Are your kids eating well?

Everything in moderation is okay

In today's society parents globally tend to agree that everything in moderation is okay for their children.  Do you agree?

Does this mean that of the 17,000 new processed foods introduced to the market every year, these are foods you want to be giving to your children in moderation? (1)

At what point does moderation become excess?

I feel that moderation becomes excess when we are giving similar ingredients in foods that are multiplied in processed foods.  These ingredients are not necessarily those that we wish our children to be getting on a daily basis.

The foods children need to grow include:

• fruit
• veges
• whole grains
• proteins
• healthy fats

The best way for your children to get these healthy food types, including their vitamins, minerals and micronutrients that are all required for their growth and brain development, is through eating locally grown organic wherever possible.  If not locally grown, then organic, if not organic, then locally grown in season.

What do you do though if you cannot access these all year round? Or you  have fussy eaters?

Did you know that our soils are depleted of minerals? (2)  Did you know that over 80,000 environmental toxins are released yearly and many are not tested for? (3).  How do you think this is affecting the nutritional content of the foods you are feeding to your children?

Are they receiving the nutrients they need to grow into healthy adults? To grow up without the added risk of Type 2 Diabetes? To grow up without the risk of obesity?

There are statistics available (4) that highlight that children in the US today do not get enough fruit and vegetables, and that this is a greater problem as children age.  What foods do your children eat that contain high sodium levels (lots of extra salt added), high fat levels (fried foods), high sugar levels (sweets, cakes, processed foods, even 'low fat' foods)??

How to change this for your children?

Switch to superfoods that have natural ingredients, no artificial sweetners, flavours or colours to supplement your healthy food choices.

• Look to locally grown, inseason organic foods to cook with,
• skip processed foods,
• reduce your concept of 'moderation' for processed foods or treats
• increase exercise for your children, go to the park and run around for 1/2 an hour every evening

Change the eating patterns of your family by joining a revolution of good quality foods that provide nutrients for healthy growth, increase exercise routines in your family to have more fun as a family. Ask me about how.

Home grown bananas

By doing these things, and following a healthy nutritious diet, you are more likely to be creating a foundation for your children to grow into healthy, strong adults.

Ask me how now!

1. Pollan M. Food Rules, An Eater’s Manual. The Penguin Press, New York, 2011.

2. Davis DR, Epp MD, Riordan, HD. Changes in the USDA food composition data for 43 garden crops, 1950 to1999. J Amer Col Nutr, 2004;23(6):669-682.

3. Reuben SH. Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do Now. President’s Cancer Panel, Annual Report 2008-2009. Retrieved from: http://deainfo.nci.nih.gov/advisory/pcp/annualReports/pcp08-09rpt/PCP_Report_08-09_508.pdf

4. Cohen, E. Ten Ways To Get Kids To Eat Their Veggies. 2011. Retrieved from: http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/06/02/kids.eat.vegetables.ep/