb all the important vitamins
and minerals from his food. Kiwi, papaya and strawberries are also
good sources of vitamin C. Here's another great website with detailed information and a list of fruits and vegetables high in vitamins for you and your children.
When
it comes to eating meat, we choose grass fed beef. It's lower in fat
(among other things) as well as higher in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty
acids and the taste is noticablly better. When looking for grass fed
beef at the store, I make sure to read the labels. There
is a difference between “vegetarian” fed and grass fed. Vegetarian is
grain fed (corn, protein supplements and antibiotics), and grass fed is
all natural. Here is a comparison between grass fed and vegetarian fed beef.
These
are just a few healthy habits we're instilling in our children so they
get hooked early and grow up making good food choices for themselves as
adults. I hope these tips help in any way. If you have any healthy food
ideas, dishes or recipes you'd like to share, please feel free to post
them below.
- Olga Lane
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