freshalicious® “Food for Kids”
Food ideas? How to get the kids to eat healthy? Help, you say…
We love our lifestyle so much that many of us have lost control….so many moms like you and I are struggling to get our kids to eat healthy. But how?
It is easier than you think! We need a plan, a strategy, so let’s get started!
We love convenient, simple and easy ways to satisfy our children’s hunger and these are some of the reasons why.
Moms are being taxed with not only having a full time job outside the home, and often a 45-minute drive away, however when we arrive back home it never ends. We start our second job, being the main caregivers for the family. Let’s not forget about the men who are assuming similar roles.
Moms are really great at multi tasking; this is something I believe that many of us are born with. Most of us have several things to accomplish after hours, which are directly related to taking care of the family and the family’s needs. Whether it is sports, schoolwork or housecleaning we are very busy most hours of the day.
The key to every successful home is to keep “balance and moderation” at the forefront. You are number one and so is the family. Locally sourced food, buying produce and fruit in-season and sourcing locally raised antibiotic free, free-range and pastured foods will change you. And let’s not forget local organic food! It will make you think, ask questions and make the transition into a healthier inclusive lifestyle.
So you are probably saying this is supposed to a section on “Food for Kids”? Well, it is and our kids’ dietary needs are suffering because of the lifestyles we are living today. I am not saying Mom should stay home 24/7 but follow my ways and take the time to cook using locally sourced, (local organic when you can) whole foods in-season. It will change the family dynamics around the food you eat everyday.
Eating right is difficult today without a plan. The old “grab and go” mentality should be left behind. Instead, keep things simple and back to the basics.
Here are some tips to help you feed your kids better and get them involved in making good food choices everyday.
Fresh food idea #1
Listen to them about the foods they like and do not like, and always try new ways to get them to eat fresh fruit and vegetables. Fresh, raw, roasted, broiled, steamed and blanched. There are so many ways to prepare the same food with the outcome of the final flavour being different.
Fresh food idea #2
Have them help you cook, peel carrots or potatoes and get involved in seasoning the food. Let them pick the recipe based on what is in-season, why not?
Fresh food idea #3
Let them help you decide what a weekly menu looks like and when shopping in the grocery store let them pick the fresh food with your guidance. Trust me, they will eat more fresh fruits and vegetables if they are given the responsibility of choosing it themselves.
Fresh food idea #4
Promote local, local organic fresh fruits and vegetables in place of salty and sweet packaged snacks. One apple or pear all by itself is very filling. Sugary gummy snacks are a recipe for disaster. Natural or added sugar will cause sugar spikes, they will want to eat more and eating too many sweets in general is linked to diabetes and obesity.
Fresh food idea #5
Kids love to make decisions so why not let them scour the Internet for a simple recipe idea, or let them pick a recipe from their favourite cookbook! The more involved they get in the kitchen, the better it is for you.
Fresh food idea #6
Take the time, talk to them about Organic food, naturally raised animals and the health benefits that come with choosing to eat better. There is nothing wrong with reading food labels with them and making decisions to purchase based in the ingredients listed, and helping them understand what healthy really means.
Fresh food idea #7
Try planting a small garden they can tend to. They will gain confidence and feel really good about growing food. My kids call our garden “the backyard grocery store” and love to eat right off the plants! They taste the difference, your kids will too!
Fresh food idea #8
Take them out to a farm, or a farmers’ market. Whether it is strawberry season or time for pumpkins or squash these trips help the kids see where their food comes from, that it’s not from just a grocery store.
Fresh food idea #9
Share with them the importance of supporting locally grown organic and seasonal food and all the good reasons why we need to eat this way. Whether it is about contributing to our local economy, our friends and neighbours or a reduction in global pollution. Our kids are brilliant, nothing to hide.
Fresh food idea #10
Get them outside to play! They will burn off energy, breathe fresh air and experience the world, as we knew it when we were kids. Give them the gift of sport! Whether it is hockey, soccer or dance they need lots of physical activity the keep their bodies and minds in shape.
Start focusing on eating well with the kids; choose whole foods that are organic and locally grown. We need to focus more on the journey it takes to get the right food on our plates and not sacrifice whole foods in place of processed or imported foods. I invite you to get involved, know the story behind the food, the farmer, the grower. This is the story behind freshalicious, eat fresh, eat local, eat healthy, eat organic and in-season always.
Love your food! A little work will go a long way!
Refer to Stacey’s 5 Point Guide to “Kickstarting your local lifestyle” with the kids!
