Going "Extreme"

It’s been a little over a month now that my kids and I have switched to a plant based diet. It wasn’t until recently, after my husband watched “Forks Over Knives”, that he decided to join us. The further in we get into this new healthy habit of ours the more aware I’m becoming of the very many not-so-healthy choices I unconsciously made for my family. I’ve heard comments being made about people who eat like us - that we’re going a bit “extreme”. I know this because I was one of those people who made such comments ;) What’s interesting about that word is those same people never make those comments about the people who take their children to eat out at all the fast food joints 2-3 times a week. Why is that considered “normal” yet eating fresh vegetables and fruits is considered “extreme”?

I recently came across an article which compares five of the worst “healthy” fast-food kids meals. Did you know that Chick-fil-A Kids Grilled Nuggets Meal contains the same amount of cholesterol as a Big Mac? The McDonald’s Cheeseburger Happy Meal contains more sodium than 13 orders of McDonald’s kids fries? Denny’s Build Your Own Jr. Grand Slam contains almost 100 more miligrams of sodium than the government recommends children should consume at breakfast.

What a nutrition shocker! And the sad part is that the general public is not aware of just how unhealthy these foods are. We just keep loading the kids up in the car for another trip to McDonalds for some salty-cholesterol-filled chicken nuggets and a dollar store plastic toy. Perhaps we're too busy to pay attention, perhaps we give these food chains more trust than they deserve, perhaps we just never really thought about it. But now that we know, what will we do with that information?

One fear of mine as I delved into this lifestyle “change” was that I would be depriving my children of “fun childhood experiences”. It’s a silly thought when you really think about it - especially compared with the information I shared earlier. I think my kids can have the best of both worlds. They can have health AND fun.

Below are a few tips I’ve found to be helpful in making this experience “fun” for the kids:

1.) Educate them about WHY you’re making a change.

Growing up my parents had a lot of healthy habits; like shopping at Farmers Markets, building their savings accounts, avoiding credit cards, etc. These were all good practices, however, because I was never "taught" the reason behind those decisions; those practices never caught on for me. 

2.) Be flexible and let them experiment.

Nobody likes to be forced to eat things they hate. My kids don’t like “vegetables” yet they love potatoes, broccoli, salads, etc. I suppose it’s just the particular word that they don't like. We made a rule in our house that when they see an item on their plate they think they don't like; they have to at least try it first. Often times they are surprised to find they like it. My son used to despise tomatoes. While we were visiting my parents in Oregon his grandpa teased him and said, “But these are oregon tomatoes - have you ever tried oregon tomatoes?” Needless to say, he likes “oregon” tomatoes now ;)

3.) Get them involved.

Kids will eat far more healthy items when they help to prepare it. Get them in the kitchen with you preparing the vegetables and various dishes. Let them sample things as they make it. They will be excited to eat the items they cook! When you shop at the store turn it into a scavenger hunt... let them find a vegetable that’s “red” and one that’s “yellow”. Let them pick an item from the produce department to try that week and rate it. Turn it into a game! One of my favorite blogs I follow just began a weekly "activity" packet for kids to help educate them about healthy foods; click here to check it out.

4.) Make it fun.

Use fun cookie cutters to make shapes out of their vegetables and sandwiches. Make fun dips like hummus or peanut butter for them to dip their fruits and veggies in. Create a "fancy drink" for them by placing different fruit slices in their glass of ice water (my kids' favorite are orange or apple slices). 

My challenge to you is to be “extreme”. Go against the flow. Choose the narrow road. Healthy habits can be contagious and wouldn’t it be great to be a healthy influence on someone you love!

Here’s a picture of the kids making their own “potato pizzas”.
Completely nutritious and yet completely fun! Go to my “Recipes” tab to try it out =)