It is incredible how quickly we can see health changes in children when we let them eat for their bodies. The hard part? Getting parents fully onboard. The real work is done by the parents - the shopping, the preparation, the educating, the staying firm and providing loving console when our children are JUST learning how to start to heal their little bodies.
My top tips for parents:
Start Slowly. Begin with breakfast foods. What does your child typically eat and how can you change just 1 ingredient at a time, moving towards whole foods.
I know, I know... it makes a mess and it is often less productive and speedy, but Let your children help and encourage them to get into the kitchen with you! Let them explore with new ingredients, taste new herbs, GROW new herbs! Get some potted plants or a garden going.
Give them excitement around choice! Our produce aisles are so incredibly colorful. They may not have TV or Movie characters on their packaging, but how incredible that the best foods for our bodies are the most naturally colorful foods in our grocery stores and farmer's markets. Instead of letting your children pick out their favorite processed foods from those middle aisles, bring them to the store and let them pick out 2-3 new color foods from the produce section. Then take them home and let them dig in - tasting, preparing, cooking with them.
Talk with them. They may feel deprived of all those old "goodies" - and that is OK. Let them feel that way. The end. You don't always need to jump in with "well, we don't eat those foods because ....... blah blah blah". Just let your child feel their feelings.
Re-learn how to cook and prep in advance. As I said above, the real work is done by the parents. Parents often times are the worst offenders of grabbing "quick" food because obviously-- we are doing all the work! So... plan on finding your family's new favorites and cooking 2x. 1 for now and 1 for the freezer! You'll thank yourself when you just don't have time.
Unpopular opinion. Find a take-out place that uses great ingredients, non-inflammatory oils, and grass-fed meats, for those days where you don't have leftovers or pre-cooked foods.
While we love to see clients cooking primarily at home, I understand that we have other things to do outside of cooking all day - that is our current culture. I always tell my parent/child clients to do the best that you can in the season that you are in. Some days/weeks will look more cleaned up than others. But do take the time to slow down and take notice. Can you see some change in your child's health/behavior/feelings/sleep patterns? Hold on to those and let those motivate you to take those small steps forward. Progress over Perfection- always. <3
